title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
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[The value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography portography in assessing severity of liver cirrhosis and predicting episode risks of hepatic encephalopathy]. | To explore the clinical value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography portography (MSCTP) in assessing severity of liver cirrhosis and predicting episode risks of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Eighty-six patients with liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology at the Affiliated Hospital of Yan'an University were included in the study.All patients underwent 64-slice MSCTP to grade the portal vein anatomy.The West Haven criteria were used for semi-quantitative assessment of each patient's mental state.The Child-Pugh grading system was used to assess the extent of cirrhosis.Comparison of measurement data between multiple groups was made by one-way ANOVA analysis, and comparison of such between two groups was made by the Mann-Whitney U test, Ranked data were compared with the rank-sum test, and count data were compared by the Chi-Square test.Correlation analysis was performed with Spearman's correlation test. Comparison of the HE grade III group and the HE grade I group showed significant differences between the two in the diameters of left gastric vein, the splenic vein, the intrahepatic left portal vein and the intrahepatic right portal vein (P less than 0.05).Comparison of the Child-Pugh grade C group and the Child-Pugh grade A group showed significant differences between the two in diameters of the left gastric vein, the splenic vein, the intrahepatic left portal vein and the intrahepatic right portal vein (P less than 0.05).The diameters of the main portal vein were not significantly different between the ChildPugh grades and HE classifications (P more than 0.05).The results of MSCTP did show significant differences between different HE classifications in patients with liver cirrhosis and the rate of formation of portal vein thrombosis and fistulas of the hepatic artery-portal vein (P less than 0.05), .but no significant differences with the esophageal and gastric varices, varicose veins around the esophagus, and periumbilical varicose veins (P more than 0.05).HE classification was significantly correlated with formation of portal vein thrombosis and fistula of the hepatic artery-portal vein (r=0.687, P less than 0.05 and r=0.565, P less than 0.05, respectively).MSCTP grading (grade 1:n=35, grade 2:n=36, grade 3:n=15) was not correlated with the Child-Pugh grade (grade A:n=36, grade B:n=32, grade C:n=18) (Z=-0.135, P more than 0.05).Incidence of HE was significantly different among the different MSCTP grades (grade 1:0%(0), grade 2:33.3% (12/36), grade 3:66.7% (10/15); x2=26.468, P less than 0.05).The MSCTP grade was significantly correlated with the episode risks of HE (r=0.552, P less than 0.05). MSCTP may be valuable for assessing severity of liver cirrhosis and for predicting episode risks of HE; however, future studies with larger sample numbers is required for validation of our findings. | 25,203,802 | [
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[Nutritional risk assessment in patients with chronic liver disease]. | To use the European Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS)-2002 survey tool to investigate nutritional risk associated to different degrees of liver disease and to assess its ability to identify the nutritional risk of hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease. A total of 366 hospitalized patients were assessed with the NRS-2002 on the day of admission. Patients who meet the criteria for malnourishment (NRS-2002 score of more than 3 points (severely impaired nutritional status with body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m2) were selected for further study to determine liver function. Patients were classified according to liver dysfunction-related features, including cirrhosis status, Child-Pugh classification, and underlying disease causes (e.g.alcohol, hepatitis virus infection). Chi square test was used in statistical analysis of inter-group difference. The incidence of patients surveyed who were at nutritional risk was 41.0%, and the incidence of malnutrition was 7.6%. The patients with liver failure showed the highest rate of nutritional risk (72.8%). Moreover, among the 97 patients with liver cirrhosis, significantly more had Child-Pugh grade B than grade A (88.6% vs.33.1%; x2=24.019, P=0.000). The cause of liver failure with the highest incidence of nutritional risk was alcohol-related liver disease (66.7%). The overall malnutrition rate among the total 156 patients classified by the NRS-2002 as being at nutritional risk was 76.2%. The NRS-2002 is a suitable screening tool for use in Chinese patients with mild early liver disease, but it must be interpreted carefully as its findings alone may promote a false positive rate. The NRS-2002 is less accurate in patients with end-stage liver disease. | 25,203,807 | [
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[A reduced TKI dosage is not associated with loss of activity in EGFR mutated NSCLC patients]. | Patients treated with anti-EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) may receive dose reduction due to toxicity; however, the impact on treatment efficacy and patient outcome remains unknown. Patients with stage IV NSCLC harbouring EGFR mutations and treated at our institution were retrospectively analyzed for treatment with TKI in 2012 or later. Thirty patients with EGFR mutated adenocarcinoma were identified meeting the inclusion criteria. Eleven patients received cytotoxic therapy as first line treatment yielding in a response rate of 36 %. All patients were treated with TKI as first or second-line therapy which resulted in disease stabilization (23 %) or response (77 %) in all patients. The median progression-free survival was 21.4 months with 21 patients still on treatment with TKI. For 7 patients, the dose of TKI treatment had to be reduced due to co-morbidities (n = 2) or skin toxicity (rash ≥ grade 3; n = 5). These patients demonstrated a similar response and outcome as compared to patients receiving full dose TKI treatment. Patients with EGFR mutated NSCLC and the need for TKI dose reduction seem to benefit in a similar manner from TKI therapy. | 25,203,821 | [
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The interactions of TGF-beta signalling pathway and Jagged2/Notch1 pathway induce acanthosis in lingual epithelia. | The aims of this study were to distinguish between the primary and secondary effects of TGF-β signalling disruption by Dox treatment in NTPDase2+ cells; and to investigate the interactions between TGF-β signalling and Jagged2/Notch1 pathway in regulating the expansion of tongue epithelia stem cells.Transgenic mice expressing rtTA from the mouse NTPDase2 promoter or K14 promoter were used to generate an inducible dominant negative TGF-β receptor type II (Tgfbr2) mutant model.Disruption of TGF-β signalling in NTPDase2+ cells initially inhibited the formation of filiform papillae but led to their regeneration over time. In contrast, disruption of TGF-β signalling induced proliferation of lingual epithelia in the middle tongue. We also observed the proliferation of lingual epithelia in the posterior tongue near the circumvallate papillae. Interactions among the TGF-β signalling pathways, Jagged2/Notch1 signalling pathways and epigenetic modifications regulate the expansion of lingual epithelial stem cells. Different molecular mechanisms are involved in the developmental regulation of lingual epithelia and filiform papillae, dependent on the location along the whole tongue. The fluctuating phenotype of tongue epithelia, over time, may be the combined effects of signalling pathways and epigenetic modifications. | 25,203,837 | [
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Workflow for combined proteomics and glycomics profiling from histological tissues. | Extracellular matrixes comprise glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans that order the environment through which cells receive signals and communicate. Proteomic and glycomic molecular signatures from tissue surfaces can add diagnostic power to the immunohistochemistry workflows. Acquired in a spatially resolved manner, such proteomic and glycomic information can help characterize disease processes and be easily applied in a clinical setting. Our aim toward obtaining integrated omics datasets was to develop the first workflow applicable for simultaneous analysis of glycosaminoglycans, N-glycans and proteins/peptides from tissue surface areas as small as 1.5 mm in diameter. Targeting small areas is especially important in the case of glycans, as their distribution can be very heterogeneous between different tissue regions. We first established reliable and reproducible digestion protocols for the individual compound classes by applying standards on the tissue using microwave irradiation to achieve reduced digestion times. Next, we developed a multienzyme workflow suitable for analysis of the different compound classes. Applicability of the workflow was demonstrated on serial mouse brain and liver sections, both fresh frozen and formalin-fixed. The glycomics data from the 1.5 mm diameter tissue surface area was consistent with data published on bulk mouse liver and brain tissues, which demonstrates the power of the workflow in obtaining combined molecular signatures from very small tissue regions. | 25,203,838 | [
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Radiotherapy-induced skin reactions: prevention and cure. | This article describes the prophylactic use of Mepitel Film in three breast-cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy. Each patient had significant risk factors for developing severe radiotherapy-induced skin reactions. This article details the experience encountered by these patients through their treatment courses, with observations by the review radiographers responsible for the care and support of these patients during their radiotherapy and the patients themselves. The film was found to be easy to use by the clinical team and resulted in a significant reduction in adverse side effects to the skin, with an associated improvement in patient satisfaction. There was found to be a financial benefit with the use of Mepitel Film when compared to the foam dressings often required for wound management if the patients had suffered moist desquamation. | 25,203,851 | [
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Avoiding accidental exposure to intravenous cytotoxic drugs. | Many cytotoxic drugs have been shown to be mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic with second malignancies known to be associated with several specific cancer drugs. Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs presents a signification danger to healthcare staff and unwarranted handling of these drugs should be avoided. Guidelines have been established for the safe handling of hazardous drugs but not all professionals are adhering to these recommendations. Recent environmental studies have demonstrated measurable drug contamination on surfaces even when recommended guidelines are followed. It is therefore imperative that healthcare workers are aware of the potential hazards of antineoplastic agents and employ the recommended precautions to minimise exposure. This article outlines the potential risks associated with exposure to cytotoxic drugs for healthcare staff. The safe-handling precautions required in the storage, preparation, transport, administration and waste disposal of cytotoxic drugs are presented. | 25,203,853 | [
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Template-free ordered mesoporous silicas by binary nanoparticle assembly. | Evaporation-induced convective binary assembly of large (A) and small (B) silica nanoparticles is demonstrated as a template-free route to three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous silicas (OMSs), the pore topology of which derives from the interconnected interstices of the resulting ordered nanoparticulate structures. Even without explicit solvent index matching or stabilization (e.g., charge or steric) beyond intrinsic properties of the amino acid nanoparticle synthesis solution, assembly of binary mixtures of silica nanoparticles of ca. 10-50 nm in diameter primarily obeys hard-sphere phase behavior despite differences in electrostatic character of the particles. Specifically, the particle size ratio, γ, governs symmetry of the assemblies among AB2 and AB13 phases and enables access of the AB phase. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals the high yield of ordered binary assemblies and confirms, in combination with transmission electron microscopy, the AlB2, NaZn13, and NaCl crystalline isostructures. Interstitial solid solutions result for the smallest γ considered (γ ≤ 0.3), wherein cubic crystallization of the large particles is templated by interstitially mobile small particles. New mechanistic insight into factors influencing the yield of ordered binary structures includes the degree to which the smaller particles (ca. 15-24 nm) within the mixture undergo unary crystallization, as influenced by lysine or other basic amino acids used in the nanoparticle synthesis, as well as matching of the time scales for convective nanoparticle assembly and crystallization. Ultimately, the demonstrated robustness of the binary nanoparticle assembly and the control over silica particle size translate to a facile, template-free approach to OMSs with independently tunable pore topology and pore size. | 25,203,868 | [
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Is there a relationship between patient satisfaction and favorable outcomes? | Patient satisfaction with the health care experience has become a top priority for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. With resources and efforts directed at patient satisfaction, we evaluated whether high patient satisfaction measured by HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) surveys correlates with favorable outcomes. Medical centers were identified from the University HealthSystem Consortium database from 2011 to 2012. Variables included hospital characteristics, process measure compliance, and surgical outcomes. Chi-squared analysis was used to evaluate for variables associated with high patient satisfaction (defined as hospitals that scored above the 50th percentile of top box scores). We identified 171 hospitals with complete data. The following variables were significantly associated with high overall patient satisfaction: large hospitals, high surgical volume, and low mortality (P < 0.001). Compliance with process measures and patient safety indicators, as well as length of stay, did not correlate with overall satisfaction. The presence of complications (P = 0.491) or increased rate of readmission (P = 0.056) were not found to affect patient satisfaction. Low mortality index was consistently found to be associated with high satisfaction across 9 of 10 HCAHPS domains. We found that hospital size, surgical volume, and low mortality were associated with high overall patient satisfaction. However, with the exception of low mortality, favorable surgical outcomes were not consistently associated with high HCAHPS scores. With existing satisfaction surveys, we conclude that factors outside of surgical outcomes appear to influence patients' perceptions of their care. | 25,203,875 | [
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Total laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: oncologic advantages over open approaches? | To directly compare the oncologic outcomes of TLPD and OPD in the setting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Total laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (TLPD) has been demonstrated to be feasible and may have several potential advantages over open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD), including lower blood loss and shorter hospital stay. Whether potential advantages could allow patients to recover in a timelier manner and pursue adjuvant treatment options remains to be answered. We reviewed data for all patients undergoing TLPD (N = 108) or OPD (N = 214) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma at our institution between January 2008 and July 2013. Neoadjuvant therapy, tumor size, node positivity, and margin-positive resection were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Median length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the OPD group (9 days; range, 5-73 days) than in the TLPD group (6 days; range, 4-118 days; P < 0.001). There was a significantly higher proportion of patients in the OPD group (12%) who had a delay of greater than 90 days or who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy at all compared with that in the TLPD group (5%; P = 0.04). There was no significant difference in overall survival between the 2 groups (P = 0.22). A significantly longer progression-free survival was seen in the TLPD group than in the OPD group (P = 0.03). TLPD is not only feasible in the setting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma but also has advantages such as shorter hospital stay and faster recovery, allowing patients to recover in a timelier manner and pursue adjuvant treatment options. This study also demonstrated a longer progression-free survival in patients undergoing TLPD than those undergoing OPD. | 25,203,880 | [
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Differences in surgical outcomes between hepatitis B- and hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of a single North American center. | Compare surgical outcomes for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) versus hepatitis C virus (HCV)-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is the second leading cause of death from cancer worldwide and is associated with hepatitis virus infection in 80% of cases. Between 1997 and 2011, 1008 patients with hepatitis B (HBV, n = 431) or hepatitis C (HCV, n = 577) underwent resection (n = 567) or transplantation (n = 441). Resection was indicated for Child's A patients with single HCC; transplantation was indicated for patients within Milan criteria. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed as well as survival and recurrence analysis using log-rank test. Based on uniform application of these criteria, resection: transplantation ratio was 3.6 for patients with HBV and 0.67 for patients with HCV. Resection: Patients with HBV had larger tumors and higher α-fetoprotein but less satellites and macrovascular invasion; 68% of HBV versus 89% of HCV were cirrhotic. Survival was better (P < 0.001) and recurrence was lower (P = 0.009) for HBV. Independent predictors of death included HCV (P = 0.024), transfusion (P = 0.013), and HCC of greater than 5 cm (P = 0.013). Limiting analysis to patients with cirrhosis, survival with HBV remained superior (P = 0.020) but recurrence did not. Transplantation: Tumors were similar in HBV and HCV. Survival was better (P = 0.002) for HBV; recurrence was similar. Independent predictors of death were HCV (P < 0.001), poor differentiation (P = 0.049), vascular invasion (P = 0.002), and outside Milan (P = 0.032). Limiting analysis to patients within Milan, HBV survival remained better for both resection (P = 0.030) and transplantation (P = 0.002). Survival after both resection and transplantation for HCC was better in HBV- than in HCV-related HCC whereas recurrence was also lower for HBV-HCC in the resection group, these differences are influenced by both liver and tumor factors. | 25,203,882 | [
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Development of a new calibration procedure and its experimental validation applied to a human motion capture system. | Motion capture systems are often used for checking and analyzing human motion in biomechanical applications. It is important, in this context, that the systems provide the best possible accuracy. Among existing capture systems, optical systems are those with the highest accuracy. In this paper, the development of a new calibration procedure for optical human motion capture systems is presented. The performance and effectiveness of that new calibration procedure are also checked by experimental validation. The new calibration procedure consists of two stages. In the first stage, initial estimators of intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are sought. The camera calibration method used in this stage is the one proposed by Tsai. These parameters are determined from the camera characteristics, the spatial position of the camera, and the center of the capture volume. In the second stage, a simultaneous nonlinear optimization of all parameters is performed to identify the optimal values, which minimize the objective function. The objective function, in this case, minimizes two errors. The first error is the distance error between two markers placed in a wand. The second error is the error of position and orientation of the retroreflective markers of a static calibration object. The real co-ordinates of the two objects are calibrated in a co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM). The OrthoBio system is used to validate the new calibration procedure. Results are 90% lower than those from the previous calibration software and broadly comparable with results from a similarly configured Vicon system. | 25,203,903 | [
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Activity Profile of International Rugby Sevens: Effect of Score Line, Opponent, and Substitutes. | To investigate the influence of score line, level of opposition, and timing of substitutes on the activity profile of rugby sevens players and describe peak periods of activity. Velocity and distance data were measured via 10-Hz GPS from 17 international-level male rugby sevens players on 2-20 occasions over 4 tournaments (24 matches). Movement data were reported as total distance (TD), high-speed-running distance (HSR, 4.17-10.0 m/s), and the occurrence of maximal accelerations (Accel, ≥2.78 m/s2). A rolling 1-min sample period was used. Regardless of score line or opponent ranking there was a moderate to large reduction in average and peak TD and HSR between match halves. A close halftime score line was associated with a greater HSR distance in the 1st minute of the 1st and 2nd halves compared with when winning. When playing against higher- compared with lower-ranked opposition, players covered moderately greater TD in the 1st minute of the 1st half (difference = 26%; 90% confidence limits = 6, 49). Compared with players who played a full match, substitutes who came on late in the 2nd half had a higher average HSR and Accel by a small magnitude (31%; 5, 65 vs 34%; 6, 69) and a higher average TD by a moderate magnitude (16%; 5, 28). Match score line, opposition, and substitute timing can influence the activity profile of rugby sevens players. Players are likely to perform more running against higher opponents and when the score line is close. This information may influence team selection. | 25,203,905 | [
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Identification and characterization of an ecto-pyrophosphatase activity in intact epimastigotes of Trypanosoma rangeli. | In this study, we performed the molecular and biochemical characterization of an ecto-enzyme present in Trypanosoma rangeli that is involved with the hydrolysis of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate. PCR analysis identified a putative proton-pyrophosphatase (H(+)-PPase) in the epimastigote forms of T. rangeli. This protein was recognized with Western blot and flow cytometry analysis using an antibody against the H(+)-PPase of Arabidopsis thaliana. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed that this protein is located in the plasma membrane of T. rangeli. Biochemical assays revealed that the optimum pH for the ecto-PPase activity was 7.5, as previously demonstrated for other organisms. Sodium fluoride (NaF) and aminomethylenediphosphonate (AMDP) were able to inhibit approximately 75% and 90% of the ecto-PPase activity, respectively. This ecto-PPase activity was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by MgCl2. In the presence of MgCl2, this activity was inhibited by millimolar concentrations of CaCl2. The ecto-PPase activity of T. rangeli decreased with increasing cell proliferation in vitro, thereby suggesting a role for this enzyme in the acquisition of inorganic phosphate (Pi). Moreover, this activity was modulated by the extracellular concentration of Pi and increased approximately two-fold when the cells were maintained in culture medium depleted of Pi. All of these results confirmed the occurrence of an ecto-PPase located in the plasma membrane of T. rangeli that possibly plays an important role in phosphate metabolism of this protozoan. | 25,203,926 | [
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Factors controlling the enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of nanodiamond-reinforced cross-linked high density polyethylene. | A systematic investigation of the factors influencing the notable enhancement of the mechanical and thermal properties of nanodiamonds (NDs)-reinforced cross-linked high density polyethylene (PEX) is presented in this work. The effects of crystal structure and molecular conformation as well as filler dispersion and adhesion with the matrix were found to govern the mechanical properties of the final composites. A considerable increase in the strength, toughness, and elastic modulus of the materials was found for the composites with filler content below 1 wt %. For higher NDs concentrations, the properties degraded. When filler concentration does not exceed 1 wt %, enhanced adhesion with the matrix is achieved, allowing a more successful load transfer between the filler and the matrix, thus enabling an effective reinforcement of the composites. The higher degree of crystallinity along with larger crystal size are also positively influencing the mechanical properties of PEX. Higher filler concentrations, on the other hand, lead to the formation of larger aggregates, which lead to lower adhesion with the matrix, while they also constitute stress concentrators and therefore reduce the positive reinforcement of the matrix. The thermal conductivity of the composites was also found to be significantly increased for low-filler concentrations. This enhancement was less significant for higher NDs concentrations. It is concluded that this reinforcement is due to the heat capacity increase that NDs incorporation causes in PEX. Additionally, a thermal stability enhancement was found for the composite with minimum filler content. | 25,203,933 | [
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Multiple sclerosis treatment with natalizumab: analysis of a hospital-based cohort. | Natalizumab is licensed as monotherapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Since pivotal studies showing natalizumab efficacy, several subsequent studies confirmed the reduction in annualized relapse rate and the slowing of disability progression. Nevertheless, 'real-world' data, namely in Portugal, are still scarce. We intend to report demographic and clinical data of the cohort of patients treated with natalizumab in the multiple sclerosis Clinic of Centro Hospitalar São João, based on daily practice. We have conducted a retrospective study of multiple sclerosis patients who had been treated with natalizumab (at least one dose) from January 2007 to May 2013 in our Center. We have gathered information about demography, baseline disease, natalizumab treatment, and outcome. We have found 66 patients treated with natalizumab since 2007 in our center. The majority (65.2%) were female, with a mean age of 35 years, and mean disease duration of 9.5 years. Almost all patients (93.9%) had received a prior multiple sclerosis immunomodulatory therapy. Patients have been treated with natalizumab on an average time of 24 months, with a statistically significant reduction in Annualized Relapse Ratio (-1.9, p < 0.001) and Expanded Disability Status Scale score (-0.8, p < 0.001). One patient has developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; other adverse effects have been uncommon. In general, our results fit those earlier reported in other post-marketing studies. Lack of MRI data and retrospective design are the most important limitations of our study. Our study confirms natalizumab efficacy and safety in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in a 'real-world' practice. | 25,203,951 | [
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Two-Stage Regularized Linear Discriminant Analysis for 2-D Data. | Fisher linear discriminant analysis (LDA) involves within-class and between-class covariance matrices. For 2-D data such as images, regularized LDA (RLDA) can improve LDA due to the regularized eigenvalues of the estimated within-class matrix. However, it fails to consider the eigenvectors and the estimated between-class matrix. To improve these two matrices simultaneously, we propose in this paper a new two-stage method for 2-D data, namely a bidirectional LDA (BLDA) in the first stage and the RLDA in the second stage, where both BLDA and RLDA are based on the Fisher criterion that tackles correlation. BLDA performs the LDA under special separable covariance constraints that incorporate the row and column correlations inherent in 2-D data. The main novelty is that we propose a simple but effective statistical test to determine the subspace dimensionality in the first stage. As a result, the first stage reduces the dimensionality substantially while keeping the significant discriminant information in the data. This enables the second stage to perform RLDA in a much lower dimensional subspace, and thus improves the two estimated matrices simultaneously. Experiments on a number of 2-D synthetic and real-world data sets show that BLDA+RLDA outperforms several closely related competitors. | 25,204,000 | [
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Time to relapse after epilepsy surgery in children: AED withdrawal policies are a contributing factor. | It was recently suggested that early postoperative seizure relapse implicates a failure to define and resect the epileptogenic zone, that late recurrences reflect the persistence or re-emergence of epileptogenic pathology, and that early recurrences are associated with poor treatment response. Timing of antiepileptic drugs withdrawal policies, however, have never been taken into account when investigating time to relapse following epilepsy surgery. Of the European paediatric epilepsy surgery cohort from the "TimeToStop" study, all 95 children with postoperative seizure recurrence following antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal were selected. We investigated how time intervals from surgery to AED withdrawal, as well as other previously suggested determinants of (timing of) seizure recurrence, related to time to relapse and to relapse treatability. Uni- and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used. Based on multivariable analysis, a shorter interval to AED reduction was the only independent predictor of a shorter time to relapse. Based on univariable analysis, incomplete resection of the epileptogenic zone related to a shorter time to recurrence. Timing of recurrence was not related to the chance of regaining seizure freedom after reinstallation of medical treatment. For children in whom AED reduction is initiated following epilepsy surgery, the time to relapse is largely influenced by the timing of AED withdrawal, rather than by disease or surgery-specific factors. We could not confirm a relationship between time to recurrence and treatment response. Timing of AED withdrawal should be taken into account when studying time to relapse following epilepsy surgery, as early withdrawal reveals more rapidly whether surgery had the intended curative effect, independently of the other factors involved. | 25,204,012 | [
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Interleukin-18 gene polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus: relation to disease status. | Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by loss of self-tolerance causing immune-mediated tissue destruction and various clinical presentations Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders. This study investigates polymorphisms of the IL-18 gene in SLE patients at positions -607 and -137 of the promoter to elucidate their possible roles in the activity and severity of this disease. Fifty SLE patients and fifty unrelated healthy control group were included. AII SLE patients underwent thorough clinical examination and SLE disease activity assessment using SLEDAI. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood. Sequence-specific primer PCR analysis were used to genotype the DNA samples for SNP-607and SNP-137, while plasma IL-18 concentrations of patients and control subjects were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The frequency of SNP-607/CC genotype showed significant increase (P < 0.05), while genotype SNP-607/CA showed significant decrease (P < 0.05) in SLE patients as compared to the control group. Significantly elevated levels of plasma IL-18 were found in patients compared to controls (P < 0.001) and those with genotype CC at -607 demonstrated the highest IL-18 level (331.74 +/- 36.48 pg/mL). Serum IL-18 levels showed significant positive correlations with the ESR 1st hr. (r = 0.89), protein/creatinine ratios (r = 0.88), anti-dsDNA titers (r = 0.44) and SLEDAI scores (r = 0.91). In contrast, significant negative correlations were found with HB% r = -0.68, creatinine clearance (r = -0.87) and C3 (r = -0.81). In addition, a statistically significant association was found between IL-18 of CC -607 genotype and lupus nephritis, arthritis and immunological disorders. In conclusion, IL-18 promoter gene polymorphisms at position -607 may contribute to SLE activity and accelerate SLE development by enhancing production of IL-18 protein in SLE patients. | 25,204,040 | [
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The role of regulatory T cells in preeclampsia. | Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder of unknown cause that is unique to human pregnancy affecting about 7-10% of pregnant women. CD4+CD25(bright) regulatory T (Treg) cells have been identified as a principle regulator of tolerance during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change of peripheral CD4+CD25(bright) regulatory T lymphocytes in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia, and to explore its role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. We determined CD4+CD25(bright) Treg cells in the peripheral blood using flow cytometry and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3+) cells at the peripheral blood using real time PCR. 30 preeclamptic cases (group 1), 10 normal pregnancy subjects (group 2) and 10 non-pregnant healthy controls (group 3) were included. There was a highly significant decrease as regards Treg count and percentage in preeclamptic cases compared to normal pregnancy subjects (P < 0.001), decrease in preeclamptic cases compared to non-pregnant healthy controls (P < 0.001) and a significant increase in normal pregnancy subjects compared to non-pregnant healthy controls (P < 0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease as regards RQ of foxp3 gene expression in preeclamptic cases compared to normal pregnancy subjects (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between RQ and studied variables in preeclamptic cases (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the number of Treg cells are decreased in preeclampsia, and this decrease may break the maternal tolerance to the fetus. | 25,204,044 | [
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Efficacy of ferterra 0.4% GR (chlorantraniliprole) against stem borers and leaffolder insect-pests of basmati rice. | Field experiments were conducted during three kharif seasons from 2009 to 2011 at Sudhar village, Ludhiana and Rice Research Area of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Four doses of Ferterra 0.4% GR (chlorantraniliprole) a new chemistry @ 20, 30, 40 and 50 g a.i. ha(-1) and standard check Cartap hydrochloride 4 G @ 1000 g a.i. ha(-1) was tested against stem borers and leaffolder infesting basmati rice. Over the years, dead heart in all the Ferterra doses and standard check (1.01-1.80%) were at par70 DAT, whereas, at 80 DAT doses @ 40, 50 and standard check were at par (1.04-1.13%) but significantly better than lower doses and untreated control. Similarly, over the years, Ferterra doses @ 40 and 50 g a.i. ha(-1) was significantly better than control in reducing white ear incidence, whereas, at 30 g a.i. ha(-1) and standard check intermediately reduced the white ears incidence. Leaffolder infestation at all the Ferterra doses were at par with standard check 70 DAT (2.69-3.87%), whereas, 80 DAT, Ferterra doses @ 30, 40, 50 and standard check were at par (2.95-3.49%) but significantly better than lower dose and untreated control. Over the years the cost : benefit ratio was maximum (1 : 23.67) in the Ferterra @40 g a.i. ha(-1) dose followed by 50 g a.i. ha(-1) dose. | 25,204,052 | [
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Identification of simple sequence repeat markers associated with wilt resistance in pigeonpea. | The present study was carried out with the objective of identifying markers for Fusarium wilt resistance in pigeonpea using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and bulk segregant analysis (BSA). The wilt resistant (ICPL 87119) and wilt susceptible (T. Vishakha-1) genotypes were crossed and their F2 population was used for marker analysis. Although, the parents were surveyed with 76 SSR primers to identify the polymorphic markers, only 26 primers were found polymorphic between the parents under study. The polymorphic information content scores of SSR markers ranged between 0.077 to 0.333, with an average of 0.18 per marker. These 26 primers were selected for BSA, which indicated that five SSR primers (PFW 26, PFW 31, PFW 38, PFW 56, and PFW 70) were able to distinguish the resistant and susceptible bulks and parents for wilt resistance. Hence, these five SSR markers can be utilized further for identification of wilt resistant genotypes of pigeon pea and for development of new wilt resistant varieties of pigeonpea. | 25,204,073 | [
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Fibrinogen, bFGF and VEGF levels during antibiotic therapy in gynecologic cancer: a preliminary report. | The role of angiogenesis in the development of neoplasia has been identified and characterized. However, antiangiogenic therapeutic intervention still requires more evidence to become recognized and successful. The aim of this study was to evaluate levels of selected proangiogenic factors, such as fibrinogen, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in serum of patients with the gynecologic cancer on the first, third and sixth day of antibiotic therapy, routinely administered as a perioperative treatment. In addition, serum concentrations of gamma-gamma dimers and alpha-polymers of cross-linked fibrin structure and the degree of bFGF binding with the fibrin network were investigated. Immunohistochemistry staining of the excised tumor tissue was also performed. We observed higher levels of bFGF, VEGF, as well as fibrinogen in patients with gynecologic malignancy, as compared to healthy women. In cancer patients, the concentration of alpha-polymers and gamma-gamma dimers of fibrin network increased. Further only gamma-gamma dimers fraction of fibrin was found to bind to bFGF. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated the presence of bFGF in an excised tumor tissue. In conclusion, the decrease of proangiogenic bFGF and fibrinogen levels in a clinical trial of gynecologic patients may confirm anti-angiogenic properties of selected antibiotic therapy. | 25,204,086 | [
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[Profile of moral reasoning in persons with bipolar affective disorder]. | The subject of the research presented in this paper was to analyze the relationships between bipolar disorder (BD) and the profile of moral reasoning according to the concept of James Rest. 86 persons took part in the research, including 43 bipolar patients and 43 healthy individuals. To measure the severity of depression and mania symptoms the following scales were used: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Rating Scale for Mania (YMRS). Profile of moral reasoning was defined on the basis of the results obtained in the Defining Issue Test (DIT) by James Rest. Statistical analysis showed that there is a relationship between bipolar disorder (and its phases) and the profile of moral reasoning: bipolar patients significantly less often than healthy individuals chose answers indicating the postconventional thinking (p = 0.000) - and more often - answers indicating stage 3 and those belonging to the anti-institutional thinking index (p = 0.000). There was also a relationship shown between the development of moral reasoning and the phase of bipolar disorder: patients in mania less often than persons in euthymia chose answers indicating the final stage of moral thinking (p = 0.050). There were no significant differences between the results of patients with a depressive episode and the results of patients in mania and between the results of patients with a depressive episode and the results of patients in euthymia. The results suggest that the psychological state of the individual may have an impact on the process of moral reasoning - bipolar disorder may to some extent influence the way of thinking about moral dilemmas. The collected data also seem to emphasize the specificity of the manic phase which is especially worth exploration when conducting further studies. | 25,204,095 | [
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[Life without childhood--parentification of women with ACoA syndrome]. | The aim of the study conducted on 110 women (55 research group, 55 control group) was to answer the question: If and what kind of parentification (role reversal in the family) do women with Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoA) syndrome experience in comparison to women who did not experience parent's alcoholism in childhood? The following methods were applied in the study: a questionnaire prepared for screening children of alcoholics Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) by John Jones and Joanne Pilat, and a questionnaire to examine parentification Filial Responsibility Scale for Adult (FRS--A) created by Gregory Jurkovic and Alison Thirkield. The results have shown that in comparison to women who did not experience parental alcoholism in childhood, women with ACoA syndrome have more often experienced parentification and a sense of injustice in the past. Currently, these women also experience this feeling more frequently. The analysis of the results of this study could serve as valuable clues for the therapeutic work with women who are Adult Children of Alcoholics. | 25,204,100 | [
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[Cognitive therapy of trauma related guilt in patients with PTSD]. | Various aspects of guilt are frequent problems of patients suffering from PTSD, though they have been included into the diagnostic criteria for PTSD just in the present version DSM-5. Some studies indicate limitation of effectiveness of exposure therapy in PTSD patients with predominant emotions of anger or guilt. The aim of this paper is to present cognitive conceptualization of guilt in PTSD proposed by Kubany, and a treatment protocol resulting from this conceptualization. The clinical application of the protocol is illustrated with preliminary results of systematic observation of 8 patients with moderate to severe PTSD who were treated with cognitive therapy for guilt followed by a standard prolonged exposure protocol. The cognitive therapy of guilt can be a valuable supplement for treatment of PTSD. This protocol can also be an inspiration for therapists working with patients with dysfunctional guilt as a problem in other than PTSD disorders--like depression or adjustment disorders. In discussion the place of guilt in treatment according to different (PE-Foa et al.; CPT-Resick et al.; CT-Ehlers and Clark) trauma focused therapy approaches is addressed, and the need for further studies is underlined. | 25,204,104 | [
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[Study on dynamic change law of N, P and K in Panax notoginseng plant soils with different interval year]. | To study effects of different interval year on Panax notoginseng plant soils macro element content. The dynamic change of total N, P, K and available N, P, K in soil from Mabai, Matang, Gumu and Panlong was determined under different planting patterns (new soil, interval 5 years soil and continuous cropping soil). Contents order of soil total N, P and available N, P were interval 5 years soil > continuous cropping soil > new soil. No significant quarter change on soil total N was found, but the other three showed inverted "v" curve, and the peak value appeared on April 2010. Content of soil total K did not change significantly, but the available K content order was new soil > continuous cropping soil > interval 5 years soil, the quarter change was similar as soil available N or P. The soil total N, P, K and available N, P, K were different of the 4 monitoring sites under the 3 interval planting modes. There was a significant correlation between soil total P and available P under all these 3 interval planting modes, but N and K. The propitiation of N-P-K of new soil, interval 5 years soil and continuous cropping soil were 1: 0.4: 2.4, 1: 0.4:1.4, 1:0. 4:2.0, respectively. Continuous cropping pattern induce the accumulation of P, but deficient of K. The imbalance proportion of N, P and K was one of the incentives of continuous cropping induced obstacles. Strengthen the research of optimum proportion of soil N, P and K, and then eliminate continuous cropping obstacles by means of formulated fertilization is the future research direction. | 25,204,125 | [
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[Effect of light quality on growth, photosynthesis and effective components of Panax notoginseng]. | In order to discover light quality's effects on growth, photosynthesis and effective components content of Panax notoginseng, a pot experiment using 7 light qualities (red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, violet, and blue) was conducted. The growth, photosynthesis and content change of effective components were measured during plant growth. The results showed that light qualities had significant effect on plant growth, red light increased the plant height, while cyan, yellow, violet, and blue lights promoted accumulation of biomass underground, blue and yellow lights increased the photosynthesis, cyan light increased accumulation of ginsenoside Rd, yellow and cyan lights increased total effective components of individual plant. | 25,204,131 | [
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[Comment on applications of data mining used in studies of heritage of experiences of national medical masters]. | Data mining, as known as knowledge discovery in databases, is a non-trivial process of revealing the implied, previously unknown and potentially useful information from the massive data. In recently years, the applications of data mining in the field of pharmaceutical research of traditional Chinese medicine have widespread. Especially in the field of the heritage of experiences of na-tional medical masters, data mining plays an important role. In this study, we would expound of the use of methods of data mining in the heritage of experiences of national medical masters, and analyze their advantages and disadvantages, such as association rules, Bayesian networks, neural networks, and decision trees. | 25,204,132 | [
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[Analysis on medication rules of state medical master Yan Zhenghua from prescriptions with citri reticulatae pericarpium based on data mining]. | The prescriptions containing pericarpium citri reticulatae that built by Professor. Yan were collected to build a database based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inheritance assist system. After analyzed by data mining, such as apriori algorithm, the frequency of single medicine, the frequency of drug combination, the association rules between drugs and core drug combinations can be get from the database. Through the analysis of 1 027 prescriptions with pericarpium citri reticulatae, these prescriptions were commonly used to treat stomach aches, cough and other syndromes. The most frequency drug combinations were "Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium-Poria", "Paeoniae Radix Rubra-Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium" and so on. The drug association rules that the confidence was 1 were "Glycyrrhizae Radix ex Rhizoma --> Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium", "Paeoniae Alba Radix-Cyperi Rhizoma --> Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium", "Poria --> Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium", and so on. The drugs in the prescriptions containing pericarpium citri reticulatae that built by Professor Yan mostly had the effects of regulating the flow of Qi and invigorate blood circulation, which reflected the clearly thought when making prescriptions. | 25,204,133 | [
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[Effects of micronization on micromeritics properties of baicalin]. | Baicalin extremely fine powder was made by using ball-mill and the effect of micronization on the micromeritics properties of baicalin was studied and analyzed. The microstructures of baicalin ordinary and extremely fine powder were compared by scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction and the powder characteristic of them was investigated. The hygroscopicity was studied. The effect of micronization on the dissolution of baicalin was investigated. The results showed that the chemical constituents of baicalin were not changed after micronization with better compressibility. It was confirmed that micronization technology had a certain application value in promoting the insoluble component of baicalin absorption with higher dissolution. | 25,204,141 | [
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[Study on supercritical CO2 extraction of xiaoyaosan and its GC-MS fingerprint]. | To determine the optimum conditions of supercritical CO2 extraction of Xiaoyaosan, and establish its fingerprint by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the yield of extract were investigated, an orthogonal test was used to quantify the effects of extraction temperature, pressure, CO2 flow rate and time, and fingerprint analysis of different batches of extracts were by GC-MS. The optimal extraction conditions were determined as follows: extraction pressure 20 MPa, extraction temperature 50 degrees C, CO2 flow rate 25 kg x h(-1), extraction time 3 h, and average yield 2.2%. The GC-MS fingerprint was established and 27 common peaks were found, whose contents add up to 81.89% of the total peak area. Among them, 21 compounds were identified, accounting for 53.20% of the total extract. The extraction process is reasonable and favorable for industrial production. The GC-MS method is accurate, reliable, reproducible, and can be used for quality control of supercritical CO2 extract from Xiaoyaosan. | 25,204,145 | [
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[Chemical constituents from Glechoma longituba]. | Fourteen compounds were obtained from Glechoma longituba by the chromatographic methods of silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative of HPLC. According to physicochemical properties and spectral data, these compounds were identified as stilbostemin B (1), trilepisiumic acid (2), 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl ethanol ketone (3), bergeninmonohydrate (4), oresbiusin A (5), norbergenin (6), stilbostemin D (7), ehretioside B (8), ethyl ferulate (9), E-p-hydroxy-cinnamic acid (10), methyl gallate (11), protocatechuic acid (12), 4'-Hydroxyacetophenone (13), and E-3-2,4-dihydroxyphenyl-2-acrylic acid (14). Among them, compounds 1-10, 13 and 14 were isolated from this plant for the first time. | 25,204,149 | [
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[A phytochemical and pharmacological advance on medicinal plant Litsea cubeba (Lauraceae)]. | Litsea cubeba is one of aromatic medicinal plant belonging to family Lauraceae. The roots, stems and fruits of L. cubeba have been widely applied as folk medicines in some districts in China for relieving rheumatism and cold, regulating Qi (meridian) to alleviate pain. Previous studies revealed that this species contains major alkaloids, in specific aporphines, and minor flavonoids, lignans as well. Related pharmacological investigations demonstrated its activities and clinical applications on cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, against rheumatoid arthritis, relieving asthma and anti-allergic effects, as anti-oxidants, and so on. As an effort for further exploration of this bioactive ingredients and potential drug development, this paper summarizes most phytochemical and pharmacological results. Further, future prospects are also included. | 25,204,163 | [
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[Bufadienolides from venom of Bufo bufo gargarizans]. | Twelve compounds were isolated from the venom of Bufo bufo gargarizans. On the basis of their physical and chemical properties and spectral data, their structures were identified as resibufagenin (1), bufotalin (2), desacetylcinobufagin (3), 19-oxodesacetylcinobufotalin (4), cinobufotalin (5), 1beta-hydroxylbufalin (6), 12alpha-hydroxybufalin (7), bufotalinin (8), Hellebrigenin (9), telocinobufagin (10), hellebrigenol (11) and cinobufagin-3-hemisuberate methyl ester (12), respectively. Compounds 7 and 12 are new natural products. | 25,204,176 | [
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The influence of vapor pressure of chemicals on dermal penetration. | Dermal exposure is an important route of entry for chemicals in occupational and consumer settings. Key to this exposure is the penetration of the skin's barrier, and key to this penetration is a chemical's vapor pressure. Until now, vapor pressure and its effects on the skin have yet to be widely studied. This review aims to provide some historical background on early work on dermal penetration for volatile materials, which has helped form later research into the effects of vapor pressure on chemical risk assessment for dermal exposures. This review should be the start of an investigation into more in-depth coverage of vapor pressure and current prediction models. | 25,204,211 | [
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Textile allergic contact dermatitis: current status. | We conducted a thorough review of Pubmed search results for "textile percutaneous penetration" and "textile absorption". We also determined relevant articles that discussed percutaneous penetration of textiles into the skin and their associated disease states. Due to limitations in current and past publications, we are uncertain of the extent of the clinical problem; however, for patients allergic to textile dye, it is of practical importance, both clinically and in their everyday life. There are many challenges to correctly identifying the offending textile products in a patient with suspected textile dye dermatitis. Different populations may exhibit varying degrees of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), but more studies must be done to draw further conclusions. This is further complicated when counseling the patient on how to avoid the textile products most likely to cause a recurrence of ACD skin lesions. | 25,204,213 | [
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Breech delivery in the all fours position: a prospective observational comparative study with classic assistance. | Vaginal delivery of fetal breech presentation is considered to be a challenge for obstetricians. The purpose of this study was to show that vaginal delivery in all fours position is feasible and safe for mother and child compared with vaginal breech and classic support. A single-center prospective observational case series of breech delivery (n=41) in all fours position was compared to a retrospective cohort of breech deliveries in the form of a matched-pair analysis. Deliveries in the all fours position successfully took place without obstetric intervention in 70.7% of deliveries (n=29/41), and those including intervention in 90.2% (n=37/41). The rate of maternal perineal injuries was reduced (14.6% vs. 58.5%, P<0.001). Newborns delivered in all fours position had increased prenatal hypoxic stress with a pH of 7.19 [95% confidence interval (CI) 7.16-7.22] vs. a pH of 7.24 (95% CI 7.21-7.27; P=0.016). With n=24 vs. n=16, a higher number of newborns had a pH of <7.20 (P=0.03) and decreased base excess of -7.2 mmol/L (95% CI -8.2-6.2) vs. -4.8 mmol/L (95% CI -5.7-4.0; P<0.001). However, this had no clinical consequences for the newborns (5 min Apgar score <9: n=5 vs. n=4, not significant; transfer rate to neonatal intensive care unit n=7 vs. n=6, not significant). This is the first clinical evaluation of breech delivery in the all fours position. It is a feasible non-interventional obstetric delivery method. It seems to be safe for the fetus with reduced maternal morbidity. Vaginal delivery of fetal breech presentation, even in the all fours position, creates stress for the newborn. | 25,204,214 | [
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Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort. | Bully-victimization is a widespread public health issue with significant negative effects on both social function and psychological well-being. Existing research in Peru shows high prevalence of bullying. However, researchers have yet to fully understand the phenomenon of victimization in developing regions. The purpose of this study was to characterize victimization patterns over time, along with the predictors of victimization from a cohort of Peruvian adolescents enrolled in the young lives (YL) study. This study examined data from YL, a longitudinal study of poverty, health, and development, which examined data from the older cohort of children in Peru across three rounds (ages 8, 12, and 15 years). The sample consisted of 714 children from 74 communities that represent 20 districts in Peru. After adjusting for urban/rural setting, there remained a significantly lower wealth index for children who were bullied at ages 8 and 12 years. Exploratory analysis showed that although those in the lowest quartile of body mass index (BMI) were significantly more likely to be bullied at age 8 years, this association waned over time. A worse caregiver assessment of child's health compared with others was associated with a significantly greater risk of bully-victimization. At age 8 years, caregiver education was significantly lower among those bullied compared with those who were not bullied. This study showed several factors as the predictors of victimization in the early years, including being male and having low BMI, low socioeconomic status, and low parental/caregiver education. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine the extent to which these predictors vary in significance over time. | 25,204,215 | [
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Knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS among students of a technical institution. | Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a major health problem worldwide. The number of infected people is increasing daily. Knowledge and awareness toward prevention and control of the disease is necessary among both educated and illiterate people. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge and awareness about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS among undergraduate students studying in a technical institute in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among youths aged 15-30 years studying in a technical institution in Gorakhpur. Data were collected using a semistructured questionnaire developed with the help of existing literature, from 250 participants (students). The main source of information was the television; knowledge about the difference between HIV/AIDS was satisfactory. The findings showed that the knowledge about modes of prevention (blood checkup, needle/syringe sterilization) was satisfactory. There were several misconceptions about the modes of transmission of the disease, such as through mosquito bites, eating/drinking, and kissing. The knowledge of the study population was satisfactory, and there is a need for innovation and comprehensive education to impart better knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS. | 25,204,216 | [
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A core domain of the BMP2 proregion is sufficient for the biogenesis of mature homodimeric growth factor. | The large proregions of cystine knot growth factors exert several important biological functions. Previous results have shown that the proregion of BMP2 retards the activity of the mature growth factor. Hitherto, no information exists about the function of the BMP2 proregion during the biogenesis of the mature growth factor. Here, evidence is presented that the proregion is required for the secretion of BMP2 when present in covalent linkage to the mature domain. In trans complementation, i.e., with the proregion encoded by a separate plasmid, does not result in secretion of homodimeric mature growth factor. An extended variant of a previously in vitro characterized subdomain of the proregion, when being present in covalent linkage to the mature growth factor, restores secretion of mature BMP2, albeit at a reduced level. | 25,204,217 | [
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WW domain of BAG3 is required for the induction of autophagy in glioma cells. | Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved, selective degradation pathway of cellular components that is important for cell homeostasis under healthy and pathologic conditions. Here we demonstrate that an increase in the level of BAG3 results in stimulation of autophagy in glioblastoma cells. BAG3 is a member of a co-chaperone family of proteins that associates with Hsp70 through a conserved BAG domain positioned near the C-terminus of the protein. Expression of BAG3 is induced by a variety of environmental changes that cause stress to cells. Our results show that BAG3 overexpression induces autophagy in glioma cells. Interestingly, inhibition of the proteasome caused an increase in BAG3 levels and induced autophagy. Further analysis using specific siRNA against BAG3 suggests that autophagic activation due to proteosomal inhibition is mediated by BAG3. Analyses of BAG3 domain mutants suggest that the WW domain of BAG3 is crucial for the induction of autophagy. BAG3 overexpression also increased the interaction between Bcl2 and Beclin-1, instead of disrupting them, suggesting that BAG3 induced autophagy is Beclin-1 independent. These observations reveal a novel role for the WW domain of BAG3 in the regulation of autophagy. | 25,204,229 | [
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Successful isthmo-neovagina anastomosis after Davydov's colpopoiesis in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome patients with a functional rudimentary uterine horn. | The aim of these case reports is to present the feasibility of isthmo-neovagina anastomosis after Davydov's colpopoiesis in patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) with a rudimentary uterine horn. Ten MRKH patients were treated surgically with laparoscopic Davydov's vaginoplasty between 2006 and 2012. Two of these patients were found to have a functional rudimentary uterine horn. These patients underwent a 2-step surgical intervention: (1) Davydov's colpopoiesis with a combined laparoscopic and perineal approach and (2) isthmo-neovagina anastomosis with laparotomy in the 2 cases with a uterine horn in a second surgical step 4 and 6 months after the initial procedure, respectively. The main outcome measures were the perioperative and postoperative details, the vaginal length during follow-up, the postoperative initiation of intercourse, and the postoperative menstrual function. Isthmo-neovagina anastomosis was uneventful, and there were no early postoperative complications. The mean hospitalization duration was 9.5 days. Anastomosis was successful in both patients. The mean follow-up was 42 months, and the mean vaginal length was measured 9.5 cm; both patients reported normal intercourse and normal menstrual function. Anatomic restoration of the genital tract in these patients appears to have been successful and led to functional menstruation and restitution of the patients' sex life. | 25,204,254 | [
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Mutation breeding of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with lower methanol content and the effects of pectinase, cellulase and glycine in sugar cane spirits. | To decrease the methanol content of the sugar cane sprits, mutagenesis of ultraviolet (UV) coupled with diethyl sulfate (DES) was used to generate a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with lower methanol content. Meanwhile, the effects of the additions of pectinase, cellulase and glycine on the production of methanol in sugar cane spirits were evaluated. After mutagenesis of UV coupled with DES, a mutant S. cerevisiae DU9 with low production of methanol (97.3 ± 1.7 mg/L) was selected, with a 12.3% decrease of that of S. cerevisiae D4 only with DES treatment, and with a 27.8% reduction of that of the strain without any treatment. Pectinase and cellulase significantly increased the methanol levels of the sugar cane spirits. The results showed that there was linear relationship between glycine (concentration within 0∼0.9 g/L) and methanol in sugar cane sprits and the linear equation was y = 104.7 × -4.79 with the conversion rate of glycine conversion to methanol as 24.56%. Mutagenesis of UV coupled with DES is an efficient way to generate a mutant of S. cerevisiae with lower methanol content. Also, it is necessary to control the additions of pectinase, cellulase and glycine in the fermentation medium, and other unknown ways to generate methanol metabolic pathway in yeasts may need further study. | 25,204,269 | [
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Clinical and radiological long-term outcomes after matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte transplantation: a prospective follow-up at a minimum of 10 years. | It is unclear whether matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) results in objective and subjective clinical improvements at 10 years after surgery. Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation will result in clinical and radiological improvements in patients with symptomatic, traumatic chondral defects of the knee joint. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. A total of 16 patients with chondral defects of the knee were treated with MACT between November 2000 and April 2002 and evaluated for up to 10 years after the intervention. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Tegner activity score, Brittberg score, Noyes sports activity rating scale, and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain as well as 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score and functional evaluation by the limb symmetry index (LSI) formed the basis of this study. The Friedman test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed for a comparison between all time points and 2 separate time points, respectively. If significant differences were revealed, a Bonferroni adjustment to the α level was applied so that P values <.007 (<.05/7) were regarded as significant in the paired comparisons. Significant improvements (P < .05) from baseline to 120 months postoperatively were observed for the IKDC score (mean, 44.1 ± 26.9 to 59.0 ± 27.4), Noyes sports activity rating score (mean, 37.7 ± 30.1 to 62.1 ± 31.3), and KOOS Quality of Life and Pain subscores, whereas no statistically significant improvement was detected for the Brittberg score, Tegner activity score, or VAS score. After 5 years, a slight downward tendency of all clinical scores was evident. After 10 years, the mean MOCART score was 70.4 ± 16.1. Complete filling of the defect was observed in 73.9% of cases, and osteophytes were present in 78.3%. In 65.2% of the cases, a subchondral bone edema <1 cm was visible, whereas in 21.7% of the cases, a subchondral bone edema >1 cm was seen. The mean LSI for the single-legged hop test was 95.6% ± 16.2% and for the triple hop test for distance was 91.3% ± 12.2%. The mean VAS score for self-perceived stability was 60.2 ± 3.5 (range, 0-9.5) for the injured and 60.7 ± 3.8 (range, 0-10) for the uninjured leg. No adhesions or effusions were seen regarding the clinical and radiological outcomes. The significantly improved results on 3 outcome measures after 10 years suggest that MACT represents a suitable option in the treatment of local cartilage defects in the knee. | 25,204,296 | [
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Novonestmycins A and B, two new 32-membered bioactive macrolides from Streptomyces phytohabitans HBERC-20821. | Two new 32-membered macrolide compounds, named Novonestmycins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the soil strain Streptomyces phytohabitans HBERC-20821. Their structures were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D-NMR and MS spectrometry. The two compounds showed strong activities against the phytophathogenic fungi Corynespora cassiicola, Rhizoctonia solani and Septoria nodorum, with MIC values of 0.78, 0.39 and 0.78 μg ml(-1), respectively. In addition, the two compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activities against four different human tumor cell lines as well as one 5-FU-resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, with IC50 of 0.15-0.48 μg ml(-1) and 0.24-1.34 μg ml(-1), respectively. | 25,204,346 | [
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Positive reappraisal in older adults: a systematic literature review. | Positive reappraisal is a meaning-based cognitive emotion regulation strategy that is frequently used by older adults to deal with stressors. The strategy involves finding personally relevant positive meaning from an experience in the face of its negative reality. As positive reappraisal has not been previously systematically examined and appears to be particularly relevant to older adults, this paper reviews the research on positive reappraisal in older adult populations. Database searches identified 302 studies, of which 22 addressed positive reappraisal in older adult samples. The findings were categorised into four core themes: use and value for older adults, effects on mental health, benefit for physical illness, and influence of cognitive functioning and gender. The literature indicates that positive reappraisal is an adaptive coping strategy for older adults with wide-ranging benefits. Specifically, positive reappraisal appears to be related to improved mental health for older adults, and particularly in the context of physical illness. Helping older adults find meaning in their negative experiences appears to be a worthwhile research area to pursue. Questions for future research on positive reappraisal in older adulthood are proposed. | 25,204,368 | [
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Understanding the process of motivational interviewing: A review of the relational and technical hypotheses. | The current study systematically reviews evidence for a causal chain model suggested by Miller and Rose to account for the efficacy of Motivational Interviewing (MI). Literature searches were conducted to identify studies delivering MI in an individual format to treat various problem areas. Thirty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. The results suggest that when clinicians utilise MI consistent behaviours, clients are more likely to express language in favour of change. Furthermore, this client language was consistently related to positive client outcome across studies. While the results support some parts of the Miller and Rose model, additional research is needed to confirm the findings in diverse populations. Understanding the mechanisms of MI's effectiveness may maximise the implementation of MI, potentially contributing to better client outcomes. | 25,204,407 | [
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Reinforcing Poly(ethylene) with Cellulose Nanocrystals. | The fabrication of nanocomposites of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), one of the world's most widely used polymers, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which represent the world's most abundant bio-based nanofiller, is reported. While the hydrophobic polymer and the hydrophilic filler seem to be intrinsically incompatible, this article shows that it is possible to kinetically trap homogeneous nanocomposites by a templating approach. An organogel is first prepared by exchanging the solvent of an aqueous CNC dispersion against acetone, impregnating the resulting organogel, in which the CNCs form a percolating network with a hot LDPE solution in toluene, and compression-molding the resulting materials into thin films. At a filler content of 7.6% v/v, the resulting materials display a three- to four-fold increase in strength and stiffness compared with the neat LDPE, which confirms that the CNC network could be largely maintained. It is also possible to reprocess these nanocomposites and dilute them with LDPE using conventional melt-processing techniques. | 25,204,424 | [
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Isoform-specific SCF(Fbw7) ubiquitination mediates differential regulation of PGC-1α. | The E3 ubiquitin ligase and tumor suppressor SCF(Fbw7) exists as three isoforms that govern the degradation of a host of critical cell regulators, including c-Myc, cyclin E, and PGC-1α. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator with broad effects on cellular energy metabolism. Cellular PGC-1α levels are tightly controlled in a dynamic state by the balance of synthesis and rapid degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Isoform-specific functions of SCF(Fbw7) are yet to be determined. Here, we show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase, SCF(Fbw7), regulates cellular PGC-1α levels via two independent, isoform-specific, mechanisms. The cytoplasmic isoform (SCF(Fbw7β)) reduces cellular PGC-1α levels via accelerated ubiquitin-proteasome degradation. In contrast, the nuclear isoform (SCF(Fbw7α)) increases cellular PGC-1α levels and protein stability via inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. When nuclear Fbw7α proteins are redirected to the cytoplasm, cellular PGC-1α protein levels are reduced through accelerated ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. We find that SCF(Fbw7β) catalyzes high molecular weight PGC-1α-ubiquitin conjugation, whereas SCF(Fbw7α) produces low molecular weight PGC-1α-ubiquitin conjugates that are not effective degradation signals. Thus, selective ubiquitination by specific Fbw7 isoforms represents a novel mechanism that tightly regulates cellular PGC-1α levels. Fbw7 isoforms mediate degradation of a host of regulatory proteins. The E3 ubiquitin ligase, Fbw7, mediates PGC-1α levels via selective isoform-specific ubiquitination. Fbw7β reduces cellular PGC-1α via ubiquitin-mediated degradation, whereas Fbw7α increases cellular PGC-1α via ubiquitin-mediated stabilization. | 25,204,433 | [
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Extraction optimization of polysaccharides from Chinese rice wine from the Shaoxing region and evaluation of its immunity activities. | Chinese rice wine is well known for its unique flavor and high nutritional value. It is of interest to investigate the functional components of Chinese rice wine and their health benefits. Response surface design of three factors - pH, ethanol concentration and precipitation time - at three levels was utilized to optimize the extraction of Chinese rice wine polysaccharide (CRWP). The results indicated that the CRWP yield was 77.287% at the optimal levels for pH 8.4, ethanol concentration 88% and precipitation time 23 h. In addition, immune activity of CRWP was investigated by measuring body weight, spleen index and thymus index. Furthermore, immunity activity of CRWP was investigated by measuring lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytic index and phagocytic percentage of immunosuppressed mice. Compared with the control mice and model mice, it was found that CRWP has beneficial immune activities in vivo. These findings indicate that CRWP has immune activities in vivo by modulating the immune response, and implies full development and utilization of the nutritional value of Chinese rice wine. However, further work will be conducted in the future to elucidate the structure-bioactivity relationship for CRWP. | 25,204,439 | [
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Systemic glucocorticoid therapy: a review of its metabolic and cardiovascular adverse events. | The prevalence of use of long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy in the general adult population is 1 %. This figure increases to up to 3 % in elderly women. Metabolic (i.e. diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, weight gain, lipodystrophy) and cardiovascular (i.e. hypertension, cardiovascular events) adverse events are commonly observed in these patients and can be life threatening. Paradoxically, there is very few data on some of these adverse events and many of the available studies remain inconclusive. Incidence of and risk factors for dyslipidemia, weight gain and lipodystrophy are poorly defined. The optimal treatment plan for patients diagnosed with glucocorticoid-induced diabetes or hypertension is undetermined. Finally, there is no medical consensus on the best strategies for the prevention and detection of these complications. However, certain of these questions can be answered by looking at available data on patients with endogenous hypercortisolism (i.e. Cushing's syndrome). This article reviews the pathophysiology, incidence, risk factors, screening, and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced weight gain, lipodystrophy, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular events. It also focuses on the possible prevention of these adverse events by targeting the glucocorticoid receptor using selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators. | 25,204,470 | [
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Serum osteoprotegerin in relation to metabolic status, severity, and estimated risk of subsequent coronary heart disease. | Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a key factor in bone remodeling and vascular calcification, has been suggested to be associated with cardiovascular events. This study sought to assess the relationship between plasma OPG, anthropometric, metabolic status, severity and extent of coronary artery calcification, and the two-year recurrence risk of coronary event in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). A total of 155 consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of CHD were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Blood samples were taken for laboratory tests. Coronary angiography and cardiac CT scan were performed to assess the severity and extent of involved vessels. Two-year risk of subsequent CHD was estimated based on the computational Framingham risk prediction model. OPG level was in direct linear association with age (β = 0.38, p < 0.001), waist to hip ratio (β = 0.17, p < 0.05), hs-CRP (β = 0.17, p < 0.05), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (β = 0.17, p < 0.05; β = 0.23, p < 0.01), and HbA1c (β = 0.17, p < 0.05). After age-sex adjustment, only HbA1c (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) was a significant indicator of serum OPG. OPG showed significant linear association with the coronary calcium score (CCS), and the number of involved vessels even after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, blood pressure, and markers of bone-calcium metabolism (β = 0.27, P < 0.05; β = 29, P < 0.01). There is a significant positive association between two-year risk of subsequent CHD and serum OPG in females (β = 0.45, P < 0.01) but not in males. Increased OPG is independently associated with the severity and extent of CHD. This study also proposes OPG as a potential marker in predicting the risk of subsequent CHD, in females. | 25,204,474 | [
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Effect of psychological distress on weight concern and weight control behaviors. | Obesity is associated with chronic disorders like coronary artery diseases, metabolic syndrome, cancers, and psychiatric disorders. Stress may contribute to weight gain by disrupting weight concern, and lead to uncontrolled eating behavior. This study aimed to investigate the effects of stress on weight concern and control behaviors in normal weight and obese adults. A total of 9544 subjects were selected by multi-stage random sampling from three provinces in central Iran. Information related to weight concern and control behavior was registered in normal weight and obese participants. Psychological distress was measured by a 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and subjects were divided into high and low stress groups. Logistic regression was used for analysis. The mean age of participants was 38.7 ± 15.5 years and 50% (4772) of them were males. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for age, sex and education of high stress to low stress level for weight concern, weight control behavior and acceptable physical activity behavior was more than 1; but the OR was less than 1 for waist circumference, obesity and healthy diet behavior. Among obese participants, higher levels of stress were associated with lower weight concern with OR, 95%CI: 0.821, (0.682 - 0.988), lower acceptable physical activity with OR = 0.833, 95%CI: (0.624 - 0.912), but higher rates of healthy diet behavior with OR = 1.360, 95% CI: (1.040 - 1.780). Individuals with high stress level have lower weight concern and lower physical activity; therefore, they are prone to weight gain and obesity. It could be concluded that stress management should be considered as a crucial component of obesity prevention and control programs. | 25,204,476 | [
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Dexmedetomidine reduces pain associated with rocuronium injection without causing a decrease in BIS values: a dose-response study. | To examine whether dexmedetomidine reduces the injection pain of propofol and rocuronium and to investigate whether the decrease in injection pain is associated with the known sedative action of dexmedetomidine. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical comparison study. Patients undergoing general anesthesia with intubation received 40 mg of 1% lidocaine (lidocaine group; n = 28), 0.25 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine (low-dose group; n = 27), 0.5 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine (subclinical dose group; n = 28), 1.0 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine (clinical dose group, n = 27), or normal saline (saline group; n = 28) before anesthetic induction. Pain associated with propofol and rocuronium injection was assessed using a 10-point verbal analog scale (VAS) and a 4-point withdrawal movement scale, respectively. The BIS value was measured 60 seconds after administration of the study drug, and at the time of rocuronium injection and intubation. The overall incidence of withdrawal movements due to rocuronium decreased significantly as the dose of dexmedetomidine increased (92.8%, 85.2%, 78.6%, and 51.9% in the saline, low-dose, subclinical dose, and clinical dose groups, respectively; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in BIS values among the groups 60 seconds after study drug administration or at the time of rocuronium injection. Dexmedetomidine reduced pain associated with rocuronium injection in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not associated with the decrease in BIS value. | 25,204,507 | [
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VEGF-releasing suture material for enhancement of vascularization: development, in vitro and in vivo study. | As it has been demonstrated that bioactive substances can be delivered locally using coated surgical suture materials, the authors developed a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-releasing suture material that should promote vascularization and potentially wound healing. In this context, the study focused on the characterization of the developed suture material and the verification of its biological activity, as well as establishing a coating process that allows reproducible and stable coating of a commercially available polydioxanone suture material with poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and 0.1μg and 1.0μg VEGF. The in vitro VEGF release kinetics was studied using a Sandwich ELISA. The biological activity of the released VEGF was investigated in vitro using human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The potential of the VEGF-releasing suture material was also studied in vivo 5days after implantation in the hind limb of Wistar rats, when the histological findings were analyzed. The essential results, enhanced cell viability in vitro as well as significantly increased vascularization in vivo, were achieved using PLLA/1.0μg VEGF-coated suture material. Furthermore, ELISA measurements revealed a high reproducibility of the VEGF release behavior. Based on the results achieved regarding the dose-effect relationship of VEGF, the stability during its processing and the release behavior, it can be predicted that a bioactive suture material would be successful in later in vivo studies. Therefore, this knowledge could be the basis for future studies, where bioactive substances with different modes of action are combined for targeted, overall enhancement of wound healing. | 25,204,522 | [
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Community views about the health and exposure of children living near a coal ash storage site. | Coal ash, a waste product generated from burning coal, is composed of small particles comprised of highly toxic elements. Coal ash particles contain heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, as well as polyaromatic hydrocarbons and radioactive elements. Most coal ash is stored in landfills and ponds, often located in close proximity to low income communities. Currently, there are no federal regulations governing the storage and transport of coal ash; however the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a coal ash rule in 2010, which could designate coal ash as a hazardous waste. This is the first article to assess community impact from coal ash storage, by exploring parents' perceptions of their children's health and its relationship to chronic exposure to coal ash. This was a community-based study involving four neighborhoods adjacent to a large coal ash storage facility. Focus groups were conducted with community members and the transcripts were analyzed to identify themes regarding children's health, children's exposure to coal ash, and behaviors done to protect children from exposure. The majority of parents (85 %) reported that their children suffered from health conditions; specifically respiratory and emotional and behavioral disorders. Parents highlighted ways in which their children were exposed to coal ash, although many felt they were constantly exposed just by living in the area. Parents felt strongly that exposure to coal ash from the landfill is affecting the health and well-being of their children. Some parents attempted protective behaviors, but most parents felt helpless in reducing children's exposure. | 25,204,532 | [
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Copper-catalyzed phosphorylation of sp(2) C-H bonds. | The phosphorylation of the ortho C-H bonds in benzamides containing an 8-aminoquinoline moiety as a bidentate directing group with H-phosphonates using copper as a catalyst under mild temperature conditions is described. This method shows high functional group compatibility and selectively gives mono-substituted products. | 25,204,577 | [
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Fibroblast growth factor-21 and the beneficial effects of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. | Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) in the diet protect against insulin resistance and obesity. Fibroblast growth factor-21 (Fgf21) is a hormonal factor released mainly by the liver that has powerful anti-diabetic effects. Here, we tested whether the beneficial metabolic effects of LC n-3 PUFA involve the induction of Fgf21. C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to an obesogenic, corn-oil-based, high-fat diet (cHF), or a diet in which corn oil was replaced with a fish-derived LC n-3 PUFA concentrate (cHF + F) using two experimental settings: short-term (3 weeks) and long-term treatment (8 weeks). CHF + F reduced body weight gain, insulinemia, and triglyceridemia compared to cHF. cHF increased plasma Fgf21 levels and hepatic Fgf21 gene expression compared with controls, but these effects were less pronounced or absent in cHF + F-fed mice. In contrast, hepatic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α target genes were more strongly induced by cHF + F than cHF, especially in the short-term treatment setting. The expression of genes encoding Fgf21, its receptors, and Fgf21 targets was unaltered by short-term LC n-3 PUFA treatment, with the exception of Ucp1 (uncoupling protein 1) and adiponectin genes, which were specifically up-regulated in white fat. In the long-term treatment setting, the expression of Fgf21 target genes and receptors was not differentially affected by LC n-3 PUFA. Collectively, our findings indicate that increased Fgf21 levels do not appear to be a major mechanism through which LC n-3 PUFA ameliorates high-fat-diet-associated metabolic disorders. | 25,204,579 | [
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A new species of Glugea Thélohan, 1891 in the red sea bream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel) (Teleostei: Sparidae) from China. | A new microsporidian species is described from farmed red sea bream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel) (Teleostei: Sparidae). Large numbers of spherical whitish xenomas were observed throughout the visceral organs of the host. Histological examination showed that the microsporidia caused several xenomas that were embedded in the intestinal muscularis externa or submucosa. Light and transmission electron microscopy examination of the spores also revealed morphological features typical of species of Glugea Thélohan, 1891. This microsporidian parasite has two different types of mature spores: microspores and macrospores. The spores are elongate-ovoid, with a large posterior vacuole. The polaroplast is bi-partite, with anterior and posterior parts comprising densely packed lamellae and loose membranes, respectively, and occupies approximately the anterior half of the spore. The polar filament is anisofilar, with 12-13 coils in a single layer almost touching the posterior spore wall. Comparison of the small subunit rDNA sequences revealed 92.7-98.1% identity with the sequences available from other Glugea spp. from piscine hosts. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the microsporidian species studied clustered within the Glugea clade with strong support. Based on the differences in the morphological characteristics and molecular data, the microsporidian infecting P. major is considered to represent a species new to science, Glugea pagri n. sp. | 25,204,603 | [
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Sequence-defined polymers via orthogonal allyl acrylamide building blocks. | Biological systems have long recognized the importance of macromolecular diversity and have evolved efficient processes for the rapid synthesis of sequence-defined biopolymers. However, achieving sequence control via synthetic methods has proven to be a difficult challenge. Herein we describe efforts to circumvent this difficulty via the use of orthogonal allyl acrylamide building blocks and a liquid-phase fluorous support for the de novo design and synthesis of sequence-specific polymers. We demonstrate proof-of-concept via synthesis and characterization of two sequence-isomeric 10-mer polymers. (1)H NMR and LCMS were used to confirm their chemical structure while tandem MS was used to confirm sequence identity. Further validation of this methodology was provided via the successful synthesis of a sequence-specific 16-mer polymer incorporating nine different monomers. This strategy thus shows promise as an efficient approach for the assembly of sequence-specific functional polymers. | 25,204,618 | [
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Dramatic mechanistic change in acid-catalyzed arylation of azafulleroids depending on their ambident N/C basicity: formation of cyclopentene centered pentakisadduct. | Azafulleroid, amino-bridged [5,6]-open fullerene, has the ambident N/C basicity of the incorporated enamine moiety. Acid-catalyzed arylation of N-substituted azafulleroids proceeded via two types of initial N/C protonation to perform monoarylation or 1,4-bisarylation for the N-alkyl substituents and shuttlecock-type pentakisarylation for the N-phenyl substituent. The dramatic product change was explained by considering the possible mechanism as well as the DFT computational results. | 25,204,634 | [
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Influence of B-ring modifications on proton affinity, transmembrane anion transport and anti-cancer properties of synthetic prodigiosenes. | Prodigiosin is the parent compound of the tripyrrolic natural products known as the prodigiosenes. Some of these natural products and their synthetic analogs show anti-cancer, immunosuppressive and antimicrobial actions, amongst other biological activities. One mechanism put forth to explain their biological activity is that since prodigiosenes are typically protonated at physiological pH they can alter intracellular pH via HCl co-transport (or Cl(-)/OH(-) exchange) across cell membranes. In this study we synthesized a series of prodigiosene analogs with different -O-aryl substituents attached to the B-ring of the tripyrrolic skeleton. NMR studies showed that these analogs can exist as a mixture of two stable α and β conformers in acidic solution, and that both conformers can bind anions in solution. We found that the electronic nature of the O-aryl substituent on the B-ring influences the rate at which these prodigiosenes catalyze transmembrane anion transport, i.e. the prodigiosenes with the higher pKa had greater Cl(-)/NO3(-) exchange rates. Four of the synthetic prodigiosenes were tested for their in vitro anti-cancer activities in the NCI60 human tumour panel. Despite their promising in vitro anti-cancer activity (GI50 values ranging from 18 to 74 nM), there was no evidence that this activity is influenced by the extent of protonation of these synthetic prodigiosenes. | 25,204,645 | [
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'Isotopo' a database application for facile analysis and management of mass isotopomer data. | The composition of stable-isotope labelled isotopologues/isotopomers in metabolic products can be measured by mass spectrometry and supports the analysis of pathways and fluxes. As a prerequisite, the original mass spectra have to be processed, managed and stored to rapidly calculate, analyse and compare isotopomer enrichments to study, for instance, bacterial metabolism in infection. For such applications, we provide here the database application 'Isotopo'. This software package includes (i) a database to store and process isotopomer data, (ii) a parser to upload and translate different data formats for such data and (iii) an improved application to process and convert signal intensities from mass spectra of (13)C-labelled metabolites such as tertbutyldimethylsilyl-derivatives of amino acids. Relative mass intensities and isotopomer distributions are calculated applying a partial least square method with iterative refinement for high precision data. The data output includes formats such as graphs for overall enrichments in amino acids. The package is user-friendly for easy and robust data management of multiple experiments. The 'Isotopo' software is available at the following web link (section Download): http://spp1316.uni-wuerzburg.de/bioinformatics/isotopo/. The package contains three additional files: software executable setup (installer), one data set file (discussed in this article) and one excel file (which can be used to convert data from excel to '.iso' format). The 'Isotopo' software is compatible only with the Microsoft Windows operating system. http://spp1316.uni-wuerzburg.de/bioinformatics/isotopo/. | 25,204,646 | [
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Mitochondrial alternative oxidase maintains respiration and preserves photosynthetic capacity during moderate drought in Nicotiana tabacum. | The mitochondrial electron transport chain includes an alternative oxidase (AOX) that is hypothesized to aid photosynthetic metabolism, perhaps by acting as an additional electron sink for photogenerated reductant or by dampening the generation of reactive oxygen species. Gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosystem I (PSI) absorbance, and biochemical and protein analyses were used to compare respiration and photosynthesis of Nicotiana tabacum 'Petit Havana SR1' wild-type plants with that of transgenic AOX knockdown (RNA interference) and overexpression lines, under both well-watered and moderate drought-stressed conditions. During drought, AOX knockdown lines displayed a lower rate of respiration in the light than the wild type, as confirmed by two independent methods. Furthermore, CO2 and light response curves indicated a nonstomatal limitation of photosynthesis in the knockdowns during drought, relative to the wild type. Also relative to the wild type, the knockdowns under drought maintained PSI and PSII in a more reduced redox state, showed greater regulated nonphotochemical energy quenching by PSII, and displayed a higher relative rate of cyclic electron transport around PSI. The origin of these differences may lie in the chloroplast ATP synthase amount, which declined dramatically in the knockdowns in response to drought. None of these effects were seen in plants overexpressing AOX. The results show that AOX is necessary to maintain mitochondrial respiration during moderate drought. In its absence, respiration rate slows and the lack of this electron sink feeds back on the photosynthetic apparatus, resulting in a loss of chloroplast ATP synthase that then limits photosynthetic capacity. | 25,204,647 | [
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Ferromagnetic interactions in Mn3+ based perovskites. | La0.7Sr0.3Mn(3+)0.85Sb(5+)0.15O3 and La0.7Sr0.3Mn(3+)0.8Sb(5+)0.1Ge(4+)0.1O3 compounds with dominantly isovalent Mn3+ ions were studied by neutron powder diffraction and magnetization measurements. The compounds are basically ferromagnetic, with magnetic moments slightly above of 3 μB/Mn. Upon temperature decrease, the compounds exhibit structural transition from a rhombohedral phase to orbitally disordered orthorhombic one. The structural transitions occur well above the temperature of magnetic ordering (Tc ≈ 130 K). It is suggested that the ferromagnetic state is governed by the positive part of superexchange interactions Mn(3+)‒O‒Mn(3+), which is enhanced by Mn(eg)‒O(2p) hybridization. | 25,204,667 | [
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5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia: patient experiences, human factors, sedation, consent, and medicolegal issues. | The 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland into accidental awareness during general anaesthesia (AAGA) yielded data related to psychological aspects from the patient, and the anaesthetist, perspectives; patients' experiences ranged from isolated auditory or tactile sensations to complete awareness. A striking finding was that 75% of experiences were for <5 min, yet 51% of patients [95% confidence interval (CI) 43-60%] experienced distress and 41% (95% CI 33-50%) suffered longer term adverse effect. Distress and longer term harm occurred across the full range of experiences but were particularly likely when the patient experienced paralysis (with or without pain). The patient's interpretation of what is happening at the time of the awareness seemed central to later impact; explanation and reassurance during suspected AAGA or at the time of report seemed beneficial. Quality of care before the event was judged good in 26%, poor in 39%, and mixed in 31%. Three-quarters of cases of AAGA (75%) were judged preventable. In 12%, AAGA care was judged good and the episode not preventable. The contributory and human factors in the genesis of the majority of cases of AAGA included medication, patient, and education/training. The findings have implications for national guidance, institutional organization, and individual practice. The incidence of 'accidental awareness' during sedation (~1:15,000) was similar to that during general anaesthesia (~1:19,000). The project raises significant issues about information giving and consent for both sedation and anaesthesia. We propose a novel approach to describing sedation from the patient's perspective which could be used in communication and consent. Eight (6%) of the patients had resorted to legal action (12, 11%, to formal complaint) at the time of reporting. NAP5 methodology provides a standardized template that might usefully inform the investigation of claims or serious incidents related to AAGA. | 25,204,696 | [
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Evaluation of in situ expression of effector and regulatory cytokines, TLR, galectins and matrix metalloproteinases in oral manifestations of paracoccidioidomycosis. | Although the pathophysiology of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is not completely understood, the study of immune response against fungus has provided insight into understanding the natural course of the disease and its clinical manifestations, hence contributing to the development of preventive measures and treatment proposals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathological and immunological aspects involved in the role of different effector and regulatory responses, as well as the correlation between the TLRs, Galectins, Matrix Metalloproteinases and cytoplasmic proteases of mast cells in this infection. Sixteen biopsy specimens with oral lesions of chronic PCM, as well as 13 sections of normal oral mucosa were analyzed. Histopathological and immunological aspects involved in the role of different effector and regulatory responses were evaluated. Indirect immunohistochemistry was performed for IL-17, IL-10, IL-4, TGF-β, FoxP3, Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-9, TLR-2, TLR-4, MMP-3 and MMP-9, as well as for chymase and tryptase for mast cells identification. Fibrosis was quantified using Picrosirius. There was a significant increase in the area of fibrosis and in the number of cells expressing IL-10, IL-4, IL-17, FoxP3, Gal-3, TLR-2, MMP3 and MMP9 in patients with PCM in comparison with patients in the group control. There was no difference in the expression of TGF-β, TLR-4, Gal-1 or Gal-9. Mast cells number was found to be significantly lower in oral chronic PCM when compared to control samples after quantification of mast cells and expression of chymase and tryptase. PCM granulomas were classified to the morphological aspects in organized ou non-organized. Expression of IL-4 in non-organized granulomas was significantly higher. The proteins studied herein appear to play an important role in the development and maintenance of oral lesions of PCM, as well as in the processes of development and progression of lesions caused by the fungus and by the immune response associated with the infection. | 25,204,704 | [
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An orthotopic mouse model of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. | This study aimed to create a reliable and reproducible orthotopic mouse model of laryngeal malignancy that recapitulates its biologic behavior, local invasiveness, and spread as seen in patients. Via direct laryngoscopy, human squamous cell carcinoma line FaDu (ATCC HTB-43) was implanted in the larynx (supraglottis and glottis) in nu/nu mice (n = 31). Animals were monitored with direct laryngoscopy and ultrasound for tumor growth and survival. Specimens of larynxes, neck lymphatics, livers, and lungs were removed for histopathologic evaluation to assess tumor extension, thyroid cartilage invasion, and nodal spread. Thirty-one successful direct laryngoscopies were performed. Supraglottic and glottic tumor uptake was 100% and 25%, respectively. Median survival for the animals with supraglottic tumors was 35 days. Histopathologic evaluation revealed pre-epiglottic extension, paraglottic extension, thyroid cartilage invasion, and lymph node metastasis. We describe the first orthotopic model for laryngeal cancer. Our model faithfully recapitulates the phenotype and malignant behavior that reproduces its natural biologic behavior as seen in laryngeal cancer patients. This model offers an opportunity to identify and specifically target therapy for larynx squamous cell carcinoma. | 25,204,712 | [
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Use of a Foley catheter balloon as a tool during endoscopic frontal sinus surgery in a resource-poor environment. | This study aimed to evaluate the non-Food and Drug Administration-approved off-label use of a 10F Foley catheter as a tool during endoscopic frontal sinus surgery. A cohort of 40 patients with chronic frontal rhinosinusitis was prospectively evaluated using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), computed tomography (CT) imaging, and endoscopic examination. Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) was performed in the usual fashion, however, when approaching the frontal sinus, a 10F Foley catheter was inserted and the balloon inflated in the frontal outflow. Patients were assessed postoperatively with SNOT-22, CT imaging, and endoscopic assessment at 6 months. Successful intraoperative dilation of the frontal recess was achieved in 62 of 69 frontal sinuses (90%). No cerebrospinal fluid leak or orbital entry occurred. Six months postoperative, SNOT-22 scores showed significant improvement, whereas endoscopic assessment revealed patent frontal recess in 55 of 62 (89%) frontal sinuses. Computed tomography imaging was completed in 25 patients comprising 41 operated frontal sinuses with no mucosal thickening seen in 37 of 41 (90%). The 10F Foley catheter is an effective tool to dilate the frontal recess by compression of edema during ESS. It may be a safe and cost-effective alternative to high-cost commercially available sinus balloons, especially in resource-poor environments. | 25,204,713 | [
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Astrocytes and microglia but not neurons preferentially generate N-terminally truncated Aβ peptides. | The neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease include extracellular neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The neuritic plaques contain β-amyloid peptides (Aβ peptides) as the major proteinaceous constituent and are surrounded by activated microglia and astrocytes as well as dystrophic neurites. N-terminally truncated forms of Aβ peptides are highly prevalent in neuritic plaques, including Aβ 3-x beginning at Glu eventually modified to pyroglutamate (Aβ N3pE-x), Aβ 2-x, Aβ 4-x, and Aβ 5-x. The precise origin of the different N-terminally modified Aβ peptides currently remains unknown. To assess the contribution of specific cell types to the formation of different N-terminally truncated Aβ peptides, supernatants from serum-free primary cell cultures of chicken neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, as well as human astrocytes, were analyzed by Aβ-ELISA and one- and two-dimensional SDS-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblot analysis. To evaluate the contribution of β- and γ-secretase to the generation of N-terminally modified Aβ, cultured astrocytes were treated with membrane-anchored "tripartite β-secretase (BACE1) inhibitors" and the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT. Neurons, astrocytes, and microglia each exhibited cell type-specific patterns of secreted Aβ peptides. Neurons predominantly secreted Aβ peptides that begin at Asp1, whereas those released from astrocytes and microglia included high proportions of N-terminally modified Aβ peptides, presumably including Aβ 2/3-x and 4/5-x. The inhibition of BACE1 reduced the amount of Aβ 1-x in cell culture supernatants but not the amount of Aβ 2-x. | 25,204,716 | [
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Cardiometabolic effects of two coffee blends differing in content for major constituents in overweight adults: a randomized controlled trial. | The hypothesis was tested that coffee types differing in content of major constituents also differ with regard to cardiometabolic effects. Overweight persons (n = 118) were randomized to consume a dark roast [rich in N-methylpyridinium (NMP)] or medium roast (rich in caffeoylquinic acids, trigonelline) coffee blend for 3 months, after a washout period of 4 weeks. Before and after the intervention period, body weight and 15 further general and biochemical parameters were determined. Participants consumed an average of 4-5 cups per day. Mean body weight, body mass index and waist circumference did not change during the coffee consumption phase in either of the study groups. Systolic blood pressure decreased in the dark roast coffee group only (p < 0.05). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased in the medium roast coffee group only, and triglyceride levels increased in the dark roast coffee group only. Glucoregulation and insulin levels were not affected, although there was a small increase of hemoglobin A1c values in both groups. An increase of adiponectin levels occurred in the medium roast coffee group only and was negatively associated with NMP concentrations. Differences did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple testing. Medium and dark roast coffee blends exert small but possibly relevant different cardiometabolic effects. Further studies of health outcomes in relation to coffee constituents seem warranted. | 25,204,719 | [
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Low abundance of long-tongued pollinators leads to pollen limitation in four specialized hawkmoth-pollinated plants in the Atlantic Rain forest, Brazil. | Long-tubed hawkmoth-pollinated species present some of the most remarkable examples of floral specialization depending exclusively on long-tongued hawkmoths for sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, long-tongued hawkmoths do not rely exclusively on specialized plants as nectar sources, which may limit sexual reproduction through pollen limitation. However, very few studies have quantified the level of pollen limitation in plants with highly specialized floral traits in tropical regions. In this context, we studied four sympatric hawkmoth-pollinated species in a highland Atlantic Rain forest and assessed pollen limitation and their dependence on pollinators by analyzing the floral biology, breeding system, pollination mechanisms, and abundance of long-tongued pollinators. We showed that the four species are self-compatible, but are completely dependent on long-tongued hawkmoths to set fruits, and that flower visitation was infrequent in all plant species. Pollen limitation indices ranged from 0.53 to 0.96 showing that fruit set is highly limited by pollen receipt. Long-tongued moths are much less abundant and comprise only one sixth of the hawkmoth fauna. Pollen analyses of 578 sampled moths revealed that hawkmoths visited ca. 80 plant species in the community, but only two of the four species studied. Visited plants included a long-tubed hawkmoth-pollinated species endemic to the lowland forest ca. 15-20 km away from the study site. Specialization index (H 2 ' = 0.20) showed that community-level interactions between hawkmoths and plants are generalized. We suggest that sexual reproduction of these highly specialized hawkmoth-pollinated species is impaired by competition among plants for pollinators, in conjunction with the low abundance and diversity of long-tongued pollinators. | 25,204,723 | [
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Intramolecular thioether crosslinking of therapeutic proteins to increase proteolytic stability. | Protein-based pharmaceuticals typically display high selectivity and low toxicity, but are also characterized by low oral availability, mainly because of enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and poor permeability across the intestinal wall. One way to increase the proteolytic stability of peptides and proteins is by intramolecular crosslinking, such as the introduction of disulfide bridges. However, disulfide bridges are at risk of thiol-disulfide exchange or reduction during production, purification, and/or therapeutic use, whereas thioether bridges are expected to be stable under the same conditions. In this study, thioether crosslinking was investigated for a 46 aa albumin-binding domain (ABD) derived from streptococcal protein G. ABD binds with high affinity to human serum albumin (HSA) and has been proposed as a fusion partner to increase the in vivo half-lives of therapeutic proteins. In the study, five ABD variants with single or double intramolecular thioether bridges were designed and synthesized. The binding affinity, secondary structure, and thermal stability of each protein was investigated by SPR-based biosensor analysis and CD spectroscopy. The proteolytic stability in the presence of the major intestinal proteases pepsin (found in the stomach) and trypsin in combination with chymotrypsin (found in pancreatin secreted to the duodenum by the pancreas) was also investigated. The most promising crosslinked variant, ABD_CL1, showed high thermal stability, retained high affinity in binding to HSA, and showed dramatically increased stability in the presence of pepsin and trypsin/chymotrypsin, compared to the ABD reference protein. This suggests that the intramolecular thioether crosslinking strategy can be used to increase the stability towards gastrointestinal enzymes. | 25,204,725 | [
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Time spent in different types of childcare and children's development at school entry: an Australian longitudinal study. | To investigate whether the total amount of time in childcare through the first 3 years of life was associated with children's receptive vocabulary, externalising and internalising problem behaviours at age 4-5 years, and whether this association varied for different types of childcare. We used data from the prospective, population-based Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=3208-4066, depending on outcome). Parental reports of the time spent in different types of childcare were collected at face-to-face interviews at age 0-1years and at age 2-3 years. Children's receptive vocabulary was directly assessed in the child's home, and externalising and internalising behaviours were measured by questionnaire, completed by parents and teachers at age 4-5 years. At 3 years of age, 75% of the sample spent regular time in the care of someone other than the parent. After adjustment, more time in childcare was not associated with children's receptive vocabulary ability but was associated with higher levels of parent-reported (β=0.10 (95% CI 0.00 to 0.21)) and teacher-reported (β=0.31 (0.19 to 0.44)) externalising problem behaviours and lower levels of parent-reported internalising problem behaviours (β=-0.08 (-0.15 to -0.00)). Compared with children who did not attend any type of childcare, children in centre-based care had higher parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising and lower internalising problem behaviours. More time in centre-based childcare (but not other types of care) through the first 3 years of life was associated with higher parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising problem behaviours, and lower parent-reported internalising problem behaviours but not with children's receptive vocabulary ability at school entry. | 25,204,736 | [
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Asymmetric total synthesis of paecilomycin E, 10'-epi-paecilomycin E and 6'-epi-cochliomycin C. | The asymmetric total syntheses of naturally occurring resorcylic acid lactone paecilomycin E and two of its structural congeners have been reported in this article. The major highlight of the synthetic venture is the application of the late stage Mitsunobu macrolactonization method (as it is difficult to achieve the desired products through the standard carboxyl activation method) of a properly functionalized seco-acid. The macrolactonization precursor was synthesized by applying an "E"-selective Julia-Kocienski olefination of a highly functionalized aromatic aldehyde and a sulphone, which constitutes all the stereocenters (C4', C5', C6' and C10'; 3S,7R,8R,9S) in the target molecule. | 25,204,742 | [
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Emerging role of hydrogen sulfide in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases. | Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) has traditionally been viewed as a highly toxic gas; however, recent studies have implicated H2 S as a third member of the gasotransmitter family, exhibiting properties similar to NO and carbon monoxide. Accumulating evidence has suggested that H2 S influences a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, among which blood vessel relaxation, cardioprotection and atherosclerosis have been particularly studied. In the cardiovascular system, H2 S production is predominantly catalyzed by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE). Decreased endogenous H2 S levels have been found in hypertensive patients and animals, and CSE(-/-) mice develop hypertension with age, suggesting that a deficiency in H2 S contributes importantly to BP regulation. H2 S supplementation attenuates hypertension in different hypertensive animal models. The mechanism by which H2 S was originally proposed to attenuate hypertension was by virtue of its action on vascular tone, which may be related to effects on different ion channels. Both H2 S and NO cause vasodilatation and there is cross-talk between these two molecules to regulate BP. Suppression of oxidative stress may also contribute to antihypertensive effects of H2 S. This review also summarizes the state of research on H2 S and hypertension in China. A better understanding of the role of H2 S in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases will allow novel strategies to be devised for their treatment. | 25,204,754 | [
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Epilepsy and mental retardation restricted to females: X-linked epileptic infantile encephalopathy of unusual inheritance. | Epilepsy in females with mental retardation (EFMR) is a rare early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE), phenotypically resembling Dravet syndrome (DS). It is characterised by a variable degree of intellectual deficits and epilepsy. EFMR is caused by heterozygous mutations in the PCDH19 gene (locus Xq22.1) encoding protocadherin-19, a protein that is highly expressed during brain development. The protein is involved in cell adhesion and probably plays an important role in neuronal migration and formation of synaptic connections. EFMR is considered X-linked of variable mutations' penetrance. Mutations in the PCDH19 gene mainly arise de novo, but if inherited, they show a unique pattern of transmission. Females with heterozygous mutations are affected, while hemizygous males are not, regardless of mutation carriage. This singular mode might be explained by cell interference as a pathogenic molecular mechanism leading to neuronal dysfunction. Recently, PCDH19-related EIEE turned out to be more frequent than initially thought, contributing to around 16% of cases (25% in female groups) in the SCN1A-negative DS-like patients. Therefore, the PCDH19 gene is now estimated to be the second, after SCN1A, most clinically relevant gene in epilepsy. | 25,204,757 | [
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Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction with a membrane supported manganese catalyst in aqueous solution. | [Mn(bpy)(CO)3Br] cast in a Nafion membrane is an active heterogeneous electrocatalyst with good selectivity for CO2 reduction to CO in neutral aqueous electrolyte. Addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) leads to a ∼10 fold current enhancement and stable CO : H2 yields (1 : 2) at -1.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl at pH 7. | 25,204,759 | [
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Baseline predictors of physical activity in a sample of adults with arthritis participating in a self-directed exercise program. | To examine baseline predictors of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) at the 12-week follow-up in a sample of adults with arthritis participating in a self-directed, multicomponent exercise program. Pretest-posttest. Analyses were limited to those randomized to the exercise intervention. Participants (n = 152) completed a survey assessing demographic, health-related, and arthritis-related factors, and completed anthropometric and functional measurements at baseline. Self-reported MVPA was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. Participants were classified as engaging in ≥2.5 or <2.5 h/week of MVPA at the 12-week follow-up. Baseline demographic, health-related, arthritis-related, and functional factors were examined as predictors of engaging in ≥2.5 h of MVPA. At the 12-week follow-up, 66.5% (n = 101) of participants engaged in ≥2.5 h/week of MVPA. Those with a higher body mass index, more days with poor physical health, a greater number of health conditions, self-reported hypertension, self-reported high cholesterol, and greater pain and stiffness were less likely to engage in ≥2.5 h of MVPA at the 12-week follow-up; those with greater arthritis self-efficacy and better performance on the 6 minute walk test were more likely. None of the other factors examined were associated with MVPA. This study uncovered health-related, arthritis-related, and functional factors associated with MVPA that may help guide intervention strategies. Participants with less severe symptoms, better functional performance and fewer comorbidities at baseline were more likely to achieve the recommended MVPA level at 12 weeks; therefore self-directed PA interventions may be best suited for those with relatively good health status despite arthritis, while those with worse symptoms and health status may benefit more from other intervention delivery modalities such as structured, individualized programs where additional support for managing arthritis symptoms and comorbidity can be addressed. | 25,204,768 | [
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Gluconic acid from biomass fast pyrolysis oils: specialty chemicals from the thermochemical conversion of biomass. | Fast pyrolysis of biomass to produce a bio-oil followed by catalytic upgrading is a widely studied approach for the potential production of fuels from biomass. Because of the complexity of the bio-oil, most upgrading strategies focus on removing oxygen from the entire mixture to produce fuels. Here we report a novel method for the production of the specialty chemical, gluconic acid, from the pyrolysis of biomass. Through a combination of sequential condensation of pyrolysis vapors and water extraction, a solution rich in levoglucosan is obtained that accounts for over 30% of the carbon in the bio-oil produced from red oak. A simple filtration step yields a stream of high-purity levoglucosan. This stream of levoglucosan is then hydrolyzed and partially oxidized to yield gluconic acid with high purity and selectivity. This combination of cost-effective pyrolysis coupled with simple separation and upgrading could enable a variety of new product markets for chemicals from biomass. | 25,204,798 | [
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Clinico-pathological significance of the molecular alterations of the SPOP gene in prostate cancer. | Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor recently described to be mutated in prostate cancer (PCa). Hence, studying the gene expression profile and the presence of SPOP mutations in PCa and understanding its clinico-pathological significance as prognostic and therapeutic biomarker are important to further understand its role in PCa development. A cohort of 265 paraffin-embedded PCa samples from patients with more than 5 years of follow-up and treated with radical prostatectomy were collected at our institution for SPOP evaluation. RT-qPCR analysis was performed for expression studies while mutations were assessed by next generation sequencing. Relationship with prognosis was analysed using log-rank analysis and multivariable Cox regression. SPOP was found to be strongly down-regulated in PCa (median=0.24; range=0.04-9.98) and its expression was associated with both, biochemical (p=0.003) and clinical progression free survival (p=0.023), the very low SPOP expression levels being associated to the worst prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that low levels of SPOP independently predicted a worse prognosis for both, biochemical (Hazard ratio (HR)=0.5; confidence interval (CI) 95% [0.4-0.9], p=0.011) and clinical progression (HR=0.6; IC 95% [0.4-1], p=0.046). SPOP mutations were found in 10% of TMPRSS2-ERG (T2E)-negative cases. Log-rank tests showed that mutations were significantly associated with biochemical progression free survival (BPFS) (p=0.009) and also were significant in the multivariable analysis (HR=3.4; IC 95% [1.5-7.6], p=0.004). The present study demonstrates that prognosis varies depending on SPOP expression and mutational status, hence, defining a new biotype of PCa associated with a worse prognosis. | 25,204,806 | [
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SERS spectroscopic evidence for the integrity of surface-deposited self-assembled coordination cages. | A series of self-assembled coordination cages [Pd4L(n)8] based on a phenothiazine backbone has been investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy in solution and by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) on a nanostructured Au surface. The experiments demonstrate that the cages can be clearly distinguished from their constituting ligands by their Raman spectroscopic signatures. Furthermore, the structural integrity of the interpenetrated coordination cages upon deposition on the Au surface was demonstrated for the first time. The signal assignment of the experimental vibrational spectra was supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on suitable molecular models. | 25,204,834 | [
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The increased detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia when using a second biopsy at colposcopy. | It has been suggested that colposcopy can miss a significant percentage of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+). Improved disease ascertainment was evaluated by taking multiple lesion-directed biopsies. In a cross-sectional multicenter study in the Netherlands and Spain, 610 women referred to colposcopy following abnormal cervical cytology results were included. Multiple directed biopsies were collected from lesions and ranked according to impression. A non-directed biopsy of normal-appearing tissue was added if fewer than four biopsies were collected. We evaluated the additional CIN2+ yield for one and two directed biopsies. Colposcopic images were reviewed for quality control. In women with at least two lesion-directed biopsies the yield for CIN2+ increased from 51.7% (95%CI; 45.7-57.7) for one directed biopsy to 60.4% (95%CI; 54.4-66.2, p<0.001) for two biopsies. The highest CIN2+ yield was observed in women who were HPV16-positive, had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cytology, and high-grade colposcopy impression. The yield increased from 83.1% (95%CI; 71.5-90.5) with one directed biopsy to 93.2% (95%CI; 83.8-97.3) with two directed biopsies. Only 4.5% additional CIN2+ were detected in biopsies not targeting abnormal areas on the cervix. A second lesion-directed biopsy is associated with a significant increase in CIN2+ detection. Performing a second lesion-directed biopsy and using a low threshold for abnormality of any acetowhitening should become the standard clinical practice of colposcopy. | 25,204,846 | [
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Effects of exercise on BMI z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis. | Overweight and obesity are major public health problems in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength or both) on body mass index (BMI) z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled exercise intervention trials ≥ 4 weeks in overweight and obese children and adolescents 2 to 18 years of age, published in any language between 1990-2012 and in which data were available for BMI z-score. Studies were retrieved by searching eleven electronic databases, cross-referencing and expert review. Two authors (GAK, KSK) selected and abstracted data. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Instrument. Exercise minus control group changes were calculated from each study and weighted by the inverse of the variance. All results were pooled using a random-effects model with non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals (CI) considered statistically significant. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q and I2 while funnel plots and Egger's regression test were used to assess for small-study effects. Influence and cumulative meta-analysis were performed as well as moderator and meta-regression analyses. Of the 4,999 citations reviewed, 835 children and adolescents (456 exercise, 379 control) from 10 studies representing 21 groups (11 exercise, 10 control) were included. On average, exercise took place 4 x week for 43 minutes per session over 16 weeks. Overall, a statistically significant reduction equivalent to 3% was found for BMI z-score (Χ¯, -0.06, 95% CI, -0.09 to -0.03; Q = 24.9, p = 0.01; I(2)=59.8%). No small-study effects were observed and results remained statistically significant when each study was deleted from the model once. Based on cumulative meta-analysis, results have been statistically significant since 2009. None of the moderator or meta-regression analyses were statistically significant. The number-needed-to treat was 107 with an estimated 116,822 million obese US children and adolescents and approximately 1 million overweight and obese children and adolescents worldwide potentially improving their BMI z-score by participating in exercise. Exercise improves BMI z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents and should be recommended in this population group. However, a need exists for additional studies on this topic. | 25,204,857 | [
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Kinetic inductance magnetometer. | Sensing ultra-low magnetic fields has various applications in the fields of science, medicine and industry. There is a growing need for a sensor that can be operated in ambient environments where magnetic shielding is limited or magnetic field manipulation is involved. To this end, here we demonstrate a new magnetometer with high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. The device is based on the current nonlinearity of superconducting material stemming from kinetic inductance. A further benefit of our approach is of extreme simplicity: the device is fabricated from a single layer of niobium nitride. Moreover, radio frequency multiplexing techniques can be applied, enabling the simultaneous readout of multiple sensors, for example, in biomagnetic measurements requiring data from large sensor arrays. | 25,204,869 | [
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Antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients receiving CRRT: underdosing is overprevalent. | Published CRRT drug dosing algorithms and other dosing guidelines appear to result in underdosed antibiotics, leading to failure to attain pharmacodynamic targets. High mortality rates persist with inadequate antibiotic therapy as the most important risk factor for death. Reasons for unintended antibiotic underdosing in patients receiving CRRT are many. Underdosing may result from lack of the recognition that better hepatic function in AKI patients yields higher nonrenal antibiotic clearance compared to ESRD patients. Other factors include the variability in body size and fluid composition of patients, the serious consequence of delayed achievement of antibiotic pharmacodynamic targets in septic patients, potential subtherapeutic antibiotic concentrations at the infection site, and the influence of RRT intensity on antibiotic concentrations. Too often, clinicians weigh the benefits of overcautious antibiotic dosing to avoid antibiotic toxicity too heavily against the benefits of rapid attainment of therapeutic antibiotic concentrations in critically ill patients receiving CRRT. We urge clinicians to prescribe antibiotics aggressively for these vulnerable patients. | 25,204,875 | [
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Knowledge and extractivism of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart. in a local community of the Brazilian Savanna, Northeastern Brazil. | This study aims to understand how the stem bark of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart. is used by a rural community in the savanna of Northeastern Brazil, associated with a preliminary assessment involving plant population structure and extractivism in the main sites of collection. A population structure study and analysis of bark extractivism was conducted in two sites: one within the forest and another at its edge. We had the intention of testing whether there are differences between these sites; since the local extractive practice is prohibited, expecting more intense extraction in the forest interior than its edge by the local fiscalization. We interviewed 120 informants who reported knowing and using the species, and also the places of extractivism. We also calculated quantitative measures of local knowledge, and the influence of gender and age on the knowledge about this species. Knowledge of the uses was evenly distributed between men and women. A total of 28 specimens were recorded at Site 1, whereas 23 were identified at Site 2, with the specimens at both sites distributed in 4-diameter classes with 4-cm intervals. Nine of the specimens found in Site 1 (32.14%) showed some sign of extraction. No specimen from Site 2 showed signs of extraction. In Site 1, the total area of stem bark removed was 43,468 cm2, and the total area of stem bark available was 33,200 cm2. In Site 2, only the available stem-bark area of 44,666 cm2 was identified because no specimens were harvested. There is no difference in knowledge of this species regarding the gender and age. Stryphnodendron rotundifolium is a key resource for the studied community. A large proportion of bark collected from the first diameter size class may affect the growth of these individuals and may influence the recruitment process. Perhaps, this effect may explain the absence of individuals in some size classes. | 25,204,893 | [
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Gout: clinical presentation and management. | Gout is a painful inflammatory condition that can affect a variety of joints, causes significant distress and is associated with a number of comorbidities. This article aims to dispel the myths surrounding this condition and explore the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, risk factors and diagnosis. It also describes the treatment options and lifestyle changes that can reduce the effects of this condition and the incidence of reoccurring episodes. | 25,204,952 | [
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We are all individuals... bioinformatics in the personalized medicine era. | The medical landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, creating the opportunity for more personalized patient treatment and shifting the way healthcare is approached and thought about. With the availability of (epi)genome-wide, transcriptomic and proteogenomic profiling techniques detailed characterization of a disease at the level of the individual is now possible, offering the opportunity for truly tailored approaches for treatment and patient care. While improvements are still expected, the techniques and the basic analytical tools have reached a state that these can be efficiently deployed in both routine research and clinical practice. Still, some major challenges remain. Notably, holistic approaches, integrating data from several sources, e.g. genomic and epigenomic, will increase the understanding of the underlying biological concepts and provide insight into the causes, effects and effective solutions. However, creating and validating such a knowledge base, potentially for different levels of expertise, and integrating several data points into meaningful information is not trivial. | 25,204,962 | [
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Preserved β-cell function in type 1 diabetes by mesenchymal stromal cells. | The retention of endogenous insulin secretion in type 1 diabetes is an attractive clinical goal, which opens possibilities for long-term restoration of glucose metabolism. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) constitute, based on animal studies, a promising interventional strategy for the disease. This prospective clinical study describes the translation of this cellular intervention strategy to patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes. Twenty adult patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes were enrolled and randomized to MSC treatment or to the control group. Residual β-cell function was analyzed as C-peptide concentrations in blood in response to a mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) at 1-year follow-up. In contrast to the patients in the control arm, who showed loss in both C-peptide peak values and C-peptide when calculated as area under the curve during the 1st year, these responses were preserved or even increased in the MSC-treated patients. Importantly, no side effects of MSC treatment were observed. We conclude that autologous MSC treatment in new-onset type 1 diabetes constitutes a safe and promising strategy to intervene in disease progression and preserve β-cell function. | 25,204,974 | [
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Exercise before and during pregnancy prevents the deleterious effects of maternal high-fat feeding on metabolic health of male offspring. | The intrauterine environment during pregnancy is a critical factor in the development of diabetes and obesity in offspring. To determine the effects of maternal exercise during pregnancy on the metabolic health of offspring, 6-week-old C57BL/6 virgin female mice were fed a chow (21%) or high-fat (60%) diet and divided into four subgroups: trained (housed with running wheels for 2 weeks preconception and during gestation), prepregnancy trained (housed with running wheels for 2 weeks preconception), gestation trained (housed with running wheels during gestation), or sedentary (static cages). Male offspring were chow fed, sedentary, and studied at 8, 12, 24, 36, and 52 weeks of age. Offspring from chow-fed dams that trained both before and during gestation had improved glucose tolerance beginning at 8 weeks of age and continuing throughout the 1st year of life, and at 52 weeks of age had significantly lower serum insulin concentrations and percent body fat compared with all other groups. High-fat feeding of sedentary dams resulted in impaired glucose tolerance, increased serum insulin concentrations, and increased percent body fat in offspring. Remarkably, maternal exercise before and during gestation ameliorated the detrimental effect of a maternal high-fat diet on the metabolic profile of offspring. Exercise before and during pregnancy may be a critical component for combating the increasing rates of diabetes and obesity. | 25,204,976 | [
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Citrullinated glucose-regulated protein 78 is an autoantigen in type 1 diabetes. | Posttranslational modifications of self-proteins play a substantial role in the initiation or propagation of the autoimmune attack in several autoimmune diseases, but their contribution to type 1 diabetes is only recently emerging. In the current study, we demonstrate that inflammatory stress, induced by the cytokines interleukin-1β and interferon-γ, leads to citrullination of GRP78 in β-cells. This is coupled with translocation of this endoplasmic reticulum chaperone to the β-cell plasma membrane and subsequent secretion. Importantly, expression and activity of peptidylarginine deiminase 2, one of the five enzymes responsible for citrullination and a candidate gene for type 1 diabetes in mice, is increased in islets from diabetes-prone nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. Finally, (pre)diabetic NOD mice have autoantibodies and effector T cells that react against citrullinated GRP78, indicating that inflammation-induced citrullination of GRP78 in β-cells generates a novel autoantigen in type 1 diabetes, opening new avenues for biomarker development and therapeutic intervention. | 25,204,978 | [
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Pharmacokinetic evaluation of treprostinil (oral) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. | This review summarizes current information on the first oral prostanoid approved for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, treprostinil diolamine , which, similar to other prostacyclin analogs, vasodilates, impacts remodeling (antiproliferative), reduces endothelial cell dysfunction, inhibits platelet aggregation (antithrombotic) and increases right heart inotropy. From a pharmacological point of view, it appears that with sustained blood concentrations for 8 - 10 h after a single dose, twice or thrice daily dosing is possible. This review discusses three randomized trials of oral treprostinil that have been completed (FREEDOM-M, FREEDOM-C, FREEDOM-C2). FREEDOM-C and -C2 evaluated oral treprostinil in patients on stable background therapy; FREEDOM-M evaluated oral treprostinil as monotherapy. In FREEDOM-M, the primary end point (6-minute walk distance; 6MWD) was attained, but was not reached in either FREEDOM-C trial. As such, the FDA did not grant approval. Thus, another clinical trial (FREEDOM-EV) is underway: oral treprostinil in patients on background therapy evaluating co-primary end points: i) change in 6MWD; and ii) occurrence of predetermined events. In the interim, oral treprostinil was approved in December 2013. The use and future of oral treprostinil is not clear. This will depend on the ability to titrate the drug to high levels with acceptable tolerance, on the results of FREEDOM-EV trial and on the impact of selexipag and other oral prostanoids being developed. | 25,204,984 | [
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Swimming goggle wear is not associated with an increased prevalence of glaucoma. | Previous studies have demonstrated a small but significant transient increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in individuals wearing certain types of swimming goggles. These findings suggested that wearing goggles could represent a significant risk factor for developing and/or worsening of glaucoma in people who swim regularly. The aim of this study was to determine if glaucoma prevalence is increased among adult swimmers. A comprehensive ocular examination was performed on 231 members of local swimming clubs and 118 non-swimmers. IOP was measured using iCARE tonometry and visual field testing was performed using Humphrey SITA fast 24-2. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was assessed using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Based on measurements of IOP and visual fields, we did not detect any new cases of glaucoma in our cohort of frequent swimmers. Similarly, we found no difference in the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer between swimmers and non-swimmers; the mean right global thickness (GT) was 94.0 μm (IQR 88.0, 100.3) vs 93.0 μm (IQR 89.0, 101.0), respectively (p=0.976), and the median left GT was 93.7 μm (IQR 88.0, 101) in both groups (p=0.799). These findings suggest that frequently wearing swim goggles does not lead to an increased risk of glaucoma over time in adults. | 25,204,989 | [
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Inflammatory monocyte effector mechanisms. | Monocytes are blood-derived mononuclear phagocytic cells that traffic throughout the body and can provide rapid innate immune effector responses in response to microbial pathogen infections. Among blood monocytes, the most abundant subset in mice is represented by inflammatory Ly6C(+) CCR2(+) monocytes and is the functional equivalent of the CD14(+) monocytes in humans. Herein we focus on published evidence describing the exquisite functional plasticity of these cells, and we extend this overview to their multiples roles in vivo during host immune defenses against microbial pathogen infections, as antigen-presenting cells, inflammatory cells or Trojan horse cells. | 25,205,002 | [
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0.2126776,
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Risk patterns and correlated brain activities. Multidimensional statistical analysis of FMRI data in economic decision making study. | Decision making usually involves uncertainty and risk. Understanding which parts of the human brain are activated during decisions under risk and which neural processes underly (risky) investment decisions are important goals in neuroeconomics. Here, we analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on 17 subjects who were exposed to an investment decision task from Mohr, Biele, Krugel, Li, and Heekeren (in NeuroImage 49, 2556-2563, 2010b). We obtain a time series of three-dimensional images of the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals. We apply a panel version of the dynamic semiparametric factor model (DSFM) presented in Park, Mammen, Wolfgang, and Borak (in Journal of the American Statistical Association 104(485), 284-298, 2009) and identify task-related activations in space and dynamics in time. With the panel DSFM (PDSFM) we can capture the dynamic behavior of the specific brain regions common for all subjects and represent the high-dimensional time-series data in easily interpretable low-dimensional dynamic factors without large loss of variability. Further, we classify the risk attitudes of all subjects based on the estimated low-dimensional time series. Our classification analysis successfully confirms the estimated risk attitudes derived directly from subjects' decision behavior. | 25,205,006 | [
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0.060254... |
A robust rabbit line increases leucocyte counts at weaning and reduces mortality by digestive disorder during fattening. | The present work evaluates how a rabbit line selected for robustness and two other lines selected for productive criteria, could have affected the physiological maturity and blood leukocytes counts of young rabbits at weaning, as well as their possible effect on the subsequent performance and health status during the growing period. The study was conducted on a total of 2904 young rabbits weaned at 30 days, belonging to three different genetic types (line H, founded for litter size at birth and selected for litter size at weaning during 17 generations; line LP, characterised by robustness founded for reproductive longevity criteria and selected for litter size at weaning for 7 generations; and line R, founded and selected during 25 generations for average daily gain from the 4th to the 9th week of life). Two different diets were used during lactation. The two diets were both isoenergetic and isoprotein but their main energy source differed, being either animal fat (AF) or cereal starch (CS). Leucocyte subsets were characterised at weaning, and growing performance was studied until 58 days of age (feed intake, live weight, mortality by digestive disorders and morbidity) for both medicated and non-medicated dietary versions. At weaning, young rabbits fed an AF lactating diet evidenced greater B lymphocyte count (on av. +8.6 ± 3.5 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05) than those fed a CS diet. With respect to H and R rabbits, blood from LP ones had higher counts for total (on av. 591 ± 167 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05), B (on av. +11.05 ± 4.3 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05), T CD5(+) (on av. +266 ± 83 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05) and CD8(+) lymphocytes (on av. +72.5 ± 28 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05), and with respect to R, higher counts of CD4(+) (on av. +121 ± 47 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05) lymphocytes (on av. +12.3 ± 4.1 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05), monocytes (on av. +66 ± 32 × 10(6)/L; P < 0.05) and granulocytes (on av. +567 ± 182 × 10(6)/L; P<0.05) at weaning. LP line rabbits also showed lower mortality by digestive disorders (on av. -8 points of percentage) and morbidity (on av. -4 points) than those from H and R lines during the growing period (P < 0.05). R animals presented higher feed intake and daily weight gain, and a lower feed conversion ratio than H and LP animals (on av. +16.7 ± 2.7 g dry matter/day, +10.3 ± 0.4 g/day and -0.22 ± 0.04 g dry matter/g, respectively). In conclusion, the foundation of a line for reproductive longevity, which has been previously reported to give greater robustness (low environmental sensitivity) to their reproductive stock, could have conferred higher leukocytes counts at weaning to their offspring, as well as a better ability to confront digestive disorders as compared to other lines founded or selected exclusively for productive criteria. | 25,205,010 | [
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0.3969226,
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... |
Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and myotonia congenita in the same family: coexistence of a PRRT2 mutation and two CLCN1 mutations. | Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and myotonia congenita (MC) are independent disorders that share some clinical features. We aimed to investigate the sequences of PRRT2 and CLCN1 in a proband diagnosed with PKD and suspected MC. Clinical evaluation and auxiliary examinations were performed. Direct sequencing of the entire coding regions of the PRRT2 and CLCN1 genes was conducted. Haplotype analysis confirmed the relationships among the family members. The proband suffered choreoathetosis attacks triggered by sudden movements, and lower-limb weakness and stiffness that worsened in cold weather. Carbamazepine monotherapy completely controlled his choreoathetosis and significantly relieved his limb weakness and stiffness. His father, when young, had similar limb stiffness, while his mother and brother were asymptomatic. Genetic analysis revealed that the proband and his father harbored a PRRT2 c.649dupC mutation, and CLCN1 c.1723C>T and c.2492A>G mutations. His brother carried only the two CLCN1 mutations. None of these mutations were identified in his mother and 150 unrelated controls. This is the first report showing the coexistence of PRRT2 and CLCN1 mutations. Our results also indicate that both the PRRT2 and CLCN1 genes need to be screened if we fail to identify PRRT2 mutations in PKD patients or CLCN1 mutations in MC patients. | 25,205,014 | [
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0.2181317,
-0.2172637... |
Plant genetic identity of foundation tree species and their hybrids affects a litter-dwelling generalist predator. | The effects of plant genetics on predators, especially those not living on the plant itself, are rarely studied and poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the effect of plant hybridization and genotype on litter-dwelling spiders. Using an 18-year-old cottonwood common garden, we recorded agelenid sheet-web density associated with the litter layers of replicated genotypes of three tree cross types: Populus fremontii, Populus angustifolia, and their F1 hybrids. We surveyed 118 trees for agelenid litter webs at two distances from the trees (0-100 and 100-200 cm from trunk) and measured litter depth as a potential mechanism of web density patterns. Five major results emerged: web density within a 1-m radius of P. angustifolia was approximately three times higher than within a 1-m radius of P. fremontii, with F1 hybrids having intermediate densities; web density responded to P. angustifolia and F1 hybrid genotypes as indicated by a significant genotype × distance interaction, with some genotypes exhibiting a strong decline in web density with distance, while others did not; P. angustifolia litter layers were deeper than those of P. fremontii at both distance classes, and litter depth among P. angustifolia genotypes differed up to 300%; cross type and genotype influenced web density via their effects on litter depth, and these effects were influenced by distance; web density was more sensitive to the effects of tree cross type than genotype. By influencing generalist predators, plant hybridization and genotype may indirectly impact trophic interactions such as intraguild predation, possibly affecting trophic cascades and ecosystem processes. | 25,205,028 | [
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0.2560608,
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0.2400271,
0.4098688,
-0.205,
-0.... |
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