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Study of coordinative gene expression at the biological process level.
Cellular processes are not isolated groups of events. Nevertheless, in most microarray analyses, they tend to be treated as standalone units. To shed light on how various parts of the interlocked biological processes are coordinated at the transcription level, there is a need to study the between-unit expressional relationship directly. We approach this issue by constructing an index of correlation function to convey the global pattern of coexpression between genes from one process and genes from the entire genome. Processes with similar signatures are then identified and projected to a process-to-process association graph. This top-down method allows for detailed gene-level analysis between linked processes to follow up. Using the cell-cycle gene-expression profiles for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we report well-organized networks of biological processes that would be difficult to find otherwise. Using another dataset, we report a sharply different network structure featuring cellular responses under environmental stress. http://kiefer.stat.ucla.edu/lap2/download/KL_supplement.pdf.
| 155 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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24
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[Intravitreal ranibizumab therapy for choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathological myopia].
Pathological myopia is one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide, especially among young people of working age. Choroidal neovascularization is one of the most important cause of visual impairment in pathological myopia. To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization. In this retrospective analysis 14 eyes of 14 patients (mean age: 61 ± 17 years) with myopic choroidal neovascularization were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab as needed. Best-corrected visual acuity, thickness of choroidal neovascularization lesion and the number of injections were assessed. The mean visual acuity changed from 55.8 ± 19.3 letters to 64.8 + 15.5 at 12 months (p = 0.0414), and 62.6 ± 16.3 during follow-up time (p = 0.2896). Mean follow-up time was 19.7 ± 23.9 months, average number of injections was 2.8 ± 2.1. Visual acuity declined in four patients despite the treatment. Intravitreal ranibizumab is an effective therapy in pathological myopia. Some patients experience deterioration of visual acuity despite of treatment. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(15), 579-586.
| 177 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117355
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Home-based virtual reality balance training and conventional balance training in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial.
Virtual reality has the advantage to provide rich sensory feedbacks for training balance function. This study tested if the home-based virtual reality balance training is more effective than the conventional home balance training in improving balance, walking, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-three patients with idiopathic PD were recruited and underwent twelve 50-minute training sessions during the 6-week training period. The experimental group (n = 11) was trained with a custom-made virtual reality balance training system, and the control group (n = 12) was trained by a licensed physical therapist. Outcomes were measured at Week 0 (pretest), Week 6 (posttest), and Week 8 (follow-up). The primary outcome was the Berg Balance Scale. The secondary outcomes included the Dynamic Gait Index, timed Up-and-Go test, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, and the motor score of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. The experimental and control groups were comparable at pretest. After training, both groups performed better in the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, timed Up-and-Go test, and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire at posttest and follow-up than at pretest. However, no significant differences were found between these two groups at posttest and follow-up. This study did not find any difference between the effects of the home-based virtual reality balance training and conventional home balance training. The two training options were equally effective in improving balance, walking, and quality of life among community-dwelling patients with PD.
| 250 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117369
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Alterations of local cerebral glucose utilization in lean and obese fa/fa rats after acute adrenalectomy.
An animal model often used to investigate the aetiology of obesity is the genetically obese fa/fa rat. It has many abnormalities, including hyperphagia, hyper-insulinemia, insulin resistance, low cerebral glucose utilization and an overactive hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis with resulting hypercorticism. Due to the latter consideration, the aim of this work was to study the impact of acute adrenalectomy (ADX) on the local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) of lean and obese fa/fa rats. ADX resulted in discrete increases in LCGU of regions common to both lean and obese rats. These common regions were found to belong to be related to the limbic system. Within this system, the LCGU of the brain of obese rats was either normalized to lean sham operated values or increased by ADX to a similar degree in both groups on a percentage basis. It was concluded that the LCGU of both lean and obese animals appears to be negatively regulated, albeit to different extents, by glucocorticoids. Such negative regulation is particularly salient within the limbic system of the lean rat and even more so in the fa/fa rat. It is suggested that the long-term hypercorticism of obese fa/fa rats due to abnormal regulation of the HPA axis may result in a decreased LCGU in limbic and related regions of the brain of fa/fa rats and contribute to the expression of the obese phenotype.
| 240 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117372
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Effect of hormone replacement therapy for menopause on the mechanical properties of skin.
To evaluate the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause on the mechanical properties of the skin in healthy women. A group of 114 women, including 43 nonmenopausal controls, 46 menopausal women with HRT and 25 menopausal women without HRT, participated in the study. Mechanical properties of the skin were measured on the volar forearm using a computerized suction device. University medical center. Research laboratory in bioengineering and biometrology. Computerized measurements of skin deformability and viscoelasticity revealed differences between the three groups of women. A steep increase in skin extensibility was evidenced during the perimenopause in untreated women. HRT appeared to limit the age-related increase in cutaneous extensibility, thereby exerting a preventive effect on skin slackness. No effect of HRT was found on other parameters of skin viscoelasticity. HRT has a beneficial effect on some mechanical properties of skin and thus may slow the progress of intrinsic cutaneous aging.
| 162 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117380
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Crystalline Ni3S2 specifically enhances the formation of oxidants in the nuclei of CHO cells as detected by dichlorofluorescein.
Dichlorofluorescein (DCF) was used as a fluorescent probe to detect oxidants formed in cultured CHO cells during nickel treatment. Crystalline Ni3S2 specifically enhanced the formation of oxidants in the nuclei of these living cells, but Ni3S2 particles did not enhance DCF fluorescence as much when added in vitro to isolated nuclei. Our results add to the emerging concept that oxidants mediated by nickel compounds may play an important role in nickel-induced genotoxicity.
| 89 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117384
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Effect of lidocaine spray during colposcopy-directed cervical biopsy: A randomized controlled trial.
We aimed to examine the effect of lidocaine spray in reducing pain during colposcopy-directed cervical biopsy (CDB). Two hundred women with abnormal cervical screening test results and abnormal colposcopic findings that required a CDB during April to December 2015 were enrolled. The participants were randomly assigned into one of two groups. For group 1 (lidocaine group), 10% lidocaine spray was applied thoroughly to the ectocervix. For group 2, no anesthesia was given. The primary outcome of this study was the biopsy pain score. Of the 200 women enrolled, 100 were randomly assigned to group 1 and 100 were in group 2. The baseline, biopsy, and postprocedure pain scores were comparable between the study groups. The mean difference between the biopsy and the baseline pain scores and the mean difference of the postprocedure pain scores from baseline were statistically significantly higher in the no-anesthesia group (group 2), P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively. However, the degree of pain was minimal in both groups. There were no complications observed in any participants. Lidocaine spray reduces pain during colposcopy-directed cervical biopsy; however, the clinically meaningful effect of such a procedure cannot be demonstrated in this study.
| 206 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117385
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[Documentation procedures in geriatrics--on unreliability of routinely gathered clinic data].
We analyzed quality assurance protocol records of 532 geriatric hospital patients in comparison to an administration database concerning data on "length of stay" information (LOS). Doctors handwritten quality assurance protocol records corresponded in 74.25% of cases to administration data. 14.47% of cases were registered with different LOS; 11.28% of LOS information was missing. The increasing amount of documentation tasks in German geriatric hospitals is discussed. We assume that not only discrete well known information (admission and discharge dates, LOS) are contaminated by documentation failure but also data on functional status of geriatric patients which may have important influence on external data processing.
| 111 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117387
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Transesterification of Nannochloropsis oculata microalga's lipid to biodiesel on Al2O3 supported CaO and MgO catalysts.
In this study, we present the activities of Al(2)O(3) supported CaO and MgO catalysts in the transesterification of lipid of yellow green microalgae, Nannochloropsis oculata, as a function of methanol amount and the CaO and MgO loadings at 50 degrees C. We found that pure CaO and MgO were not active and CaO/Al(2)O(3) catalyst among all the mixed oxide catalysts showed the highest activity. Not only the basic site density but also the basic strength is important to achieve the high biodiesel yield. Biodiesel yield over 80 wt.% CaO/Al(2)O(3) catalyst increased to 97.5% from 23% when methanol/lipid molar ratio was 30.
| 115 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117395
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[The preoperative preparation of patients with obstructive jaundice of cholelithic origin after the performance of cholecystectomy].
The method and the results of preoperative schedule (PS) in 128 patients with obstructive jaundice (OJ) of cholelithic genesis after conduction of cholecystectomy (CE) were analyzed. The risk scale (4 degrees) and an optimal scheme of antioxidant-sorption treatment was elaborated. Radical operation on biliary ducts is conducted while the I-III degree risk presence and palliative one--while the IV degree. The PS application have promoted the mortality lowering from 5.7 to 0.9%.
| 86 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117411
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[Effects of glycyrrhizin on the expression of hepatitis B virus and Toll like receptors 2,4 in HepG2.2.15 cells expressing low HBsAg].
To investigate the effects of glycyrrhizin (GL) on the expression of hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, Toll-like receptors 2,4 (TLR2,4) and proliferation of cells in HepG2.2.15 cell line. Real-time PCR examined HBV DNA, ELISA examined HBsAg, HBeAg and MTT examined the proliferation of cells. FCM examined the positive percent of cells expressing TLR2,4 before and after stimulated with GL, in contrast to the blank group. The expression of HBsAg was low in the cell line, so e antigen was studied. The total HBeAg mean was significantly difference on the second day after stimulated (P<0.01), but only in the group with 400 microg/ml HBeAg decreased significantly in contrast to the blank group (P<0.05), the group with 800 microg/ml increased significantly in contrast to the other groups (P<0.01). The total HBV DNA mean on the third day after stimulated was significant, only the group with 50 microg/ml decreased in contrast to the blank group, but P>0.05, the other four groups increased. The intensity of TLR4 expression in the cells was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05), both of total mean TLR2,4 increased significantly (P<0.01). The four groups except the group with 200 microg/ml increased significantly in no dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). GL in three goups under 200 microg/ml all could make cells proliferate, but only 200 microg/ml group had significant difference compared to the blank group (P<0.05). Both 400 and 800 microg/ml groups inhibited the growth of cells (P<0.01). The proliferation of cells were notably negative correlated with the expression of HBeAg, HBV DNA (P<0.05). The study suggestes GL could inhibit or promote HBV DNA replicating and e antigen secreting in mutative HepG2.2.15 cell line, the correlation between the proliferation of cells and the both are negative. GL could upregulate TLR2,4 in no dose-dependent manner. Influencing HBV maybe have no correlation to up regulating TLR2,4 by GL at least in vitro.
| 334 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117420
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Use of transepithelial electrical resistance in the study of pentachlorophenol toxicity.
The toxicity of pentachlorophenol (PCP), a polluting substance believed to exert a narcotic effect, was assayed using the Caco-2 cell line as a model. In order to assess this toxicity as fully as possible, several viability tests, each examining different endpoints, have been used. Neutral red uptake was found to be more sensitive to PCP than MTT and Alamar Blue tests. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was shown to be the most sensitive to PCP at concentrations and exposure times where the Alamar Blue, LDH leakage and Blue Dextran passage did not evidence any effect. Blue Dextran passage and optical microscopy revealed cellular detachment at concentrations where LDH and Alamar Blue showed little or no cytotoxicity. Thus, PCP seems to affect the integrity of the intestinal barrier at levels where no cytotoxicity is seen. Our results support the notion that TEER can be used as a very sensitive method for evaluating membrane-perturbing toxicants.
| 162 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117421
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Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases: a case-matched study comparing treatment results for patients 80 years of age or older versus patients 65-79 years of age.
Recently, an increasing number of patients with brain metastases, even patients over 80 years of age, have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). However, there is little information on SRS treatment results for patients with brain metastases 80 years of age and older. The authors undertook this study to reappraise whether SRS treatment results for patients 80 years of age or older differ from those of patients who are 65-79 years old. This was an institutional review board-approved, retrospective cohort study. Among 2552 consecutive brain metastasis patients who underwent SRS during the 1998-2011 period, we studied 165 who were 80 years of age or older (Group A) and 1181 who were age 65-79 years old (Group B). Because of the remarkable disproportion in patient numbers between the 2 groups and considerable differences in pre-SRS clinical factors, the authors conducted a case-matched study using the propensity score matching method. Ultimately, 330 patients (165 from each group, A and B) were selected. For time-to-event outcomes, the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival and competing risk analysis was used to estimate other study end points, as appropriate. Although the case-matched study showed that post-SRS median survival time (MST, months) was shorter in Group A patients (5.3 months, 95% CI 3.9-7.0 months) than in Group B patients (6.9 months, 95% CI 5.0-8.1 months), this difference was not statistically significant (HR 1.147, 95% CI 0.921-1.429, p = 0.22). Incidences of neurological death and deterioration were slightly lower in Group A than in Group B patients (6.3% vs 11.8% and 8.5% vs 13.9%), but these differences did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11 and p = 0.16). Furthermore, competing risk analyses showed that the 2 groups did not differ significantly in cumulative incidence of local recurrence (HR 0.830, 95% CI 0.268-2.573, p = 0.75), rates of repeat SRS (HR 0.738, 95% CI 0.438-1.242, p = 0.25), or incidence of SRS-related complications (HR 0.616, 95% CI 0.152-2.495, p = 0.49). Among the Group A patients, post-SRS MSTs were 11.6 months (95% CI 7.8-19.6 months), 7.9 months (95% CI 5.2-10.9 months), and 2.8 months (95% CI; 2.4-4.6 months) in patients whose disease status was modified-recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) Class(es) I+IIa, IIb, and IIc+III, respectively (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that patients 80 years of age or older are not unfavorable candidates for SRS as compared with those 65-79 years old. Particularly, even among patients 80 years and older, those with modified-RPA Class I+IIa or IIb disease are considered to be favorable candidates for more aggressive treatment of brain metastases.
| 449 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117425
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Lysine excretion by S-(2-aminoethyl)L-cysteine resistant mutants of Bacillus subtilis.
S-(2-Aminoethyl)L-cysteine (AEC) at 2 X 10(-1) mM concentration completely inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis. This inhibitory effect was readily reversed by 2 X 10(-2) mM L-lysine. Besides L-lysine, L-aspartic acid was only effective of all the natural amino acids tested in reversing the AEC-mediated growth inhibition. AEC resistant mutants of B. subtilis were isolated and found to excrete L-lysine in high yields.
| 71 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117429
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Detection of intestinal bacterial translocation using PCR.
Microbial translocation has been suspected to be a major contributing factor in the development of sepsis of unknown origin and multiple organ failure syndrome, but there are currently no tests capable of detecting and quantitating translocation sequentially in humans. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) DNA in the blood of animals after inducing bacterial translocation from the gut. DNA was extracted from blood and primers were used to amplify an 800-bp gene fragment of E. coli by 30-cycle PCR. Detection by southern blotting achieved a sensitivity of 10-100 organisms per 0.3 cc blood. Experimental groups included mice gavaged with 10(10) E. coli followed by 20% body surface area thermal injury, or no injury. Controls included burn only and no treatment groups. Blood was obtained by cardiac puncture 1 hr after burn. Cultures were done on blood samples from all groups. More animals in the burn/gavage group had positive bacterial cultures. All controls were culture negative. E. coli detection by PCR was 100% sensitive in culture positive animals with detection in the gavage/burn group higher than that in all other groups. PCR was negative for all mice without treatment. Several culture negative animals had detectable bacterial DNA by PCR. This highly sensitive and specific method can be used repeatedly to test the blood of patients for the presence of microbial DNA, which could be originating from the gut.
| 248 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117453
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Respiratory protection competencies for the occupational health nurse.
Approximately 5 million workers employed at 1.3 million work settings are required to wear some form of respiratory protection as part of their jobs. Occupational health nurses can protect the respiratory health of America's workforce. In 2012, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Grants Committee Working Group conducted a nationwide survey of occupational health nurses to assess their knowledge, comfort, skills, and abilities relative to respiratory protection. The Working Group used the survey findings as a foundation for the development of respiratory protection competencies for occupational health nurses and a guide for the development of educational modules.
| 105 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117456
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The Evolutionary Origins of Programmed Cell Death Signaling.
Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways are found in many phyla, ranging from developmentally programmed apoptosis in animals to cell-autonomous programmed necrosis pathways that limit the spread of biotrophic pathogens in multicellular assemblies. Prominent examples for the latter include animal necroptosis and pyroptosis, plant hypersensitive response (HR), and fungal heterokaryon incompatibility (HI) pathways. PCD pathways in the different kingdoms show fundamental differences in execution mechanism, morphology of the dying cells, and in the biological sequelae. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed remarkable evolutionary parallels, including a striking sequence relationship between the "HeLo" domains found in the pore-forming components of necroptosis and some types of plant HR and fungal HI pathways. Other PCD execution components show cross-kingdom conservation as well, or are derived from prokaryotic ancestors. The currently available data suggest a model, wherein the primordial eukaryotic PCD pathway used proteins similar to present-day plant R-proteins and caused necrotic cell death by direct action of Toll and IL-1 receptor (TIR) and HeLo-like domains.
| 167 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117457
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Locus equations as an index of coarticulation for place of articulation distinctions in children.
Locus equations were investigated as a phonetic index for children's production of stop + vowel tokens. Locus equations are straight-line regression fits to data points formed by plotting onsets of F2 transitions along the ordinate and their corresponding midvowel nuclei along the abscissa. Such functions for adult speech have been found to be extremely linear with slope and y-intercept values contrastively distinctive across place of articulation. Sixteen children, aged 3-5 years, produced /bVt/, /dVt/, and /gVt/ tokens embedded in a carrier phrase and repeated in randomized order a minimum of three times. Six medial vowel contexts were used [i, I, ae, [symbol: see text], a, u]. Both individual and group mean scatterplots were extremely linear and highly remniscent of adult prototypes. While labial and velar slopes exhibited some degree of overlap, labial versus alveolar and alveolar versus velar slopes were significantly different. All y-intercepts as a function of place of articulation were significantly different. Compared to adult norms, intersubject variability of slope and y-intercept ranges were greater for children. Locus equations can provide a phonetic descriptor for a child's attainment of stop place categories seeking to achieve the adult standard of a balance between coarticulatory adjustments and contrastive distinctiveness.
| 212 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117461
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Nasal radioiodine activity: a prospective study of frequency, intensity, and pattern.
The nose has been reported as a site of radioiodine accumulation on 131I whole-body scintigraphy. To determine the frequency, intensity, and pattern of nasal radioiodine accumulation, a prospective study was performed on 21 patients referred for 131I whole-body scintigraphy during a 26-mo interval. All patients were dosed with 5 mCi (18.5 MBq) of 131I p.o., and imaged 72 hr later. Ninety-five percent (20/21) of patients had nasal radioactivity greater than background, and in 75% (15/20) of positive patients the pattern of activity was round. Clinical follow-up of these patients has shown no evidence of tumor involvement in the nasal area. We conclude that nasal radioiodine activity is a normal finding. Radioiodine uptake in the nasal area, without clinical suspicion of metastatic disease, should not be considered a criterion for surgical intervention or radioiodine therapy.
| 144 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117468
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Effect of resistance and aerobic training on regional body composition in previously recreationally trained middle-aged women.
Twelve middle-aged women (mean age 41.9 +/- 1.6 y) performed variable-cam resistance training and aerobic training 3 times/week for 14 weeks. One repetition maximum (1 RM) significantly increased between pre-training and training week 7 (13.1%-17.8%), between training week 7 and post-training (10.8%-14.1%), and between pre-training and post-training (25.5%-30.9%). Total-body lean soft tissue and total % body fat determined by duel-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) significantly increased (2.2%) and decreased (1.4%), respectively. Arm, trunk, and total upper-body (arm + trunk) lean soft tissue significantly increased (0.7%-4.6%). Total body fat tissue and all regional measures of fat tissue and % fat showed no significant changes. Significant correlations were shown between pre-testing and post-testing 1 RM in the bench press, lat pull down, and overhead press in all instances, except for post-training bench press and total upper-body lean soft tissue (r = 0.58-0.90). In contrast, non-significant correlations were shown between pre- and post-testing 1 RM of the leg press, with the exception of pre-training and total lean soft tissue and pre-training and leg lean soft tissue. In conclusion, resistance training resulted in consistent strength gains in middle-aged women, which were accompanied by regional changes in upper-body composition, whereas lower-body composition moved in the hypothesized direction, but did not achieve significance.
| 221 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117492
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Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase: regulation in a testosterone-sensitive nerve-muscle axis.
We measured the distribution of molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in muscles of a song bird, the zebra finch, and found a pattern similar to those reported in other vertebrates. As in other species, the most rapidly sedimenting form of the enzyme decreases to barely detectable levels following denervation. In the muscles of the syrinx, castration causes a large decrease in AChE activity, but has little or no effect on the relative abundance of AChE forms. This suggests that the number of AChE catalytic sites is changing without affecting the distribution of catalytic sites among the molecular forms. This is in marked contrast with the effect of denervation in the syrinx, which causes changes in the distribution of activity, as well as in total activity.
| 134 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117502
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Uptake, exchange, and release of GABA by cerebellar glomeruli.
Glomerular particles were isolated from the bovine cerebellar vermis and studied in vitro to further assess the possibility that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is utilized as a neurotransmitter in this synaptic complex. Cerebellar glomeruli accumulated [3H]GABA at two different high affinity sites, with affinities (KT) of 2.2 X 10(-6) M and 3.0 X 10(-5) M. These uptake sites could not be distinguished on the basis of their temperature sensitivities, sodium dependence, substrate specificities or responses to metabolic inhibitors. Although an exchange process contributed to the uptake measured in these experiments, a considerable amount of the [3H]GABA accumulated by glomerular particles was stored in an osmotically-sensitive, nonexchangeable pool. Glomerular particles preloaded with [3H]GABA exhibited a Ca2+-independent release of this amino acid in response to membrane depolarization. However, when preloaded glomerular particles were exposed to unlabeled GABA, which presumably displaced [3H]GABA from the exchangeable pool, a K+-evoked and Ca2+-dependent release of the remaining [3H]GABA occurred. The observed net uptake, together with the depolarization-induced and Ca2+-dependent release, of [3H]GABA from glomerular particles supports the suggestion that functionally active GABAergic synapses are present in these structures.
| 189 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117509
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Bacteria induced degradation of fluoranthene in minimal salt medium mediated by catabolic enzymes in vitro condition.
Fluoranthene is highly toxic and ubiquitous in the environment. A study on degradation of 200 ppm of fluoranthene in MSM by two bacterial strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa PSA5, Rhodococcus sp. NJ2 and their consortium revealed that fluoranthene was degraded 74% by Rhodococcus sp. NJ2, 61% by Pseudomonas sp. PSA5 and 97% by their consortium. Higher degradation in the consortium may be attributed to synergistic action between two bacteria. It was also observed that several degradative enzymes catechol 1,2 dioxygenase, catechol 2,3 dioxygenase, protocatechuate 2,3 dioxygenase, protocatechuate 3,4 dioxygenase, protocatechuate 4,5 dioxygenase, salicylate hydroxylase and 2-carboxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase were differentially induced at different stages of fluoranthene degradation. Biodegradation kinetics indicated half life period of fluoranthene degradation. Besides, glycolipid, as a biosurfactant, was induced to facilitate the degradation process. Hence, both the bacteria may be used individually or in combination for effective decontamination of oil and sludge contaminated soil.
| 160 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117510
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[31P-cardio-MR-spectroscopy in myocardial insufficiency].
The relative linear relationships of creatine phosphate/gamma-adenosine triphosphate (PCr/ATP) and of phosphodiester (PDE)/ATP were measured in 38 normals and 27 patients with cardiac insufficiency using cardiac 31P-MR-spectroscopy. There was no significant difference between normals and those with dilated cardiomyopathy (19 cases) and severe aortic valve lesions (8 cases), irrespective of the clinical stage of the cardiac abnormality. Within subgroups of insufficiency there was a correlation between PCr/ATP and the severity of the disease with significant differences between mild and severe cardiac insufficiency. In 6 patients a significant rise in PCr/ATP could be demonstrated following clinical improvement under drug therapy. There was no correlation between the relative linear relationship and the left ventricular ejection fraction.
| 117 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117518
|
Influence of fabrication parameters in cellular microarrays for stem cell studies.
Lately there has been an increasing interest in the development of tools that enable the high throughput analysis of combinations of surface-immobilized signaling factors and which examine their effect on stem cell biology and differentiation. These surface-immobilized factors function as artificial microenvironments that can be ordered in a microarray format. These microarrays could be useful for applications such as the study of stem cell biology to get a deeper understanding of their differentiation process. Here, the evaluation of several key process parameters affecting the cellular microarray fabrication is reported in terms of its effects on the mesenchymal stem cell culture time on these microarrays. Substrate and protein solution requirements, passivation strategies and cell culture conditions are investigated. The results described in this article serve as a basis for the future development of cellular microarrays aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the stem cell differentiation process.
| 156 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117520
|
Improved haplotype analysis of human myelin basic protein short tandem repeat loci.
We report an improved haplotype analysis of the human myelin basic protein gene (MBP) short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphism. The polymorphic G-->A transition and 2 conventional STR polymorphisms, MBPA and MBPB, were simultaneously determined by an amplified product length polymorphism technique. After the MBPC fragments containing MBPA and MBPB were amplified, the linkage of these 2 STR loci was determined by a second amplification, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, of the isolated MBPC fragments. The present haplotype analysis dispensed with family studies for the haplotyping of MBPA and MBPB. Polymorphisms of the MBP loci studied in German and Japanese populations showed a high genomic variation. Haplotype analysis of the MBP loci showed distinct differences between the German and the Japanese populations. Consequently, haplotype analysis of the MBP loci promises to be useful in forensic identification and paternity testing.
| 150 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117538
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Direct imaging of electron states in open quantum dots.
We use scanning gate microscopy to probe the ballistic motion of electrons within an open GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dot. Conductance maps are recorded by scanning a biased tip over the open quantum dot while a magnetic field is applied. We show that, for specific magnetic fields, the measured conductance images resemble the classical transmitted and backscattered trajectories and their quantum mechanical analogue. In addition, we prove experimentally, with this direct measurement technique, the existence of pointer states. The demonstrated direct imaging technique is essential for the fundamental understanding of wave function scarring and quantum decoherence theory.
| 103 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117556
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The psychodynamics of the presidential assassin and an examination of the theme/graphic variables of his threatening correspondence.
Many document examiners recognize the importance of an individuals 'state of mind' and its effect on handwriting but historically have steered clear of working closely with psychiatrists, linguists, or psychologists in understanding the interaction of nervous impulses and motor responses on the final handwritten product. In an attempt to better understand and evaluate those fears and motivational influences which should exist within the writings of the mentally disturbed in his threatening correspondence, research was conducted to ascertain whether there are consistently reappearing delusional value systems/hostilities which characterize the writings of the paranoid schizophrenic assassin subject. The results of this preliminary investigation revealed substantial evidence to suggest that most U.S. assassins have been psychotic at the time they attempted to kill their victims and that the most frequently rendered diagnosis was 'paranoid schizophrenia'. It was also reported that many of the assassin subjects had either sent threatening correspondence to their victims prior to the assassination attempt or had recanted the justifiable nature of their 'heroic deed' in letters or personal diaries which were recovered shortly after the assault. It is also apparent that over the years, the Secret Service has investigated a number of threatening letter writers who were later diagnosed as suffering from some sort of schizophrenic reaction and characterized as 'potentially dangerous' to the President. Most of the insight to be gained from an examination of what researchers have discovered regarding those unique graphic traits found in 'schizophrenic writing' can be gleaned from those published papers contributed by graphologists/document examiners and that offered by the behavioral science/medical community in the form of psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and psycholinguists. The results of bonafide scientific and forensic literature research strongly suggest that the threatening writings of the paranoid schizophrenic and/or potential assassin will probably reveal distinctive graphic 'abnormalities' which are found to act in combination with certain combinations of reoccurring delusional value systems, frustrations, and hostilities.
| 330 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117561
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Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Vector Biodiversity in High Altitude Atlantic Forest Fragments Within a Semiarid Climate: A New Endemic Area of Spotted-Fever in Brazil.
Rickettsioses are re-emerging vector-borne zoonoses with a global distribution. Recently, Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest has been associated with new human spotted-fever (SF) cases in Brazil, featuring particular clinical signs: eschar formation and lymphadenopathy. These cases have been associated with the tick species, Amblyomma ovale From 2010 until 2015, the Brazilian Health Department confirmed 11 human SF cases in the Maciço de Baturité region, Ceará, Brazil. The present study reports the circulation of Rickettsia spp. in vectors from this entirely new endemic area for SF. A total of 1,727 ectoparasites were collected in this area from the environment, humans, and wild and domestic animals. Samples (n = 887) were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting the gltA and ompA rickettsial genes. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of gltA gene amplicons were carried out for 13 samples positive for both screening PCRs. Fragments of gltA and ompA from three samples were cloned, sequenced, and analyzed further. A. ovale and Rhipicephalus sanguineus specimens, collected from dogs, were found to be infected with Rickettsia sp. str. Atlantic rainforest, suggesting the importance of dogs in the epidemic cycle. Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, Rickettsia felis, and Rickettsia bellii were also found infecting ticks and fleas in five municipalities, demonstrating the broad diversity of rickettsiae in circulation in the studied area. This study reports, for the first time, evidence of infection with Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale and R. sanguineus in Ceará, and Ca. R. andeanae in an Atlantic rainforest environment of Brazil.
| 271 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117579
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Evaluation of methods for adjusting population stratification in genome-wide association studies: Standard versus categorical principal component analysis.
Unaccounted population stratification can lead to false-positive findings and can mask the true association signals in identification of disease-related genetic variants. The computational simplicity of principal component analysis (PCA) makes it a widely used method for population stratification adjustment. However, given that genotype data are generally represented by numerical values 0, 1, and 2, corresponding to the number of minor alleles, it is more reasonable to consider genotype data as categorical data. Because PCA is inherently only suitable for continuous variables, it is not appropriate to directly apply PCA on genotype data. Second, although common variants have been extensively studied, little is known about the stratification of rare variants and its impact on association tests. Over the last decade, there has been a shift in the genome-wide association studies toward studying low-frequency (minor allele frequency [MAF] between 0.01 and 0.05) and rare (MAF less than 0.01) variants, which are now widely reputed as complex trait determinants. The fact that rare variants are not stratified in the same way as common variants necessitates the development of statistical methods that can capture stratification patterns for low-frequency and rare variants. To address these limitations, we investigate performances of generalized PCA and similarity-matrix-based PCA methods to detect underlying structures for rare and common variants. We demonstrate, through simulated and real datasets, that a special case of generalized PCA (i.e., logistic PCA) is able to adjust for population stratification in rare variants much more effectively than standard PCA while their performances are comparable for common variants.
| 267 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117580
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One-pot multi-segment condensation strategies for chemical protein synthesis.
With the growing requirement for otherwise-difficult-to-obtain proteins, it is necessary to develop more efficient chemical protein synthesis methods for rapid access to designed protein samples. In particular, a one-pot multi-segment condensation method, with only one purification step to obtain the final product, is expected to demonstrate unique benefits in chemical protein synthesis, such as the requirement of fewer handling procedures and the higher efficiency in obtaining aimed protein samples. The utilization of the one-pot multi-segment condensation strategy is demonstrated via the synthesis of a series of post-translational modification (PTM) or disease-associated peptides or proteins for basic and advanced scientific research. This review summarizes the recent one-pot multi-segment condensation methods utilized in chemical protein synthesis, in which two aspects of drive-strategies will be mainly included: a kinetically controlled strategy and a protecting group-removal strategy, respectively. On one hand, the activities of peptides in N-terminal thiol amino acids or C-terminal acyl donors can be largely different based on the differences in properties, such as steric hindrance, migration rates, electrophilicity, and introduction of active elements such as selenium, etc. Using the different activities, regio-selective peptide ligation can be performed in a kinetically controlled manner. On the other hand, the protecting group-removal strategy involves various moieties, which can block the activity of functional groups arising from N-terminal thiol amino acids or C-terminal acyl donors, and they can be removed by using additives, and pH- or photo-stimulation conditions with further achievement of chemical protein synthesis by the one-pot strategy.
| 251 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117591
|
Inverted television and video games to maintain neck extension.
It has been the standard of care in our pediatric facility to keep patients on strict bedrest with the neck in hyperextension for 5 days after a neck contracture release or grafting. Multiple methods have been used to help maintain neck immobility after grafting. It has been challenging to maintain strict bedrest protocols, because of decreased compliance and boredom. To address this issue, we examined common sedentary diversional activities engaged in by children. We decided to use video games to facilitate the intrinsic motivation of play. The monitor of a video game activity was inverted and placed behind the head of the bed so that the child could maintain proper neck positioning. We found the activity to be beneficial in many aspects. It helped maintain neck positioning, decreased the demand for individual interventions, and provided opportunities for improving self-confidence.
| 147 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117597
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OPTN/SRTR 2012 Annual Data Report: kidney.
For most end-stage renal disease patients, successful kidney transplant provides substantially longer survival and better quality of life than dialysis, and preemptive transplant is associated with better outcomes than transplants occurring after dialysis initiation. However, kidney transplant numbers in the us have not changed for a decade. Since 2004, the total number of candidates on the waiting list has increased annually. Median time to transplant for wait-listed adult patients increased from 2.7 years in 1998 to 4.2 years in 2008. The discard rate of deceased donor kidneys has also increased, and the annual number of living donor transplants has decreased. The number of pediatric transplants peaked at 899 in 2005, and has remained steady at approximately 750 over the past 3 years; 40.9% of pediatric candidates undergo transplant within 1 year of wait-listing. Graft survival continues to improve for both adult and pediatric recipients. Kidney transplant is one of the most cost-effective surgical interventions; however, average reimbursement for recipients with primary Medicare coverage from transplant through 1 year posttransplant was comparable to the 1-year cost of care for a dialysis patient. Rates of rehospitalization are high in the first year posttransplant; annual costs after the first year are lower.
| 204 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117606
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Contact de-electrification of electrostatically charged polymers.
The contact electrification of insulating organic polymers is still incompletely understood, in part because multiple fundamental mechanisms may contribute to the movement of charge. This study describes a mechanism previously unreported in the context of contact electrification: that is, "contact de-electrification", a process in which polymers charged to the same polarity discharge on contact. Both positively charged polymeric beads, e.g., polyamide 6/6 (Nylon) and polyoxymethylene (Delrin), and negatively charged polymeric beads, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) and polyamide-imide (Torlon), discharge when the like-charged beads are brought into contact. The beads (both with charges of ∼±20 μC/m(2), or ∼100 charges/μm(2)) discharge on contact regardless of whether they are made of the same material, or of different materials. Discharge is rapid: discharge of flat slabs of like-charged Nylon and Teflon pieces is completed on a single contact (∼3 s). The charge lost from the polymers during contact de-electrification transfers onto molecules of gas in the atmosphere. When like-charged polymers are brought into contact, the increase in electric field at the point of contact exceeds the dielectric breakdown strength of the atmosphere and ionizes molecules of the gas; this ionization thus leads to discharge of the polymers. The detection (using a Faraday cup) of charges transferred to the cup by the ionized gas is compatible with the mechanism. Contact de-electrification occurs for different polymers and in atmospheres with different values of dielectric breakdown strength (helium, argon, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and sulfur hexafluoride): the mechanism thus appears to be general.
| 250 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117609
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Dynamic mechanism of the ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition in chiral smectic liquid crystals.
The temperature-induced phase transition between the chiral smectic phases, antiferroelectric (smectic-C(A)*) and ferroelectric (smectic-C*), is found to occur through solitary wave propagation. We measure the free energy, which shows a double well shape in the entire SmC(A)* temperature range and the global minimum is found to shift from the antiferroelectric order to the ferroelectric order at the transition temperature. However, any significant supercooling is not observed and the transition cannot be described by the first order Landau-de Gennes theory, where the double well potential exists only in a narrow range of temperatures. This implies that the SmC(A)*-SmC* transition can occur only nonhomogeneously through the solitary wave propagation which overcomes the high energy barrier between the two minima.
| 130 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117617
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Comparison of transcriptomes of wild-type and isothiazolone-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using RNA-seq.
Isothiazolone biocides (such as Kathon) are widely used in a variety of industrial and domestic applications. However, the mechanisms through which bacteria develop resistance to these biocides are not completely clear. A better understanding of these mechanisms can contribute to optimal use of these biocides. In this study, transcription profiles of a Kathon-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa-R) and the wild-type strain were determined using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) with the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. RNA-Seq generated 18,657,896 sequence reads aligned to 7093 genes. In all, 1550 differently expressed genes (DEGs, log2 ratio ≥1, false discovery rate (FDR) ≤0.001) were identified, of which 482 were up-regulated and 1068 were down-regulated. Most Kathon-induced genes were involved in metabolic and cellular processes. DEGs significantly enriched nitrogen metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. In addition, Pa-R showed cross-resistance to triclosan and ciprofloxacin and showed repressed pyocyanin production. These results may improve our understanding of the resistance mechanisms of P. aeruginosa against isothiazolones, and provide insight into the development of more efficient isothiazolones.
| 178 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117622
|
Viscosity of whole saliva.
This study investigates within-subject variations and associations of salivary viscosities and flow rates in a test panel of healthy adults. After several practice sessions, unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva samples were collected 5 times daily (at 0800, 1100, 1400, 1700, and 2000 h) from 30 university students. There was a significant within-subject variation in viscosity and flow rate of unstimulated saliva (P<0.001). Intra-item correlations were significantly different for salivary flow rates (r= 0.82 for unstimulated, r= 0.88 for stimulated, P< 0.001) and viscosity of unstimulated saliva (r= 0.54, P< 0.05), but viscosity of stimulated saliva was different in this respect. Our results indicate that there is a significant within-subject variation in viscosity of unstimulated saliva.
| 118 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117625
|
Percival Pott; Pott's fracture, Pott's disease of the spine, Pott's paraplegia.
There is a commonly held belief that Percival Pott sustained that ankle fracture that bears his name. This probably is not true; the injury was more likely a fracture of the tibial shaft, as suggested by careful reading of the account of the accident left to us by his son-in-law.
| 60 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117626
|
The impact of home enteral tube feeding in everyday life: a qualitative study.
Advances in clinical and technical areas, combined with developments in community support services, have enabled people to receive enteral tube feeding at home in the UK. Research has focused on clinical and technical aspects, and people's experiences have largely been explored through the audit of after-care services. The research reported in the present paper consisted of a qualitative study in which a small number of people under going enteral tube feeding at home and their carers were interviewed. The study took place in one area of northern England. The interviews explored aspects of daily life, focusing on decision-making and adaptation, and revealed positive feelings about the process of tube feeding, as well as areas of difficulty and concern. Opportunities to improve practice and services are identified from these accounts.
| 141 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117627
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Rapid HPLC Analytical Method Development for Herbal Medicine Formulae Based on Retention Rules Acquired from the Constituting Herbs.
Herbal medicine (HM) formulae are the combinations of two or more types of constituting herbs. This study has proposed a novel approach to efficiently develop HPLC methods for HM formulae, which take advantage of the mutual retention rules between HM formulae and their constituting herbs. An HM formula composed of two herbs, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and Rhizoma Chuanxiong, was taken as a case study. Based on design of experiments and stepwise multiple linear regression, models relating the analytical parameters to the chromatographic parameters were built (correlation coefficients >0.9870) for chemical compounds in the two herbs. These models representing the retention rules were utilized to predict the elution profile of the formula. The analytical parameters were numerically optimized to ensure adequate separation of the analytes. In validation experiments, satisfactory separations were achieved without any pre-experiments on the formula. The approach can significantly increase the HPLC method development efficiency for HM formulae.
| 167 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117631
|
Metastatic potential of malignant tumours.
The term 'metastatic potential' is examined, together with some of the factors that may contribute to it. The evidence is drawn from clinical and experimental sources. Morphological factors include the site of the tumour, its size, histological appearances and pattern of local spread. The scope and limitations of each are discussed and the potential application of newer morphological techniques is noted. Certain non-morphological factors are considered: these are (1) the functional heterogeneity of tumour cell populations with resepct to the metastatic capacity; (2) the elaboration of certain tumour-associated products which may potentiate tumour spread; and (3) immunological factors in the form of local host cell infiltrates in and around primary tumours. The tumour-associated products include collagenases, prostaglandins and angiogenesis factor; their likely origin from tumour and host cells is stressed, together with their implications in physiological and pathological processes other than neoplasia. It is concluded that the metastatic potential of tumours cannot be assessed in the terms of conventional tumour pathology alone. A more functional approach is needed before the term 'metastatic potential' acquires solid conceptual or practical value.
| 183 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117633
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Pd-Catalyzed para-selective C-H difluoromethylation of aromatic carbonyls.
A novel palladium catalyzed highly para-selective C-H difluoromethylation of electron-deficient aromatic carbonyls was developed. Diverse substituted aromatic ketones and benzoates were selectively difluoromethylated at the remote para-site of carbonyl groups in moderate to good yields. Moreover, the difuoromethylation was also compatible with several complex bioactive molecules.
| 52 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117640
|
Dipole-dipole plasmon interactions in gold-on-polystyrene composites.
Red-shifting of the optical absorption spectra of aggregates of gold nanoparticles by dipole-dipole interactions is of considerable interest, both for theoretical reasons and because the phenomenon can be potentially exploited in various applications. A convenient and practical way to control the effect is to assemble the aggregated ensemble of n gold nanoparticles on the outer surface of larger dielectric spheres. Here, we show by experiment and calculation how the spectra of these structures can be systematically morphed from that of isolated gold particles, through the regime of broad absorption dominated by particle-particle interactions, and finally to the limiting case of a continuous nanoshell. The experimental data were produced using the process of deposition-precipitation, which provides a facile method to decorate polystyrene microspheres with gold nanoparticles. There is no need for prior functionalization of the microsphere surface in our method of deposition-precipitation. Calculations were carried out using a code based on the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). The spectra were dominated by three effects. These were a peak absorption at about 540 nm produced by the conventional plasmon resonance of spherical gold nanoparticles, a broad absorption in the range 600-900 nm caused by diverse dipole-dipole interactions between particles, which strengthened as the number of attached gold particles increased and finally, when n was large, an absorption peak due to the onset of nanoshell-like resonances. The experimental spectra could be successfully fitted by spectra calculated using combinations of these effects.
| 242 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117664
|
Synaptic localization and restricted diffusion of a Drosophila neuronal synaptobrevin--green fluorescent protein chimera in vivo.
Fluorescent markers for subcellular compartments in Drosophila neurons should allow one to combine genetic mutant analysis with visualization of subcellular structures in vivo. Here we describe an analysis of two markers which may be used to observe different compartments of live Drosophila synapses. Soluble jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed at high levels in neurons diffuses freely in the neuronal cytosol as evidenced by confocal microscopy and fluorescence recovery from photobleaching experiments. Thus, the distribution pattern of soluble GFP in motor axons and larval motor terminals indicates the expected distribution for diffusible presynaptic molecules. In contrast to GFP, a neurally expressed neuronal synaptobrevin-GFP chimera (n-syb GFP) is transported down axons and specifically localized to nerve terminals. We demonstrate that n-syb GFP labels synaptic-vesicle membrane at larval motor terminals by documenting its restriction to presynaptic varicosities, its colocalization with synaptic vesicle antigens, and its redistribution in Drosophila shits1 mutant nerve terminals transiently depleted of synaptic vesicles. Surprisingly, n-syb GFP expressed in muscle is concentrated at the subsynaptic reticulum (SSR), postsynaptic infoldings of muscle plasma membrane. We suggest, using different membrane markers, that this apparent postsynaptic enrichment simply reflects a concentration of plasma membrane in the SSR, rather than a selective targeting of n-syb GFP to postsynaptic sites. Utilities and implications of these studies are demonstrated or discussed.
| 230 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117673
|
In vitro interactions of antifungal agents against clinical isolates of Fusarium spp.
The in vitro activities of amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole (ITC), voriconazole (VCZ) and terbinafine (TBF) alone and in the combinations AMB+VCZ, TBF+ITC and TBF+VCZ were evaluated against 29 clinical isolates of Fusarium spp. (15 Fusarium solani, 7 Fusarium oxysporum, 2 Fusarium decemcellulare, 2 Fusarium dimerum and 3 other Fusarium spp.). Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using the method of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and the interaction activity was calculated using the fractional inhibitory concentration index. The four antifungal drugs tested alone showed very limited activity against most of the isolates. In contrast, the combination TBF+VCZ showed synergy for 21 isolates. The combination AMB+VCZ showed synergism for only five strains. No interaction or antagonism was observed among the remaining strains. TBF+ITC showed no interaction for 18 strains. The in vitro antifungal activity of the drugs alone and in combination varied for different species. These results corroborate previous in vitro studies in which the combination TBF+VCZ showed synergy against Fusarium spp., although further studies are needed to elucidate its potential usefulness for therapy.
| 184 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117674
|
Sensible approaches to avoid needle stick accidents in nuclear medicine.
Needle sticks are a continuous concern in the health care environment because of the prevalence of bloodborne pathogens in today's society. Radioactive contamination is another concern with needle sticks during nuclear medicine and nuclear pharmacy procedures. In our institution, substantial efforts have been made to prevent needle sticks, but they still occur occasionally. The purpose of this project was to analyze different practices and products to determine the best protocol in an effort to avoid further needle sticks. The nuclear medicine technologists were surveyed to determine how many needle sticks have occurred and the situation behind each occurrence. Using our initial survey, the circumstances involved in each incident were reviewed, suggestions considered, and various means of protection analyzed. Five options were presented in a second survey. The results of the second survey showed that technologists favored the newly designed needle-capping blocks for preventing needle sticks in their daily routine procedures. The newly designed needle-capping block is best suited for both nuclear medicine and nuclear pharmacy laboratories. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this new approach in preventing needle sticks.
| 190 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117677
|
Could sudden cardiac death in epilepsy be related to the occurrence of thalamic dysfunction or anatomic change?
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most important direct epilepsy-related cause of death in people with chronic epilepsy. Its physiopathology is still unknown; however, the most commonly suggested potential mechanisms involve cardiac or respiratory abnormalities. As the anatomical substrate of epileptic activity in the central nervous system (CNS) shows a direct relationship with cardiovascular alterations, this may suggests that patients with epilepsy associated with focal CNS lesions may be at particular risk of SUDEP. Currently, experimental and clinical data support an important role for thalamic nuclei in the behavioural manifestations, initiation and propagation of seizures. In view of the above findings, we purpose that SUDEP, at least in some cases, could be related to the occurrence of thalamic dysfunction or anatomic change.
| 140 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117680
|
[Evaluation of the effect of remaxol on hepatocytes in non-alcoholic fatty liver dystrophy modeling in laboratory C57BL/6 mice].
To provide a morphological evaluation of the effectiveness of incorporating remaxol into a treatment regimen for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The investigation was conducted using 32 male C57BL/6 mice weighing 35-44 g, which were divided into 4 groups. In Group 1, eight mice were fed with a standard diet for 75 days; the animals from Groups 2 and 3 received a hypercaloric diet for the same period of time. The mice from Group 2 were euthanized immediately after the diet was stopped; and Group 3 was switched to the standard diet after 20 days of the recovery period. Group 4 included the mice that were, after a 75-day hypercaloric diet, were injected with remaxol at a dose of 25 ml/kg once daily every other day; the cycle consisted of 10 injections. Liver tissues were morphologically evaluated using Oil Red O-stained tissue specimens additionally stained with Mayer's hematoxylin on the cryostat sections applying a Zeiss Axio Imager. A2 microscope equipped with an Axiocam 506 color camera. The photographed images were processed using the ZEN 2.3 program ('Carl Zeiss', Germany). The morphological equivalent of liver improvement in mice that were injected and were not injected with remaxol was found to be normalization of the lobular structure, preservation of the structure and intralobular orientation of the hepatic tubules, and restoration of the width of the sinusoidal lumen. The degree of infiltration was much lesser than that in the group of experimental animals that did not additionally receive the drug. These histological signs may suggest that remaxol is effective in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
| 278 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117685
|
Hemodynamic analysis of findings in patients with portal hypertension: multicenter analysis in Japan. Japan Portal Hypertension Study Group.
A multicenter study was done to assess the pathophysiology of malcirculation with portal hypertension. Patients were admitted to 48 different institutes from 1990 to 1992. Portal venous pressure was 345.9 +/- 72.1 mmH2O in patients with portal hypertension. In patients with liver cirrhosis, the diameter of the splenic artery, of the proper hepatic artery, of the left gastric artery and of the splenic vein was significantly larger (p<0.05) than seen in the controls without portal hypertension. In patients with idiopathic portal hypertension, the diameter of the splenic artery and of the vein was significantly larger (p<0.05) and that of the proper hepatic artery was significantly smaller (p<0.05) than seen in the cirrhotic patients. In the cirrhotic patients, blood flow volume was significantly larger (p<0.05) in the splenic vein. In patient with idiopathic portal hypertension, blood flow volume in the portal vein and splenic vein were significantly larger (p<0.05) and that of superior mesenteric vein showed an increasing tendency to enlarge. This study shows that a hyperdynamic state is present in patient with portal hypertension.
| 191 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117692
|
Novel fluorescent probes for relay detection copper/citrate ion and application in cell imaging.
Two novel fluorescent probes, 2‑(2'‑hydroxyphenyl)‑4‑(2'‑hydroxymethyl‑8‑quinolinamino)methyloxazole (L1), and 2‑(2'‑hydroxyphenyl)‑4‑(2'‑methyl‑8‑quinolinamino)methyloxazole (L2), exhibited colorimetric and "turn off" fluorometric response to Cu2+ ion in DMSO/H2O solution (v/v = 1/1, 0.01 M, Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.20) and the corresponding detection limit were found to be 2.14 × 10-8 and 2.70 × 10-8 M, which were much lower than drinking water permission concentrations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO). The L1-Cu2+ and L2-Cu2+ complexes ensemble detected citrate anions (CA) sequentially through fluorescence recovery response due to the extrusion of Cu2+ ion from the complexes. The binding processes were investigated by UV-vis, fluorescence, IR and DFT calculation. Furthermore, the vivo sensitivity experiments of Cu2+ ion and CA was demonstrated through fluorescence imaging in living cells.
| 138 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117698
|
[Feeding behavior and glycemic profile in two lines of rats with genetic diabetes].
Food intake can aggravate diabetes in humans and in animal models. In rat model systems, the eSMT rat strain shows increased diabetes expression and higher biomass than its eSS parental line. OBVJECTIVE: The feeding behavior of eSMT and eSS males was compared under conditions of ad libitum versus restrictive food intake. The effects on rat weight and glycemia were examined. Unrestricted food intake during growth and maintenance stages was recorded. One group of eSMT was submitted to intermittent dietary restriction for 5 weeks after weaning, followed by ad libitum food availability. A second group was restricted until one year of age. Weights and glycemic profiles were measured at periodic intervals. During the growth stage, eSMT showed weight increases higher than the eSS with similar food intake. In the maintenance stage, eSMT reached higher biomass with less intake. Post-weaning alternate restriction induced a slower growth pattern and lower adult weight. After five months of fasting, glycemia was normal (85 +/- 12 mg/dl) and controls showed altered values (119 +/- 14 mg/dl). Ad libitum nutrition after restriction resulted in glycemia levels compatible with diabetes (163 +/- 25 mg/dl) and a weight gain 75% higher than in ad libitum-fed animals. Prolonged hunger-satiety alternation induced slowing of the eSMT metabolopathy, whereas refeeding was associated with higher increases of weight and glycemia. This was imputed to an augmented conversion efficiency caused by fasting. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the relations between growth, feeding and diabetes.
| 254 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117712
|
Use of reflexology in managing secondary lymphoedema for patients affected by treatments for breast cancer: A feasibility study.
The aim of this feasibility study was to examine the use of reflexology lymphatic drainage (RLD) in the treatment of breast-cancer related lymphoedema (BCRL) with a view to further research. An uncontrolled trial was conducted with 26 women who had developed lymphoedema in one arm following treatment for breast cancer. Changes in upper-limb volumes and in participant concerns and wellbeing were measured. Qualitative data were also collected. A significant reduction in the volume of the affected arm was identified at follow-up compared to baseline. This reduction in volume appeared to be maintained for more than six months. Participant concerns were significantly reduced and their wellbeing significantly increased. No serious adverse effects were reported. RLD may be a useful intervention for BCRL although the results could not be attributed to the reflexology intervention because of research design limitations. The main conclusion was, however, that there was sufficient evidence for further research using a randomized controlled trial.
| 172 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117719
|
A prospective study of the association between APOE genotype and the risk of myocardial infarction among apparently healthy men.
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays an important role in lipid metabolism. Three common alleles in the APOE gene, E2/E3/E4, have been associated with lipoprotein disorders but their effects on myocardial infarction (MI) risk remain uncertain. In a prospective cohort of 14916 apparently healthy men enrolled in the Physicians' Health Study, APOE genotyping was conducted to determine three common alleles (E2/E3/E4) among 385 incident cases of first MI and among 373 age- and smoking-matched controls. No significant differences in allele or genotype frequency for the APOE gene were detected between cases and controls. As expected, we observed significant positive associations between dyslipidemia (low HDL/high TG or high LDL) and MI risk (P<0.001) and between genotypes and levels of LDL (P<0.001), HDL (P=0.04) or TG (P=0.02). Compared with men homozygous for the E3 allele and after adjusting for multiple MI risk factors, men carrying the E4 allele (E4/4 or E4/3) had a relative risk of 0.93 (95% CI 0.63-1.37) and men carrying the E2 allele (E2/2 or E2/3) a relative risk of 1.03 (0.62-1.74). Moreover, no significant difference in MI risk was observed among different genotypes across different levels of lipids or smoking status. These data from a prospective study of apparently healthy men do not support the simple view of E2 as a protective factor and E4 as a susceptibility factor in predicting future risk of MI independent of lipid parameters. Nor did we observe any interaction between smoking and apoE4 allele on MI risk.
| 261 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117723
|
The effect of renin and aldosterone inhibition by beta-adrenergic blockade on the response to the new diuretic azosemide.
The effect of repeated Azosemide infusions (20 mg in 500 ml 5% glucose for one h) on urine volume and electrolyte excretion, and on the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) was studied in a group of 15 patients with benign essential hypertension before and during treatment with the beta-adrenergic blocker Trimepranol. Azosemide alone had a marked but short-lasting diuretic and natriuretic effect. Repeated administration on three consecutive days led, however, to a progressive decrease in the natriuretic effectiveness of Azosemide, associated with an increase in plasma renin activity (from 0.413 o.032 to 1.631 0.438 pmol/l). Treatment with Trimepranol 20 mg/day enhanced and prolonged the diuretic and natriuretic response to Azosemide concomitantly with a reduction of its stimulatory effect of RAAS. There results suggest that stimulation of the RAAS might be responsible for the diminishing effectiveness of repeated Azosemide infusions and that the stimulation could be, at least partly, inhibited by a beta-blocker Trimepranol, resulting in a greater diuretic and natriuretic effect of Azosemide.
| 181 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117728
|
Protein trafficking along the exocytotic pathway.
Proteins of the exocytotic (secretory) pathway are initially targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and then translocated across and/or inserted into the membrane of the ER. During their anterograde transport with the bulk of the membrane flow along the exocytotic pathway, some proteins are selectively retained in various intracellular compartments, while others are sorted to different branches of the pathway. The signals or structural motifs that are involved in these selective targeting processes are being revealed and investigations into the mechanistic nature of these processes are actively underway.
| 93 |
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117736
|
Maturation of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes: a Critical Step for Drug Development and Cell Therapy.
Cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are emerging as an invaluable alternative to primarily sourced cardiomyocytes. The potentially unlimited number of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) that may be obtained in vitro facilitates high-throughput applications like cell transplantation for myocardial repair, cardiotoxicity testing during drug development, and patient-specific disease modeling. Despite promising progress in these areas, a major disadvantage that limits the use of hPSC-CMs is their immaturity. Improvements to the maturity of hPSC-CMs are necessary to capture physiologically relevant responses. Herein, we review and discuss the different maturation strategies undertaken by others to improve the morphology, contractility, electrophysiology, and metabolism of these derived cardiomyocytes.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117737
|
Ceftazidime resistance in Burkholderia pseudomallei: first report from India.
Melioidosis, a disease of public health importance in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, of late has shown an increasing trend in India, particularly Southern India. We describe a case of a 39-year-old diabetic patient with left elbow septic arthritis, multiple liver, splenic abscesses, pneumonia, pleural effusion, followed by sepsis syndrome. Blood cultures and culture of the joint aspirate yielded pure growth of Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pesudomallei), sensitive to carbapenem, co-trimoxazole and resistant to ceftazidime. The patient was successfully treated with imipenem- cilastin. He was discharged on co-trimoxazole to complete the 24 weeks course and follow-up has continued to date. The patient continues to remain asymptomatic. The case re-emphasizes the need to monitor the trend of B. pseudomallei in India, particularly the development of ceftazidime resistance, which incidentally is the drug of choice.
| 140 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117738
|
Evaluating linkage and linkage disequilibrium: use of excess sharing and transmission disequilibrium methods in affected sib pairs.
Two popular and robust approaches to analysing affected sib pair (ASP) data for linkage are the traditional excess sharing methods and the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT). Here we derive an overall test of linkage for multi-allelic ASP marker data which comprises two component tests: one for excess sharing and one for transmission disequilibrium. This method has several advantages. Firstly the overall test of linkage is often more powerful than either of the two component tests. Secondly the method makes it possible to determine the contribution of linkage disequilibrium (LD), in addition to linkage, to an overall positive linkage result. This is useful because the presence of LD in addition to linkage may suggest that the marker locus is in very close proximity to a disease susceptibility gene. Thirdly the method provides estimates of the risk associated with transmission of the different marker alleles.
| 158 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117739
|
Safety of influenza and H1N1 vaccinations in patients with myasthenia gravis, and patient compliance.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) exacerbations may be triggered by infections.In the winter of 2009/2010, the Israeli Ministry of Health recommended that each individual with a chronic condition be vaccinated against both the seasonal influenza and the H1N1 virus. We examined vaccination practices in 74 MG patients. Only 38 patients (51.4%) received the seasonal influenza vaccine, and 24 (32.4%) received the H1N1 vaccine. No exacerbation of MG was found, and therefore seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines seem to be safe in MG.
| 93 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117748
|
BUBR1 expression in benign oral lesions and squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with human papillomavirus.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck cancer. Only in Brazil, the estimate is for 14,160 new cases in 2009. HPV is associated with increasing risk of oral cancer, but its role in carcinogenesis is still controversial. BUBR1, an important protein in the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), has been associated with some virus-encoded proteins and cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of BUBR1 in non-malignant oral lesions and OSCC with and without metastasis associated with HPV infection. We performed immunohistochemistry for BUBR1 in 70 OSCC biopsies divided into three groups (in situ tumors, invasive tumors without metastasis and invasive tumors with metastasis) with their respective lymph nodes from samples with metastasis and in 16 non-malignant oral lesions. PCR was performed in order to detect HPV DNA. Significantly higher BUBR1 expression associated with shorter survival (p=0.0479) was observed in malignant lesions. There was also a significant correlation (r=1.000) with BUBR1 expression in lesions with metastasis and their lymph nodes. Ninety percent of OSCC and 100% of benign lesions were HPV positive. HPV16 and HVP18 were present in 13 and 24% of HPV-positive OSCC samples, respectively. HPV was more prevalent (76%) in samples with a high BUBR1 expression and the absence of viral DNA had no influence on BUBR1 expression. These findings suggest that HPV could be associated with overexpression of BUBR1 in OSCC, but not in benign oral lesions.
| 253 |
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117757
|
Extensive SAR and computational studies of 3-{4-[(benzylmethylamino)methyl]phenyl}-6,7-dimethoxy-2H-2-chromenone (AP2238) derivatives.
AP2238 was the first compound published to bind both anionic sites of the human acetylcholinesterase, allowing the simultaneous inhibition of the catalytic and the amyloid-beta pro-aggregating activities of AChE. Here we attempted to derive a comprehensive structure-activity relationship picture for this molecule, affording 28 derivatives for which AChE and BChE inhibitory activities were evaluated. Selected compounds were also tested for their ability to prevent the AChE-induced Abeta-aggregation. Moreover, docking simulations and molecular orbital calculations were performed.
| 84 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117759
|
[Contraception in young adolescents].
The continuing increase in teenage pregnancies and abortions calls for more effective sex education on the one hand, including a detailed explication of the (perfectly normal) changes an adolescent body is undergoing, but we also need to understand the way teenagers actually do use contraceptives. Modern contraception for teenagers should not cause any side effects and its efficacy must not be linked to compliance. Gynaecologists must acquaint themselves with the laws covering the prescription of contraceptives to adolescents. Whether hormonal contraceptives for men are also suitable for teenage boys remains to be seen. Advising mentally or physically handicapped teen-agers or those with chronic diseases on their contraceptive options is particularly challenging. Adolescents are more prone to contract HPV infections and thus need to be screened, counselled and told about the association between HPV and cervical dysplasia.
| 139 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117761
|
A double blind study with melperone and placebo in the treatment of chronic alcoholics.
In a 2-wk randomized double blind study 60 chronic alcoholics were treated with either melperone (Buronil) or placebo. The patients were assessed daily using a scale including 4 items: tension, depression, craving and sleep. Statistically significant improvement was achieved in the placebo group only for "tension" and "sleep"; whereas, in the melperone group all four items improved significantly. Comparison between the groups revealed statistically significant superiority of melperone over placebo for the item "craving".
| 87 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117765
|
[The approaches to investigation of factors impacting satisfaction of patients with medical care (according international publications' data].
The publications review analyzes factors impacting satisfaction with medical care. The principles of development of questionnaire are substantiated. The sociological instrument is targeted to detect such factors impacting satisfaction with medical care as flexibility in selection of patients, carrying out of focus-groups of in-depth interviews with patients and literature analysis, possibility to combine qualitative and ordinal attributes as well as open questions, comfortability of respondent at the choice of ordinal scale and analysis of inner validity of questionnaire.
| 94 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117769
|
[Dependency scale in the MMPI and dependent personality in DSM-III].
We tested a dependency rating scale issued from MMPI (considered relevant for DSM-III dependent personality disorder) on 33 males who met this DSM-III personality disorder. There is no significant difference between our subjects and the standard values reported in the literature. Some hypothesis about this negative results are discussed.
| 58 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
|
1117772
|
Risk factors and clinical characteristics of patients with nosocomial influenza A infection.
Influenza is a public health burden, responsible for more than half a million deaths worldwide each year and explosive outbreaks in hospital care units. At present, little is known about clinical characteristics and outcome with nosocomial influenza infection. To assess clinical characteristics and outcome between nosocomial and community-acquired influenza in a tertiary care hospital. Retrospective study of hospitalized patients in a French tertiary care hospital from December 1st 2016 to February 28th 2017 for flu-illness confirmed by RT-PCR. Overall, 208 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were included; whose 49 nosocomial cases (23.6%). Patients with nosocomial influenza were significantly older (79.1 ±15.5 versus 64.8±31.1 years old, p=0.003), with more rapidly fatal disease (10.2% versus 1.3%, p=0.0032). They had less respiratory failure (8.2% versus 21.4%, p=0.036) but had a longer length of hospitalization (47.3 days vs. 12.9 days p<0.001) than patient with community-acquired influenza. During this influenza outbreak, 19 patients died (9.1%), none of them were vaccinated. Effective control of outbreaks in hospital facilities is challenging. Hospitalized patients are vulnerable to nosocomial Influenza infections that can increase length of stay and be responsible of death. Surveillance and early warning systems should be encouraged. Vaccination policies in conjunction with isolation measures and better hand hygiene could reduce virus spreading in hospitals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
| 227 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117776
|
Connatal localized neuroblastoma. The case to delay treatment.
Spontaneous regression is well documented for a subset of widespread neuroblastomas (Stage 4S) and for localized residual tumors after incomplete resection. Possible spontaneous regression of untreated localized neuroblastoma in infants is frequently discussed, but has very rarely been demonstrated clinically. We report four patients with localized neuroblastomas detected early; all were tumors of the adrenal gland. One patient was detected antenatally by ultrasound, the other three tumors were detected incidentally by sonography at age of birth, 1 week, and 7 weeks, respectively. In three patients treatment was delayed in order to await a possible spontaneous regression, and in one patient treatment was delayed due to an uncertain diagnosis. Local tumor growth was observed in three patients, and the tumors were removed 7, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively, after the initial diagnosis of the neuroblastoma. All three patients are free of disease. The fourth patient developed liver metastases 4 weeks after the first suspicion of neuroblastoma. Progressive disease ended in death at the age of 17 months. None of the four patients showed spontaneous tumor regression. Noninvasive examinations and invasive investigations (in two patients) were unable to predict the tumor's behavior. Based on present knowledge, a general "wait and see" strategy cannot be recommended for early and incidentally detected neuroblastoma patients.
| 217 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
|
1117786
|
Synthesis and in vitro study of pseudo-peptide thioureas containing α-aminophosphonate moiety as potential antitumor agents.
Twenty pseudo-peptide thioureas IIa-l containing α-aminophosphonate moiety were synthesized from the reaction of chiral α-amino carboxamide derivatives Ia-c with O,O'-dialkylisothiocyanato(phenyl)methylphosphonate 5. The synthesized compounds were completely characterized by elemental analysis, physical and spectral (IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR) data. According to the preliminary studies on antitumor activities, compounds IIa-l could inhibit tumor cells PC3, Bcap37 and BGC823. These compounds displayed low to high activity by MTT assays. Among them, L-IIk, D-IIa and D-IIe were identified as potent inhibitors, with IC(50) values ranging from 4.7 to 11.2 μM according to in vitro assay.
| 106 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
|
1117789
|
Recommended lists of genotoxic and non-genotoxic chemicals for assessment of the performance of new or improved genotoxicity tests: a follow-up to an ECVAM workshop.
At a recent ECVAM workshop considering ways to reduce the frequency of irrelevant positive results in mammalian cell genotoxicity tests [D. Kirkland, S. Pfuhler, D. Tweats, M. Aardema, R. Corvi, F. Darroudi, A. Elhajouji, H.-R. Glatt, P. Hastwell, M. Hayashi, P. Kasper, S. Kirchner, A. Lynch, D. Marzin, D. Maurici, J.-R. Meunier, L. Müller, G. Nohynek, J. Parry, E. Parry, V. Thybaud, R. Tice, J. van Benthem, P. Vanparys, P. White, How to reduce false positive results when undertaking in vitro genotoxicity testing and thus avoid unnecessary followup animal tests: Report of an ECVAM Workshop, Mutat. Res. 628 (2007) 31-55], recommendations for improvements/modifications to existing tests, and suggestions for new assays were made. Following on from this, it was important to identify chemicals that could be used in the evaluation of modified or new assays. An expert panel was therefore convened and recommendations made for chemicals to fit three different sets of characteristics, namely: This paper therefore contains these three recommended lists of chemicals and describes how these should be used for any test-evaluation programme.
| 198 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117796
|
Parents and nursing-bottle caries.
In this study, the role of the parent in the phenomenon of nursing bottle caries is investigated. The main goal is to try to assess whether differences exist between parents and their children who suffer from nursing bottle caries and parents and children who are not affected by this form of dental decay. To this purpose, a questionnaire was constructed. Results showed that, in contrast to parents of non-caries children, more parents of caries children give a bottle straight from birth. These bottles more often contain sugared drinks and are given during daytime as well as at night. Children with caries and non-caries children differ in two respects: caries children on the whole are older and they have been sick more often than non-caries children. Finally, habit seems to be the major factor contributing to the use of a bottle to a relatively high age. Discussion focuses on the characterization of "typical" caries parents and their children and the implication for educational programs such a characterization could have.
| 171 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117800
|
Computerized spectral analysis of the interictal EEG in epilepsy.
Eight seizure patients without encephalopathy, frequent seizures, brain lesion, or medication intoxication had significant slowing of alpha-frequency activity, as compared to nonepileptic controls, that was evident in compressed spectral analysis but not in standard EEG. Those patients with cognitive or behavioral problems or taking more than one antiepileptic medication had a greater degree of slowing. Differences between seizure patients with and without cognitive or behavioral symptoms, and between specific antiepileptic drugs, were suggested but could not be assigned significance due to small numbers. The findings suggest that interictal changes in brain function that are not revealed by standard EEG may relate to observed changes in interictal behavior and cognition, and that computerized spectral analysis of the interictal EEG may be of value in the assessment of seizure patients before and during therapy.
| 140 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117804
|
Characteristics of a cyclonic eddy and its influence on mesozooplankton community in the northern Bay of Bengal during early winter monsoon.
Characteristics of a cold-core eddy and its influence on the mesozooplankton community were studied along the central (87° E) Bay of Bengal during winter monsoon (November 2008) based on in situ data. The thermo-haline structure and the satellite-derived sea level anomaly maps showed the presence of a cyclonic eddy between 16° N and 20° N. The nutrient enhancement due to the eddy pumping in the euphotic column (∼ 50 m) had resulted in high chlorophyll a concentration, a factor of 8 times higher than that outside the eddy, which led to higher mesozooplankton biovolume (0.35 ± 0.36 ml m(-3)) and abundance (276 ± 184 ind m(-3)). The northern cyclonic eddy (NCE) seems to exist for approximately 6 months between July and January. During summer, the NCE is forced by local wind stress curl and the resultant Ekman pumping, whereas during fall and early phase of the winter, it is sustained by westward propagating semi-annual Rossby waves. The longer existence of NCE in the study region, which originated 6 months prior to the present observation, provides a favourable environment for the mesozooplankton community to grow and reproduce, resulting in noticeable increase in the biovolume. Hence, the persistent and longer existence of NCE significantly influences the biological production of the generally oligotrophic BoB, making it locally biologically 'active'.
| 236 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117805
|
Temporally contiguous pencast instruction promotes meaningful learning for dental and dental hygiene students in physiology.
Smartpens allow for the creation of computerized "pencasts" that combine voice narration with handwritten notes and illustrations. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of voluntary participation in extracurricular instruction with a pencast on student learning. Dental and dental hygiene students were given instruction in a complex physiological topic using lecture and static slides. An Internet link to a pencast that covered the complex topic in a more temporally contiguous fashion was also provided for voluntary review. The students were given a multiple-choice exam that consisted of retention and transfer test questions. Sixty-nine percent of the students who did not watch the pencast and 89 percent of the students who watched the pencast answered the retention test question correctly (p=0.08). Fifty-four percent of the students who did not watch the pencast and 90 percent of the students who watched the pencast answered the transfer test question correctly (p=0.005). This finding indicates that students who watched the pencast performed better on a transfer test, a measurement of meaningful learning, than students who received only the narrated instruction with static images. This supports the hypothesis that temporally contiguous instruction promotes more meaningful learning than lecture accompanied only by static slide images.
| 216 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117818
|
Biomolecule-based formaldehyde resin microspheres loaded with Au nanoparticles: a novel immunoassay for detection of tumor markers in human serum.
A surfactant-free and template-free method for the high-yield synthesis of biomolecule (serotonin)-based formaldehyde resin (BFR) microspheres is proposed for the first time. The colloidal microspheres loaded with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared by a convenient in-situ synthesis of AuNPs on BFR (AuNPs/BFR) microsphere surface show good stability. AuNPs/BFR microspheres not only favor the immobilization of antibody but also facilitate the electron transfer. It is found that the resultant AuNPs/BFR microspheres can be designed to act as a sensitive label-free electrochemical immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) determination. The immunosensor is prepared by immobilizing capture anti-CEA on AuNPs/BFR microspheres assembled on thionine (TH) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). TH acts as the redox probe. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of the proposed immunosensor is estimated to be from 25 pg/mL to 2000 pg/mL (R=0.998) and the detection limit is estimated to be 3.5 pg/mL at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The prepared immunosensor for detection of CEA shows high sensitivity, reproducibility and stability. Our study demonstrates that the immunosensor can be used for the CEA detection in humans serum.
| 196 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117828
|
Utero-placental blood flow velocity waveforms as predictors of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Sixty high-risk pregnancies were studied in order to define the validity of the analysis of utero-placental blood flow velocity waveforms in early screening for developing hypertensive diseases. Recordings were obtained at 18-20 weeks gestation, in normotensive patients, using a pulsed duplex Doppler system at the level of uterine vessels. The patients (n = 22) who developed hypertension showed a higher resistance index value (p less than 0.001) than normotensive patients (n = 38). The validity of uteroplacental waveform analysis was as follows: specificity = 84.2%; sensitivity = 63.6%; positive predictive value = 70%; negative predictive value = 80%; accuracy = 76.6%. The high specificity attained suggests that this test can adequately identify, among a high-risk population, patients destined to remain normotensive during pregnancy.
| 132 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117833
|
Prognostic Factors Affecting the Clinical Outcome of Septic Arthritis of the Shoulder.
The objective of this study was to determine prognostic factors affecting the clinical outcome of septic arthritis of the shoulder. We retrospectively reviewed 34 shoulders from 32 patients, two of which had bilateral involvement. Arthroscopic (22 shoulders) or open surgery (12 shoulders) was performed by a single surgeon. The mean follow-up period was 32.4 ± 17.0 months. Clinical outcomes according to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV) were assessed at the final follow-up period. Various factors were included for statistical analysis. The mean UCLA, ASES scores, and SSV were 28.9 ± 7.2, 81.3 ± 21.0, 79.7 ± 2.5%, respectively. Positive culture was observed in only 13 shoulders (38.2%) and the most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus (seven shoulders). Five shoulders (14.7%) required two or three operations. Age and comorbidity were negatively correlated with the UCLA, ASES score, and/or SSV (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between clinical outcome and various parameters, including gender, location of lesion, history of previous steroid injection, interval between onset of symptoms and surgical intervention, bacterial organisms, operative method, and presence of rotator cuff tear and reoperation (p > 0.05). Both arthroscopic and open surgery for septic shoulders showed satisfactory clinical outcomes. Old age and comorbidity were poor prognostic factors of clinical outcomes after treatment.
| 236 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117837
|
Improved reaction pattern of an endoglycanase from Paenibacillus cookii for chitosan oligosaccharide production.
The reaction pattern of an endoglycanase from Paenibacillus cookii SS-24 (Pgl8A) was improved to facilitate chitosan oligosaccharide production. Based on the sequence alignment with chitosanase of a known structure, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of possible substrate-binding residues in Pgl8A. The mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and their cellulase and chitosanase activities were then characterised. Our results indicated that three amino acid residues (W139, W208 and E285) were important for the substrate specificity of Pgl8A. D156 and Y390 were also essential for the cellulase and chitosanase activities of Pgl8A. The products of chitosan degradation by W139A, W208A and E285Q mutants were different from those by the wild type. A chitosan pentamer accumulated following chitosan degradation by W139A, W208A and E285Q mutants. Thus, the mutants obtained in this study are potentially useful for the production of biofunctional chitosan oligosaccharides.
| 151 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
|
1117852
|
Effect of diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of Barrett's oesophagus on health-related quality of life.
Barrett's oesophagus is a chronic precancerous condition that predisposes patients to the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, which, once invasive, carries a poor prognosis. This likelihood of a negative outcome has led to the development of robust surveillance and treatment pathways. The true effect of Barrett's oesophagus on life expectancy and the efficacy of long-term surveillance remains under debate. With these uncertainties and no reliable methods of individual risk stratification, patients must be continually monitored and thus carry the burden of this chronic disease. In this Review, we summarise the major findings concerning the patients' perspective of this disease and its care pathways. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurement has become a valuable metric to assess the effects of disease, the quality of health-care delivery, and treatment efficacy across various disease settings. Research to date has shown significant reductions in HRQoL scores related to Barrett's oesophagus compared with controls from the general population. The scores of patients with Barrett's oesophagus seem to be similar to those of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Symptom control appears to be important, but not the only factor, in maximising HRQoL. Most researchers have used generic and disease-specific HRQoL instruments because there are few outcome measures that are validated and reliable in patients with Barrett's oesophagus. These methodologies potentially overlook crucial unmeasured areas that are specific to patients with Barrett's oesophagus. Historically, follow-up care has left some patients with insufficient understanding of the disease, inaccurate perceptions of cancer risk, and an unnecessary psychological burden. A greater understanding of the prevalence of these factors and identification of follow-up needs specific to these patients will help to shape future health-care delivery and improve patient experience.
| 290 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117861
|
Concepts governing the rotational shift of the intercalated segment of the carpus.
A model of wrist functions, defining the roles of the ligaments and joint contact surfaces, is presented. The complex patterns of wrist deformity following ligamentous injury are simplified by the understanding of this kinematic model. It is proposed that the basis for surgical correction of wrist injuries should be an understanding of wrist mechanics.
| 65 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117876
|
Detrimental Impact of Energy Drink Compounds on Developing Oligodendrocytes and Neurons.
The consumption of energy drinks is continuously rising, particularly in children and adolescents. While risks for adverse health effects, like arrhythmia, have been described, effects on neural cells remain elusive. Considering that neurodevelopmental processes like myelination and neuronal network formation peak in childhood and adolescence we hypothesized that developing oligodendrocytes and neurons are particularly vulnerable to main energy drink components. Immature oligodendrocytes and hippocampal neurons were isolated from P0-P1 Wistar rats and were incubated with 0.3 mg/mL caffeine and 4 mg/mL taurine alone or in combination for 24 h. Analysis was performed immediately after treatment or after additional three days under differentiating conditions for oligodendrocytes and standard culture for neurons. Oligodendrocyte degeneration, proliferation, and differentiation were assessed via immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. Neuronal integrity was investigated following immunocytochemistry by analysis of dendrite outgrowth and axonal morphology. Caffeine and taurine induced an increased degeneration and inhibited proliferation of immature oligodendrocytes accompanied by a decreased differentiation capacity. Moreover, dendritic branching and axonal integrity of hippocampal neurons were negatively affected by caffeine and taurine treatment. The negative impact of caffeine and taurine on developing oligodendrocytes and disturbed neuronal morphology indicates a high risk for disturbed neurodevelopment in children and adolescents by excessive energy drink consumption.
| 211 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117879
|
Effect of high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate on plasma hormone levels and pain relief in patients with advanced prostatic cancer.
High-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) was given orally to 7 patients with advanced prostatic cancer and severe pain due to bone metastases; 5 patients had stable and 2 had progressive disease. Pain relief was obtained in 6 patients. Two patients who reported complete relief of pain showed suppressed levels of gonadotrophins after MPA treatment. In the other patients, suppression of plasma gonadotrophin levels was observed before treatment. The plasma levels of prolactin, growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone were not affected by MPA. Only 1 patient showed suppression of plasma adrenocortical trophic hormone. The plasma levels of cortisol and dihydroepiandrosterone sulphate were suppressed in 6 patients, but there was no correlation between the suppression and the occurrence of pain relief. These findings suggest that the mechanism of pain relief by high-dose MPA may be very complicated.
| 152 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117881
|
The curability of advanced cancers with chemotherapy.
The tremendous progress that has been made in the chemotherapy of malignant diseases since the early 1950's has enabled the cure of a significant number of cancers such as chloriocarcinoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the acute leukaemias, testicular carcinoma, and many childhood cancers such as rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilm's tumor, Ewing's sarcoma, ovarian cancer, and retinoblastoma. As a result, the mortality from cancers has dropped by 15% for persons under the age of 45 years and even more for those under 30 years of age. Many other metastatic cancers can now be successfully controlled with chemotherapy and, ultimately, more will be added to the growing list of curable cancers. The chemotherapeutic agents responsible for the cures of some cancers include asparaginase, actinomycin D, Adriamycin, bleomycin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, cytosine arabinoside, 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, nitrogen mustard, prednisone, procarbazine, and vincristine. The discovery of new effective drugs such as AMSA and anthracenedione promises to improve the success rates obtained with present therapy. Chemotherapy is indicated for every patient who has metastatic cancer, since virtually every patient can receive some palliation from such therapy, while for some patients chemotherapy holds the promise of prolongation of life or even cure.
| 201 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117893
|
Hypoglycaemic effect of Momordica charantia extracts in normoglycaemic or cyproheptadine-induced hyperglycaemic mice.
The hypoglycaemic effect of orally administered extracts of Momordica charantia L. fruits was examined in normoglycaemic or cyproheptadine-induced hyperglycaemic mice. The aqueous extract reduced the fasting glucose levels of hyperglycaemic or normoglycaemic mice. However, the ethanol extract did not affect the fasting or nonfasting glucose levels significantly in both groups of mice. There was no significant difference between the glucose-loaded and glucose-loaded plus aqueous extract given group. On the other hand, oral glucose-loading of the cyproheptadine-induced hyperglycaemic animals reduced the fasting glucose levels significantly. These results showed that aqueous extract of M. charantia fruits has a hypoglycaemic activity without improving the tolerance to glucose in cyproheptadine-induced diabetic mice.
| 119 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117899
|
Linkage analysis and identification of deletion in Alagille syndrome gene.
Alagille syndrome (AGS) is a genetic disease and the responsible gene has already been mapped at 20p12. To more accurately detect the region of the AGS gene on the linkage map of chromosome 20p, 14 yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones were screened to construct a YAC contig in the candidate region and 13 locus markers and 2 sequence-tagged sites (STS) were ordered. Combining all of the analyses, a 1.3 Mb critical region from D20S507 to D20S61 for the AGS gene was identified. As the human Jagged 1 gene (JAG1) lies just in this region and is responsible for the AGS disease, the genomic DNA in an AGS family without a visible deletion were analyzed by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and direct DNA sequencing, and a 2-bp (CT) deletion mutation at exon 26 of the JAG1 was identified.
| 146 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
|
1117911
|
[Prevention of thromboembolism with heparin-DHE--safety and trends].
Perioperative thrombosis prophylaxis with low dose heparin-DHE. Efficiently protects against thromboembolic complications. Side effect such as haemorrhage or vasospasms are rarely seen. The known contraindications of DHE have been respected strictly. The latest development is low molecular heparin which has been tried out and evaluated on the ground of a controlled double blind study of 259 patients undergoing general surgery. The study shows the following advantages: thrombosis prophylaxis by one injection pro die only. This means less work for the staff and lower costs. Further studies on low molecular heparin are necessary.
| 98 |
thePile
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117916
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Prior endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair provides no survival benefits when the aneurysm ruptures.
It has been proposed that prior endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) confers protective effects in the setting of ruptured AAA (rAAA). This study was conducted to compare outcomes of rAAA repairs in patients with and without prior EVAR. A retrospective review identified 18 patients with (group 1) and 233 patients without (group 2) antecedent EVAR who presented with rAAA from January 2001 to December 2008. Patient characteristics and perioperative variables were noted and the outcomes were compared. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors contributing to morbidity and mortality and Kaplan-Meier analyses to estimate late survival rates. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Mean age was 78 years in group 1 and 74.8 years in group 2 (P=.17). Men comprised 83.3% of patients in group 1 and 77.3% in group 2 (P=.77). Hemodynamic instability at rAAA was noted with similar frequency between groups, 55.6% vs 52.6%, respectively (P=.99). Mean time from EVAR to rAAA was 4.0 years and from last follow-up computed tomography (CT) 1.2 years. The devices involved were Ancure (Guidant, Menlo Park, Calif) (9), AneuRx (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minn) (5), Zenith (Cook Medical Inc, Bloomington, Ind) (3), and Excluder (W.L Gore, Flagstaff, Ariz) (1). Mean preoperative AAA size was 6.4 cm in group 1. All but 1 patient had an endoleak at the time of rupture. Of 14 patients with CT follow-up, only 3 patients had a known increase in size (≥5 mm) and only 3 were known to have an endoleak. Fifteen patients were treated by a single intervention, whereas 3 patients underwent multiple procedures. In group 2, open repair was performed in 218 patients and EVAR in 15. Morbidity (66.7% vs 56.7%) and in-hospital mortality (38.9% vs 36.9%) were nearly identical between groups. One-year survival rates (27.8% vs 48.2%; P=.15) were also similar. The mortality rates for EVAR for primary rAAA was 20% as compared to 38.1% for open repair for rAAAs (P=.27). rAAA remains a lethal problem in patients with and without prior EVAR alike. An existing endograft provides neither acute nor 1-year survival benefits after rAAA repairs. Prediction of patients at risk for rupture post-EVAR is difficult, as only a minority of patients had a known prior endoleak or sac enlargement.
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1117917
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LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage CAT-2-mediated l-arginine uptake and nitric oxide biosynthesis is inhibited by omega fatty acid lipid emulsion.
Omega-3 fatty acid (ω-3 FA) lipid emulsion has been reported to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production and alter inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. However, the role of cellular uptake of l-arginine and iNOS transcription in ω-3 FA emulsion-induced inhibition of NO has not been explored. In addition, cationic amino acid transporter-2 (CAT-2) can regulate iNOS activity. The effect of ω-3 FA emulsion on CAT-2 expression is unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that ω-3 FA emulsion pretreatment would decrease the production of NO in LPS-stimulated macrophages and that this effect would occur through alterations in the cellular uptake of l-arginine and CAT-2 expression, in addition to iNOS expression. Confluent immortalized murine macrophages (RAW264.7cells) were incubated with Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, ω-3 FA emulsion, or an isoenergetic ω-6 lipid emulsion for 4 h. The cells were washed and then stimulated with LPS (1 μg/mL) or media alone for 12 or 24 h before harvesting. Greiss reagent was used to assess NO production of plate well supernatants. Cellular uptake of l-arginine was assessed through [(3)H]-l-arginine. The expression of iNOS and CAT-2 mRNA in harvested RAW264.7 was quantified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. NO production of unstimulated RAW264.7 cells was similar in all groups. After LPS stimulation, ω-3 FA pretreatment at 12 and 24 h produced significantly less NO (P < 0.05) compared with ω-6 FA or media only. ω-3 FA pretreatment at 12 and 24 h resulted in less l-arginine uptake. iNOS and CAT-2 mRNA was significantly decreased with ω-3 FA pretreatment compared with ω-6 FA or media-only treatment (P < 0.05). These experiments demonstrated that, in addition to other anti-inflammatory effects, ω-3 FA lipid emulsion also significantly lowers NO production and l-arginine transport through altered expression of iNOS and CAT-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells.
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1117920
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Small-q phonon-mediated superconductivity in organic kappa-BEDT-TTF compounds.
We propose a new picture for superconductivity in kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2X salts arguing that small- q electron-phonon scattering dominates the pairing. We reproduce the distinct X-shaped d-wave gap reported recently by magneto-optic measurements and we argue that the softness of the momentum structure of the gap and the near degeneracy of s- and d-wave gap states may be at the origin of the experimental controversy about the gap symmetry. We show that a magnetic field applied parallel to the planes may induce extended gapless regions on the Fermi surface accounting for the experimental signatures of a Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinikov state and it may induce gap symmetry transitions as well.
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1117925
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Predictors of pain during and the day after corticosteroid injection for idiopathic trigger finger.
Some patients report a transient increase in pain the day after a corticosteroid injection. We investigated factors associated with greater pain during and the day after a corticosteroid injection for idiopathic trigger finger. A total of 100 patients with trigger finger completed questionnaires measuring heightened illness concern, catastrophic thinking, depression, perceived health, expected pain, pain with injection, and pain the day after injection. We performed bivariate analysis to determine variables associated with pain with injection, next-day pain, and next-day pain greater than 4 points on an 11-point ordinal scale. We entered variables with a significant correlation into multivariable linear regression models. The average pain with injection and the day after injection were 4.3 (SD 2.8) and 1.8 (SD 2.0), respectively. Expected pain, heightened illness concern, catastrophic thinking, depression, physician, and gender correlated with pain with injection. A multivariable regression model conducted in backward stepwise fashion demonstrated that physician, depression, expected pain, and female gender explained 28% of the variance in pain with injection. Pain with injection was the only significant predictor of next-day pain and pain greater than 4 points the day after injection. Our data suggest that psychosocial factors are the strongest correlates of pain with corticosteroid injection, but a large portion of the variability remains unexplained. Future research will investigate cognitive/behavioral methods for decreasing pain with injection. Prognostic I.
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1117927
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Radiologic evaluation of the liver in the alcoholic patient.
It has been well documented that long-term abuse of alcohol leads to dysfunction of multiple organ systems of the body. The liver, which is the primary organ responsible for alcohol metabolism, is also a major target for damage. Cirrhosis of the liver is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The radiologist plays an important role in the evaluation and possibly in the treatment of the conditions which result from alcohol abuse. The advantages and limitations of various radiologic diagnostic modalities in the evaluation of alcoholic liver disease are presented and discussed.
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1117938
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Patient Anxiety and Depression Moderate the Effects of Increased Self-management Knowledge on Physical Activity: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Controlled Trial on Health-Mentoring in COPD.
Anxiety and depression are common comorbidities in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While these comorbidities could potentially lead to a higher motivation to learn about self-management, they could also inhibit patients from translating this knowledge into appropriate self-management behaviours. This paper explores the moderating effects of anxiety and depression on a health-mentoring intervention, focusing on mechanisms of change (mediation). 182 COPD patients participated in an RCT, with anxiety and depression assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), self-management knowledge by the Partners in Health Scale, and spontaneous physical activity using accelerometers, all measured at baseline, 6 and 12 months. The moderated mediation model tested the intervention's effect on physical activity, mediated via changes in self-management knowledge, at different levels of anxiety and depression. Knowledge mediated the effect of the intervention on changes in physical activity only for participants reporting low levels of anxiety or depression. Both acted as moderators: Increased knowledge led to more physical activity among participants reporting low anxiety or depression and to less activity among highly anxious or depressed participants. Although health-mentoring interventions can be an effective tool to increase knowledge and physical activity among COPD patients, it is essential to take anxiety and depression into account, as increased knowledge may have detrimental effects in highly anxious or depressed participants. This suggests that patients with elevated anxiety or depression may need to be treated appropriately before engaging in chronic disease self-management interventions.
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1117941
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Influence of formalin fixation time and tissue processing method on immunoreactivity of monoclonal antibody PC10 for proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an auxiliary protein of DNA polymerase-delta, has recently been proposed as a marker of proliferation that is detectable in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Fixation time has been known to influence protein immunoreactivity and therefore can significantly influence the results of a quantitative immunohistochemical assay. In this study, we investigate the relationship between formalin fixation time and immunoreactivity for PCNA in paraffin-embedded sections and examine the effect of postfixation tissue treatment with modified Bouin's solution. Samples of small and large intestine from two freshly sacrificed rats were fixed in 10% buffered formalin for 6, 30, 54, 174, 340, and 508 h. Standard histological processing was performed on paired specimens whose treatment differed only by predehydration immersion in a picric acid and mercuric chloride-containing solution. Paraffin sections were reacted with monoclonal antibody PC10 in a standard immunoperoxidase assay. Staining intensity for PCNA was scored on a scale of 0 to 10, and the mean number of PCNA-positive cells per crypt (10 crypts counted) was determined. No difference between animals was found. PCNA immunoreactivity was maximal in specimens fixed for 6 to 30 h, exponentially declining with longer fixation time. The rate of decline was mitigated in the treated sections. Fixation-time dependence of PCNA immunoreactivity has immediate implications for intra- and interlaboratory comparisons, especially in experimental studies in which specimens can be stored in formalin for variable times followed by batch processing. With regard to surgical pathology specimens, this study suggests that sample comparisons are valid, since routine fixation time is within the optimal rage for PCNA immunodetection.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117943
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Changes in dentin after insertion of self-threading titanium pins with 3 methods: a scanning electron microscope pilot study.
Inserting a self-threading pin can cause dentinal cracks, but it is not known whether dentin bonding agents can penetrate these cracks. Part I of this in vitro pilot study was conducted to document the presence of dentinal cracks after the placement of self-threading pins with 3 methods. Part II was conducted to observe changes in dentin when a dentin bonding agent was applied before insertion of the self-threading pins. The crowns of 14 noncarious third molars were sectioned horizontally 2 mm above the cemento-enamel junction, and the occlusal portions were discarded. The teeth were put into a nontransparent bag and divided randomly into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 12 teeth. In each tooth, 4 pinholes were prepared with a handpiece at normal rotation speed (30,000 rpm). Self-threading pins were placed into 3 of the pinholes in each tooth: 1 manually, 1 by handpiece at 7000 rpm, and 1 by handpiece at 30,000 rpm. The fourth pinhole was left empty and served as the control. All group 1 teeth were sectioned vertically through the pins, dental hard tissue, and control pin holes. The examination surface of each specimen in group 1 was polished, and the smear layer was removed with Calcinase and NaOCl solutions. After dehydration in ascending grades of alcohol, specimens were coated with a 10- to 15-nm-thick layer of gold and examined with a scanning electron microscope. In the remaining 2 teeth (group 2), a dentin bonding agent was introduced into the pinholes prior to pin placement. Two pins were placed manually and 2 by handpiece at 30,000 rpm. After pin placement, sectioning, cleaning, and dehydration, the specimens were examined with a scanning electron microscope, and x-ray mapping was performed to determine the presence of titanium, silicon, and calcium. Craze lines in dentin were associated with 54.5% of pins placed manually and 54.5% of pins placed with a handpiece at reduced speed (7000 rpm). Dentinal cracks were associated with 50% of pins placed with a handpiece at standard speed and with 16.7% of the control pinholes. X-ray mapping analysis revealed the presence of the dentin bonding agent between the pin and dentin wall. The dentin bonding agent was not found in the dentinal cracks except at the crack orifice. Within the limitations of this pilot study, the method of pin insertion had no direct bearing on the presence of dentinal cracks. The dentin bonding agent tested did not fill the entire space of dentinal cracks but did occlude their orifices and fill the spaces between pin surface and dentin walls in the pin preparation.
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1117960
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Minimizing brain shift during functional neurosurgical procedures - a simple burr hole technique that can decrease CSF loss and intracranial air.
Exact stereotactic placement of deep brain stimulation electrodes during functional stereotactic neurosurgical procedures can be impeded by intraoperative brain shift. Brain shift has been shown to correlate with the amount of intracranial (subdural) air detected on early postoperative imaging studies. We report a simple burr hole technique that reduces the loss of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of postoperative intracranial air. A total of 16 patients were studied with half (group 2) receiving the burr hole technique designed to seal the CSF space and thereby reducing CSF loss. The other 8 patients (group 1) received the standard burr hole technique. The 2 groups were of similar age, gender, diagnosis (Parkinson's disease, n=14; cervical dystonia n=2), and surgical targets. All patients received bilateral electrodes either in the subthalamic nucleus (STN, n=14) or in the globus pallidum internus (GPi, n=2) avoiding transventricular trajectories. Early postoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) was used to check for possible bleeding, DBS lead location, and the amount of intracranial air. Intracranial air was assessed manually in a volumetric slice-by-slice approach in the individual postoperative CT and the groups compared by t-test. Group 2 showed significantly lower postoperative intracranial air volumes (4.86 ± 4.35cc) as compared to group 1 (27.59 ± 17.80 cc, p=0.0083*). The duration of surgery, however, was significantly longer for group 1 (435 ± 56.05 min) as compared to group 2 (316 ± 34.79 min,p=0.00015*).The time span between the conclusion of the operation and postoperative 3DCT was similar for both groups. This new and simple burr hole technique was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative intracranial air. Reduction of intracranial air will ultimately reduce brain shift. That total operation time does not influence intracranial air is discussed as well as the limitations of this pilot series. In the authors' opinion, this straightforward and cost-effective technique has the potential to reduce brain shift and to increase DBS placement accuracy during functional stereotactic neurosurgical procedures performed in the seated or half-sitting position. A larger more standardized patient series is necessary to substantiate the findings.
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1117961
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Otopathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains as competent biofilm formers.
To determine whether Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cholesteatoma pathogen, known to form biofilms in other chronic infections, is capable of contributing to biofilm formation in cholesteatoma. We tested 12 OPPA isolates for several aspects of biofilm formation, including adherence to human keratinocytes, expression of quorum-sensing genes, twitching motility, and production of extracellular matrix as determined by both crystal violet staining and carbazole reaction. Ten OPPA strains demonstrated increased adherence (1.5- to 12-fold) to human keratinocytes relative to PAO1, a laboratory strain. Expression of las and rhl quorum-sensing products were detected in 11 OPPA strains. By crystal violet staining, we found biofilm formation in all OPPA strains equal to or greater than that found in PAO1 (2- to 18-fold). In addition, OPPA strains demonstrated mucoid characteristics, including down-regulation of twitching motility and increased alginate production. Strains of OPPA isolated from cholesteatoma are strongly adherent to keratinocytes and capable of forming biofilm. In addition, OPPA strains have mucoid characteristics in vitro. When these bacteria assume a biofilm phenotype, they are highly resistant to antibiotics and host defenses. These data suggest that OPPA can contribute to biofilm formation in cholesteatoma, leading to the persistence of this infection.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117964
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Effects of hypercapnia and hypoxia on the cardiovascular system: vascular capacitance and aortic chemoreceptors.
Aortic chemoreceptor influences on vascular capacitance after changes in blood carbon dioxide and oxygen were studied in mongrel dogs anesthetized with methoxyflurane and nitrous oxide. The mean circulatory filling pressure (Pmcf), measured during transient cardiac fibrillation, provided a measure of capacitance vessel tone. Hypercapnia, hypoxia, and hypoxic hypercapnia significantly increased most variables, except that hypercapnia caused the total peripheral resistance (TPR) to decrease. Hypocapnia caused a significant decrease in mean systemic (Psa) and pulmonary (Ppa) arterial blood pressures, cardiac output (CO), and central blood volume and an increase in TPR and heart rate. The changes in Pmcf on changing blood gas tensions could be described by the equation delta Pmcf = -1.60 + 0.036 (arterial PCO2) + 50.8/arterial PO2. Thus a 10 mmHg increase in arterial PCO2 caused a 0.36 mmHg increase in Pmcf with receptors intact. Cold block (2 degrees C) of the cervical vagosympathetic trunks did not significantly influence the measured variables at control. During severe hypercapnia, vagal cooling caused a small but significant decrease in Pmcf, Psa, Ppa, and CO but not TPR. During hypoxia, vagal cooling caused the Pmcf, Psa, and TPR to decrease. We conclude that although hypercapnia or hypoxia acts reflexly to increase the capacitance vessel tone (an increase in Pmcf), the aortic and cardiopulmonary chemoreceptors with afferents in the vagi have only a small influence on the capacitance system, accounting for only approximately 25% of the total body response.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117969
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Evidence that secretory products of the reticuloepithelial cells of the rat thymus modulate the secretion of gonadotrophins by rat pituitary cells in culture.
It is now well accepted that the endocrine system can be strongly influenced by the immunological status of the body. This laboratory has provided documented evidence that the rat thymus produces a biologically active secretion, with a molecular weight of approximately 30 kDa, that augments the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulated secretion of gonadotrophins by isolated pituitary cells in culture. To determine the cells of origin of the factor involved, the reticulo-epithelial cells from the thymus were incubated in vitro to provide media for the examination of possible effects on the secretion of gonadotrophins by the rat pituitary. The enrichment of the culture with reticulo-epithelial cells was confirmed using anticytokeratins antibodies. It was found that the addition of such conditioned medium increased the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), with a greater effect on the former. The increment in gonadotrophin secretion was time- and dose-dependent. This same conditioned medium also potentiated the effect of GnRH on the cultured pituitary cells. The fractionation of thymic-conditioned medium using selective molecular membrane filters, provided evidence that the active factor or factors involved in the enhanced secretion of gonadotrophins are larger than 10 kDa MW. Present findings show that thymic reticulo-epithelial cells are responsible for this activity.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117983
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Metal contamination in sediments of the western Bohai Bay and adjacent estuaries, China.
Twelve sediment cores were collected in July 2007 in open waters of western Bohai Bay, the Port of Tianjin, and the adjacent estuaries of the Haihe and Yongding Rivers. While overall concentrations of trace metals at incremental depths in these cores met the Marine Sediment Quality (GB18668-2002) criteria of China, the magnitude of both metal enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation indices (I(geo)) suggested that pollution with Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn was occurring in the estuaries and Port. Risk analysis also suggested that Ag and Ni concentrations were sufficiently elevated as to cause adverse biological effects in the study area. Although metal concentrations in western Bohai Bay were of less concern, a positive relationship between EF values and excess (210)Pb activity for several metals suggested that their concentrations were increasing over time.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117991
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Evidence that endotoxin is the cyclic 3':5'-GMP--promoting factor in erythropoietin preparations.
Since Ep preparations are contaminated with endotoxin, the possibility that the latter might be the factor in crude Ep which increases cGMP levels in rat fetal liver cells was examined. Endotoxin produced a striking elevation of cGMP in rat fetal liver cells without affecting cAMP levels or heme synthesis. Absorption with Limulus lysate of more than 99% of the endotoxin in a crude Ep preparation caused a parallel decrease in the cGMP-promoting activity without reduction of heme synthetic potency. It is concluded that endotoxin is the component of crude Ep which increases cGMP levels in rat fetal liver. The precise role of elevated cGMP in the action of endotoxin on cells and the universality of this effect remain to be determined.
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PubMed Abstracts
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1117994
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[Asperger syndrome in contemporary fictions].
During recent years, fictions featuring a character with Asperger syndrome have been increasingly produced in literature, cinema and TV. Thus, the public has gradually discovered the existence of this specific category of autism spectrum, which is far removed from old popular representations of autistic disorders, often associated with mental retardation. To describe the reactions generated by these characters in order to identify their major functions and also to try to explain their recent increase in fictions. First, we explored international publications concerning this topic. A group of experienced clinicians systematically examined works of fiction produced between 2000 and 2010 that included a character with Asperger syndrome. More than 30 productions have been identified and analyzed using a method adapted from focus group. Over 30 productions have been recorded and analyzed. The reactions generated by these characters are described. They range from fascination to empathy; if these heroes sometimes induce laughter (because of comedy situations), they also lead us to question our vision of the world and ask ourselves about notions such as difference, normality and tolerance. We illustrate this phenomenon with examples from literature, cinema or television. Four hypotheses are proposed trying to explain the recent multiplication of these fictional characters with Asperger syndrome. The first puts forward authors' informative and educational motivations, these authors being aware of this issue. The second is supported by the "hero" concept, which has evolved gradually into the figures of the scientific world and the so-called "Geek" community. The third hypothesis, a metaphorical one, considers these heroes as symbols of a future society: a hyper systematized society, devoid of empathy, as if to warn of a risk of evolution of humanity toward a generalized mental blindness. The fourth and last hypothesis explores the personal resonance, supported by identification mechanisms. The dissemination of such fictional characters and their specific characteristics helps make Asperger syndrome a cultural component of our modern society. Such a wide distribution, supported or even promoted by associations, could contribute to better information and therefore to greater acceptance of these persons who frequently experience releases and harassment. Whatever the fate of Asperger syndrome in future classifications, the multiplication and the success of fictional productions demonstrate a growing and probably irreversible enrollment in popular culture.
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End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
Fitting corpus used in "Tokenization is Sensitive to Language Variation paper", Arxiv link
@article{wegmann2025tokenization,
title={Tokenization is Sensitive to Language Variation},
author={Wegmann, Anna and Nguyen, Dong and Jurgens, David},
journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.15343},
year={2025}
}
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