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39457696
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The Relationship Between MOTS-c K14Q Polymorphism and Sarcopenia, Blood Lipids, and Mental Health in Older Korean Adults.
|
/objectives: An East Asian-specific 1382A>C polymorphism in the mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c results in an amino acid substitution from Lys (K) to Gln (Q) at the 14th amino acid residue. This study investigated the association between m.1382A>C polymorphism and sarcopenia, blood lipids, and mental health in older Korean adults. Methods: The study included 683 community-dwelling Korean adults (345 men and 338 women) aged 65 years and older. The m.1382A>C polymorphism was genotyped with a 7500 real-time PCR system. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured, and appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) mass was calculated. Demographics, blood lipids, falling risk, nutritional intake, cognition function, and depression were additionally measured. Results: Men carrying the C allele had significantly higher ASM (21.6 ± 3.0 vs. 19.5 ± 2.2 kg, p = 0.018), ASM/height 2 (7.76 ± 0.76 vs. 7.14 ± 0.62 kg/m 2, p = 0.012), lean mass (53.3 ± 6.2 vs. 46.5 ± 4.0 kg, p C polymorphism may be used as a genetic biomarker of age-related sarcopenia in older Korean men.
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10.3390/biomedicines12102384
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24610723
|
Strigolactone promotes degradation of DWARF14, an α/β hydrolase essential for strigolactone signaling in Arabidopsis.
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Strigolactones (SLs) are phytohormones that play a central role in regulating shoot branching. SL perception and signaling involves the F-box protein MAX2 and the hydrolase DWARF14 (D14), proposed to act as an SL receptor. We used strong loss-of-function alleles of the Arabidopsis thaliana D14 gene to characterize D14 function from early axillary bud development through to lateral shoot outgrowth and demonstrated a role of this gene in the control of flowering time. Our data show that D14 distribution in vivo overlaps with that reported for MAX2 at both the tissue and subcellular levels, allowing physical interactions between these proteins. Our grafting studies indicate that neither D14 mRNA nor the protein move over a long range upwards in the plant. Like MAX2, D14 is required locally in the aerial part of the plant to suppress shoot branching. We also identified a mechanism of SL-induced, MAX2-dependent proteasome-mediated degradation of D14. This negative feedback loop would cause a substantial drop in SL perception, which would effectively limit SL signaling duration and intensity.
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10.1105/tpc.114.122903
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36382258
|
Multiple sclerosis and computational biology (Review).
|
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease whose prevalence has increased worldwide. The resultant symptoms may be debilitating and can substantially reduce the of patients. Computational biology, which involves the use of computational tools to answer biomedical questions, may provide the basis for novel healthcare approaches in the context of MS. The rapid accumulation of health data, and the ever-increasing computational power and evolving technology have helped to modernize and refine MS research. From the discovery of novel biomarkers to the optimization of treatment and a number of quality-of-life enhancements for patients, computational biology methods and tools are shaping the field of MS diagnosis, management and treatment. The final goal in such a complex disease would be personalized medicine, i. e., providing healthcare services that are tailored to the individual patient, in accordance to the particular biology of their disease and the environmental factors to which they are subjected. The present review article summarizes the current knowledge on MS, modern computational biology and the impact of modern computational approaches of MS. Copyright: © Diakou et al.
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10.3892/br.2022.1579
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14768856
|
Delayed rejection after initial engraftment in non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation.
|
Non-myeloablative bone marrow transplantation (NM-BMT) is a newly developed therapeutic strategy for malignant and non-malignant hematological diseases, as well as immunotherapy-responsive solid tumors. The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) or graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect is the major therapeutic effect of this procedure, which also decreases transplant-related mortality (TRM) while remaining relatively safe for older patients. Graft rejection may be a main concern for NM-BMT in high-risk patients such as unrelated-donor BMT and elder recipients, however, very few literatures have mentioned this issue. Here we report 2 cases of NM-BMT where delayed rejection developed after initial engraftment. The first case was a victim of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in chronic phase receiving HLA-matched unrelated-donor (MUD) BMT using the non-myeloablative regimen (fludarabine/busulphan/ATG). Chimerism study after BMT revealed successful initial engraftment, however, pancytopenia developed since day +38. Bone marrow examination on day +47 revealed only 15% of donor-type cells, with subsequent salvage haploidentical BMT failing to engraft. The patient expired on day +71. The second case was a victim of myelodysplastic syndrome, received HLA-matched sibling-donor allogeneic BMT using the same regimen as for Case 1, with successful initial engraftment proved by chimerism study. Pancytopenia was noted since day +124, and chimerism study on day +127 revealed only 25% of donor-type cells. The patient expired on day +151. We recommend that the suitability of NM-BMT for high-risk patients such as unrelated-donor BMT and elder recipients needs further studies to confirm.
| |
38288263
|
Clinical Applications, Methodology, and Scientific Reporting of Electrocardiogram Deep-Learning Models: A Systematic Review.
|
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common diagnostic tools available to assess cardio-vascular health. The advent of advanced computational techniques such as deep learning has dramatically expanded the breadth of clinical problems that can be addressed using ECG data, leading to increasing popularity of ECG deep-learning models aimed at predicting clinical endpoints. The purpose of this study was to define the current landscape of clinically relevant ECG deep-learning models and examine practices in the scientific reporting of these studies. We performed a systematic review of PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify clinically relevant ECG deep-learning models published through July 1, 2022. We identified 44 manuscripts including 53 unique, clinically relevant ECG deep-learning models. The rate of publication of ECG deep-learning models is increasing rapidly. The most common clinical applications of ECG deep learning were identification of cardiomyopathy (14/53 [26%]), followed by arrhythmia detection (9/53 [17%]). Methodologic reporting varied; while 33/44 (75%) publications included model architecture diagrams, complete information required to reproduce these models was provided in only 10/44 (23%). Saliency analysis was performed in 20/44 (46%) of publications. Only 18/53 (34%) models were tested within external validation cohorts. Model code or resources allowing for model implementation by external groups were available for only 5/44 (11%) publications. While ECG deep-learning models are increasingly clinically relevant, their reporting is highly variable, and few publications provide sufficient detail for methodologic reproduction or model validation by external groups. The field of ECG deep learning would benefit from adherence to a set of standardized scientific reporting guidelines.
|
10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100686
|
34278548
|
Microglia in the Pathophysiology of Hemorrhagic Stroke and the Relationship Between Microglia and Pain After Stroke: A Narrative Review.
|
Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide, and about a quarter of stroke patients are dead within 1 month. The prognosis is even worse for those with hemorrhagic stroke because the 1-month mortality approaches 50%. Besides, most patients who survive experience complications such as nausea, vomiting, and chronic pain. These adverse experiences, especially the existence of chronic pain, can lead to a decline in the patient's quality of life. In order to improve the treatment and prognosis of hemorrhagic stroke, there is an urgent need to understand its pathophysiological mechanism as well as the chronic pain it induces. This paper reviews studies of the molecular mechanisms of hemorrhagic stroke, especially the activation of microglia and the relationship between microglia and pain after stroke, which could shed new light on hemorrhagic stroke treatment. © 2021. The Author(s).
|
10.1007/s40122-021-00288-3
|
31344850
|
Evaluation of Diagnostic Performance of Three Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for the Detection of IgG Antibodies to Ebola Virus in Human Sera.
|
Filovirus serological diagnosis and epidemiological investigations are hampered due to the unavailability of validated immunoassays. Diagnostic performance of three indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (I-ELISA) was evaluated for the detection of IgG antibody to Ebola virus (EBOV) in human sera. One I-ELISA was based on a whole EBOV antigen (WAg) and two utilized recombinant nucleocapsid (NP) and glycoproteins (GP), respectively. Validation data sets derived from individual sera collected in South Africa (SA), representing an EBOV non-endemic country, and from sera collected during an Ebola disease (EBOD) outbreak in Sierra Leone (SL), were categorized according to the compounded results of the three I-ELISAs and real time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the cut-off values selected at 95% accuracy level by the two-graph receiver operating characteristic analysis, specificity in the SA EBOV negative serum panel ( n = 273) ranged from 98.17% (GP ELISA) to 99.27% (WAg ELISA). Diagnostic specificity in the SL EBOV negative panel ( n = 676) was 100% by the three ELISAs. The diagnostic sensitivity in 423 RT-PCR confirmed EBOD patients was dependent on the time when the serum was collected after onset of disease. It significantly increased 2 weeks post-onset, reaching 100% sensitivity by WAg and NP and 98.1% by GP I-ELISA.
|
10.3390/v11080678
|
38482641
|
Our Data, Our Question: Public-Centric Approaches to Administrative Data Analysis.
|
There is growing recognition of the importance of patient, public and community engagement in health research, which has not been used widely in analyzing health administrative datasets. In Ontario, health data are stewarded by ICES, whose strategic decision making is guided by a diverse Public Advisory Council (PAC). In a first foray into publicly led projects, the ICES PAC undertook an analysis project on mental health and addiction health service use. Public members guided the project through all stages of research. This generated critical lessons for ICES on improving participation, collaboration and trust. Copyright © 2024 Longwoods Publishing.
|
10.12927/hcq.2024.27261
|
26719384
|
Brain propagation of transduced α-synuclein involves non-fibrillar protein species and is enhanced in α-synuclein null mice.
|
Aggregation and neuron-to-neuron transmission are attributes of α-synuclein relevant to its pathogenetic role in human synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease. Intraparenchymal injections of fibrillar α-synuclein trigger widespread propagation of amyloidogenic protein species via mechanisms that require expression of endogenous α-synuclein and, possibly, its structural corruption by misfolded conformers acting as pathological seeds. Here we describe another paradigm of long-distance brain diffusion of α-synuclein that involves inter-neuronal transfer of monomeric and/or oligomeric species and is independent of recruitment of the endogenous protein. Targeted expression of human α-synuclein was induced in the mouse medulla oblongata through an injection of viral vectors into the vagus nerve. Enhanced levels of intra-neuronal α-synuclein were sufficient to initiate its caudo-rostral diffusion that likely involved at least one synaptic transfer and progressively reached specific brain regions such as the locus coeruleus, dorsal raphae and amygdala in the pons, midbrain and forebrain. Transfer of human α-synuclein was compared in two separate lines of α-synuclein-deficient mice versus their respective wild-type controls and, interestingly, lack of endogenous α-synuclein expression did not counteract diffusion but actually resulted in a more pronounced and advanced propagation of exogenous α-synuclein. Self-interaction of adjacent molecules of human α-synuclein was detected in both wild-type and mutant mice. In the former, interaction of human α-synuclein with mouse α-synuclein was also observed and might have contributed to differences in protein transmission. In wild-type and α-synuclein-deficient mice, accumulation of human α-synuclein within recipient axons in the pons, midbrain and forebrain caused morphological evidence of neuritic pathology. Tissue sections from the medulla oblongata and pons were stained with different antibodies recognizing oligomeric, fibrillar and/or total (monomeric and aggregated) α-synuclein. Following viral vector transduction, monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar protein was detected within donor neurons in the medulla oblongata. In contrast, recipient axons in the pons were devoid of immunoreactivity for fibrillar α-synuclein, indicating that non-fibrillar forms of α-synuclein were primarily transferred from one neuron to the other, diffused within the brain and led to initial neuronal injury. This study elucidates a paradigm of α-synuclein propagation that may play a particularly important role under pathophysiological conditions associated with enhanced α-synuclein expression. Rapid long-distance diffusion and accumulation of monomeric and oligomeric α-synuclein does not necessarily involve pathological seeding but could still result in a significant neuronal burden during the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals. permissions@oup. com.
|
10.1093/brain/awv376
|
29230579
|
Prevalence of cysticercosis in Estonian pigs and cattle.
|
Taenia solium has been ranked as the most important foodborne parasite and Taenia saginata as the most commonly found human Taenia tapeworm worldwide. The last official reports of taeniosis from Estonia were in 2003 for T. solium and 2012 for T. saginata. By law, all animal cases of cysticercosis must be registered and reported when found. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of cysticercosis in Estonia caused by T. solium in pigs and T. saginata in cattle. The four slaughterhouses participating in the study slaughter between them approximately 80% of pigs and cattle in Estonia annually. Sampling spanned from February to April 2014, visiting the slaughterhouses five times per week. Visual inspection, palpation, and incisions at predilection sites were used to find cysts in both species. The sites inspected in both species were the external masseter, tongue, heart, and diaphragm. In addition, the internal masseter in pigs was examined, and the internal pterygoid muscle and esophagus in cattle. DNA was extracted from the cysts and used for PCR amplification of the cox1-gene for Taenia genus and species identification. A total of 564 cattle and 1217 pigs were examined. Cysts were found in 0.36% (n = 2; CI 0.06-1.17) of cattle and in 0.08% (n = 1; CI 0.004-0.40) of pigs. Cestode PCR was negative from all cysts. Results should be considered taking into account the low sensitivity and specificity of finding cysts. Results reflect the situation in larger slaughterhouses, and the possibility that the situation in smaller slaughterhouses is different should not be excluded.
|
10.1007/s00436-017-5710-9
|
35100348
|
Database of glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) subunits across 125 nematode species: patterns of gene accretion and sequence diversification.
|
Glutamate-gated chloride channels belong to the Cys-loop receptor superfamily. Glutamate-gated chloride channels are activated by glutamate and form substrates for the antiparasitic drugs from the avermectin family. Glutamate-gated chloride channels are pentameric, and each subunit contains an N-terminal extracellular domain that binds glutamate and 4 helical transmembrane domains, which contain binding sites for avermectin drugs. In order to provide more insight into phylum-wide patterns of glutamate-gated chloride subunit gene expansion and sequence diversity across nematodes, we have developed a database of predicted glutamate-gated chloride subunit genes from 125 nematode species. Our analysis into this dataset described assorted patterns of species-specific glutamate-gated chloride gene counts across different nematodes as well as sequence diversity in key residues thought to be involved in avermectin binding. © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Genetics Society of America.
|
10.1093/g3journal/jkab438
|
35845893
|
Survival Risk Prediction of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on BES-LSSVM.
|
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the highest incidence and mortality cancers in the world. An effective survival prediction model can improve the quality of patients' survival. In this study, ten indicators related to the survival of patients with ESCC are founded using genetic algorithm feature selection. The prognostic index (PI) for ESCC is established using the binary logistic regression. PI is divided into four stages, and each stage can reasonably reflect the survival status of different patients. By plotting the ROC curve, the critical threshold of patients' age could be found, and patients are divided into the high-age groups and the low-age groups. PI and ten survival-related indicators are used as independent variables, based on the bald eagle search (BES) and least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM), and a survival prediction model for patients with ESCC is established. The results show that five-year survival rates of patients are well predicted by the bald eagle search-least-squares support vector machine (BES-LSSVM). BES-LSSVM has higher prediction accuracy than the existing particle swarm optimization-least-squares support vector machine (PSO-LSSVM), grasshopper optimization algorithm-least-squares support vector machine (GOA-LSSVM), differential evolution-least-squares support vector machine (DE-LSSVM), sparrow search algorithm-least-squares support vector machine (SSA-LSSVM), bald eagle search-back propagation neural network (BES-BPNN), and bald eagle search-extreme learning machine (BES-ELM). Copyright © 2022 Yanfeng Wang et al.
|
10.1155/2022/3895590
|
30266699
|
Technical Trick of Combined Embolization of Inaccessible Dural Arteriovenous Fistula by Endovascular Route Only.
|
Endovascular embolization of dural arteriovenous fistula may not be a feasible approach depending on the location and/or surrounding structures. Combined embolization comprising endovascular embolization by direct puncture of the sinus after small craniotomy under fluoroscopic guidance is a good treatment option for lesions that cannot be treated by endovascular embolization alone. We presented 2 cases of dural arteriovenous fistula that could not be treated by endovascular embolization alone. Treatment included direct puncture of the sinus after small craniotomy to access and completely block the lesion. Combined techniques are required for the management of complex dural arteriovenous fistula. We report a treatment method that can be used for lesions that cannot be treated by endovascular embolization alone along with some technical pitfalls. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.wneu.2018.09.122
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28421094
|
Cucumber CsBPCs Regulate the Expression of CsABI3 during Seed Germination.
|
Cucumber seeds with shallow dormancy start to germinate in fruit that are harvested late. ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3), a transcription factor in the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, is one of the most important regulators in the transition from late embryogenesis to germination. Our analysis found a candidate cis-regulatory motif for cucumber BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (CsBPC) in the promoter of CsABI3. Yeast one-hybrid and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that CsBPCs bound to the promoter of CsABI3. Examination of β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity driven by the CsABI3 promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing CsBPCs and a Nicotiana benthamiana (tobacco) luciferase assay indicated that CsBPCs inhibited the expression of CsABI3. Transgenic plants overexpressing CsBPCs were constructed to confirm that CsBPCs participates in the control of seed germination. This study of the cucumber BPC-ABI3 pathway will help to explore and characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying seed germination and will provide necessary information for seed conservation in agriculture and forestry.
|
10.3389/fpls.2017.00459
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9850455
|
Management of recipients of hepatic allografts harvested from donors with malignancy diagnosed shortly after transplantation.
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Transmission of undiagnosed malignancy with the graft is a dramatic complication of liver transplantation. Alternatives in the management of the recipients of livers, harvested from donors with malignancy diagnosed shortly after transplantation, are either early re-transplantation or close follow-up without re-operation. We reported 4 cases of liver recipients whose allografts were harvested from donors who were diagnosed with malignancy shortly after the liver transplantation. One recipient underwent re-transplantation, and the three other allografts were not removed. No recipient developed recurrence in the follow-up. While graft removal may be the only way to avoid tumor recurrence in recipients of liver graft harvested from donor with malignancy, close follow-up without re-operation may also be considered. The risk of tumor transferral may depend on the histopathological aggressiveness and metastatic potential of the donor tumor, and may be low for low-grade, local tumors. This risk should be evaluated by analyzing large series, using databases of Eurotransplant or United Network for Organ Sharing.
| |
15549843
|
New tin templates for the synthesis of macrocyclic polythiaether-polythiaester ligands.
|
The preparation of new tin templates, stannathianes 1-3 is described. New templates have been successfully applied to the synthesis of macrocyclic polythialactones 4-9 by cyclization of corresponding stannathianes 1-3 with pimeloyl dichloride.
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10.1021/jo048712l
|
37300046
|
Machine-Learning-Based Indoor Localization under Shadowing Condition for P-NOMA VLC Systems.
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The localization of agents for collaborative tasks is crucial to maintain the quality of the communication link for successful data transmission between the base station and agents. Power-domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (P-NOMA) is an emerging multiplexing technique that enables the base station to accumulate signals for different agents using the same time-frequency channel. The environment information such as distance from the base station is required at the base station to calculate communication channel gains and allocate suitable signal power to each agent. The accurate estimate of the position for power allocation of P-NOMA in a dynamic environment is challenging due to the changing location of the end-agent and shadowing. In this paper, we take advantage of the two-way Visible Light Communication (VLC) link to (1) estimate the position of the end-agent in a real-time indoor environment based on the signal power received at the base station using machine learning algorithms and (2) allocate resources using the Simplified Gain Ratio Power Allocation (S-GRPA) scheme with the look-up table method. In addition, we use the Euclidean Distance Matrix (EDM) to estimate the location of the end-agent whose signal was lost due to shadowing. The simulation results show that the machine learning algorithm is able to provide an accuracy of 0.19 m and allocate power to the agent.
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10.3390/s23115319
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1513148
|
Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation--how safe is it? Evaluation with a new experimental model.
|
This study was undertaken to find out if about 25% right cardiac output is sufficient for preservation of lung function during prolonged periods of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Six healthy pigs weighing 57 kg were subjected to 18-hour venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. During this period 1200 ml/min venous blood was delivered to the lungs through the pulmonary artery with the help of a separate roller pump and with use of the animal's own right ventricle to generate the pulse. Animals were observed for 6 hours after weaning from the venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. At the sixth hour after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, arterial oxygen tension, venous oxygen tension, lung compliance, and cardiac output had decreased significantly. Pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary clearance of technetium 99m-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid increased significantly also. The systemic arterial and venous carbon dioxide tensions, pH, and the base excess remained unchanged, as did the blood pressure and the systemic vascular resistance. Histopathology of the lung specimens revealed focal alveolar wall thickening and alveolar capillary congestion. The major portion of the pulmonary parenchyma looked normal. Alterations in pulmonary parameters cited were, to a major extent, explained on the basis of the experimental protocol followed and were believed to be reversible. This study suggests that about 25% of the systemic cardiac output should be diverted into the pulmonary artery for prevention of irreversible physiologic and histopathologic changes in the lungs during 18-hour normothermic venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in healthy juvenile pigs.
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20666016
|
[French biomedical competitiveness clusters: opportunities for public-private partnerships].
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A "competitive cluster" is a partnership between businesses, research units and training centers, working together to generate synergies for innovative projects in a particular geographic area. Since 2005, the first five calls for cluster projects have led to the funding of 645 R&D projects involving 13,000 researchers. Together, the R&D expenditure of these projects has so far totaled nearly Euro 3.6 billion. This included public funding of Euro 1300 million, Euro 840 million of which was provided by central government. In the biomedical field, 80 R&D projects have been funded to the tune of Euro 140 million (Euro 81 million from central government and Euro 59 million from local government). A total of 288 agreements have been signed, 12% with large companies, 36% with SMEs and 49.8% with public research laboratories. Alongside the more classical biomedical research funding sources, such as the National Research Agency and government-sponsored projects (on cancer, Alzheimer's disease, rare diseases, etc.), competitive clusters provide the impetus for profound changes in research culture. They draw on the principle of professional guidance and public-private partnerships to build a bridge between the "academic" and "industrial" research arenas. By facilitating knowledge generation and sharing, competitive clusters create a climate of action-driven mutual respect and trust.
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22733744
|
IL-7 receptor blockade reverses autoimmune diabetes by promoting inhibition of effector/memory T cells.
|
To protect the organism against autoimmunity, self-reactive effector/memory T cells (T(E/M)) are controlled by cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic regulatory mechanisms. However, how some T(E/M) cells escape regulation and cause autoimmune disease is currently not understood. Here we show that blocking IL-7 receptor-α (IL-7Rα) with monoclonal antibodies in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice prevented autoimmune diabetes and, importantly, reversed disease in new-onset diabetic mice. Surprisingly, IL-7-deprived diabetogenic T(E/M) cells remained present in the treated animals but showed increased expression of the inhibitory receptor Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) and reduced IFN-γ production. Conversely, IL-7 suppressed PD-1 expression on activated T cells in vitro. Adoptive transfer experiments revealed that T(E/M) cells from anti-IL-7Rα-treated mice had lost their pathogenic potential, indicating that absence of IL-7 signals induces cell-intrinsic tolerance. In addition to this mechanism, IL-7Rα blockade altered the balance of regulatory T cells and T(E/M) cells, hence promoting cell-extrinsic regulation and further increasing the threshold for diabetogenic T-cell activation. Our data demonstrate that IL-7 contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes by enabling T(E/M) cells to remain in a functionally competent state and suggest IL-7Rα blockade as a therapy for established T-cell-dependent autoimmune diseases.
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10.1073/pnas.1203692109
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21473166
|
Seeing Jay-Z in Taipei.
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How does the newly arrived immigrant respond to the news that an identity already awaits him? How does an African American hip-hop artist translate his struggles and triumphs across oceanic divides? What significance do American demographic shifts have in a global context? Hsu's essay examines what happens once individuals or identities migrate beyond the contexts that first produced them. He explores a variety of circuits: the satellite communities of Asian immigrant students who arrived on American university campuses in the late 1960s; enduring debates about a "post-city" identity, spurred by advances in cheap, efficient, world-shrinking communication technologies; and the new affinities and categories of self-identification made possible by a present-day culture that prizes interactivity and participation.
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10.1162/daed_a_00068
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22539946
|
Synthetic biology: mapping the scientific landscape.
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This article uses data from Thomson Reuters Web of Science to map and analyse the scientific landscape for synthetic biology. The article draws on recent advances in data visualisation and analytics with the aim of informing upcoming international policy debates on the governance of synthetic biology by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. We use mapping techniques to identify how synthetic biology can best be understood and the range of institutions, researchers and funding agencies involved. Debates under the Convention are likely to focus on a possible moratorium on the field release of synthetic organisms, cells or genomes. Based on the empirical evidence we propose that guidance could be provided to funding agencies to respect the letter and spirit of the Convention on Biological Diversity in making research investments. Building on the recommendations of the United States Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues we demonstrate that it is possible to promote independent and transparent monitoring of developments in synthetic biology using modern information tools. In particular, public and policy understanding and engagement with synthetic biology can be enhanced through the use of online interactive tools. As a step forward in this process we make existing data on the scientific literature on synthetic biology available in an online interactive workbook so that researchers, policy makers and civil society can explore the data and draw conclusions for themselves.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0034368
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36011618
|
Protection of Prisoners with Mental Health Disorders in Italy: Lights and Shadows after the Abolition of Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals.
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In Italy, a person suffering from a mental disorder who commits a crime will be given a custodial security order and serve the period of admission at a Residenza per la esecuzione delle misure di sicurezza (REMS) (Residence for the Execution of Security Measures, hereinafter "REMS"). These institutions have been established recently and though equipped with the necessary safety measures, the focus is on psychiatric therapy. Despite being present on a national scale, access is very limited in terms of capacity. Immediate remedial measures are needed, so much so that the European Court of Human Rights recently condemned Italy for this very reason. This article, through a review of the constitutive principles of these institutions, shows how they have very positive aspects such as the attention to necessary psychotherapy in order to protect the right to health and the real taking charge of the fragility of the subjects; however, it is seen how there are many negative aspects linked above all to the scarce availability of places in these structures. The article provides suggestions on a more comprehensive strategy for facilities for detainees with mental disorders.
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10.3390/ijerph19169984
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6853622
|
[Secondary hyperparathyroidism. Modern concepts of its diagnosis and treatment. Apropos of 45 cases].
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An analysis of different problems raised by secondary hyperparathyroidism. This condition most often follows chronic renal failure responsible for hyperphosphataemia followed by hypocalcaemia which causes parathyroid stimulation with hyperplasia. Clinical features are dominated by osteopathic manifestations and pruritus. The diagnosis is based upon radiological examination of the skeleton, repeated measurement of serum calcium and phosphate levels and above all iliac crest biopsy. Surgical treatment is based essentially on total parathyroidectomy with autologous transplantation of parathyroid tissue into the muscles of the forearm. This is followed by study of 45 cases undergoing surgery with details concerning surveillance and postoperative care. The results were very satisfactory since amongst these 45 patients undergoing total parathyroidectomy, only two continued to suffer from bone pain.
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38684683
|
Spatial decoupling of bromide-mediated process boosts propylene oxide electrosynthesis.
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The electrochemical synthesis of propylene oxide is far from practical application due to the limited performance (including activity, stability, and selectivity). In this work, we spatially decouple the bromide-mediated process to avoid direct contact between the anode and propylene, where bromine is generated at the anode and then transferred into an independent reactor to react with propylene. This strategy effectively prevents the side reactions and eliminates the interference to stability caused by massive alkene input and vigorously stirred electrolytes. As expected, the selectivity for propylene oxide reaches above 99.9% with a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 91% and stability of 750-h (>30 days). When the electrode area is scaled up to 25 cm 2, 262 g of pure propylene oxide is obtained after 50-h continuous electrolysis at 6.25 A. These findings demonstrate that the electrochemical bromohydrin route represents a viable alternative for the manufacture of epoxides. © 2024. The Author(s).
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10.1038/s41467-024-48070-1
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7287814
|
Consequences of alkaline treatment for the ultrastructure of the acetylcholine-receptor-rich membranes from Torpedo marmorata electric organ.
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After fixation with glutaraldehyde and impregnation with tannic acid, the membrane that underlies the nerve terminals in Torpedo marmorata electroplaque presents a typical asymmetric triple-layered structure with an unusual thickness; in addition, it is coated with electron-dense material on its inner, cytoplasmic face. Filamentous structures are frequently found attached to these "subsynaptic densities." The organization of the subsynaptic membrane is partly preserved after homogenization of the electric organ and purification of acetylcholine-receptor (AchR)-rich membrane fragments. In vitro treatment at pH 11 and 4 degrees C of these AchR-rich membranes releases an extrinsic protein of 43,000 mol wt and at the same time causes the complete disappearance of the cytoplasmic condensations. Freeze-etching of native membrane fragments discloses remnants of the ribbonlike organization of the AchR rosettes. This organization disappears ater alkaline treatment and is replaced by a network which is not observed after rapid freezing and, therefore, most likely results from the lateral redistribution of the AchR rosettes during condition of slow freezing. A dispersion of the AchR rosettes in the plane of the membrane also occurs after fusion of the pH 11-treated fragments with phospholipid vesicles. These results are interpreted in terms of a structural stabilization and immobilization of the AchR by the 43,000-Mr protein binding to the inner face of the subsynaptic membrane.
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10.1083/jcb.90.2.418
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38393038
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Lipidome Plasticity Enables Unusual Photosynthetic Flexibility in Arctic vs. Temperate Diatoms.
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The diatom lipidome actively regulates photosynthesis and displays a high degree of plasticity in response to a light environment, either directly as structural modifications of thylakoid membranes and protein-pigment complexes, or indirectly via photoprotection mechanisms that dissipate excess light energy. This acclimation is crucial to maintaining primary production in marine systems, particularly in polar environments, due to the large temporal variations in both the intensity and wavelength distributions of downwelling solar irradiance. This study investigated the hypothesis that Arctic marine diatoms uniquely modify their lipidome, including their concentration and type of pigments, in response to wavelength-specific light quality in their environment. We postulate that Arctic-adapted diatoms can adapt to regulate their lipidome to maintain growth in response to the extreme variability in photosynthetically active radiation. This was tested by comparing the untargeted lipidomic profiles, pigmentation, specific growth rates and carbon assimilation of the Arctic diatom Porosira glacialis vs. the temperate species Coscinodiscus radiatus during exponential growth under red, blue and white light. Here, we found that the chromatic wavelength influenced lipidome remodeling and growth in each strain, with P. glacialis showing effective utilization of red light coupled with increased inclusion of primary light-harvesting pigments and polar lipid classes. These results indicate a unique photoadaptation strategy that enables Arctic diatoms like P. glacialis to capitalize on a wide chromatic growth range and demonstrates the importance of active lipid regulation in the Arctic light environment.
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10.3390/md22020067
|
17614210
|
Precisely timed spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity in dissociated cortical cultures.
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Recurring patterns of neural activity, a potential substrate of both information transfer and transformation in cortical networks, have been observed in the intact brain and in brain slices. Do these patterns require the inherent cortical microcircuitry of such preparations or are they a general property of self-organizing neuronal networks? In networks of dissociated cortical neurons from rats--which lack evidence of the intact brain's intrinsic cortical architecture--we have observed a robust set of spontaneously repeating spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity, using a template-matching algorithm that has been successful both in vivo and in brain slices. The observed patterns in cultured monolayer networks are stable over minutes of extracellular recording, occur throughout the culture's development, and are temporally precise within milliseconds. The identification of these patterns in dissociated cultures opens a powerful methodological avenue for the study of such patterns, and their persistence despite the topological and morphological rearrangements of cellular dissociation is further evidence that precisely timed patterns are a universal emergent feature of self-organizing neuronal networks.
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10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.05.025
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20165936
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Comparative study of the ramification patterns of the subclavian branches as the subclavian artery passes in front or behind the scalenus anterior muscle.
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We investigated the ramification patterns of four subclavian branches (i. e., vertebral artery, internal thoracic artery, thyrocervical trunk, and costocervical trunk) as the subclavian artery passes in front or behind the scalenus anterior muscle. The investigation was carried out on 56 cadavers (112 cases) during student dissection practice sessions at Osaka Dental University. In 110 of the 112 cases, the subclavian artery passed behind the scalenus anterior muscle. The pattern of ramification of the subclavian branches in these cases was classified into six types (types A-F). In the remaining two cases (two cadavers), the subclavian artery passed in front of the scalenus anterior muscle. In both of these latter cases, the pattern of ramification of the subclavian branches differed from the six pattern types observed as the subclavian artery passed behind the scalenus anterior muscle: the first branch was the vertebral artery; the second, the costocervical trunk; the third, the thyrocervical trunk; the fourth, the internal thoracic artery. This same pattern of ramification was observed in three previously reported cases (two cadavers) in which the subclavian artery passed in front of the scalenus anterior muscle. Taken together, these observations indicate that the ramification pattern reported here and in a previous investigation for the subclavian artery passing in front of the scalenus anterior muscle is characteristic of this anatomical condition.
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10.1007/s12565-010-0072-8
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20933393
|
Optimization of processing conditions for the fractionation of triticale straw using pressurized low polarity water.
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Pressurized low polarity water (PLPW) fractionation of triticale straw was optimized to maximize hemicellulose and lignin yield, and to produce a cellulose rich fraction for biofuels production. The optimum PLPW conditions for hemicellulose yield was determined to be 165 °C, with a flow rate of 115 mL/min, and a solvent-to-solid ratio of 60 mL/g. Hemicellulose and lignin yield generally increased with increasing temperature and solvent-to-solid ratio. There was a small decrease in hemicellulose yield with an increase in flow rate. Minimum lignin content of the triticale straw residue after extraction was predicted to occur at a processing condition of 206 °C, 160 mL/min, and 67 mL/g. PLPW was successful in removing 73-78% of the hemicellulose, leaving a cellulose rich fraction (65% glucose concentration). Lignin was equally distributed between the solid residues and the extracts and most of the hemicellulose was extracted in oligomer form. Remaining solid residues after fractionation were highly digestible by cellulase enzymes. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.biortech.2010.09.064
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37266786
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Potential toxic effects of titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles on the biological, biochemical, and histological aspects of the land snail Helix aspersa.
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Nanotechnology has come a long way in our lives. However, it maintains some negative effects on the environment. This study aims to use the land snail Helix aspersa as a bioindicator. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) had been used at 70 and 140 µg/L for two weeks by the spraying method. The oxidative biomarkers, condition index (CI), DNA damage, hemocyte count, and phagocytic activity were estimated. The toxicity of TiO 2 NPs was determined (LC 50 = 544 µg/L). The exposure to TiO 2 NPs caused a significant reduction of the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the digestive gland of Helix aspersa (the activity of CAT was 3.4 ± 0.1 (P = 0.001), SOD was 11 ± 1 (P = 0.0002) at concentration 140 µg/L after two weeks). The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was (1.13 ± 0.01 µ/mg protein at 140 µg/L compared with controls (5.47 ± 0.01 µ/mg protein). The treatment caused DNA damage in the hemocytes (tail DNA % = 8.66 ± 0.02 and tail moment = 52.99 ± 0 at140 µg/L (P = 0.002)). In the digestive gland, both tail DNA % and tail moment increased (tail moment = 78.38 ± 0.08 compared with control = 2.29 ± 0.09 (P = 0.0001)). The total count of hemocytes significantly decreased after two weeks (the average number was 71 ± 1.5 compared with controls 79 ± 1.1 at 140 µg/L). Furthermore, TiO 2 NPs caused histological alterations in the digestive gland of Helix aspersa. It can be concluded that the Helix aspersa can be used as environmental pollution bioindicator. A comprehensive evaluation of toxic effects induced by TiO 2 NPs in vivo assays must be investigated. © 2023. The Author(s).
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10.1007/s11356-023-27666-y
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23074286
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miR-23b represses proto-oncogene Src kinase and functions as methylation-silenced tumor suppressor with diagnostic and prognostic significance in prostate cancer.
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The miRNAs have great potential as biomarkers and therapeutic agents owing to their ability to control multiple genes and potential to influence cellular behavior. Here, we identified that miR-23b is a methylation-silenced tumor suppressor in prostate cancer. We showed that miR-23b expression is controlled by promoter methylation and has great promise as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in prostate cancer. High levels of miR-23b expression are positively correlated with higher overall and recurrence-free survival in patients with prostate cancer. Furthermore, we elucidated the tumor suppressor role of miR-23b using in vitro and in vivo models. We showed that proto-oncogene Src kinase and Akt are direct targets of miR-23b. Increased expression of miR-23b inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration/invasion, and triggered G(0)-G(1) cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in prostate cancer. Overexpression of miR-23b inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) causing a decline in mesenchymal markers Vimentin and Snail and increasing the epithelial marker, E-cadherin. Depletion of Src by RNA interference conferred similar functional effects as that of miR-23b reconstitution. miR-23b expression caused a dramatic decrease in tumor growth in nude mice and attenuated Src expression in excised tumors compared with a control miR. These findings suggest that miR-23b is a methylation-silenced tumor suppressor that may be a useful biomarker in prostate cancer. Loss of miR-23b may confer proliferative advantage and promote prostate cancer migration and invasion, and reexpression of miR-23b may contribute to the epigenetic therapy for prostate cancer.
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10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-2181
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36214842
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Study on the Interaction between Four Typical Carotenoids and Human Gut Microflora Using an in Vitro Fermentation Model.
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Recent studies indicated a strong relationship between carotenoids and gut microflora. However, their structure-activity relationship remains unclear. This study evaluated the interaction between four typical carotenoids (β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and astaxanthin) and gut microflora using an in vitro fermentation model. After 24 h of fermentation, the retention rates of the four carotenoids were 1.40, 1.38, 1.46, and 5.63 times lower than those of their without gut microflora control groups, respectively. All four carotenoid treated groups significantly increased total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production. All carotenoid supplements significantly promoted the abundance of Roseburia and Parasutterella and inhibited the abundance of Collinsella, while β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and astaxanthin significantly promoted the abundance of Ruminococcu s, Sutterella, Subdoligranulum, and Megamonas, respectively. Furthermore, xanthophylls have a more significant impact on gut microflora than carotenes. This study provides a new way to understand how carotenoids work in the human body with the existing gut microflora.
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10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03464
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19595160
|
[Long-term outcome of operatively and non-operatively managed high-grade intracranial arteriovenous malformations and factors influencing postoperative neurological deficits].
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To compare the effects of surgical and non-surgical treatments for high-grade intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM), identify the determinants of neurological function deterioration after surgery, and calculate the annual hemorrhage rate. 98 high-grade intracranial AVM patients underwent surgery, and 44 high-grade intracranial AVM patients underwent conservative treatment. Follow-up was conducted on 141 of these 142 patients for (54+/-36) (6-118) months. MRI and DSA were conducted before and/or after treatment on most of the patients. Glasgow outcome score (GOS) was used to evaluate the neurological functions early and more then 6 months after discharge. The clinical data of these 142 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The annual hemorrhage rate associated with these lesions was calculated. The annual hemorrhage rate of these 142 patients was 2.1%. The integrated rate of late disability and mortality of the operative group was 10.1%, remarkably higher than that of the non-operative group (25.0%). AVM size, adjacent brain functional region, Spetzler-Martin grade, deep perforating arterial supply, and intra-operative bleeding volume were significantly correlated with early and permanent neurological function deficits. The long-term outcome of operatively managed intracranial high-grade AVMs is superior to that of the non-operatively treated ones. Spetzler-Martin grade and deep arterial perforating supply are the most important determinants of neurological deficit after microsurgical resection of AVM.
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24295705
|
Isolation and characterization of acid-soluble collagen from the scales of marine fishes from Japan and Vietnam.
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Acid-soluble collagen (ASC) was successfully extracted from the scales of lizard fish (Saurida spp.) and horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) from Japan and Vietnam and grey mullet (Mugil cephalis), flying fish (Cypselurus melanurus) and yellowback seabream (Dentex tumifrons) from Japan. ASC yields were about 0.43-1.5% (on a dry weight basis), depending on the species. The SDS-PAGE profile showed that the ASCs were type I collagens, and consisted of two different α chains, α1 and α2, as well as a β component. ASC of horse mackerel from Vietnam contained a higher imino acid level than that from Japan. ASC denaturation temperature (Td) ranged from 26 to 29 °C, depending on fish species and imino acid content (p 0.4M, regardless of fish type. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.10.094
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34202302
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Coil Combination of Multichannel Single Voxel Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Repeatedly Sampled In Vivo Data.
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Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), as a noninvasive method for molecular structure determination and metabolite detection, has grown into a significant tool in clinical applications. However, the relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) limits its further development. Although the multichannel coil and repeated sampling are commonly used to alleviate this problem, there is still potential room for promotion. One possible improvement way is combining these two acquisition methods so that the complementary of them can be well utilized. In this paper, a novel coil-combination method, average smoothing singular value decomposition, is proposed to further improve the SNR by introducing repeatedly sampled signals into multichannel coil combination. Specifically, the sensitivity matrix of each sampling was pretreated by whitened singular value decomposition (WSVD), then the smoothing was performed along the repeated samplings' dimension. By comparing with three existing popular methods, Brown, WSVD, and generalized least squares, the proposed method showed better performance in one phantom and 20 in vivo spectra.
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10.3390/molecules26133896
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38715553
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Empagliflozin and Dapagliflozin Therapies Favorably Alter QRS-T Angle and Cardiac Repolarization Parameters in Patients with Heart Failure.
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Recent randomized clinical trials demonstrated that treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reduces the risk of cardiac mortality due to sudden cardiac death and progressive pump failure in patients with heart failure (HF). Mechanisms underlying the potential anti-arrhythmic effects of SGLT2is are not well understood. We aimed to examine the effect of SGLT2i treatment on the frontal-plane QRS-T (f[QRS-T]) angle, a novel marker of myocardial repolarization and an independent predictor of adverse cardiac outcomes. The study included 106 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who received an SGLT2i, empagliflozin, or dapagliflozin. All study participants underwent screening 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) before and ∼90 days after treatment. We compared ECG repolarization parameters before and after treatment. During study enrollment, there were statistically significant decreases in the Tp-e/QT ratio ( P ≤.0001), Tp-e/corrected QT ratio ( P =.0002), Tp-e interval ( P <.0001), and f(QRS-T) angle ( P =.04) in response to SGLT2i therapy. In addition, study participants experienced an improvement in functional capacity (2.06 ± 0.6 vs. 1.82 ± 0.6, P =.0001) and reduced N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide values. In this retrospective cohort study, SGLT2i therapy was associated with improved cardiac repolarization parameters in patients with HFrEF. More comprehensive studies are needed to evaluate the impact of SGLT2i on cardiac repolarization and its potential relation to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death risk. Copyright: © 2024 Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management.
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10.19102/icrm.2024.15044
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25902165
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Effect of NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC on VEGF and endostatin expression of mice with Lewis lung cancer.
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To investigate the effects of NF- κ B inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate hydrochloride (PDTC) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin expression in mice with Lewis lung cance; and its mechanism. Mice survival rate and anti-tumor effects were observed in different concentrations of NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC after the Lewis lung cancer mice model was established. VEGF and endostatin expressions were detected by immunohistochemical assay. Lewis lung cancer was be inhibited by 0.5 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg and 3.0 mg/kg of NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC (P<0.05). Microvessel density (MVD) in 0.5 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg and 3.0 mg/kg NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC groups were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05). Immunohistochemical assay results showed that VEGF and endostatin expressions in the 0.5 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg and 3.0 mg/kg NF-κ B inhibitor PDTC groups were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05). Western blot results also showed that NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC could inhibit VEGF and endostatin expressions in tumor tissues. NF- κ B inhibitor PDTC can inhibit tumor formation and reduce tumor angiogenesis in mice with Lewis lung cancer; and its mechanism maybe associated to VEGF and endostatin down-regulation. Copyright © 2015 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60319-9
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25296254
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R-loops induce repressive chromatin marks over mammalian gene terminators.
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The formation of R-loops is a natural consequence of the transcription process, caused by invasion of the DNA duplex by nascent transcripts. These structures have been considered rare transcriptional by-products with potentially harmful effects on genome integrity owing to the fragility of the displaced DNA coding strand. However, R-loops may also possess beneficial effects, as their widespread formation has been detected over CpG island promoters in human genes. Furthermore, we have previously shown that R-loops are particularly enriched over G-rich terminator elements. These facilitate RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pausing before efficient termination. Here we reveal an unanticipated link between R-loops and RNA-interference-dependent H3K9me2 formation over pause-site termination regions in mammalian protein-coding genes. We show that R-loops induce antisense transcription over these pause elements, which in turn leads to the generation of double-stranded RNA and the recruitment of DICER, AGO1, AGO2 and the G9a histone lysine methyltransferase. Consequently, an H3K9me2 repressive mark is formed and heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ) is recruited, which reinforces Pol II pausing before efficient transcriptional termination. We predict that R-loops promote a chromatin architecture that defines the termination region for a substantial subset of mammalian genes.
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10.1038/nature13787
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2130743
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Use of lower limb prosthesis among elderly amputees.
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Forty-seven elderly patients (21 males and 26 females) with lower limb amputation, and with prostheses fitted were studied. Their ages ranged from 65 years to 91 years old, with an average of 75.4 years. The three most common contributory causes for amputation were diabetes mellitus, vascular occlusion and carcinoma of the skin. Among the lower limb amputations, below knee amputation was the most common (93.6%). About 30% of the patients developed complications from prostheses, the 3 most common in order of frequency were stump pain, pressure ulcers and stump infection. Male patients tended to do better with prostheses than female patients. More male patients wanted prostheses for mobility, while most female patients cited cosmesis as the reason for wanting a prosthetic leg. More male patients used the prostheses more frequently and this was associated with a higher level of function in terms of self care and mobility. Reasons for non-usage of prosthesis were poor-fitting sockets, floppy stump, stump ulcers and infection. Carers of male amputees tended to cope better than those caring for female amputees. Both the present age of patient, and the age at amputation were found not to be a factor in deciding the frequency of usage of prosthesis, and the outcome of success in rehabilitation of the amputee. Psychological factors played an important role in the outcome of rehabilitation. Eighty-five percent of patients who functioned at a lower level despite a relative lack of serious medical condition cited psychological reasons for their poor performance, among which were age and the 'expected' loss of mobility with amputation.
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25232400
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Expression of Indian hedgehog is negatively correlated with APC gene mutation in colorectal tumors.
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The regulatory mechanism of Indian hedgehog (IHH) in colorectal carcinogenesis has not been elucidated. In the current study, the expression of IHH were investigated in 7 digestive tract cancer cell lines, and in 10 normal colorectal mucosas (NCs), 30 hyperplastic polyps (HPs), 35 colorectal adenomas (ADs), and 40 colorectal adenocarcinomas (CAs) by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, the mutational status of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and β-catenin in these tumors were analyzed by direct sequencing. IHH mRNA was lost in the 4 colon cancer cell lines harboring APC mutation. IHH mRNA was significantly decreased in CAs (0.17 ± 0.22), compared with that in ADs (0.38 ± 0.35) and HPs (0.56 ± 0.38, P < 0.05). IHH protein was expressed at a very low level or absent in both ADs (7.51 ± 11.92) and CAs (5.15 ± 9.21) in comparison to that in HPs (19.47 ± 17.91) and NCs (42.40 ± 13.67, P < 0.05). Moreover, APC mutations were negatively correlated with IHH mRNA expression (Spearman's R = -0.636, P < 0.01) and IHH protein expression (Spearman's R = -0.426, P < 0.01). In conclusion, down-regulation of IHH expression might be an early event during the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. The activation of Wnt signaling by APC mutation might contribute to the down-regulation or loss of IHH expression in colorectal tumors.
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32129329
|
A facile strategy based on the metal-free design of carbon to deliver an insight into the active sites for liquid phase carbocatalysis.
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An effective method to study the active sites for carbocatalysis is proposed based on designing a carbon catalyst in the absence of metal as the growth catalyst. The results suggest that the oxygenated groups on the aromatic carbons are mainly responsible for the catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene and some other reactions.
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10.1039/c9cc09918b
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20527828
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Hydrogen bond-induced pair formation of glycine on the chiral Cu{531} surface.
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Enantio-specific interactions on intrinsically chiral or chirally modified surfaces can be identified experimentally via comparison of the adsorption geometries of similar nonchiral and chiral molecules. Information about the effects of substrate-related and intermolecular interactions on the adsorption geometry of glycine, the only natural nonchiral amino acid, is therefore important for identifying enantio-specific interactions of larger chiral amino acids. We have studied the long- and short-range adsorption geometry and bonding properties of glycine on the intrinsically chiral Cu{531} surface with low-energy electron diffraction, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption. For coverages between 0.15 and 0.33 ML (saturated chemisorbed layer) and temperatures between 300 and 430 K, glycine molecules adsorb in two different azimuthal orientations, which are associated with adsorption sites on the {110} and {311} microfacets of Cu{531}. Both types of adsorption sites allow a triangular footprint with surface bonds through the two oxygen atoms and the nitrogen atom. The occupation of the two adsorption sites is equal for all coverages, which can be explained by pair formation due to similar site-specific adsorption energies and the possibility of forming hydrogen bonds between molecules on adjacent {110} and {311} sites. This is not the case for alanine and points toward higher site specificity in the case of alanine, which is eventually responsible for the enantiomeric differences observed for the alanine system.
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10.1021/la1012796
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33135223
|
Ischemic stroke, obesity, and the anti-inflammatory role of melatonin.
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Obesity is a predominant risk factor in ischemic stroke and is commonly comorbid with it. Pathologies following these conditions are associated with systemic and local inflammation. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that the susceptibility for ischemic brain damage increases substantially in experimental models of ischemic stroke with concomitant obesity. Herein, we explore the proinflammatory events that occur during ischemic stroke and obesity, and we discuss the influence of obesity on the inflammatory response and cerebral damage outcomes in experimental models of brain ischemia. In addition, because melatonin is a neurohormone widely reported to exhibit protective effects in various diseases, this study also demonstrates the anti-inflammatory role and possible mechanistic actions of melatonin in both epidemic diseases. A summary of research findings suggests that melatonin administration has great potential to exert an anti-inflammatory role and provide protection against obesity and ischemic stroke conditions. However, the efficacy of this hormonal treatment on ischemic stroke with concomitant obesity, when more serious inflammation is generated, is still lacking. © 2020 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
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10.1002/biof.1690
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32125046
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Up-regulation of SNHG16 induced by CTCF accelerates cardiac hypertrophy by targeting miR-182-5p/IGF1 axis.
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Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG16 has been reported to be significant regulators in multiple cancers. However, never has the relationship between it and cardiac hypertrophy been studied until now. In this study, angiotensin II (Ang II)-treated cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal mice were used as a model of cardiac hypertrophy in vitro. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the expression of SNHG16, miR-182-5p, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). The relationship between SNHG16 and its downstream genes were corroborated by RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter experiments. Western blot was conducted to detect the expression of markers of hypertrophy. The results disclosed that SNHG16 expression was in a high level in the cardiac hypertrophic model. Down-regulation of SNHG16 could decline the expression of hypertrophic markers and reduce cell surface area induced by Ang II. Moreover, SNHG16 was discovered to be activated by transcription factor CCCTC-binding factor. In addition, SNHG16 could enlarge cell surface area and increase the expression of hypertrophic markers by inhibiting miR-182-5p expression in Ang II-treated cardiomyocytes. Finally, overexpression of IGF1 could rescue the effects of silenced SNHG16 on cardiac hypertrophy cells. In brief, our study illustrated that silenced SNHG16 repressed Ang II-imposed cardiac hypertrophy via targeting miR-182-5p/IGF1 axis. © 2020 International Federation for Cell Biology.
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10.1002/cbin.11333
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26379369
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Does Head Start differentially benefit children with risks targeted by the program's service model?
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Data from the Head Start Impact Study ( N = 3540) were used to test for differential benefits of Head Start after one program year and after kindergarten on pre-academic and behavior outcomes for children at risk in the domains targeted by the program's comprehensive services. Although random assignment to Head Start produced positive treatment main effects on children's pre-academic skills and behavior problems, residualized growth models showed that random assignment to Head Start did not differentially benefit the pre-academic skills of children with risk factors targeted by the Head Start service model. The models showed detrimental impacts of Head Start for maternal-reported behavior problems of high-risk children, but slightly more positive impacts for teacher-reported behavior. Policy implications for Head Start are discussed.
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10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.08.001
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4855391
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Viral proteins formed in a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte system programmed with RNA from a temperature-sensitive mutant of Sindbis virus.
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Viral messenger RNA was isolated from BHK cells infected with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Sindbis virus and was further purified using an oligo(dT) column. Addition of this mRNA cell-free extracts from rabbit reticulocytes led to formation of discrete authentic viral capsid protein when the reaction was performed at 29 C. However, this same protein-synthesizing system failed to make discrete viral capsid when incubated with the viral RNA at 39 C. Instead, larger-molecular-weight polypeptides that contained the viral capsid peptide sequences were produced. The inability to make a separate viral capside protein in vitro at elevated temperatures by the mRNA from this mutant exactly mimics the phenotype of this ts mutant in viral-infected cells. Three mechanisms are discussed that might account for a temperature-sensitive release of capsid. One of these is based on a model in which there are multiple sites for initiation of translation of polypeptides on a polycistronic viral mRNA.
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10.1128/JVI.14.3.664-671.1974
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25976944
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Cardiac arrhythmias in stroke unit patients. Evaluation of the cardiac monitoring data.
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Cardiac arrhythmias are frequent in acute stroke. Stroke units are widely equipped with cardiac monitoring systems. Pre-existing heart diseases and heart-brain interactions may be implicated in causing cardiac arrhythmias in acute stroke. This article analyses cardiac arrhythmias detected in patients hospitalised in a stroke unit. Prospective observational study of consecutive patients admitted to a stroke unit with cardiac monitoring. We collected clinical data from patients and the characteristics of their cardiac arrhythmias over a 1-year period (2013). Time of arrhythmia onset, associated predisposing factors, and the therapeutic decisions made after detection of arrhythmia were examined. All patients underwent continuous cardiac monitoring during no less than 48hours. Of a total of 332 patients admitted, significant cardiac arrhythmias occurred in 98 patients (29.5%) during their stay in the stroke unit. Tachyarrhythmia (ventricular tachyarrhythmias, supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, complex ventricular ectopy) was present in 90 patients (27.1%); bradyarrhythmia was present in 13 patients (3.91%). Arrhythmias were independently associated with larger size of brain lesion and older age. In 10% of the patient total, therapeutic actions were taken after detection of significant cardiac arrhythmias. Most events occurred within the first 48hours after stroke unit admission. Systematic cardiac monitoring in patients with acute stroke is useful for detecting clinically relevant cardiac arrhythmias. Incidence of arrhythmia is higher in the first 48hours after stroke unit admission. Age and lesion size were predicted appearance of arrhythmias. Detection of cardiac arrhythmias in a stroke unit has important implications for treatment. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S. L. U. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.nrl.2015.03.013
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21732168
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Epidemiology and outcome following post-surgical admission to critical care.
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To describe the factors related to outcome in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after major surgery at a national level (in Austria). Analysis of a prospectively collected database of ICU admissions over an 11-year period. Factors associated with mortality and how this changed with time were explored using logistic multilevel modelling. A total of 88,504 surgical patients had a mean ICU length of stay of 6.5 days and total hospital stay of 31.3 days. They had an ICU mortality of 7.6% and a hospital mortality of 11.8%. Factors associated with hospital mortality included age (odds ratio (OR) 1.42 per 10 years of age), urgency of operation (2.02 for emergency when compared to elective), SAPS II score (OR 1.09), reason for admission being a medical cause and the specific nature of the surgery itself: thoracic (OR 1.81), cardiovascular (OR 1.25), trauma (OR 1.22) or gastrointestinal surgery (OR 1.71). In addition patients who had pre-existing chronic renal (OR 1.40), respiratory (OR 1.20) or cardiac failure (OR 1.29), cirrhosis (OR 2.50), alcoholism (OR 1.42), acute kidney injury (OR 1.88) and/or non-metastatic cancer (OR 1.20) were associated with higher hospital mortality than patients without this co-morbidity. There was a reduction in the OR for death over the whole 11-year period. This improved outcome remained valid even after adjusting for the identified risk factors for mortality (OR per year 0.96). This study has shown the high level of demand for critical care for this patient group and an improving rate of survival.
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10.1007/s00134-011-2299-9
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14764630
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Leptin signaling targets the thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene promoter in vivo.
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The regulation of TRH gene expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) by leptin is critical for normal function of the thyroid axis in rodents and humans. The TRH neuron in the PVH expresses both leptin and melanocortin-4 receptors, suggesting that both signaling systems may regulate TRH gene expression in vivo. Indeed, the TRH promoter responds to both of these signaling pathways in cell culture through identified cis-acting elements, which include signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 and cAMP-response element binding protein binding sites that mediate leptin and melanocortin responses, respectively. To determine whether leptin signaling can directly target the TRH promoter in vivo, we developed a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay to use on leptin-treated animals. After a single injection of leptin in fasting animals, we could detect a significant increase in TRH gene expression in the PVH that correlated well with the induction of phosphorylated-STAT3 in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, using a STAT3 antibody, we could immunoprecipitate the STAT-binding site containing regions of both the TRH promoter and the promoter of the suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 gene, another well-defined target of leptin action. In contrast, upstream regions of these promoters that lack STAT sites were not precipitated. Taken together these experiments demonstrate that STAT3 mediates transcriptional effects of leptin in vivo and that the TRH promoter is a likely direct site of leptin action. In addition, these experiments demonstrate that chromatin immunoprecipitation can be used to characterize leptin-signaling in vivo.
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10.1210/en.2003-1312
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7096454
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Dissociated occurrence of single-gene mutation and oncogenic transformation in C3H 10T1/2 cells exposed to ultraviolet light and caffeine.
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We examined the relationship of cytotoxicity, mutagenesis, and malignant transformation by measuring in parallel clonogenic survival, mutation to ouabain resistance, and malignant transformation in cultured C3H mouse 10T1/2 cells. Exposure to caffeine alone for 48 hours was cytotoxic and induced transformation in a dose-dependent manner. However, this same treatment did not induce any detectable ouabain-resistant mutants. When caffeine was present for 48 hours immediately following UV irradiation, alkaline sucrose gradient sedimentation of DNA showed that postreplication repair was inhibited. This inhibition of repair was correlated with reduced survival and inhibition of mutation induction, but the transformation frequencies were either unaltered or potentiated, depending on the UV dose and caffeine concentration. Thus, these experiments demonstrate that gene mutation and malignant transformation in 10T1/2 cells can be dissociated. We suggest that the mechanism of transformation of 10T1/2 cells is nonmutagenic in nature.
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10.1002/jcp.1041110313
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14531891
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Innate immunity and biodefence vaccines.
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Host defence in vertebrates is achieved by the integration of two distinct arms of the immune system: the innate and adaptive responses. The innate response acts early after infection (within minutes), detecting and responding to broad cues from invading pathogens. The adaptive response takes time (days to weeks) to become effective, but provides the fine antigenic specificity required for complete elimination of the pathogen and the generation of immunologic memory. Antigen-independent recognition of pathogens by the innate immune system leads to the rapid mobilization of immune effector and regulatory mechanisms that provide the host with three critical advantages: (i) initiating the immune response (both innate and adaptive) and providing the inflammatory and co-stimulatory context for antigen recognition; (ii) mounting a first line of defence, thereby holding the pathogen in check during the maturation of the adaptive response; and (iii) steering the adaptive immune system towards the cellular or humoral responses most effective against the particular infectious agent. The quest for safer and more effective vaccines and immune-based therapies has taken on a sudden urgency with the increased threat of bioterrorism. Only a handful of vaccines covering a small proportion of potential biowarfare agents are available for human use (e. g. anthrax and small pox) and these suffer from poor safety profiles. Therefore, next generation biodefence-related vaccines and therapies with improved safety and the capacity to induce more rapid, more potent and broader protection are needed. To this end, strategies to target both the innate and adaptive immune systems will be required.
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10.1046/j.1462-5822.2003.00318.x
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25311121
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Sequential recovery of macromolecular components of the nucleolus.
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The nucleolus is involved in a number of cellular processes of importance to cell physiology and pathology, including cell stress responses and malignancies. Studies of macromolecular composition of the nucleolus depend critically on the efficient extraction and accurate quantification of all macromolecular components (e. g., DNA, RNA, and protein). We have developed a TRIzol-based method that efficiently and simultaneously isolates these three macromolecular constituents from the same sample of purified nucleoli. The recovered and solubilized protein can be accurately quantified by the bicinchoninic acid assay and assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or by mass spectrometry. We have successfully applied this approach to extract and quantify the responses of all three macromolecular components in nucleoli after drug treatments of HeLa cells, and conducted RNA-Seq analysis of the nucleolar RNA.
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10.1007/978-1-4939-1680-1_5
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21793440
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The relationship between the numbers of Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Heidelberg, or Salmonella Hadar colonizing reproductive tissues of experimentally infected laying hens and deposition inside eggs.
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Contamination of eggs by Salmonella Enteritidis has been a prominent cause of human illness for several decades and is the focus of a recently implemented national regulatory plan for egg-producing flocks in the United States. Salmonella Heidelberg has also been identified as an egg-transmitted pathogen. The deposition of Salmonella strains inside eggs is a consequence of reproductive tract colonization in infected laying hens, but prior research has not determined the relationship between the numbers of Salmonella that colonize reproductive organs and the associated frequency of egg contamination. In the present study, groups of laying hens in two trials were experimentally infected with large oral doses of strains of Salmonella Enteritidis (phage type 13a), Salmonella Heidelberg, or Salmonella Hadar. Reproductive tissues of selected hens were cultured to detect and enumerate Salmonella at 5 days postinoculation, and the interior contents of eggs laid between 6 and 25 days postinoculation were tested for contamination. Significantly more internally contaminated eggs were laid by hens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis (3.58%) than with strains of either Salmonella Heidelberg (0.47%) or Salmonella Hadar (0%). However, no significant differences were observed between Salmonella strains in either isolation frequency or the number of colony-forming units (CFU) isolated from ovaries or oviducts. Salmonella isolation frequencies ranged from 20.8% to 41.7% for ovaries and from 8.3% to 33.3% for oviducts. Mean Salmonella colonization levels ranged from 0.10 to 0.51 log CFU/g for ovaries and from 0.25 to 0.46 log CFU/g for oviducts. Although parallel rank-orders were observed for Salmonella enumeration (in both ovaries and oviducts) and egg contamination frequency, a statistically significant relationship could not be established between these two parameters of infection.
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10.1637/9540-092810-Reg.1
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8242163
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Bond strength of composite to alloy treated with bonding systems.
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The in-vitro bond strengths of a composite bonded to a nickel-chromium-beryllium alloy treated by eight bonding systems were measured after three storage conditions. Nickel-chromium-beryllium alloy samples were treated by eight commercial bonding systems including adhesive composite cements, all-purpose bonding agents, and silica-coating systems. A composite was bonded to the alloy samples. Sample groups were stored in water for 24 hours at 23 degrees C, or thermocycled, or stored for 6 months at 23 degrees C and then debonded in tension. Bond strengths after 24 hours storage were: adhesive composite cements, 14.2 to 22.1 MPa; all-purpose bonding agents, 11.4 to 14.6 MPa; and silica-coating systems, 18.6 to 20.2 MPa. Bond strengths after thermocycling were: adhesive composite cements, 12.6 to 20.6 MPa; all-purpose bonding agents, 9.9 to 17.7 MPa; and silica-coating systems, 11.1 to 19.2 MPa. Bond strengths after 6 months were: adhesive composite cements, 12.0 to 13.1 MPa; all-purpose bonding agents, 8.7 to 14.1 MPa; and silica-coating systems, 14.8 to 18.4 MPa. Only two bonding systems showed decreased bond strength after thermocycling, as compared with 24 hours' storage; whereas four bond systems showed decreased bond strength after 6 months' storage. Bond strengths measured after thermocycling were not predictive of those measured after 6 months' storage.
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10.1111/j.1532-849x.1993.tb00391.x
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28975281
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Genotype-Phenotype Associations of IL6 and PRG4 With Conjunctival Fibrosis After Glaucoma Surgery.
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Postsurgical fibrosis is a critical determinant of the long-term success of glaucoma surgery, but no reliable biomarkers are currently available to stratify the risk of scarring. To compare the clinical phenotype of patients with conjunctival fibrosis after glaucoma surgery with candidate gene expression tissue biomarkers of fibrosis. In this cross-sectional study, 42 patients were recruited at the time of glaucoma surgery at the Moorfields Eye Hospital from September 1, 2014, to September 1, 2016. The participants were divided into those with fibrosis and those without fibrosis. Genotype-phenotype correlations of the IL6 or PRG4 gene and detailed clinical phenotype. The IL6 and PRG4 protein expression in conjunctival tissues was also assessed using in situ immunohistochemical analysis. Central bleb area, maximal bleb area, and bleb height were graded on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 indicating 0%; 2, 25%; 3, 50%; 4, 75%; and 5, 100%). Bleb vascularity was graded on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 indicating avascularity; 2, normal; 3, mild; 4, moderate; and 5, severe hyperemia). A total of 42 patients were recruited during the study period; 28 participants (67%) had previously undergone glaucoma surgery (fibrotic group) (mean [SD] age, 43.8 [3.6 years]; 16 [57%] female; 22 [79%] white), and 14 participants (33%) had not previously undergone glaucoma surgery (nonfibrotic group) (mean [SD] age, 47.7 [6.9] years; 4 [29%] female; 9 [64%] white). The fibrotic group had marked bleb scarring and vascularization and worse logMAR visual acuity. The mean (SD) grades were 1.4 (0.1) for central bleb area, 1.4 (0.1) for bleb height, and 3.4 (0.2) for bleb vascularity. The IL6 gene was upregulated in fibrotic cell lines (mean, 0.040) compared with nonfibrotic cell lines (mean, 0.011) (difference, 0.029; 95% CI, 0.015-0.043; P =.003). The PRG4 gene was also downregulated in fibrotic cell lines (0.002) compared with nonfibrotic cell lines (mean, 0.109; difference, 0.107; 95% CI, 0.104-0.110; P =.03). The study found a strong correlation between the IL6 gene and the number of glaucoma operations (r = 0.94, P <.001) and logMAR visual acuity (r = 0.64, P =.03). A moderate correlation was found between the PRG4 gene and the number of glaucoma operations (r = -0.72, P =.005) and logMAR visual acuity (r = -0.62, P =.03). IL6 and PRG4 represent potential novel tissue biomarkers of disease severity and prognosis in conjunctival fibrosis after glaucoma surgery. Future longitudinal studies with multiple postoperative measures are needed to validate the effect of these potential biomarkers of fibrosis.
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10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.3407
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3191147
|
A re-evaluation of the molecular size of duck epsilon-crystallin and its comparison with avian lactate dehydrogenases.
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A biochemical comparison of epsilon-crystallin isolated from the duck lens and lactate dehydrogenases of chicken heart has been made in order to establish the structural and functional identities of these two proteins. The native molecular weight of epsilon-crystallin was re-examined by combining sedimentation and gel-filtration data. It was found that epsilon-crystallin is 150 kDa in contrast to the 120 kDa reported previously for this crystallin. Subunit cross-linking experiments corroborated that lactate dehydrogenase and epsilon-crystallin both exist as tetramers of four identical subunits in their native quaternary structures. Amino acid compositions plus N-terminal analyses revealed no differences between the two proteins. Duck epsilon-crystallin exhibited high enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenases even after a long period of storage, and showed characteristic thermostability at 50 degrees C for several hours. Comparison of the enzyme activity of duck lens homogenate with those of heart, liver and muscle tissues revealed that duck lens is a much richer source than other tissues for the isolation and characterization of this important enzyme which appears also as a structural protein in the lens.
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10.1016/0167-4838(88)90288-9
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22707939
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Information processing and integration with intracellular dynamics near critical point.
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Recent experimental observations suggest that cells can show relatively precise and reliable responses to external signals even though substantial noise is inevitably involved in the signals. An intriguing question is the way how cells can manage to do it. One possible way to realize such response for a cell is to evolutionary develop and optimize its intracellular signaling pathways so as to extract relevant information from the noisy signal. We recently demonstrated that certain intracellular signaling reactions could actually conduct statistically optimal information processing. In this paper, we clarify that such optimal reaction operates near bifurcation point. This result suggests that critical-like phenomena in the single-cell level may be linked to efficient information processing inside a cell. In addition, improving the performance of response in the single-cell level is not the only way for cells to realize reliable response. Another possible strategy is to integrate information of individual cells by cell-to-cell interaction such as quorum sensing. Since cell-to-cell interaction is a common phenomenon, it is equally important to investigate how cells can integrate their information by cell-to-cell interaction to realize efficient information processing in the population level. In this paper, we consider roles and benefits of cell-to-cell interaction by considering integrations of obtained information of individuals with the other cells from the viewpoint of information processing. We also demonstrate that, by introducing cell movement, spatial organizations can spontaneously emerge as a result of efficient responses of the population to external signals.
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10.3389/fphys.2012.00203
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24985538
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Disparities in perceived unmet need for supportive services among patients with lung cancer in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium.
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The authors investigated the prevalence, determinants of, and disparities in any perceived unmet need for 8 supportive services (home nurse, support group, psychological services, social worker, physical/occupational rehabilitation, pain management, spiritual counseling, and smoking cessation) by race/ethnicity and nativity and how it is associated with perceived quality of care among US patients with lung cancer. Data from a multiregional, multihealth system representative cohort of 4334 newly diagnosed patients were analyzed. Binomial logistic regression models adjusted for patient clustering. Patients with any perceived unmet need (9% overall) included 7% of white-US-born (USB), 9% of white-foreign-born (FB), 13% of black-USB, 8% of Latino-USB, 24% of Latino-FB, 4% of Asian/Pacific Islander (API)-USB, 14% of API-FB, and 11% of "other" patients (P <.001). Even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors, health system and health care access, and need, black-USB, Latino-FB, and Asian-FB patients were more likely to perceive an unmet need than white-USB patients by 5.1, 10.9, and 5.6 percentage points, respectively (all P <.05). Being younger, female, never married, uninsured, a current smoker, or under surrogate care or having comorbidity, anxiety/depression, or a cost/insurance barrier to getting tests/treatments were associated with any unmet need. Patients with any unmet need were more likely to rate care as less-than-"excellent" by 13 percentage points than patients with no unmet need (P <.001). Significant disparities in unmet supportive service need by race/ethnicity and nativity highlight immigrants with lung cancer as being particularly underserved. Eliminating disparities in access to needed supportive services is essential for delivering patient-centered, equitable cancer care. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
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10.1002/cncr.28801
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36454615
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Preliminary Results of an Interdisciplinary Behavioral Program to Improve Access to Preventative Dental Care for Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
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Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (AIDD) experience significant oral health disparities, partially due to perceived behavioral issues. This article describes the preliminary outcomes of a developing interdisciplinary (dental, medical, behavioral) program involving a behavioral intervention for AIDD previously receiving preventative dental care with sedation, general anesthesia, or protective stabilization (SAS). After a baseline assessment, a board-certified behavior analyst implemented increasingly complex behavioral interventions during simulated dental visits. Prior to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, there were 32 active participants; 15 (46.9%) successfully completed a focused, real dental exam with simple behavioral interventions and 17 (53.1%) remain in treatment. These preliminary results suggest that many AIDD previously receiving SAS may participate in a preventative dental exam with minimal behavioral supports, if given the opportunity. ©AAIDD.
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10.1352/1934-9556-60.6.504
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31101060
|
System within systems: challenges and opportunities for the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Pakistan.
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Pakistan has one of the highest infant and child mortality rates in the world, half of these occurring due to vaccine-preventable diseases. The country started its Expanded Programme on immunisation (EPI) in 1978. However, the programme's performance is often questioned, as the Immunisation rates have been chronically low and on-time vaccination unsatisfactory. We explored the programme's insights about its structural and implementation arrangements within the larger governance system, and the ensuing challenges as well as opportunities. We carried out a qualitative case study comprised of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 34 purposively selected key informants from various tiers of immunisation policy and programme implementation. The interviews revolved around WHO's six building blocks of a health system, their interactions with EPI counterparts, and with the outer ecological factors. Interviews were transcribed and content analysed for emergent themes. The EPI faces several challenges in delivering routine immunisation (RI) to children, including lack of clarity on whether to provide vaccination through fixed centres or mobile teams, scarcity of human resource at various levels, lack of accurate population data, on-ground logistic issues, lack of a separate budget line for EPI, global pressure for polio, less priority to prevention by the policy, security risks for community-based activities, and community misconceptions about vaccines. The fulcrum for most of the challenges lies where EPI service delivery interacts with components of the broader health system. The activities for polio eradication have had implications for RI. Socio-political issues from the national and global environment also impact this system. The interplay of these factors, while posing challenges to effective implementation of RI, also brings opportunities for improvement. Collective effort from local, national and global stakeholders is required for improving the immunisation status of Pakistani children, global health security and the sustainable development goals.
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10.1186/s12961-019-0452-z
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15695479
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Analysis of grain boundaries in CoCrTa and CoPtCrB HDD media by analytical transmission electron microscopy.
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Crystallographic structures and elemental distributions of grain boundaries in cobalt (Co)-based hard disk drive (HDD) media of CoCrTa and CoPtCrB were analysed by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CoCrTa medium had crystalline grain boundaries with extremely distorted (0002) planes of hexagonal close-packed structure. The width of grain boundaries of 1.5 nm obtained by high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) imaging agreed with that of 1.5 nm obtained by energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping. The EDS analysis revealed that Cr was segregated to grain boundaries while Ta was not segregated to either grain boundaries or grains. Cobalt was retained within grains. CoPtCrB medium had amorphous grain boundaries and spots in grains. The EDS and electron energyloss spectroscopy analyses revealed that both Cr and B were segregated to grain boundaries and spots. Both Co and Pt were retained within grains. The width of the boundaries of 0.4 nm obtained by HRTEM differed from that of 1.5 nm obtained by high-angle angular dark-field scanning TEM; the former indicates the crystallographic boundary and the later corresponds to the magnetic boundary, which is significantly correlated to the magnetic properties of HDD media.
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10.1093/jmicro/dfh047
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2089122
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A new prenylated isoflavone and triterpenoids from Erythrina eriotriocha.
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In addition to known triterpenoids maniladiol [6] and serrat-14-ene-3 beta,21 alpha-diol [7], two new compounds, one oleanane derivative designated as 28-acetoxyerythrodiol [1] and one isoflavone designated as 5,4'-dimethoxy-3'-prenylbiochanin A [5], have been isolated and characterized from the CHCl3 extract of the stem bark of Erythrina eriotriocha. Their structures have been established on the basis of the spectrocopic techniques (ir, nmr, uv, ms) and chemical evidence.
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10.1021/np50072a024
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10022031
|
Histaminergic ligands attenuate barrel rotation in rats following unilateral labyrinthectomy.
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In this paper we present a unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) surgical procedure in rats that was derived from previous techniques. The utility of this model to assess vestibular dysfunction was evaluated by examining the ability of clinically used histaminergic agents and more selective H3 receptor antagonists to attenuate of UL-induced body rotations. Unilateral labyrinthectomy was performed by injection of ethanol into the rat right inner ear. An elevated body rotation test (EBRT) was used to assess the abnormal rotational behavior induced by UL. Scores of "3" to "0" were used to characterize the degree of abnormal behavior according to the latency of body rotations to begin. Our results demonstrate that: i) 100 microliters ethanol induced robust behavioral changes, which was used in further experiments; ii) the clinically used antivertigo agent, astemizole, significantly reduced the rotational behavior in UL rats; iii) the more potent H3 antagonists, thioperamide and GT-2016, were more efficacious than betahistine, a mixed H3 antagonist and H1 agonist. These results indicate that this model may be a potential tool for testing novel drugs for antivertigo effects and provide better support to the role of the histaminergic system in the control of vestibular function.
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31489781
|
The Itinerant 2D Electron Gas of the Indium Oxide (111) Surface: Implications for Carbon- and Energy-Conversion Applications.
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Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) have integral and emerging roles in photovoltaic, thermoelectric energy conversion, and more recently, photocatalytic systems. The functional properties of TCOs, and thus their role in these applications, are often mediated by the bulk electronic band structure but are also strongly influenced by the electronic structure of the native surface 2D electron gas (2DEG), particularly under operating conditions. This study investigates the 2DEG, and its response to changes in chemistry, at the (111) surface of the model TCO In 2 O 3, through angle resolved and core level X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that the itinerant charge carriers of the 2DEG reside in two quantum well subbands penetrating up to 65 Å below the surface. The charge carrier concentration of this 2DEG, and thus the high surface n-type conductivity, emerges from donor-type oxygen vacancies of surface character and proves to be remarkably robust against surface absorbents and contamination. The optical transparency, however, may rely on the presence of ubiquitous surface adsorbed oxygen groups and hydrogen defect states that passivate localized oxygen vacancy states in the bandgap of In 2 O 3. © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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10.1002/smll.201903321
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23205352
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White coats as a vehicle for bacterial dissemination.
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White coats are known to be potential transmitting agents of multi-drug resistant organisms. This study was conducted to determine the level and type of microbial contamination present on the white coats of medical students in order to assess the risk of transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms by this route in a hospital setting. A cross sectional survey of the bacterial contamination of white coats in a tertiary care hospital. 100 medical students working in various specialties were included in the study. Swabs were taken from 4 different areas of the white coat - collar, pocket, side and lapel and processed in the Microbiology department according to standard procedures. Although most of the white coats had been washed within the past 2 weeks, the sides of the coats were the most highly contaminated areas followed closely by the collar and pockets. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate followed by coagulase negative Staphylococci and Gram negative non fermenters. Most of the Gram positive cocci were resistant to Penicillin, Erythromycin and Clindamycin. White coats have been shown to harbor potential contaminants and may have a role in the nosocomial transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, a yearly purchase of white coats and the possession of two or more white coats at any point in time should be made compulsory. There is pressing need to promote scrupulous hand washing before and after attending patients and alternatives to white coats, including universal use of protective gowns, should be considered.
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10.7860/JCDR/2012/4286.2364
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31121588
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Touch Imprint Cytology: A Rapid and Accurate Method for Diagnosis of Oral Cancer.
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Touch imprint cytology (TIC) is a rapid and cheap method and can be used as an adjunct to biopsy for the evaluation of suspected malignancy. We evaluated the advantages and limitations of TIC for the preoperative diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. We used 280 incisional biopsies of clinically suspected oral squamous cell carcinoma and compared TIC diagnosis to histopathological sections. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of TIC were evaluated. A total of 201 (82.5%) cases were diagnosed as malignant, 22 (7.9%) cases were diagnosed as suspicious of malignancy, and 54 (19.3%) cases as benign/negative on TIC. The overall sensitivity of TIC was 98.2%, specificity was 89.3%, the positive-predictive value 97.3%, and the negative-predictive value was 92.6%. The accuracy of the test was 96.4%. TIC is an accurate, simple, rapid, and cost-effective method that aids the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma but does not replace incisional biopsy. The cytologic examination of imprints of biopsies also helps determine the adequacy of the specimen for histologic examination. © 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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10.1159/000500006
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26813620
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Integrating palliative care with usual care of diabetic foot wounds.
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Palliative care is a philosophy and a system for deciding care and can be used alone or integrated with usual chronic disease care. Palliative care encompasses end-of-life care. Palliative care aims to enhance quality of life, optimize function and manage symptoms including early in the course of chronic diseases. The purposes of this article are to outline palliative care and discuss how it can be integrated with usual care of diabetic foot wounds. Many people with diabetes who have foot wounds also have other comorbidities and diabetes complications such as cardiovascular and renal disease and depression, which affect medicine and other treatment choices, functional status, surgical risk and quality of life. Two broad of diabetic foot disease exist: those likely to heal but who could still benefit from integrated palliative care such as managing pain and those where healing is unlikely where palliation can be the primary focus. People with diabetes can die suddenly, although the life course is usually long with periods of stable and unstable disease. Many health professionals are reluctant to discuss palliative care or suggest people to document their end-of-life care preferences. If such preferences are not documented, the person might not achieve their desired death or place of death and health professionals and families can be confronted with difficult decisions. Palliative care can be integrated with usual foot care and is associated with improved function, better quality of life and greater patient and family satisfaction. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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10.1002/dmrr.2758
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33135675
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Multi-crystal data collection using synchrotron radiation as exemplified with low-symmetry crystals of Dps.
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Multi-crystal data collection using synchrotron radiation was successfully applied to determine the three-dimensional structure of a triclinic crystal form of Dps from Escherichia coli at 2.0 Å resolution. The final data set was obtained by combining 261 partial diffraction data sets measured from crystals with an average size of approximately 5 µm. The most important features of diffraction data measurement and processing for low-symmetry crystals are discussed.
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10.1107/S2053230X20012571
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25100301
|
Status of intestinal parasitic infections among residents of Jimma Town, Ethiopia.
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Intestinal parasites cause considerable morbidity and mortality in the world, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Both urban and rural inhabitants are vulnerable to infection with intestinal parasites in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the status of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) among residents of Jimma Town, seven years after high prevalence was reported. Four hundred and thirty four residents of Jimma Town were included in this study. By the cross-sectional survey, the overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 209 (48.2%). Nine species of intestinal parasites were isolated, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura being the most predominant. Residence in Hermata Mentina kebele, Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR), 3.0, 95% CI, 1.71-5.39), age less than 10 years (AOR, 3.7, 95% CI, 1.33-10.36), illiteracy (AOR, 3.2, 95% CI, 1.64-6.19), estimated monthly family income of less than 500 Ethiopian Birr (AOR, 2.9, 95% CI, 1.32-4.90) and irregular washing hands before meal (AOR, 5.3, 95% CI, 1.36-21.07) were predictors of IPI in this study. The retrospective study revealed a significant decrease (P = 0.037) in the proportion of patients infected with intestinal parasites out of those who requested stool examination over the six-year period. This study confirms that IPIs are still common among residents of Jimma Town. Nearly half of the study participants were infected with at least one intestinal parasite. Public health interventions targeting prevention of IPIs should be strengthened in Jimma Town.
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10.1186/1756-0500-7-502
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18564337
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Antagonistic interplay of Swi1 and Tup1 on filamentous growth of Candida albicans.
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Candida albicans is a polymorphic human opportunistic pathogen in which the Swi-Snf complex functions as an activator whereas Tup1 acts as a general repressor during the yeast-hyphae transition. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the interplay between the Swi-Snf complex and the Tup1-Ssn6 repressive complex regulates the balance between active and repressed chromatin structures of a number of genes. To study the interplay between Candida albicans Swi1 and Tup1 and their effects on morphogenesis, we analyzed phenotypes of swi1/swi1, tup1/tup1 and swi1/swi1 tup1/tup1 mutants under various growth conditions. The swi1/swi1 mutant failed to form true hyphae, whereas the tup1/tup1 mutant exhibited constitutive filamentous growth. Deletion of SWI1 in the tup1/tup1 mutant completely blocked hyphal growth under all the conditions examined. Under aerobic conditions, the swi1/swi1 tup1/tup1 mutant most resembled the swi1/swi1 mutant in phenotype, actin polarization and gene expression pattern. In invaded agar, the double mutant showed similar phenotypes as the swi1/swi1 mutant, while under embedded conditions, it grew as a pseudohypha-like form different from that of the wild-type strain, swi1/swi1 or tup1/tup1 mutants. These results suggest that Swi1 may play a dominant role by antagonizing the repressive effect of the Tup1 on hyphal development in C. albicans.
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10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01236.x
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26020210
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Individual variation in eating speed of dry sows.
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We investigated the variation in eating speed by individual pregnant sows and the influence of feeding dry compared to wet feed. A total of 39 Norwegian Landrace × Yorkshire dry sows, 13 primiparous and 26 multiparous, were included in the experiment. In experimental period 1, each sow was offered 2.2 kg of a standard concentrate feed without added water. In experimental period 2, the sows were offered the same weight of concentrate feed but after mixing with water at a ratio of 1:4, based on weight. The sows were kept in groups of 4 or 5 in pens with individual feeding stalls. The weighed allocations of feed were poured into the troughs before the sows were given access to the food. On d 1, the sows were allowed to eat for 15 min, on d 2 for 10 min, on d 3 for 5 min, on d 4 for 2 min 30 s, and on d 5 for 1 min 15 s. At the designated time, feed troughs were covered, blocking sow access, and residual feed was carefully removed and weighed. Mean consumption rate of dry feed was 183.2 g/min for the first 5 min and 169.7 g/min for the first 10 min. For wet feed, the mean consumption rate was 1,859.8 g/min for the first 5 min and 1,060.7 g/min for the first 10 min. After 5 min, the sows had consumed 41.6% of the dry feed (range 19.5 to 79.1%, CV = 31.0%) and 84.5% of the wet feed (range 54.3 to 99.1%, CV = 14.9%). After 10 min, the sows had consumed 77.1% of the dry feed (range 33.9 to 100.0%, CV = 24.9%) and 5 of the 39 sows had completely ingested their allotted feed. When feed was wet, sows finished 96.4% of the ration (range 72.7 to 99.1%, CV = 6.4%) after 10 min. The speed of eating dry feed was positively correlated with sow weight, both at 5 (R = 0.72, P 0.10). We conclude that dry feed resulted in larger individual variation in feed consumption rate than wet feed. Furthermore, whereas feed consumption rate was correlated with liveweight of the sow when eating dry feed, the relationship was not significant when sows ate wet feed.
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10.2527/jas.2014-8438
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30031243
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Resolving host-microbe interactions in the gut: the promise of in vitro models to complement in vivo research.
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While animal models remain essential for inferring causality, they exhibit important limitations, which restrict the direct translation of findings into new approaches aimed at steering host-microbe interactions for the improvement of human health. Different in vitro models have therefore been developed which incorporate human cell types and microbiota. By virtue of their intricate designs, these models result in human and microbial read-outs reflective of in vivo gut physiology, and present important alternatives to animal models. However, to allow systematic investigations of the interactions between gut microbiota and different human cell types and body systems, ever more complex cell assemblies are necessary which will culminate in the establishment of personalized in vitro models. Such models will allow the unravelling of human-microbe interdependencies and will open exciting new avenues for microbiome-tailored nutrition and drug development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.mib.2018.07.001
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27399807
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The combination of bleomycin with suicide or interferon-β gene transfer is able to efficiently eliminate human melanoma tumor initiating cells.
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We explored the potential of a chemogene therapy combination to eradicate melanoma tumor initiating cells, key producers of recurrence and metastatic spread. Three new human melanoma cell lines, two obtained from lymph nodes and one from spleen metastasis were established and characterized. They were cultured as monolayers and spheroids and, in both spatial configurations they displayed sensitivity to single treatments with bleomycin (BLM) or human interferon-β (hIFNβ) gene or herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir suicide gene (SG) lipofection. However, the combination of bleomycin with SG or hIFNβ gene transfer displayed greater antitumor efficacy. The three cell lines exhibited a proliferative behavior consistent with melan A and gp100 melanoma antigens expression, and BRAF V600E mutation. BLM and both genetic treatments increased the fraction of more differentiated and treatment-sensitive cells. Simultaneously, they significantly decreased the sub-population of tumor initiating cells. There was a significant correlation between the cytotoxicity of treatments with BLM and gene transfer and the fraction of cells exhibiting (i) high proliferation index, and (ii) high intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Conversely, the fraction of cells surviving to our treatments closely paralleled their (i) colony and (ii) melanosphere forming capacity. A very significant finding was that the combination of BLM with SG or hIFNβ gene almost abrogated the clonogenic capacity of the surviving cells. Altogether, the results presented here suggest that the combined chemo-gene treatments are able to eradicate tumor initiating cells, encouraging further studies aimed to apply this strategy in the clinic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.biopha.2016.06.038
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17930162
|
Stochastic electromagnetic radiation of complex sources.
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The emission of electromagnetic radiation by localized complex electric charge and current distributions is studied. A statistical formalism in terms of general dynamical multipole fields is developed. The appearing coefficients are treated as stochastic variables. Hereby as much as possible a priori physical knowledge is exploited. First results of simulated statistical electromagnetic fields as a function of position are presented. Sampling this field at one point approximates its resulting probability density.
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10.1103/PhysRevE.76.026602
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30083418
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Investing Early: Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Programs.
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The past two decades have been characterized by a growing body of research from diverse disciplines-child development, psychology, neuroscience, and economics, among others-demonstrating the importance of establishing a strong foundation in the early years of life. The research evidence has served to document the range of early childhood services that can successfully put children and families on the path toward lifelong health and well-being, especially those at greatest risk of poor outcomes. As early childhood interventions have proliferated, researchers have evaluated whether the programs improve children's outcomes and, when they do, whether the improved outcomes generate benefits that can outweigh the program costs. This study examines a set of evaluations that meet criteria for scientific rigor and synthesizes their results to better understand the outcomes, costs, and benefits of early childhood programs. The authors focus on evaluations of 115 early childhood programs serving children or parents of children from the prenatal period to age 5. Although preschool is perhaps the best-known early childhood intervention, the study also reviewed such programs as home visiting, parent education, government transfers providing cash and in-kind benefits, and those that use a combination of approaches. The findings demonstrate that most of the reviewed programs have favorable effects on at least one child outcome and those with an economic evaluation tend to show positive economic returns. With this expanded evidence base, policymakers can be highly confident that well-designed and -implemented early childhood programs can improve the lives of children and their families.
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33917648
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Room-Temperature Catalyst Enables Selective Acetone Sensing.
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Catalytic packed bed filters ahead of gas sensors can drastically improve their selectivity, a key challenge in medical, food and environmental applications. Yet, such filters require high operation temperatures (usually some hundreds °C) impeding their integration into low-power (e. g., battery-driven) devices. Here, we reveal room-temperature catalytic filters that facilitate highly selective acetone sensing, a breath marker for body fat burn monitoring. Varying the Pt content between 0-10 mol% during flame spray pyrolysis resulted in Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles decorated with Pt/PtO x clusters with predominantly 5-6 nm size, as revealed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Most importantly, Pt contents above 3 mol% removed up to 100 ppm methanol, isoprene and ethanol completely already at 40 °C and high relative humidity, while acetone was mostly preserved, as confirmed by mass spectrometry. When combined with an inexpensive, chemo-resistive sensor of flame-made Si/WO 3, acetone was detected with high selectivity (≥225) over these interferants next to H 2, CO, form-/acetaldehyde and 2-propanol. Such catalytic filters do not require additional heating anymore, and thus are attractive for integration into mobile health care devices to monitor, for instance, lifestyle changes in gyms, hospitals or at home.
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10.3390/ma14081839
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10729743
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The number of nephrons in the mammalian kidney: environmental influences play a determining role.
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Several lines of evidence, mostly derived from animal studies, indicate that changes in the fetal environment may affect the renal development. Fetal growth retardation is associated with a nephron deficit in both humans and animals. Changes in the supply of vitamin A to the fetus may be responsible for the variations in the number of nephrons in the human kidney. In utero exposure to hyperglycemia or drugs may also cause a nephron deficit. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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10.1159/000020649
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26353815
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A low-cost alternative for nasolaryngoscopy simulation training equipment: a randomised controlled trial.
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Flexible nasolaryngoscopy is a key diagnostic procedure used in many specialities. Simulation-based teaching is beneficial for endoscopy training, but it is expensive. This study assessed whether an inexpensive simulation model is an effective training method for flexible nasolaryngoscopy. A three-armed, randomised, controlled trial was performed. One group received no simulation training, while two others were trained with either a high-cost or a low-cost model. All candidates then performed flexible nasolaryngoscopy on a volunteer. Their ability to perform this task was assessed by the patient discomfort score and time taken by a blinded expert. Simulation-based teaching reduced patient discomfort and improved candidate skill level. Low-cost model training did not have a negative effect when compared with high-cost model training. Simulated flexible nasolaryngoscopy training may be more accessible with the use of an effective low-cost model.
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10.1017/S0022215115002388
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39182573
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Incidence, Risk Factors, and Long-Term Outcomes for Extubation Failure in ICU in Patients With Obesity: A Retrospective Analysis of a Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.
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To our knowledge, no large observational study has compared the incidence and risk factors for extubation failure within 48 h and during ICU stay in the same cohort of unselected critically ill patients with and without obesity. What are the incidence and risk factors of extubation failure in patients with and without obesity? In the prospective multicenter observational FREE-REA study in 26 ICUs, the primary objective was to compare the incidence of extubation failure within 48 h in patients with and without obesity. Secondary objectives were to describe and to identify the independent specific risk factors for extubation failure using first a logistic regression model and second a decision tree analysis. Of 1,370 extubation procedures analyzed, 288 (21%) were performed in patients with obesity and 1,082 (79%) in patients without obesity. The incidence of extubation failure within 48 h among patients with or without obesity was 23 of 288 (8.0%) vs 118 of 1,082 (11%), respectively (unadjusted OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45-1.13; P =.15); alongside patients with obesity receiving significantly more noninvasive ventilation [87 of 288 (30%) vs 233 of 1,082 (22%); P =.002] and physiotherapy [165 of 288 (57%) vs 527 of 1,082 (49%); P =.02] than patients without obesity. Risk factors for extubation failure also differed according to obesity status: female sex (adjusted OR, 4.88; 95% CI, 1.61-13.9; P =.002) and agitation before extubation (adjusted OR, 6.39; 95% CI, 1.91-19.8; P =.001) in patients with obesity, and absence of strong cough before extubation (adjusted OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.53-3.84; P =.0002) and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation before extubation (adjusted OR, 1.03/d; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P =.01) in patients without obesity. The decision tree analysis found similar risk factors. Our findings indicate that anticipation and application of preventive measures for patients with obesity before and after extubation led to similar rates of extubation failure among patients with and without obesity. ClinicalTrials. gov; No.: NCT02450669; URL: www. gov. Copyright © 2024 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.chest.2024.07.171
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34274811
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The Sleep Regularity Questionnaire: development and initial validation.
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Sleep is a critically important behavior which influences diverse aspects of health, functioning, and longevity. An increasing literature suggests the importance of sleep regularity, also referred to as sleep inconsistency, sleep variability, or intraindividual variability in sleep. Given there is no brief, subjective measure of sleep regularity, the purpose of this study was to develop the Sleep Regularity Questionnaire (SRQ) and to begin the process of examining its psychometric properties using a construct-validation approach. In an online study of sleep and health, participants (n = 3249; M age (SD) = 42.77 (16.73); 48.5% female; 77.3% white) completed the in-development SRQ, as well as the Insomnia Severity Index and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. An exploratory factor analysis followed by a confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two factor structure, represented by circadian regularity and sleep continuity regularity, with good model fit indices (X 2 = 50.9, df = 7, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.99; NFI = 0.99; IFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.98). Test-retest reliability, as well as concurrent, convergent and incremental validity were examined, with promising results. Preliminary psychometrics suggest that the SRQ is a valid and stable instrument for the assessment of sleep regularity in adults that is related to, but distinct from, other established sleep constructs. Future research will benefit from assessing the validity of the SRQ in various clinical samples and how it compares to measures of sleep regularity calculated from prospective daily assessments. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.sleep.2021.06.028
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25922837
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Survival of Mexican Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia under Treatment with the Protocol from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 00-01.
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Our aim in this paper is to describe the results of treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in Mexican children treated from 2006 to 2010 under the protocol from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) 00-01. The children were younger than 16 years of age and had a diagnosis of ALL de novo. The patients were classified as standard risk if they were 1-9.9 years old and had a leucocyte count 100 × 10(9)/L. The poor outcomes were associated with toxic death during induction, complete remission, and relapse. These factors remain the main obstacles to the success of this treatment in our population.
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10.1155/2015/576950
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23668697
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Anti tumor necrosis factor - alpha adalimumab for complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-I): a case series.
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Evidence suggests tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mediates, at least in part, symptoms and signs in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Here, we present a case series of patients with CRPS type 1, in whom the response to the anti-TNF-α adalimumab was assessed. Ten patients with CRPS type 1 were recruited. Assessments were performed before treatment, at 1 week, and 1, 3, and 6 months following 3 biweekly subcutaneous injections (40 mg/0.8 mL) adalimumab (Humira(®) ) and included the followings: Pain intensity using a 0-10 cm visual analog scale; the Short Form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire; the Beck Depression Inventory; the SF-36 questionnaire and mechanical and thermal thresholds (Von frey hair and Thermal Sensory Analyzer, respectively). In addition to the description of individual patient responses, both intention to treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed for the entire group. Three subgroups of patients were identified (3 patients in each): "nonresponders", "partial responders", and "robust responders" in whom improvement in almost all parameters was noted. Both the ITT and PP analyses demonstrated only a trend toward improvement in mechanical pain thresholds following treatment (ITT χ² = 13.83, P = 0.008; PP χ² = 10.29, P = 0.036). These results suggest adalimumab, and possibly other anti-TNF-α, can be potentially useful in some (although not in all) patients with CRPS type 1. These preliminary results along with the growing body of evidence which points to the involvement of TNF-α in the pathogenesis of CRPS justify further studies in this area. © 2013 World Institute of Pain.
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10.1111/papr.12070
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3492594
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Cytologic transformation in cutaneous T cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic entity associated with poor prognosis.
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The clinical course of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome) is generally indolent, but in occasional patients becomes fulminant. We found that biopsies from patients with accelerating disease can reveal cytologic transformation from previously observed small, convoluted lymphocytes to large cells that are similar to cells seen in large-cell lymphoma. The cerebriform nuclei characteristic of malignant T cells can only rarely be identified. Of 150 cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients we treated from 1976 to 1984, cytologic transformation was identified in 12 after review of peripheral blood smears and biopsies from skin, lymph nodes, and visceral sites. Patients who developed cytologic transformation were initially characterized by advanced stage (11 of 12), with lymph node effacement (seven of 11) and erythroderma (five of 12). The tumor cell DNA content after transformation was aneuploid (four of four), and the ability to form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes was retained in transformed cells (three of three). The median time from diagnosis of cutaneous T cell lymphoma to cytologic transformation was 21.5 months (range, 4 to 64), and the median survival from transformation was only 2 months (range, 0 to 19+). We conclude that cytologic transformation in cutaneous T cell lymphoma represents a distinct clinicopathologic entity, characterized by an aggressive clinical course.
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10.1200/JCO.1987.5.2.208
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17574564
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Adsorption of Me-HEDP complexes onto gamma-Al2O3.
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This work studies the adsorption of Me-1-hydroxiethane-(1,1-diphosphonic acid) (HEDP) complex onto alumina in the pH range from 5.0 to 9.5. The extent of HEDP adsorption is not significatively affected by the presence of Me(II), while, HEDP has an interesting effect on Me(II) adsorption. At high surface covering, Cu(II) adsorption is enhanced at low pH reaching a maximum of 57% at pH nearly 6, however, at pH>6 a decrease about 20% in the amount of Cu(II) adsorbed takes place by the presence of HEDP. The model predicts a ternary surface complex (AlLCu(-)) to justify the increase of Cu(II) adsorbed at lower pH. At the lower pH and at high Zn(II) concentration the presence of equimolar concentration of HEDP also causes a discernible increase in the amount of Zn(II) adsorbed. At pH 5, the percentage of Zn(II) complexed with HEDP increased from negligible to 40% as the HEDP concentration increased. However, in this case the HEDP does not have a suppressor effect on the Zn(II) adsorption at the higher pH. Again, the presence of anionic-type complexation is here postulated to reach a good fit with the experimental results. The effect of HEDP over Zn(II) adsorption becomes less pronounced with the excess of surface sites. Cd(II)-HEDP solution complexes are weaker than those corresponding to Cu(II) and Zn(II), so competitive effects between surface and solution are much less significant in comparison to Cu(II)-HEDP and Zn(II)-HEDP alumina systems. So, the effect of HEDP on the Cd adsorption at low concentration and low pH is more stressed than in the case of Cu(II) and Zn(II). Overall, results indicate that the presence of HEDP in the aquatic systems could have a significant impact on the mobility and distribution of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) in the environment.
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10.1016/j.jcis.2007.05.050
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18276352
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Cumulant-based parameter estimation using structured networks.
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A two-level three-layer structured network is developed to estimate the moving-average model parameters based on second-order and third-order cumulant matching. The structured network is a multilayer feedforward network composed of linear summers in which the weights of these summers have a clear physical meaning. The first level is composed of random access memory units, which are used to control the connectivities of the second-level summers. The second level is composed of three layers of linear summers in which the weight of any summer represents the moving-average parameter to be estimated. The connectivities among these summers are controlled by the first-level memory units in such a way that the outputs of the second-level structured network equal the desired second-order or third-order statistics if the summer weights equal their corresponding true moving-average parameter values. Each second-order and third-order cumulant is viewed as a pattern which the structured network needs to learn, and a steepest-descent algorithm is proposed for training the structured network. The author also presents extensions to particular sorts of estimation, and results of simulations.
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10.1109/72.80292
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19996442
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Association of Helicobacter pylori infection and height of Mexican children of low socioeconomic level attending boarding schools.
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This study evaluated the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and height in a population of schoolchildren of a low socioeconomic level regarding growth-related micronutrient status. It was a cross-sectional study of 685 children 5-13 years of age. Height and weight were recorded, a (13)C urea breath test was performed for detection of H. pylori, and a blood sample was obtained for determination of micronutrient status. Helicobacter pylori infection was found to be associated with the height of children. Children with H. pylori infection are, on average, 1.32 cm lower (95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.22 to -0.42) in height than children without infection. There was an effect modification by age: for every one-year increase in age, height was 0.66 cm less (95% CI = -1.17 to -0.15) in children with H. pylori infection. This finding suggests that H. pylori infection has a negative effect on the growth of children.
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10.4269/ajtmh.2009.09-0107
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32962229
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Identification of Acupoint Indication from Reverse Inference: Data Mining of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.
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The specificity of acupoint indication (i. e., reverse inference-diseases for which an acupoint could be used) might differ from the specificity of acupoint selection (i. e., forward inference-acupoints used for a disease). In this study, we explore acupoint specificity through reverse inferences from the dataset of prescribed acupoints for a certain disease in clinical trials. We searched acupuncture treatment regimens in randomized controlled trials included in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. For forward inference, the acupoints prescribed for each disease were quantified. For reverse inference, diseases for each acupoint were quantified. Data were normalized using Z-scores. Bayes factor correction was performed to adjust for the prior probability of diseases. The specificities of acupoint selections in 30 diseases were determined using forward inference. The specificities of acupoint indications regarding 49 acupoints were identified using reverse inference and then subjected to Bayes factor correction. Two types of acupoint indications were identified for 24 acupoints: regional and distal. Our approach suggests that the specificity of acupoint indication can be inferred from clinical data using reverse inference. Acupoint indication will improve our understanding of acupoint specificity and will lead to the establishment of a new model of analysis and educational resources for acupoint characteristics.
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10.3390/jcm9093027
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25697814
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Farmedial versus anteromedial portal drilling of the femoral tunnel in ACL reconstruction: a computed tomography analysis.
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The success of ACL reconstruction is predicated on a variety of factors. Tunnel placement plays one of the most significant roles in achieving knee kinematics and function. The purposes of this study were to compare femoral tunnel position, angle, length and posterior wall blow-out after ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendons autograft through either a farmedial portal or an anteromedial portal technique. We evaluated 36 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between January 2014 and July 2014 in our institute, in a prospective, randomised cohort study. All the surgical procedures were performed by a sports fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon with experience in both portal reaming. The operated knees were evaluated with 0.5 mm fine CT scans of 3-D CT between days 3 and 5 postoperatively. According to the 3-D CT measurements, the mean femoral tunnel length was significantly longer (p < 0.05) in the FAM group compared with the AM group. The femoral bone tunnel length averaged 34.2 ± 3.6 mm versus 36.6 ± 3.0 mm (p = 0.042) in AM and the FAM groups, respectively. The femoral tunnel position, as evaluated with use of the quadrant method, was more anterior in the FAM transportal technique group, and the difference between the two groups was significant (p < 0.05). FAM tranportal drilling of the femoral tunnel creates longer and anterior femoral tunnels with regard to the AM portal drilling techniques. Additional studies with clinical outcomes are required for the clinical relevance of these techniques and to show which one is superior. Level I, prospective randomised comparative cohort study.
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10.1007/s00402-015-2176-z
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17228855
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[Metabolomics and medical practice].
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High resolution NMR spectroscopy, currently known as "metabolomics", is a technology enabling the rapid, noninvasive and low cost determination of low molecular weigh metabolites (e. g. aminoacids) in biological fluids such as plasma, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and others. According to Nicholson "Metabolomics is the quantitative measurement of the dynamic multiparametric metabolic response of living systems to pathophysiological stimuli or genetic modification". Over the past 10 years this technology made it possible to discover of a number of lesser-known organ-specific metabolites that has been demonstrated to be reliable indicators of both organ function and viability. Consequently metabolomics has been used, with interesting results, for the functional evaluation of many organs (kidney, liver, heart), drug toxicity and post-transplant monitoring. The international literature demonstrates a growing interest for this technology and its capabilities.
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29038836
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Automated DXA-based finite element analysis for hip fracture risk stratification: a cross-sectional study.
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Fracture risk indices (FRIs) generated from DXA-based finite element analysis were associated with hip fracture independent of FRAX score computed with femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD). Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether FRIs represent an improvement over BMD for predicting incident hip fractures. The study aims to examine the association between prior hip fracture and FRIs derived from automated finite element analysis (FEA) of DXA hip scans. Femoral neck, intertrochanteric, and subtrochanteric FRIs were calculated as the von Mises stress induced by a sideways fall divided by the bone yield stress over the specified region of interest (ROI). Using the Manitoba Bone Mineral Density Database, we selected women age ≥ 65 years with femoral neck T-scores below - 1 and no osteoporosis treatment. From this population, we identified 324 older women with hip fracture before DXA testing and a random sample of 658 non-fracture controls. FRIs were derived from the anonymized DXA scans. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the associations between FRIs (per SD increase) and hip fracture. After adjusting for FRAX score (hip fracture with BMD), femoral neck FRI (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13, 1.64), intertrochanteric FRI (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.44, 2.27), and subtrochanteric FRI (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.68, 2.60) were associated with hip fracture. Intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric FRIs gave significantly higher c-statistics (all P ≤ 0.05) than femoral neck BMD. Subgroup analyses showed that all FRIs were more strongly associated with hip fracture in women who were younger and had higher body mass index (BMI) or non-osteoporotic BMD (all P interaction < 0.1). FRIs derived from DXA-based FEA were independently associated with prior hip fracture, suggesting that they could potentially improve hip fracture risk assessment.
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10.1007/s00198-017-4232-8
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36175288
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Racial and ethnic disparities in the timing of orchiopexy for cryptorchidism.
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Many children do not undergo surgery for cryptorchidism in a timely fashion, increasing risk of infertility and malignancy. Racial and ethnic disparities in surgery timing has been suggested in other specialties, but has not been well-explored in Pediatric Urology. Our aim was to investigate the association of race and ethnicity with age at orchiopexy. We performed a retrospective cohort study of individuals <18 years of age as captured in the NSQIPP PUF from 2012 to 2016. Those with cancer were excluded. The primary outcome of interest was age at time of surgery. Secondary outcome was the proportion of individuals undergoing surgery by recommended age. Generalized linear models and logistic regression models were created for the outcomes of interest. The median age at orchiopexy was 17.4 months (10.7, 43.0) and overall, 51% of subjects underwent orchiopexy by 18 months of age. Non-Hispanic white individuals were most likely to have undergone orchiopexy by 18 months of age, at 56%, compared with only 44% of non-Hispanic black individuals (p < 0.001). When adjusting for co-morbidities and developmental delay, Hispanic patients underwent orchiopexy 5 months later than white patients, on average, and black patients had a delay of 7 months compared to white patients. These data suggest that orchiopexy is happening at younger ages compared to prior large-scale studies. However, minority patients are on average older at time of orchiopexy, potentially increasing future risk of infertility or malignancy. While an estimated average delay of 5-7 months may not seem high, studies suggest there is an appreciable change in risk with a 6-month delay. Patient, provider, and system-level factors likely all contribute, and these need to be further elucidated. Many racial and ethnic minorities with cryptorchidism have later orchiopexies, and are more likely to have surgery outside the recommended timeframe. Further investigation is warranted to determine the factors contributing to these disparities. Copyright © 2022 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.jpurol.2022.09.004
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28882426
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Statistical analysis of solid waste composition data: Arithmetic mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficients.
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Data for fractional solid waste composition provide relative magnitudes of individual waste fractions, the percentages of which always sum to 100, thereby connecting them intrinsically. Due to this sum constraint, waste composition data represent closed data, and their interpretation and analysis require statistical methods, other than classical statistics that are suitable only for non-constrained data such as absolute values. However, the closed characteristics of waste composition data are often ignored when analysed. The results of this study showed, for example, that unavoidable animal-derived food waste amounted to 2.21±3.12% with a confidence interval of (-4.03; 8.45), which highlights the problem of the biased negative proportions. A Pearson's correlation test, applied to waste fraction generation (kg mass), indicated a positive correlation between avoidable vegetable food waste and plastic packaging. However, correlation tests applied to waste fraction compositions (percentage values) showed a negative association in this regard, thus demonstrating that statistical analyses applied to compositional waste fraction data, without addressing the closed characteristics of these data, have the potential to generate spurious or misleading results. Therefore, ¨compositional data should be transformed adequately prior to any statistical analysis, such as computing mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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10.1016/j.wasman.2017.08.036
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32863575
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Destructive Creation at Work: How Financial Distress Spurs Entrepreneurship.
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Using U. S. Census firm-worker data, I document that firms' financial distress has an economically important effect on employee departures to entrepreneurship. The impact is amplified in the high-tech and service sectors, where employees are key assets. In states with enforceable noncompete contracts, the effect is mitigated. Compared to typical entrepreneurs, distress-driven entrepreneurs are high-wage workers who found better firms, as measured by jobs, pay, and survival. Startup jobs compensate for 33% of job losses at the constrained incumbents. Overall, the financial inability of incumbent firms to pursue productive opportunities increases the reallocation of economic activity into new firms. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals. permissions@oup. com.
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10.1093/rfs/hhz110
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37668007
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Digest: Urbanization shapes selection altering food webs.
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How has urbanization altered the relationships between species and selection on phenotypes? To address this question, Palacio and Ordano measured trait and frugivore selection in blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) in three different localities. Their analysis revealed changes in avian selection with urbanization, which altered population phenotypes. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE). All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals. permissions@oup. com.
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10.1093/evolut/qpad161
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12453780
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Model Predictive Impedance Control: A Model for Joint Movement.
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Impedance control has been suggested as the strategy employed by the central nervous system to control human postures and movements. A realization of this strategy is presented that uses a model predictive control algorithm as a higher motor controller. External disturbances are explicitly included in the model. The combination of 3 key factors-joint impedance control, model predictive controller, and external disturbance input-forms the basis for the generality of this model. The model was applied to 3 different types of joint movements: a tracking movement with an unpredicted disturbance, a rhythmic movement, and an unstable biped model of human walking. Computer simulation results showed excellent performance of the model in all 3 cases for optimal values of active joint impedances and an exact match between the musculoskeletal system and the model internal to the model predictive controller. The controller was also able to maintain acceptable performance in the presence of a 25% mismatch between the musculoskeletal system and its internal model.
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10.1080/00222899709600836
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26333663
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Long-lasting modification of soil fungal diversity associated with the introduction of rabbits to a remote sub-Antarctic archipelago.
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During the late nineteenth century, Europeans introduced rabbits to many of the sub-Antarctic islands, environments that prior to this had been devoid of mammalian herbivores. The impacts of rabbits on indigenous ecosystems are well studied; notably, they cause dramatic changes in plant communities and promote soil erosion. However, the responses of fungal communities to such biotic disturbances remain unexplored. We used metabarcoding of soil extracellular DNA to assess the diversity of plant and fungal communities at sites on the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands with contrasting histories of disturbance by rabbits. Our results suggest that on these islands, the simplification of plant communities and increased erosion resulting from the introduction of rabbits have driven compositional changes, including diversity reductions, in indigenous soil fungal communities. Moreover, there is no indication of recovery at sites from which rabbits were removed 20 years ago. These results imply that introduced herbivores have long-lasting and multifaceted effects on fungal biodiversity as well as highlight the low resiliency of sub-Antarctic ecosystems. © 2015 The Author(s).
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10.1098/rsbl.2015.0408
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20682533
|
Sleep and hypertension.
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Ambulatory BP studies indicate that even small increases in BP, particularly nighttime BP levels, are associated with significant increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, sleep-related diseases that induce increases in BP would be anticipated to substantially affect cardiovascular risk. Both sleep deprivation and insomnia have been linked to increases in incidence and prevalence of hypertension. Likewise, sleep disruption attributable to restless legs syndrome increases the likelihood of having hypertension. Observational studies demonstrate a strong correlation between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the risk and severity of hypertension, whereas prospective studies of patients with OSA demonstrate a positive relationship between OSA and risk of incident hypertension. Intervention trials with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) indicate a modest, but inconsistent effect on BP in patients with severe OSA and a greater likelihood of benefit in patients with most CPAP adherence. Additional prospective studies are needed to reconcile observational studies suggesting that OSA is a strong risk factor for hypertension with the modest antihypertensive effects of CPAP observed in intervention studies.
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10.1378/chest.09-2954
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12527381
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The transmembranous domain of CD40 determines CD40 partitioning into lipid rafts.
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Stimulation of CD40 has been previously shown to result in a release of ceramide in small sphingolipid-enriched rafts in the cell membrane [Grassmé et al., J. Immunol. 168 (2002) 298-307]. Those rafts fused to larger signaling platforms that served to cluster CD40. Here, we defined molecular mechanisms of CD40 clustering in membrane platforms. To this end, we replaced the transmembranous domain of CD40 with that of CD45, a molecule known to be excluded from lipid rafts. Murine T cells were stably transfected with wild-type CD40 or chimeric CD40/CD45. Flow cytometry confirmed normal binding properties of the mutant to CD40 ligand. Stimulation with CD40 ligand resulted in clustering of wild-type CD40, while the chimeric CD40/45 receptor failed to cluster. This correlated with a deficiency of the chimeric receptor to activate JNK, p38 MAP kinase and SAPK, known signaling molecules of the intracellular pathway initiated by CD40. Forced crosslinking of the CD40/45 chimeric receptor restored, at least partially, these signaling events. The results suggest that the transmembranous domain of CD40 is central for the recruitment to and clustering of CD40 in membrane platforms.
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10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03784-5
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7015599
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Pathogenesis and prevention of graft arteriosclerosis in an experimental heart transplant model.
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Accelerated graft arteriosclerosis is a major cause of death in human heart transplantation. Despite many investigations, the pathogenesis of this disease remains undetermined and its control inadequate. In this study using a rat heart transplant model and cyclosporin A, a new immunosuppressant, acute rejection was prevented but arteriosclerotic-like vessel disease still developed consistently as early as 20 days postoperatively. The combination of cyclosporin A and dipyridamole prevented the development of this vessel disease in transplanted hearts at 20 and 50 days postoperatively. Sulfinpyrazone and cyclosporin A reduced but did not prevent the disease. These findings suggest that immunologically induced graft arteriosclerosis can be prevented in transplanted rat hearts by the combination of cyclosporin A and dipyridamole.
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10.1097/00007890-198101000-00010
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