Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is responsible for frequent large-scale outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease worldwide and represent a major etiological agent of severe, sometimes fatal neurological disease. EV71 variants have been classified into three genogroups (GgA, GgB, and GgC), and the latter two are further subdivided into subgenogroups B1 ...

CD4 T cell activation during peripheral infections not only is essential in inducing protective CD8 T cell memory but also promotes CD8 T cell function and survival. However, the contributions of CD4 T cell help to antiviral CD8 T cell immunity during central nervous system (CNS) infection are not well ...

We investigated the effects of dual renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade on angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (Ace2) expression, hypertension, and renal proximal tubular cell (RPTC) apoptosis in type 1 diabetic Akita angiotensinogen (Agt)-transgenic (Tg) mice that specifically overexpress Agt in their RPTCs. Adult (11 wk old) male Akita and Akita Agt-Tg mice were ...

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a ciliopathy characterized by renal cysts and hypertension. These changes are presumably due to altered fluid and electrolyte transport in the collecting duct (CD). This is the site where vasopressin (AVP) stimulates vasopressin-2 receptor (V2R)-mediated aquaporin-2 (AQP2) insertion into the apical membrane. Since cysts frequently ...

The activation of purinergic receptors modulates central pattern generators controlling rhythmic motor behaviors, including respiration in rodents and swimming in frog tadpoles. The present study aimed to determine whether purinergic signaling also modulates the mammalian locomotor central pattern generator. This was investigated by using isolated spinal cord preparations obtained from ...

UT-A1, the urea transporter present in the apical membrane of the inner medullary collecting duct, is crucial to the kidney's ability to concentrate urine. Phosphorylation of UT-A1 on serines 486 and 499 is important for plasma membrane trafficking. The effect of calcineurin on dephosphorylation of UT-A1 was investigated. Inner medullary ...

Lipoxins are formed by leukocytes during cell-cell interactions with epithelial or endothelial cells. Native lipoxin A(4) (LXA(4)) binds to the G protein-coupled lipoxin receptors formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2)/ALX and CysLT1. Furthermore, LXA(4) inhibits recruitment of neutrophils, by attenuating chemotaxis, adhesion, and transmigration across vascular endothelial cells. LXA(4) thus appears ...

Stimulation of cardiopulmonary receptors with phenylbiguanide (PBG) elicits depressor cardiovascular reflex responses, including decreases in blood pressure and heart rate mediated in part by the brain stem parasympathetic cardiac neurons in the nucleus ambiguus (NAmb). The present study examined NAmb neurotransmitter mechanisms underlying the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) on the ...

We sought to identify novel urinary biomarkers of kidney function in type 2 diabetes. We screened the renal transcriptome of db/db and db/m mice for differentially expressed mRNA transcripts that encode secreted proteins with human orthologs. Whether elevated urine levels of the orthologous proteins correlated with diminished glomerular filtration rate ...

Induction of hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) lowers blood pressure and reduces organ damage in hypertensive animal models; however, a potential protective role for HO-1 induction against diabetic-induced glomerular injury remains unclear. We hypothesize that HO-1 induction will protect against diabetes-induced glomerular injury by maintaining glomerular integrity and inhibiting renal apoptosis, inflammation, and ...

Ca(V)2.2 (N-type) and Ca(V)1.2 (L-type) calcium channels gate differently in response to membrane depolarization, which is critical to the unique physiological functions mediated by these channels. We wondered if the source for these differences could be identified. As a first step, we examined the effect of domain exchange between N-type ...

Different types of retinal ganglion cells represent distinct spatiotemporal filters that respond selectively to specific features in the visual input. Much about the circuitry and synaptic mechanisms that underlie such specificity remains to be determined. This study examines how N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor signaling combines with other excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms ...

We present a consolidated view of the complexity and challenges of designing studies for measurement of energy metabolism in mouse models, including a practical guide to the assessment of energy expenditure, energy intake and body composition and statistical analysis thereof. We hope this guide will facilitate comparisons across studies and ...

Codeine is bioactivated to morphine, a strong opioid agonist, by the hepatic cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6); hence, the efficacy and safety of codeine as an analgesic are governed by CYP2D6 polymorphisms. Codeine has little therapeutic effect in patients who are CYP2D6 poor metabolizers, whereas the risk of morphine toxicity is ...

Type I IFNs (IFN-I) are normally produced during antiviral responses, yet high levels of chronic IFN-I expression correlate with autoimmune disease. A variety of viral sensors generate IFN-I in their response, but other than TLRs, it is not fully known which pathways are directly involved in the development of spontaneous ...

The extent to which the progeny of one primary memory CD8 T cell differs from the progeny of one naive CD8 T cell of the same specificity remains an unresolved question. To explore cell-autonomous functional differences between naive and memory CD8 T cells that are not influenced by differences in ...

Children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) often require parenteral nutrition (PN) to optimize caloric intake. Standard approaches to nutritional supplementation provide 130-150% of estimated energy expenditure, but resting energy expenditure (REE) may be lower than expected after HSCT. Provision of PN exceeding energy needs may lead to overfeeding and ...

Whereas the negative effect of consuming trans fatty acids found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is well established, the effect of trans fatty acids from ruminant sources (rTFAs) on CVD risk factors has not yet been established, particularly among women. We investigated the effects of ...

OBJECTIVES: Health related quality of life (HRQL) is an important outcome in HIV/AIDS infection and treatment. However, most existing HIV-HRQL instruments miss important issues (e.g. sleeping problems, lipodystrophy), were developed pre-HAART, and in a single language. We sought to develop a contemporary HIV-HRQL instrument (PROQOL-HIV) in multiple languages that accounts ...

Palladium(II) can catalyze the oxidative coupling of tert-butyl 2-alkynylbenzoates with olefins such as acrylates and styrenes leading to isocoumarines. The reaction was carried out under simple aerobic conditions, and in most cases high selectivity has been attained.

Radiation hazards of radionuclides arising from nuclear plant facilities are well known. Separation technologies are used to concentrate the radionuclides and prevent the spread of this hazard to the environment. The present review describes the recent advances made in radioactive waste treatment using membrane separation technology. The first part discusses ...

Adolescent males involved in motorcycle accidents are particularly at risk for pelvic injury, which may provoke a posterior urethral injury. The aim of this study was to develop a model to analyze the association between injuries and fractures of the pelvic ring and the risk of posterior urethral injury. METHOD: ...

Risk factors for dementia in American and European countries have been well investigated. However, little research has been carried out in sub-Saharan Africa, where life events as well as environmental, socio-economic, and modifiable risk factors (i.e., cardiovascular risk factors) may differ. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in representative samples of ...

BACKGROUND: We investigated differences in retention in HIV care and uptake of cART and treatment outcomes between different ethnic MSM groups. METHODS: MSM subjects with known ethnicity and ≥1 day follow-up from 1996-2009 in the UK CHIC Study were included. Black and minority ethnic (BME) men were categorized as: Black; ...

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) has been widely performed as a standard technique for initial histological diagnosis of suspicious breast lesions. There have been an increased number of atypical lesions diagnosed on CNB as a consequence of the advances in breast imaging techniques. The authors aim to identify if ...

Objective: To evaluate the long-term results of patients in Kuwait who were operated for persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA). Subjects and Methods: The following data were collected for retrospective analysis from 24 medical records of consecutive patients with PTA in Kuwait between August 1993 and August 2009: demographics, morphology, management and ...

OBJECTIVE: Postmenopausal women have a higher prevalence of osteoporosis compared with premenopausal women. Postmenopause status has been found to be an independent risk factor for osteoporosis. Several studies have reported that heavy metals, including lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As), have detrimental effects on bone. The aim ...

The Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H functionalizations of benzamide derivatives with olefin were studied by DFT calculations to elucidate the divergent pathways controlled by the N-OR internal oxidants. For substrates of N-OMe and N-OPiv internal oxidants, the energy profiles for consecutive N-H deprotonation/C-H activation/olefin insertion sequences were similar, and different property and reactivity ...

The neuronal cytoskeleton regulates numerous processes that occur in normal homeostasis. Under pathological conditions such as those of Alzheimer's disease (AD), major alterations in cytoskeleton organization have been observed and changes in both microtubules and actin filaments have been reported. Many neurodegenerative consequences of AD are linked to the production ...

Background: Pancreatic lymphoma is uncommon, representing less than 0.5% of pancreatic tumors, with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma being the predominant histotype. Acute pancreatitis associated with pancreatic lymphoma is rare. Case Report: We describe a case of synchronous pancreatic and pulmonary localizations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a 42-year-old man who presented ...

Numerous β-defensins have been identified in birds, and the potential use of these peptides as alternatives to antibiotics has been proposed, in particular to fight antibiotic-resistant and zoonotic bacterial species. Little is known about the mechanism of antibacterial activity of avian β-defensins, and this study was carried out to obtain ...

Bacterial growth in the host is required for pathogenesis. To successfully grow in vivo, pathogens have adapted their metabolism to replicate in specific host microenvironments. These adaptations reflect the nutritional composition of their host niches, inter-bacterial competition for carbon and energy sources, and survival in the face of bactericidal defense ...

BACKGROUND: Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM(®)) relies on citrated blood samples, which are regarded as biologically stable for up to 4h after venepuncture. However, this recommendation is based on data from normal volunteers. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible temporal changes in the coagulability of blood samples from coagulopathic ...

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria have been detected in variety of marine environment in recent years, however, there have been only a few studies on their characteristics in the culture. The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of temperature on nitrogen removal ability and bacterial community in ...

Creativity has emerged in the focus of neurocognitive research in the past decade. However, a heterogeneous pattern of brain areas has been implicated as underpinning the neural correlates of creativity. One explanation for these divergent findings lies in the fact that creativity is not usually investigated in terms of its ...

PURPOSE: New techniques and instrumentation for arthroscopic management of shoulder instability require accurate measurement tools to investigate possible clinical improvements. The aim of the study was to assess the self-administrated Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI), which is a subjective quality of life measurement tool specific to shoulder instability, and ...

This paper presents experimental investigations of a novel miniature reciprocating ball pump (RBP) as a potential infusion pump or drug delivery system. The objectives of this study are to validate the RBP's operational principle and to evaluate its performance. In the tests, the basic functionality of the pump has been ...

BACKGROUND: The University of Utah emergency department (ED) observation unit (EDOU) cares for over 2500 patients each year, with a significant portion of these patients being trauma activation patients. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of our EDOU trauma protocol and described patient characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients managed ...

This study investigated global versus local pitch pattern perception in children with dyslexia aged between 8 and 11years. Children listened to two consecutive 4-tone pitch sequences while performing a same/different task. On the different trials, sequences either preserved the contour (local condition) or they violated the contour (global condition). Compared ...

Type I interferons (IFN) exert multiple effects on both the innate and adaptive immune system in addition to their antiviral and antiproliferative activities. Little is known, however about the direct effects of type I IFNs on germinal center (GC) B cells, the central components of adaptive B cell responses. We ...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical impact of inappropriate empirical antibiotics on patient outcome and determine the risk factors for mortality in bacteremic adults who visited the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Bacteremic adults visiting the ED from January 2007 to June 2008 were identified retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, clinical conditions, bacteremic pathogens, ...

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are believed to be multifactorial diseases that commonly involve multiple organ systems. About three fourth of the patients afflicted with AIDs are women suggesting that sex differences impact the incidence of AID. However, the proportion of females to males suffering from AID varies depending on the disease. ...

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that any interruptions, including those of rescue breaths, during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have significant, detrimental effects on survival. The 2010 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines strongly emphasized on the importance of minimizing interruptions during chest compressions. However, those guidelines also stress the need for ventilations in ...

PURPOSE: To compare processes of care and survival for breast cancer by hospital volume in Belgium, based on 11 validated process quality indicators. METHODS: Three databases were linked at the patient level: the Cancer Registry, the population and the claims databases. All women with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate efficacy and functional results (sexual activity) of vaginal flap for rectovaginal fistula in Crohn's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From May 2004 to March 2008, we proposed a vaginal flap in patients who had a rectovaginal fistula in Crohn's disease and for which rectal flap was technically impossible. ...

The fate of chlorantraniliprole was studied in rice field ecosystem, and a simple and reliable analytical method was developed for determination of chlorantraniliprole in soil, rice straw, paddy water and brown rice. Chlorantraniliprole residues were extracted from samples with acetonitrile. The extract was cleaned up with QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, ...

Head to head trials have been proposed as an alternative to the ethical and methodological concerns related to placebo-controlled trials. While those studies may be particularly informative from the clinical and cost-effectiveness point-of-view, avoiding placebo poses several regulatory concerns: for superiority designs, the choice of the trial population, outcomes, dose ...

CCl(4) induces oxidative stress in various tissues by altering antioxidant enzymes defense system. In this study we investigated the chemical composition and protective role of Oxalis corniculata methanol extract (OCME) on CCl(4)-induced nephrotoxicity in rat. Presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phlobatannins and steroids was determined in OCME ...

Tumor biomarkers increasingly provide information for predicting outcomes with chemotherapeutic regimens (personalized medicine). Topo2A is a DNA helicase targeted by anthracyclines, cytotoxic therapeutics used in both adjuvant and palliative treatments of breast cancer. TOP2A gene amplification/deletion is implicated in response to anthracycline-based chemotherapy. We describe an approach for analyzing formalin-fixed, ...

The efficacy of 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (DMF), a methylated analog of chrysin, as a therapeutic agent to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was investigated. Using a panel of ALL cell lines, the IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) of DMF varied between 2.8 and 7.0 μg/ml. DMF induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, concomitant with ...