Environmental exposure of the general population to asbestos in Poland is mainly due to degradation of very popular asbestos-cement products and the resultant release of the elementary asbestos fibres into the ambient air. Assessments of environmental pollution by asbestos were based on the volume of the raw material used, amount ...

Accumulating evidence has indicated that inflammatory responses are important for cancer development. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduces the risk of colon cancer development. Subsequently, mouse genetic studies have shown that cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, one of the target molecules of NSAIDs, and its downstream ...

BACKGROUND: Although laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) are the most common bariatric procedures performed in the past decade, little is known about their long-term (>5 years) outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective outcome study investigated 148 consecutive patients from a single practice who underwent LAGB from November ...

Bivalent histamine H₂ receptor (H₂R) agonists were synthesized by connecting pharmacophoric 3-(2-amino-4-methylthiazol-5-yl)-, 3-(2-aminothiazol-5-yl)-, 3-(imidazol-4-yl)- or 3-(1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)-propylguanidine moieties by N^G-acylation with alkanedioic acids of various chain lengths. The compounds were investigated for H₂R agonism in GTPase and [³⁵S]GTPγS binding assays at guinea-pig (gp) and human (h) H₂R-GsαS fusion proteins including various ...

For at least half a century, noninvasive techniques have been available to quantify skin barrier function, and these have shown that a number of human skin conditions and disorders are associated with defects in skin permeability. In the past decade, several genes responsible for skin barrier defects observed in both ...

The study aimed at assessment of the Polish occupational medicine service system after over ten years of functioning in the current shape, made by occupational nurses. The article focuses on the job satisfaction level among Polish occupational medicine nurses. The survey was performed among 600 randomly selected occupational medicine nurses, ...

Bacteriophage ΦCP24R was isolated from raw sewage from a waste treatment plant, and lytic activity was observed against a type A Clostridium perfringens isolate. Electron microscopy revealed a small virion (44-nm-diameter icosahedral capsid) with a short, non-contractile tail, indicative of a member of the family Podoviridae. The phage had a ...

We describe and analyze a periodically-forced difference equation model for malaria in mosquitoes that captures the effects of seasonality and allows the mosquitoes to feed on a heterogeneous population of hosts. We numerically show the existence of a unique globally asymptotically stable periodic orbit and calculate periodic orbits of field-measurable ...

This paper presents enhanced performance of anesthetic propofol biosensors by modifying molecularly imprinted nanocavities of biosensors. In this work, the relationship between molecularly imprinted nanocavities and performance of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) films is investigated. The morphological control of imprinted nanocavities on molecularly imprinted biosensors is done by adjusting polymer ...

We present here the Energetic pharmacophore model representing complementary features of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine for selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition. For the development of pharmacophore hypothesis, a total of 43 previously reported compounds were docked on active site of COX-2 enzyme. The generated pharmacophore features were ranked using energetic terms of Glide ...

While recent studies have shown that for some peptides, such as oligoglycines and Leu-enkephalin, mid-sized b fragment ions exist as a mixture of oxazolone and macrocycle structures, other primary structure motifs, such as QWFGLM, are shown to exclusively give rise to macrocycle structures. The aim of this study was to ...

Exposure of 4-azachalcones to HCl gas produced the corresponding HCl salts with a head-to-tail stacked alignment, irradiation of which produced the corresponding syn-HT dimers with high regio- and stereoselectivities, thus showing the effectiveness of the cascade process in crystals.

A 50-year-old woman presented with fatigue and shortness of breath. Dyspnea after moderate exertion had developed gradually, along with profound malaise and a nonproductive cough. In the 48 hours before admission, her shortness of breath had worsened.

BACKGROUND: c-Met is an oncogene encoding a receptor for hepatocyte growth factor and, as such, plays a key role in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). We evaluated c-Met protein expression and its gene amplification in order to assess whether they were related to tumor recurrence and survival rates among patients who had ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to compare the prevalence of cyclops lesions after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using the single-bundle and remnant bundle preservation techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients, who had undergone postoperative MRI of the knee followed by arthroscopic ACLR with the remnant ...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the PM(10) particle fraction collected at two different measuring sites in Zagreb, Croatia. In summer, concentrations of all PAHs at both sites were low. In winter, mass concentrations of all PAHs measured at southern site were much higher than those at north. Contents ...

BACKGROUND: Liver resection (LR) is the only potentially curative treatment of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Its outcome over the past 2 decades was studied using actual 5-year survival rates. METHODS: Data of 393 consecutive patients who underwent LR for CRLM at Mauriziano Umberto I (Turin) until June 2005 were analyzed. ...

RATIONALE: Certain compounds that nonselectively inhibit a prominent human nicotine-metabolizing enzyme (i.e., human cytochrome P-450 2A6, hCYP 2A6) showed inhibition of smoking in humans. However, a comprehensive examination of hCYP 2A6 inhibitors to decrease nicotine self-administration in rats has not been reported. OBJECTIVES: We tested substituted heteroaromatic compounds designed to ...

Skin changes caused by ionizing radiation have been scientifically documented since 1902. Ionizing radiation is a widely accepted form of treatment for various types of cancer. Despite the technological advances, radiation skin injury remains a significant problem. This injury, often referred to as radiation dermatitis, occurs in about 95% of ...

A substantial fraction of T-cell lymphomas carry mutations in two genes - TET2 and DNMT3A - that are involved in DNA methylation. The co-occurrence of these mutations suggests that inhibitors of DNA methylation could possibly have antitumor effects in such patients.

A simple, efficient and cost-effective method for municipal wastewater treatment is examined in this paper. The municipal wastewater is treated using an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor followed by flash aeration (FA) as the post-treatment, without implementing aerobic biological processes. The UASB reactor was operated without recycle, at hydraulic ...

Aplasia of the major salivary glands is a rare condition due to an alteration in the development of the ectodermal tissue of the oral cavity often related to other craniofacial abnormalities or alteration of structures deriving from the first or second archial branch, in particular the lacrimal glands; it can ...

Converging evidence indicates that SOD1 aggregation is a common feature of mutant SOD1-linked fALS, and seems to be directly related to the gain-of-function toxic property. However, the mechanism inducing the aggregation is not understood. To study the contribution of oxidative modification of cysteine residues in SOD1 aggregation, we systematically examined ...

The amount of time an individual spends gazing at images is longer if the depicted person is sexually appealing. Despite an increasing use of such response latencies as a diagnostic tool in applied forensic settings, the underlying processes that drive the seemingly robust effect of longer response latencies for sexually ...

A series of germylene, stannylene and plumbylene complexes [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Ge:] (3a), [η(2)(N,N)-Ph(2)Si(DippN)(2)Ge:] (3b), [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Sn:] (4), [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Pb:](2) (5a), and [η(2)(N,N)-Ph(2)Si(DippN)(2)Pb:] (5b) (Dipp = 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)) bearing bulky bis(amido)silane ligands were readily prepared either by the transamination of M[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2) (M = Sn, Pb) and [Me(2)Si(DippNH)(2)] or by the metathesis reaction of bislithium bis(amido)silane [η(1)(N),η(1)(N)-R(2)Si(DippNLi)(2)] ...

We conducted a study to investigate the characteristics and determinants of ambient bacteria in Taipei, Taiwan from August 2004 to March 2005. We monitored ambient culturable bacteria in Shin-Jhuang City, an urban area in the Taipei metropolitan areas, using duplicate Burkard Portable Air Samplers with R2A agar. The average concentration ...

SUMMARYTrypanosoma evansi is the aetiological agent of trypanosomosis in domestic animals. In this pathology, an inflammatory response can be observed and, as a consequence, the increase of extracellular adenine nucleotides such as ATP. These nucleotide concentrations are regulated by ectoenzymes such as NTPDase (EC 3.6.1.5, CD39), which catalyses the hydrolysis ...

To the Editor: El-Serag (Sept. 22 issue)(1) recommends that for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis, lesions greater than 2 cm in diameter require one study with typical imaging features, whereas lesions 1 to 2 cm in diameter require concordant findings from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance ...

After an initial phase of growth and development, bone undergoes a continuous cycle of repair, renewal and optimisation by a process called remodelling. This paper describes a novel mathematical model of the trabecular bone remodelling cycle. It is essentially formulated to simulate a remodelling event at a fixed position in ...

A plant's own characteristics, but also those of its neighbors, might have an impact on its probability of being colonized by herbivorous insects. A plant might be less colonized and experience associational resistance when it grows near repellent neighbors. In contrast, it might be more colonized and experience associational susceptibility ...

Resistant germplasm resources are valuable for developing resistant varieties in agricultural production. However, recessive resistance genes are usually overlooked in hybrid breeding. Compared with dominant traits, however, they may confer resistance to different pathogenic races or pest biotypes with different mechanisms of action. The recessive rice bacterial blight resistance gene ...

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (XALD), a neurological disorder caused by mutations in the peroxisomal membrane protein gene ABCD1, presents as a rapidly progressing, inflammatory cerebral demyelination (cerebral cases) or a slowly progressing, distal axonopathy (non-cerebral cases). Specific ABCD1 defects do not explain this significant phenotypic variation. Patients have increased plasma and tissue ...

In 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the joints of the hand are affected. Studies of grip strength training have not indicated a negative effect on disease activity after training. Introduction of ultrasound Doppler (USD) to measure increased blood flow induced by inflammation has made it possible to investigate ...

BACKGROUND: Different types of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) have become increasingly popular. Although SILS is technically even more challenging than conventional laparoscopy, published data of first clinical series seem to demonstrate the feasibility of these approaches. Various attempts have been made to overcome restrictions due to loss of triangulation in ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Fat embolism syndrome (FES) associated with acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinical condition following long bone fracture. We have reported 14 victims due to ALI with FES. Our laboratory has developed an animal model that produced fat emboli (FE). The major purpose of this study was to ...

BACKGROUND: In prolonged laparoscopic procedures, hypothermia is frequently observed. The possible influence of the vasodilating action of CO(2), due to its increased levels in the blood during the laparoscopic procedures, has yet to be studied. The objective of this study was, therefore, to evaluate body temperature patterns in pigs subjected ...

Two virus isolates, T1 and T2, causing necrotic spots on leaves and stems of pepper and tomato, respectively, were isolated in the La Joya valley, Arequipa, Peru, in 2010. These two isolates were inoculated to differential hosts for tospoviruses and showed differential fitness: T1 induced necrotic local lesions in Vigna ...

BACKGROUND: Isolated limb perfusion with tumor necrosis factor alpha and melphalan (TM-ILP) has proven to be a successful option in treating advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS), where amputation otherwise is needed to achieve safe surgical margins. METHODS: From 2000 to 2009, 54 patients with locally advanced STS, who all were ...

Three-component synthesis of protected secondary and "for the first time" tertiary homoallylic amines is achieved from carbonyl, carbamate, and allyltrimethylsilanes using a Re(2)O(7)-catalyst under mild and open flask conditions. Excellent chemoselectivities and diastereoselectivities were observed.

To the Editor: In the article by Granger et al. describing the results of the Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) study (Sept. 15 issue),(1) it was disappointing that patients with atrial fibrillation who were treated with warfarin had an international normalized ratio ...

To determine the time when follow-up ultrasound (US) should begin for concordant benign lesions after US-guided 14-gauge core needle breast biopsy (CNB). This was an IRB-approved retrospective study, with a waiver of informed consent. Among 3,888 consecutive US-guided CNBs performed between August 2005 and March 2008, 1,492 breast masses in ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate three different non-invasive measuring devices for the pivot shift phenomenon with reference to direct bony movement measured by an electromagnetic device rigidly attached to the tibia and femur. METHODS: A lower body cadaveric specimen was prepared to create a positive pivot ...

Toxic and essential elements levels (chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, cadmium, and zinc) have been determined in the brain, heart, liver, gill, gonads, spleen, bile and muscle of S. lucioperca, collected from the Caspian Sea by employing Flame- Atomic absorption spectrometry. Results indicated that nearly all of the toxic ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Influenza A virus encodes for eleven proteins, of which HA, NA, NS1 and PB1-F2 have been implicated in viral pathogenicity and virulence. Thus, in addition to the HA and NA gene segments, monitoring diversity of NS1 and PB1-F2 is also important. METHODS: 55 out of 166 circulating influenza ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Zn utilization and status among a sample of Spanish boys consuming a diet based on Mediterranean patterns. DESIGN: Dietary Zn balance was assessed by means of Zn intake in food and Zn output in faeces and urine as measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In addition, biomarkers ...

Advances in genomic technologies and methods of assisted reproduction have opened up new possibilities for testing and screening of prospective parents, their fertilized eggs, their fetuses, and their newborn babies.

Arrhythmogenic effects of slowed action potential conduction produced by the gap junction and sodium-channel inhibitor heptanol (0.1-2 mM: ) were explored in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts. Monophasic action potential recordings showed that 2 mM: heptanol induced ventricular tachycardia in the absence of triggered activity arising from early or after-depolarizations during regular 8 Hz pacing ...

BACKGROUND: Preclinical and clinical data suggest synergy for gemcitabine and oxaliplatin. These agents were tested in several known cancers that also comprise the common carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) subtypes; namely, lung and pancreaticobiliary profiles. METHODS: The study enrolled 29 patients of whom 28 patients were eligible for treatment. Gemcitabine ...

PURPOSE: To assess the capability of a commercial sonoelastography system to detect small tendon lesions by quantitative analysis of elastogram profiles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Strips of equine digital flexor tendons were used to model small human tendons. Two tendons were examined. From each tendon, six unmodified tendon strips (controls) and ...

Clostridium thermocellum has the ability to catabolize cellulosic biomass into ethanol, but acetic acid, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gas (H(2)) are also produced. The effect of hydrogenase inhibitors (H(2), carbon monoxide (CO), and methyl viologen) on product selectivity was investigated. The anticipated effect of these hydrogenase inhibitors was ...