To study the inhibitory effect of nuclear transcription factor-kappa B(NF-κB) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide(ASODN) on the growth and tumorgenesis of human gastric cancer. We synthesized and transfected the ASODN of NF-κB/P65 to gastric cancer cell line. The effect of ASODN of NF-κB/P65 on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells was measured by ...

Background Recently several developed countries have improved the safety and efficacy of drugs used in infants and pediatric patients. Most drugs administered to adults have licensed approvals outlining indications, doses, and the recommended route of administration. However, many drugs that are given to children are unlicensed or used off-label. Objectives ...

Recombinant muscle glycogen synthase-1 (GYS1) and recombinant liver glycogen synthase-2 (GYS2) were phosphorylated by recombinant AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in a time-dependent manner and to a similar stoichiometry. The phosphorylation site in GYS2 was identified as Ser7, which lies in a favorable consensus for phosphorylation by AMPK. Phosphorylation of GYS1 ...

The role of dopamine D1 receptors in prefrontal cortex function, including working memory, is well acknowledged. However, relatively little is known about their role in other cognitive or emotional functions. We measured both D1 and D2 receptors in the brain using positron emission tomography in healthy subjects, with the aim ...

BACKGROUND: Depressed mood following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a risk factor for future cardiac morbidity. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation is associated with depression, and may be a process through which depressive symptoms influence later cardiac health. Additionally, a history of depression predicts depressive symptoms in the weeks following ...

The white blood cell count and mean platelet volume determined shortly after the symptom onset are known as independent predictors for clinical outcome after stroke. In the present study we sought to evaluate the prognostic value of platelet-derived inflammatory biomarkers measured prospectively after an ischaemic event. Using five-colour flow cytometry, ...

Purpose: Hip replacements are one of the most common operations for individuals with hip osteoarthritis. There have been numerous quantitative studies investigating the recovery from joint replacement surgery and these show how effective and satisfied patients are. However, little qualitative work has been conducted to explore patients' actual experiences. Therefore, ...

To document the neurological outcome, spinal alignment and segmental range of movement after oblique cervical corpectomy (OCC) for cervical compressive myelopathy. This retrospective study included 109 patients--93 with cervical spondylotic myelopathy and 16 with ossified posterior longitudinal ligament in whom spinal curvature and range of segmental movements were assessed on ...

A series of stilbazolium dimers were synthesized and investigated as sterically demanding ligands targeting the norepinephrine transporter (NET). The environmentally sensitive fluorescence of the dyes enables their use as self-reporting ligands; binding to and displacement from NET can be monitored by fluorescence microscopy.

Purpose:  The aim was to determine the cytotoxic effects of three multipurpose solutions (MPS) on human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) and to assess the metabolic rates of recovering cells at different levels of cell membrane damage. Method:  The effects of one to 15 minutes exposure to multipurpose solutions containing polyquaternium-1 ...

Candidaemias account for 10-20% of nosocomial bloodstream infections depending on the study. Whilst Candida albicans remains the most frequently isolated species, Candida glabrata may be responsible for as many as 10-25% of all candidaemias. Moreover, C. glabrata is generally less susceptible to the azole antifungals than the majority of other ...

The ability of humans to digest the milk component lactose after weaning requires persistent production of the lactose-converting enzyme lactase. Genetic variation in the promoter of the lactase gene (LCT) is known to be associated with lactase production and is therefore a genetic determinant for either lactase deficiency or lactase ...

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a lysosphingolipid associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL), contributes to the anti-atherogenic potential attributed to this lipoprotein. This study examined whether a reduction of S1P plasma levels affects atherosclerosis in a murine model of disease. LDL-R-/-mice on Western diet were given ABC294640, an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase (SphK) ...

Epigenetics represents a phenomenon of altered heritable phenotypic expression of genetic information occurring without changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications control embryonic development, differentiation and stem cell (re)programming. These modifications can be affected by exogenous stimuli (e.g., diabetic milieu, smoking) and oftentimes culminate in disease initiation. DNA methylation has been ...

In this study, I investigated the source(s) of variation in the body temperatures of mammals. I also attempted to reconstruct ancestral normothermic rest-phase body temperature states using a maximum parsimony approach. Body temperature at the familial level is not correlated with body mass. For small mammals, except the Macroscelidae, previously ...

A highly efficient microprojectile transformation system for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) has been developed by using immature embryos (IEs) of inbred line Tx430. Co-bombardment was performed with the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene and the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene, both under the control of the maize ubiquitin1 (ubi1) promoter. ...

In Europe, swine influenza is considered one of the most important primary pathogens of swine respiratory disease and infection is primarily with H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 influenza A viruses. The antigenetic characteristics of these viruses distinguish them from others circulating at a global level in pigs. These viruses have remained ...

The extent and depth of traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major determining factor together with the type of structural insult and its location, whether mild, moderate or severe, as well as the distribution and magnitude of inflammation and loss of cerebrovascular integrity, and the eventual efficacy of intervention. The ...

Two molecular methods, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with the Universal ProbeLibrary (UPL) probe, were developed and used for the characterization and quantification of several microcystin producers in Moo-Tan Reservoir (MTR), Taiwan and its associated water treatment plant (Shih-Men Water Treatment Plant, SMWTP). ...

Abstract -  Background: Owing to a lack of symptoms and difficult visualization in routine intraoral radiographs, diagnosis of external root resorptions can be challenging. Aim: The goal of this study was to compare two image acquisition methods, intraoral radiographs and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), in the diagnosis of external resorption. Material and ...

In modern taxonomy, DNA barcoding is particularly useful where biometric parameters are difficult to determine or useless owing to the poor quality of samples. These situations are frequent in parasitology. Here, we present an integrated study, based on both DNA barcoding and morphological analysis, on cestodes belonging to the genus ...

The aim of this paper was to determine the level of five elements, two essential for life [zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)] and three distinctly toxic [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)], in four types of biological material in bones of the dog Canis lupus familiaris. The experiment was ...

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the functional status of patients with low back pain and the perceived importance of pain-related everyday functions assessed in the Oswestry Disability Index. Design: The sample was based on 219 successive adult patients with low back pain referred ...

PURPOSE: Some studies have investigated knee flexion angle on the sagittal plane and insertion angle of the cross-pin on the coronal plane to evaluate proper femoral fixation. They evaluated the possibilities of injury to the posterolateral (PL) and neurovascular structures using several methods. The purposes of this study were to ...

Objectives: Health technology assessment (HTA) was established in Austria in the 1990s and, since then, it has gained considerable importance. In this study, we aim to analyze whether the HTA reports that have been produced at the Institute for Technology Assessment (ITA) and at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for HTA ...

As a prelude to engineering artificial energy conversion proteins emulating biology, we examine the inclusion of a synthetic naphthoquinone amino acid in a characterized host-guest protein and determine the effects of its quinone and hydroquinone forms on the helix-coil distribution.

Apocynin is a naturally occurring acetophenone widely used as an inhibitor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Recent data suggested that apocynin might exert NADPH oxidase-independent pharmacological properties. Among them, vasorelaxant properties have been described, but the mechanisms still give rise to debates. The present study investigated the mechanisms ...

Skeletal muscles in animals with metabolic syndrome exhibit reduced oxidative capacity. We investigated the effects of running exercise on fiber characteristics, oxidative capacity, and mRNA levels in the soleus muscles of rats with metabolic syndrome [SHR/NDmcr-cp (cp/cp); CP]. We divided 5-week-old CP rats into non-exercise (CP) and exercise (CP-Ex) groups. ...

In this paper, we describe a comprehensive general system adapted for quantitative fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurement using signals from three channels of a fluorescence instrument. The general FRET measurement system involves two established methods, as well as two novel approaches. Unlike the previous measurements, which can be taken ...

BACKGROUND: Use of Ta biomaterials in medicine started in the middle of the last century. The good biocompatibility and chemical stability, and the unique physical characteristics of Ta metal have resulted in many possible developments of Ta biomaterials. METHODS: In this study, histopathological observation, histomorphometric analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM) ...

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is typically a disease of older individuals. Yet most of the literature on various chemotherapeutic regimens includes patients who are 10 to 15 years younger than the median age at diagnosis of this disease. The older patient population is grossly underrepresented in clinical trials. Currently available therapies ...

Isobutene (2-methylpropene) is one of those chemicals for which bio-based production might replace the petrochemical production in the future. Currently, more than 10 million metric tons of isobutene are produced on a yearly basis. Even though bio-based production might also be achieved through chemocatalytic or thermochemical methods, this review focuses ...

Neurological involvement may be seen in 5-30% of the patients with Behcet's disease (BD). Occasionally, parenchymal neurological involvement in BD can present as a spinal cord syndrome. However, motor neuron disease-like presentation is extremely uncommon. Here we are reporting five patients (all male; median age, 38) fulfilling both International Study ...

An original technique for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament is explained. Two bundles are reconstructed using the central third of the patellar tendon and the gracilis tendon, passed through four tunnels but requiring only two interference screws for fixation. Level of evidence V.

The diagnostic value of D-dimer (DD) in the exclusion of proximal deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is well-established but is less well-known in the exclusion of distal (infrapopliteal) DVT. Therefore, we evaluated the diagnostic abilities of five DD assays (Vidas-DD, Liatest-DD, HemosIL-DD, HemosIL-DDHS, Innovance-DD) for excluding symptomatic proximal and distal leg DVT. ...

Four series of forty-five nitrogen-containing polyhydroxylated aromatics based on caffeic acid phenethyl ester were designed and synthesized as HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitors. Most of these compounds inhibited IN catalytic activities in low micromolar range. Among these new analogues, compounds 9e and 9f were the most potent IN inhibitors with IC(50) ...

The anticorrosive agents 1H-benzotriazole (1H-BT), 4-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (4Me-BT) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5Me-BT), which are usually added to dishwasher detergents, automotive antifreeze formulations and aircraft de-icing/anti-icing fluids (ADAFs), were measured in river water. Samples were collected from 15 sampling sites in the mainstream and selected tributaries of a medium-sized catchment area during summer ...

Advanced age is considered an unfavourable prognostic factor for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). The optimal treatment for these patients is not yet defined, especially for the advanced stages. We analysed the outcome and prognostic relevance of patient and disease characteristics in 46 advanced stage HL patients who were older than 45 years, ...

With the expiry or pending expiry of originator low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) patents, pharmaceutical companies have invested in developing non-proprietary versions of LMWHs. LMWHs are manufactured by depolymerising highly purified unfractionated heparin. In contrast to traditional synthetic drugs with well-defined chemical structures, LMWHs contain complex oligosaccharide mixtures and the different manufacturing ...

The design and development of an extraordinarily interesting new class of chiral sulfur-olefin hybrid ligands with remarkable structural simplicity were described. These unique sulfinamide-olefin ligands have been proved to be highly effective ligands in rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of aryl boronic acids to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (up to 99% yield ...

Summary  Fungaemia is an increasing nosocomial pathology. The 'gold standard' for detection of fungaemia is blood culture, but it is time-consuming and its sensitivity for early detection is low. On the other hand, yeasts present different antifungal sensitivity patterns to be quickly detected to allow an effective treatment. The aim ...

We conducted this study to gauge the health-related problems, quality of life and the performance of the Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI-3) in patients with syndromic and complex craniosynostosis. Patients with syndromic and complex craniosynostosis have various physical and mental problems. More insight on these problems, per syndrome, could ...

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 plays an important role in cardiovascular events. However, the mechanisms underlying in vivo activation of MMP-9 are largely unknown. We investigated the secretion and activation of MMP-9 under a cell-to-cell interaction, and the effects of hypoxia and cytokine. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and THP-1 (human ...

Marijuana smoke contains many of the same constituents as tobacco smoke, but whether it has similar adverse effects on pulmonary function is unclear. To analyze associations between marijuana (both current and lifetime exposure) and pulmonary function. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a longitudinal study collecting ...

PURPOSE: We hypothesized that: (1) intraabdominal hypertension increases pulmonary inflammatory and fibrogenic responses in acute lung injury (ALI); (2) in the presence of intraabdominal hypertension, higher tidal volume reduces lung damage in extrapulmonary ALI, but not in pulmonary ALI. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly allocated to receive Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide ...

RATIONALE: Smokers show heightened activation toward smoking-related stimuli and experience increased cravings which can precipitate smoking cessation relapse. Exercise can be effective for modulating cigarette cravings and attenuating reactivity to smoking cues, but the mechanism by which these effects occur remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to ...

Vascular cognitive impairment is an umbrella term for cognitive dysfunction associated with and presumed to be caused by vascular brain damage. Autopsy studies have identified microinfarcts as an important neuropathological correlate of vascular cognitive impairment that escapes detection by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As a frame of reference for ...

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) surgical imaging systems provide stereoscopic depth cues that are lost in conventional two-dimensional (2D) display systems. Recent improvements in stereoscopic projection technology using passive polarising displays may improve performance of minimally invasive surgical skills. This study aims to identify the effect of passive polarising stereoscopic displays on ...

Eukaryotic initiation factors 3 (EIF3) complex is essential for initiation of protein synthesis for both cells and virus. It consists of 13 subunits (EIF3A to M), among which EIF3B serves as a major scaffolding subunit. However, its functions in human glioblastoma have not been explored yet. Here, we showed that ...

Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling is a major determinant of various processes during embryonic development and has a pivotal role in embryonic skeletal development. A specific spatial and temporal expression of Ihh within the developing limb buds is essential for accurate digit outgrowth and correct digit number. Although missense mutations in ...