Pneumococcal infections are a major public health problem because of the virulence of this bacterium and its ability to develop resistance. Two hundred and ninety-four strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated from sterile (56.8%) and non-sterile samples (43.2%), from January 2001 to July 2010. The interpretation of antibiotic susceptibility testing, according ...

Microwave has nonthermal effects on enzymatic reactions, mainly caused by the polarities of the solvents and substrates. In this experiment, a model reaction with caprylic acid and butanol that was catalyzed by lipase from Mucor miehei in alkanes or arenes was employed to investigate the nonthermal effect in nonaqueous enzymatic ...

The aim of this study is to investigate if there is a change in oxygen saturation and blood flow in the different parts of the trapezius muscle in office workers with and without trapezius myalgia during a standardized computer task. Twenty right-handed office workers participated; ten were recruited based on ...

Organometallic ruthenium(ii) anticancer complexes [(η(6)-arene)Ru(en)Cl][PF(6)] (e.g. arene = biphenyl (bip, 1), indane (ind, 2); en = ethylenediamine) bind to N7 of guanine (G) in DNA selectively. The fragment {(η(6)-bip)Ru(en)}(2+) (1') bound to N7 of one guanine residue at a 14-mer duplex DNA migrates readily to other guanine residues in both ...

In this work nanocomposites based on organic-capped semiconductor nanocrystals formed of a core of CdSe coated with a shell of ZnS (CdSe@ZnS), with different sizes, and a semiconducting conjugated polymer, namely poly[(9,9-dihexylfluoren-2,7-diyl)-alt- (2,5-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)] (PF-DMB) have been investigated. The nanocomposites are prepared by mixing the pre-synthesized components in organic solvents, thereby ...

New biological materials for tissue engineering are now being developed using common genetic engineering capabilities to clone and express a variety of genetic elements that allow cost-effective purification and scaffold fabrication from these recombinant proteins, peptides or from chimeric combinations of these. The field is limitless as long as the ...

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers against four organophosphorus pesticides (phorate, profenofos, isocarbophos and omethoate) were simultaneously isolated from an immobilized random ssDNA library by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique. After 12 rounds of in vitro selection, five ssDNA aptamer candidates were selected and their binding affinities were ...

This study was designed to investigate the nootropic activity of Capparis zeylanica Linn. leaves in rats. The raw material of Capparis zeylanica leaves was successively extracted with petroleum ether and methanol using a Soxhlet apparatus and macerated to form an aqueous extract. The methanolic and aqueous extracts were evaluated for ...

CLN3 is an endosomal/lysosomal transmembrane protein mutated in classical juvenile onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, a fatal inherited neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder. The function of CLN3 in endosomal/lysosomal events has remained elusive due to poor understanding of its interactions in these compartments. It has previously been shown that the localisation of ...

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) makes it possible to obtain insight into the structure, composition and reactivity of photocatalysts, which are of fundamental interest for sustainable energy research. Such insight can be used for further material optimization. Here, we combine conventional TEM analysis of photocatalysts with environmental TEM (ETEM) and photoactivation ...

Background Good Pharmacy Practice is the process of supplying the accurate drug to the right patient for an adequate period of time with the lowest cost to the patient and the community. Pharmacist have a crucial role in promoting good pharmacy practice. Objective To assess the dispensing practice of the ...

A new type of nanomaterial has been developed as antibacterial additive for food packaging applications. This nanocomposite is composed of copper nanoparticles embedded in polylactic acid, combining the antibacterial properties of copper nanoparticles with the biodegradability of the polymer matrix. Metal nanoparticles have been synthesised by means of laser ablation, ...

Bombesin (BN) is an amphibian peptide that binds to the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). It has been demonstrated that BN analogues can be radiolabeled for potential diagnosis and treatment of GRPR-expressing malignancies. Previous studies have conjugated various chelators to the eight C-terminal amino acids of BN [BN(7-14)] for radiolabeling with ...

PURPOSE: Recently, a computer-assisted navigation system has been used for the quantitative evaluation not only of anterior-posterior (AP) laxity but also rotational laxity of the tibia intraoperatively. The purpose of this study was to investigate how intraoperative AP or rotational laxities measured by the navigation system could correlate with postoperative ...

The sequence-specific transfer of methyl groups from donor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to certain positions of DNA-adenine or -cytosine residues by DNA methyltransferases (MTases) is a major form of epigenetic modification. It is virtually ubiquitous, except for some notable exceptions. Site-specific methylation can be regarded as a means to increase DNA information ...

DNA strands have been used as templates for the self-assembly of smooth and conductive cuprous oxide (Cu(2)O) nanowires of diameter 12-23 nm and whose length is determined by the template (16 μm for λ-DNA). A combination of spectroscopic, diffraction and probe microscopy techniques showed that these nanowires comprise single crystallites of Cu(2)O ...

Bioactive glass/polymer composites are promising materials for bone tissue engineering. The present research group has developed porous hybrid scaffolds comprised of 50% polyvinyl alcohol/50% bioactive glass with a 70%SiO(2)-30%CaO composition. Prior studies have also shown the adequate structural and mechanical behavior of these scaffolds. As such, the present study investigates ...

Burkitt lymphoma/leukaemia is the most common (40%) form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that occurs in children and adolescents. The prognosis of advanced (disseminated) Burkitt lymphoma/leukaemia in children and adolescents three decades ago had a 5-year event-free survival (EFS) of <40%, and required combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy over a 1-2 year period. ...

PURPOSE: To compare diagnostic performance and interobserver variability in a group of 36 examiners, with four different levels of experience. METHODS: Nine junior trainees, eight level I senior trainees, 11 level II senior gynecologists, and eight level III expert sonologists classified 105 ultrasound images of adnexal masses into three subgroups ...

To compare pain scores during laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) between first-eye surgery and second-eye surgery. Private practice, Beirut, Lebanon. Cohort study. Sequential bilateral LASIK was performed between January 2010 and January 2011 by the same surgeon using a Schwind Amaris excimer laser. Hemodynamics and intraocular pressure (IOP) were monitored ...

Lateral root (LR) development performs the essential tasks of providing water, nutrients, and physical support to plants. Therefore, understanding the regulation of LR development is of agronomic importance. In this study, we examined the effect of nitric oxide (NO), auxin, and hemin (Hm) on LR formation in rice. Treatment with ...

3,4-Bis(1H-5-tetrazolyl)furoxan (H(2) BTF, 2) and its monoanionic salts that contain nitrogen-rich cations were readily synthesized and fully characterized by multinuclear NMR ((1) H, (13) C) and IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and elemental analyses. Hydrazinium (3) and 4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium (7) salts crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n and have ...

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is latent in the majority of adult humans. The reactivation of CMV causes pneumonia and gastrointestinal disease in severely immunosuppressed patients, who consequently suffer very high mortality due to CMV central nervous system disease. We report here a case involving a 28-year-old female patient with mycosis fungoides ...

Objective: The aim of the study is to summarize the effects of timing of initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) on mortality. Methods: A systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other clinical studies was performed without language restriction in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. We estimated pooled ...

The prevalence of isolated calf deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the community setting is relatively unexplored. Confusion remains with regards to its management and contemporary natural history. The purpose of this investigation was to describe the number of cases of calf DVT in the community, use of early management strategies, ...

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of repeatability of the CRL measurement and examine the effect on first trimester combined screening. METHODS: Intra- and inter-operator repeatability of CRL measurement at 11-13 weeks was assessed 124 cases by two operators. The raw data was transformed into gestational age and intra- and interoperator repeatability was examined ...

Recent literature highlights the importance of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the biology of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs), unraveling differences with respect to their normal counterparts. Expansion of mammospheres (MS) is a valuable tool for the in vitro study of normal and cancer mammary gland stem cells. Here, we expanded MSs ...

BACKGROUND: The high incidence of the metabolic syndrome in patients with psychosis is mainly attributed to antipsychotic treatment. However, it is also possible that psychological stress plays a role, inducing a chronic inflammatory process that may predispose to the development of metabolic abnormalities. We investigated the association between childhood maltreatment ...

BACKGROUND: The base rate of transition from subthreshold psychotic experiences (the exposure) to clinical psychotic disorder (the outcome) in unselected, representative and non-help-seeking population-based samples is unknown.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of representative, longitudinal population-based cohorts with baseline assessment of subthreshold psychotic experiences and follow-up assessment of psychotic ...

Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical, widely used as an insecticide in agriculture and other domestic applications. The previous reports indicated that permethrin is a highly toxic synthetic pyrethroid pesticide to human and environmental health. Therefore, the present experiment was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of olive leaf extract in ...

Heterozygous mutations of TCF2 (transcription factor 2) have been associated with maturity onset diabetes of the young, renal malformations, hyperuricemia, and occasionally internal genital malformations in female. We report a female patient with bilateral renal hypodysplasia and de novo heterozygous TCF2 gene mutation. At the age of 9 yr, she ...

This study reports seven rare cases of non-cerebral coenurosis in sheep. The sheep were slaughtered in abattoirs of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) but originated from India, Iran, Oman and Sudan. The prevalence of infection with non-cerebral coenurosis was 0.008%. The locations of the cysts were the triceps brachii muscle, ...

This paper investigates the roles of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and metallic SWNTs in the SWNT/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based photovoltaic conversion system. SWNTs containing different fractions of semiconducting nanotubes were conjugated with P3HT by virtue of π-π interaction. The energy transfer and carrier transport mechanisms in the photovoltaic composites were experimentally ...

The best strategy to identify women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is unclear. To perform a systematic review to calculate summary estimates of the sensitivity and specificity of the 50-g glucose challenge test for GDM. Systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science. Articles that compared the 50-g glucose ...

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and sodium-based MELD variants in predicting survival following paracetamol overdose remains unclear. AIM: To examine the prognostic accuracy of sodium-based MELD variants in paracetamol-induced acute liver injury compared with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. METHODS: Retrospective ...

Chordomas are midline tumors that arise from embryonic remnants of the notochord and are considered to be malignant tumors because of their tendency to invade and destroy the involved bone. Cases of intradural chordomas without bone involvement have been rarely described with a predilection for prepontine location. The absence of ...

We describe complexation reactions of insulin and other proteins with metal ions generated from the substrate surface by laser irradiation in laser desorption spray post-ionization mass spectrometry (LDSPI-MS). This particular type of complexation reaction in LDSPI-MS was investigated for the first time, which indicated that the mechanistic process of LDSPI-MS ...

In cases of placenta previa, the distance from the placental edge to the internal os is determinant in deciding on the mode of delivery that will minimize the risk of hemorrhage. The reproducibility and interobserver reliability of this measure are unknown. The internal os is not a point, as two-dimensional ...

Objective: In this study, the therapeutic and protective effects of montelukast against cisplatin (CP)-induced acute renal damage were investigated. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five female rats were divided into five groups as follows: (1) control, (2) montelukast (10 mg/kg daily for 10 days per-oral (p.o.), (3) CP (single dose 7 mg/kg ...

A poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith and a poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith were prepared in fused silica capillaries (100 μm ID) and modified with monomeric avidin using the glutaraldehyde technique. The biotin binding capacity of monolithic affinity columns with immobilized monomeric avidin (MACMAs) was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy using biotin (5-fluorescein) conjugate, ...

The avian pineal is a directly photosensory organ taking part in the organization of the circadian and seasonal rhythms. It plays an important role in regulation of many behavior and physiological phenomena including migration. The aim of the study was to investigate morphology of the pineal organ in the common ...

Trifluorovinyl groups are introduced onto the cyclopentadienyl ligands of ferrocene at the 1-, 1,1'-, and 1,2-positions by Negishi-type and Stille-type coupling reactions of trifluorovinylzinc chloride and tri-n-butyltrifluorovinyl stannane with several iodoferrocenes. Modification of the trifluorovinyl group by nucleophilic substitution and [2+2] cycloaddition make them versatile building blocks for synthetic transformations. ...

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is difficult to diagnose and is characterised by burning pain in one or more limbs. Treatment is palliative not curative and focuses on improving function. This requires patients to make long-term changes to their behaviour. As with all such regimens, adherence is often poor. This ...

Cell cycle transitions depend on protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. The discovery of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and their mode of activation by their cyclin partners explained many important aspects of cell cycle control. As the cell cycle is basically a series of recurrences of a defined set of events, protein phosphatases ...

Calcium is essential for functioning of different systems including male reproduction. However, it has also been reported as chemo-castrative agent. The study has been undertaken to elucidate the effect of excessive dietary calcium on male reproductive system in animals with possible action. Adult male healthy rats fed CaCl(2) at different ...

It is now well documented that androgen and estrogen signaling during early development cause a sexual dimorphism in second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D). It is also well documented that males of mammalian species have a smaller 2D:4D than females. Although there are discrepancies among 2D:4D studies in birds, the consensus ...

In the hippocampus, neurons and fiber projections are strictly organized in layers and supplied with oxygen via a vascular network that also develops layer-specific characteristics in wild-type mice, as shown in the present study for the first time in a quantitative manner. By contrast, in the reeler mutant, well known ...

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor based on molecularly imprinted ultra-thin films was developed for detecting profenofos in real samples. Films prepared by physical entrapment (MIP-A) and in situ self-assembly (MIP-B) were compared. The results indicated that the best sensing signal was obtained through the in situ self-assembly method. The ...

This paper determines if the leveling off ('plateau/inverted-U' phenomenon) of vertical ActiGraph activity counts during running at higher speeds is attributable to the monitor's signal filtering and acceleration detection characteristics. Ten endurance-trained male participants (mean (SD) age = 28.2 (4.7) years) walked at 3, 5 and 7 km h(-1), and ...

In this paper, the use of magnetic nanowires for the study of cellular response to force is demonstrated. High-aspect ratio Ni rods with diameter 300 nm and lengths up to 20 μm were bound to or internalized by pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured on arrays of flexible micropost force sensors. ...