Background: Aliskiren, a novel direct renin inhibitor, is hypothesized to inhibit the renin-angiotensin- system. This study attempted to provide insight into this mechanism by examining the antihypertensive and renoprotective effects of aliskiren in hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: After recruitment, 43 hypertensive CKD patients (mean age, 53.7 years) ...

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 ...

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 ...

A separation story! A microporous metal-organic framework (UTSA-34) of non-interpenetrated binodal (4,6)-connected ybh network with interconnected cages of about 12.8 Å has been realised to exhibit highly selective separation of C(2) hydrocarbons from methane with a separation capacity of 3.0 mol kg(-1) and selectivity of 35 at room temperature.

Honokiol, a constituent of Magnolia obovata, has various pharmacological effects, including protection against cerebral ischemia. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effects of honokiol against cerebral ischemia. We recently reported that cerebral ischemic neuronal damage could be triggered by glucose intolerance that develops after 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 ...

Enzymatic fingerprinting of polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale was studied and applied to authenticate Dendrobium species. Results showed that Dendrobium officinale species from Anhui province, Fujian province, Yunnan province, Guangdong province and Guangxi province of China, could be identified by polysaccharide analysis using carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE). However, the fingerprints of ...

The methanol extract from the bark of Shorea roxburghii (Dipterocarpaceae, "Phayom" in Thai) was found to suppress plasma triglyceride elevation in olive oil-treated mice, and also to inhibit pancreatic lipase activity (IC(50) = 31.6 μg/ml). From the extract, two new 3-acetyl-4-phenyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins, phayomphenols A(1) (1) and A(2) (2) were isolated, together with 22 known ...

sVEPs are generally used to rapidly obtain visual acuity. Several studies have determined the reliability of acuity measurements with psychophysical techniques. The aim of this study was to determine the intersession and intrasession variabilities of sVEP measurements. Twenty-four normal, adult subjects took part in this project. Stimulus production and data ...

Alpha-momorcharin (α-MC), a member of the ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) family, has been used not only as antiviral, antimicrobial, and antitumor agents, but also as toxicant to protozoa, insects, and fungi. In this study, we expressed the protein in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) pLysS strain and purified it by nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid ...

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 ...

Brucellosis is considered the most widespread zoonosis in the world. It has been reported that the prevalence of seropositivity among the Turkish population varies from 3% to 14%. We present a case of brucellosis after pediatric liver transplantation. A 15-year-old boy with the diagnosis of neuro Wilson's disease underwent deceased-donor ...

The major murein and pseudomurein cell wall-binding domains, i.e., the Lysin Motif (LysM) (Pfam PF01476) and pseudomurein cell wall-binding (PMB) (Pfam PF09373) motif, respectively, were genetically fused. The fusion protein is capable of binding to both murein- and pseudomurein-containing cell walls. In addition, it also binds to chitin, the major ...

Bacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, which causes anthrax, an often lethal disease of animals and humans. Although the disease has been well studied since the nineteenth century, it has witnessed a renewed interest during the past decade, due to its use as a bioterrorist agent in the fall ...

Introduction and Aims. Although, in the laboratory, most acute adverse effects of cocaine are dose-dependent and alcohol potentiates some of these effects, there are few observational studies, and scarce awareness that the risk of acute cocaine intoxication (ACI) can increase as the amounts of cocaine and alcohol consumed increase. Our ...

A recent paper (Kim et al 2010 Nanotechnology 21 425102) presented results on the combination of irradiation by atomic ions of cells loaded by particles made of heavy atoms. They propose that the projectile induced x-rays emission (PIXE) mechanism has an important contribution to the enhancement of the cell death rate.Experiments ...

Adequate information about physical activity habits is essential for surveillance, implementing, and evaluating public health initiatives in this area. Previous studies have shown that question order and differences in wording result in systematic differences in people's responses to questionnaires; however, this has never been shown for physical activity questions. The ...

Comparative ecological and behavioural studies of the widespread and diverse Vespertilionidae, which comprise almost 400 of the 1100 bat species, have been limited by the availability of markers. The potential of new methods for developing conserved microsatellite markers that possess enhanced cross-species utility has recently been illustrated in studies of ...

By employing aerobic oxidation to aldehydes as a more effective alcohol activation strategy, we developed a green Cu-catalyzed N-alkylation method for various amides and amines with alcohols. This reaction is more advantageous than the literature methods for it uses a ligand-free copper catalyst, can be readily carried out under milder ...

One of the long-standing arguments about the evolution of bipedality centers on the locomotor pattern used by the last common ancestor (LCA) of apes and humans. In particular, knuckle-walking has been suggested as this locomotor pattern on the basis of shared morphology in the upper limb between African apes and ...

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: Olive oil mill wastewater (OMW), a by-product of the olive oil extraction process, is annually produced in huge amounts in olive-growing areas and represents a significant environmental problem in Mediterranean areas. We studied the impact of OMW dilutions (1:20 and 1:10) on spinach plants in order ...

Electrolyte disorders can alter cardiac ionic currents and depending on the changes can promote proarrhythmic effects. Potassium (K(+)) is the most common intracellular cation related to arrhythmic disorders. Hyperkalemia is mainly seen in the setting of impaired renal function. Severe hyperkalemia may lead to rhythm disorders. Herein, we report a ...

INTRODUCTION: Trends in precipitation pH and conductivity during 1992-2009, and in ionic compositions from January 2007 to June 2009, are reported from Lushan Mountain, one of the highest mountains in mid-east China. Annual mean pH was in the range of 4.35-5.01 and showed a statistically very significant (P < 0.01) decreasing trend ...

PURPOSE: The role of water in the transmission of infectious diseases is well defined; it may act as a reservoir of different types of pathogens. Enteric viruses can survive and persist for a long time in water, maintaining infectivity in many instances. This suggests the need to include virus detection ...

ABSTRACT: Sinorhizobium meliloti is a microorganism commercially used in the production of e.g. Medicago sativa seed inocula. Many inocula are powder-based and production includes a drying step. Although S. meliloti survives drying well, the quality of the inocula is reduced during this process. In this study we determined survival during ...

In this report, we describe a case of difficult esophageal reconstruction with a pedicled colon segment interposition and a free jejunal flap. Laryngectomy and bilateral neck dissection for larynx carcinoma had been attempted in a 59-year-old patient 6 years previously. The patient then received radiotherapy. One year later, large resection ...

Iron oxyhydroxides (FeOOH) are highly reactive minerals of widespread occurrence in natural and industrial settings. These minerals chiefly occur as nano- to submicron-sized particles and are covered by hydroxyl functional groups coordinated to one (-OH), two (μ-OH), or three (μ(3)-OH) underlying iron atoms. These groups are reaction centers for gases, ...

Cyclopropane rings true: By selecting the appropriate substituents on the ester and silyl groups, fused cyclopentane derivatives with multiple contiguous stereocenters can be synthesized with excellent diastereoselectivity through Cu(II) /bisoxazoline-catalyzed intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates and cyclic enol silyl ethers.

To get further insight in the reaction of nucleophilic substitution upon changing the ligand trans to a η(2)-olefin, the reactivity of some monoanionic platinum(ii) complexes (trans-[PtCl(2)X(η(2)-C(2)H(4))](-), X = Cl(-), 1, OH(-), 2, and CH(2)NO(2)(-), 3) towards pyridines with different steric hindrance (py, 4-Mepy, and 2,6-Me(2)py) has been tested. All crystallographic ...

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) has significantly increased in developing countries such as Egypt. Diabetes mellitus is still the leading cause of ESRD, while numbers of hypertensive patients among that population have significantly risen. Materials and Methods: The data presented in this article were obtained from various nephrology centers in ...

Cellulose II nanowhiskers (CNW-II) were produced by treatment of microcrystalline cellulose with sulfuric acid by both controlling the amount of H2SO4 introduced and the time of addition during the hydrolysis process. The crystalline structure was confirmed by both XRD and 13C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy. When observed between crossed polarizers, the ...

Please cite this paper as: Azria E, Anselem O, Schmitz T, Tsatsaris V, Senat M, Goffinet F. Comparison of perinatal outcome after pre-viable preterm prelabour rupture of membranes in two centres with different rates of termination of pregnancy. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03265.x. Objective  To assess perinatal outcomes after expectant management ...

BACKGROUND: The clinical features and outcome of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) among solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients have not been characterized. We performed a retrospective, matched case-control study to examine potential risk factors. METHODS: We reviewed cases of PJI among transplant recipients who were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic between ...

One-dimensional flexible solar cells were fabricated through vertical growth of ZnO nanowires on freestanding carbon fibers and subsequent deposition of CdS quantum dots (QDs). Under light illumination, excitons were generated in the CdS QDs and dissociated in the ZnO/CdS interface. Photoelectrochemical characterization indicates that fiber quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) ...

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. ...

Training volume and body composition have been suggested as risk factors for jumper's knee among athletic youth, but research is lacking. The aim of this 4-year prospective cohort study was to examine the relationship between training and competition load, body composition, and risk for developing jumper's knee. Participants are elite ...

Controversy exists over how long a free flap is dependent on its pedicle and if neovascularization is different between flap types, recipient sites, and irradiated and nonirradiated patients. An understanding of the timing of this process should optimize the safety of secondary procedures involving the flap. In a prospective clinical ...

The prognosis of patients with biliary tract cancer remains unsatisfactory even with surgery owing to the high recurrence rate. Therefore, an effective adjuvant chemotherapy is required to prolong survival. A few randomized controlled trials in patients with limited biliary tract cancer have been reported, but the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy ...

BACKGROUND: Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum are responsible for one the most serious diseases occurring during storage of citrus fruits. Its early detection allows a relevant increase in shelf life, and in situ monitoring of fungal infections represents a very efficient tool to improve storage quality. In the case of ...

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Conventional plastic stents with a lumen typically have limited patency. The lumenless wing stent was engineered to overcome this problem. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of early stent occlusion (symptomatic occlusion/cholangitis necessitating re-insertion within 90 days) for wing stents and conventional plastic ...

OBJECTIVES: Many studies have linked irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), although they have done so on a qualitative basis using breath tests even though quantitative cultures are the hallmark of diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to underscore the frequency of SIBO in a ...

This randomized, controlled trial, conducted among out-of-treatment heroin/cocaine users at an emergency department visit, tests the impact on sexual risk of adding brief motivational intervention (B-MI) to point-of-service testing, counseling and drug treatment referral. 1,030 enrollees aged 18-54 received either voluntary counseling/testing (VC/T) with drug treatment referral, or VC/T, referral, ...

Little is known about the role of trauma and PTSD symptoms in the context of migration-associated HIV risk behaviors. A survey of Tajik married male seasonal labor migrants in Moscow was completed by 200 workers from 4 bazaars and 200 workers from 18 construction sites as part of a mixed ...

Nisin A is the best known and most extensively characterized lantibiotic. As it is ribosomally synthesized, bioengineering-based strategies can be used to generate variants. We have previously demonstrated that bioengineering of the hinge region of nisin A can result in the generation of variants with enhanced anti-microbial activity against Gram-positive ...

Technologies for decomposing the electromyographic (EMG) signal into its constituent motor unit action potential trains have become more practical by the advent of a non-invasive methodology using surface EMG (sEMG) sensors placed on the skin above the muscle of interest (De Luca et al 2006 J. Neurophysiol. 96 1646-57 and ...

During anaesthesia awareness and nociception are serious complications that may further lead to haemodynamic instability. Specific monitoring of depth of hypnosis and depth of analgesia based on heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is eligible to improve patient safety and reduce efforts in post-operative care. Consequently, in this analysis we assess ...

Concerns exist about adequacy of vitamin D in pregnant women relative to both maternal and fetal adverse health outcomes. Further contributing to these concerns is the prevalence of inadequate and deficient vitamin D status in pregnant women, which ranges from 5 to 84% globally. Although maternal vitamin D metabolism changes ...

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 ...

Background: Perforator-based fasciocutaneous flaps for reconstructing pressure sores can achieve good functional results with acceptable donor site complications in the short-term. Recurrence is a difficult issue and a major concern in plastic surgery. In this study, we introduce a reusable perforator-preserving gluteal artery-based rotation flap for reconstruction of pressure sores, ...

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease typically occurs during the first year after solid organ transplantation, after cessation of antiviral prophylaxis. CMV occurring after the first year is uncommon and not well described. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study to identify potential risk factors and a retrospective cohort study to evaluate 1-month ...