We tested two competing hypotheses-relative social position and community resources-in regards to their effect on two co-occurring health problems (depression, and obesity) in a sample of smokers participating in an online smoking cessation intervention. Income and education data at the zip code level from the 2000 Census was linked with ...

This study aims to compare pre-operative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) point C with and without cervical traction to that obtained intra-operatively in women undergoing pelvic organ prolapse surgery and to assess acceptability of examination with cervical traction without anaesthesia. Eighty-one women were randomised to having pre-operative examination with or ...

The process of Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) follows the adenoma-to-carcinoma sequence. If it progresses to malignancy about 5 years is required. Even though the process is slow IPMN provides the clinician with the opportunity to avoid malignancy if the patient is at risk. The natural history as observed through Kaplan ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has an excellent prognosis, yet lymph node metastases are common. Most authors agree that central and/or lateral lymph node dissection should be undertaken in patients with abnormal lymph nodes detected on ultrasound, physical examination or intraoperative inspection. However the appropriate extent of prophylactic lymph ...

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood salvage can reduce or avoid perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion. Salvaging the blood in the portal hypertension-induced enlarged spleen becomes an issue of concern during devascularization surgery because an enlarged spleen accommodates a large red cell pool. We report 20 cases of laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection and ...

Abstract  Systemic mastocytosis is a hematologic disorder with important perioperative implications. A variety of stimuli and medications can cause severe anaphylaxis in these patients. We report successful preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of a patient with systemic mastocytosis who underwent an aortic valve replacement and review the literature pertaining to ...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by skin and visceral fibrosis, microvascular damage, and autoimmunity. HOCl-induced mouse SSc is a murine model that mimics the main features of the human disease, especially the activation and hyperproliferation rate of skin fibroblasts. We demonstrate here the efficiency of a ...

Purpose Understanding individual factors associated with return to work (RTW) post-injury is an important goal of compensation systems research. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with time to return to work following acute unintentional injuries. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. ...

Abstract In cell culture studies, foetal calf serum (FCS) comprising numerous different proteins is added, which might coat the surface of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and thus could profoundly alter their biological activities. In this study, a panel of industrially most relevant metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) was screened for toxic effects ...

Design of elementary molecular logic gates is the key and the fundamental of performing complicated Boolean calculations. Herein, we report a strategy for constructing a DNA-based OR gate by using the mechanism of sequence recognition and the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In this system, the gate is ...

CASE PRESENTATION: A 28-year-old woman presented with dyspnea on exertion and elevated testosterone level. A 21 × 19 cm right adrenal mass was found invading the liver and inferior vena cava (IVC); tumor thrombus extended to the right atrium on transthoracic echocardiogram. OPERATIVE PROCEDURE: Median sternotomy and extended right subcostal ...

The afferent and efferent synaptic connections of the cerebellar nuclei (CN) place them in a key position where they can integrate sensory signals with the output from cerebellar cortex and to provide the main efferent pathway of the cerebellum. While this conclusion can be derived based on purely anatomical knowledge, ...

Correction of perinatally lethal neurogenetic diseases requires efficient transduction of several cell types within the relatively inaccessible CNS. Intravenous AAV9 delivery in mouse has achieved development stage-specific transduction of neuronal cell types, with superior neuron-targeting efficiency demonstrated in prenatal compared with postnatal recipients. Because of the clinical relevance of the ...

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in metals is an important mechanism for many magnetic properties. We start with the s-d exchange model and spin-orbit interaction for weak itinerant ferromagnetic systems to establish the form of DM interaction for metallic magnetic systems. The s-d exchange interaction is treated accurately and the conduction ...

Changes in animal movement (frequency or speed of locomotion) following exposure to a toxicant are frequently considered a biomarker of contaminant exposure and are some of the most widely reported behavioral results in toxicological literature. However, the ecological consequences of such behavioral changes, such as effects on toxicant transfer in ...

A new nano-manufacturing method for the creation of high aspect-ratio ferroelectric (PZT) nanostructures by use of polymeric templates is presented. The ferroelectric response is characterized by band-excitation PFM, supporting the high quality of the nanostructures. Piezoelectric size effects for ferroelectric materials are reported for the first time in nanotube configuration ...

The D: ,D: -transpeptidase activity of Penicillin Binding Proteins (PBPs) is essential to maintain cell wall integrity. PBPs catalyze the final step of the peptidoglycan synthesis by forming 4 → 3 cross-links between two peptide stems. Recently, a novel β-lactam resistance mechanism involving L: ,D: -transpeptidases has been identified in Enterococcus faecium ...

The alternate deposition of polyanions and polycations on a solid substrate leads to the formation of nanometer to micrometer films called Polyelectrolyte Multilayers. This step-by-step construction of organic films constitutes a method of choice to functionalize surfaces with applications ranging from optical to bioactive coatings. The method was originally developed ...

Hand-sized gecko-inspired adhesives with reversible force capacities as high as 2950 N (29.5 N cm(-2) ) are designed without the use of fibrillar features through a simple scaling theory. The scaling theory describes both natural and synthetic gecko-inspired adhesives, over 14 orders of magnitude in adhesive force capacity, from nanoscopic ...

BACKGROUND: Medication error reporting systems in hospitals are faced with the challenge of processing vast numbers of reports which identify a myriad of safety issues. With such large volumes of data and limited resources it makes sense to adopt a prioritisation approach. Several published studies have focused solely on the ...

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic potential of electrosprayed organic and non-organic surface coatings in a gap-implant model over 4 and 12 weeks of implantation into the dog mandible. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen Beagle dogs received experimental titanium implants in the mandible 3 months after removal of left premolars ...

Multipyrene terminated hyperbranched polyglycidol (mPHP) has been synthesized and used to non-covalently functionalize pristine graphene sheets (GSs) through π-π stacking interactions. Mediated by the mPHP layer, a variety of metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag and Pt) were in situ generated and deposited onto the surface-modified GS, yielding versatile GS/mPHP/metal nanohybrids. As ...

METASTATIC LESIONS IN THE SUPERIOR VENA CAVA AND THE RIGHT ATRIUM ARE DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE: in computed tomography (CT), they are easily misinterpreted as artifacts, and the same region may be difficult to access using echocardiography. We present a case of asymptomatic metastasis of a malignant melanoma which was overlooked ...

Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIg) therapy is widely used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Recent evidence suggests that in mice splenic resident cells might be important for the anti-inflammatory activity of IVIgs in a model of serum transfer arthritis. Splenectomized human immunothrombocytopenia (ITP) patients, however, still respond to IVIg therapy. ...

Popular varieties of vegetables were collected from major cities of Saudi Arabia and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contents. Eight important PAH congeners were analyzed. Total PAH contents of the root vegetables like potato and carrot showed higher values (11 μg kg(-1)), whereas turnip showed relatively lower contents at 9.26 μg kg(-1). For ...

Although evidence suggests an importance of genetic factors in the development of breast cancer in Taiwanese (ethnic Chinese) women, including a high incidence of early-onset and secondary contralateral breast cancer, a major breast cancer predisposition gene, BRCA1, has not been well studied in this population. In fact, the carcinogenic impacts ...

The detection of Legionella pneumophila DNA in clinical specimens using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) combined with direct sequence-based typing (SBT) offers rapid confirmation and timely intervention in the investigation of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD). We assessed the utility of a specific L. pneumophila qPCR assay targeting the ...

The correlated motion of electrons in metallic ferromagnets is investigated in terms of a realistic interacting-electron model with N-fold orbital degeneracy and intra-orbital (U) and inter-orbital (J) Coulomb interactions. Correlation-induced self-energy and vertex corrections are incorporated systematically to provide a non-perturbative Goldstone-mode-preserving scheme. An effective quantum parameter [Formula: see text] ...

We report scanning electrochemical microscopy-scanning ion conductance microscopy (SECM-SICM) experiments that describe transport of redox active molecules which emanate from single pores of a track-etch membrane. Experiments are performed with electrodes which consist of a thin gold layer deposited on one side of a nanopipet. Subsequent insulation of the electrode ...

OBJECTIVE: A limited number of experimental animal studies and in vitro studies have confirmed that nicotine impairs bone healing, diminishes osteoblast function, causes autogenous bone graft morbidity, and decreases graft biomechanical properties. The aim of this study was the histomrphometric assessment of the effect of nicotine on guided bone augmentation ...

Single-incision laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease is not widespread because of its technical difficulty. On the other hand, patients with gastroesophageal reflux frequently also have mental retardation and eating disorders. We have been performing single-incision laparoscopic fundoplication via a gastrostomy site incision since October 2009 for these patients. The ...

Summary.  Haemophilia A (HA) is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder caused by F8 gene mutation. Linkage analysis is an auxiliary strategy to direct mutation analysis for genetic counselling of HA. Here we characterize and validate a novel panel of six short tandem repeat (STR) loci for genetic counselling in ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to compare S-1 with infusional 5-fluorouracil (FU) to determine which would be a better partner of paclitaxel (PTX), and (2) to compare a concurrent strategy with a sequential one, the latter strategy being the one that is widely used in Japanese ...

Systematic data on the effect of irradiation with swift ions (Zn at 735 MeV and Xe at 929 MeV) on NaCl single crystals have been analysed in terms of a synergetic two-spike approach (thermal and excitation spikes). The coupling of the two spikes, simultaneously generated by the irradiation, contributes to the operation ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic value of HIV replication capacity (RC) for subsequent antiretroviral (ARV) treatment response in ARV-experienced patients. METHODS: RC and phenotypic resistance testing were performed at baseline and week 12 on plasma samples from patients randomized to undergo a 12-week ARV ...

Recent breast cancer treatment studies conducted in large urban settings have reported racial disparities in the appropriate use of adjuvant chemotherapy. This article presents the first focused evaluation of black-white differences in receipt and completion of chemotherapy for breast cancer in a primarily rural region of the United States. We ...

Abstract -  Background: Knowledge of the impact of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) on children's quality of life is sparse. Aim: To determine the association between TDI and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among schoolchildren aged 11-14 years. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving a representative sample of 409 schoolchildren from ...

The influence of 2,2,6,6-tetrametylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of wood cellulose and the mechanical disintegration of oxidized cellulose in water on degree of polymerization determined by viscosity measurement (DPv) and the apparent length of the TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNs) was investigated. DPv values decreased from 1270 to 500-600 with increasing addition of ...

Only 12 cases of musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB) that occurred at the site of recent blunt trauma have been previously described. A 43-year-old previously healthy man experienced an uncomplicated bursting fracture at the L2 vertebra without any spinal tuberculosis (ST)-associated evidence. During the conservative treatment, he was in good physical condition ...

Pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV), a novel technology most commonly used for microbial inactivation, has recently been employed to effectively mitigate food allergens in peanuts, soybean, shrimp, and almond. Putative mechanisms for the efficacy of PUV in reducing allergen reactivity include photothermal, photochemical, and photophysical effects. To date, there are no ...

In vitro screening systems based on the coupled transcription and translation of genes using cell-free systems have a number of attractive features for protein engineering and directed evolution. We present a completely in vitro ultrahigh-throughput screening platform using droplet-based microfluidics. Single genes are compartmentalized in aqueous droplets, dispersed in inert ...

A method for forming organic single-crystal arrays from solution is demonstrated using an organic semiconductor, 3,9-bis(4-ethylphenyl)-peri-xanthenoxanthene (C(2) Ph-PXX). Supersaturation of C(2) Ph-PXX/tetralin solution is spatially changed by making a large difference in solvent evaporation to generate nuclei at the designated location. The method is simple to implement since it employs ...

Triacylglycerols of subcutaneous fat of Iberian pigs reared on two different feeding systems, extensive and intensive, have been determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. Analyses were performed on a column coated with a bonded stationary phase (50% phenyl-50% methylpolysiloxane) with hydrogen as carrier gas. Lipids were extracted by ...

INTRODUCTION: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent malignant primary brain tumor in adults, exhibiting poor survival. The efficacy of chemotherapy is often limited by the development of multidrug resistance by the tumor cells. In the current study, we investigated the prognostic significance of the multidrug resistance protein 5 (MRP5) ...

Glycans on mucosal surfaces have an important role in host-microbe interactions. The locus encoding the blood-group-related glycosyltransferase β-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2 (B4galnt2) is subject to strong selective forces in natural house-mouse populations that contain a common allelic variant that confers loss of B4galnt2 gene expression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We reasoned ...

Neuroferritinopathy is an autosomal dominant progressive movement disorder which occurs due to mutations in the ferritin light chain gene (FTL1). It presents in mid-adult life and is the only autosomal dominant disease in a group of conditions termed neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). We performed brain MRI scans on ...

A complex entropy gradient for confined DNA molecules was engineered for the first time. Following the second law of thermodynamics, this enabled the directed self-transport and self-concentration of DNA molecules. This new nanofluidic method is termed entropophoresis. As implemented in experiments, long DNA molecules were dyed with cyanine dimers, dispersed ...

PURPOSE: Elderly patients with multiple infarctions revealed a high prevalence of postoperative stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, postoperative neurological complications and characteristics of silent brain infarction (SBI) have not been evaluated in elderly patients undergoing CABG. METHODS: Four hundred forty-nine patients (≥60 years old) scheduled for CABG ...

  Neonatal purpura fulminans is rare and may be inherited or acquired. It may ultimately lead to multiorgan failure and death. Purpura fulminans in a premature neonate resulting from Staphylococcus aureus septicemia is illustrated. Unfortunately, the baby succumbed to septicemia.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Because there is currently no useful serological marker for metastatic colorectal cancer, the search for simple biomarkers for colorectal cancer diagnosis and prognosis is needed. Hyaluronic acid level was determined by ELISA; in addition to its ...