A diastereomer pair of left- and right-handed square planar Pd(ii) complexes was synthesized from a single chiral ligand as kinetic and thermodynamic products. Helicity inversion between the diastereomers occurred rapidly under thermal and microwave irradiation conditions.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We performed an investigation of symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and factors affecting women's treatment choice of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). METHODS: Three hundred and eight women presenting with POP were assessed by Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI), Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Pelvic ...

Yak metallothioneins (BgMTs) are cysteine-rich metal-chelating proteins with highly conserved cysteine residues in their amino acid sequences. The 3D structures of the Cd(7)-BgMTs reconstructed by molecular modeling included two domains: the β-domain with M(3)(S(cys))(9) metal-thiolate clusters and the α-domain with M(4)(S(cys))(11) metal-thiolate clusters. An unusual variant was found at position ...

PURPOSE: To report determinants and outcomes associated with decisions to deny or to delay intensive care unit (ICU) admission in critically ill patients. METHODS: An observational prospective study over a 6-month period. All adult patients triaged for admission to a medical ICU were included prospectively. Age, gender, reasons for requesting ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe endovascular stent placement using partially covered stents to preserve flow in head and neck vessels. BACKGROUND: Endovascular stent placement has become established as a first-line therapy for native coarctation of the aorta or re-coarctation in older children and adults. Increasingly covered stents are becoming the preferred option ...

This commentary aims to move the debate regarding the adoption of HbA(1c) for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes forwards by highlighting the need to avoid addressing irrelevant questions, in particular, comparison of individuals diagnosed with different diagnostic criteria. Instead, we provide a list of important future questions, including whether adoption ...

Abstract Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of laminarin on the expression of kidney endoplasmic reticulum molecular chaperones (GRP78 and GRP94) in rats with renal interstitial fibrosis. Material and methods. A renal interstitial fibrosis model in rats was developed by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Rats ...

BACKGROUND: Advancing age is a strong risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, its impact on the left atrial (LA) substrate in patients is not well defined. METHODS: Forty-seven patients underwent catheter ablation of persistent AF. Bipolar electrograms from the LA were recorded for voltage analysis. The ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between nitric oxide (NO) and acetylcholine (ACh) in penicillin-induced experimental epilepsy. Adult male Wistar rats weighing 220 ± 35 g were used in the experiments. The epileptiform activity was induced by microinjection of penicillin (200 IU/1 μl) into the left sensorymotor cortex. Electrocorticogram was recorded ...

Amplified optical detection of biomolecules using nanoparticle as the carrier has attracted considerable interest in the scientific community. In this study, a promising aptasensor was developed for highly sensitive detection of protein and small molecules based on the construction of aptamer-modified electrochemiluminescence (ECL) nanoprobe. Specifically, thrombin and ATP serve as ...

The novel magnetic nanobeads with epoxy groups on the surface were prepared from glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerisation, and they were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The magnetic poly(GMA-EDGMA-HEMA) nanobeads were used as support for covalent ...

Trichomonas vaginalis, a flagellated protozoan parasite causes a variety of adverse health consequences in both men and women. The parasite exists in the trophozoite and the pseudocystic stage. The study reports for the first time that pseudocyst forms of T. vaginalis isolated from cervical neoplasia (CN) patients demonstrated distinct, different ...

We report a case of advanced gastric carcinoma treated successfully by four courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with paclitaxel and cisplatin. The patient was a 43-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer, clinically diagnosed as P0H0M0CY0T3N2, which had invaded the upper body of the stomach and esophagus. He was entered into ...

The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, infests apple (Malus domestica) and hawthorn species (most notably the downy hawthorn, Crataegus mollis) in the eastern USA. Evidence suggests that the fly was introduced into the western USA sometime in the last 60 years. In addition to apple, R. pomonella also infests two species ...

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are natural PPARγ ligands, which showed conflicting effects on metabolism in humans. We examined metabolic effects of different isomers of CLA in subjects with PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphisms. A total of 35 men underwent four intervention periods in a crossover study design: subjects with either genotypes received ...

The objectives are (1) to introduce a new concept of making a quantitative computed tomography (QCT) reporting system by using optical character recognition (OCR) and macro program and (2) to illustrate the practical usages of the QCT reporting system in radiology reading environment. This reporting system was created as a ...

For the development of nanowire sensors for chemical and medical detection purposes, the optimal functionalization of the surface is a mandatory component. Quantitative ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used in situ to investigate the step-by-step layer formation of typical functionalization protocols and to determine the respective molecule surface concentrations. BSA, anti-TNF-α and ...

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The International Continence Society (ICS) adopted 1.3 g as the normative value for the 24-h pad test. We hypothesized that this cutoff value may not be valid for women who live in countries with high temperatures. METHODS: We documented the 24-h pad test values of continent women in ...

We have developed a solid-phase extraction method based on conductive polypyrrole (PPy) hollow fibers which were fabricated by electrospinning and in situ polymerization. The electrospun poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers were employed as templates for the in situ surface polymerization of PPy under mechanical stirring or ultrasonication to obtain burr-shaped or ...

Although Ren-2 transgenic rat (TGR) is defined as a model of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension, we studied whether the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is really the main contributor to blood pressure (BP) elevation in hetero- and homozygous TGRs. Moreover, we examined whether repeated antisense (AS) therapy against AT(1) receptors would have a ...

The Asn40Asp variant (A118G) of the μ opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene is thought to contribute to the development and treatment of alcohol dependence. Employing positron emission tomography (PET), we first examined whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) modifies binding potential (BPND) of the μ-selective ligand [11C]carfentanil in healthy control (Con) ...

Background: Early recognition of children's mental health problems calls for structured methods in front line services. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a commonly used short questionnaire in screening child's mental difficulties. Aim: To test the reliability and descriptive properties of the SDQ in a community sample of Finnish ...

Statins are routinely used in the clinic as cholesterol lowering drugs, but recently they were reported to also have anabolic effects on bone tissue. Since regeneration of alveolar bone is one of the primary aims of periodontal treatment, in the present study we investigated the effects of simvastatin, a lipophilic ...

Ni(iii)-intermediates are trapped by EPR and UV/Vis spectroscopy in the reaction of a Ni(ii) salt with mCPBA. On the basis of their oxo-transfer and hydrogen-atom abstraction abilities the intermediates are assigned as the elusive terminal Ni(iii)-oxo/hydroxo species. The findings suggest that Ni(iii)-O(H) moieties are viable reactants in oxidation catalysis.

It has recently been reported that Teflon and polyethylene (PE) if rubbed by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or Nylon as well as non-rubbed PMMA and Nylon induce "redox" reactions, including those of the reduction of Pd(+2) and Cu(+2) ions. On this basis, it was deduced that these dielectric materials may hold ≅10(13)-10(14) ...

A novel label-free electrochemical DNA hybridization biosensor using a β-cyclodextrin/poly(N-acetylaniline)/carbon nanotube composite modified screen printed electrode (CD/PNAANI/CNT/SPE) has been developed. The proposed DNA hybridization biosensor relies on the intrinsic oxidation signals of guanine (G) and adenine (A) from single-stranded DNA entered into the cyclodextrin (CD) cavity. Due to the binding ...

An endophytic yeast, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain PTD3, that was isolated from stems of hybrid poplar was found to be capable of production of xylitol from xylose, of ethanol from glucose, galactose, and mannose, and of arabitol from arabinose. The utilization of 30 g/L of each of the five sugars during fermentation ...

ABTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Endogenous sex hormones have been implicated in the etiology of breast cancer. Dietary factors such as fat, dietary fiber, soy isoflavones, and alcohol have been suggested to influence endogenous estrogen and other steroid hormone levels. We examined the relationship among these dietary factors and plasma sex hormone levels ...

In vertebrates, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) are key hormones regulating growth and reproduction in the brain-pituitary axis. The regulating hormonal interactions are of great interest, therefore, the aim of this study is to provide novel insights into the involvement of brain GnRH and PACAP in ...

Filamentous aerobic soil actinobacteria of the genus Frankia can induce the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of a diverse group of plants from eight dicotyledonous families, collectively called actinorhizal plants. Within nodules, Frankia can fix nitrogen while being hosted inside plant cells. Like in legume/rhizobia symbioses, bacteria can ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of front-of-pack labels on taste perception and use of table salt for currently available and sodium-reduced soups. DESIGN: Within-subject design. SETTING: Sensory laboratory. SUBJECTS: Participants (n 50, mean age 34·8 (sd 13·6) years) were randomly served nine soups (250 ml each) across 3 d. Servings ...

Many plant viruses encode suppressors of RNA silencing, including the helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro) of potyviruses. Our previous studies showed that a D-to-Y mutation at amino acid position 193 in HC-Pro (HC-Pro-D193Y) drastically attenuated the virulence of clover yellow vein virus (ClYVV) in legume plants. Furthermore, RNA-silencing suppression (RSS) activity of ...

We sequenced the SERPINC1 gene in 26 patients (11 males) with antithrombin (AT) deficiency (22 type I, 4 type II), belonging to 18 unrelated families from Southern Italy. Heterozygous mutations were identified in 15/18 (83.3%) families. Of them, eight were novel mutations, each being identified in one family. Seven clearly ...

The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the rate of detection and correct classification of traumatic soft tissue injuries of the head using clinical multislice computed tomography (MSCT) compared with an external forensic examination. Thirty-one patients with soft tissue injuries after head trauma and clinically indicated cerebral MSCT ...

A new diarylethene-derived photochromic compound, with little cytotoxicity, plasma membrane-permeability, and efficient photoswitchability in cells upon alternative UV and visible light irradiation, was synthesized and applied to live cell imaging.

Isoprene is a significant source of atmospheric organic aerosol; however, the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and involved chemical reaction pathways have remained to be elucidated. Recent works have shown that the photo-oxidation of isoprene leads to form SOA. In this study, the chemical composition of SOA from the OH-initiated ...

Primary aquo species of tetravalent cerium (Ce(iv)) in perchloric acid has been identified as a single oxo-bridging dinuclear complex, not a mononuclear one, by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for conversion in cholecystectomy may be of clinical value. This study aimed to investigate whether a set of risk factors, including the surgeon's specialization, can be used for the development of a preoperative strategy to optimize conversion outcome. METHODS: The data for all patients who underwent laparoscopic ...

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring compounds that impart color to fruits, vegetables, and plants, and are believed to have a number of beneficial health effects in both humans and animals. Because of these properties, pharmacokinetic analysis of anthocyanins in tissue has been performed to quantify and identify anthocyanin species although, currently, ...

Immunohistochemical study combined with morphometry was carried out to examine the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) using 60 human skin wounds of different ages: group I, 0-4 h (n = 11); II, 8 h-2 days (n = 21); III, 3-9 days (n = 14); and IV, 12-21 days (n = 14). In wound specimens aged 2 h to 2 days, anti-myeloperoxidase-positive neutrophils observed at the wound ...

Mobilization of arsenic from freshwater and estuarine sediments during the transition from oxic to anoxic conditions was investigated, using recently developed diffusive sampling techniques. Arsenic speciation and Fe(II) concentrations were measured at high resolution (1-3 mm) with in situ diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and diffusive equilibration in thin ...

In modern society, obesity has become a major health problem and has been associated with impaired fertility. The aim of this study is to assess the role of obesity in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) stimulated either with GnRH agonists or with GnRH antagonists. Records of 463 women undergoing ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Systemic immunopathological diseases with prominent neurological features include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), and the systemic vasculitides. These systemic conditions can affect the nervous system in diverse ways. In many cases, the neurological disease heralds the onset of the systemic condition. Recognizing the ...

A correctly fitting bra is essential for good health; this study investigates the use of professional bra fitting criteria to establish best-fit in an underwire bra commonly sold in the UK. A comparison was made between women's bra size as measured by the traditional bra fitting method with their recommended ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gastroparesis, a gastrointestinal autonomic neuropathy, is a common adverse reaction in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients receiving interferon therapy. Current therapeutic options are limited. We evaluated the efficacy of mosapride for IFN-induced gastroparesis. METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive CHC patients were randomly assigned to either the control group, which ...

PURPOSE: A rabbit model of osteochondral defects (OD) and spontaneous healing was longitudinally followed over 12 weeks, by in vivo joint scintigraphy using (99m)Tc-NTP 15-5, and histology. METHODS: We used two models, one with one OD (OD1 group) in the femoral condyle of one knee and the other with two ODs ...

Seabuckthorn (SBT; Hipphophae rhamnoides) leaf extract obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO(2)) using ethanol as an entrainer, containing mainly flavanoids as bioactive principles with antioxidant and antibacterial properties, was used for the preparation of liposomes. Liposomes are promising drug carriers with sustained release because they can enhance the membrane penetration ...

AimWomen with congenital heart disease are often considered to be restricted in their obstetrical life and even their marital life. Our single-centre study aimed to determine the real-life situation of these women with regard to successful family life and any pregnancy complications they may experience. METHODS: From our database of ...

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) has been linked with inferior outcomes in gastrointestinal malignancies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of BMI on survival in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Medical records were analyzed for patients who underwent esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for adenocarcinoma from ...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of an image display system for augmented reality in hepatobiliary surgery under laparotomy. METHODS: An overlay display of organs, vessels, or tumor was obtained using a video see-through system as a display system developed at our institute. Registration between ...