The fibrinogen γ-module has several important sites relating to fibrinogen function, which include the high affinity calcium binding site, hole 'a' that binds with knob 'A', and the D:D interface. Residue γAla341, which is located in the vicinity of these sites, is altered in three variant fibrinogens: fibrinogen Seoul (γAla341Asp), ...

In order to contribute to the inventory of genomic areas involved in maize cell wall lignification and degradability, QTL analyses were investigated in a RIL progeny between an old Minnesota13 dent line (WM13) and a modern Iodent line (RIo). Significant variation for agronomic- and cell wall-related traits was observed for ...

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasingly used in the last years during interventional procedures in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) including ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). In patients with either STEMI, NSTEMI, high risk ACS with EKG changes or cardiac enzymes rises; ...

A mild method for the facile removal of phosphine oxide from the crude products of Wittig and Appel reactions is described. Work-up with oxalyl chloride to generate insoluble chlorophosphonium salt (CPS) yields phosphorus-free products for a wide variety of these reactions. The CPS product can be further converted into phosphine.

Prasugrel, through its active metabolite, reduces atherothrombosis and its clinical manifestations by inhibiting platelet activation and aggregation. Platelets also contribute to inflammation through interaction with different classes of leukocytes. We investigated whether the inhibitory effect of prasugrel on platelets also counteract inflammatory responses. The effect of prasugrel active metabolite, R-138727, ...

Artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technology is used for gene silencing in Arabidopsis. We describe a method for constructing amiRNA vectors that requires only one PCR and one ligation reaction. Vectors produced by this method are the same as those from the method of Schwab et al. (Plant Cell 2006, 18:1121-1133). Transgenic ...

β-Glucosidases are of pivotal importance in bioconversion of carbonic biomass into fermentable and other useful metabolites, food industry, biotransformation, glyco-trimming of metabolome, etc. Trichoderma citrinoviride when grown on delignified Lantana camara produced a β-glucosidase and secreted it out in the medium. The extracellularly secreted β-glucosidase of T. citrinoviride was homogeneity ...

Variations of energy, stress, and magnetic moment of fcc Ni as a response to shear deformation and the associated ideal shear strength (τ(IS)), intrinsic (γ(SF)) and unstable (γ(US)) stacking fault energies have been studied in terms of first-principles calculations under both the alias and affine shear regimes within the {111} ...

Metabolites, the chemical entities that are transformed during metabolism, provide a functional readout of cellular biochemistry. With emerging technologies in mass spectrometry, thousands of metabolites can now be quantitatively measured from minimal amounts of biological material, which has thereby enabled systems-level analyses. By performing global metabolite profiling, also known as ...

A simple and efficient colorimetric method for the naked-eye detection and quantification of histidine in biological fluids was developed based on an indicator-displacement assay (IDA) and the Ni(2+)-histidine affinity pair. In this IDA approach, a commercially available dye, murexide, was used as the indicator and the selective detection of histidine ...

A molecular ensemble composed of a phenothiazine (PTZ) electron donor, a photoisomerizable dithienylethene (DTE) bridge, and a Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) electron acceptor was synthesized and investigated by optical spectroscopic and electrochemical means. Our initial intention was to perform flash-quench transient absorption studies in which the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) unit is excited ...

There is limited information available regarding the phenotype and function of leukocytes involved in the earliest stages of psoriatic lesion development. In this study, we examined the presence of different types of leukocytes in psoriatic point lesions collected at three 1-week interval time points from a recent and simultaneously formed ...

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ∼75 F g(-1), ∼987 kW kg(-1) and ∼27 W h kg(-1), respectively. The high power performance was consistently ...

The drug-eluting stent (DES) has become the gold standard worldwide for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, an innovative variation of the DES with micro-sized drug reservoirs has been introduced. It allows programmable drug delivery with both spatial and temporal control and has several potential advantages over traditional ...

Tissue factor (TF) is the key activator of coagulation and is involved in acute coronary syndromes. Caffeine is often reported to increase cardiovascular risk; however, its effect on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is controversial. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the impact of caffeine on endothelial TF expression in ...

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a bothersome condition affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) to a great extent in women. From a patient's perspective, improving HRQoL is probably equally important as objective cure of SUI. Our objective was to assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and midurethral ...

Abstract Background: Although leukotriene D4 (LTD4) was a potent bronchoconstrictor, little is known about airway responsiveness to LTD4 in asthmatics with different inflammation phenotypes. Objectives: To establish the methodology and investigate the distribution characters of airway responsiveness, diagnostic value and safety of LTD4 bronchial provocation test. Methods: LTD4 bronchial provocation ...

The non-cancer mortality data for cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular diseases from Report 13 on the atomic bomb survivors published by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation were analysed to investigate the dose-response for the influence of radiation on these detrimental health effects. Various parametric and categorical models (such as linear-no-threshold ...

Adenosine exerts its effects by interacting with G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) namely A(1), A(2A), A(2B) and A(3), respectively. These are involved in several diseases, for example and most importantly, Parkinson's disease, ischemia and inflammation. There is high interest in the development of potent and selective ligands for these adenosine receptor ...

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) exist as charged molecules in blood and urine making their absorption, distribution, and elimination likely to be influenced by active transport mechanisms. Greater understanding of in vivo FQ clearance mechanisms should help improve the predictability of drug-drug interactions, enhance the clinical safety and efficacy, and aid future novel ...

Influenza antiviral high-throughput screens have been extensive, and yet no approved influenza antivirals have been identified through high-throughput screening. This underscores the idea that development of successful screens should focus on the exploitation of the underrepresented viral targets and novel, therapeutic host targets. AREAS COVERED: The authors review conventional screening ...

In the Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulant Therapy (RE-LY) trial, dabigatran 150 mg was shown to be superior to warfarin for the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism. However, there are some concerns with the RE-LY trial, such as its open-label design, potential unblinding of "blinded" adjudicators, the use of ...

van Zeeland, Y. R. A., Schoemaker, N. J., Haritova, A., Smit, J. W., van Maarseveen, E. M., Lumeij, J. T., Fink-Gremmels, J. Pharmacokinetics of paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus): influence of pharmaceutical formulation and length of dosing. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2012.01391.x. ...

In the Drosophila ovary, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) ligands maintain germline stem cells (GSCs) in an undifferentiated state. The activation of the BMP pathway within GSCs results in the transcriptional repression of the differentiation factor bag of marbles (bam). The Nanos-Pumilio translational repressor complex and the miRNA pathway also help ...

Abstract Copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase knockout (SOD1 KO) mice have been extensively used as an experimental animal model of pathology associated with oxidative stress. The mice spontaneously develop mild chronic hemolytic anemia (HA). We previously reported that the kidneys of these types of mice contain massive amounts of iron. In this study, ...

To be respectful of the public, biobank guiding principles and operations should be responsive to and inclusive of the values and beliefs of their participants. In an effort to increase knowledge and inform institutional policies, we conducted a deliberative engagement of individuals from two healthcare facilities in South Side Chicago ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma can cause various paraneoplastic syndromes including metabolic and hematologic disturbances. Paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia has been reported in a variety of hematologic and solid tumors. We present the first case in the literature of severe paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia in a patient with renal cell carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A ...

C-peptide is a main outcome measure in treatment trials of diabetes. C-peptide also has a role in the classification of diabetes, which is often difficult in adults and this is also increasingly recognised in adolescents and elders. We aimed to describe the levels of C-peptide in relation to age and ...

Androgen deprivation therapy is commonly used in men with advanced prostate cancer; however, it is associated with many short- and long-term side-effects. Intermittent androgen deprivation therapy was first suggested as an alternative regimen in the early 1990s and is now part of treatment guidelines as a result of its ability ...

The aim of this study was to improve the dissolution rate of efavirenz (EFV) by formulating a physically stable dispersion in polymers. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) was used to prepare solid solutions of EFV with Eudragit EPO (a low-glass transition polymer) or Plasdone S-630 (a high-glass transition polymer). The drug-polymer blends ...

Enantioselective calcium-catalyzed addition reactions of styrene and indole derivatives with trifluoropyruvates have been developed. The alkaline-earth metal-catalyzed reactions proceed smoothly to afford the corresponding products in high yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities under mild reaction conditions.

BACKGROUND: Lenalidomide is an amino-substituted analog of thalidomide with potent immunomodulatory properties. The drug has been widely used for treatment of multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) associated with 5q-abnormality. The most common side effects are cytopenias, infections, and deep venous thrombosis. CASE STUDY: We report a clinical observation of ...

Autoimmunity against the Goodpasture antigen α3IV-NC1 results in antiglomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis. Although antibodies are central to the pathogenesis, there is good evidence for the participation of T cells in this disease. To define the contribution of T cells, we used the model of experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis. Immunization of DBA/1 ...

The ability of bacteria to express inhibitor-resistant (IR) β-lactamases is stimulating the development of novel inhibitors of these enzymes. The 2'β-glutaroxypenicillinate sulfone, SA2-13, was previously designed to enhance the stabilization of the deacylation-refractory, trans-enamine inhibitory intermediate. To test whether this mode of inhibition can overcome different IR mutations, we determined ...

Recent advances in retinal photographic imaging techniques have allowed objective and precise measurement of subtle vascular characteristics in the retina, including the retinal vessel calibre (diameter). Data from population-based and clinic-based studies show that changes in retinal calibre are associated with systemic vascular risk factors and might reflect early microcirculatory ...

Long-term sedation with midazolam or propofol in intensive care units (ICUs) has serious adverse effects. Dexmedetomidine, an α(2)-agonist available for ICU sedation, may reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and enhance patient comfort. To determine the efficacy of dexmedetomidine vs midazolam or propofol (preferred usual care) in maintaining sedation; reducing ...

Most of the sequenced bacterial genomes contain a gene encoding a protein known as Hfq that resembles the eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins of the LSm family. It was originally identified in Escherichia coli as a host factor required for replication of the Qβ RNA phage. In this review, we present a ...

The aims of this study were to quantify absolute protein levels of uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) 1A1 and 2B7 in human liver microsomes (HLMs) and to investigate their correlation with marker activities. A quantification method for UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 in HLMs was developed. Unique tryptic peptides of UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 in ...

Despite the growing number of older adults experiencing TBI, little information exists regarding their utilization and cost of healthcare services. Identifying patterns in the type of care received and determining their costs is an important first step to understanding the return on investment and potential areas for improvement. A health ...

We fabricated fluorescent nanoparticles which monitor temperature changes without sensitivity to pH (4-10) and ionic strength (0-500 mM). The nanothermometers spontaneously enter living HeLa cells via endocytosis, enclosed in acidic organelles, i.e., endosome/lysosome, and then transported along microtubules in a temperature-dependent manner, working as "walking nanothermometers".

The countercyclical nature of the health care industry, in which job gains occur faster in recessionary than in nonrecessionary periods, was revealed once again during the 18-month recession that officially began in December 2007. Whereas the national economy lost 7.5 million jobs, the health care industry gained 428,000 jobs.(1) In ...

An unresolved issue about many neurodegenerative diseases is why neurons are particularly sensitive to defects in ubiquitous cellular processes. One example is Niemann Pick type C1, caused by defects in cholesterol trafficking in all cells, but where neurons are preferentially damaged. Understanding this selective failure is limited by the difficulty ...

In this report, we present a case in which a free anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap was transferred for head and neck reconstruction after oropharyngeal cancer ablation, and a retrograde arterial inflow was used to salvage the flap when the main arterial pedicle showed usual repeated spasms. The flap was raised ...

OBJECTIVES: Research in residential homes has been limited to date and the extent of systemic and topical antimicrobial prescribing is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial prescribing in residential homes in Northern Ireland (NI). METHODS: Point prevalence studies (PPSs) were completed in November 2010 (PPS1) ...

To investigate whether chronic alcohol consumption induces vascular injury via angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor dependent superoxide generation, male transgenic mice with knockout of AT1 gene (AT1-KO) and age-matched wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were pair-fed a modified Lieber-DeCarli alcohol or isocaloric maltose dextrin control liquid diet for ...

Purpose:To prospectively evaluate the efficacy of additional radiofrequency (RF) ablation by comparing the results of one and two sessions.Materials and Methods:All patients gave written informed consent to participate in this institutional review board-approved prospective study. From September 2007 to February 2008, 30 patients with benign predominantly solid thyroid nodules causing ...

Complement components and their receptors are found within and around amyloid β (Aβ) cerebral plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglia defend against pathogens through phagocytosis via complement component C3 and/or engagement of C3 cleavage product iC3b with complement receptor type 3 (CR3, Mac-1). Here, we provide direct evidence that C3 ...

Revision of an unsuccessful posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction is a complicated clinical procedure with an outcome that may be less satisfactory than that after a typical primary PCL reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reasons for failure of primary PCL reconstructions and to determine the ...

Hearing loss is common in older adults. Patients, clinicians, and health care staff often do not recognize hearing loss, particularly in its early stages, and it is undertreated. Age-related hearing loss or presbycusis, the most common type of hearing loss in older adults, is a multifactorial sensorineural loss that frequently ...

AimsContrast-guided axillary vein puncture is commonly used for pacemaker or defibrillator lead implantation. Venous spasm during contrast-guided axillary vein puncture has been reported rarely. We investigated the incidence of venous spasm during contrast-guided axillary vein puncture and the impact of venous spasm on axillary vein puncture.Methods and resultsSeventy-four consecutive patients ...