This article, which shows a technically very challenging angioplasty of a near-atretic coarctation of the aorta, underlines the importance of an anticipated procedure planning and of the right selection of available technology. Additionally, the performance and clinical setting of utilization of a new small premounted stent-the Advanta Atrium stent-is highlighted.

To the Editor: In their Perspective article on generic atorvastatin and health care costs, Jackevicius et al. (Jan. 19 issue)(1) refer to agreements that we at Pfizer have reached with health plans and pharmacy benefit managers to ensure that patients can continue to have access to Lipitor in the 180-day ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption in adolescents from Sri Lanka. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study where the data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Government, private and international schools in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka. SUBJECTS: Adolescents aged 17 years attending ...

EU legislation stipulates that GM crops have to be monitored for potential adverse environmental effects. Monitoring preferably should take place in the most exposed areas-the cultivated fields and their neighbouring environment. Current monitoring designs do not give detailed consideration to the different exposure intensities in agricultural practice. At the same ...

To the Editor: Cooper and Trivedi (Jan. 12 issue)(1) present intriguing results suggesting that insurance plans may attract and retain a healthier subgroup of the Medicare population by offering fitness plans. These results are, however, derived from a difference-in-differences approach. A critical assumption that cannot be tested is that, had ...

The cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical gemfibrozil is a relevant environmental contaminant because of its frequency of detection in US wastewaters at concentrations which have been shown to disrupt endocrine function in aquatic species. The treatment of gemfibrozil solutions with sodium hypochlorite yielded a 4'-chlorinated gemfibrozil analog (chlorogemfibrozil). In the presence of bromide ...

Three sodium salts of (2E)-3-(4'-halophenyl)prop-2-enoyl sulfachloropyrazine (CCSCP) were synthesized and their structures were determined by (1) H and (13) C NMR, LC-MS and IR. The binding properties between CCSCPs and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy. The results indicate that the ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between breakfast consumption and CVD risk factors in European adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. Breakfast consumption was assessed by the statement 'I often skip breakfast' and categorized into 'consumer', 'occasional consumer' and 'skipper'. Blood pressure, weight, height, waist circumference, skinfold thickness, total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), ...

Anarchic hand syndrome (AHS) is a rare disorder characterized by unwilled, but seemingly purposeful movements of the affected upper limb which are perceived by the patients not to be under their control. It often interferes with goal-directed movements and bimanual tasks. At present there is no effective method of treatment ...

Twelve quail eggshells from farmed Coturnix coturnix japonica were separately ground to fine powder and two aliquots of each (average weights 13.86 mg and 51.90 mg) were extracted with formic acid. Biliverdin (38-284 pmol/mg) and protoporphyrin (841-1666 pmol/mg) were measured by HPLC. There was good agreement between the values for the corresponding samples ...

To the Editor: Cooper and Trivedi (Jan. 12 issue)(1) present intriguing results suggesting that insurance plans may attract and retain a healthier subgroup of the Medicare population by offering fitness plans. These results are, however, derived from a difference-in-differences approach. A critical assumption that cannot be tested is that, had ...

In legal medicine in many cases drugs are detected in autopsy material without connection to the cause of death, and until now no further investigations have taken place. In our study more than 50 drugs were measured directly in several compartments. The deceased had received continual therapeutic treatment, treatment during ...

OBJECTIVE: The nature of interpersonal relationships, whether supportive or critical, may affect the association between health status and mental health outcomes. We examined the potential moderating effects of social support, as a buffer, and family criticism, as an exacerbating factor, on the association between illness burden, functional impairment and depressive ...

Hair keratin-associated proteins (KRTAPs) are one of the major structural components of the hair shaft. Approximately 100 KRTAP genes have been identified in humans to date, with each of the genes classified into a number of families based on their sequence homology and the nature of the repeat structures. The ...

Hybrid speciation may contribute significantly to generating biodiversity, but only a few well-documented examples for it exist so far that do not involve polyploidization as a mechanism. The swordtail fish, Xiphophorus clemenciae, shows common hallmarks of a hybrid origin and still overlaps in its current geographic distribution with its putative ...

Suspended graphene has been studied by STM for the first time. Atomic resolution on mono- and bi-layer graphene samples has been obtained after ridding the graphene surface of contamination via high-temperature annealing. Static local corrugations (ripples) have been observed on both types of structures.

The sedimentation of quaternized poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (QP4VP) or poly(N-methyl 4-vinyl pyridine iodide) in aqueous solution has been investigated by using an analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC) via sedimentation velocity (SV). When NaI is introduced, either the sedimentation coefficient (s) or apparent molar mass (M(w)) of QP4VP increases with NaI concentration because the ...

To the Editor: Sterling et al. (Dec. 8 issue)(1) found that discontinuation of therapy for latent tuberculosis infection owing to an adverse event was significantly more frequent among subjects receiving rifapentine plus isoniazid than among those receiving isoniazid alone. However, the corresponding absolute difference between the groups with respect to ...

Objective:To investigate the possible clinical relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and the type one tympanoplasty surgical outcomes of adults with chronic otitis media, by using a simple, cost-effective, reliable questionnaire and physical findings.Methods:Fifty-two of 147 patients undergoing type one tympanoplasty were studied. Gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms were evaluated using the ...

Long pepper, Piper longum Linn. (Piperaceae), is widely used in traditional Mongolian medicine for treating hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease. To investigate the hypolipidemic effects of a new piperine derivative GB-N isolated from long pepper in high-fat diet-fed rats. The levels of serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerols (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ...

Monodisperse thermosensitive dumbbell-shaped core-shell microgels are fabricated, which consist of a polystyrene core with a cross-linked poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) shell. The morphology of the microgels was investigated through cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and depolarized dynamic light scattering. The effective volume fraction and aspect ratio of the system could be adjusted through ...

Objective.  The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), as echocardiographic index to assess right ventricular (RV) systolic function, has not been investigated thoroughly in children and young adults with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and pulmonary artery hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD). Patients.  TAPSE values of 49 patients with ...

To the Editor: Kroshinsky et al. discuss the difficulties encountered in the treatment of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum.(1) Many treatment options have been tested in this troubling and frustrating disease. Biologic agents such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitors have shown promising results in some patients. However, immunosuppressive ...

Background and purpose:  The most common prescribed antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), phenytoin and valproate, are potent enzyme inducers and inhibitors of the cytochrome P450 system, which interfere with lipid profile and glucose homeostasis. Studies on this topic have suffered from inadequate assessment of confounders and have rarely included glucose homeostasis and ...

Preliminary research suggests that rectally administered nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs may reduce the incidence of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). In this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, we assigned patients at elevated risk for post-ERCP pancreatitis to receive a single dose of rectal indomethacin or placebo immediately after ERCP. ...

Background: The current diagnostic approach for mitochondrial disorders requires invasive procedures such as muscle biopsy and multiple biochemical testing but the results are often inconclusive. Clinical sequencing tests are available only for a limited number of genes. Recently, massively parallel sequencing has become a powerful tool for testing genetically heterogeneous ...

BackgroundThere is growing evidence that residential environment is associated with hypertension. Recently, interest has also turned toward examining the possible influence of remoteness on hypertension. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of remoteness, the shortest path between the subject location and the population center, on hypertension ...

Aims:  To estimate the annual mortality and the cost of hospital admissions for acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) for New Zealand residents. Methods:  Hospital admissions in 2000-2009 with a principal diagnosis of ARF or RHD (ICD9_AM 390-398; ICD10-AM I00-I099) and deaths in 2000-2007 with RHD as ...

Despite advances in the treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder occurs in 15-50% of HIV-infected individuals, and may become more apparent as ageing advances. In the present study we investigated regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose uptake (rCMRglc) in ...

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1D) is an autoimmune and multifactorial disease. HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 loci have the strongest association with T1D. This study aimed at investigating (i) susceptibility or protection of alleles, genotypes and haplotypes of HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 loci; and (ii) highly polymorphic amino acid residues of HLA-DRβ1 and ...

Purpose: There is an ongoing concern in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation with underuse and nonuse of prosthetic technology. The aim of this study was to gather expert opinion on the most important outcomes, predictors and facilitators of lower limb prosthetic prescription and use, with a long-term goal of improving satisfaction ...

An ordered array of droplets is self-organized and each droplet possesses a PS kernel surrounded by PMMA rim. The formation of a regular pattern depends on the initial thickness of polymer film and the interstitial separation of the excavated holes on the substrate; a scaling relation has been observed. This ...

Objective: Solventless dry powder coating methods have many advantages compared to solvent-based methods: they are more economical, simpler, safer, more environmentally friendly and easier to scale up. The purpose of this study was to investigate a highly effective dry powder coating method using the mechanofusion system, a mechanochemical treatment equipped ...

The impact of the macrocyclic ligand on the electronic structure of two LNiO(2) biomimetic adducts, [Ni(12-TMC)O(2) ](+) (12-TMC = 1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) and [Ni(14-TMC)O(2) ](+) (14-TMC = 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), has been inspected by means of difference-dedicated configuration interaction calculations and a valence bond reading of the wavefunction. The system containing the 12-membered macrocyclic ...

A 60-year-old man from coastal New England was admitted to this hospital because of fever, weakness, rash, and renal failure. An initial measurement of creatine kinase was 20,437 U per liter. A diagnostic test was performed.

Skin wound healing is a complex process requiring the coordinated, temporal orchestration of numerous cell types and biological processes to regenerate damaged tissue. Previous work has demonstrated that a functional β-adrenergic receptor autocrine/paracrine network exists in skin, but the role of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) in wound healing is unknown. A ...

There is increasing interest in the role of striatal dopaminergic activity in social approach-avoidance motivation. The 9-repeat allele of the dopamine transporter gene, associated with increased striatal dopamine levels, has been found to be related to increased sensitivity to reward. However, it remains unexplored whether this polymorphism influences automatic action ...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Metformin, the most commonly used antidiabetic, also has an antiatherogenic effect. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is increased in patients with high thrombogenic activation and also at risk for atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects ...

With the features of high mobility, a high electric on/off ratio and excellent transparency, metal oxide nanowires are excellent candidates for transparent thin-film transistors, which is one of the key technologies to realize transparent electronics. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research activities that focus on transparent ...

Background aims. Amongst different stem cell populations derived from human cord blood (CB), unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) are distinguished from CB mesenchymal stromal cells (CB MSC) by expression patterns of homeobox (HOX) genes, delta-like1 homolog (DLK1) expression and adipogenic differentiation potential. In this study we investigated the effects of ...

Objective:We report the use and benefits of the ultrasonic dissector in the resection of difficult skull base lesions.Method:Five case reports are presented, and the utilisation of ultrasonic dissectors in otorhinolaryngology is reviewed.Results:The ultrasonic dissector was found to be a useful tool during the endoscopic resection of poorly accessible skull base ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels before gonadotrophine treatment and on the day of oocytes retrieval in order to determine whether ADMA can be used as a predictive marker for implantation success in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Forty-four unexplained infertile ...

Three possible pathways for C-N bond breaking in methylamine have been investigated over clean Mo(100) and nitrogen atom-modified Mo(100) surfaces with a nitrogen coverage of 0.25 monolayer (ML) (N-Mo(100)) firstly, and the C-N bond breaking following the intramolecular hydrogen transfer from the CH(3) to NH(2) is excluded owing to the ...

Adding LABAs to Inhaled Glucocorticoids for Asthma Correspondence, N Engl J Med 2011;365:1260-1261. In the first letter (page 1261), the disclosure statement should have read, "Dr. Szefler reports receiving review activity fees from GlaxoSmithKline and consulting fees from Merck, Genentech, Schering, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novartis and grant support from GlaxoSmithKline ...

Abstract Although anecdotal reports suggest that information processing and decision making is impaired immediately following prolonged periods of physical activity, results obtained from laboratory studies of exercise-induced fatigue have been inconsistent. Fatigue effects may be task specific and related to the time of post-exercise testing. The present study examined the ...

Chemical sensitization is a serious condition caused by small reactive molecules and is characterized by a delayed type hypersensitivity known as allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Contact with these molecules via dermal exposure represent a significant concern for chemical manufacturers. Recent legislation in the EU has created the need to develop ...

Abstract Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is a worldwide disease with various clinical presentations according to geographical origin of the cases. Brazil is a country of Portuguese colonization and Portuguese descendants are estimated to be more than 25 millions. The Brazilian FAP population was characterized in this text as having basically ...

Previous studies have reported a relationship between short sleep duration and childhood overweight. Although school-aged children tend to compensate for weekday sleep deficit by increasing weekend sleep duration, the association between weekend catch-up sleep and childhood overweight remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between weekend catch-up sleep ...

Direct polymer conjugation at peptide tyrosine residues is described. In this study Tyr residues of both Leucine enkephalin and salmon calcitonin (sCT) were targeted using appropriate diazonium salt terminated linear mPEGs and poly(mPEG) methacrylate prepared by ATRP. Judicious choice of the reaction conditions - pH, stoichiometry and chemical structure of ...

The dynamics of the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) in a cluster of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) and hydrogen-bonded water molecules was investigated by means of quantum chemical simulations. Two different enol ground-state structures of HBT interacting with the water cluster were chosen as initial structures for the excited-state dynamics: (i) an intramolecular ...