Abstract The over-expression of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in cancer cells is one of the main reasons of the acquired Multidrug Resistance (MDR). Combined treatment of MDR cancer cells with P-gp inhibitors and chemotherapeutic agents could result in reversal of resistance in P-gp-expressing cells. In this study, paclitaxel (PTX) was co-encapsulated ...

Aim:  Elevated levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF) are often observed in many diseases including colorectal cancer, but this finding is not definite. The aim of our study was to examine the change in VWF multimer distribution in patients with colorectal cancer. Method:  We randomly selected nine patients from each ...

The 'expensive-tissue hypothesis' states that investment in one metabolically costly tissue necessitates decreased investment in other tissues and has been one of the keystone concepts used in studying the evolution of metabolically expensive tissues. The trade-offs expected under this hypothesis have been investigated in comparative studies in a number of ...

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) are known as anti-ice nucleating agents (anti-INAs), which inhibit ice nucleation initiated by ice nucleating agents (INAs). Although the effectiveness of anti-INAs depends on the type of INA, most previous studies on anti-INAs used only a few types of biological INAs as targets ...

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship of oxidative stress to fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SLE by ACR criteria and healthy controls completed validated questionnaires to assess depression and fatigue. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Severity ...

How cells adopt different expression patterns is a fundamental question of developmental biology. We quantitatively measured reporter expression of 127 genes, primarily transcription factors, in every cell and with high temporal resolution in C. elegans embryos. Embryonic cells are highly distinct in their gene expression; expression of the 127 genes ...

Abstract Even in the case of implant loss, re-placement of the implant and re-fabrication of the superstructure are often sufficient, as long as the bone and soft tissue are in good condition. However, if implant loss accompanied by serious bone resorption occurs with a fixed implant superstructure supported by multiple ...

Evidence assembled in this review indicates that sympathetic nervous system dysfunction is crucial in the development of heart failure and essential hypertension. This takes the form of persistent and adverse activation of sympathetic outflows to the heart and kidneys in both conditions. An important goal for clinical scientists is translation ...

Aims  The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy, based on analysis of the results of the Aldose Reductase Inhibitor-Diabetes Complications Trial, a 3-year multicentre comparative clinical trial of conventional therapy (control group) and epalrestat therapy ...

Hydrophobic peptides are generally difficult to detect using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) because the majority of MALDI matrixes are hydrophilic and therefore have a low affinity for hydrophobic peptides. Here, we report on a novel matrix additive, o-alkylated dihydroxybenzoic acid (ADHB), which is a 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) derivative ...

Curcumin is a natural bioactive compound with many health-promoting benefits. Its low oral bioavailability hurdles its application in functional foods. In the present study, novel organogel-based nanoemulsions have been developed for oral delivery of curcumin and improvement of its bioavailability. Recently developed curcumin organogel was used as the oil phase ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of shift working on the risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). METHODS: This study comprised 6413 male employees (5608 daytime workers, 512 3-shift workers and 293 2-shift workers) whose work schedules remained constant during the follow-up period (mean ...

Fenpyroximate (FP), an acaricide, is widely used in the prevention of acarids (mites) in fruit plant gardens. In this study, the acute toxic effects of different concentrations of FP were investigated using adult guppy (Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859). Guppy adults were exposed to a range of FP concentrations (25, 50, ...

Munc13-4 is a widely expressed member of the CAPS/Munc13 protein family proposed to function in priming secretory granules for exocytosis. Munc13-4 contains N- and C-terminal C2 domains (C2A and C2B) predicted to bind Ca(2+), but Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of Munc13-4 activity has not been described. The C2 domains bracket a predicted ...

Ultraviolet (UV), Circular Dichroism (CD), Fluorescence, and Circularly Polarized Luminescence (CPL) spectra were recorded for mixed chloroform/methanol and chloroform/butanol solutions of regioregular poly[3-((S)-2-methylbutyl)-thiophene]. An evaluation of the chiral and nonchiral components in solution is proposed on the basis of the UV and CD spectra. The fluorescence and CPL spectra are ...

Prune-belly syndrome (PBS) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by deficient abdominal muscles, urinary tract malformation, and in males, cryptorchidism and has an estimated incidence of 1 in 35,000 to 1 in 50,000 live births. The syndrome might be due to severe bladder outlet obstruction or to abdominal muscle deficiency ...

Violence can threaten individual wellbeing and tear at the social fabric of communities. At the same time, suffering can mobilize social coping and mutual support. Thus, the backdrop of political violence increases risk factors and stimulates resilience. The current study examined the moderating role of social coping as reflective of ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In recent years, several studies on the treatment and follow-up of achalasia have been published. This review aims at highlighting interesting publications from the recent years. RECENT FINDINGS: Treatment of achalasia aims at relieving functional obstruction at the level of the esophagogastric junction. Several treatment options such ...

We report on the full control of phononic band diagrams for periodic stacks of alternating layers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and porous silica combining Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. These structures exhibit large and robust on-axis band gaps determined by the longitudinal sound velocities, densities, and spacing ratio. A ...

Sweet syndrome is an inflammatory disease characterized by fever and painful erythematous plaques with a dermal neutrophilic infiltrate. It is most common in adults, where it is often parainflammatory or paraneoplastic, but is rare in children. We describe 3 cases of neonatal Sweet syndrome, including 1 patient who had myelodysplastic ...

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the role of some antenatal factors on bone status of newborn infants. Methods: Tibial bone speed of sound (SOS) value was measured by quantitative ultrasound within 5 days after birth in 205 neonates whose gestational ages ranged between 31-40 weeks. The cohort was divided into two ...

The origin of life on Earth was a chemical affair. So how did primitive biochemical systems originate from geochemical and cosmochemical processes on the young planet? Contemporary research into the origins of life subscribes to the Darwinian principle of material causes operating in an evolutionary context, as advocated by A. ...

Accumulating evidence highlights the importance of using psychosocial approaches to intervention for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that target the family and school, as well as the intersection of family and school. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a family-school intervention, Family-School Success (FSS), designed to improve the family and ...

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the effectiveness of bariatric surgery for hypothalamic obesity in patients with craniopharyngioma (CP). PATIENTS: Patients who developed morbid obesity after surgery for CP and who underwent laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB), laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass were included (n=9). Patients with common obesity who underwent bariatric ...

BACKGROUND: Assimilation of the preferred nutrient of enterocytes is mediated primarily by sodium (Na)-dependent cotransport (NGct) in the intestine. The predominant NGcT in villus cells, B0AT1, is inhibited secondary to a decrease in cotransporter numbers during chronic intestinal inflammation. In contrast, NGcT mediated by SN2 in crypt cells is stimulated ...

Provision of food is a prerequisite for the functioning of human society. Cropland where food and feed are grown is the central, limiting resource for food production. The amount of cropland needed depends on population numbers, average food consumption patterns, and output per unit of land. Around the globe, these ...

Given worldwide increases in the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, new strategies for preventing and treating metabolic diseases are needed. The nuclear receptor PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) plays a central role in lipid and glucose metabolism; however, current PPARγ-targeting drugs are characterized by undesirable side effects. Natural ...

Practicing the retrieval of some information can lead to poorer retrieval of other related information, a phenomenon called retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). This pattern has been explained as the result of inhibition of the related information during practice (Anderson, 2003). A core assumption of this inhibition account is that, to be ...

There is a growing body of literature describing cases of cognitive impairment associated with both acquired and developmental damage to the cerebellum. The current case study describes such a case involving a 17-year-old male with cerebellar hypoplasia, having incomplete formation of the vermis and atrophy of the interior cerebellar hemispheres. ...

The exact definition of pathologic complete response (pCR) and its prognostic impact on survival in intrinsic breast cancer subtypes is uncertain. Tumor response at surgery and its association with long-term outcome of 6,377 patients with primary breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant anthracycline-taxane-based chemotherapy in seven randomized trials were analyzed. Disease-free survival ...

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of lis-dexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) as an adjunct to nicotine replacement therapy in adult smokers with ADHD who were undergoing a quit attempt. Methods: Thirty-two regular adult smokers with ADHD were randomized to receive LDX (n = 17) ...

Methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO), known as reactive carbonyl species, can be generated endogenously and exogenously (human body and food system). They are attracting increased attention because of their relationship with diabetes and flavour generation. In this review, their characteristics relating to flavour chemistry are discussed. MGO and GO can ...

AimsCYP3A4-metabolized statins can influence the pharmacodynamic effect of clopidogrel. We sought to assess the impact of switching to a non-CYP3A4-metabolized statin on platelet function among patients receiving clopidogrel and atorvastatin with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR).Methods and resultsPercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-treated patients (n= 50) with HPR [20 μM adenosine diphosphate ...

To examine imatinib mesylate's effects on stellate cell responses in vivo and in vitro. The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is a key target of anti-fibrotic therapies. Imatinib mesylate is a small molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor indicated for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia and GI stromal tumours. Because imatinib inhibits ...

To examine the effects of firefighters' self-contained breathing apparatus' (SCBA) weight and its harness design on the physiological and subjective responses, eight male students performed treadmill exercise under four conditions: the 8 kg firefighter protective clothing (PC) (Control), the PC + an 11 kg SCBA with an old harness (Test A), the ...

Recent data indicate that age-related N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) transmission impairment is correlated with the reduction of serine racemase (SR) expression and D-serine content. Since apoptosis is associated with several diseases and conditions that generally occur with age we investigated the modulation of SR/D-serine pathway during neuronal apoptosis and its impact ...

Previous studies have found that microRNA-21 (miR-21) is an important functional factor during osteoclast differentiation. Abnormal osteoclastogenesis induced by wear particles is the main cause of aseptic loosening in joint replacements. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible role of miR-21 in the pathogenesis of particle-induced ...

Purpose:To explore the spatial patterns of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) of varying severity and to correlate these fluctuations with clinical markers of HE.Materials and Methods:This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. ...

The cardiac electrical impulse depends on an orchestrated interplay of transmembrane ionic currents in myocardial cells. Two critical ionic current mechanisms are the inwardly rectifying potassium current (I(K1)), which is important for maintenance of the cell resting membrane potential, and the sodium current (I(Na)), which provides a rapid depolarizing current ...

We demonstrate the nucleation of self-assembled, epitaxial GaN nanowires (NWs) on (111) single-crystalline diamond (SCD) without using a catalyst or buffer layer. The NWs show an excellent crystalline quality of the wurtzite crystal structure with m-plane faceting, a low defect density and axial growth along the c-axis with N-face polarity, ...

AimsAbout 40% of East Asians carry an aldehyde dehydrogenase-2*2 (ALDH2*2) allele, and the influence of the ALDH2*2 allele on human cardioprotection has not been studied. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of ALDH2*2 allele on cardioprotection of patients with congenital heart diseases after open-heart surgery.Methods and resultsThe right atrial ...

BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of chemotherapy drug resistance would aid treatment decisions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The aim of the current study was to determine if mitoxantrone efflux from AML blasts would correlate with response to induction chemotherapy. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to measure the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) ...

Giant Cell Tumor of Bone (GCT) is an aggressive skeletal tumor characterized by local bone destruction, high recurrence rates and metastatic potential. Previous works in our lab, including functional assays, have shown that neutralization of PTHrP in the cell environment inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell death in GCT stromal ...

Cycloaddition reactions are highly attractive for post-synthetic modification of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). We report herein on cycloaddition reactions with PIZOF(R(1) ,R(2) )s, which are porous interpenetrated Zr-based MOFs with Zr(6) O(4) (OH)(4) (CO(2) )(12) as the nodes and the dicarboxylates (-) O(2) C[PE-P(R(1) ,R(2) )-EP]CO(2) (-) (P: phenylene, E: ethynylene; ...

A shelf-stable and easily prepared diazotransfer reagent, imidazole-1-sulfonyl azide hydrochloride, was used to transform the N-terminus of a model peptide on solid phase into an azide moiety. It is demonstrated that this conversion was accomplished within 30 min with high efficiency under aqueous conditions on a NovaPEG resin or in ...

In the gut of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), immune and nonimmune cells produce large amounts of cytokines that drive the inflammatory process leading to the tissue damage. Cytokine blockers, such as anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), have been used with some success in IBD. However, not all patients ...

This article presents a simple and novel approach to prepare monodispersed gas-in-oil-in-water (G/O/W) and gas-in-water-in-oil (G/W/O) double-emulsions in the same dual-coaxial microfluidic device. The effects of three phase flow rates on the sizes of microbubbles and droplets and the number of the encapsulated microbubbles were systematically studied. We successfully synthesized ...

The analgesic properties and mechanisms of loperamide hydrochloride, a peripherally acting opioid receptor agonist, in neuropathic pain warrant further investigation. We examined the effects of systemic or local administration of loperamide on heat and mechanical hyperalgesia in rats after an L5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL).  (1) Systemic loperamide (0.3-10 mg/kg, ...

The P-cluster of nitrogenase is largely known for its function to mediate electron transfer to the active cofactor site during catalysis. Here, we show that a P-cluster variant (designated P*-cluster), which consists of paired [Fe(4)S(4)]-like clusters, can catalyze ATP-independent substrate reduction in the presence of a strong reductant, europium(II) diethylenetriaminepentaacetate ...

The malignant transformation of human prostatic epithelium is associated with the loss of androgen receptor (AR) in the surrounding stroma. However, the function and mechanisms of AR signaling in prostate cancer (PCa) stroma remain elusive. Here we report, by using proteomics pathway array analysis (PPAA), that androgen and its receptor ...