Myelination is a cellular adaptation allowing rapid conduction along axons. We have investigated peripheral axons of the zebrafish maxillary barbel (ZMB), an optically clear sensory appendage. Each barbel carries taste buds, solitary chemosensory cells, and epithelial nerve endings, all of which regenerate after amputation (LeClair and Topczewski [2010] PLoS One ...

The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is a brain region integral to complex behaviors that are highly influenced by cannabinoids and by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R)-mediated regulation of fast-firing parvalbumin-containing interneurons. We have recently shown that constitutive deletion of the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) greatly reduces parvalbumin levels in these neurons. The ...

Relevant and reliable outcomes play a crucial role in the correct interpretation and comparison of the results of clinical trials. There is a lack of consensus around methods of assessment and outcome measures for vitiligo, which makes it difficult to compare results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and perform meta-analysis. ...

1) To develop and validate laser speckle flowmetry (LSF) as a quantitative tool for individual microvessel hemodynamics in large networks. 2) To use LSF to determine if structural differences in the dorsal skinfold microcirculation (DSFWC) of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice impart differential network hemodynamic responses to occlusion. We compared LSF ...

The notion of personalized medicine has developed from the application of the discipline of pharmacogenetics to clinical medicine. Although the clinical relevance of genetically-determined inter-individual differences in pharmacokinetics is poorly understood, and the genotype-phenotype association data on clinical outcomes often inconsistent, officially approved drug labels frequently include pharmacogenetic information concerning ...

Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is critical to managing HIV-1-infected individuals and being a public health concern. We report on TDR prevalence and include analyses of phylogenetic clustering of HIV-1 in a predominantly men who have sex with men cohort diagnosed during acute/recent HIV-1 infection in New York City. Genotypic resistance ...

When a construct such as patients' "transition to self-management" of chronic illness is studied by researchers across multiple disciplines, the meaning of key terms can become confused. This results from inherent problems in language where a term can have multiple meanings (polysemy) and different words can mean the same thing ...

The RAS (renin-angiotensin system) is one of the earliest and most extensively studied hormonal systems. The RAS is an atypical hormonal system in several ways. The major bioactive peptide of the system, AngII (angiotensin II), is neither synthesized in nor targets one specific organ. New research has identified additional peptides ...

Intermittent dosing of pre-exposure prophylaxis (iPrEP) has potential to decrease costs, improve adherence, and minimize toxicity. Practical event-based dosing of iPrEP requires men who have sex with men (MSM) to be sexually active on fewer than 3 days each week and plan for sexual activity. MSM who may be most ...

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection and HBV seropositivity in perinatally HIV-infected adolescents. A secondary objective was to describe the clinical characteristics of adolescents with chronic HBV/HIV coinfection. Multicenter cross-sectional study of perinatally HIV-infected adolescents aged 12-25 years. HBV surface antigen, surface antibody ...

Cervical tissue-based organ cultures have been used successfully to evaluate microbicides for toxicity and antiviral activity. The antimicrobial peptide retrocyclin RC-101 has been shown to have potent anti-HIV activity in cell culture. To evaluate RC-101 in organ culture for toxicity and its ability to block HIV-1 transmission across cervical mucosa. ...

Resistant viruses may emerge in the female genital tract during antiretroviral therapy (ART). Our objective was to identify predictors of drug-resistant HIV-1 RNA in genital secretions after initiation of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based therapy. We conducted a prospective cohort study with periodic evaluation of plasma and genital swab samples for ...

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is characterized by focal bone erosions mediated by osteoclasts at the bone-pannus junction. The bulk of research over the past decade has centered on mechanisms that underlie osteoclastogenesis along with new insights into osteoimmunology; however, recent advances that focus on steps that lead to new bone formation ...

Inflammation and hemostasis perturbation may be involved in vascular complications of HIV infection. We examined atherogenic biomarkers and subclinical atherosclerosis in HIV-infected adults before and after beginning highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In the Women's Interagency HIV Study, 127 HIV-infected women studied pre and post HAART were matched to HIV-uninfected ...

Approximately, 15% of HIV-infected individuals have comorbid diabetes. Studies suggest that HIV and diabetes have an additive effect on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression; however, this observation may be confounded by differences in traditional CKD risk factors. We studied a national cohort of HIV-infected and matched HIV-uninfected individuals who received ...

The financial viability of Social Security, the single largest U.S. government program, depends on accurate forecasts of the solvency of its intergenerational trust fund. We begin by detailing information necessary for replicating the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) forecasting procedures, which until now has been unavailable in the public domain. We ...

Opiate abuse and HIV-1 have been described as interrelated epidemics, and even in the advent of combined anti-retroviral therapy, the additional abuse of opiates appears to result in greater neurologic and cognitive deficits. The central nervous system (CNS) is particularly vulnerable to interactive opiate-HIV-1 effects, in part because of the ...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia-induced sepsis is a common cause of morbidity in the intensive care unit. Although pneumonia is initiated in the lungs, extrapulmonary manifestations occur commonly. In light of the key role the intestine plays in the pathophysiology of sepsis, we sought to determine whether MRSA pneumonia induces ...

Drug abuse and HIV infection are interlinked. From the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the impact of illicit drug use on HIV disease progression has been a focus of many investigations. Both laboratory-based and epidemiological studies strongly indicate that drug abuse may exacerbate HIV disease progression and increase mortality and ...

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the use of methamphetamine (METH), a sympathomimetic stimulant, is particularly common among patients infected with HIV. In vitro studies have determined that METH enhances HIV infection of CD4+ T cells, monocyte-derived dendritic cells, and macrophages. In addition, animal studies have also showed that METH treatment ...

Cover Picture: High-resolution scanning electron microscopy image showing cells adapting bridging (center) and flat (edges) attachment morphology types. See related article by O'Brien et. al., Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Volume 109, Number 6 (June, 2012), pages 1583-1594. (Image courtesy of Dr. Ryan McCoy).

Glutamate, the most abundant excitatory transmitter in the brain can lead to neurotoxicity when not properly regulated. Excitotoxicity is a direct result of abnormal regulation of glutamate concentrations in the synapse, and is a common neurotoxic mediator associated with neurodegenerative disorders. It is well accepted that methamphetamine (METH), a potent ...

HIV-1 infection is a global public health problem with more than 34 million people living with HIV infection. Although great strides have been made in treating this epidemic with therapeutic agents, the increase in patient life span has been coincident with an increase in the prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders ...

Since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the mid-90s, the most severe forms of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) have diminished. However, milder forms of HAND remain prevalent. Basic and clinical studies implicate alterations in the dopaminergic (DAergic) system in HIV-1 infection. We used the Fischer 344 HIV-1 transgenic ...

Opioid use in HIV infection has been associated with an increased frequency of neurological disease and cognitive impairment and vitamin A deficiency has been linked to progressive HIV disease in drug users. In this report the potential effects of these factors, alone and in combination, on gamma amino butyric acid ...

The investigations in this article were triggered by two observations in the laboratory; for some liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) systems it was possible to obtain linear calibration curves for extreme concentration ranges and for some systems seemingly linear calibration curves gave good accuracy at low concentrations only when using ...

To enhance the ionization efficiencies in atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry a dopant with favorable ionization energy such as chlorobenzene is typically used. These dopants are typically toxic and difficult to mix with water-soluble organic solvents. In order to achieve a more efficient and less toxic dopant, a multicomponent mixed ...

Although para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is known to cause severe allergic contact dermatitis in consequence of autoxidation and/or skin metabolism pathways, it is commonly utilized as an ingredient in permanent hair dyes. The aim of this work was to simultaneously accelerate the autoxidation process and to simulate the metabolic activation of PPD ...

Stable isotopes of nitrogen in nitrate (NO(3) (-) ) are frequently used to identify nitrate sources and to study nitrogen (N) transformation processes, but the measurement methods available are generally rather labor intensive and/or costly, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) can interfere with the δ(15) N signature of nitrate. We ...

para-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a potent and well-known allergen, which is commonly used in hair or fur dyes and can cause severe allergic contact dermatitis. In this work, the skin-sensitizing potential of PPD with respect to the conjugation of proteins was evaluated using an approach without animal testing. Electrochemistry (EC) coupled ...

Cyanobacteria are a small group of photosynthetic planktonic bacteria, producing a large group of strong hepatotoxins called microcystins (MCs). Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the presence of MCs and nodularin (NOD) in water or in marine organisms, but little research has been done on the atmospheric environment. Waterborne ...

Imaging mass spectrometry with high spatial resolution has become a rapidly developing area of mass spectrometric research. Many scientific and industrial problems deal with mass spectrometric analysis at ambient pressures. This requires efficient transport and ionization of small amounts of substance. An active sampling capillary based on a dielectric barrier ...

The aim of this study was to establish a simultaneous quantitative analysis method of nine endogenous nucleotides in rat plasma using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MEKC/ESI-MS). To select the optimum conditions for separation of the nucleotides, various pH, concentrations of running buffers and surfactants were tested. Ammonium ...

Busulfan (Bu) is an important component of the myeloablative conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) especially in children. Intravenously administered Bu exhibits a therapeutic window phenomenon requiring therapeutic drug monitoring. Analytical methods developed for Bu routine monitoring were aimed at using low volumes of biological fluids and ...

A method has been developed to reduce the mass spectrometric ion signal suppression associated with the use of TFA as an additive in LC mobile phases. Through post-column infusion of diluted NH(4) OH solution to LC eluents, the ammonium ion introduced causes the neutral analyte-TFA ion pair to dissociate which ...

The linear range of a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) bioanalytical assay is typically about three orders of magnitude. A broader standard curve range is favored since it can significantly reduce the time, labor and potential errors related to sample dilution - one of the bottlenecks in sample analysis. Using ...

The capabilities and performances of a quadrupole ion trap under damping force based on collisional cooling is of particular importance in high-resolution mass spectrometry and should be analyzed by Mathieu's differential solutions. These solutions describe the stability and instability of the ion's trajectories confined in quadrupole devices. One of the ...

We have developed a method for the determination of melamine (MEL), ammeline (AMN), and ammelide (AMD) by surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The major peaks for MEL, AMN, and AMD at m/z 127.07, 128.05, and 129.04 are assigned to the [MEL + H](+) , ...

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is frequently used for analysis of cannabinoids in drug abuse control. Despite differences in structure, the isomers Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) provide identical fragment spectra after positive electrospray ionization (ESI). For elucidation of the reason, hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments were performed. Solutions of ...

The concept that cancer stem cells (CSCs)/tumor stem cells/cancer-initiating cells are one of the key centers to cure neoplastic disease has drawn an increasing attention recent years. Because of their high resistance and potential to initiate tumors, CSCs are considered a critical factor associated with tumor relapse. Regulatory T(T(reg)) cells, ...

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis (fibrosis), a histologic feature associated with a failing kidney allograft, is diagnosed using the invasive allograft biopsy. A noninvasive diagnostic test for fibrosis may help improve allograft outcome. We obtained 114 urine specimens from 114 renal allograft recipients: 48 from 48 recipients with fibrosis in their biopsy results ...

The transmembrane domains of membrane fusogenic proteins are known to contribute to lipid bilayer mixing as indicated by mutational studies and functional reconstitution of peptide mimics. Here, we demonstrate that mutations of a GxxxG motif or of Ile residues, that were previously shown to compromise the fusogenicity of the Vesicular ...

Human aging is associated with the deterioration of long-lived proteins. Gradual cumulative modifications to the life-long proteins of the lens may ultimately be responsible for the pronounced alterations to the optical and physical properties that characterize lenses from older people. γS crystallin, a major human lens protein, is known to ...

Given the importance of protein-protein interactions for nearly all biological processes, the design of protein affinity reagents for use in research, diagnosis or therapy is an important endeavor. Engineered proteins would ideally have high specificities for their intended targets, but achieving interaction specificity by design can be challenging. There are ...

An intracellular second messenger unique to bacteria, c-di-GMP, has gained appreciation as a key player in adaptation and virulence strategies, such as biofilm formation, persistence, and cytotoxicity. Diguanylate cyclases containing GGDEF domains and phosphodiesterases containing either EAL or HD-GYP domains have been identified as the enzymes controlling intracellular c-di-GMP levels, ...

It has become clear that the binding of small and large ligands to proteins can invoke significant changes in side chain and main chain motion in the fast picosecond to nanosecond timescale. Recently, the use of a "dynamical proxy" has indicated that changes in these motions often reflect significant changes ...

In the current work we present some pharmacological characteristics of ten new analogues of bradykinin (Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg) modified in the N-terminal part of the molecule with a variety of acyl substituents. Of the many acylating agents used previously with B(2) receptor antagonists, the following residues were chosen: 1-adamantaneacetic acid (Aaa), 1-adamantanecarboxylic ...

ABSTRACT  The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived comfort, behaviors, and barriers reported by group home caregivers while providing oral health care to individuals with special healthcare needs (SHCN). A 23-item survey was sent to 428 caregivers in two group homes in Iowa. Bivariate and logistic regression ...

Hypovolaemia after overnight fasting is believed to exacerbate postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, data on the efficacy of supplemental i.v. crystalloids for PONV prophylaxis are conflicting. We performed a literature search using CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science. We included prospective randomized controlled trials that reported PONV ...

To measure overall change in the incidence of illness, we combined data for infections caused by 6 bacterial pathogens monitored by the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network for which >50% of illnesses are estimated to be transmitted by food. The overall incidence for these pathogens was 23% lower in 2010 ...