PURPOSE: To compare the use of serum and plasma in multiplex immunoassay analyses of 190 proteins and small molecules, and associated molecular pathways. We also tested whether differences between these biofluids can influence the identification of potential biomarkers in a preliminary study comparing bipolar disorder patients with controls. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: ...

Gecko feet integrate many intriguing functions such as strong adhesion, easy detachment, and self-cleaning. Mimicking gecko toe pad structure leads to the development of new types of fibrillar adhesives useful for various applications. In this Concept article, in addition to the design of adhesive mimics by replicating gecko geometric features, ...

It has been recognised recently that obese individuals have lower concentrations of micronutrients and this may affect the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the association of specific micronutrients' status with chronic inflammation caused by obesity in 280 women (36·1 (sd 7·5) years) from ...

BACKGROUND: Levosimendan, a calcium sensitizer, increases the sensitivity of the heart to calcium, thus increasing myocardial contractility without a rise in intracellular calcium. It was recently shown that levosimendan is beneficial in improving renal function. However, it remains to be established that the beneficial effect is differentially related to renal ...

A case of congenital lacrimal cyst or dacryops of the lacrimal gland in an 8-month-old Neapolitan Mastiff dog is reported. The dog presented with a swelling dorsolateral to the left globe, which had been present since birth. In addition, hyperplasia and prolapse of the superficial gland of the left nictitating ...

Background.  There is mounting evidence that antimicrobial peptides have an important role in cutaneous defence, but the expression of these antimicrobial peptides in atopic eczema (AE) is still unclear. There are several families of antimicrobial peptides, including cathelicidins and human β-defensins. Patients with AE are more susceptible to severe cutaneous ...

The continuing viability of the free-radical theory of ageing has been questioned following apparently incompatible recent results. We show by modelling positional effects of the generation and primary targets of reactive oxygen species that many of the apparently negative results are likely to be misleading. We conclude that there is ...

Monoclonal antibodies are the most important family of biopharmaceutical compounds in terms of market share. At present, 30 monoclonal antibodies have been approved and are now commercialized for therapeutic purposes. Monoclonal antibodies are typically produced by mammalian cell culture in bioreactors that range in scale of 1 to 20m(3) . ...

The presence of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) may be secondary to bowel necrosis, mechanical distension, or intraabdominal sepsis. We describe an unusual and hitherto unreported presence of HPVG manifesting as gas embolization and the unique "aquarium sign" in a patient of Kawasaki's disease. Continuous passage of bubble-like echoes flowing ...

Aims: A number of studies have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the reactive phosphorylation of p38 MAPKα (p38). However, whether S-nitrosylation of p38 is activated by NO and the details remain unclear. The aim of the present work was to assess the activation of p38, ...

Chronic occupational solvent exposure is associated with long-term cognitive deficits. Cognitive reserve may protect solvent-exposed workers from cognitive impairment. We tested whether the association between chronic solvent exposure and cognition varied by educational attainment, a proxy for cognitive reserve. Data were drawn from a prospective cohort of French national gas ...

The combination of lenalidomide-dexamethasone is active in multiple myeloma (MM). Preclinical data showed that the Akt inhibitor, perifosine, sensitized MM cells to lenalidomide and dexamethasone, providing the rationale for this Phase I, multicentre, single-arm study to assess the safety and determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of perifosine-lenalidomide-dexamethasone in relapsed and ...

This paper explores whether shame memories have a distinct impact on emotional difficulties and psychopathology that goes beyond their negative emotional valence. Study 1 (N=292) investigates the contribution of centrality of shame memory, in comparison to the centrality of fear and sadness memories, to explain the memory's traumatic impact, shame, ...

Rationale  A multidisciplinary primary care clinic in Sydney, Australia, was planning to use electronic questionnaires to measure patient-reported outcomes. Methods  Semi-structured interviews with 20 patients were undertaken to explore, among other things, practical issues regarding different questionnaire formats. The response rates and costs of email versus postal invitations were also ...

Objective: The objective of present investigation was to evaluate performance of cocrystals of Mefloquine Hydrochloride (MFL) in tablet dosage form. Our previous investigation showed significant effect of cocrystal formers on improving the solubility and dissolution rate of Mefloquine hydrochloride by cocrystallization method when prepared by solution cocrystallization method. Materials and ...

Gold nanoparticles on hydrotalcite act as a heterogeneous catalyst for the chemoselective hydrogenolysis of various allylic carbonates to the corresponding terminal alkenes using H(2) as a clean reductant. The combination of gold nanoparticles and basic supports elicited significantly unique and selective catalysis in the hydrogenolysis.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Approximately 40-60% of lung cancer patients present with locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Lung cancer development and progression are a multistep process which is characterized by abnormal gene and protein expressions ...

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), an ATP-driven efflux pump in the blood-brain barrier, has a major impact on the delivery of antidepressant drugs in the brain. Genetic variants in the gene ABCB1 encoding for P-gp have inconsistently been associated with adverse effects. In order to resolve these inconsistencies, we conducted a study in ...

Pds5 and Wpl1 act as anti-establishment factors preventing sister-chromatid cohesion until counteracted in S-phase by the cohesin acetyl-transferase Eso1. However, Pds5 is also required to maintain sister-chromatid cohesion in G2. Here, we show that Pds5 is essential for cohesin acetylation by Eso1 and ensures the maintenance of cohesion by promoting ...

A method of single-shot imaging via aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy equipped with high angle annular dark-field detector (STEM-HAADF) has been applied to size-selected gold model catalysts (Au(25) and Au(39) ) on hydroxyapatite. Through quantitative intensity analysis, the size, in terms of number of atoms as well as 3D shape ...

Rationale  Pain assessment and treatment is influenced by subjective perception of pain. Despite the international efforts to implement guidelines and protocols for pain management, pain continues to be regarded as a complication rather than a primary problem. The literature pertaining to the adequacy of pain management in the Middle East ...

Glucose transport plays an important role in maintaining low sugar concentration in airway surface liquid (ASL), which is critical for mucociliary clearance and bacterial colonization. Experimental evidence indicates that glucose/hexose uptake in lung/airway cells occurs by means of two structurally distinct glucose transporter pathways: the Na(+) -dependent glucose transporters (SGLT ...

OBJECTIVE: Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFA) may be associated with significant morbidity. Published data on the quality of life (QoL) of NFA patients are scarce and conflicting. In view of the discordant findings and the advances in the management of these subjects, we aimed to evaluate the QoL in NFA patients ...

We evaluated the ability of two-dimensional speckle tracking strain echocardiography to detect left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction as compared with LV ejection fraction (EF) in healthy subjects following acute alcohol intoxication. In total, 25 healthy subjects were investigated using echocardiography 4-6 hours after the onset of alcohol intoxication at a ...

BACKGROUND: In face of variable definitions and sampling criteria, the real prevalence of resistant hypertension in a clinical setting is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prevalence of true resistant hypertension in an outpatient hypertension clinic. METHODS: True resistant hypertension was diagnosed when white coat phenomenon, lack of compliance and secondary ...

Study design:A within-participant, double-blind, cross-over, randomised control trial.Objectives:To determine the short-term effects of bronchodilator therapy on respiratory function in people with recently acquired motor complete tetraplegia.Setting:Hospital, Australia.Methods:A total of 12 people with recently acquired tetraplegia were randomised to receive either a one-off dose of a bronchodilator followed by an equivalent ...

Ablation strategies for almost all types of ventricular tachycardias have now been established. The optimal ablation strategy for ventricular tachycardia is determined by the site of origin and the electrophysiological mechanisms. Electrocardiograms, an understanding of the common sites of basic disease, and identification of the scar site using imaging modalities ...

In a pair of Ir/Eu and Ir/Tb dyads, two-photon excitation of the Ir-phenylpyridine chromophore at 780 nm is followed by partial d → f energy-transfer to give a combination of short-lived Ir-based (blue) and long-lived lanthanide-based (red or green) emission; these components can be selected separately by time-gated detection.

  Congenital facial differences may impact a child's self-perception, activities and valuation, and what has been termed their "self-concept." This article reviews what constitutes self-concept, and its development during childhood and adolescence. The literature examining the role of physical appearance, specifically congenital facial differences on individuals' perceptions of self are ...

A nonaqueous, hybrid metal-organic redox flow battery based on tailored anthraquinone structure is demonstrated to have an energy efficiency of ∼82% and a specific discharge energy density similar to those of aqueous redox flow batteries, which is due to the significantly improved solubility of anthraquinone in supporting electrolytes.

SCOPE: MicroRNA (miRNA) profiles are altered in chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disorders, and cancer. A systems biology approach was used to examine, for the first time, miRNAs altered in rat colon tumors induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine carcinogen from cooked meat. METHODS AND RESULTS: ...

Leading theories of false memory predict that veridical and false recall of lists of semantically associated words can be dissociated by varying the presentation speed during study. Specifically, as presentation rate increases from milliseconds to seconds, veridical recall is predicted to increase monotonically while false recall is predicted to show ...

During osteoarthritis (OA), angiogenesis is increased in the synovium, osteophytes and menisci and leads to ossification in osteophytes and the deep layers of articular cartilage. Angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors might both be upregulated in the osteoarthritic joint; however, vascular growth predominates, and the articular cartilage loses its resistance to vascularization. ...

Background/Aims: The aim of the study is to address the impact of prophylactic anticoagulation on the incidence of PVT in cirrhotic patients compared with no prophylactic anticoagulation after splenectomy. Methodology: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing prophylactic anticoagulation and no prophylactic anticoagulation after splenectomy were included by a systematic literature search. ...

Hypocaloric diet is a key component of the weight-reducing treatment of obesity and obesity-related disorders. Hypocaloric diets and the associated weight reduction promote improvement of metabolic profile of obese individuals. Among the mechanisms that underlie this beneficial metabolic outcome, the diet-induced modifications of morphological and functional characteristics of human adipose ...

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient, and low Se intake in Se-deficient areas plays roles in an endemic osteochondropathy characterized by chondronecrosis in growth plate and articular cartilage. However, the biological activities of Se on cartilage are largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of Se on chondrogenic ...

The dimension-controlled synthesis of CdS nanocrystals in the strong quantum confinement regime is reported. Zero-, one-, and two-dimensional CdS nanocrystals are selectively synthesized via low-temperature reactions using alkylamines as surface-capping ligands. The shape of the nanocrystals is controlled systematically by using different amines and reaction conditions. The 2D nanoplates have ...

We propose a new framework for homonuclear dipolar decoupling in solid-state NMR that provides a theoretical link between the FSLG, PMLG and DUMBO families. We show that through the use of a Legendre polynomial basis, the phase modulation of these decoupling schemes can be described by the same set of ...

SCOPE: Chemoprevention is one of the most feasible approaches to reduce the risk of cancer. Over the past decades, scientists have realized that chronic inflammation is a critical component of cancer development. Inotilone, existing in Inonotus mushroom has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. Hence, we investigated the ...

The AML16 trial evaluated the combination of the farnesyltransferase inhibitor, tipifarnib, and low dose cytarabine (LDAC) in older acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients in a 'Pick a Winner' design. The aim was to double remission rates compared to LDAC, with initial evaluation after 100 patients. Failure to improve remission would ...

Aim: Mitochondrial function and the ensuing ATP synthesis are central to the functioning of the brain and contribute to neuronal physiology. Most studies on neurodegenerative diseases have highlighted that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important event contributing to pathology. However, studies on the human brain mitochondria in various neurodegenerative disorders heavily ...

Stress is an important factor for many diseases in living metabolisms. The mini pathway named as polyol is a critical junction for stress factors. This pathway has two enzymes: aldose reductase (AR) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH). It is linked with some diseases such as diabetes mellitus and some cancer types. ...

Background:  It has long been assumed that the development of childhood asthma is related to exposure to environmental chemicals. However, it has thus far not been possible to unequivocally establish this suspected relationship by individual studies. Moreover, studies of children have been scanty and unreliable due to the large diversity ...

AIMS: The aim of this work was to investigate the interaction between two H.pylori strains in promoting genetic transfer, when grown in the biofilm mode. METHODS AND RESULTS: Biofilms produced by H.pylori 9/10 (A), H.pylori 15/4 (B) and their mixture (C) were studied for biomass production and cell viability. The ...

In order to reduce both acquisition and reconstruction times, illumination and detection in fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FDOT) have recently evolved from a point-based to a pattern-based approach. The use of structured illumination, offering the ability to project any pattern of light onto the object, associated with the compression of ...

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with several human malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Reactivation of latent EBV has been considered to contribute to the carcingenesis of NPC. Blocking the EBV lytic cycle has been shown effective in the treatment of EBV-associated diseases. We have searched for natural dietary compounds ...

The effect of thermal activation on atomic-scale friction is often described in the framework of the Prandtl-Tomlinson model. Accurate use of this model relies on parameters that describe the shape of the corrugation potential β and the transition attempt frequency f(0). We show that the commonly used form of β ...

Background/Aims: Primary pancreatic leiomyosarcoma (PLMS) is a rare disease; its clinical characters and prognosis are poorly demonstrated. This study aimed to investigate the tumor's clinical characters and to reveal the true outcome. Methodology: A retrospective review of both Chinese and worldwide PLMS patients were performed. Data was collected and analyzed ...

DNA methylation is frequently described as a 'silencing' epigenetic mark, and indeed this function of 5-methylcytosine was originally proposed in the 1970s. Now, thanks to improved genome-scale mapping of methylation, we can evaluate DNA methylation in different genomic contexts: transcriptional start sites with or without CpG islands, in gene bodies, ...

Ten different anatomical structures of compound eyes are provided by nature for arthropod vision. All the vision schemes are not well understood to be used for inspiration in engineering applications. This method demonstrates the planar emulation of the optical schemes and their functions for two representative types of the simple ...