Heart failure and atrial fibrillation are associated with apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, suggesting common abnormalities in pro-apoptotic cardiac molecules. Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 causes apoptosis in vitro, and dysregulation of EphA2-dependent signalling is implicated in LEOPARD and Noonan syndromes associated with cardiomyopathy. Molecular pathways and regulation of EphA2 ...

20 % of patients with a systemic RV are pacemaker dependent, and unsuitable to undergo cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) could provide a reproducible alternative to CMR in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare variability of MDCT with CMR. Thirty-five patients with systemic ...

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is an umbrella term for several different disorders. In behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), patients show deterioration in cognition and social behavior. New diagnostic criteria proposed by the International Behavioral Variant FTD Consortium provide greater sensitivity in diagnosing bvFTD. Current pharmacological management of symptoms relies on medications ...

While the discovery of microRNAs has exponentially expanded our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing gene networks in many biological processes, the study of these tiny RNA powerhouses in cardiovascular disease is in its infancy. To date, there have been over 1200 human microRNAs identified, and they are estimated to ...

Although mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention in patients suffering from respiratory failure, prolonged mechanical ventilation is often associated with numerous complications including problematic weaning. In contracting skeletal muscle, inadequate oxygen supply can limit oxidative phosphorylation resulting in muscular fatigue. However, whether prolonged mechanical ventilation results in decreased diaphragmatic blood ...

Monocytes are frequently described as bone marrow-derived precursors of macrophages. Although many studies support this view, we now appreciate that monocytes neither develop exclusively in the bone marrow nor give rise to all macrophages and dendritic cells. In addition to differentiating to specific leukocyte populations, monocytes, as monocytes, are functionally ...

Prosthetic joint infections represent a major therapeutic challenge for both healthcare providers and patients. This article reviews the predisposing factors, pathogenesis, microbiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of prosthetic joint infection. The most optimal management strategy should be identified on the basis of a number of considerations, including type and duration ...

Supplementation with tetrahydrobiopterin, a nitric oxide synthase cofactor, may reduce microvascular endothelial dysfunction in severe sepsis. We studied whether tetrahydrobiopterin administration exerts beneficial effects in an ovine septic shock model. Randomized animal study. University hospital animal research laboratory. Fourteen adult female sheep. Fecal peritonitis was induced, and the sheep were ...

Guidelines strongly recommend additional intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy in STEMI patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there is no randomised evidence suggesting survival benefit of IABP treatment in CS. It is suggested that timing of initiation of IABP therapy could be of ...

Timosaponin B-II (TB-II) is one of the major bioactive steroid glycosides isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. (Fam. Liliaceae). It has been regarded as a potential lead compound, which may be further developed into a promising new drug for preventing dementia. To fully understand the action mechanism of TB-II, it is ...

Stable isotope compositions of natural waters, such as seawater, glaciers and basinal brines, can provide valuable information about Earth's hydrological cycle and its evolutionary history. However, a high concentration of dissolved ions in some natural waters hinders an accurate analysis of their oxygen isotope composition. A laboratory study was carried ...

Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric (ESI-MS) analysis of Pd in complex matrices is difficult due to the multiplicity of matrix effects. Two different approaches, internal standard and matrix separation, were investigated for developing a reliable analytical procedure for the trace level determination of Pd in simulated high-level liquid waste (SHLLW) solutions. ...

The rectilinear ion trap (RIT), as a simplified linear ion trap, has shown great potential in the field of portable mass spectrometers for its simple structure and easy manufacture. In this study, the new ceramic-based rectilinear ion trap (cRIT) was constructed, and the performance and geometry optimization of a series ...

Traditional methods for screening active compounds from complex system such as traditional Chinese medicines are relatively cumbersome and time-consuming. In order to improve this situation, we established an online analytical method for screening, separation and identification EGFR antagonists from traditional Chinese medicines, which is described in this study. Cells with ...

The analytical composition and botanical origin of honey are basic data used to determine the quality of this foodstuff. Although proteins are used to characterise the analytical composition of honey, they can be eliminated during its ultrafiltration and, in the case of honeys not saturated with their own pollen, the ...

Nanoparticles as substrates for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) have advantages over organic matrices, since they enable acquisition of spectra in the low-mass range. It has been previously shown that TiO(2) nanoparticles can be used as substrate for MALDI-TOF MS analysis of phospholipids and for other types ...

The transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel 4β is a non-selective cation channel that is regulated by intracellular Ca(2+) and G protein-coupled receptors. Tyrosine phosphorylation of TRPC4β is important in mediating the activity and membrane expression of this channel protein. However, studies of TRPC4β Ser/Thr phosphorylation are lacking. To investigate ...

The assignment of correct structures for isomers with similar mass spectra (e.g. polyhalogenated aromatic compounds) is not always successful when spectral libraries alone are employed or, even worse, when the compounds are not present in commercial spectral libraries. We present a computational method based on differential mass spectrometry (Diff-MS) for ...

The oxygen isotopic composition of carbon dioxide originating at the Earth's surface is modified in the stratosphere by interaction with ozone which has anomalous oxygen isotope ratio (Δ(17) O = 1000 * ln(1 + δ(17) O/1000) - 0.522 * 1000 * ln (1 + δ(18) O/1000) >0). The inherited anomaly provides a powerful tracer for studying ...

Isotope (δ(18) O and δ(2) H values) ratios in precipitation have been central to understanding changes in Earth's climate as recorded in ice, coral, speleothems, lake varves and long-lived plants. Understanding how climate phases (i.e. ENSO) affect the spatial and temporal patterns of δ(18) O and δ(2) H values in ...

The partial and controlled degradation of insoluble cross-linked silicon-based polymers is a promising approach to enable their characterization by mass spectrometry. Providing that the chemolysis reaction specifically proceeds at cross-linking sites, the size of linear poly(dimethylsiloxane)s (PDMS) produced during the treatment should reflect the length of linear segments between branching ...

Mass spectrometry is effective for determination of cytokinins, which are bioactive compounds with an adenine-core structure. However, it is difficult to characterize any cytokinin compound without the relevant standard or known molecular structure information. With a limited number of standards, an in-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) method for characterization and classification ...

In developing countries, Shigella flexneri (Sf) is the major causative agent of the endemic shigellosis (bacillary dysentery) responsible annually for one million fatalities mostly among infants. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are characteristic components of the outer membrane of the overwhelming majority of Gram-negative bacteria. Since lipid A is essential for the viability ...

Low-energy secondary electrons are formed when energetic particles interact with matter. High-energy electrons or ions are used to form metallic structures from adsorbed organometallic molecules like W(CO)(6) on surfaces. We investigated low-energy electron attachment to W(CO)(6) in the gas phase to elucidate possible reactions during surface modification. Two crossed electron/molecular ...

Fulgurites are glassy crusts or hollow glassy tubes formed by the impact of a lightning strike on a target material on the Earth's surface. The oxygen isotopic composition of fulgurites has never been measured and, consequently, it is unknown whether or not isotopic fractionations take place between the target material ...

Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) catalyzes the reduction of thioredoxin disulfide (Trx-S(2) ) to thioredoxin dithiol (Trx-(SH)(2) ) that is essential for antioxidant defense mechanism and DNA synthesis in the parasite and is a validated drug target for new antimalarial agents. In this study, we have developed a liquid ...

The ionization mechanisms operative in negative ion atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry are far from being properly understood. In an excess of oxygen superoxide (O(2) (-) ) is generally the primary charge-carrying species that is generated. However, subsequent reactions leading to the finally detected ion signals remain obscure. Since adiabatic expansion ...

The objective of this investigation was to test gas-chromatographic compound-specific analysis for studies on the isotopic composition of (13) C-enriched sugar molecules. The effects of (13) C enrichment and type of sugar (C5, C6) will provide valuable information on isotopic correction for future studies employing (13) C-enriched sugars. Five sugar ...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are nonpolar and difficult to detect by desorption electrospray ionization. We present a new detection method based on cationization with silver ions, which has the added advantage of being able to differentiate PAHs with the same mass but different structure. 9,10-Diphenylanthracene and triptycene, in addition to ...

The recently designed dynamically harmonized Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) cell creates a more harmonized electric field for the detection of the cyclotron motion of ions and prolongs the ion transient from seconds to minutes. In order to achieve its best performance, phase correction was applied in the spectra, ...

Asiatic acid (AA), a pentacyclic triterpene from Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, has shown numerous therapeutic activities. However, none of the published works to date has used high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) for determination of AA from biological fluids. Therefore, the present paper describes a sensitive HPLC/electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS method ...

A recently developed miniature electrospray ionisation mass spectrometer has been coupled to a preparative flow chemistry system in order to monitor reactive intermediates and competing reaction paths, screen starting materials, and optimise reaction conditions. Although ideally suited to the application, mass spectrometers have rarely been used in this way, as ...

Protein glycosylation has a major influence on functions of proteins. Studies have shown that aberrations in glycosylation are indicative of disease conditions. This has prompted major research activities for comparative studies of glycoproteins in biological samples. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is a highly sensitive technique which has been recently explored ...

This study investigated cetuximab added to definitive concurrent chemoradiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Previously untreated patients with stage II-IVa ESCC received cetuximab (400 mg/m(2) per week in week 1, then 250 mg/m(2) per week during weeks 2-8), paclitaxel (45 mg/m(2) per week) and cisplatin (20 mg/m(2) per week) in weeks 2-8 with ...

Genetic or environmental factors that affect the endowment of oocytes, their assembly into primordial follicles, or their subsequent entry into the growing follicle pool can disrupt reproductive function and may underlie disorders such as primary ovarian insufficiency. Mouse models have been instrumental in identifying genes important in ovarian development, and ...

Recent studies suggest advantages of muscle relaxants for facemask ventilation. However, direct effects of muscle relaxants on mask ventilation remain unclear because these studies did not control mechanical factors influencing ventilation. We tested a hypothesis that muscle relaxants, either rocuronium or succinylcholine, improve mask ventilation. In anesthetized adult persons with ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: Little consensus exists regarding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and substance use. This study examined the associations of three indicators of family SES during childhood-income, wealth, and parental education-with smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use during young adulthood. Method: Data were obtained from the national Panel Study ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: This exploratory study examined the ability of young adults to purchase alcoholic beverages through self-checkout lanes without being asked for age verification. Although the minimum drinking age in all 50 U. S. states is 21 years of age, drinking among underage persons (ages 12-20) remains a serious public ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: The use of alcohol to cope with stress is a major health concern, yet the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of stress on alcohol-related cognition are not well understood. This study examined changes in event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by alcohol-related images before and after a stressor compared with ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: Impulsivity is strongly associated with alcohol-related risk-taking behavior, and this association has been found to be mediated by alcohol cognitions. The current study expanded this literature by comparing the relative association of distinct impulsivity traits with a specific risky behavior-drinking and driving. We then tested whether drinking-and-driving expectancies ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the type of questions used to assess childhood sexual abuse (CSA) introduces systematic bias into estimations of the magnitude of the association between CSA and alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Method: The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism was ...

Studies now provide strong evidence that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine possesses rapidly acting antidepressant properties. This study aimed to determine if a low dose of ketamine could be used to expedite and augment the antidepressant effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments in patients experiencing a severe depressive episode. Subjects ...

Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are clonal disorders of hematopoietic stem cells, which fall into distinct categories based on a number of characteristics including the presence of the BCR-ABL1 gene fusion (chronic myelogenous leukemia) or the JAK2(V617F) mutation (polycythemia vera, primary myelofibrosis, and essential thrombocythemia). One of the criteria in the ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: Neither the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised (DSM-III-R), nor the DSM-IV uses measures of substance consumption as part of the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders. Therefore, this report examined the extent to which frequency and/or quantity of consumption across a broad spectrum ...

DNA nanoparticles (DNA NPs), which self-assemble from DNA plasmids and poly-L-lysine (pLL)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) block copolymers, transfect several cell types in vitro and in vivo with minimal toxicity and immune response. To further enhance the gene transfer efficiency of DNA NP and control its tropism, we established a strategy to ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: Social norms theory articulates that behavior is influenced by perceptions of behavioral norms. Social norms interventions attempt to modify perceptions of what behavior is normative as a means of influencing actual behavior. Social norms interventions have been widely used on college campuses to reduce the level of student ...

Background: Targeted and triggered release of liposomal drug using heat or ultrasound represents a promising treatment modality able to increase the therapeutic-totoxicity ratio of encapsulated drugs. Purpose: To study the ability for high-intensity focused ultrasound to induce liposomal drug release mainly by focused inertial cavitation in vitro and in an ...

Enzymes may be re-engineered for brain drug targeting as an IgG-enzyme fusion protein, where the IgG is a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against an endogenous blood-brain barrier (BBB) receptor transporter, such as the insulin receptor or transferrin receptor (TfR). Iduronate 2-sulfatase (IDS) is fused to the heavy chain of a genetically ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: Given the recent downturn in the U.S. economy, we considered in this study the processes linking economic stressors, psychological distress, and two alcohol-related outcomes (past-month drinking and problematic drinking). Method: Data were drawn from a mail survey of a national sample of 663 respondents. Structural equation modeling was ...

Polyamidoamine (PAM) dendrimers with low generation such as PAM generation 1 (PAMG1) and PAM generation 2 (PAMG2) have been widely used as a gene carrier due to low toxicity, albeit their low transfection efficiency. In this study, dexamethasone was conjugated to PAMG1 and PAMG2 in order to increase the transfection ...