A controlled trial recently showed that oral micronized progesterone (Progesterone, 300 mg at h.s. daily) was effective for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in 133 healthy early postmenopausal women. Here, we present subgroup data in women with severe VMS (50 VMS of moderate-severe intensity/wk) and also 1-mo withdrawal study outcomes. Women with severe ...

Unlike DNA duplexes that release water upon interaction with protein, the binding of DNA G-quadruplex of the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) to thrombin takes up water. Here, to reveal the mechanism of water uptake, we designed four mutants of TBA (ΔT3, ΔT7, ΔT9, ΔT12), in which thymine residues (T3, T7, T9 ...

A functional fusion protein, which consists of an antibody and an enzyme that can be used in enzyme immunoassays, has been constructed. However, a quantitative comparison of the characteristics of fusion proteins and chemical conjugates of the parents, which are functionally produced in a uniform microbial system, has not been ...

Context: Immunostimulant plays an important role to prevent infections when defensive capacity of body is impaired, commonly occur with aging, cancer, diabetes, and sepsis. Kanakasava (KNK) is a polyherbal ayurvedic preparation used since ancient times for the treatment of respiratory diseases and to improve immunity. Objective: The present study evaluated ...

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to migrate into tumors and therefore are potential vehicles for the therapy of malignant diseases. In this study, we investigated the use of umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) as carriers for a constant source of transgenic LIGHT (TNFSF14) to target ...

To use fascia lata instead of pericardium and observe the presence of adhesions. Twenty rabbits were divided into two group of ten. In group A, a 1×1 cm segment of pericardium was excised and resutured. In group B excised pericardium was substituted for autologous fascia lata. In the comparison of ...

Context.-Cervical cancer screening in women younger than 30 years relies on cervical cytology because of the poor performance of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing in this age group. Objectives.-To determine the performance of in-cell HPV E6, E7 mRNA quantification (HPV OncoTect) for the detection of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women ...

The number of reported cases of child abuse has been rising steadily in Taiwan. Although child abuse reporting is mandatory for healthcare professionals, Taiwan-specific social norms and traditional cultural values make the decision to report such abuse more complex and difficult. We used Jonsen's four topics method to examine a ...

Few health care professionals have received palliative care training to comfort dying infants and their families. One institution's development of a palliative care program in the neonatal intensive care unit setting is discussed in this column.

Small heat-shock protein chaperones are important players in the protein quality control system of the cell, because they can immediately respond to partially unfolded proteins, thereby protecting the cell from harmful aggregates. The small heat-shock proteins can form large polydisperse oligomers that are exceptionally dynamic, which is implicated in their ...

Marked alterations of the innate and adaptive immune response follow invasive infection and generalized inflammatory states. If left unchecked, this state of immune dysregulation contributes to a myriad of maladaptive cellular responses that culminate in multiple organ dysfunction, septic shock, and lethality. The molecular details of the cell-signaling networks that ...

Background: Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family. KGF protects the oral and intestinal mucosa against damage induced by irradiation or chemotherapy. Previous studies have found the expression of KGF in chondrocytes and suggested that KGF promotes the wound healing process in injured cartilage. ...

BACKGROUND: There is scarce evidence of secondhand smoke (SHS) and disparity in developing countries. We evaluated the relationship between socio-demographic variables and secondhand smoke-related factors in Argentina. METHODS: We conducted a randomized telephone survey (2008/2009) in 25 Argentinean cities. We included a sample of 160 respondents per city stratified by ...

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are zinc endopeptidases that block release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in neuromuscular synapses through cleavage of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins, which promote fusion of synaptic vesicles to the plasma membrane. We designed and tested a BoNT-derived targeted secretion inhibitor (TSI) targeting pituitary ...

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most frequent malignant skin tumor observed in Caucasian adults, especially males, occurs mainly in sun-exposed areas of the body. BCC in the periungual tissues, such as proximal nail fold, nail matrix, nail bed and hyponychium, is rarely reported . We report a patient with two ...

Context.-Primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type, may show features that overlap with other lymphomas. However, timely recognition of this entity can have important clinical and therapeutic implications. Objective.-To review the clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic characteristics of primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type, and juxtapose these features ...

Background: Properly educating myocardial infarction (MI) patients in the extremely busy cardiac care unit (CCU) work environment is difficult for CCU nurses. Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of multimedia nursing education in reducing illness-related anxiety and uncertainty in MI patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A quasi-experimental study ...

Empathy is crucial for establishing caring relationships and cooperation with relatives of people with severe mental illness. This study describes the use of video as a learning tool in a post-bachelor program. A focus group of students attended a video session. Based on a phenomenological descriptive analysis, we found two ...

Although several studies have evaluated the role of p16INK4a as a diagnostic marker of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and its association with disease progression, studies regarding the role of p16INK4a in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remain scarce. The present study was designed to determine the potential utility of p16INK4a ...

BACKGROUND: Routine performance of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during cholecystectomy is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of IOC during cholecystectomy in addition to preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in our institution over a 12-year period. METHODS: A total of 425 consecutive patients who underwent IOC ...

Acetate is a two carbon intermediate in metabolism. It is an accepted marker of astrocytic metabolism, and a substrate for production of metabolites such as glutamine, glutamate and GABA. However, anomalies exist in the current explanations of compartmentation and metabolism of acetate. Here, we investigated these anomalies by examining transport, ...

New Frontiers in Pathology is a unique educational event intended to meet the ongoing educational needs of practicing pathologists. Continuous medical education (CME) is required for maintenance of licensure by virtually all state licensing bodies. Satisfying CME requirements hinges on earning a minimum number of American Medical Association Physician Recognition ...

Barrett's Esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition in the esophagus. Esophageal adenocarcinomas have the fastest increase of incidence of all solid tumors in the western world. BE is defined as areas with macroscopic visible columnar epithelium and intestinal metaplasia oral of the anatomical gastroesophageal junction. The extent of the endoscopic ...

We assessed the influence of intimate partner violence (IPV), depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on disordered eating patterns (DE) among women of African descent through a comparative case-control study (N = 790) in Baltimore, MD, and St. Thomas and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, from 2009-2011. IPV, depression and ...

A 3-year-old female intact Miniature Australian Shepherd presented with convulsive status epilepticus after milbemycinoxime administration in the recommended dosage. In addition to continuous intravenous antiepileptic therapy the dog had to be ventilated for 36 hours due to aspiration pneumonia. After extubation control of intermittent tonic-clonic seizures required a constant-rate-infusion of propofol ...

A synthesis of enantiopure 19-nor-Vitamin D(3) and its C-2 substituted cyclic phosphate analogs is achieved via in situ trapping of an α-sulfonyl anion with a CD-ring allyl chloride and 1,2-eliminative desulfonylation exploiting the basic properties of TBAF. The A-ring is prepared via anti-selective dithiane addition to vinyl sulfone and LiBH(4) ...

Indigenous migrant workers (IMWs) have a high vulnerability to HIV and STDs due to poverty and marginalization. This study examined factors associated with sexual risk behavior (SRB) according to type of partner in transnational young male IMWs at a sugar cane agro-industrial complex in western Mexico. A total of 192 ...

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal spirochetosis (IS) is a condition in which colonic and appendiceal epithelial cells are colonized by one of two anaerobic spirochetes, either the Brachyspira aalborgi or Brachyspira pilosicoli. There is much debate in the literature as to whether IS is a pathogen or a commensal inhabitant. A recent case ...

Vitamin D sufficiency has been associated with lower risk of multiple sclerosis and may also have a favorable effect on the course of the disease. The aim of this work was to identify predictors of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to assess ...

How the brain is lateralised for emotion processing remains a key question in contemporary neuropsychological research. The right hemisphere hypothesis asserts that the right hemisphere dominates emotion processing, whereas the valence hypothesis holds that positive emotion is processed in the left hemisphere and negative emotion is controlled by the right ...

Secretory diarrhea remains a major health challenge worldwide. Excessive fluid secretion in the intestine caused by enterotoxins results in activation of luminal Cl- channels on enterocytes. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein is the major cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-regulated Cl- channel activated in cholera as well as in ...

ECO-orf27 associated with the cluster of ECO-0501 (LW01) from Amycolatopsis orientalis is deduced to encode a type II thioesterase. Disruption of ECO-orf27 reduced LW01 production by 95 %. Complementation of the disrupted mutant with intact ECO-orf27 restored the production of LW01 suggesting that ECO-orf27 is crucial for LW01 biosynthesis. ECO-TE I, ...

The use of graphene, a one atom thick individual planar carbon layer, has exploded in a plethora of scientific disciplines since it was reported to possess a range of unique and exclusive properties. Despite graphene being explored theoretically since the 1940s and known to exist since the 1960s, the recent ...

We investigated emulsions stabilized with particles of layered hexaniobate, known as a semiconductor photocatalyst, and photocatalytic degradation of dyes in the emulsions. Hydrophobicity of the niobate particles was adjusted with the intercalation of alkylammonium ions into the interlayer spaces to enable emulsification in a toluene-water system. After the modification of ...

Lung biopsy often plays a key role in identifying patients with hypersensitivity pneumonia, especially in the absence of a typical history. A 69-year-old woman with a 2-year history of unexplained dyspnea on exertion underwent surgical lung biopsy for diagnosis of diffuse lung disease thought to represent idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Her ...

Background: Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH) promotes a standardized 2-year training program to raise the competence of newly certified nurses in the realms of patient care, nursing professionalism and communication skills as well as to ensure professional nurse training program quality. Purpose: This study evaluated training program participants' self-perception of ...

The microplate nitrate reductase assay (MNRA) and the rezasurin microtitre assay (REMA) were used for the susceptibility testing of 73 clinical isolates and the results were compared with those that were obtained using the Bactec 460 TB and Bactec MGIT 960 systems. The REMA and the MNRA were performed in ...

In the present work, the influence of different physicochemical characteristics on the distribution of anionic detergents, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), was studied. Surface and bottom water samples were collected from eight different sites from a small bay near the main sewage discharge of Alexandria City (El-Max Bay). The results showed ...

INTRODUCTION: Anterior cervical decompression and fusion is a well-established procedure for treatment of degenerative disc disease and cervical trauma including flexion-distraction injuries. Low-profile interbody devices incorporating fixation have been introduced to avoid potential issues associated with dissection and traditional instrumentation. While these devices have been assessed in traditional models, they ...

Objective-To isolate and characterize mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from canine muscle and periosteum and compare proliferative capacities of bone marrow-, adipose tissue-, muscle-, and periosteum-derived MSCs (BMSCs, AMSCs, MMSCs, and PMSCs, respectively). Sample-7 canine cadavers. Procedures-MSCs were characterized on the basis of morphology, immunofluorescence of MSC-associated cell surface markers, and ...

During the past decade, the incidence of primary total knee replacement (TKA) surgery in Denmark has approximately doubled. This increase could be due to weakened indications to perform TKA surgery. We aimed to investigate variation in opinions about indications to perform TKA among Danish knee surgeons. In October 2011, a ...

We reviewed the records of 151 patients diagnosed with American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) from 1993 to 2009 in the municipality of Japura, Paraná, Brazil. Gender, age, occupation, place of residence, location of lesions, type and number of lesions were analyzed. The prevalence rate of ACL was 11.5/10,000 hab, of which ...

Diets high in protein have shown positive effects on short-term weight reduction and glycaemic control. However, the understanding of how dietary macronutrient composition relates to long-term risk of type 2 diabetes is limited. The aim of the present study was to examine intakes of macronutrients, fibre and protein sources in ...

BACKGROUND: Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) after hepatic resection (HR) is a rare and not well-described complication. We report our experience with DH following a high volume of HRs in a tertiary center. METHODS: Records of patients undergoing major HR for liver tumors between April 1992 and November 2011 were reviewed. The ...

Emerging pathophysiologic insights are leading to novel approaches to treating fibrosing cholangiopathies. The current treatment, using ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), may slow the progression of some chronic cholangiopathies but cannot heal them. Apart from immunosuppressive interventions aimed at minimizing immune-mediated damage, the use of specific modifiers of hepatobiliary secretory and cytoprotective ...

β-1,3-Glucanases are abundant in plants and have been characterized from a wide range of species. They play key roles in cell division, trafficking of materials through plasmodesmata, in withstanding abiotic stresses and are involved in flower formation through to seed maturation. They also defend plants against fungal pathogens either alone ...

In species with large geographic ranges, genetic diversity of different populations may be well studied, but differences in loci and sample sizes can make the results of different studies difficult to compare. Yet, such comparisons are important for assessing the status of populations of conservation concern. We propose a simple ...

Diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM) is an uncommon cancer with great clinical significance because it currently remains an incurable disease, and most patients die within months after diagnosis. Although DMM incidence is leveling off or decreasing in developed countries because of the strict control of asbestos use, it is increasing in ...

A two-microelectrode voltage clamp and optical measurements of membrane potential changes at the transverse tubular system (TTS) were used to characterize delayed rectifier K currents (IK(V)) in murine muscle fibers stained with the potentiometric dye di-8-ANEPPS. In intact fibers, IK(V) displays the canonical hallmarks of K(V) channels: voltage-dependent delayed activation ...

A new aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with an array of Si-drift energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers has been utilized to acquire spectral image data at atomic resolution. The resulting noisy data were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis to noise filter, remove an unwanted and partially overlapping non-sample-specific X-ray signal, and ...