One of the preconditions of effective anticancer therapy is efficient transfer of the therapeutic agent (chemotherapeutic) to tumor cells. Fundamental barriers making drug delivery and action difficult include underoxygenation, elevated interstitial pressure, poor and abnormal tumor blood vascular network and acidic tumor milieu. In this study we aimed at developing ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a fundamental role in post-natal vascular repair, yet EPCs from different anatomic locations possess unique biological properties. The underlying mechanisms are unclear. RESULTS: EPCs from CB expressed abundant genes involved in cell cycle, hypoxia signalling and blood vessel development, correlating with the phenotypes ...

The interaction of HIV-1 trans-activator protein Tat with its cognate trans-activation response element (TAR) RNA is critical for viral transcription and replication. Therefore, it has long been considered as an attractive target for the development of antiviral compounds. Recently, the conformationally constrained cyclic peptide mimetics of Tat have been tested ...

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent smoking studies find evidence of active peer influence and selection processes. However, studies have shown that these processes operate differently depending on context. This study uses SIENA to model coevolutionary processes between smoking and changes in friendship ties, comparing two high schools in which data were collected in ...

Hypertension is major risk factor leading to cerebrovascular pathologies. N-methyl d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and renin-angiotensin system are involved in neuronal plasticity, as well as cognitive functions in the hippocampus. In this study, we examined the effects of lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, on the levels of hippocampal NMDAR subunits; NR2A and ...

Some previous studies have reported impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) that affect performance on visuospatial tasks. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the underlying cognitive impairment to visuospatial processing in PD. Nondementing PD patients and neurologically normal, age-matched controls completed two tasks of visuospatial transformation. In Task ...

Tumor suppressor p16(INK4a) is known to exert cell-cycle control via cyclin-dependent kinases. An emerging aspect of its functionality is the orchestrated modulation of N/O-glycosylation and galectin expression to induce anoikis in human Capan-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells. Using chemoselective N/O-glycan enrichment technology (glycoblotting) and product characterization, we first verified a substantial ...

Highly selective nucleocytoplasmic molecular transport is critical to eukaryotic cells, which is illustrated by the size-filtering diffusion and karyopherin-mediated passage mechanisms. However, a considerable number of large proteins without nuclear localization signals are localized to the nucleus. Here, we provide evidence for spontaneous migration of large proteins in a karyopherin-independent ...

The Group XIV tetratolyl series X(C(6) H(4) -CH(3) )(4) (X=C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) were studied by using inelastic neutron scattering to measure the low-energy phonon spectra to directly access the methyl-group torsional modes. The effect of increased molecular radius as a function of the size of the central atom was ...

Many medicinal plants are designed to improve health but their mechanism of action remains not clear. Among these plants, garlic (Allium sativum) has attracted particular attention of modern medicine because of its widespread use for the prevention and treatment of some human diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, ...

Objective. Metastatic seminoma is a highly curable disease. Standard treatment comprises of combination chemotherapy. The short- and long-term toxicities of this treatment are increasingly recognised and the possibility of over treatment in such a curable disease should be considered. We have therefore assessed the use of single agent carboplatin at ...

The mechanisms controlling expression of the putative oncogene Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not well understood. We now show that AGR2 is a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-responsive gene in human pancreatic cancer cells, whose downregulation is SMAD4 dependent. We also provide evidence supporting a role ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in back pain patients undergoing disc surgery and increases economic costs in many areas of health. The objective of this study was to analyse psychiatric comorbidity as predictor of direct and indirect costs in back pain patients undergoing disc surgery in a longitudinal study ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The prevalence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances is high in biological specimens from injured drivers, while the prevalence of these psychoactive substances in samples from drivers in normal traffic is low. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of alcohol and psychoactive substances in ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Malaria and HIV co-infection adversely impact the outcome of both diseases and previous studies have mostly focused on falciparum malaria. Plasmodium vivax contributes to almost half of the malaria cases in India, but the disease burden of HIV and P. vivax co-infection is unclear. METHODS: HIV-infected subjects (n=460) ...

Tumor cycling hypoxia is now a well-recognized phenomenon in animal and human solid tumors. However, how tumor cycling hypoxia impacts chemotherapy is unclear. In the present study, we explored the impact and the mechanism of cycling hypoxia on tumor microenvironment-mediated chemoresistance. Hoechst 33342 staining and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) activation labeling ...

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered roughskin sculpin, Trachidermus fasciatus, was first determined. The mitogenome (16,536 bp) consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region. Except for the eight tRNA and ND6 genes, all other mitochondrial genes were encoded on ...

A versatile cascade of reactions, triggered by Rh(II)-catalyzed diazo decomposition followed by a vinylogous N-H insertion/Lewis acid catalyzed Mannich addition, that produces highly substituted 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridazines in up to 97 % ee with high yield and diastereocontrol has been developed.

The role of the HO(4) (-) anion in atmospheric chemistry and biology is a matter of debate, because it can be formed from, or be in equilibrium with, key species such as O(3) + HO(-) or HO(2) + O(2) (-) . The determination of the stability of HO(4) (-) in ...

ABSTRACT: Papillary fibroelastomas are rare primary tumours of cardiac origin accounting for approximately 10% of all primary cardiac neoplasms. Due to a high thromboembolic risk, surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment these patients and median sternotomy the most widely used approach. We describe the case of a 43 year-old ...

AIM: To interpret and synthesize stroke survivors' experiences of poststroke fatigue. BACKGROUND: Several studies have found fatigue to be a common and distressing difficulty experienced after stroke. This review has synthesized qualitative findings of stroke survivors' experiences of poststroke fatigue with the aim of guiding practice and further research. DATA ...

Positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has been observed in many studies, but how this relationship is affected by environmental stress is largely unknown. To explore this influence, we measured the biomass of microalgae grown in microcosms along two stress gradients, heat and salinity, and compared our results with ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There is scarce evidence regarding the association between diet and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Portuguese population. We aim to evaluate the association between a posteriori dietary patterns (DPs) and MetS and its features. METHODS: Using random digit dialing, a sample of 2167 adults was selected between 1999 and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The appropriateness of cataract surgery procedures has been questioned, the suggestion being that the surgery is sometimes undertaken too early in the disease progression. Our three study questions were: What is the level of visual impairment in patients scheduled for cataract surgery? What is the improvement following surgery? ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Inferior conjunctivochalasis is common, but is rarely severe enough to require conjunctival excision. This report describes a patient with severe conjunctivochalasis who was subsequently diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Classic Type. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient suffering from foreign body sensation, frequent blinking and bilateral inferior conjunctivochalasis was referred ...

Herein we explored the role of topological distribution of aromatic amino acids in peptide-membrane interfacial interactions. The membrane activity of closely related peptides and their binding energy is sensitive to the positioning of minimum two tryptophans, and by the degree of flanking at the membrane interface mediated by aromatic amino ...

Sharka is a devastating viral disease caused by the Plum pox virus (PPV) in stone fruit trees and few sources of resistance are known in its natural hosts. Since any knowledge gained from Arabidopsis on plant virus susceptibility factors is likely to be transferable to crop species, Arabidopsis's natural variation ...

The vertical transmission of HIV occurs when an HIV-positive woman passes the virus to her baby during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Guidelines on HIV and infant feeding 2010 recommends exclusive breastfeeding for HIV-positive mothers in resource-limited settings. Although evidence shows that following this strategy will ...

Aryl N-aminosulfonamides could be easily produced via a palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl halides, potassium metabisulfite, and hydrazines. Potassium metabisulfite is an excellent equivalent of sulfur dioxide in the reaction of palladium-catalyzed aminosulfonylation.

AIMS: To investigate the experience of clinicians in the management of patients with myelofibrosis, current treatment options and their utility. METHODS: We used an internet-based survey RESULTS: Of 105 respondents (mostly consultants), 79% identified bothersome symptoms as the most common issue to be addressed, while for 19%, lack of efficacy ...

Piecing it together: Aspergillus niger produces kotanin by dimerization of the monomeric, polyketide-synthase-derived (PKS) 7-demethylsiderin. A combined approach, comprising bioinformatics and gene-deletion experiments, identified the biosynthetic cluster responsible for kotanin production. Homology modeling and substrate docking provide a rationale for the regio- and stereoselective phenol coupling reaction.

Hydrogel constructs were rapidly fabricated via the electrophoretic adhesion of oppositely charged microbeads. The reversible preparation of hydrogel constructs was achieved by the reconstruction of microbead networks.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There is compelling evidence that psychological factors may have the same or even greater impact on the possibility of adverse events on cardiac diseases (CD) than other traditional clinical risk factors. Anxiety and depression are predictors of short- and long-term adverse outcomes, increased risk for higher rates of ...

The NCX-NCI-HMY (X=H, Cl, Br, I, Li; M=Be, Mg; Y=H, Li, Na) trimers are investigated to find ways to enhance the iodine-hydride interaction. The interaction energy in the NCI-HMH dimer is -2.87 and -5.87 kcal mol(-1) for M=Be and Mg, respectively. When the free H atom in the NCI-HMH dimer is replaced ...

BackgroundTo assess the long-term oncological outcome and the fertility of young women with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (ES/EOC) treated with fertility-sparing surgery (FSS).Patients and methodsAll patients treated with FSS for ES/EOC in two Italian centers were considered for this analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to test demographic characteristics ...

In a large-scale analysis, the effects of DNA damage on the levels and localization of almost every protein in an organism have now been tracked in living cells. It is shown that that although many proteins change their position or concentration, they rarely do both.

This study aims to evaluate the quality of information about race/colour (black or white) in health information systems and to analyse the causes of infant mortality in the Brazilian List of Avoidable Causes of Death by race/colour in Belo Horizonte in 2001-09. Infant deaths and live births were obtained from ...

This article presents a mini medical technology evaluation of three less invasive monitoring techniques for monitoring cardiac output, CardioQ, ECOM and PiCCO, with focus on validation, usability and costs in intensive care. In conclusion, when identifying patients with low cardiac output, we suggest starting with simple screening tools (e.g. CardioQ ...

The striped sandgoby, Acentrogobius pflaumii (Perciformes, Gobiidae), is a widespread goby inhabiting shallow sandy-muddy bottoms in temperate riverine estuaries and inner bays. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of A. pflaumii was firstly determined. The genome is 16,515 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA ...

Background Insomnia increases in frequency as women approach and pass through menopause. Studies have not shown acupuncture efficacy for insomnia in postmenopausal women. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy on sleep parameters, depression symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women with ...

Antiplatelet agents have become the cornerstone pharmacological therapy for the acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Used in combination with percutaneous coronary intervention, antithrombotic therapy has had a major positive impact on outcomes in this patient group [1-3]. The relatively high frequency of recurrent thrombosis with single antiplatelet therapy has necessitated the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Muscle fascicle pennation angle (PA) is an important parameter related to musculoskeletal functions, and ultrasound imaging has been widely used for measuring PA, but manually and frame by frame in most cases. We have earlier reported an automatic method to estimate aponeurosis orientation based on Gabor transform and ...

The issue of potential conflict of interest and its risk to professional integrity in journal article publication has been strongly debated in medical circles. Most medical journals adhere to international requirements for disclosure of potential conflict of interest. The debate on this issue in nursing, and specifically mental health nursing, ...

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation are known to regulate important developmental processes in higher eukaryotes. However, little is known about the necessity and role of this process in early land plants. Using the methyltransferase inhibitor, zebularine (1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2-dihydropyrimidine-2-one), impact of loss of genome-wide methylation on the overall development in Physcomitrella ...

Despite significant advances in cataract surgery techniques, posterior capsule opacification (PCO) remains a common complication. In PCO, remaining epithelial cells cloud the lens capsule and impair postoperative vision. This in vitro study was designed to investigate the potential of a gene-based approach, specifically over-expression of the proapoptotic BAX gene, to ...

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether cardiopulmonary bypass can be used safely with satisfactory maternal and foetal outcomes in pregnant patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A total of 679 papers were found using the reported searches of which 14 represented the ...

Mitochondrial uncoupling is implicated in many patho(physiological) states. Using confocal live cell imaging and an optical O2 sensing technique, we show that moderate uncoupling of the mitochondria with plecomacrolide bafilomycin A1 (Baf) causes partial depolarization of the mitochondria and deep sustained deoxygenation of human colon cancer HCT116 cells subjected to ...

Something gained, nothing lost: A Pd(0) -catalyzed domino intermolecular/intramolecular process terminated by carbohalogenation is reported. In this reaction, two new CC bonds, one new CI bond and one five membered ring are formed in a single step, and all of the atoms in the starting materials are incorporated into the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This multicenter study is aimed at estimating changes in the effect of high temperatures on elderly mortality before and after the 2003 heat waves and following the introduction of heat prevention activities. METHODS: A total of sixteen cities were included in the study. City-specific relationships between maximum apparent ...

Although sport promotion may play an important role in achieving the recommended levels of physical activity for health, until now, there has been no comprehensive assessment of how sport policies in Europe address health. This article aimed at filling this gap by reviewing and analyzing recent national policy developments in ...