ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Misplaced or poorly calibrated confidence in healthcare professionals' judgments compromises the quality of health care. Using higher fidelity clinical simulations to elicit clinicians' confidence 'calibration' (i.e. overconfidence or underconfidence) in more realistic settings is a promising but underutilized tactic. In this study we examine nurses' calibration of confidence ...

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome/DiGeorge syndrome, also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome, with an estimated incidence of 1/2,000-1/4,000 live births. Approximately 9-11% of patients with this disorder have an overt cleft palate (CP), but the genetic factors responsible for CP in the 22q11DS subset are unknown. ...

From a prospective cohort of 344 women who seroconverted for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, 344 amniotic fluid, 264 placenta and 216 cord blood samples were tested for diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis using the same PCR assay. Sensitivity and negative predictive value of the PCR assay using amniotic fluid were 86.3% and ...

We have developed a novel vaccine against Shiga toxin (Stx) producing E. coli (STEC) infection using a recombinant BCG (rBCG) system. Two intraperitoneal vaccinations with rBCG expressing Stx2 B subunit resulted in an increase of protective serum IgG and mucosal IgA response to Stx2B in BALB/c mice. When orally challenged ...

Adsorbed molecules are involved in many reactions on solid surface that are of great technological importance. As such, there has been tremendous effort worldwide to learn how to predict reaction rates and equilibrium constants for reactions involving adsorbed molecules. Theoretical calculation of both the rate constant and equilibrium constant for ...

OBJECTIVE: Endovenous laser treatment (EVLA) is fast gaining acceptance as an alternative to open surgery for the treatment of saphenous vein incompetence. The method of action of these techniques is based on heat, making tumescence anaesthesia necessity. Heat-induced complications may occur with inadequate application of tumescent anaesthesia. Our hypothesis was, ...

BACKGROUND: Chronic adipose tissue inflammation is a hallmark of obesity, triggering the development of associated pathologies, particularly type 2 diabetes. Long-chain n-3 PUFAs reduce cardiovascular events and exert well-established antiinflammatory effects, but their effects on human adipose tissue inflammation are unknown. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether n-3 PUFAs reduce adipose tissue ...

Seizures are a common phenotype in many neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, and fragile X syndrome. Mouse models of these disorders overexpress amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and amyloid-β (Aβ) and are highly susceptible to audiogenic-induced seizures (AGS). We observed decreased AGS in these mice fed a casein-based, purified ...

Type 1 von Willebrand disease and mild platelet function defects are among the most common disorders seen by pediatric hematologists. The management and prevention of bleeding in these patients can be challenging, as there are limited published data to guide clinical practice, and a complete lack of randomized clinical trials. ...

X-ray crystallography of the catalytic domain of oxidative stress response 1 (OSR1) has provided evidence for dimerization and domain swapping. However, the functional significance of dimer formation or domain swapping has yet to be addressed. In this study, we used nine glutamine residues to link the carboxyl end of one ...

Uric acid is an independent risk factor in fructose-induced fatty liver, but whether it is a marker or a cause remains unknown. Hepatocytes exposed to uric acid developed mitochondrial dysfunction and increased de novo lipogenesis, and its blockade prevented fructose-induced lipogenesis. Rather than a consequence, uric acid induces fatty liver ...

Generalized periodic discharges are increasingly recognized on continuous EEG monitoring, but their relationship to seizures and prognosis remains unclear. All adults with generalized periodic discharges from 1996 to 2006 were matched 1:1 to controls by age, etiology, and level of consciousness. Overall, 200 patients with generalized periodic discharges were matched ...

Birds choose mates on the basis of colour, song and body size, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying these mating decisions. Reports that zebra finches prefer to view mates with the right eye during courtship, and that immediate early gene expression associated with courtship behaviour is lateralized in ...

Findings are presented from the first randomized control trial of the effects of encouraging symbolic gesture (or "baby sign") on infant language, following 40 infants from age 8 months to 20 months. Half of the mothers were trained to model a target set of gestures to their infants. Frequent measures were taken ...

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological mechanisms which contribute to an increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in patients using proton pump inhibitors are not well established. AIM: To examine differences in microbial etiology in patients with CAP between patients with and without proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and its possible impact on ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Epigenetic mechanisms such as chromatin accessibility impact transcription factor binding to DNA and transcriptional specificity. The androgen receptor (AR), a master regulator of the male phenotype and prostate cancer pathogenesis, acts primarily through ligand-activated transcription of target genes. Although several determinants of AR transcriptional specificity have been elucidated, ...

Following spinal trauma, the limited physiological axonal sprouting that contributes to partial recovery of function is dependent upon the intrinsic properties of neurons as well as the inhibitory glial environment. The transcription factor p53 is involved in DNA repair, cell cycle, cell survival, and axonal outgrowth, suggesting p53 as key ...

Genetic modification of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids has previously been exploited to redirect viral tropism. Here we demonstrate that engineering of AAV capsids as scaffolds for antigen display augments antigen-specific immunogenicity. Combining antigen display with vector-mediated overexpression resulted in a single-shot prime-boost vaccine. This new class of vaccines induced immune ...

Influenza A virus (IAV) is an unremitting virus that results in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Key to the viral life cycle is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a heterotrimeric complex responsible for both transcription and replication of the segmented genome. Here, we demonstrate that the viral polymerase utilizes a ...

Long-term population-based survival data detailed by cancer subtype are important to measure the overall outcomes of malignancy managements. We provide net survival estimates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years post-diagnosis on 37,549 haematological malignancy (HM) patients over 15 years old diagnosed between 1989 and 2004 and actively followed until ...

Reliable attachment ability of insect adhesive pads is proposed to be due to pad secretion. It has been shown that surface roughness strongly reduces adhesion forces of insect pads. This effect has been explained by decreased contact area and rapid fluid absorption from the pad surface by rough surfaces. However, ...

The majority of mouse Vα14 invariant natural killer T (Vα14i NKT) cells produce several cytokines, including IFNγ and IL-4, very rapidly after activation. A subset of these cells, known as NKT17 cells, however, differentiates in the thymus to preferentially produce IL-17. Here, we show that the transcription factor-known as T ...

Fingolimod is an oral sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator that prevents recirculation of lymphocyte subsets from lymph nodes. It decreases the number of relapses, slows the progression of disability, and improves MRI endpoints in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).(1) Infrequent but specific side effects are bradycardia, leukopenia, and macular edema.

If current trends in smoking prevalence continue, even with the implementation of enhanced tobacco control measures, millions of smokers will continue to fall ill and die as a direct result of their smoking. Many of these will be from the most deprived groups in society - smoking continues to be ...

Reproductive function is highly dynamic during postnatal developmental. Here, we performed molecular profiling of gene expression patterns in the hypothalamus of developing male and female rats to identify which genes are sexually dimorphic, to gain insight into a more complex network of hypothalamic genes, and to ascertain dynamic changes in ...

Germ cells, the embryonic precursors of sperm or oocytes, respond to molecular cues that regulate their sex-specific development in the fetal gonads. In males in particular, the balance between continued proliferation and cell fate commitment is crucial: defects in proliferation result in insufficient spermatogonial stem cells for fertility, but escape ...

Basilar artery occlusion in children is rare. It has a high mortality and morbidity if recanalization is not achieved before extensive brainstem infarction has occurred. An 11-year-old boy presented with a clinical and radiological "top-of-the-basilar" syndrome. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was administered, and the patient was immediately referred to the ...

Chyloptysis and chylomediastinum are uncommon complications of various kinds of thoracic operations, malign and nonmalign diseases. In the English language medical literature, there were no cases of both chylomediastinum and chyloptysis following trauma. We discuss a case of chylomediastinum and chyloptysis after penetrating trauma. The patient sustained a bullet wound ...

Miller (1956) identified his famous limit of 7 ± 2 items based in part on absolute identification-the ability to identify stimuli that differ on a single physical dimension, such as lines of different length. An important aspect of this limit is its independence from perceptual effects and its application across all stimulus ...

BACKGROUND: Interaction with heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans is supposed to provide chemokines with the capacity to immobilize on cell surface and extracellular matrix for accomplishing both tissue homing and signalling of attracted cells. However, the consequences of the exclusive invalidation of such interaction on the roles played by endogenous chemokines ...

We report the first case of deep wound colonization by Dietzia cinnamea in a patient who had been bitten by a dog.

Synthetic genetic programs are built from circuits that integrate sensors and implement temporal control of gene expression. Transcriptional circuits are layered by using promoters to carry the signal between circuits. In other words, the output promoter of one circuit serves as the input promoter to the next. Thus, connecting circuits ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no open-source, cross-platform and scalable framework for coalescent analysis in population genetics. There is no scalable GUI based user application either. Such a framework and application would not only drive the creation of more complex and realistic models but also make them truly accessible. RESULTS: ...

The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of the urinary bladder function. Under physiological circumstances noradrenaline, acting mainly on β(3) -adrenoceptors in the detrusor and α(1A) -adrenoceptors in the bladder outflow tract, promotes urine storage, whereas neuronally released acetylcholine acting mainly on M(3) receptors promotes bladder ...

We describe discovery of two enteroviruses detected in nasopharyngeal samples obtained from subjects with respiratory disease in Peru. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that both viruses belong to a clade within the human enterovirus C species, which includes the recently characterized human enteroviruses 109 and 104. Members of this clade have undergone ...

During endoscopic trans-sphenoidal treatment of petrous apex cholesterol granuloma, the challenge for the surgeon is to drill the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus to reach the lesion while attempting to avoid the internal carotid artery (ICA). A refined neuronavigation technique is presented that diminishes bonework needed for exposure and ...

ABSTRACT: Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) has been recognized as an important and persistent complication in survivors of critical illness. The absence of a consistent nomenclature and diagnostic criteria for ICUAW has made research in this area challenging. Although many risk factors have been identified, the data supporting their direct ...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are major post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, yet their origins and functional evolution in mammals remain little understood due to the lack of appropriate comparative data. Using RNA sequencing, we have generated extensive and comparable miRNA data for five organs in six species that represent all main mammalian ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was evaluation of the regression patterns after 3, 6, and 8 months of treatment. METHODS: A total of 100 retinoblastoma tumors (57 eyes of 35 patients) were treated with 6 (n = 8) or 8 (n = 92) cycles of systemic chemoreduction and tumor consolidation (transpupillary thermotherapy [TTT] ...

ISCU myopathy is a disease caused by muscle-specific deficiency of the Fe-S cluster scaffold protein ISCU. MyoD expression enhanced ISCU mRNA mis-splicing, and oxidative stress exacerbated ISCU depletion in patient cells. ISCU protein deficiency in patients results from muscle-specific mis-splicing as well as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress negatively influences the ...

Fingolimod, a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, is highly effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).(1,2) However, fatal cases of herpes infection have occurred in 2 patients on fingolimod therapy, 1 of whom presented with a primary disseminated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection (no history of chicken pox, negative baseline serology).(2) ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of skeletal muscle CT to correctly identify different muscular dystrophies manifesting with limb-girdle weakness. METHODS: Four evaluators assessed scans from 118 patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) caused by mutations in 7 different genes and from 32 controls. The conditions studied were scans ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: One of the best-characterized causative factors of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the generation of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta). AD subjects are at high risk of epileptic seizures accompanied by aberrant neuronal excitability, which in itself enhances Abeta generation. However, the molecular linkage between epileptic seizures and Abeta generation in ...

Night work might influence cancer risk, possibly via suppression of melatonin release. In a population-based case-control study conducted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between 1979 and 1985, job histories, including work hours, were elicited from 3,137 males with incident cancer at one of 11 anatomic sites and from 512 controls. Compared ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine adolescent patients' perspectives on their understanding and decision making about a pediatric Phase I cancer study. PROCEDURE: Participants included adolescents ages 14-21 years with cancer (N = 20), all of whom attended a Phase I study consent conference. Participants responded to closed- and ...

Studies suggest that dystonia is associated with increased motor cortex excitability. Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation can temporarily reduce motor cortex excitability. To test whether stimulation of the motor cortex can reduce dystonic symptoms in children, we measured tracking performance and muscle overflow using an electromyogram tracking task before and ...

Associations between demographic-socioeconomic characteristics and childhood obesity are complex in the United States. We examined associations between demographic-socioeconomic characteristics (age, sex, race-ethnicity, family income, household size, and birthplace) and adiposity measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in US children. Data were from 8-19-y-old US children enrolled in NHANES 2001-2004 (n = ...

Nornicotine is formed from nicotine by nicotine N-demethylase, a CYP82E family monooxygenase, and accumulates to high levels in some tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivars and many wild Nicotiana species. N. langsdorffii does not form nornicotine, whereas the closely related species N. alata accumulates this alkaloid abundantly. We show here that the ...

The causes of intellectual disability remain largely unknown because of extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity. We evaluated patients with intellectual disability to exclude known causes of the disorder. We then sequenced the coding regions of more than 21,000 genes obtained from 100 patients with an IQ below 50 and their ...

Primary cilia are present on most cell types including chondrocytes. Dysfunction of primary cilia results in pleiotropic symptoms including skeletal dysplasia. Previously, we showed that deletion of Ift88 and subsequent depletion of primary cilia from chondrocytes resulted in disorganized columnar structure and early loss of growth plate. To understand underlying ...