OBJECTIVES: To compare survival in older (≥65) and younger (<65) individuals with biliary tract cancer (BTC) and to determine whether treatment efficacy varies according to age. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study and nested case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred thirty-one individuals diagnosed with BTC from 2003 ...

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:000-000 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ABSTRACT: Objectives:  Patient and parent satisfaction are important measures of quality of care. Data are lacking regarding satisfaction with emergency procedures, including laceration repair. The objective was to define the elements of care that are important ...

Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneities are considerably high in adult-onset leukoencephalopathy, in which comprehensive mutational analyses of the candidate genes by conventional methods are too laborious. We applied exome sequencing to conduct a comprehensive mutational analysis of genes for autosomal dominant leukoencephalopathies. Genomic DNA samples from four patients of three families ...

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:000-000 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ABSTRACT: Patient care transitions across specialties involve more complexity than those within the same specialty, yet the unique social and technical features remain underexplored. Further, little consensus exists among researchers and practitioners about strategies to improve ...

Introduction.  A growing literature suggests relationships between erectile dysfunction medications (EDM) and riskier sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM). Questions remain concerning EDM use and related HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STI) risk among older MSM, particularly those 40 years and over, for whom EDM may be medically ...

A novel non-chromatographic speciation technique for ultratrace inorganic mercury (Hg2+) and methylmercury (CH3Hg+) in biological materials is developed and validated by electrolytic vapor generation (EVG) coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The studies show that CH3Hg+ and Hg2+ can be conversed to Hg vapor efficiently on an L-cysteine modified graphite ...

Different techniques for a relatively fast self-assembled monolayer film formation such as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB), spin-coating and dip-coating methods have been compared using chloro[11-(5''''-ethyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2''''-quinquethiophene-5-yl)undecyl]dimethylsilane as a reactive precursor. It was shown that both spin-coating and LB techniques are very promising methods for preparation of highly ordered monolayer films of organosilicon-functionalized quinquethiophene ...

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer is increased for men carrying a pathogenic germline mutation in BRCA2. An earlier study by the Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer showed that BRCA2 mutation carriers displayed a ...

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the number of hot flush symptom-free days in symptomatic postmenopausal women treated with bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens (BZA/CE). Methods In this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase-3 study, 322 postmenopausal women aged 40-65 years with an intact uterus who had ≥ seven moderate-to-severe daily ...

Abstract Manufactured metal (oxide) nanoparticles are entering the aquatic environment with little understanding on their potential health impacts for exposed organisms. Adopting an integrative approach, we investigated effects of particle size and coating on biological responses for two of the most commonly used metal (oxide) nanoscale particles, silver (Ag) and ...

BackgroundOur aim was to determine functional outcome of very preterm-born and small for gestational age (SGA) children compared to matched controls at school age.MethodsWe included 28 surviving very preterm SGA children with GA<32 weeks, birth weights (BW) <10(th) percentile, born in 2000-2001. Twenty-eight appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children, matched ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Clinical trial design of manual therapies may be especially challenging as techniques are often individualized and practitioner-dependent. This paper describes our methods in creating a standardized Swedish massage protocol tailored to subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee while respectful of the individualized nature of massage therapy, as well ...

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a loss of islet β-cells. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) protects pancreatic islets against cytokine-induced apoptosis. For this reason, we assessed whether CNTF protects mice against streptozotocin-induced diabetes (a model of type 1 diabetes) and the mechanism for this protection. WT and SOCS3 knockdown C57BL6 ...

Gastric content is a complex biofluid within the human stomach which has an important role in digestive processes. It is believed that gastric content may be a contributory factor in the development of upper gastro-intestinal diseases. In this work, Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) has been applied to ...

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease characterized by accumulation of a periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive eosinophilic material in the distal airways. For decades, standard treatment of PAP has been whole lung lavage (WLL), where large quantities of saline are instilled into the lungs to remove the proteinaceous material. ...

Inspired by the natural adhesives in the toe pads of arthropods and some other animals, we explore the effectiveness and peel failure of a thin viscoelastic liquid film anchored on a micropatterned elastic surface. In particular, we focus on the role of the substrate pattern in adhesion energy of the ...

Based on enzyme-regulated unmodified gold nanoparticle aggregation, a visual and homogeneous assay of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity without any other coupling enzymes, aptamers or additional modifications has been developed. The present strategy is simple, cost-effective, high throughput, selective and sensitive for ADA with a detection limit of 0.8227 U L(-1).

Pre-synthesized ruthenium dioxide nanoparticulates (RuO(2) NPs) with low level of aggregation were well dispersed in mesoporous silica SBA-15. As a catalyst for water oxidation, the supported RuO(2) NPs exhibit excellent catalytic activity and recyclability. The initial turnover frequency (TOF) is to date the highest among comparable RuO(2) catalysts.

Background: No consensus exists regarding the management of hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa tumors before, during or after surgery. In the present study we analyze the factors that predispose to persistent hydrocephalus and the need for a postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure. Methods: Pediatric patients who underwent surgery ...

Non-covalent interactions (NCI) define the rules underlying crystallisation, self-assembly and drug-receptor docking processes. A novel NCI descriptor, based on the reduced electron density gradient (RDG), that enables easy visualisation of the zones of the electron density (ED) involved in either the supposedly attractive (dispersive, hydrogen bonding) or allegedly repulsive (steric) ...

The promotion stage in the multistep process of epidermal tumorigenesis is NF-кB-dependent, epigenetically regulated, and reversible, thus, a suitable target for chemoprevention. We investigated whether the NF-кB inhibitor, parthenolide, currently in cancer clinical trials, attenuates tumor promotion by modulating the epigenetically regulated NF-кB target genes, p21 and cyclin D1. Parthenolide ...

The Car-Parrinello-based molecular dynamics (CPMD) method was used to investigate the ion-pairing behavior between Cl(-) and Al(3+) ions in an aqueous AlCl(3) solution containing 63 water molecules. A series of constrained simulations was carried out at 300 K for up to 16 ps each, with the internuclear separation (r(Al-Cl)) between ...

The association of gangliosides with specific proteins in the central nervous system was examined by co-immunoprecipitation with an anti-ganglioside antibody. The monoclonal antibody to the ganglioside GD3 (R24) immunoprecipitated the Csk (C-terminal src kinase)-binding protein Cbp. Sucrose density gradient analysis showed that Cbp of rat cerebellum was detected in detergent-resistant ...

Background:Surfactant dysfunction may contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in persistently ventilated preterm infants. We conducted a multicenter randomized, blinded pilot study to assess the safety and efficacy of late doses of a surfactant protein-B (SP-B) containing surfactant (calfactant) in combination with prolonged inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) in infants ...

L-Glucose, the enantiomer of D-glucose, was believed not to be utilized by any organisms. An L-glucose-utilizing bacterium was isolated, and its L-glucose catabolic pathway was identified genetically and enzymatically. L-Glucose was utilized via a novel pathway to pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. This might lead to an understanding of homochirality in ...

Microbial pathogens and pests produce effectors to modulate host processes. Aphids are phloem-feeding insects, which introduce effectors via saliva into plant cells. However, it is not known if aphid effectors have adapted to modulate processes in specific plant species. Myzus persicae is a polyphagous insect that colonizes Arabidopsis thaliana and ...

Phagocytosis is the force-dependent complex cellular process by which immune cells engulf particles. Whilst there has been considerable progress in understanding ligand-receptor-induced actin polymerization in pushing the membrane around the particle, significantly less is known about how localized contractile activities regulate cup closure in coordination with the actin cytoskeleton. Herein, ...

Within the complex life cycle of holometabolous insects, nutritional resources acquired during larval feeding are utilized by the pupa and the adult. The broad features of the transfer of larval resources to the pupae and the allocation of larval resources in the adult have been described by studies measuring and ...

BACKGROUND: A failure of urine ammonium to increase during acidosis indicates impaired renal acidification, and the urinary ammonium concentration is therefore a useful investigation in determining the cause of a metabolic acidosis. However, urine ammonium measurements are not widely available in routine diagnostic laboratories. This has led to the use ...

Click 'n' chips: Azide and alkyne-bearing sialic acids (purple diamond; see picture) were subjected to high-throughput click chemistry to generate a library of sialic acid analogues. Microarray printing of the library and screening with the siglec family of sialic-acid-binding proteins, led to the identification of high-affinity ligands for siglec-9 and ...

The objectives of the study are to demonstrate the innervation patterns of the triceps muscles and the most suitable branch of the radial nerve for nerve transfer to restore the motor function of the deltoid muscle in patients with complete C5-C6 root injury. Seventy-nine arms (40 left arms and 39 ...

The adsorption of poly(vinylformamide) (PVFA) and its derivated statistic copolymers poly(vinyl-formamide-co-vinylamine) (PVFA-co-PVAm) on metallic copper and copper oxide particles as well as planar copper surfaces was investigated as function of the degree of hydrolysis, pH and polymer concentration in solution. The chemical composition and structure of the PVFA-co-PVAm layers were ...

Easy come, easy go: LEWIS, a new model of reactive and polarizable water that enables the simulation of a statistically reliable number of proton hopping events in aqueous acid and base at concentrations of practical interest, is used to evaluate proton transfer intermediates in aqueous acid and base (picture, left ...

Background: The functional role of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) for common atrial flutter (cAFL) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined whether the EnSite system (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA), a noncontact mapping system, is useful to evaluate the conduction properties of CTI to minimize ...

ABSTRACT Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, the risk factors of which are gaining more attentions. Among all these risk factors, catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) has been widely studied, and believed to be associated with PD. However, the relationship between COMT polymorphism and PD has not been confirmed hitherto. Therefore, ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Prognostic stratification of cardiac arrest survivors (CAS) is essential for the selection of the most appropriate therapeutic strategy. However, accurate early outcome predictions for this patient population remain challenging. At present, there is a lack of data examining the prognostic value of C-terminal provasopressin (copeptin) in CAS. METHODS: ...

BACKGROUND: In the setting of chronic stable angina, successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) has been shown to produce significant symptom improvement with some evidence for survival benefit. However, the economic basis for this procedure has not been established compared with optimal medical treatment (OMT) of ...

Context: Dracocephalum moldavica Linn (Labiatae) is one of the ethnomedicinal drugs of Uygur in Xinjiang, China. This herb is mainly used in treating cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of pharmacological activity of D. moldavica has been poorly studied. Objective: To explore the pharmacological mechanism of D. moldavica ...

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is the principal receptor for nitric oxide (NO) and crucial for the control of various physiological functions. The β(1) subunit of sGC is obligatory for the biological stability and activity of sGC heterodimer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and exert great influences on ...

SUMMARY AT A GLANCE: Australasian emergency and respiratory physicians infrequently use the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and are unable to apply it accurately. Two physician groups differed in their relative abilities to apply PSI and CURB65, suggesting fragmented guideline dissemination. Australasian guidelines should promote a simple, coordinated pneumonia severity assessment ...

OBJECTIVES: Stavudine is being phased out because of its mitochondrial toxicity and tenofovir (TDF) is recommended as part of first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in South Africa. A prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial comparing standard- and low-dose stavudine with TDF was performed to assess early differences in adipocyte mtDNA ...

AIM: We describe improved reporting of paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by adding coronial findings to a cardiac arrest registry. METHODS: Non-traumatic OHCA occurring in paediatric patients aged less than 16 years were identified using the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry and available coronial findings reviewed. RESULTS: Between the years ...

We evaluate, for the U.S. case, the costs and benefits of three security measures designed to reduce the likelihood of a direct replication of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To do so, we assess risk reduction, losses, and security costs in the context of the full set of security layers. The ...

The α/β-hydrolase fold super-family of proteins is composed of structurally related members that, despite great diversity in their catalytic, recognition, adhesion and chaperone functions, share a common fold governed by homologous residues and conserved disulfide bridges. Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms, within the α/β-hydrolase fold domain, in different family members have ...

AIMS: To systematically identify and synthesise health service accreditation literature. METHODS: A systematic identification and narrative synthesis of health service accreditation literature published prior to 2012 were conducted. The search identified 122 empirical studies that examined either the processes or impacts of accreditation programmes. Study components were recorded, including: dates ...

Facultative pathogens have extremely dynamic pan-genomes, to a large extent derived from bacteriophages and other mobile elements. We developed a simple approach to identify phage-derived genomic islands and apply it to show that pathogens from diverse bacterial genera are significantly enriched in clustered phage-derived genes compared with related benign strains. ...

A handsome couple: Through the use of the simple Pd catalyst [Pd(tmpp)(2) Cl(2) ] (tmpp=tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphine) and THF/DMF as solvent, various aryl-, heteroaryl-, benzyl- and alkylaluminum reagents can be readily cross-coupled with aryl or heteroaryl iodides, bromides, and nonaflates, and in special cases even with chlorides and triflates. This cross-coupling tolerates ...

Medical therapy of patients with malignancy requires a paradigm shift through development of new drugs with a good safety record and novel mechanisms of activity. While there is no dearth of such molecules, one particular agent, "reovirus" is promising by its ability to target cancer cells with aberrant signaling pathways. ...

Inositol trisphosphate (InsP3)-mediated puffs are fundamental building blocks of cellular Ca2+ signalling, and arise through the concerted opening of clustered IP3 receptors (InsP3Rs) coordinated via Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. Although the Ca2+ dependency of InsP3Rs has been extensively studied at the single channel level, little is known as to how changes ...

AIMS: To assess the impact of different oxygenation policies on the rate and severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS: Between January 2003 and December 2006, infants of 1500 g birthweight (BW) or less and/or 32 weeks gestational age (GA) or less, and larger, more mature infants with risk factors ...