How does uncertainty about "dangerous" climate change affect the prospects for international cooperation? Climate negotiations usually are depicted as a prisoners' dilemma game; collectively, countries are better off reducing their emissions, but self-interest impels them to keep on emitting. We provide experimental evidence, grounded in an analytical framework, showing that ...

The efficacy of 3 years' annual intravenous administration of zoledronic acid (ZOL) in reducing vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal osteoporosis has been shown by the HORIZON pivotal fracture trial. Histomorphometric analysis of transiliac bone biopsies from the HORIZON participants revealed significantly improved trabecular architecture and reduced bone remodelling for ...

DAS181, a novel host-directed antiviral in development for influenza treatment, was assessed in this phase II clinical trial. This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial assessing influenza viral load and patient safety in otherwise healthy influenza-infected participants. Participants were randomized to a single-dose, multiple-dose, or placebo group ...

Background: An automated version of uniaxial powder flow testing has recently been developed and there is a need for experimental data from pharmaceutical powders. Purpose: To compare the novel testing method with an annular shear cell using different pharmaceutical excipients. A particular aim was to gain an improved understanding of ...

We report on an 18-year-old man with common variable immunodeficiency presenting with abdominal pain and vomiting due to gastric ulcers caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Endoscopy revealed multiple ulcers in the gastric antrum. Fever and rash developed the next day. Skin biopsy showed multinucleated cells with intranuclear inclusions ...

We have investigated the interaction between human DNA polymerase η (hpol η) and the Werner syndrome protein (WRN). Functional assays revealed that the WRN exonuclease and RecQ C-terminal (RQC) domains are necessary for full stimulation of hpol η-catalyzed formation of correct base pairs. We find that WRN does not stimulate ...

Current microarray assay technology predominately uses fluorescence as a detectable signal end-point. This study assessed real-time in situ surface hybridization capture kinetics for single printed DNA microspots on solid array surfaces using fluorescence. Influence of DNA target and probe cyanine dye position on oligo DNA duplex formation behavior was compared ...

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is an effective treatment promoting motor recovery of upper extremity function in stroke patients. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of CIMT on the evoked potentials in rats with focal cerebral cortical ischemia induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1). Thirty rats were randomly ...

Second messenger responses rely on where and when the enzymes that propagate these signals become active. Spatial and temporal organization of certain signaling enzymes is controlled in part by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). This family of regulatory proteins was originally classified on the basis of their ability to compartmentalize the ...

Heating skin is believed to activate vanilloid type III and IV transient receptor potential ion channels (TRPV3, TRPV4 respectively) resulting in the release of ATP into the interstitial fluid. We examined the hypothesis that local skin heating would result in an accumulation of ATP in the interstitial fluid that would ...

Viral and pharmacological inducers of protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK) were shown to accelerate the phosphorylation-dependent degradation of the IFNAR1 chain of the Type 1 interferon (IFN) receptor and to limit cell sensitivity to IFN. Here we report that hypoxia can elicit these effects in a PERK-dependent manner. ...

Heterozygous de-novo mutations in ATP1A3 in patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood: a whole-exome sequencing gene-identification study. Rosewich H et al. (2012) Lancet Neurol. 2012 Sep;11(9):764-73.

Recent research has implicated inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of a wide range of chronic degenerative diseases, although inflammation has long been recognized as a critical line of defense against infectious disease. However, current scientific understandings of the links between chronic low-grade inflammation and diseases of aging are based primarily ...

Although deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections are rare, the excess mortality burden of influenza estimated from statistical models may more reliably quantify the impact of influenza in a population. We applied age-specific multiple linear regression models to all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in Hong Kong from 1998 through ...

PURPOSEThe immune microenvironment is key to the pathophysiology of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). Twenty percent of patients experience failure of their initial treatment, and others receive excessively toxic treatment. Prognostic scores and biomarkers have yet to influence outcomes significantly. Previous biomarker studies have been limited by the extent of tissue ...

A high-temporal resolution 2D flow pathline analysis method to study early diastolic filling is presented. Filling patterns in normal volunteers (n = 8) and canine animals [baseline (n = 1) and infarcted (n = 6)] are studied. Data are acquired using spatial modulation of magnetization with polarity alternating velocity encoding, ...

Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) regulates growth of a variety of cells and is important in inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue remodeling. Recent studies show that LOX-1 deletion limits cardiac remodeling after sustained hypertension. We posited that LOX-1 may affect cardiac fibroblast growth and collagen secretion. To examine this ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a major public health problem in Togo. The national malaria control programme in Togo changed the anti-malarial treatment policy from monotherapy to artemisinin combination therapy in 2004. This study reports the results of therapeutic efficacy studies conducted on artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate-amodiaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated ...

Reverse vesicles exhibiting similar functions as 'normal' vesicles have been constructed through the self-assembly of TTF/CBPQT4+ based pseudo[2]rotaxanes in nonpolar solvent. The ends of the threads of the pseudo[2]rotaxanes are attached with a Fréchet-type G-3 dendron and a hydrogen bonded arylamide foldamer. These vesicles exhibit a response to redox. By ...

Unique homoleptic cyclic tetranuclear Ln(4)(Salen)(4) complexes [Ln(4)(L)(2)(HL)(2)(μ(3)-OH)(2)Cl(2)]·2Cl (Ln = Nd, 1; Ln = Yb, 2; Ln = Er, 3; Ln = Gd, 4) or Ln(4)(Salen)(2) complexes [Ln(4)(L)(2)(μ(3)-OH)(2)(OAc)(6)] (Ln = Nd, 5; Ln = Yb, 6; Ln = Er, 7; Ln = Gd, 8) have been self-assembled from the reaction of ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prognostic and oxaliplatin predictive value of mismatch repair (MMR) status and common hot spot mutations which we previously identified in stage II and III colon cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Mutations in BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, MET, and PIK3CA were profiled in 2299 ...

This study explored factors (gender, age, relationship status, symptomatology) associated with the sexual well-being of 141 (56 men and 85 women) adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS) living in the community. Participants completed an online survey consisting of a measure of autistic symptoms as well as measures of ...

The purpose of this survey was to determine the distribution of terrestrial radionuclides ((238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) in surface soil samples collected from different locations in and around Osmaniye and assess the radiological implications of outdoor external exposure. The activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K in soil samples ranged ...

This study monitored indoor and outdoor particle concentrations in 37 small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs) in California with three buildings sampled on two occasions, resulting in 40 sampling days. Sampled buildings included offices, retail establishments, restaurants, dental offices, and hair salons, among others. Continuous measurements were made for both ...

OBJECTIVE.: Our objective was to compare the osteoclastogenic capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) to that of PBMCs from self-reported normal individuals. METHODS.: PBMCs from 140 patients with OA and 45 healthy donors were assayed for CD14(+) expression and induced to differentiate into osteoclasts ...

We describe a novel kind of sensor for carbon dioxide. It is based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and a polymer blend that is capable of fully reversibly binding carbon dioxide. The interaction results in a change in the polarity and refractive index that can be detected via SPR. The ...

ABSTRACT While driving is a complex task, it becomes relatively automatic over time although unfamiliar situations require increased cognitive effort. Much research has examined driving risk in cognitively impaired elders and found little effect. This study assessed whether mildly memory impaired elders made disproportionate errors in driving or story recall, ...

Different organisms compensate for, and adapt to, environmental changes in different ways. In this way, environmental changes affect animal-plant interactions. In this study, we assessed the effect of temperature on a tritrophic system of the lima bean, the herbivorous spider mite Tetranychus urticae and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. In ...

The parasitic protozoan Entamoeba histolytica is aptly named for its capacity to destroy host tissue. When E. histolytica trophozoites invade the lamina propria of a host colon, extracellular matrices are degraded while host cells are killed and phagocytosed. The ability of E. histolytica to phagocytose host cells correlates with virulence ...

AIM: To determine perinatal parameters among term newborn infants born by vaginal delivery with meconium stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) that needed pediatrician assistance. METHODS: Pediatricians who were in attendance in the delivery room due to MSAF among term infants completed 775 reports regarding the infants' delivery conditions and the assistance ...

Presented here is a new porous metal-organic framework based on a nanosized tris((4-carboxyl)phenylduryl)amine ligand, which features a 2-fold interpenetrating hms network and shows distinct gas adsorption behaviors dependent on different activation methods.

BACKGROUND: The rates of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) are increasing worldwide. This study investigated Australian and New Zealand's breast surgeons' perceptions, knowledge and attitudes towards CPM, and explored if demographic characteristics of surgeons were associated with an increased tendency to recommend or perform CPM. METHODS: A cross sectional research design ...

An overcrowded alkene with anti-folded conformation was converted to its twisted conformer, accompanied by a dramatic color change from yellow to deep purple, by inclusion in a self-assembled T(d)-symmetric coordination cage. The shape of the caged cavity was suitable and desirable for trapping the twisted conformer. The twisted conformation was ...

Previous studies have demonstrated that cell wall arabinogalactan from mycobacteria possesses a single galactosamine (GalN) residue. This moiety, which is one the rare natural occurrences of galactosamine lacking an acetyl group on the nitrogen, has been identified as a pendant substituent attached to a highly branched arabinofuranose residue in the ...

Schwannomas are peripheral nerve sheath tumors that often occur in the setting of an inherited tumor predisposition syndrome, including neurofibromatosis types 1 (NF1) and 2 (NF2), familial schwannomatosis and Carney complex. Loss of the NF2 tumor suppressor (encoding NF2, or Merlin) is associated with upregulation of the Rac1 small GTPase, ...

The preparation of new Ru(ii) complexes incorporating fac-coordinated lutidine-derived CNC ligands is reported. These derivatives are selectively deprotonated by (t)BuOK at one of the methylene arms of the pincer, leading to catalytically active species in the hydrogenation of imines.

The expression profile of flavour-related genes during ripening was investigated in two peach genotypes, Bolero and OroA, which have been selected for their contrasting aroma/ripening behaviour. A new peach microarray containing 4776 oligonucleotide probes corresponding to a set of ESTs specifically enriched in secondary metabolism (μPEACH2.0) was designed to investigate ...

One might expect that children with varying genetic mutations or children raised in low socioeconomic status environments would display different deficits. Although this expectation may hold for phenotypic outcomes in older children and adults, cross-syndrome comparisons in infancy reveal many common neural and sociocognitive deficits. The challenge is to track ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The simulated client (SC) method for evaluating health worker performance utilizes surveyors who pose as patients to make surreptitious observations during consultations. Compared to conspicuous observation (CO) by surveyors, which is commonly done in developing countries, SC data better reflect usual health worker practices. This information is important ...

Carbon captured through photosynthesis is transported, and sometimes stored in plants, as sugar. All organic compounds in plants trace to carbon from sugars, so sugar metabolism is highly regulated and integrated with development. Sugars stored by plants are important to humans as foods and as renewable feedstocks for industrial conversion ...

Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is probably the most common molecular technique used in transcriptome analyses today. The simplicity of the technology and associated protocols that generate results without the need to understand the underlying principles has made RT-qPCR the method of choice for RNA quantification. Rather than ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of a sphere-templated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly[HEMA]) tissue scaffold as a subcutaneous implant by comparing it with widely used high-density porous polyethylene (HDPPE) implant material. DESIGN We implanted sphere-templated porous poly-(HEMA) and HDPPE disks into the dorsal subcutis of C57BL/6 mice for 4 and 9 weeks. ...

INTRODUCTION: There is increasing evidence that a high proportion (47%-63%) of women who quit smoking during pregnancy relapse during the postpartum period. The purpose of this population-based study was to examine the association between selected sociodemographic factors and smoking relapse in the early postpartum period (within the first 6 weeks) ...

Obesity is a major risk factor for hypertension. The copresentation of hypertension and insulin resistance (IR) suggests a role for IR in blood pressure (BP) dysregulation. To test this hypothesis, peripheral IR has been genetically subtracted in a model of obesity by crossing leptin receptor mutant mice (K(db)H(PTP)) with mice ...

Lateral inhibition produces the centre-surround organization of retinal receptive fields, in which inhibition driven by the mean luminance enhances the sensitivity of ganglion cells to spatial and temporal contrast. Surround inhibition is generated in both synaptic layers; however, the synaptic mechanisms within the inner plexiform layer are not well characterized ...

Collecting lymphatic vessels generate pressure to transport lymph downstream to the subclavian vein against a significant pressure head. To investigate their response to elevated downstream pressure, collecting lymphatic vessels containing one valve (incomplete lymphangion) or two valves (complete lymphangion) were isolated from the rat mesentery and tied to glass cannulae ...

In the conventional synthesis of 1,4,7-tris-(glutaric acid)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (NOTGA), four isomeric species are usually generated by the alkylation of 1,4,7-triazacyclononane with α-bromoglutaric acid diester. To estimate their biological efficacies as well as their stability and radiochemistry, the RRR/SSS and RRS/SSR NOTGA-tBu prochelators were isolated and the corresponding cyclic RGDfK (RGD) conjugates ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: An estimated 2.5 million children were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2009, 2.3 million (92%) in sub-Saharan Africa. Without treatment, a third of children with HIV will die of AIDS before their first birthday, half dying before two years of age. Hence, this study aimed to ...

Detection of shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) juice adulterated with calamondin (Citrus madurensis LOUR.) juice was investigated by the analyses of (1) phloretin dihydrochalcone glucoside, 3',5'-di-C-β-glucopyranosylphloretin (PD), detected by thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); (2) polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) included nobiletin, tangeretin and sinensetin detected by HPLC; and (3) ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Community health workers are widely used to provide care for a broad range of health issues. Since 2003 the government of Ethiopia has been deploying specially trained new cadres of community based health workers named health extension workers (HEWs). This initiative has been called the health extension program. ...