Aim This prospective, randomised, parallel, controlled study was conducted firstly to compare the onset of local anaesthesia (LA) when using the conventional technique versus the Wand computer-controlled LA and secondly to assess the pain experience in children.Method Thirty children were randomly allocated to the treatment group (Wand) or the control ...

AIM:the purpose of this research was to evaluate whether an oral treatment with an association of forskolin and rutin can blunt the intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes and avoid the damage that may occur after laser iridotomy. METHODS: Ten patients underwent bilateral Neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser iridotomy (Visulas YAG III Laser, Zeiss), ...

BACKGROUND: The major cause of death in the city of São Paulo (SP) is cardiac events. At its periphery, in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction is estimated to range between 15% and 20% due to difficulties inherent in large metropoles. OBJECTIVE:To describe in-hospital mortality in ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction ...

The majority of studies examining associations between clinical-diagnostic and empirical-quantitative approaches have concentrated only on the target diagnosis without taking into account any possible co-variation of psychopathological traits, which is intrinsic to child psychopathology. The ability of child behaviour checklist (CBCL) DSM-oriented scales (DOSs) to predict target and other DSM ...

We argue that a turn toward virtue ethics as a way of understanding medical professionalism represents both a valuable corrective and a missed opportunity. We look at three ways in which a closer appeal to virtue ethics could help address current problems or issues in professionalism education-first, balancing professionalism training ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The effects of helminth co-infection on malaria in humans remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the nature of association of intestinal helminths with prevalence and clinical outcomes of Plasmodium infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1,065 malaria suspected febrile patients was conducted at Dore Bafeno Health Center, ...

Intracellular pH plays an important role in many cellular events, such as cell growth, endocytosis, cell adhesion and so on. Some pH fluorescent probes have been reported, but most of them are one-photon fluorescent probes, studies about two-photon fluorescent probes are very rare. In this work, the geometrical structure, electronic ...

SUMMARY We describe the largest outbreak of measles in Central and Eastern Cheshire (North West England) since the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988, the majority of cases were not vaccinated and more than 20% of the cases belonged to the travelling community. Over 4 months, 147 clinical cases of ...

Normal subjects show an increase of sleepiness in the morning, early afternoon and before sleep. In the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) the mean level of sleepiness is quite high, while with respect to healthy subjects it seems to be unchanged in the early stages. The aim of this ...

Despite enormous efforts, biochemical and molecular mechanisms associated with equine reproduction, particularly processes of pregnancy establishment, have not been well characterized. Previously, PCR-selected suppression subtraction hybridization analysis was executed to identify unique molecules functioning in the equine endometrium during periods of pregnancy establishment, and granzyme B (GZMB) cDNA was found ...

Sexual selection is driven by competition for mates, and the advantage of a competitor is determined by the number of offspring it produces. Early experiments by Angus Bateman characterized this interaction, and the quantitative relationship between a male's number of mates and number of offspring is known as the Bateman ...

Introduction: Saxagliptin (see drug summary box) is a glucose-lowering agent that belongs to the class of Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DDP-4) inhibitors used in the treatment of T2DM. Clinical efficacy of saxagliptin as single agent as well as in combination with other medications used for the treatment of T2DM has been well established ...

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is an alternative for individuals with end-stage heart disease. However, episodes of heart rejection (HR) are frequent and increase morbidity and mortality, requiring the use of an accurate non-invasive exam for their diagnosis, since endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is not a complication-free procedure. OBJECTIVE: To compare the parameters ...

Five organic acids (acetic, ferulic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, formic and levulinic acids) typically associated in the hemicellulose hydrolysate were selected to study their effects on the xylitol fermentation. The effects of individual and combined additions were independently evaluated on the following parameters: inhibitory concentration; initial cell concentration; pH value; and membrane integrity. ...

This paper presents a detailed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigation into the electrocatalytic activity of ultrafine (i.e., smaller than 2 nm) platinum (Pt) nanoparticles generated on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) surface via room temperature tilted target sputter deposition. In particular, the Pt-decorated FTO electrode surfaces were tested ...

Summary Research on gender power in contraceptive use has focused on whether women have an active role in household decision-making (the participation model) or on the extent of their control of domestic decisions (the control model); it has also addressed the joint effects of power, age, education and work. Findings ...

Background:  Vitiligo is a common skin disease characterized by autoimmune melanocyte destruction. Recent genetic studies suggest a lower susceptibility to melanoma in patients with vitiligo; however, lifetime melanoma prevalence in patients with vitiligo has not previously been studied. Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) prevalence has been studied, but only in small ...

In prokaryotes, two-component signal transduction systems, consisting of a histidine kinase and a response regulator, play a critical role in regulating a range of cellular functions. A recent work suggests that XCC3315, a response regulator with a CheY-like receiver (REC) domain attached to an uncharacterized HD-related output domain (HDOD domain), ...

Bioactive glass (BG) composites with a base of SiO(2) -Na(2) O-CaO-P(2) O(5) are biocompatible biomaterials. The assessment of their abilities for medical applications has interested researchers. We produced a BG-containing SiO(2) -MgO-CaO-P(2) O(5) by the sol-gel method. To determine the antibacterial effects, we analyzed the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and ...

Objective. Mold in water-damaged homes has been linked to asthma. Our objective was to test a new metric to quantify mold exposures in asthmatic children's homes in three widely dispersed cities in the United States. Methods. The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) metric was created by the US Environmental Protection ...

Energy harvesting from noise is a paradigm proposed by the theory of stochastic resonances. We demonstrate that the random switching of a hydrogen (H(2)) molecule can drive the oscillation of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. The H(2) motion was activated by tunneling electrons and caused fluctuations of the forces sensed by ...

The pit of the optic nerve head (ON) is a rare congenital defect that sometimes presents itself with a maculopathy of various neuroretinal layers for unknown reason. This study was focused, before and after pharmacological and parasurgical treatment, on the structural and functional visual assessment in a patient with optic ...

Over 230 million surgeries are performed annually worldwide, cardiac complications being the most common causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality. As life expectancy has extended worldwide, a growing number of patients with multiple comorbidities have undergone noncardiac surgeries. Consequently, cardiovascular complications associated with those procedures are expected to increase, and ...

Evidence of how temperature plays a role in the magnetic irreversibility in the intermediate state of a cylinder and various disks of pure type-I superconducting lead is presented. Isothermal measurements of first magnetization curves and hysteresis cycles are analyzed in a reduced representation that defines an equilibrium state for flux ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Chemokines play multiple roles in the development and progression in a variety of tumors. Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 7 (CXCL7) has been found associated with pro-inflammatory responses, but its role in cancer growth remains unclear. Our previous study showed that R phase tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) produced large ...

The syntheses of Zn(ii), Cd(ii) and Cu(ii) complexes of 2,5-bis{N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)iminomethyl}pyrrole (DIP(2)pyr)H and their catalytic activities in CO(2) fixation are reported. The structures of these complexes were characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The catalytic activities of these complexes for the cycloaddition of CO(2) to ...

Oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV)-1-based vectors selectively replicate in tumor cells causing direct killing, that is, oncolysis, while sparing normal cells. The oHSVs are promising anticancer agents, but their efficacy, when used as single agents, leaves room for improvement. We hypothesized that combining the direct oncolytic and antiangiogenic activities of ...

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to analyze the incidence, characteristics, and correlations between maxillofacial fractures and dental injuries in patients who were treated at a first-level trauma center in a metropolitan center in northwest Italy in the last 11 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1, 2001 and December ...

The efficient detection, separation and purification of topological and (protein-)complexed DNA variants is mandatory for many state-of-the-art molecular medicine technologies, like medical diagnostics, gene- and cancer-therapy as well as plasmid vaccination. Here, we present the proof-of-concept of a novel micro-nanofluidic device for a fast and efficient, continuous-flow, and virtually label-free ...

BACKGROUND:Autosomal dominant facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD), the third most common muscular dystrophy, is characterised by asymmetric and highly variable muscle weakness. In FSHD patients, the coupling of the ankle muscles impairment with the knee, hip and abdominal muscles impairment, causes complex alterations of balance and walking with deterioration of quality of ...

Abstract Objective. In the Western world the incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been increasing for several decades. In Sweden the incidence has decreased since 1980. This may reflect better health of the population. Another possible explanation could be a decrease in incidentally diagnosed RCC. Since these tumours are ...

BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are defined as a special type of stem cell that have been found to directly incorporate into injured vessels and that participate in angiogenesis and reconstruction by differentiation into endothelial cells. EPCs are widely used to therapeutically treat cardiovascular disease, limb ischemia and vascular repair. ...

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is a low-value co-product of the brewing industry produced in large quantities annually. This paper reviews the existing evidence regarding the phenolic component of BSG, focusing on composition, extraction and biofunctions such as antioxidant, anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. Furthermore, the incorporation of BSG in foodstuffs ...

In bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) rare and de novo chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications (CNVs) have strong effects on risk. For de novo CNVs, the risk of BD or SZ is 10% and for deletions of the q11 region on chromosome 22, the risk of either of these disorders ...

The authors describe a rare case of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) associated with tuberous sclerosis complex that presented with intratumoral bleeding with extension to the ventricles. The literature regarding intracranial hemorrhage of SEGA is reviewed and only five cases have been reported in the literature. We have not identified ...

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the required spatial alignment accuracy for correctly grading 95 % of peripheral zone (PZ) prostate cancers using a system for multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR)-guided ultrasound (US) biopsies. METHODS: PZ prostate tumours were retrospectively annotated on multiparametric MR series using prostatectomy specimens as reference standard. Tumours were grouped based ...

BACKGROUND: Whether late-onset depression is a risk factor for or a prodrome of dementia remains unclear. We investigated the impact of depressive symptoms and early- v. late-onset depression on subsequent dementia in a cohort of elderly general-practitioner patients (n = 2663, mean age = 81.2 years). Method Risk for subsequent dementia was estimated over ...

In part 21 of the tutorial series "Acoustofluidics - exploiting ultrasonic standing wave forces and acoustic streaming in microfluidic systems for cell and particle manipulation", we review applications of ultrasonic standing waves used for enhancing immunoassays and particle sensors. The paper covers ultrasonic enhancement of bead-based immuno-agglutination assays, bead-based immuno-fluorescence ...

Cardiorenal syndrome is a condition in which a complex interrelationship between cardiac dysfunction and renal dysfunction exists. Despite advances in treatment of both cardiovascular and kidney disease, cardiorenal syndrome remains a major global health problem. Characteristic of the pathophysiology of cardiorenal syndrome is bidirectional cross-talk; mediators/substances activated by the disease ...

We tested whether in 85 healthy adults (18-29 years) there is a relationship between grey-matter (GM) volume and autism and ADHD symptom severity. The structural MRI findings and autism and ADHD self-reports revealed that autism and ADHD symptom severity was correlated with GM volume in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Autism ...

Parahydrogen induced polarisation (PHIP) has wide utility in NMR and MRI as it can increase the sensitivity of both techniques. The transfer of spin order from parahydrogen to nuclei in the analyte leads to an increased magnetic response following interrogation by RF pulses. This spin transfer is catalysed by a ...

Abstract This study investigated the extent of contact-lens use in Japanese college water-polo male players over 20 years (1991-2011, once every five years). Information about the use of contact lenses during play and the types of contact lens was obtained through a self-report questionnaire. The proportion of contact lens use ...

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) play a vital role in lung immunity. The recent studies demonstrated that potassium channels were associated with macrophage functions, such as activation, migration and cytokines secretion. However, less is known regarding the expression and function of ERG channels in AMs. Our study showed that ERG1 channel expressed ...

Purpose: Genetic factors have been shown to play a remarkable role in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Recently, two polymorphisms (rs1533428 and rs12994401) on chromosome 2p were found to be strongly associated with POAG in an Afro-Caribbean population in Barbados, West Indies. As data with regard to the role of these ...

Abstract Glutathione (GSH) is an important cellular antioxidant and has a critical role in maintaining the balance of cellular redox. In this study, we investigated the GSH biosynthesis genes involved in the elevation of endogenous GSH levels using an irradiation system with an irradiation dose rate of 1.78 mGy/h, which ...

We studied peculiarities of the structural reconstruction within holographically recorded gratings on the surface of several different amorphous azobenzene-containing polymers. Under illumination with a light interference pattern, two processes take place in this type of polymer. The first process is the light-induced orientation of azobenzene units perpendicular to the polarization ...

Tuberculosis is a dreadful disease that results in innumerable deaths across the world that is caused by bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Emergence of multi drug resistance (MDR) and extremely drug resistance tuberculosis (XDR) strains and its co-infection with HIV has made tuberculosis more difficult to treat. Therefore, new anti-mycobacterial agent(s) for ...

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) produces high-quality anatomical images of the cardiac valves and associated structures. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides images of valve morphology, and allows quantitative evaluation of valvular dysfunction and determination of the impact of valvular lesions on cardiovascular structures. Recent studies have demonstrated that cardiac CT ...

We evaluated the influence of long-term HIV infection and its treatment on distal tibia and radius microstructure. Premenopausal eumenorrheic HIV-positive women displayed trabecular and cortical microstructure alterations, which could contribute to increased bone fragility in those patients. INTRODUCTION: Bone fragility is an emerging issue in HIV-infected patients. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ...

The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate histomorphometrically the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) photobiomodulation therapy (LPT) on bone formation in response to expansion of the interpremaxillary suture in rats. Twenty male, 50- to 60-day-old Wistar rats were divided into two equal groups (control and experimental). Both groups ...