A consistent clinical feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the sparing of eye movements and the function of external sphincters, with corresponding preservation of motor neurons in the brainstem oculomotor nuclei, and of Onuf's nucleus in the sacral spinal cord. Studying the differences in properties of neurons that are ...

The aim of this study was to assess the hearing results after unilateral stapes surgery for otosclerosis at Cluj-Napoca University Hospital, and to evaluate surgical trauma to the inner ear in these patients. The medical records of 387 consecutive patients who underwent unilateral stapes surgery were reviewed. Hearing results were ...

Anemia is one of the extra-articular findings of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and anti-TNF therapy has been shown benefit in patients with anemia associated AS. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of biological and non-biological agents on hemoglobin levels in AS patients. One hundred consecutive patients ...

PURPOSE: Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia can be repaired laparoscopically. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of this minimally invasive approach. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on all consecutive children who underwent repair of Morgagni hernia from January 2002 to December 2011 in our hospital. Data are ...

Gekko japonicus undergoes dramatic changes in the caudal spinal cord after tail amputation. The amputation induces cell proliferation in the caudal ependymal tube. We performed hematoxylin and eosin staining at different time points in the regeneration process to investigate the morphological characterization of the regenerated appendages. The central canal extended ...

The clinical conditions associated with GH excess and GH deficiency are known to be associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, suggesting that either an excess or a deficiency in GH and/or IGF-I is deleterious for cardiovascular system. In patients with acromegaly chronic GH and IGF-I excess ...

This study employed functional and electrophysiological approaches to investigate the mechanisms by which warifteine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl, causes vasorelaxation in the rat thoracic aorta. Warifteine (1 pM-10 μM) induced a concentration-dependent relaxation (pD(2) =9.40±0.06, n=5) in endothelium-intact aortic rings pre-contracted with noradrenaline (10 - 100 ...

Based on selected examples from the literature, this perspective aims to provide a short overview of synthetic methods using hydrogen peroxide and/or peroxidic species for the elaboration of discrete or zero-dimensional species, as well as mono-, bi- and tri-dimensional materials. There are several advantages in using peroxidic species: no foreign ...

Screed floors are bound by sand-cement (SF) or by anhydrite (AF). Sand-cement floors are levelled manually and anhydrite floors are self-levelling and therefore differences in work demands and prevalences of musculoskeletal complaints might occur. The objective was to assess among SF layers and AF layers (1) the prevalence of musculoskeletal ...

KEY POINTS: Cochlear implant device fixation is an important aspect of the surgical procedure to ensure successful long-term outcomes. Inadequate device fixation may lead to constant shear stress, electrode fatigue and device extrusion or migration. Traditional fixation techniques involve bone-anchoring by drilling channels in the skull, which may lead to ...

Unmodified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) can be wrapped with long genomic single- and double-stranded DNA (ssDNA and dsDNA) molecules produced by asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (As-PCR). More importantly, the DNA-Au interaction can be utilized for colorimetric detection of a specific nucleic acid sequence in clinical samples.

Mps one binder 1a (MOB1A) and MOB1B are key components of the Hippo signaling pathway and are mutated or inactivated in many human cancers. Here we show that intact Mob1a or Mob1b is essential for murine embryogenesis and that loss of the remaining WT Mob1 allele in Mob1a(Δ/Δ)1b(tr/+) or Mob1a(Δ/+)1b(tr/tr) ...

Raman spectroscopy is used to probe the nature of the hydrogen bonds which hold the water of hydration to DNA. The ∼ 3450 cm(-1) molecular O-H stretching mode shows that the first six water molecules per base pair of the primary hydration shell are very strongly bound to the DNA. The ...

The official journal of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) has an interesting history. It all began when in 1959 the journal Thrombosis et Diathesis Haemorrhagica, which existed since 1957, became associated with the predecessor of the ISTH (i.e. the International Committee on the Nomenclature of the Blood ...

A new selective and sensitive fluorescence turn-on detection of CN(-) is reported by taking advantage of aggregation induced-emission (AIE) behavior of tetraphenylethylene units and the nucleophilic attack of CN(-) on the indolium group in compound .

The Arctic springtail, Megaphorura arctica, survives sub-zero temperatures in a dehydrated state via trehalose-dependent cryoprotective dehydration. Regulation of trehalose biosynthesis is complex; based in part on studies in yeast and fungi, its connection with oxidative stress caused by exposure of cells to oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide (H(2) O(2) ), ...

OBJECTIVE: YKL-40 is an inflammatory biomarker associated with disease activity and mortality in patients with diseases characterized by inflammation and tissue remodelling. The aim of this study was to describe the prognostic value of YKL-40 in an unselected patient population. DESIGN: In consecutive patients admitted to hospital during a 1-year ...

Reaction of NO with amorphous Mn(TPP) layers gives two Mn(TPP)(NO) isomers with linear and bent Mn-N-O geometries that reversibly interconvert with changes in temperature. DFT computations predict that the linear complex is the singlet ground state while the bent structure is a triplet state.

Transportation of magnetic beads between different reagents plays a crucial role in many biological assays e.g. for purification of biomolecules or cells where the beads act as a mobile solid support. Therefore, usually a complex set-up either for fluidic processing or for manipulation of magnetic beads is required. To circumvent ...

X-ray tomography is a ubiquitous tool used, for example, in medical diagnosis, explosives detection or to check structural integrity of complex engineered components. Conventional tomographic images are formed by measuring many transmitted X-rays and later mathematically reconstructing the object, however the structural and chemical information carried by scattered X-rays of ...

Background: Severe stroke carries a high rate of mortality and morbidity. The aims of this study are to determine the characteristics of patients that initially presented with severe ischaemic stroke, and to identify acute and subacute predictors of favourable clinical outcome in these patients. Methodology: An observational cohort study, Acute STroke Registry ...

Homophobia and heterosexism are ubiquitous in Canadian society. They contribute to significant health and mental health disparities for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and their families. Anti-homophobia efforts tend to focus on students and teachers at school. While these efforts are important, they do not reach parents, who play an ...

A platinum(ii) complex of a monoanionic, tetradentate β-diketiminate (BDI) ligand with pendant quinoline arms, BDI(QQ)H, is reported. The complex, [Pt(BDI(QQ))]Cl, is emissive in DMSO, but non-emissive in aqueous buffer. Upon binding DNA in buffer, however, a 150-fold turn-on in emission intensity occurs. Dynamic light scattering and (1)H NMR spectroscopy indicate ...

Background:  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorder usually co-occur in the same individuals, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previous evidence has shown that a frequent coexistence of allergic diseases was noted in patients with ADHD or tic disorder. We attempted to investigate the possible link among ADHD, ...

The genetic diversity of HIV-1 represents a major challenge in vaccine development. In this study, we establish a rationale for eliminating HIV-1-infected cells by targeting cellular immune responses against stable human endogenous retroviral (HERV) antigens. HERV DNA sequences in the human genome represent the remnants of ancient infectious retroviruses. We ...

ABSTRACT: The NanoSight LM10 with Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) software was evaluated for the quantification of latex particles, adenovirus 5, and influenza virus. The inter-day variability was determined by measuring the same sample over several consecutive days and the method's accuracy was demonstrated by using known concentrations of the subject ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Unmet need for family planning is responsible for 7.4 million disability-adjusted life years and 30% of the maternity-related disease burden. An estimated 35% of births are unintended and some 200 million couples state a desire to delay pregnancy or cease fertility but are not using contraception. Unmet need ...

The unique anisotropic wet-etching mechanism of a (111) silicon wafer facilitates the highly controllable top-down fabrication of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with conventional microfabrication technology. The fabrication process is compatible with the surface manufacturing technique, which is employed to build a nanowire-based field-effect transistor structure on the fabricated SiNW.

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between spirituality, coping strategies and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among a large representative sample of patients two years after cancer diagnosis. Using a cross-sectional design, medical and self-reported data were collected by physicians and a patient telephone interview, respectively. Among 4270 participants, ...

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic relevance of melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) A9 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Material and methods. Immunohistochemical staining for MAGE A9 was evaluated in a tissue microarray containing 587 RCC tumour tissue samples. Nuclear MAGE A9 expression was reviewed using ...

Nanoparticle (NP) ribbons and fabrics are fabricated using a facile, evaporation-driven approach that directs NP assembly at a liquid meniscus, which is constrained using principles of elastocapillarity with uniform molecular dimensions over large lateral distances. This results in the creation of uniform NP ribbons of nanoscale height and sub-micrometer width, ...

The usefulness of Tb(4)O(7) nanoparticles (NPs) as analytical reagents using sensitized luminescence as detection system is described for the first time and the results obtained are compared with those obtained using Tb(III) ions. Two drugs used in veterinary practice, namely lasalocid (LAS) and salicylate (SAL), have been chosen as model ...

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is defined by severe face recognition problems resulting from a failure to develop the necessary visual mechanisms for processing faces. While there is a growing literature on DP in adults, little has been done to study this disorder in children. The profound impact of abnormal face perception ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2)/platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. A therapeutic targeting of this enzyme was however challenged by the concern that increased circulating platelet activating factor (PAF) may predispose to or increase the severity of the allergic airway response. The ...

Only a fraction of hemophilia A patients develops a neutralizing antibody (inhibitor) response to therapeutic infusions of factor VIII (FVIII). Our present understanding of the underlying causes of the immunogenicity of this protein is limited. In the past few years, insights into the uptake and processing of FVIII by antigen ...

A novel and efficient route for the synthesis of 7-aza-tetrahydroindoles from N-aryl/alkyl-alkenoylacetamides and ethyl isocyanoacetate is described. A mechanism, involving a stepwise [3+2] cycloaddition-intramolecular aza-Michael addition cascade, is proposed that explains the origin of the double nucleophilic attack on the isocyanide carbon atom.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Risk factors for lung cancer, such as cigarette smoking, environmental pollution, asbestos, and genetic determinants, are well-known, whereas involvement of the human papillomavirus (HPV) is still unclear. METHODS: We examined a series of 100 lung cancer patients from Italy and the UK for the presence of HPV DNA ...

Neurotensin (NT) is a tridecapeptide hormone in the periphery and neurotransmitter in the brain that principally activates three receptor subtypes, named NTS1, NTS2, and NTS3. Since little is known about its structure in the presence of its principal receptor NTS1, we determined it using the key domain of the receptor, ...

A dispersion-dominated colorimetric approach for the recognition of carbohydrates based on biomolecule-responsive AuNPs is presented. Taking advantage of the unique dual-responsiveness of smart copolymers, the aggregation and dispersion of AuNPs can be modulated by both temperature and different kinds of carbohydrates, giving rise to a novel chromogenic mechanism for the ...

The induction of persistent intraepithelial CD8+ T cell responses may be key to the development of vaccines against mucosally transmitted pathogens, particularly for sexually transmitted diseases. Here we investigated CD8+ T cell responses in the female mouse cervicovaginal mucosa after intravaginal immunization with human papillomavirus vectors (HPV pseudoviruses) that transiently ...

Roll compensation during cornering (aligning the feet-to-head axis of the body with the resultant force) reduces lateral acceleration, but how any improvement in comfort depends on the frequency of the acceleration has not previously been investigated. Seated subjects judged the discomfort caused by lateral oscillation, roll oscillation and fully roll-compensated ...

Establishing common ground in remote cooperation is challenging because nonverbal means of ambiguity resolution are limited. In such settings, information about a partner's gaze can support cooperative performance, but it is not yet clear whether and to what extent the abundance of information reflected in gaze comes at a cost. ...

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by maternal deletions or mutations of the ubiquitin ligase E3A (UBE3A) allele and characterized by minimal verbal communication, seizures, and disorders of voluntary movement. Previous studies have suggested that abnormal dopamine neurotransmission may underlie some of these deficits, but no effective treatment ...

In this work, we extend our previous ligand shape-based virtual screening approach by using the scoring function Hamza-Wei-Zhan (HWZ) score and an enhanced molecular shape-density model for the ligands. The performance of the method has been tested against the 40 targets in the Database of Useful Decoys and compared with ...

Human swine influenza A [H1N1], also referred to as "swine flu," is highly transmissible. The emergence of new strains will continue to pose challenges to public health and the scientific communities will have to prepare to detect them for appropriate treatment. Most sophisticated methods include immunofluorescence staining and antigen subtyping ...

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), are the most frequent solid malignant tumors in men 20-4o years of age, and the most frequent cause of death from solid tumors in this age group. TGCTs can be subdivided into seminoma and non-seminoma germ cell tumors (NSGCTs), including embryonal cell carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, yolk ...

Understanding the spatiotemporal changes of cellular and molecular events within an organism is crucial to elucidate the complex immune processes involved in infections, autoimmune disorders, transplantation, and neoplastic transformation and metastasis. Here we introduce a novel multicolor light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) approach for deciphering immune processes in large tissue ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Impact of gender on time to initiation, response to and risk of modification of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-1 infected individuals is still controversial. METHODS: From a nationwide cohort of Danish HIV infected individuals we identified all heterosexually infected women (N=587) and heterosexually infected men (N=583) ...

The conserved protein sequence motifs present in all prokaryotic proteomes, "omnipresent motifs," presumably, correspond to the earliest proteins of the Last Universal Cellular Ancestor, from which all the proteomes have descended. Fifteen proteomes, each representing one of the total 15 diverse phyla of 131 Eubacteria and Archea, from which the ...

Protein interactions play a critical role in the regulation of many biological events and their study in a high-throughput format has become a key area of proteomic research. Nucleid Acid Programable Protein Arrays (NAPPA) technology allows the construction of protein arrays from cDNA expression libraries in high-throughput cell-free systems to ...