BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation is potentially a life-saving therapeutic intervention for patients with portopulmonary hypertension and hepatopulmonary syndrome. However, due to limited data, listing criteria for patients with these conditions have not been clearly established. Indeed, this has led some to speculate that transplantation may not be appropriate in cases of ...

The rheological properties and microstructure of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) aqueous suspensions have been investigated at different concentrations. The suspension is isotropic up to 3 wt.%, and phase separates to liquid crystalline and isotropic domains at higher concentrations where the samples exhibit a fingerprint texture and the viscosity profile shows a ...

Objective. We investigated the long-term outcome of patients with proliferative LN treated with CSs and MMF.Methods. This was a single-centre retrospective study on patients with biopsy-proven class III/IV ± V LN treated with prednisolone and MMF continuously as both early and maintenance immunosuppression.Results. Sixty-five patients were included, and followed for ...

Proteomics research routinely involves identifying peptides and proteins via tandem mass spectrometry sequence database search. Thus the database search engine is an integral tool in many proteomics research groups. Here, we introduce the Comet search engine to the existing landscape of commercial and open source database search tools. Comet is ...

We report the cellular properties of a luminescent cyclometalated iridium(III) complex, [Ir(pq)(2) (phen-ITC)](PF(6) ) (Ir-ITC; Hpq=2-phenylquinoline, phen-ITC=5-isothiocyanate-1,10-phenanthroline), that efficiently and specifically labels mitochondria in living mammalian cells. Ir-ITC can be covalently conjugated to its protein targets, and its luminescence survived cell lysis, protein extraction, and gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. ...

ABSTRACT: Members of the Arabidopsis LSH1 and Oryza G1 (ALOG) family of proteins have been shown to function as key developmental regulators in land plants. However, their precise mode of action remains unclear. Using sensitive sequence and structure analysis, we show that the ALOG domains are a distinct version of ...

The efficacy of metformin for the treatment of obesity has been evaluated in few clinical trials with inconclusive results. Moreover, the effectiveness in a real-life outpatient setting has not been tested until today. In this study we aimed to examine the effectiveness of metformin as a weight reducing drug in ...

The stem and root barks of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica (Ulmaceae) have been used to treat inflammatory diseases including mastitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, and enteritis. In an ongoing study focused on the discovery of natural anti-inflammatory compounds from natural products, a methanol extract of the stem and root barks of U. ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Identification of risk factors of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Egypt is crucial to develop appropriate prevention strategies. METHODS: We conducted a case--control study, June 2007-September 2008, to investigate risk factors for acute HCV infection in Egypt among 86 patients and 287 age and gender matched ...

Two ginsenoside derivatives (9-10) along with ten known ginsenosides (1-8 and 11-12) were isolated from BST204 which is crude ginseng extract fermented by enzyme and acid hydrolysis. The two ginsenosides were determined as 12β, 20(S), 25-trihydroxy-dammara-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (9) and 12β, 20(R), 25-trihydroxy-dammara-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10). Compounds 1-12 were categorized into steroisomeric pairs differentiated ...

Mitochondria dysfunction in pathogenic fungi or model yeast causes altered susceptibilities to antifungal drugs. Herein, we have characterized the role of mitochondria complex I (CI) of Candida albicans in antifungal susceptibility. Inhibitors of CI-CV except for CII increased the susceptibility of both patient and lab isolates, even those with a ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: IL28B and ITPA genetic variants are associated with the outcome of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) therapy. However, the significance of these genetic variants in cirrhotic patients following splenectomy has not been determined. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with HCV-induced cirrhosis who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy (Spx group) and 90 who did ...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of metal contamination on the biological responses of 0-group juvenile European flounder and to assess and compare the quality of four estuarine habitats located in the Eastern English Channel. Fish otolith growth and condition indices (RNA : DNA ratio, Fulton's K ...

The UGT1A1*28 variant has been associated with hyperbilirubinemia and atazanavir discontinuation. Protocol A5202 randomly assigned human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients to receive atazanavir/ritonavir (atazanavir/r) or efavirenz, with tenofovir/emtricitabine or abacavir/lamivudine. A total of 646 atazanavir/r recipients were evaluable for UGT1A1. Homozygosity for *28/*28 was present in 8% of ...

A retrospective study was done on 48 consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of post-diphtheritic neuropathy admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit of tertiary care hospital in North India between January 2008 and December 2010 to study the clinical profile of post-diphtheritic neuropathy in children. The case records were reviewed ...

Stockering calves in the southern U.S. has been an economically viable enterprise for decades. Historically, the system that yielded the best opportunity for profitability was to purchase light-weight calves (130 kg to 220 kg) in autumn, add 100 to 200 kg of BW gain, and sell them in the spring. ...

AIMS: Whole body imaging with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) has proven useful in various infectious diseases. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the diagnostic yield of FDG PET/CT in patients with cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infection.METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 21 patients with ...

AIMS: Separate analysis of endocardial and epicardial myocardial layer deformation has become possible using strain-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance (SENC) and 2D-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (Echo). This study evaluated and compared both modalities for the assessment of infarct transmurality as defined by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS ...

The structure of a series of activated carbons prepared from anthracite by chemical activation has been studied using wide-angle x-ray scattering, molecular dynamics and Raman spectroscopy. The BET surface areas of the investigated samples are in the range 1500-3430 m(2) g(-1) and the average pore sizes vary from 0.75 to 1.35 nm. The ...

OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of maternal pregestational body mass index (BMI) and smoking on neonatal abdominal circumference (AC) and weight at birth. To define reference curves for birth AC and weight in offspring of healthy, nonsmoking, normal weight women. DESIGN: Population-based study. SETTING: Data from the Danish Medical Birth ...

OBJECTIVE:Interventions that mitigate drowning risk in developing countries are needed. This study presents the cost-effectiveness of a low-cost, scalable injury and drowning prevention program called Prevention of Child Injuries through Social-Intervention and Education (PRECISE) in Bangladesh.METHODS:Between 2006 and 2010, the 2 components of PRECISE (Anchal, which sequestered children in crèches ...

Abstract This report describes a novel assay for the detection of gastrointestinal anthelmintics using mice infected with Haemonchus contortus and adapted to the 1 animal per group protocol. Mice infected with both H. contortus and Heligmosomoides polygyrus were fed ivermectin-medicated diets for 6 days. A dietary level of 0.09375 ppm ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Activation of transversus abdominis and fear avoidance beliefs have both been related to low back pain (LBP). This exploratory study aims to investigate associations between fear avoidance beliefs at baseline and deep abdominal muscle activation after an 8-week period of supervised exercises for chronic LBP. METHODS: A ...

Addition of activated carbon (AC) to sediments has been proposed as a method to reduce ecotoxicological risks of sediment-bound contaminants. The present study explores the effectiveness of granular AC (GAC) in extracting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) from highly contaminated sediments. Four candidate GAC materials were screened in terms of PAH ...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a bioaccumulative, persistent, and toxic class of flame retardants that can potentially impact turtles in natural habitats via exposure through maternal transfer. To simulate maternal transfer in the present study, PBDE congeners BDE-47 and BDE-99 were topically applied to the eggshell and were allowed to ...

This communication reports a novel intermolecular interaction for structural DNA nanotechnology.

Abstract Nanoparticles can be used for the treatment of various retinal diseases. Due to small sizes, they can improve bioavailability of therapeutic agents and pass through biological barriers of the eye, such as the cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, and even more, blood-retinal barriers. Another important characteristic of nanoparticles is the ability ...

Different capsular serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae vary markedly in their ability to cause invasive infection, but the reasons why are not known. As immunity to S. pneumoniae infection is highly complement-dependent, variations in sensitivity to complement between S. pneumoniae capsular serotypes could affect invasiveness. We have used 20 capsular-switched variants ...

We previously reported moderating effects of age of onset of alcohol dependence (AD) and a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the gene encoding the serotonin transporter protein in a sample of 134 individuals participating in a 12-week, placebo-controlled trial of sertraline. To understand more fully the effects seen in that study, ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: The immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) pathway provides osteoclast co-stimulatory signals and regulates proliferation, survival and differentiation of effector immune cells. In the osteoclast, the receptors TREM2 and OSCAR and their respective adaptor proteins, DAP12 and FcRgamma mediate ITAM signals and induce calcium signaling and the crucial transcription ...

The kidney and inner ear CLC-K chloride channels, which are involved in salt absorption and endolymph production, are regulated by extracellular Ca(2+) in the millimolar concentration range. Recently, Gradogna et al. (2010. J. Gen. Physiol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1085/jgp.201010455) identified a pair of acidic residues (E261 and D278) located in the loop between ...

The objective of this study was to compare two portable lactate analyzers for testing canine patients in a clinical setting with a previously accepted methodology for measuring plasma lactate. Between Jan 1, 2005 and Jun 1, 2006, all samples were analyzed using two different portable analyzers (devices A and B), ...

Solar-driven water splitting is a key photochemical reaction that underpins the feasible and sustainable production of solar fuels. An amorphous cobalt-phosphate catalyst (Co-Pi) based on earth-abundant elements has been recently reported to efficiently promote water oxidation to protons and dioxygen, a main bottleneck for the overall process. The structure of ...

AIM: We sought to quantify knowledge and attitudes regarding automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among university students. We also aimed to determine awareness of the location of an actual AED on campus. METHODS: We performed an online survey of undergraduate and graduate students at a mid-sized, private ...

A bacterial strain, designated CMJ-5T, was isolated from a freshwater shrimp culture pond in Taiwan and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain CMJ-5T were Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, yellow-pigmented rods surrounded by a thick capsule. Growth occurred at 20-35 oC (optimum, 30°C), at pH 6.5-8.0 (optimum, pH ...

At least every ten years, each specialty should reflect upon its past, its present and its future, in order to be able to reconfirm the direction in which it is headed, to adopt suggestions from inside and outside and, consequently, to improve. As such, the aim of this manuscript is ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules using a 3 Tesla (T) MRI scanner. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight nodules in 25 patients and 14 healthy control cases were included in the study. DWMRI was acquired with 6 b values ...

Landfills are a source of groundwater pollution in Gaza Strip. This study focused on Deir Al Balah landfill, which is a unique sanitary landfill site in Gaza Strip (i.e. it has a lining system and a leachate recirculation system). The objective of this article is to assess the generated leachate ...

Although the presence and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Arctic marine environments has been well documented, the implications for the health of biota are poorly understood. In the present study, multiple lines of evidence, including site-specific effects data, were used to assess PCB-related risks to marine biota at a ...

The estrogenic endocrine-disrupting substance bisphenol A (BPA) is extensively used as a starting material for a variety of consumer plastic products including dialyzer materials. The present study was performed to explore plasma BPA levels in patients with impaired renal function and to investigate if dialyzers differing in elutable BPA influence ...

This article describes use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a tool for strategic planning. The ICF is the international classification system for factors that influence health, including Body Structures, Body Functions, Activities and Participation and Environmental Factors. An overview of strategic planning and the ...

Please cite this paper as: Starbuck et al (2012) Are we prepared to help low-resource communities cope with a severe influenza pandemic? Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12040. Recent research involving lab-modified H5N1 influenza viruses with increased transmissibility and the ongoing evolution of the virus in nature should remind us ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The roles of pharmacists have evolved from product oriented, dispensing of medications to more patient-focused services such as the provision of pharmaceutical care. Such pharmacy service is also becoming more widely practiced in Malaysia but is not well documented. Therefore, this study is warranted to fill this information ...

Abstract Background: Gait speed and sleep quality are the health indices related to longevity and mortality. In the present study, we measured sleep quality, quality of life, gait speed, and visual acuity before and after cataract surgery to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure on systemic health. Methods: The study ...

OBJECTIVE: Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction and poor decision making have been described in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse. These neurobiological underpinnings might explain dependency-like behaviors often described in this condition, such as loss of control over painkillers, high rates of relapse after detoxification, and compromised social functioning. We ...

Decolonization measures, including mupirocin and chlorhexidine, are often prescribed to prevent Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of high-level mupirocin and chlorhexidine resistance in S. aureus strains recovered from patients with SSTI before and after mupirocin and chlorhexidine ...

OBJECTIVE: To study long-term work disability before and after tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist therapy in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Using the population-based South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group Register, we identified 191 patients with PsA (median age 43 years, range 18-58 years, 54% men), who between January 2003 and ...

BACKGROUND: High-dose vitamin A influences glucose and lipid profile; however, the possible effects of moderate doses (25,000 IU/d) are conflicting. We aimed to compare the effect of vitamin A supplementation on several anthropometric and biochemical variables between obese and non-obese women. METHODS: This study was performed on 84 women among ...

The differences in the C-terminal domains of human amylin peptide variants initiate different aggregation processes and differences in the composition of the aggregates by affecting the hydrophobic cores, conformations, and intra-sheet interactions of the peptides, which have distinct effects on the cytotoxicity of the peptides.

The Monte Carlo software CASINO has been expanded with new modules for the simulation of complex beam scanning patterns, for the simulation of cathodoluminescence (CL), and for the calculation of electron energy deposition in subregions of a three-dimensional (3D) volume. Two examples are presented of the application of these new ...