Aims: This study explores attitudes, motivations and self-reported impact in connection with direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic testing amongst a group of life scientists in Switzerland. Methods: Data were collected through: (1) a self-completion online questionnaire, and (2) semi-structured qualitative interviews. Forty participants completed the questionnaire and 10 were interviewed. Results: Curiosity ...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as master gene regulators, control various cellular processes through the post-transcriptional regulatory network. miRNA synergetic regulations are gradually identified by experimental or computational evidence. However, the potential characteristic underlying miRNA synergism remains a mystery. Based on the constructed miRNA-miRNA functional synergetic networks (MFSNs), we attempted to systematically dissect ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Production of human monoclonal antibodies that exhibit broadly neutralizing activity isneeded for preventing HIV-1 infection, however only a few such antibodies have beengenerated till date. Isolation of antibodies by the hybridoma technology is a cumbersomeprocess with fewer yields. Further, the loss of unstable or slowly growing clones which ...

The use of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to induce gene silencing has opened a new avenue in drug discovery. However, their therapeutic potential is hampered by inadequate tissue-specific delivery. Exosomes are promising tools for drug delivery across different biological barriers. Here we show how exosomes derived from cultured cells can ...

At -90 °C in acetone, a stable hydroperoxo complex [(BA)Cu(II)OOH](+) (2) (BA, a tetradentate N(4) ligand possessing a pendant -N(H)CH(2)C(6)H(5) group) is generated by reacting [(BA)Cu(II)(CH(3)COCH(3))](2+) with only 1 equiv of H(2)O(2)/Et(3)N. The exceptional stability of 2 is ascribed to internal H-bonding. Species 2 is also generated in a manner ...

Background: MARCO (macrophage receptor with collagenous structure) is a dominant receptor for unopsonized particles and bacteria in the lungs. Reduced function of this receptor due to genetic variation may be associated with susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung infection. Objectives: To identify novel genetic variants in MARCO ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The relationship between aneurysm dimensions, flow, thrombosis, and rupture remains poorly understood. We attempted to clarify this relationship by exploring various swine aneurysm models.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Bilateral carotid aneurysms were constructed according to 3 protocols in 24 animals: small aneurysms with wide necks (group 1; n = 6 animals); ...

OBJECTIVES: Evaluating occupational exposures in population-based case-control studies often requires exposure assessors to review each study participant's reported occupational information job-by-job to derive exposure estimates. Although such assessments likely have underlying decision rules, they usually lack transparency, are time consuming and have uncertain reliability and validity. We aimed to identify ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: RNA-seq and microarray are the two popular methods employed for genome-wide transcriptome profiling. Current comparison studies have shown that transcriptome quantified by these two methods correlated well. However, none of them have addressed if they complement each other, considering the strengths and the limitations inherent with them. The ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Despite recommendations by Health Authorities, influenza immunization coverage remains low in children with chronic diseases. Different medical providers involved in the management of children with chronic conditions may affect the pattern of influenza vaccine recommendations and coverage. The likelihood of vaccination by type of provider in children with ...

Soft photonic crystals (PC) are more appealing due to the responsiveness of the building blocking-deformable nanoparticles to the external stimuli. In this report, we demonstrate, for the first time, the generation of soft core/shell PC microspheres through a combination of a microfluidic technique, encapsulation of well-ordered temperature responsive polymer nanogels ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Transformation of medical students to become medical professionals is a core competency required for physicians in the 21st century. Role modeling was traditionally the key method of transmitting this skill. Medical schools are developing medial curricula which are explicit in ensuring students develop the professional competency and understand ...

The aim of this study was to synthesize and determine the biological activity of new deri-vatives of 4-fluorobenzoic acid and tetrahydroacridine towards inhibition of cholinesterases. Compounds were synthesized in condensation reaction between 9-aminoalkyl-tetrahydroacri-dines and the activated 4-fluorobenzoic acid. Properties towards inhibition of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase were estimated according to Ellman's ...

Dendritic cells (DC) are a heterogeneous population of innate immune cells that are fundamental to initiating responses against invading pathogens and regulating immune responses. Myeloid DC (mDC) act as a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune response during virus infections but their role in immunity to human immunodeficiency virus ...

Careful control of the reaction stoichiometry and conditions enables the synthesis of both LiTCNQF(4) and Li(2)TCNQF(4) to be achieved. Reaction of LiI with TCNQF(4), in a 4:1 molar ratio, in boiling acetonitrile yields Li(2)TCNQF(4). However, deviation from this ratio or the reaction temperature gives either LiTCNQF(4) or a mixture of ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Central arterial stiffness represents a well-established predictor of cardiovascular disease. Decreased circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), increased asymmetric dimethyl-arginine (ADMA) levels, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and insulin resistance have all been associated with increased arterial stiffness. The correlations of novel and traditional cardiovascular risk factors with central arterial ...

Introduction.  Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized by an accumulation of scar tissue in the tunica albuginea of the penis that causes curvature and deformity. PD can result in psychological distress, depression, or anxiety, which often goes untreated. Aims.  To review the current literature on the psychological impact of PD, educate ...

BACKGROUND: A strong association has been shown between high viral DNA load (VL) of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and risk for cervical cancer in situ (CIS). However, little data is available for the significance of VL in invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: In two nested case-control studies among ...

In the last decade, organocatalysis, the use of small chiral organic molecules as catalysts, has proven to be a valuable and attractive tool for the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched molecules. A number of organocatalysts and processes, such as one-pot, tandem, cascade or multicomponent reactions, have been reported to date. Furthermore, ...

We investigated the fate of trace elements (TE) in poplar wood on the conversion of biomass to heat in a 0.2 MW combustion unit equipped with a fabric filter. The phytoremediation wood was harvested from a TE-contaminated agricultural site planted with a high-density poplar stand. The combustion technology used in ...

Background Chronic sialadenitis is one of the most frequent chronic complications after radioiodine (RAI) therapy for thyroid cancer. To evaluate the long-term effects of RAI ablation on salivary gland function, we investigated scintigraphic changes in salivary glands by direct comparison of two salivary gland scintigraphies (SGS) taken before and at ...

Development of the palate in vertebrates involves cranial neural crest migration, convergence of facial prominences and extension of the cartilaginous framework. Dysregulation of palatogenesis results in orofacial clefts, which represent the most common structural birth defects. Detailed analysis of zebrafish palatogenesis revealed distinct mechanisms of palatal morphogenesis: extension, proliferation and ...

To better understand the pharmacokinetics and potential advantages of a levothyroxine oral solution vs. tablets and soft gel capsules.4 randomized, 2-treatment, single-dose (600 mcg levothyroxine), 2-way crossover bioequivalence studies in 84 healthy subjects were analyzed. Samples were collected before dosing and until 48-72 h post-dose to calculate noncompartmental baseline-adjusted pharmacokinetic parameters: ...

The facile and high-yield reaction between aniline and cis-positioned nitriles of [((t)bpy)(2)Rh(NCR)(2)][OTf](3) [R = Me (), Ph (); (t)bpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine; OTf = CF(3)SO(3)(-)] produces the Rh(III)-triazapentadiene species [((t)bpy)(2)[upper bond 1 start]Rh{NH[double bond, length as m-dash]C(R)N(Ph)C(R)[double bond, length as m-dash]N[upper bond 1 end]H}][OTf](3) [R = Me (), Ph ()]. It ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between M235T polymorphism and heart failure using a meta-analysis. METHODS: A literature search of Google Scholar, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (January 1990-April 2012) was performed for relevant studies. Statistical analyses were ...

Significant amounts of pyrethroid pesticides are used throughout China. Previous studies have suggested that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of childhood cancer; however, few studies have focused on pyrethroid metabolites. We investigated five non-specific metabolites of pyrethroid pesticides found in children's urine and examined the correlation with childhood ...

The recent development of high throughput genotyping technologies has revolutionized the collection of data in a wide range of both model and non-model species. These data generally contain huge amounts of information about the past demographic history of populations.In this study we introduce a new method to estimate divergence times ...

A triblock copolymer based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and 2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA)/2-(methyl-7-nitrobenzofurazan)amino ethyl acrylate (NBD-NAcri), was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The corresponding chlorohydrated copolymer, named as PCL-b-DEAEMA, was prepared and anchored via cationic exchange on montmorillonite (MMT) surface. (PCL)/layered silicate nanocomposites were prepared through melt intercalation, and XRD ...

Abstract Purpose: This longitudinal clinic study evaluated the effect of a glass ionomer sealant (GIS) and a fluoride varnish (FV) in the prevention of dental decay on newly erupted permanent molars of children with and without caries experience. Materials and methods: Eighty children, aged 6-8 years, with all four newly ...

General anesthesia consists of amnesia, hypnosis, analgesia and areflexia. Of these, the mechanism of hypnosis, or loss of consciousness, has been the most elusive, yet fascinating problem. How anesthetic agents suppress human consciousness has been investigated with neuroimaging for two decades. Anesthetics substantially reduce global cerebral metabolic rate and blood ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Male reproduction is an essential biological event in the plant life cycle separating the diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte generations, which involves expression of approximately 20,000 genes. The control of male reproduction is also of economic importance for plant breeding and hybrid seed production. With the advent of ...

Monitoring of sequestered carbon is essential to establishing the environmental safety and the efficacy of geological carbon sequestration. Sequestration in saline aquifers requires the detection of supercritical CO2 and CO2-saturated brine as distinct from the native reservoir brine. Here we demonstrate an all-optical approach to detect both supercritical CO2, and ...

Objectives. We assessed implicit and explicit bias against both Latinos and African Americans among experienced primary care providers (PCPs) and community members (CMs) in the same geographic area. Methods. Two hundred ten PCPs and 190 CMs from 3 health care organizations in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area completed Implicit Association ...

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest an association between migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS). Population-based data, however, have been limited to women. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between migraine and RLS in a male cohort.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among 22,926 participants in the Physicians' Health Study. ...

PURPOSE: YSA is an EphA2-targeting peptide that effectively delivers anti-cancer agents to prostate cancer tumors (1). Here, we report on how we increased the drug-like properties of this delivery system. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: By introducing non-natural amino acids, we have designed two new EphA2 targeting peptides: YNH, where norleucine and homoserine ...

Suppression of the renin-angiotensin system is known to slow progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few trials have been performed with Japanese patients. This study investigated whether the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) valsartan would delay the progression of kidney disease more effectively than conventional treatment in Japanese hypertensive patients ...

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a syndrome characterized by stenoses of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) and/or azygos veins and formation of collateral venous channels. A case of a 57-year-old patient with CCSVI in whom the venous outflow from the left IJV to the right atrium occurred through a ...

Aim: To investigate the acute effects of postprandial exercise on glucose and lipoprotein metabolism after the intake of glucose with or without fat cream in healthy but sedentary young women.Methods: Healthy young Japanese women with a sedentary lifestyle, normal weight (18.5≤BMI<25), normal ovarian cycle, and apolipoprotein (apo) E3/3 were enrolled ...

Chronic myeloid leukemia is characterized by a unique reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 resulting in deregulated tyrosine kinase activity. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib have revolutionized treatment of Chronic myeloid leukemia. However, tyrosine kinase inhibitors' use has presented new challenges in managing both acute ...

Liquid-sucking phenomena by the two-pump system of a female mosquito have been investigated experimentally to understand the feeding mechanism. In most previous experimental studies on liquid-feeding insects, the net increase of mass was divided by the feeding time and fluid density to evaluate the intake rate. However, this weighting method ...

Purpose. To evaluate if coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) can protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from apoptosis and, when instilled as eye drops on the cornea, if it can reach the retina and exert its antiapoptotic activity in this area in a mouse model of kainate (KA)-induced retinal damage. Methods. Rat primary ...

PURPOSE: To infer the combination of visual field (VF) test points, taken from a newly created visual field test grid centred at the optic disc (disc-centred field; DCF) and the conventional fovea-centred 24-2 grid (24-2) of standard automated perimetry (SAP), which yields the strongest structure-function relationship indicated by the correlation ...

The current study aimed to determine if a peripheral modulation of sweating contributes to the lower sudomotor thermosensitivity previously observed in females during exercise. We examined dose-response relationships in 12 males and 12 females to incremental doses of acetylcholine (ACh) and methylcholine (MCh) for sweating (ventilated capsule), as well as ...

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical, imaging, pathologic findings, surgical planning, and long-term outcome after surgery in a dog with neurologic deficits because of a hypertrophic ganglioneuritis that compressed the spinal cord. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical report. ANIMAL: An 8-year-old male intact Yorkshire terrier. METHODS: The dog had ambulatory tetraparesis and neurologic ...

We investigated the penetration and thermotherapy efficiency of different surface coated gold nanorods (Au NRs) in multicellular tumor spheroids. The current data show that negatively charged Au NRs, other than positively charged Au NRs, can penetrate deep into the tumor spheroids and achieve a significant thermal therapeutic benefit.

Sequential activation of different reversible exchange reactions in a dynamic combinatorial library allows directed exploration of the chemical space: initially a macrocyclic scaffold is selected by the template and finally side chain and conformational constrains are introduced into such a scaffold.

The preparation, characterization, fluorescence (FL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of graphite-like carbon nitride nanoflake particles (g-C(3)N(4) NFPs) and nanoflake films (g-C(3)N(4) NFFs) have been reported. Highly water-dispersible g-C(3)N(4) NFPs with a height of ∼5 to 35 nm and a lateral dimension of ∼40 to 220 nm have been extracted from bulk ...

Disinfection of wastewater treatment plant effluent may be an important barrier for limiting the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). While ideally disinfection should destroy ARGs, in order to prevent horizontal gene transfer to downstream bacteria, little is known about the effect of conventional water ...

Excitation spectra of cation and anion radicals of unsaturated hydrocarbons, hexatriene+/-, octatetraene+/-, cyclopentadiene+, 1,3-cyclohexadiene+, and naphthalene+/-, were studied by the symmetry adapted cluster-configuration interaction (SAC-CI) method. The calculated results reasonably reproduced the experimental spectra observed by one of the authors (TS) and gave reasonable assignments. The two bands observed in ...

Abstract Purpose. Psoriasis vulgaris is one of the most common skin disorders. Patients with psoriasis carry an excessive risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The differences between the maximum (Pmax) and the minimum (Pmin) P-wave duration on ECG are defined as P-wave dispersion (PWD). Prolongation of PWD is an independent risk ...