We present a microfluidic platform for the synthesis of monodisperse chitosan based nanoparticles via self-assembly at physiological pH. The resultant nanoparticles are shown to encapsulate hydrophobic anticancer drugs while providing a sustainable release profile with high tunability.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between serum anti-mullerian hormone levels (AMH) and insulin resistance (IR) before and after meformin treatment and to compare AMH levels of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women in the early follicular phase. Methods: Twenty PCOS women with IR, taking metformin 1500 mg/day for 8 weeks, and 16 ...

Most uveal melanomas are treated with radiotherapy. An adequate understanding of the effects of radiation on the tumour and the healthy ocular tissues is necessary. Ionizing radiation damages cell membranes, organelles, and DNA. Irradiated cells are lysed or undergo apoptosis, necrosis, and senescence. These effects occur in tumour cells and ...

ABSTRACT The current study used growth curve analysis to study the role of input during the acquisition of the English causal connective because and its German counterpart weil. The corpora of five German and five English children and their adult caretakers (age range 0;10-4;3) were analyzed for the amount as ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Epithelio- and endotheliotropic viruses often exert polarized entry and release that may be responsible for viral spread and dissemination. Hantaviruses, mostly rodent-borne members of the Bunyaviridae family infect epithelial and endothelial cells of different organs leading to organ dysfunction or even failure. Endothelial and renal epithelial cells belong ...

The phenomenon of distributed knowledge is well-known in epistemic logic. In this paper, a similar phenomenon in ethics, somewhat neglected so far, is investigated, namely distributed morality. The article explains the nature of distributed morality, as a feature of moral agency, and explores the implications of its occurrence in advanced ...

We report a rare complication of incarceration of an umbilical hernia after Denver peritoneovenous shunt placement. A 50-year-old man presented with refractory ascites from liver cirrhosis. He also had an umbilical hernia. Because the ascites became uncontrollable, Denver peritoneovenous shunting was performed. The operation was successful and the ascites decreased. ...

AIM: This review examines the effectiveness of detection methods in terms of their ability to identify and accurately determine medication-related problems in hospitals. METHODS: A search was conducted of databases from inception to June 2012. The following keywords were used in combination: medication error or adverse drug event or adverse ...

Female condom is an effective means of HIV prevention. Monogamous female sexually transmitted infection (STI) patients are exposed indirectly to high risk of contracting HIV/STI via their sole male sex partners. There are few interventions to protect such women whilst female condom use is a potential means of self-protection. With ...

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a form of renal cancer that may be confused with other eosinophilic renal tumors, including oncocytoma, type 2 papillary RCC, and clear-cell RCC with eosinophilic features. There are currently no robust markers to distinguish these neoplasms. Chromophobe RCC and renal oncocytoma are presumably derived ...

Abstract The ability to successfully develop to the highest levels in sport is dependent on a range of variables, not least an individual's ability to cope with the various challenges of development. Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence (PCDEs) include both the trait characteristics and the state-deployed skills that have been ...

Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease affecting anagen stage hair follicles, is associated with polymorphisms in immune-related genes and with decreased number of CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells (Treg). Treg function is modulated by the forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) transcription factor and by inducible costimulator (ICOS), through interaction with ...

Although the tumor-promoting effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and related compounds in liver tissue are primarily attributed to the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Liver progenitor (oval) cells have been suggested to constitute a potential target for hepatocarcinogenic ...

A new chiral tetrahydrosalen ligand has been designed and synthesized from cis-2,5-diaminobicyclo[2.2.2]octane. The complex generated in situ by the interaction of the ligand with (CuOTf)(2)·C(6)H(5)CH(3) was an efficient catalyst for the asymmetric Henry reaction, producing nitroaldol products in high yield and good stereoselectivity. Henry reactions catalyzed by this tetrahydrosalen-Cu(I) complex ...

This study reports the utilization of three approaches - pharmacophore, CoMFA/CoMSIA and HQSAR studies - to identify the essential structural requirements in 3D chemical space for the modulation of the antimalarial activity of substituted 1,2,4-trioxanes. The superiority of quantitative pharmacophore-based alignment (QuantitativePBA) over global minima energy conformer-based alignment (GMCBA) has ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A pilot experimentation of a telemonitoring system for chronic care patients is conducted in the Bilbao Primary Care Health Region (Basque Country, Spain). It seems important to understand the factors related to healthcare professionals' acceptance of this new technology in order to inform its extension to the whole ...

To investigate the hepatic dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) activity in colorectal cancer (CRC), which is critically important to create a patient-specific dosing regimen, we performed 5-FU pharmacokinetic studies in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced CRC model rats (CRC rats). After rats received 5-FU intravenous (IV) bolus injections, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) ...

Two pairs of C-24 epimeric (24R)-/(24S)-24-hydroxy-24-methyl-5α-cholestan-3β-yl acetates and (24R)-/(24S)-25-hydroxy-24-methyl-5α-cholestan-3β-yl acetates as well as some related 24-ethyl oxysterol analogs were stereoselectively synthesized directly from the respective parent 24-alkyl sterols by a remote O-insertion reaction with 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide (DCP) in the presence of a catalytic amount of (5,10,15,20-tetramesitylporphrinate) ruthenium(II) carbonyl complex [Ru(TMP)CO] ...

Aims: Statins not only reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, but also prevent the progression of kidney dysfunction. Ezetimibe, a cholesterol-absorption inhibitor, also lowers LDL cholesterol levels when added to statins; however, the effect of add-on ezetimibe on kidney function has had conflicting results.Methods: We conducted an open-labeled, randomized, 12-month trial, ...

PURPOSE: Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy is a dose-related side effect which occurs in almost 40 % of patients treated with oxaliplatin. Aim of the present study was to identify reliable clinical factors predicting its development and duration. METHODS: One hundred sixty-nine completely resected colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant Folfox IV regimen were ...

ABSTRACT A 48-year-old woman with Parkinson disease (PD) suffered from auditory hallucinations (AH). We had treated her with a reduction in antiparkinsonian agents and the use of atypical antipsychotic agents. However, her symptoms did not improve, and her extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) worsened. To lessen her depressive symptoms, treatment with a ...

Lung lavage using two aliquots of 15 mL/kg of dilute surfactant was performed in 30 ventilated infants with severe meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Mean recovery of instilled lavage fluid was 46%, with greater fluid return associated with lower mean airway pressure at 24 h and a shorter duration of respiratory support. CONCLUSION: ...

The mononuclear phagocyte system is comprised of circulating monocytes, tissue macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) that play key roles in tissue homeostasis, immune surveillance, and immune and non-immune-mediated tissue injury and repair. This review summarises the various subsets within this system that exhibit significant functional and phenotypic diversity that can ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: While extensive evidence suggests that the economic recession has had far reaching effects on many economic sectors, little is known regarding its impact on prescription drug utilization. The purpose of this study is to describe the association between state-level unemployment rates and retail sales of seven therapeutic classes ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the eating profile of patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and its impact on weight loss. METHODS: One hundred ten patients who underwent LSG were interviewed using Suter questionnaire and revised Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns in follow-up visits. Eating ...

Clinically subtle executive dysfunctions have recently been described in essential tremor (ET), though the presence of attentional deficits is still unclear. We investigated the psychophysiological aspects of attention in ET, using event-related potentials (ERPs). Twenty-one non-demented patients with ET and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a psychophysiological evaluation. ...

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in behavioural control and cognitive processes that are altered in schizophrenia. The brainstem monoaminergic systems control PFC function, yet the cells/networks involved are not fully known. Serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) increase PFC neuronal activity through the activation of α1-adrenergic receptors (α1ARs) and 5-HT2A ...

Wound chronification and opportunistic infections stand as major factors leading to lower extremities amputations in diabetes. The molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic's torpid healing have not been elucidated. We present the case of a female diabetic patient that after a plantar abscess surgical drainage, tight glycaemia control and infection clearance; the ...

Berberine (BBR), an effective compound of Chinese traditional herbal medicine, has preventive effects on diabetes and its complications. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of BBR in rats with high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy model. BBR (50, 100, 200 mg/kg/d) were orally administered ...

Collagen and fibronectin matrices are known to stimulate migration of microvascular endothelial cells and the process of tubulogenesis, but the physical, chemical, and topographical cues for directed vessel formation have yet to be determined. In this study, growth, migration, elongation, and tube formation of human lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (LECs) ...

Scale loss is a common occurrence in both wild fish and those in aquaculture production systems, and regeneration of scales has been described in several freshwater species. Relatively little information exists about this process in marine fish, and in the present study, the chronology of scale regeneration was characterized in ...

Jasmonates, plant stress hormones protecting the plant from microbial pathogens and environmental stresses, were also discovered to have toxic activities toward mammalian cancer cells. Methyl jasmonate (MJ) was found to be the most active anti-cancer derivate among natural jasmonates, exhibiting a specific cell death-induction effect toward several cancer cells. Since ...

OBJECTIVES: Regarding children's and adolescents' development of physical fitness (PF), information about whether there are different performance classes in PF would potentially be helpful. If such classes also differ in related health parameters, this might indicate 'at-risk' groups requiring different support measures. METHODS: Factor mixture modeling was used to investigate ...

Charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) measurements have been performed for cytochrome c and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) monomer using a modified cone trap incorporating a cryogenically cooled JFET. Cooling the JFET increases its transconductance and lowers thermal noise, improving the signal to noise (S/N) ratio. Single ions with as few as ...

An efficient and straightforward strategy for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted imidazoles from propargyl amines, sulfonyl azides, and terminal alkynes is described. N-Sulfonyl ketenimine and aminoallene are believed to be the key intermediates for this two-step one-pot transformation.

Malignant ascites is quite rare in breast cancer and is mainly associated with a lobular histology. To date, no studies have evaluated locoregional therapy for malignant ascites in breast cancer. The anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), trifunctional antibody catumaxomab was approved in the European Union for the intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment ...

BACKGROUND: Although studies have demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy of multi-detector Coronary CT (MDCT) in the detection of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), data on the prognostic value of this method are limited. OBJECTIVE: Determine the value of MDCT in predicting adverse clinical outcomes in patients with suspected CAD. METHODS: We ...

OBJECTIVE: This contribution addresses the risk associated with exposure to statins during pregnancy. DESIGN: Multicentre observational prospective controlled study. SETTING: European Network of Teratology Information Services. POPULATION: Pregnant women who contacted one of 11 participating centres, seeking advice about exposure to statins during pregnancy, or to agents known to be ...

Pneumothorax in patients with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease is considered to be a rare complication, and little is known about its clinical course. In this study, we aimed to define the clinical features, outcome, and prevalence of pneumothorax in patients with pulmonary MAC disease. A retrospective review of ...

In transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary tumors, the use of endoscopes allows approach to the lateral sides in and around the cavernous sinus. However, this approach is often associated with a risk of cranial nerve dysfunction causing impaired extraocular movement. We employed a novel, simple, and real-time monitoring system using ...

Summary Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known to protect boar sperm during freezing-thawing, but little information is known about the effects of LDL extracted from different avian egg yolks on post-thaw boar semen quality. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effects of LDL at various concentrations ...

Objective: To describe the 10-year changes in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese workers. Methods: Annual health examination data between 2001 and 2011 were collected from the Tokyo Health Service Association. The data covers an average 119,956 (73,842 male and 46,114 female) workers at 1,159 worksites each year. ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of maternal and infant complications with postpartum hospitalisation for psychosis in women with a pre-conception history of psychiatric hospitalisation. DESIGN: Population-based study. SETTING: Swedish medical birth register. POPULATION: Primiparous women who gave birth between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 2001, and who had a pre-conception history of psychiatric ...

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to investigate the relative bioavailability between the generic tacrolimus products that are presently authorized in Spain by adjusted indirect comparison. This was based on demonstration of bioequivalence with the reference product (Prograf, Astellas Pharma), which makes these generic tacrolimus products prescribable, switchable and ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations among diet quality and dairy group membership, membership duration and non-member status for women and school-aged children in rural Kenya. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey, using chain referral sampling, was conducted and diet quality indices and prevalence of inadequate intake (PII) were estimated using the 'estimated average ...

Skeletal muscle contains various myofiber types closely associated with satellite stem cells, vasculature, and neurons, thus making it difficult to perform genetic or proteomic expression analysis with sufficient cellular specificity to resolve differences at the individual cell or myofiber type level. Here, we describe the combination of a simple histochemical ...

Remodeling of the matrix surrounding tumor cells plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of cancer. Lysyl oxidase (LOX), a matrix remodeling factor, is induced by HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions and associated with tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we report that high cell density induces HIF-1α expression under ...

The increased concentration of platelets within platelet-rich plasma (PRP) provides a vehicle to deliver supra-physiologic concentrations of growth factors to an injury site, possibly accelerating or otherwise improving connective tissue regeneration. This potential benefit has led to the application of PRP in several applications; however, inconsistent results have limited widespread ...

BACKGROUND: Physical stress tolerance (ST) is a measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness. Aerobic capacity is reduced in heart failure (HF) although there is no data available on this parameter in animals with ventricular dysfunction and no signs of HF. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate ST in rats with ventricular diastolic dysfunction isolated or associated ...

Research into HIV and men who have sex with men's (MSM) health in South Africa has been largely confined to the metropolitan centres. Only two studies were located making reference to MSM in rural contexts or same-sex behaviors among men in the same. There is growing recognition in South Africa ...