The presence of the Onodi cell (OC) may be accompanied by morphological variations of the neighboring anatomic structures. Such variations carry significant surgical implications and challenges. Pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus induces anterior clinoid pneumatization (ACP), affects the type of the Vidian nerve (VN) canal or alters the courses of ...

Potassium (K+) channels are targets of reactive oxygen species in aging nervous system. KCNB1 (formerly Kv2.1), a voltage-gated K+ channel abundantly expressed in cortex and hippocampus is oxidized in the brains of aging mice and of the triple transgenic 3xTg-AD mouse model of AD. KCNB1 oxidation acts to enhance apoptosis ...

Primary motor cortex (MI) and parietal area PE both participate in cortical control of reaching actions, but few studies have been able to directly compare the form of kinematic encoding in the two areas simultaneously during hand tracking movements. To directly compare kinematic coding properties in these two areas under ...

The impact of transposable elements on genome structure, plasticity, and evolution is still not well understood. The recent availability of complete genome sequences makes it possible to get new insights on the evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements from the phylogenetic analysis of their multiple copies in a wide range of ...

BACKGROUND: -Indications for prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with inherited cardiac diseases stem from observational studies and are uncertain. This study evaluates the efficacy and harm rate of ICD implantations for primary prevention compared to secondary prevention in inherited cardiac diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS: -Between January 1(st) 1993 ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the rural-urban disparities in breast cancer patients in China. The retrospective study was performed with a total of 2,139 breast cancer patients hospitalized in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between the years 1997 and 2011. We applied Chi-square analysis to identify significant ...

Present knowledge obtained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies regarding the dynamics of water, both in the vicinity of biological membranes and within the proteinaceous water channels, also known as aquaporins (AQPs), is reviewed. A brief general summary of the water models most extensively employed in MD simulations (SPC, SPC/E, ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Estimated 17,000 neonates (<= 28 days of age) die in Vietnam annually, corresponding to more than half of the child mortality burden. However, current knowledge about these neonates is limited. Prematurity, asphyxia and congenital malformations are major causes of death in neonates worldwide. To improve survival and long ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: beta-amyloid (Abeta) accumulation is described as a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta perturbs a number of synaptic components including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors containing alpha7 subunits (alpha7-nAChRs), which are abundantly expressed in the hippocampus and found on GABAergic interneurons. We have previously demonstrated the existence of a novel, ...

The success of RNA interference (RNAi) depends on the interaction between short interference RNAs (siRNAs) and mRNAs. Design of highly efficient and specific siRNAs has become a challenging issue in applications of RNAi. Here, we present a detailed survey on the state-of-the-art siRNAs design, focusing on several key issues with ...

We report a DFT, TDDFT and DFTB investigation of the performance of two donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A)-type organic dyes bearing different electron-withdrawing groups (EWG) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to evaluate which EWG is better for an acrylic acid acceptor, i.e., Cyano (-CN) or o-nitrophenyl (o-NO(2)-Ph). A series of theoretical criteria applied ...

BACKGROUND: Behavioral aberrations such as nail biting, finger sucking, and pica have been postulated as risk factors that enhance helminths ova transmission. These aberrations may present commonly in children with chronic neurological disorders and predispose them to heavy intensity of intestinal helminthiasis. This comparative cross-sectional study was to determine the ...

OBJECTIVE: Neuroendoscopic procedures became essential in neurosurgical treatment of disturbed cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. While a vast number of papers report on the neuroendoscopic experience for adults and children, no series so far reported on techniques and indications for neonate infants. We present our experience for the feasibility of neuroendoscopic procedures ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS has several means of transmission. Exposure to blood and other body fluids is a very important means of transmission. Healthcare workers are exposed to this disease mainly due to the nature of their work. This is an exploration of the perceptions of healthcare workers of the University ...

Iconic memory is the ability to accurately recall a number of items after a very brief visual exposure. Previous research has examined these capabilities in typically developing (TD) children and individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID); however, there is limited research on these abilities in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). ...

Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome protein 1 (NBS1) is one of the most important DNA repair proteins playing important roles in maintaining the genomic stability of NDA. Previous studies regarding the association between NBS1 8360G>C (Glu185Gln) polymorphism and lung cancer reported conflicting results. To derive a more precise estimation of this association, ...

BACKGROUND: Because procarbazine is not available in the mainland of China, a risk-adapted chemotherapy without the drug was adopted for children with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in two tertiary referral centers for childhood cancer in Shanghai. The objective of the present study was to obtain the results comparable with those of ...

ABSTRACT: For skull base meningiomas, several treatment paradigms are available: Observation with serial imaging, surgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, radiation therapy or some combination of both. The choice depends on several factors. In this review we evaluate different treatment options, the outcome of modern irradiation techniques as well as the clinical ...

PURPOSE: Maxillary and mandibular alterations in children affected by anterior synostotic plagiocephaly have, until today, received only scarce attention. The goal of this paper is to focus on the mandibular alterations, persisting after the early correction of anterior plagiocephaly during the first year of life. METHODS: Maxillary and mandibular metric ...

Cell adhesion junctions characteristically arise from the cooperative integration of adhesion receptors, cell signalling pathways and the cytoskeleton. This is exemplified by cell-cell interactions mediated by classical cadherin adhesion receptors. These junctions are sites where cadherin adhesion systems functionally couple to the dynamic actin cytoskeleton, a process that entails physical ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the stability and repeatability of electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) for beta-hCG detection in embryo spent culture media. To evaluate the correlation between the viability of preimplantation embryo and beta-hCG profile by the new assay. METHODS: In a retrospective study, a total of 357 spent culture media from day1 ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders particularly in the back and lower extremities are common among marines. Here, movement-control tests are considered clinically useful for screening and follow-up evaluation. However, few studies have addressed the reliability of clinical tests, and no such published data exists for marines. The present aim was therefore ...

BACKGROUND: Wilson disease (WND), also called hepatolenticular degeneration, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which copper abnormally accumulates in several organs. WND arises from the defective ATP7B gene, which encodes a copper transporting P-type ATPase. METHODS: The molecular defects in 11 unrelated Chinese WND patients aged from 3 to ...

Concerned with the influence of tagging system on the expression of heterogeneous protein in Escherichia coli, we attempted to express the organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) of Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551 in E. coli. Recombinant OPH was overproduced successfully in E. coli when modified without the use of a tobacco etch virus ...

To observe the influence of therapy with Chinese medicine Lirukang Granule (, LRKG) combined with psychological intervention on anxiety states and sex hormones in patients with cyclomastopathy and menoxenia. A total of 470 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups by the net-central randomization system, the treatment group (161 patients, ...

A novel enantioselective alcohol dehydrogenase, (R)-2-octanol dehydrogenase (PfODH), was discovered among methylotrophic microorganisms. The enzyme was purified from Pichia finlandica and characterized. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 83,000 and 30,000 by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. The enzyme was an NAD(+)-dependent ...

Utilizing the database of the Israeli CLL Study Group, we investigated the prevalence and prognostic significance of anemia and thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Of 1,477 patients, 113 had anemia and thrombocytopenia associated with "infiltrative" marrow failure, median survival of 41 and 86 months, respectively. Autoimmune cytopenias were ...

We examined how acceptance of euthanasia among the general public has changed between 1981 and 2008 in western and central and eastern European (CEE) countries using data of the European Values Surveys. Data were collected in 1981, 1990, 1999 and 2008 for 13 western European countries and in 1990, 1999 ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Immunity to conserved viral antigens is an attractive approach to develop a universal vaccine against epidemic and pandemic influenza. A nucleoprotein (NP)-based vaccine has been explored and preliminary studies have shown promise. However, no study has explored the immunity and cross-protective efficacy of recombinant NP derived from Escherichia ...

BACKGROUND: Robotic technology disseminated into urological practice without robust comparative effectiveness data. OBJECTIVE: To review the diffusion of robotic surgery into urological practice METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature review focusing on diffusion patterns, patient safety, learning curves, and comparative costs for robotic radical prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, and radical cystectomy ...

Toxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the food industry. Commonly used serological tests involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigens from tachyzoites which are costly and hazardous. An alternative method for better antigen production involving the prokaryotic expression ...

Analyses of gene expression status and genetic polymorphisms are methods to identify novel histopathological prognostic factors. In patients with gastric cancer, some cell cycle regulators p53, p21, p27 and Her-2 oncogene have been proposed as prognostic factors. We aimed to investigate the expression and mutation/polymorphism of p21 and Her-2 and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The best sites for biopsy-based tests to evaluate H. pylori infection in gastritis with atrophy are not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the site and sensitivity of biopsy-based tests in terms of degree of gastritis with atrophy . METHODS: One hundred and sixty-four (164) uninvestigated dyspepsia ...

A paper based solid-phase assay is presented for transduction of nucleic acid hybridization using immobilized quantum dots (QDs) as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The surface of paper was modified with imidazole groups to immobilize QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates that were assembled in solution. Green-emitting QDs (gQDs) were FRET ...

Intraocular pressure is affected by corneal thickness and biomechanics. Following ablative corneal refractive surgery, corneal structural changes occur. The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between the mean central corneal thickness (CCT) and the change in intraocular pressure measurements following various corneal ablation techniques, using different measurement ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptors (Tlrs) are major molecular pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is the first vertebrate known to have lost most of the mammalian Tlr orthologues, particularly all bacterial recognising and other cell surface Tlrs. On the other hand, its genome encodes ...

To address the considerable tuberculosis (TB)/HIV co-infected population in Cape Town, a number of clinics have made an effort of varying degrees to integrate TB and HIV services. This article describes the development of a theory-based survey instrument designed to quantify the extent to which services were integrated in 33 ...

BACKGROUND: Fenestrations of intracranial arteries are variants resulting from incomplete fusion of vessels during development with unknown clinical significance. They are best visualised with 3D rotational angiography (3DRA). OBJECTIVE: In a prospective consecutive series of patients with suspected aneurysms, 3DRA was performed to identify not only the potential bleeding source ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Based upon the acquainted loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease (PD), we hypothesised changes in magnetic resonance imaging signal intensities of the basal ganglia to be useful as an additional technical tool in the diagnostic work-up. METHODS: Region-of-interest analyses (substantia nigra and globus ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Medications are frequently prescribed outside their regulatory approval (off-label) by physicians particularly where appropriate therapies are not available. However, the risk/benefit ratio of drugs in off-label use needs to be critically appraised because it may differ from approved on-label usage. Therefore, an extensive exploration of current evidence on ...

We have investigated the prevalence of dry mouth among patients with autoimmune diseases other than Sjögren's syndrome. One hundred and forty-four patients, excluding patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, were enrolled in this study. The volume of saliva secreted was measured with the screening technique for estimation of salivary flow, which ...

Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (F. vulgare), commonly known as Fennel, is a popular medicinal plant with various pharmacological activities mentioned in traditional Iranian medicine (TIM) and modern phytotherapy such as antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, bronchodilatory, estrogenic, diuretic, lithontripic, galactogogue, emmenagogue, antithrombotic, hypotensive, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, memory enhancing, and antimutagenic activities. No serious ...

Paget's disease (PD) of the bone is a disorder of bone remodelling that may be polyostotic or monostotic. Although development of a sarcoma in PD is well-recognised, it is less well recognised that pseudosarcomas in bone and soft tissue can also arise in this condition. In this report we document ...

The role of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in breast cancer has been investigated since its identification in 1996. Studies based on protein expression have indicated that ERβ is a favorable prognostic marker. Further, ERβ expression is lower in obese breast cancer patients. Fewer studies have focused on the prognostic impact ...

The objective of this study was to correlate the expression pattern of candidate genes with the intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid composition of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of Duroc × Shanzhu commercial crossbred pigs. Animals of both sexes were slaughtered at a body weight of about 90 kg. The ...

RATIONALE: Extrapyramidal motor signs are the major features of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is unclear whether there is a link between these signs and such PD-associated factors as brain somatostatin deficiency and aging. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether an inhibition of the brain somatostatin system can initiate catalepsy, ...

BACKGROUND: Cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are increasing in the pediatric population. Their growing prevalence coincides with the obesity epidemic. Assessment of the incidence requires liver biopsies on a representative population sample, which are hampered by the absence of indications for invasive examination on ...

Haemophilus influenzae protein E (PE) is a multifunctional adhesin, involved in direct interactions with lung epithelial cells and host proteins, including plasminogen and the extracellular matrix proteins vitronectin and laminin. We recently crystallized PE and successfully collected X-ray diffraction data to 1.8 Å. Here we solved the structure of a ...

Background and AimsThe coffee genus (Coffea) comprises 124 species, and is indigenous to the Old World Tropics. Due to its immense economic importance, Coffea has been the focus of numerous genetic diversity studies, but despite this effort it remains insufficiently studied. In this study the genetic diversity and genetic structure ...

We recently proposed a role for the two-pore-domain K(+) (K2P) channel Trek-1 in the regulation of cytokine release from mouse alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) by demonstrating decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion from Trek-1-deficient cells, but the underlying mechanisms remained unknown. This study was designed to investigate the mechanisms by which Trek-1 ...