BACKGROUND: There is continuous debate to the use of biomarkers in the general practitioners office and to what degree the established biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) might contribute to improved prediction of incident cardiovascular events. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility and 5-year predictive value ...

The interactive capacity of the Internet offers benefits that are intimately linked with contemporary research innovation in the natural resource and environmental studies domains. However, e-research methodologies, such as the e-Delphi technique, have yet to undergo critical review. This study advances methodological discourse on the e-Delphi technique by critically assessing ...

PurposeTo describe the results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for juxtapapillary and peripheral retinal capillary hemangioma (RCH).Patients and methodsInterventional case series of four eyes (four patients) with juxtapapillary RCH and one eye (one patient) with peripheral RCH. Two eyes with juxtapapillary RCH had received two sessions of full-fluence, double-duration PDT; whereas ...

The current experiments examined the hypothesis that scene structure affects time perception. In three experiments, participants judged the duration of realistic scenes that were presented in a normal or jumbled (i.e., incoherent) format. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the subjective duration of normal scenes was greater than subjective duration of jumbled ...

Severe hypoxia induces oxidative stress, which can lead to brain injury. In this study, we wanted to determine whether intermittent hypobaric hypoxia induces oxidative stress in the brain. In adult rats exposed to 380 mmHg in a hypobaric chamber for 3 h/day for 6 days, we determined the levels of malondialdehyde and nitric ...

OBJECTIVE: Eating whole grains (WG) is recommended for health, but multiple conflicting definitions exist for identifying whole grain (WG) products, limiting the ability of consumers and organizations to select such products. We investigated how five recommended WG criteria relate to healthfulness and price of grain products. DESIGN: We categorized grain ...

Oxovitisin is a natural antioxidant present in aged wine and comes from the chemical transformation undergone by anthocyanins and pyranoanthocyanins. Its antioxidant radical scavenging capacity was theoretically explored by DFT/B3LYP methods. The O-H bond dissociation energy (BDE), the ionization potential (IP), the proton affinity (PA) and the metal-oxovitisin binding energy ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Previously, we had identified a specific whole blood--derived microRNAs (miRNAs) signature in mice following in vivo injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) originated from Gram-negative bacteria. This study was designed to profile the circulating miRNAs expression in mice exposed to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) which is a major component of the ...

Bacterial allantoinase (ALLase) and dihydroorotase (DHOase) are members of the cyclic amidohydrolase family. ALLase and DHOase possess similar binuclear metal centers in the active site in which two metals are bridged by a post-translationally carboxylated lysine. In this study, we determined the effects of carboxylated lysine and metal binding on ...

The effective disposal of redundant elephant dung (ED) is important for environmental protection and utilization of resource. The aim of this study was to remove a toxic-azo dye, Reactive Red (RR) 120, using this relatively cheap material as a new adsorbent. The FTIR-ATR spectra of ED powders before and after ...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex entity containing a large portfolio of structural proteins, signaling molecules, and proteases. Changes in the overall integrity and activational state of these ECM constituents can contribute to tissue structure and function, which is certainly true of the myocardium. Changes in the expression patterns ...

We measured the personalities, values, and preferences of more than 19,000 people who ranged in age from 18 to 68 and asked them to report how much they had changed in the past decade and/or to predict how much they would change in the next decade. Young people, middle-aged people, ...

A variety of different three-dimensional metal-organic container molecules have recently been prepared using subcomponent self-assembly, which relies upon metal template effects to generate complex structures from simple molecular precursors and metal salts. Many of these structures have well defined internal pockets, allowing guest species to be bound and the chemical ...

Interleukin (IL)-21, which is secreted by activated CD4(+) T cells and NKT cells, has been found to be able to influence the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and have potent antitumor activity in animal models. This study was to investigate the impact of genetic polymorphisms in IL-21 on survival of ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to explore the persistence of antibody response 1.5 years after vaccination using 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondylarthropathy (SpA) treated with different anti-rheumatic drugs. METHODS: Of 505 patients initially recruited, data on current anti-rheumatic treatment and ...

OBJECTIVE: Almost all small animal SPECT is performed with pinhole collimators (PH), including single-PH (SPH) and multi-PH (MPH). In the clinical study, not only PH but also parallel-hole collimator (PAH) is often used in planar and SPECT imaging. However, there have been no comparative studies on image quality with various ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of oestrogen plus progestogen therapy (EPT) on the lipid metabolism of menopausal patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study on 223 patients with clinical and blood chemistry diagnosis of menopause, who were eligible for hormone therapy and a follow-up period lasting at least 5 years. We ...

Local recurrence is a major setback for patients with rectal cancer after surgery. Implantation of exfoliated malignant cells has been considered as a possible mechanism of tumor recurrence. Although still controversial, intra-operative rectal washout has been described as a method to remove exfoliated malignant cells and reduce recurrence rates. The ...

The Dual Visuomotor Channel theory proposes that skilled reaching is composed of a Reach that directs the hand in relation to the extrinsic properties of an object (e.g., location) and a Grasp that opens and closes the hand in relation to the intrinsic properties of an object (e.g., size). While ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of the Aspen, Aspen Vista, Philadelphia, Miami-J and Miami-J Advanced collars at restricting cervical spine movement in the sagittal, coronal and axial planes. METHODS: Nineteen healthy volunteers (12 female, 7 male) were recruited to the study. Collars were fitted by an approved physiotherapist. Eight ProReflex ...

A novel nanocarrier of magnetic Fe(3)O(4)-graphene nanocomposites (MGNs) was proposed as an effective drug delivery system for cancer treatment. The nanocarrier was synthesized by covalently attaching modified Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles onto water-soluble graphene sheets via the formation of an amide bond with the aid of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyaminopropyl) carbodiimide. The obtained MGNs exhibited ...

The near-infrared photoresponse of a single suspended carbon nanocoil (CNC) is investigated. Under the irradiation of a 785 nm laser beam, the photoresponse is generated in the voltage-biased CNC. At a voltage of 50 mV, the ratio of the conductance change to the initial conductance, which is defined as the ...

We synthesized a series of Seoul-Fluor-based lipid droplet bioprobes with a linear range of lipophilicity and identified SF44 and SF58 as SF-based LD bioprobes in microalgae for biofuel research as well as in mammalian cells. Unlike Nile Red, SF-based bioprobes can stain algal LDs with excellent efficiency under the non-invasive ...

Dysaesthetic pain is a common neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis. Both tricyclic antidepressants (i.e., amitriptyline and duloxetine) and antiepileptic drugs (i.e., carbamazepine, gabapentin and pregabalin) represent first-line treatment of neuropathic pain. However, topiramate, an antiepileptic drug, also demonstrated clinical efficacy in these patients. In this report we describe ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Yunnan has the largest number of reported HIV/AIDS cases among all Chinese provinces, the reported prevalence of HIV among Yunnan men who have sex with men (MSM) passed 10%, while HIV incidence epidemic and molecular characteristics of new infected Yunnan MSM were not evaluated before. METHODS: An 18 ...

Time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy are conducted in order to get knowledge on the excited state of CdSe nanorods (NR), and to assess the impact of Au nanoparticles (NP) on the carrier dynamics of hybrid Au-CdSe NRs. The decay dynamics measured in solution show an increase of ...

The prevalence of chronic diseases has increased in recent decades. Some forms of the built environment adopted during the 20th century-e.g., urban sprawl, car dependency, and dysfunctional streetscapes-have contributed to this. In this article, I summarise ways in which the built environment influences health and how it can be constructed ...

Past studies have suggested important links between valence and perception and action in physical space. The present study aimed to test the associations between emotional valance for words or faces and manual responses in left- and right-handers. We employed a divided output (bimanual) reaction time paradigm in which participants had ...

BACKGROUND: Reduction mammaplasty is one of the most frequently performed operations in plastic surgery. Breast scarring can be troublesome for both the patient and the surgeon. This report offers an easy method for suturing a vertical incision that provides a better shape in final breast appearance. METHODS: In this study, ...

Dehydration and hyperthermia reduces leg blood flow (LBF), cardiac output ([Formula: see text]) and arterial pressure during whole-body exercise. It is unknown whether the reductions in blood flow are associated with dehydration-induced alterations in arterial blood oxygen content (C (a)O(2)) and O(2)-dependent signalling. This study investigated the impact of dehydration ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recent years have seen an increase in primary care workload, especially following the introduction of a new General Medical Services contract in 2004. Telephone triage and telephone consultation with patients seeking health care represent initiatives aimed at improving access to care. Some evidence suggests that such approaches may ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Iron (Fe) deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Iron biofortification is a preventative strategy that alleviates Fe deficiency by improving the amount of absorbable Fe in crops. In the present study, we used an in vitro digestion/Caco 2 cell culture model as the guiding tool for ...

Basic leucine zipper transcription factor (bZIP) is involved in signaling transduction for various stress responses. Here we reported a bZIP transcription factor (accession: JX887153) isolated from a salt-resistant lotus root using cDNA-AFLP approach with RT-PCR and RACE-PCR method. Full-length cDNA which consisted of a single open reading frame encoded a ...

Background: Streptococcus salivarius K12 has been shown to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus pyogenes due to bacteriocins release. Because of its ability to colonize the oral cavity, we have tested the strain K12 for its efficacy in preventing streptococcal pharyngitis and/or tonsillitis in adults. Methods: Forty adults with a diagnosis ...

Our objective was to determine the incidence and clinical-epidemiological characteristics of an ALS cohort patient in Catalonia (Spain). We conducted a population based registry for a three-year period (1999-2001) in Catalonia (6,361,365 inhabitants) using several sources of information. The original El Escorial diagnostic criteria (1994) for ALS were applied for ...

AIM: Rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) was a rare disease. This study sought to summarize clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of rectal GISTs. METHODS: Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of rectal GISTs were investigated by reviewing patients undergoing curative resection at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between 1986 and ...

Introduction: Water displacement plays critical role in several phases of drug discovery. Proper treatment of displacing water could improve enrichment in virtual screening and could lead to more successes in lead optimization. WaterMap has recently emerged as a promising approach in this regard; recent implementations of this protocol successfully explained ...

BACKGROUND: The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) assesses several important concepts in chronic care management, including self-efficacy for positive health behaviors. In HIV-infected populations, better self-efficacy for medication management is associated with improved adherence to antiretroviral medications (ARVs), which is critically important for controlling symptoms and slowing disease progression. OBJECTIVE: To ...

BACKGROUND: The study is focused on recognizing the histological changes of the structures close to and around the hernia opening in patients having direct inguinal hernia. METHODS: In 15 patients with primary bilateral direct inguinal hernia who underwent a Stoppa open posterior inguinal hernia repair, tissue specimens from the abdominal ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare, specifically by age group, proxy-reported food group estimates obtained from the food frequency section of the Children's Eating Habits questionnaire (CEHQ-FFQ) against the estimates of two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls (24-HDR). DESIGN: Estimates of food group intakes assessed via the forty-three-food-group CEHQ-FFQ were compared with those ...

A two-dimensional model of a solid-supported enzyme catalyst bead is fabricated on a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) sensor to measure in situ interfacial stability and mechanical properties of Candida antarctica Lipase B (CAL B) under varied conditions relating to ring-opening polymerization. The model was fabricated using a ...

Diabetic cardiomyopathy has been shown to promote hypertrophy, leading to heart failure. Recent studies have reported a correlation between diabetic cardiomyopathy and oxidative stress, suggesting that the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In a clinical setting, AGEs have been shown ...

Human chromosome 11 is the third gene-rich chromosome having 1304 protein-coding genes. According to the GeneCards, this chromosome contains 240 genes related to diseases, as it is well known as a disease-rich chromosome. Although there are many protein-coding genes, the proteomic identification ratio is rather low. As a model study, ...

To individually optimize contrast medium protocol for high-pitch prospective ECG-triggering coronary CT angiography using body weight. Ninety patients undergoing high-pitch coronary CT angiography were randomly assigned to 3 contrast medium injection protocols with bolus tracking technique: Group A, 0.7 ml CM per kg patient weight (ml/kg); Group B, 0.6 ml/kg; Group C, ...

Although considered a predominantly automatic social behaviour, gaze following (GF) is sensitive to complex social factors like political affiliation and ideology. The present study aimed to determine whether the differential proneness to in-group leaders' gaze is related to attitudes towards politicians as measured by other implicit procedures. A GF paradigm ...

There is a broad scientific consensus that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is caused by gene-environment interactions. Mutations in genes underlying familial ALS (fALS) have been discovered in only 5-10% of the total population of ALS patients. Relatively little attention has been paid to environmental and lifestyle factors that may trigger ...

Gambling prevalence studies are typically conducted within a single (landline) telephone sampling frame. This practice continues, despite emerging evidence that significant differences exist between landline and mobile (cell) phone only households. This study utilised a dual-frame (landline and mobile) telephone sampling methodology to cast light on the extent of differences ...

A widely used reducing agent tris-(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine significantly promotes the reaction of cisplatin with Sp1 zinc finger protein. This discovery clarifies the reactivity of cisplatin towards Sp1 zinc finger protein and implies that the reactions of platinum drugs could be largely influenced by small molecules with a strong trans effect.

Symptoms of limb apraxia and executive dysfunctions are currently not explicitly considered by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and, thus, not routinely tested by clinicians in the acute care of patients with suspected stroke. Neuropsychological testing, clinical examination, MRI, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were performed in ...

Fishing capacity management policies have been traditionally implemented at national level with national targets for capacity reduction. More recently, capacity management policies have increasingly targeted specific fisheries. French fisheries spatially vary along the French coastline and are associated to specific regions. Capacity management policies, however, ignore the capital mobility associated ...