AIM: Although the management of urinary stones in obese patients is a challenge and the impact of the patient-related parameter has been well studied in adults: No study has evaluated the possible impact of obesity in terms of body mass index related SWL success in pediatric population. In this present ...

Tissue engineering scaffolds are commonly formed using proteins extracted from animal tissues such as bovine hide. Risks associated with the use of these materials include hypersensitivity, and pathogenic contamination. Human-derived proteins lower the risk of hypersensitivity but possess the risk of disease transmission. Methods engineer recombinant human proteins using plant ...

Cancer related stroke may have different phenotypes from non-cancer stroke, especially in terms of stroke progression and recurrence. We performed a case-control study to identify their incidences and risk factors in cancer related stroke. Between January 2001 and December 2009, we conducted a retrospective review of acute ischemic stroke patients ...

PURPOSE: To examine the prevalence of systemic and ocular disease among choroideremia patients and carriers. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on responses from affected males with choroideremia, female carriers, and unaffected brothers to an Internet-based survey made available from September 2009 to November 2010. Affected males were classified into ...

Parental effects represent an important source of variation in offspring phenotypes. Depending on the specific mechanisms involved, parental effects may be caused to different degrees by either the maternal or the paternal parent, and these effects may in turn act at different stages of development. To detect parental effects acting ...

Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotomimetic component of the plant Cannabis sativa, exerts therapeutically promising effects on human mental health such as inhibition of psychosis, anxiety and depression. However, the mechanistic bases of CBD action are unclear. Here we investigate the potential involvement of hippocampal neurogenesis in the anxiolytic effect of ...

BACKGROUND: Parent and teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms yield high estimates of heritability whereas self-ratings typically yield lower estimates. To understand why, the present study examined the etiological overlap between parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms in a population-based sample of 11-12-year-old twins. Method Participants ...

This paper presents a firsthand comparative evaluation of three different existing methods for selecting a suitable allograft from a bone storage bank. The three examined methods are manual selection, automatic volume-based registration, and automatic surface-based registration. Although the methods were originally published for different bones, they were adapted to be ...

The subcellular localization of JAK3 was examined by quantitative image analysis. For the first time, JAK3 was found to be located in the nuclei of primary CD4 lymphocytes. A comparable quantity of JAK3 was recovered in CD4 lymphocytes from healthy donors and HIV-infected patients. By contrast, far more phosphorylated JAK3 ...

Heart failure is an important public health problem that is increasing in prevalence throughout the world. Not only is this condition common, but it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as high costs to medical care systems. Vasodilator drugs help unload the heart and may have other ...

The accuracy of any stapes model relies on the accuracy of the anatomical information upon which it is based. In many previous models and measurements of the stapes, the shape of the stapes has been considered as symmetric with respect to the long and short axes of the footplate. Therefore, ...

Several monoclonal antibodies directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been evaluated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been studied in combination with first-line chemotherapy in phase II and two phase III trials in patients with advanced NSCLC. The phase ...

Purpose: The development of a framework for a workplace wellness programme for HIV/AIDS infected and/or affected nurses in South Africa, who comprise registered nurses and midwives, enrolled staff nurses and auxiliary nurses. Research objectives: To identify and describe components for a framework of a workplace wellness programme. Background: Registered nurses ...

Clinical vignette: A 48-year-old man with chronic kidney disease stage five due to type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension was referred for hemodialysis initiation. His physical exam showed a blood pressure of 150/80, normal fundi, a positive fourth heart sound (S4), and trace pedal edema. Moderate aortic calcification was present ...

Polystyrene (PS) nanoparticle (NP) copolymerized with acrylic acid (AA) and coloured monomer, i.e. 2,3,6,7-tetra(2,2'-bithiophene)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic-N,N'-di(2-methylallyl)-bisimide (ALN8T), was synthesized via the miniemulsion polymerization. Before applying for malaria antigen detection, the blue NP was conjugated with human polyclonal malaria IgG antibody (Ab) specific to Plasmodium falciparum. For the conjugation, three methods, i.e. physical ...

Glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most malignant human neoplasias, responds poorly to current treatment modalities, with temozolomide (TMZ) being the drug most frequently used for its treatment. Tetra-O-methyl Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (M4N) is a global transcriptional repressor of genes dependent on the Sp1 transcription factor, such as Survivin and Cdk1. In ...

PURPOSE: Cerebellar glioblastomas in children are rare. As a result, an optimal treatment strategy has not yet been identified. A review of the characteristics of the disease as well as the effectiveness of various therapeutic modalities would help in optimizing the treatment paradigm. METHODS: We performed a detailed clinical, radiographic, ...

A new rhizocephalan species of the genus Dipterosaccus Van Kampen & Boschma, 1925, is described from the host hermit crab Calcinus vachoni Forest on the coasts of mainland Japan and the Ryukyu Archipelago. Dipterosaccus shiinoi n. sp. differs from the previously described species, D. indicus Van Kampen & Boschma, 1925, ...

Bioethanol is considered a potential liquid fuel that can be produced from biomass by fermentation and distillation. Although most of the water is removed by distillation, the purity of ethanol is limited to 95-96 % due to the formation of a low-boiling point, water-ethanol azeotrope. To improve the use of ethanol ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic placement of enteral self-expandable metallic stents is an alternative to surgical gastrojejunostomy (GJ) for palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). Factors associated with clinical outcomes are not known. The aims of this study are to compare the overall complication rate and effectiveness (duration of oral ...

Obturator hernia is a rare surgical condition, with about 800 cases being reported in the literature. It can cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly age group. Delayed treatment is associated with high rates of strangulation (25-100 %). The mainstay of management for obturator hernia has been surgical. Non-operative ...

Abstract The present study investigated the protective effects of Syzygium cumini extract (SCE; 100 and 200 mg/kg) against genotoxicity and oxidative stress (OS) induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) in mice. Animals were received 14 days pretreatment (oral) of SCE, followed by induction of genotoxicity by CP (40 mg/kg), 24 hours before sacrifice. Mice ...

BACKGROUND: Saddle nose deformity presents a significant challenge to surgeons. The reconstruction of a saddle nose requires structural addition to the nasal dorsum and tip. Costal cartilage grafts have been utilized for fixing severe saddle nose deformity, but costal cartilage is notorious for early and/or late warping. In addition to ...

Lactose (1,4-0-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucose) is used as a soluble carbon source for the production of cellulases and hemicellulases for-among other purposes-use in biofuel and biorefinery industries. The mechanism how lactose induces cellulase formation in T. reesei is enigmatic, however. Previous results from our laboratory raised the hypothesis that intermediates from the two ...

Background/Objectives:Khorasan wheat (Kamut) is an ancient grain with widely acclaimed beneficial effects on human health. The objective was to characterise Kamut and to examine the effect of a replacement diet with their products on cardiovascular risk parameters.Subjects/Methods:We conducted a randomized, single-blinded cross-over trial with two intervention phases on 22 healthy ...

We analyse a kinetic cycle of the Ca(2+)-ATPase molecular pump using mesoscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The pump is known to generate heat, and by analysing the operation on the mesoscopic level, we are able to introduce a temperature difference and the corresponding heat flux in the description. Integration over the internal ...

OBJECTIVES: Organ-specific dose reduction (OSDR) algorithms can reduce radiation on radiosensitive organs up to 59 %. This study evaluates the influence of a new OSDR algorithm on image quality of head and neck computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in clinical routine. METHODS: Sixty-two consecutive patients (68 ± 13 years) were randomised into two groups and ...

INTRODUCTION: Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are rare but still exist even in developed countries. Although accompanied by a higher perioperative mortality, an elective surgical approach should be undertaken. In critically ill patients, however, the surgical intervention requires specific demands. METHODS: We report a case of a 45-year-old man who was referred ...

OBJECTIVE: Attempted suicide and deliberate self-injury can occur before or after presentation with a first-episode of psychosis. The aim of the study is to identify the factors associated with suicide attempts or deliberate self-injury before and after treatment for first-episode psychosis. METHOD: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled studies ...

Methylmethaqualone is a sedative designer drug created by adding a methyl group to the 3-phenyl ring of methaqualone, and is at present not subject to restrictive regulation in many countries. To our knowledge, no case of methylmethaqualone abuse has been published to date in the scientific literature, and the only ...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-protein-coding RNA molecules, modulate target gene expression by binding to 3'untranslated regions (UTR) of target mRNA. These molecules are aberrantly expressed in many human cancers, and can function either as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In the current study, we show that miR-107 is down-regulated in glioma tissues ...

Interest in structure-based G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligand discovery is huge, given that almost 30 % of all approved drugs belong to this category of active compounds. The GPCR family includes the dopamine receptor subtype D2 (D2DR), but unfortunately-as is true of most GPCRs-no experimental structures are available for these receptors. In ...

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine elements of shared decision making (SDM), and to establish empirical evidence for factors correlated with SDM and the level of agreement between consumer and provider in psychiatric care. Transcripts containing 128 audio-recorded medication check-up visits with eight providers at three community ...

Meningitis, defined as the inflammation of the lining surrounding the spine and the brain, can be caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious form of the disease, causing around 170000 deaths worldwide each year. Most cases of bacterial meningitis are caused by three bacteria-Streptococcus pneumoniae, ...

Background: Microalbuminuria (MA) is common in hypertensive population and is a marker for endothelial dysfunction and a predictor of increased cardiovascular risk. A great body of data shows the importance of MA as a strong predictor of renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in hypertensive population. Aim: In this study, ...

The variable efficacy of tuberculosis (TB) vaccines and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) emphasize the urgency for not only generating new and more effective vaccines against TB but also understanding the underlying mechanisms that mediate vaccine-induced protection. We demonstrate that mucosal adjuvants, such as type II ...

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B-cells resemble self-renewing CD5(+) B-cells carrying auto/xeno-antigen-reactive B-cell receptors (BCRs), and multiple innate pattern-recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors and scavenger-receptors. Integration of signals from BCRs with multiple surface membrane-receptors determines whether the cells will be proliferating, anergic, or apoptotic. To better understand to role ...

To investigate the radiological water equivalency of three different formulations of the radiochromic, polyurethane based dosimeter PRESAGE(®) for three dimensional (3D) dosimetry of electron beams. The EGSnrc/BEAMnrc Monte Carlo package was used to model 6-20 MeV electron beams and calculate the corresponding doses delivered in the three different PRESAGE(®) formulations and ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the systemic insecticidal activity of an imidacloprid-treated rodent oral bait, against Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, 1786 vector of Leishmania major Yakimoff & Schokhor, 1914 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), etiologic agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Shaw's gerbil Meriones shawi Duvernoy, 1842 (Rodentia, Gerbillidae) were treated ...

The intron 22 inversion found in up to 50% of severe hemophilia A patients results from a recombination between three intron 22 homologous copies (int22h). This study evaluated the implication of these copies in the formation of extended duplications comprising exons 1-22 of the factor 8 (F8) gene and their ...

Objectives. This article examines the antecedents and consequences of bullying victimization among a sample of Hispanic high school students. Although cultural and familial variables have been examined as potential risk or protective factors for substance use and depression, previous studies have not examined the role of peer victimization in these ...

Negative impacts of introduced non-native freshwater species on native species have been increasingly recognized in the world as well as in Turkey. However, there has been relatively little attention on genetic characterization of alien freshwater fishes in their non-native distribution range and virtually no study has been conducted in Turkey ...

The use of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) has been studied for years in an attempt to elucidate their effects in food intake and body weight in animals. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is evidence that the use of MCT reduces consumption and body weight gain in ...

Although geometric reorientation has been extensively studied in numerous species, most research has been conducted in enclosed environments and has focused on use of the geometric property of relative wall length. The current studies investigated how angular information is used by adult humans and pigeons to orient and find a ...

Focus groups are used by researchers in the social and behavioural sciences to explore phenomena and are accepted as a legitimate qualitative methodology. The primary goal of focus groups is to use interaction data resulting from discussion among participants to increase the depth of the enquiry and reveal aspects of ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Periodontitis is more frequently found in subjects with Down's syndrome. The aim was to investigate whether the relationship between MMPs and TIMPs) in the gingival crevicular fluid of subjects with Down's syndrome is altered compared with controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one adolescents with Down's syndrome and gingivitis ...

RNA sequencing facilitates the discovery of novel gene fusions in cancer. In this issue of the JCI, Parker et al. identify an FGFR3-TACC3 fusion oncogene in glioblastoma and demonstrate a novel mechanism of pathogenicity. A miR-99a binding site within the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of FGFR3 is lost, releasing FGFR3 signaling ...

PURPOSE: Vinflunine ditartrate is a microtubule inhibitor belonging to the vinca alkaloid family. This phase I study was carried out to evaluate the maximal tolerated dose, the safety profile, the pharmacokinetics and the activity of oral vinflunine (VFL) given daily in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumours and who have failed ...

3-Oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) reductase (OAR1 or FabG, EC.1.1.1.100) is responsible for the first reductive step in fatty acid biosynthesis using Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADPH) as a cofactor. Recent studies suggest there is a fatty acid synthetase II pathway that consists of a series of separate enzymes in yeast mitochondrion. Here, we ...

Choline is an essential nutrient that is found in many food sources and plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system. Animal studies have shown that choline status pre- and postnatally can have long-lasting effects on attention and memory; however, effects in human subjects have not ...