The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism of leptin-mediated metabolic recovery against cerebral injury after ischemia and reperfusion. We determined the neurologic deficit score, extent of brain edema, and infarct volume after reperfusion. The histopathologic alterations and changes in glucose uptake in the brain were also ...

Parasymmetrorbione bicauda n. g., n. sp. is described from Chinese waters infesting two species of Solenocera Lucas (Decapoda: Penaeoidea). The new genus differs from other orbionine genera by the following combination of features: a pronounced asymmetry of coxal and lateral plate development, biramous uropods, tuberculate lateral plates and a digitate ...

Due to concerns about ecotoxicological effects of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants released from wastewater treatment plants, activated carbon adsorption is one of the few processes to effectively reduce the concentrations of micropollutants in wastewater. Although aimed mainly at apolar compounds, polar compounds are also simultaneously removed to a certain extent, ...

Background/Objectives:Probiotics are defined as 'living micro-organisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host'. Different probiotic strains have been investigated for beneficial effects on allergic disorders. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of orally administering the probiotic Nestlé culture collection ...

Surface sediments were collected in August 2009 from 49 sites along the Minho estuary (between Tui and Caminha) and analyzed for grain size, organic carbon (C(org)) and total nitrogen (N(tot)) contents, and major (silicon [Si], aluminum [Al], iron [Fe], calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg], sodium [Na], potassium [K], titanium [Ti], and ...

Dietary selenium (Se) can be supplemented from organic or inorganic sources and this may affect Se metabolism and functional outcome such as antioxidative status and immune functions in dairy cows. A feeding trial was performed with 16 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows fed with a total mixed ration (0.18 mg Se/kg dry ...

Quality of life (QoL) measurements are the best approximation of the burden of disease for the patient. Patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) estimate health-related quality of life (HRQoL). PROMs can be generic or disease-specific. Generic PROMs allow comparisons between different diseases but can be relatively insensitive for measuring changes within a ...

PURPOSE: Genetic variations are related to individual differences of DNA repair ability and drug metabolism, which can greatly influence prognosis of antineoplastic agents, such as oxaliplatin. The aim was to explore the influences of X-ray repair cross-complementing 1(XRCC1) and Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) genetic variants on prognosis of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy ...

Abstract Tissue methylmalonic acid (MMA) accumulation is the biochemical hallmark of methylmalonic acidemia. The disease is clinically characterized by progressive neurological deterioration and kidney failure, whose pathophysiology is still unclear. In the present work we investigated the effects of acute MMA administration on various parameters of oxidative stress in cerebral ...

BACKGROUND: The management of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) perforation is often unknown by many physicians, and there is a paucity of literature regarding the best surgical management approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of ERCP-related perforations to the duodeno-pancreato-biliary tract observed at the Digestive Surgery Department of the Catholic ...

The Genetic and Endoscopic Surveillance Clinic is an annual outreach service offering accessible colonoscopic surveillance to known families with Lynch syndrome living in remote areas of the Western and Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Unfortunately attendance at this outreach clinic has been declining over several years and fewer than ...

In mammalian brains, d-serine has been shown to be required for the regulation of glutamate neurotransmission as an endogenous co-agonist for the N-methyl-d-aspartate type glutamate receptor that is essential for the expression of higher-order brain functions. The exact control mechanisms for the extracellular d-serine dynamics, however, await further elucidation. To ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) plays crucial roles in the recruitment and activation of macrophages as well as in helping to kill bacteria. This study investigated the expression profile of MIF in human gingiva under different periodontal conditions and its expression patterns induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ...

Immunisation of female mice with the allergen ovalbumin (OVA) during pregnancy reduces the OVA-specific IgE response in adult offspring. To approach primary prevention strategies for allergy, we investigated to what extent genetic, paternal and maternal factors influence this suppressive effect on allergic sensitisation in offspring, and investigated the possibility of ...

A novel β-mannanase gene, man5XZ7, was cloned from thermophilic fungus Thielavia arenaria XZ7, and successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. The gene (1,110 bp) encodes a 369-amino acid polypeptide with a molecular mass of approximately 40.8 kDa. The deduced sequence of Man5XZ7 consists of a putative 17-residue signal peptide and a catalytic module ...

Background/Objectives:Early eating patterns and behaviors can determine later eating habits and food preferences and they have been related to the development of childhood overweight and obesity. We aimed to identify patterns of feeding in the first year of life and to examine their associations with family characteristics.Subjects/Methods:Our analysis included 1004 ...

Branched Pd nanodendrites have been synthesized by a very simple method, which have displayed substantially enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity compared with that of commercial Pd/C catalysts. The Pd nanodendrites show 4.8 times more activity on the basis of an equivalent noble metal mass for the ORR than the ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether non-invasive prenatal testing by maternal plasma DNA sequencing can uncover all fetal chromosome aneuploidies in one simple sequencing event. METHODS: Plasma samples from 435 pregnant women at high risk for Down syndrome were collected prior to amniocentesis in three hospitals in China between March 2009 and ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether shear wave elastography (SWE) would be useful in evaluating the presence of rejection or recurrent hepatitis for post-liver transplantation (LT) follow-up. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by our Institutional Review Board and informed consent was waived. Two hundred sixteen liver recipients and 37 liver donors ...

PURPOSE: Bevacizumab has been shown to increase progression free and overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Neoadjuvant bevacizumab is commonly used in patients undergoing liver resection. Our purpose was to evaluate whether bevacizumab is associated with increased rate of perioperative complications in patients undergoing hepatic resection for colorectal ...

Photoactive NiO electrodes for cathodic dye-sensitised solar cells (p-DSCs) have been prepared with thicknesses ranging between 0.4 and 3.0 μm by spray-depositing pre-formed NiO nanoparticles on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. The larger thicknesses were obtained in sequential sintering steps using a conventional furnace (CS) and a newly ...

OBJECTIVES: Lipoatrophy is a long-term adverse effect of some antiretrovirals that affects quality of life, compromises adherence and may limit the clinical impact of HIV treatments. This paper explores the effect of tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) on the amount of limb fat in patients with virological suppression. METHODS: A randomized, prospective clinical ...

There is a strong relationship between obesity and the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Respectively, bariatric surgery is often touted as the most effective option for treating obesity and its comorbidities, including OSA. Nevertheless, there remains paucity of data in the literature of the comparison of all the specific ...

Local adaptation of populations along elevational gradients is well known, but conclusive evidence that such divergence has resulted in the origin of distinct species in parapatry remains lacking. We integrated morphological, vocal, genetic and behavioural data to test predictions pertaining to the hypothesis of parapatric ecological speciation associated with elevation ...

When making end-of-life decisions in intensive care units (ICUs), different staff groups have different roles in the decision-making process and may not always assess the situation in the same way. The aim of this study was to examine the challenges Danish nurses, intensivists, and primary physicians experience with end-of-life decisions ...

Although microorganisms, particularly oxygenic phototrophs, are known as the major players in the biogeochemical cycles of elements in desert soil ecosystems and have received extensive attention, still little is known about the effects of salinity on the composition and abundances of microbial community in desert soils. In this study, the ...

The revision of the diagnostic criteria for ASD has been widely anticipated and is expected to be an important contribution to the refinement of the definition of ASD. In the upcoming DSM-5, several changes have been made compared to the previous diagnostic criteria. They include no emphasis on language delay ...

BACKGROUND: Endosonography (EUS)-guided transmural pseudocyst drainage is a multistep procedure currently performed with different "off-the-shelf" accessories developed for other applications. Multiple device exchanges over-the-wire is time consuming and risks loss of wire access. This report describes the technical feasibility and outcomes for EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections using a ...

Background. The effect of increased age on the induction of oral tolerance by low-dose antigen feeding and its effect on the response to antigen airway challenge in aged mice have not been well characterized. Objective. To determine whether oral tolerance can be induced in aged mice and its impact on ...

In the endeavour of biobank research there is dispute concerning what type of consent and which form of donor-biobank relationship meet high ethical standards. Up until now, a 'broad consent' model has been used in many present-day biobank projects. However it has been, by some scholars, deemed as a pragmatic, ...

A series of rare-earth zirconium chalcogenides Ln(2)ZrQ(5) (Ln = La, Sm, Gd; Q = S, Se) synthesized by using boron as the reducing reagent show unprecedented single-crystal's intrinsic voltage-dependent effects and order antiferromagnetically.

Backgroun /Aims: There have been numerous studies on surgical procedures for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), but the evolution in surgical treatments as they pertain to the major perioperative item, i.e., complications, as well as advantages and disadvantages of surgery, in only one institution have not been reported. We examined this ...

In South Sudan, it is rare for someone to speak about sexual violence. According to the South Sudanese, it can be dangerous to talk - there will be social consequences and talking can destroy you. In this paper, I describe some of the impediments women from South Sudan experience when ...

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) plays an important role in the multimodal treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, certain patients experience rapid progression of the carcinoma following CN. This study aimed to investigate the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the selection of patients for CN. METHODS: Records corresponding ...

Dysregulated protein synthesis is thought to be a core phenotype of fragile X syndrome (FXS). In a mouse model (Fmr1 knockout (KO)) of FXS, rates of cerebral protein synthesis (rCPS) are increased in selective brain regions. We hypothesized that rCPS are also increased in FXS subjects. We measured rCPS with ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The two-stage time series design represents a powerful analytical tool in environmentalepidemiology. Recently, models for both stages have been extended with the development ofdistributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs), a methodology for investigating simultaneouslynon-linear and lagged relationships, and multivariate meta-analysis, a methodology to pool estimatesof multi-parameter associations. However, the ...

A UK-wide commission chaired by Lord Willis of Knaresborough with a panel of seven independent commissioners, consisting of service-user representatives, nurse educationists, managers and practitioners has reported on its findings (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2012a).

Continuous morphine infusion as standard postoperative analgesic therapy in young infants is associated with unwanted adverse effects such as respiratory depression. To determine whether intravenous paracetamol (acetaminophen) would significantly (>30%) reduce morphine requirements in neonates and infants after major surgery. Single-center, randomized, double-blind study conducted in a level 3 pediatric ...

Sea lice on farmed salmonids are often treated with chemicals. Sensitivity testing of sea lice can reduce the number of treatments by identifying substances the sea lice are susceptible to. This study describes a simpler protocol for field sensitivity testing than today's six-dose bioassay. The protocol, which uses a single ...

Factor VIII, a human blood plasma protein, plays an important role during the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation cascade after its activation by thrombin. The activated form of FVIII acts as cofactor to the serine protease Factor IXa, in the conversion of the zymogen Factor X to the active enzyme ...

Isoamyl nitrite is used as a therapeutic reagent for cardiac angina and as an antidote for cyanide poisoning, but it is abused because of its euphoric properties. Therefore, a method to determine isoamyl nitrite is required in many fields, including pharmaceutical and forensic studies. In this study, a simple, rapid ...

The current criteria for evaluating antiangiogenic efficacy is insufficient as tumor shrinkage occurs after blood perfusion decreases. Tumor blood volume (BV) in CT perfusion imaging, and circulating endothelial cells (CECs) may predict the status of angiogenesis. The present study aimed to validate their representation as feasible predictors in non-small-cell lung carcinoma ...

The molecular basis underlying the clinical variability in symptomatic Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) carriers are still to be precised. We report 26 cases of early symptomatic DMD carriers followed in the French neuromuscular network. Clinical presentation, muscular histological analysis and type of gene mutation, as well as X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) ...

This study aimed to determine the incidence/prognostic impact of TP53 mutation in 318 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, and to correlate the changes to cytogenetics, single nucleotide polymorphism array karyotyping and clinical outcome. The median age was 65 years (17-89 years) and median follow-up was 45 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 27-62 months]. TP53 mutations ...

In Huntington disease (HD), polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein causes specific neuronal death. The consequences of the presence of mutant huntingtin in other tissues are less well understood. Here we propose that mutant huntingtin influences breast cancer progression. Indeed, we show that mammary tumours appear earlier in mouse breast ...

Translation of homogeneous catalysis into heterogeneous catalysis is a promising solution to green and sustainable development in chemical industry. For this purpose, noble metal nanoparticles represent a new frontier in catalytic transformations. Many challenges remain for researchers to transform noble metal nanoparticles of heterogeneous catalytic active sites into ionic species ...

Limitations in physical fitness, a consistent finding in individuals with both type I and type 2 diabetes mellitus, correlate strongly with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. These limitations may significantly contribute to the persistent excess cardiovascular mortality affecting this group. Exercise impairments in VO2 peak and VO2 kinetics manifest early on ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pelvic artery embolisation (PAE) in the emergency management of intractable postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) associated with placenta accreta (PA). METHODS: Forty such patients (PAE for PPH/PA) were retrospectively reviewed. Medical records were reviewed regarding the delivery and PAE procedure. Follow-up gynaecological outcomes after PAE were obtained by telephone ...

Pododermatitis in rabbit production is an important welfare problem and there is less information on this type of lesion in rabbits than in many other species. The aim of this work was to develop a scoring system to assess the presence and severity of pododermatitis through observation of 1367 photos ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Nigeria carries the greatest malaria burden among countries in the world. As part of the National Malaria Control Strategic Plan, free long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) were distributed in 14 states of Nigeria through mass campaigns led by different organizations (the World Bank, UNICEF, or the Global Fund) between ...