BACKGROUND: Resting echocardiographic measures of cardiac function such as left ventricular ejection fraction correlate poorly with exercise capacity. Assessment during exercise using measures less dependent on hemodynamic loading conditions, such as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), may more accurately characterize the relationship between cardiac function and exercise capacity. METHODS AND RESULTS: ...

OBJECTIVE: Myxofibrosarcoma frequently shows curvilinear extensions of high T2 signal that also enhance on magnetic resonance imaging; these "tails" represent fascial extension of tumor at histopathological examination. This study was performed to determine whether the tail sign is helpful in distinguishing myxofibrosarcoma from other myxoid-containing neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ...

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is a common cancer with increasing incidence in many parts of the world where light-skinned populations live. We conducted a large-scale nationally representative migrant cohort study to assess country of origin and age of migration as predictors of CM, controlling for possible confounders. Data on 1,086,569 Jewish ...

Objective: We describe a rare case of sudden onset of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss occurring as the first symptom of moyamoya disease, which is characterised by progressive stenosis of the intracranial internal carotid arteries and their proximal anterior cerebral arteries and middle cerebral arteries. Method: Case report and review of ...

The formation of self-assemblies between CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and Zn phthalocyanines (Pc) and azaphthalocyanines (AzaPc) bearing alkylsulfanyl substituents and the photophysical properties of these assemblies were studied using both steady-state and time-resolved luminescence/absorption spectroscopy. The formation of the self-assemblies was accompanied by a blue shift of the Q band ...

Introduction: Bone metastases cause significant morbidity and mortality in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Until recently, treatment options have been limited, but now six drugs are known to extend life expectancy, with docetaxel the current standard first-line cytotoxic therapy. Phase III studies have also shown a survival advantage for sipuleucel-T, cabazitaxel, ...

QUESTION In adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, does intensive blood pressure (BP) control improve clinical outcomes more than standard BP control? REVIEW SCOPE Included studies compared antihypertensive therapies to achieve prespecified BP targets in adults who had type 2 diabetes, and assessed ≥ 1 of mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), or ...

Our current knowledge of modifiable risk factors to prevent myocardial infarction (MI) in young and middle-aged women is limited, and the impact of diet is largely unknown. Dietary flavonoids exert potential beneficial effects on endothelial function in short-term trials; however, the relationship between habitual intake and risk of MI in ...

Recent advances in micro- and nano-scale fabrication techniques allow for the construction of rigid, helically-shaped micro-swimmers that can be actuated using applied magnetic fields. These swimmers represent the first steps toward the development of micro-robots for targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgical procedures. To assess the performance of these ...

BACKGROUND: About 90 % of meningiomas are benign (WHO grade I), atypical and anaplastic variants exist (WHO grade II/III, 10 %). Tumour grade has important implications for management. Non-invasive diagnosis of tumour grade is still not feasible. The purpose of this survey was to analyse epidemiological risk factors such as sex, age ...

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and other members of the Mtb complex possess an expanded complement of genes for the biosynthesis of molybdenum cofactor (MoCo), a tricyclic pterin molecule that is covalently attached to molybdate. This cofactor allows the redox properties of molybdenum to be harnessed by enzymes in order to ...

The question of whether environmental conditions influence human migration has recently gained considerable attention, driven by claims that global environmental change will displace large populations. Despite this high level of interest, few quantitative studies have investigated the potential effects of environmental factors on migration, particularly in the developing world and ...

A serological survey was carried out in the northern prefectures of Hokkaido, Iwate and Aomori in Japan, for the presence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, Chlamydia psittaci var. ovis, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, Coxiella burnetii, Brucella spp., Leptospirosis, and orf virus (ORFV). Out of 267 samples tested, highest overall prevalence (28.78%) was ...

High-fat diet (HFD)-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance increases the chances of developing type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To study the mechanism(s) by which a HFD impairs glucose tolerance, we used a quantitative proteomic platform that integrated pI-based OFFGEL fractionation and iTRAQ labeling to profile the temporal changes in adipose ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Acute ischemic stroke carries high morbidity and mortality. The advent of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular reperfusion techniques have helped improve clinical outcomes for patients with large vessel acute ischemic stroke. The care of the post-endovascular stroke patient is complex and encompasses almost all aspects of medicine. Hemodynamics should ...

Ternary oxides are potential candidates as an electron-transporting material that can replace TiO(2) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), as their electronic/optical properties can be easily controlled by manipulating the composition and/or by doping. Here, we report a new highly efficient DSSC using perovskite BaSnO(3) (BSO) nanoparticles. In addition, the effects ...

Abstract In the current study, we analyzed free radicals scavenging activity of monocytes-macrophages in the absence or presence of antioxidants such as polyphenols or paraoxonase 1 (PON1). THP-1 human monocytic cell line, murine J774A.1 macrophages, as well as human primary monocytes have the capability to scavenge free radicals, as measured ...

Abstract Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the detailed mechanisms of oral absorption enhancement of bergenin (BN) using BN-phospholipid complex (BPC). Methods: Multiple models such as ex vivo everted rat gut sac model and in vitro Caco-2 cell model were used. Meanwhile, the effect of chitosan on ...

Outflow tract defects, including cardiac neural crest defects (so-called conotruncal defects) and transposition of the great arteries, are due to an abnormal rotation of the outflow tract during cardiac development. Coronary orifices are often abnormal in outflow tract defects, particularly in common arterial trunk (CAT). A recent study indicates that ...

To investigate the possibility of liquid proliposomes being carriers for oral delivery, nimodipine liquid proliposomes-based soft capsules (NPSC) were prepared. Nimodipine proliposomes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), conversion rate from proliposomes to liposomes, entrapment efficiency, particle size, and zeta potential. Accelerated stability testing of NPSC was carried out ...

Hemocytes (blood cells) are motile cells that move throughout the extracellular space and that exist in all clades of the animal kingdom. Hemocytes play an important role in shaping the extracellular environment and in the immune response. Developmentally, hemocytes are closely related to the epithelial cells lining the vascular system ...

OBJECTIVES:To compare the efficacy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance at 4- and 12-month intervals in a community for patients with chronic viral hepatitis and thrombocytopenia.METHODS:In 10 townships, adults (≥40 years) with platelet ≤150 (×10(9))/l, positive hepatitis B surface antigen, or antibody to hepatitis C virus were invited to this study. ...

D-Dimer testing is sensitive but not specific for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Changing the use of testing and the threshold level for a positive test result on the basis of risk for DVT might improve the tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity and reduce the need for testing. To determine ...

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) are common in patients with established Parkinson disease (PD) but their frequency in early PD has not been extensively studied. Our aim was to determine the frequency of NMS in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed PD. A total of 159 patients with early PD and ...

Despite treatments combining surgery, radiation-, and chemotherapy, patients affected by glioblastoma (GBM) have a limited prognosis. Addition of temozolomide (TMZ) to radiation therapy is the standard therapy in clinical application, but effectiveness of TMZ is limited by the tumor's overexpression of the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). The goal ...

Opium use has been associated with higher risk of cancers of the esophagus, bladder, larynx, and lung;however, no previous study has examined itsassociation with gastric cancer. There is also little information on the associations between hookah (water pipe) smokingorthe chewing of tobacco productsand the risk of gastric cancer. In a ...

PURPOSE: The functional results after reconstruction of the proximal humerus in tumour surgery are poor. Therefore, a reversed proximal humerus replacement was developed in our institution (MUTARS humerus inverse). A low degree of wear on the polyethylene is required because of the patients' youth and demands on shoulder function. A ...

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to illuminate the meaning of lived experience of living as a family in the midst of chronic illness. BACKGROUND: Chronic illness implies a change for both the individual and the family. In this changed situation, all family members seem to benefit ...

Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes that trigger the activation of caspase-1 and the maturation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), yet the regulation of these complexes remains poorly characterized. Here we show that nitric oxide (NO) inhibited the NLRP3-mediated ASC pyroptosome formation, caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion in myeloid cells from both mice and ...

Several studies have attributed deterioration of sound localization in the horizontal (azimuth) and vertical (elevation) planes to an age-related decline in binaural processing and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL). The latter might underlie decreased elevation performance of older adults. However, as the pinnae keep growing throughout life, we hypothesized that larger ...

Previous studies have shown that maternal consumption of polyphenol-rich foods after the third trimester of pregnancy may interfere with the anatomical and functional activity of the fetal heart as, to our knowledge, there are no validated instruments to quantify total polyphenols in pregnant women. The aim of this study was ...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are a population of tissue resident adult progenitor cells which were originally identified in bone marrow, but have now been identified in many organs including the lung. Although their precise role in organ function remains incompletely defined, mounting evidence suggests that they are an important component ...

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common heritable cause of stroke and vascular dementia in adults. We present a family from Serbia presenting with stroke and depression in the lack of vascular risk factors, with brain MRI indicating CADASIL. A novel NOTCH3 Gly89Cys ...

The transcription factor Foxp3 plays an indispensible role in the differentiation of regulatory T (Treg) cells and the expression of their suppressive functions. In a recent article published in Nature, Ouyang et al. demonstrate that Treg cell differentiation is also enabled by transcriptional networks controlled by another Forkhead box family ...

Soybeans are an important source of protein-rich meal for livestock feed formulations. Recent changes in the cost of commodity-based sources of metabolizable energy (ME) inputs has put pressure on soybean meal to deliver both protein and ME in feed formulations. The non-oil fraction of soybean contains approximately 12% soluble carbohydrates, ...

Background:Previous research has shown exercise to be an effective method to mitigate many adverse treatment-related effects of androgen suppression therapy (AST) but the potential impact of exercise on sexual activity remains unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to report the effect of a 12-week exercise program on sexual activity ...

Despite recent guidelines promoting online professionalism, consequences for specific violations by physicians have not been explored. In this article, the authors gauged consensus among state medical boards in the United States (response rate, 71%) about the likelihood of investigations for violations of online professionalism by using 10 hypothetical vignettes. High ...

The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels belong to the superfamily of pore-loop cation channels. In mammals, the HCN channel family comprises 4 members (HCN1-4) that are expressed in heart and nervous system. HCN channels are activated by membrane hyperpolarization, are permeable to Na(+) and K(+), and are constitutively open at ...

Fox-Fordyce disease is an uncommon inflammatory disease of the apocrine sweat glands. Two recent reports indicated laser hair removal as a novel cause of axillary Fox-Fordyce disease. We report the first case of Fox-Fordyce disease developing in women after completing treatment with a depilatory hair laser appearing in the axillae, ...

A higher frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with different types of solid tumors and hematological malignancies as compared to healthy donors. In prostate cancer patients, Tregs in PBMC have been shown to have increased suppressive function. Tumor-induced biological ...

A detailed description of the implementation of the effective fragment potential (EFP) method in the Q-CHEM electronic structure package is presented. The Q-CHEM implementation interfaces EFP with standard quantum mechanical (QM) methods such as Hartree-Fock, density functional theory, perturbation theory, and coupled-cluster methods, as well as with methods for electronically ...

AIMS: B cell activating factor belonging to tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) are two TNF-like cytokines those were found to be elevated in many autoimmune diseases. Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is a typical severe autoimmune disease characterized by raised serum anti-GBM antibodies. In ...

Norovirus protease is an essential enzyme for proteolytic maturation of norovirus nonstructural proteins and has been implicated as a potential target for antiviral drug development. Although X-ray structural studies of the protease give us wealth of structural information including interactions of the protease with its substrate and dimeric overall structure, ...

We sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of Channa argus, Channa maculata and their hybrid [C. maculata (♀) and C. argus (♂)]. All the three mitochondrial genomes contained the typical complement of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 1 control region. The entire ...

Rahm, C., Liberg, B., Wiberg-Kristoffersen, M., Aspelin, P. & Msghina, M. (2013). Rostro-caudal and dorso-ventral gradients in medial and lateral prefrontal cortex during cognitive control of affective and cognitive interference. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. Characterizing the anatomical substrates of major brain functions such as cognition and emotion is of utmost ...

The lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) tethers the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL1) protein complex to chromatin. Likewise, LEDGF/p75 tethers the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) pre-integration complex to chromatin. We previously demonstrated that expression of the C-terminal fragment fused to eGFP (eGFP-LEDGF(325-530)) impaired HIV-1 replication. Here, we explored this strategy ...

A series of long-chain amidoamine derivatives with different alkyl chain lengths (CnAA where n is 12, 14, 16 or 18) were synthesized and studied with regard to their ability to form organogels and to act as soft templates for the production of Au nanomaterials. These compounds were found to self-assemble ...

Introduction: The desired goals of treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) include sustained, clinically significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life and/or slowing or preventing the progression of the condition. There is a continuing interest in research for new therapies for BPH ...

OBJECTIVES:Obesity is associated with a proinflammatory state that may be involved in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for which there are plausible biological mechanisms. Our aim was to perform the first prospective cohort study investigating if there is an association between obesity and the development of incident IBD.METHODS:A ...

QUESTION What are the benefits and harms of general health checks in adults in primary care or community settings? REVIEW SCOPE Included studies compared general health checks (screening for > 1 disease or risk factor in > 1 organ system) with no health checks in adults in primary care or community settings. ...