The consumption of glucose can enhance executive control by increasing blood glucose and providing energy for brain processes. However, a glucose mouth rinse also positively affects executive control in the absence of an effect on blood glucose. This observation suggests that glucose can enhance executive control via another mechanism, perhaps ...

Acute, noninfectious, inflammatory illnesses of the CNS encompass an increasingly diverse array of clinical and biological entities, including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), brainstem encephalitis, and paraneoplastic and nonneoplastic antibody-associated encephalopathies. ADEM is classically a monophasic, inflammatory-mediated attack on the CNS, more frequently seen in children than adults.(1) According to international ...

RNA probes constitute an important class of functional nucleic acids (FNAs). However, because of their notorious vulnerability to enzymatic degradation, extremely careful and special protocols must be followed when dealing with RNA probes. To fully use the large number of RNA FNAs available for bioanalysis and biomedicine, it is important ...

Protamine, routinely used post-cardiac surgery to reverse the anticoagulant effects of heparin, is known to be immunogenic. Observing patients with an otherwise unexplained rapid decrease in platelet count directly after protamine administration, we determined the incidence and clinical relevance of protamine-reactive antibodies in cardiac-surgery patients. In vitro these antibodies activated ...

In patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), a growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is frequent and may contribute to the cognitive sequelae and reduction in quality of life (QoL). Recent studies have suggested that GH replacement therapy (GHRT) can improve processing speed and memory. The aim of the study was ...

AIM: To identify the clinical and socio-demographic factors associated with hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis in adults with Type 1 diabetes. METHODS: We combined clinical and administrative health data from a large urban diabetes clinic to perform a data linkage study. We identified adults (aged ≥ 18 years old) with Type 1 diabetes and linked ...

ABSTRACT Background-Inter-individual differences in biological ageing could affect susceptibility to stroke. To date, the relationship between stroke and telomere shortening remain inconclusive; and sparse data is available to hemorrhagic stroke. Methods and Results- A Chinese case-control study was conducted, comprising 1756 cases (767 atherothrombosis, 494 lacunar infarction, and 486 hemorrhagic ...

Upon injury, the skin must quickly regenerate to regain its barrier function. In mammals, wound healing is rapid and scar-free during embryogenesis, whereas in adults it involves multiple steps including blood clotting, inflammation, re-epithelialization, vascularization, and granulation tissue formation and maturation, resulting in a scar. We have established a rapid ...

Background In the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in the development of a more patient-centred approach to assessing treatment outcomes. This interest has resulted in the increasing use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in both clinical trials and usual clinical practice. Aims To briefly discuss the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for computational motif discovery often suffer from poor performance. In particular, methods that search for sequence matches to known binding motifs tend to predict many non-functional binding sites because they fail to take into consideration the biological state of the cell. In recent years, genome-wide studies ...

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the psychophysical vibrotactile thresholds of the Pacinian (P) channel and the mechanical properties of the skin at the fingertip. Seven healthy adult subjects (age: 23-30) participated in the study. The mechanical stimuli were 250-Hz sinusoidal bursts and applied with ...

Background: The Practitioner Health Programme (PHP) was developed to provide expert assessment and support to practitioners (doctors and dentists) with mental and physical health problems affecting their ability to work. Aims: This paper examines the treatment outcomes of the practitioner-patients utilising PHP. Method: We assessed outcomes on consecutive patients using ...

In the fly Drosophila melanogaster, photoreceptor input to motion vision is split into two parallel pathways as represented by first-order interneurons L1 and L2 (Rister et al., 2007; Joesch et al., 2010). However, how these pathways are functionally specialized remains controversial. One study (Eichner et al., 2011) proposed that the ...

OBJECTIVES: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute self-limited panvasculitis, primarily affecting young children, with an outstanding risk of cardiovascular complications. Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF23) is the latest member of the FGF family, acting on phosphate metabolism, which has been shown to display a potential role in the vascular remodelling. The ...

OBJECTIVE:To conduct a systematic literature review to evaluate evidence-based recommendations for the prevention of rhabdomyolysis-associated acute renal failure (ARF).DATA SOURCES:PubMed (1966-December 2012), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Science Citation Index, and Cochrane databases (1970-December 2012) were searched. There were no language restrictions.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Studies selected dealt with treatment of rhabdomyolysis ...

Focused ion beam lithography and a two-step anodization have been combined to fabricate a vertical fan-out platform containing an array of unique probes. Each probe comprises three anodic alumina nanochannels with a fan-out arrangement. The lithography is used to pattern an aluminum sheet with a custom-designed array of triangular 'cells' ...

PURPOSE: The oral prodrug of gemcitabine LY2334737 is cleaved systemically to gemcitabine; the mechanism responsible for hydrolysis is unknown. LY2334737 cytotoxicity was tested in the NCI-60 panel; mining of microarray expression data identified carboxylesterase (CES) as a top hydrolase candidate. Studies examined whether CES is responsible for hydrolysis and whether ...

In this paper, highly efficient and simple monochrome blue, green, orange and red organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on ultrathin non-doped emissive layers (EMLs) have been reported. The ultrathin non-doped EML was constructed by introducing a 0.1 nm thin layer of pure phosphorescent dyes between hole transporting layer and ...

OBJECTIVE To measure the implications of the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hour regulations for education, well-being, and burnout. DESIGN Longitudinal study. SETTING Eleven university-based general surgery residency programs from July 2011 to May 2012. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred thirteen surgical interns. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Perceptions of the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Men in patriarchal societies of developing countries are often identified as decision makers in all aspects of day-to-day life. The study explores the factors associated with male involvement in ANC, birth plans, exclusive breastfeeding and immunization of children. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2178 married males ...

The highly exoergic nucleophilic substitution reaction F- + CH3 I shows strikingly different reaction dynamics than substitution reactions of larger halogen anions. Over a wide range of collision energies, a large fraction of indirect scattering via a long-lived hydrogen-bonded complex is found both in crossed-beam imaging experiments and in direct ...

Abstract Valsartan (VLT) is a highly selective and orally active antihypertensive drug. However, its oral administration is associated with drawbacks like low bioavailability. The objective of this study was to design and develop a transdermal delivery system for VLT using ethosomal carriers to investigate their enhanced transdermal delivery potential. VLT ...

Circadian rhythms control multiple physiological and pathological processes, including embryonic development in mammals and development of various human diseases. We have recently, in a developing zebrafish embryonic model, discovered that the circadian oscillation controls developmental angiogenesis. Disruption of crucial circadian regulatory genes, including Bmal1 and Period2, results in marked impairment ...

In this study, we find that the optical anisotropy of graphene films could be used as an alternative quality factor for the rapid characterization of large-area graphene films prepared through chemical vapor deposition. We develop an angle-variable spectroscopic method to rapidly determine the optical anisotropy of graphene films. Unlike approaches ...

The potential use of Bacillus anthracis as a bioterrorism weapon threatens the security of populations globally, requiring the immediate availability of safe, efficient and easily delivered anthrax vaccine for mass vaccination. Extensive research efforts have been directed toward the development of recombinant subunit vaccines based on protective antigen (PA), the ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Maternal age is a known risk factor for stillbirth and delayed childbearing is a societal norm in developed country settings. The timing and reasons for age being a risk factor are less clear. This study aimed to document the gestational specific risk of maternal age throughout pregnancy and ...

The fact that sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are necessary for functioning of all animal physiological systems drives the need to understand their biology. This understanding is limited, however, by the heterogeneous nature of GAG chains and their dynamic spatial and temporal expression patterns. GAGs have a regulated structure overlaid by heterogeneity ...

Although progress has been made in the treatment of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), available therapeutic options are only partially effective. Given evidence that a live-attenuated varicella-zoster-virus vaccine is effective at reducing the incidence of HZ, PHN and the burden of illness, policymakers and clinicians are being asked ...

Combining two different treatment modalities for targeting malignancies is gaining importance, with preclinical/clinical results indicating higher success rates in eradicating tumors or having longer remission periods. A better understanding of the synergy between the treatments helps in optimizing the dose and time of administration. We found that chemotherapy enhanced the ...

Polymer systems having one, two or three dimensions on the nanometer length-scale can exhibit physical properties different from the bulk. The degree of disorder characteristic for large amounts of matter is strongly reduced and changes in symmetry are imposed by means of geometrical confinement. This could be used to induce ...

High NaCl activates the transcription factor NFAT5, leading to increased transcription of osmoprotective target genes. Kinases PKA, PI3K, AKT1 and p38α were known to contribute to the high NaCl-induced increase of NFAT5 activity. We now identify another kinase, GSK-3β. siRNA-mediated knock-down of GSK-3β increases NFAT5 transcriptional and transactivating activities without ...

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to hydrometallurgical treatments carried out using a new portable prototype plant for the recovery of valuable metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The plant was fed with the WEEE residues from physical processes for the recycling of fluorescent lamps, cathode ray tubes ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the most promising non-surgical treatments for hepatic tumors. The assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of RFA is usually obtained by visual comparison of pre- and post-treatment CT images, but no numerical quantification is performed. METHODS: In this work, a novel method aiming ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Subtelomeric multigene families of malaria parasites encode virulent determinants. The published genome sequence of Plasmodium vivax revealed the largest subtelomeric multigene family of human malaria parasites, the vir super-family, presently composed of 346 vir genes subdivided into 12 different subfamilies based on sequence homologies detected by BLAST. RESULTS: ...

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is known as a key regulator of corpus luteum (CL) function, but the luteoprotective mechanisms of LH in the maintenance of bovine CL function are not well understood. The current study investigated if LH increases cell viability and induces cortisol conversion, and if the luteoprotective action of ...

Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau pathologies, are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) comprising filamentous tau protein. Although emerging evidence suggests that tau pathology may be transmitted, we demonstrate here that synthetic tau fibrils are sufficient to transmit tau inclusions in a mouse ...

ObjectiveAnxiety and panic are associated with the experience of a range of bodily symptoms, in particular unpleasant breathing sensations (dyspnea). Respiratory theories of panic disorder have focused on disturbances in blood gas regulation, but respiratory muscle tension as a source of dyspnea has not been considered. We therefore examined the ...

What is already known about this subject Mexican-American children are at particularly high risk of obesity. Features of the perinatal environment, including maternal nutrition, anthropometry, glucose tolerance and growth rate during infancy are implicated in programming of obesity in the offspring. What this study adds Greater rate of weight or ...

Abstract Objective. Results from monitoring studies using biomarkers in blood samples aiming at early detection of recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC) are presently evaluated. However, some serological biomarker levels are influenced by the surgical trauma, which may complicate translation of the levels in relation to recurrence. The primary purpose of the ...

Positive body image is defined as healthy body-related attitudes that go beyond the absence of distressful symptoms. A warm and secure relationship with an important other person has been linked with attitudes of acceptance and appreciation toward one's body as well as adaptive eating patterns. This study tested whether a ...

A series of novel, potent antagonists of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) were synthesized in a highly convergent and rapid fashion (≤ 6 steps) using the Ugi four-component reaction as the key step, thus enabling rapid optimization of binding potency. These IAP antagonists compete with caspases 3, 7 and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Although echocardiography is used as a first line imaging modality, its accuracy to detect acute and chronic myocardial infarction (MI) in relation to infarct characteristics as assessed with late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) is not well described. METHODS: One-hundred-forty-one echocardiograms performed in 88 first acute ST-elevation ...

Phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is known to play a key role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms that mediate VSMC phenotypic switching are unclear. We report here that TIPE2, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2), plays an atheroprotective role by ...

This article reports the findings of a literature review of research that has explored the support experiences of family carers of a person with an intellectual disability who displays challenging behaviour and/or has a mental health problem. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the reported ...

The rodent hippocampus can be divided into dorsal (DHC) and ventral domains (VHC) based on behavioral, anatomical, and biochemical differences. Recently, we reported that CA1 pyramidal neurons from the VHC were intrinsically more excitable than DHC neurons, but the specific ionic conductances contributing to this difference were not determined. Here, ...

Oxidative stress and inflammation are mediators in the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its complications, and they are inseparably linked as each begets and amplifies the other. CKD-associated oxidative stress is due to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and diminished antioxidant capacity. The latter ...

The spliceosomal component U1snRNP commits pre-mRNAs to the splicing pathway. Recently, a nuclear RNA surveillance function has been ascribed to U1, namely the suppression of intronic polyadenylation sites. This surveillance holds regulatory potential as it alters the 3' ends of certain receptor tyrosine kinase mRNAs. However, suppression of 3' end ...

As studies of DNA methylation increase in scope, it has become evident that methylation has a complex relationship with gene expression, plays an important role in defining cell types, and is disrupted in many diseases. We describe large-scale single-base resolution DNA methylation profiling on a diverse collection of 82 human ...

CAP-turing the moment: A cage made from DNA can be used to encapsulate a transcription factor (catabolite activator protein, CAP; see figure) without covalent attachment. CAP is shown to stably bind inside the DNA cage at a 1:1 ratio by bending one edge to accommodate the protein. Single-molecule fluorescence measurements ...

Abstract Background: Patients with mixed dyslipidemia can benefit from the combination of fenofibric acid (FA) with statins, but concerns about adverse events make physicians reluctant to prescribe the combination therapy. Objective: In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy and adverse ...