Adopted orphan nuclear receptor (NR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), plays a central role in the regulation of xeno- and endobiotic metabolism. Since the discovery of the functional role of PXR in 1998, there is evolving evidence for the role of PXR agonists in abrogating metabolic pathophysiology (e.g., cholestasis, hypercholesterolemia, and ...

Background -  The management of atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs relies mainly on the use of interventions to reduce pruritus and skin lesions. Objectives -  To provide a critical analysis of recent clinical trials reporting the efficacy and safety of interventions for canine AD. Methods -  Systematic review of randomized ...

Recently, suicide exceeded motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. However, details of this change in suicide methods and the relationship to individual demographics, such as age and societal influences, have not been reported. To determine the characteristics of the changes in suicide rates ...

Skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the world today in both humans and our pet population. Advances in molecular techniques are now affording us an opportunity to develop therapeutics targeted at specific cancer-related cellular pathways. However, despite progress in conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and ...

Clovers (genus: Trifolium) have been used in traditional medicine by many cultures, but the biological activity of the most of these plants still remains unknown. The aim of our in vitro study was to assess the antioxidative action of phenolic extracts from aerial parts of Trifolium scabrum and Trifolium pallidum ...

Medical students commonly enroll in courses known as "subinternships" before residency application. This study investigated the experiences and needs of students completing subinternships in surgery. Electronic surveys were sent to medical students applying to the surgery residency program at our institution and to medical student clerkship directors for distribution nationally. ...

ABSTRACT: PET/CT scan was performed in a 43-year-old woman to evaluate pulmonary nodules/masses. The images showed that there was only minimal FDG activity in the masses. However, these soft tissue masses in the lungs had significantly elevated Tc 3PRGD2 activity. Pathological examination demonstrated that this patient suffered benign metastasizing leiomyoma.

ABSTRACT: A 21-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital after incidental detection of a left renal lesion on ultrasound scan. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed a moderately enhanced lesion in the left kidney and a round mass with slight enhancement in the retroperitoneum. FDG PET/CT imaging was performed for whole-body ...

Maternal use of some drugs, notably paracetamol and drugs for gastroesophageal reflux, has been associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma in the child. We wanted to analyze these associations with consideration to the confounding of maternal asthma. Childhood asthma was identified from the Swedish National Prescription Register and ...

Human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (HsTyrRS) is composed of two structural modules: N-terminal catalytic core and an EMAP II-like C-terminal domain. The structures of these modules are known, but no crystal structure of the full-length HsTyrRS is currently available. An all-atom model of the full-length HsTyrRS was developed in this work. The ...

Evaluation of peripheral arterial disease by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging continues to develop. Of the clinical diagnostics tests currently available, magnetic resonance angiography is well established as one of the preferred techniques for determining areas of arterial occlusive disease affecting the lower extremities. Despite this, there have been new developments ...

Young people in military-connected families may be exposed to deleterious stressors, related to family member deployment, that have been associated with externalizing behaviors such as substance use. Substance use predisposes youth to myriad health and social problems across the life span. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of lifetime ...

The novel allele HLA-DRB1*09:20 differs from HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 9 (AAG->CAG) and differs from HLA-DRB1*09:07 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 13 (TAT->TTT).

Background -  Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multistep process, important in tumour invasion and metastasis, characterized by loss of epithelial markers, redistribution of β-catenin and gain of mesenchymal markers. Hyposthesis/Objectives -  Our aim was to investigate the immunohistochemical aberrant expression of cytokeratin, vimentin, survivin and heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) in ...

: We hypothesized that radiation-induced thoracic toxicity (RITT) of the lung, esophagus and pericardium share a similar mechanism, and aimed to examine whether genetic variation of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFβ1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), are associated with RITT in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ...

ABSTRACT: Primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) is an extremely rare manifestation of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (0.016% of all cases). Presented are CT, MRI, ultrasound, and F fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET/CT images, which characterized PHL and demonstrated hepatic vein thrombus that extended into the inferior vena cava-a feature not previously described. Recognition of ...

The evolution of scientific information relating to the regulation of xenobiotic disposition has extended to the discovery of an intricate group of receptor systems now recognized as master regulators. These ligand-activated transcription factors are commonly designated as "nuclear receptors", and include CAR (NR1I3), PXR (NR1I2), PPAR (NR1C1, NR1C2, and NR1C3) ...

Scarcely anyone would dispute that donor-specific B cells and the Abs that they produce can cause rejection of transplants. Less clear and more controversial, however, is the possibility that donor-specific B cells and the Abs that they produce are one or more means by which transplants can be protected from ...

Background -  Topical therapy, particularly with chlorhexidine, is becoming increasingly common as a treatment option for canine pyoderma; however, there are limited studies on the susceptibility of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius to chlorhexidine compounds. Objectives -  To determine the in vitro susceptibility of both meticillin-resistant and meticillin-susceptible S. pseudintermedius isolates to chlorhexidine and other antiseptic ...

Despite overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of physical activity, most American youth are not meeting the 60 minutes per day recommendation for moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). Policy changes have the potential to bring about substantial increases in physical activity in youth, within school and community settings. The ...

Vertebral fractures detected "incidentally" by chest radiograph usually do not trigger osteoporosis treatment in older patients. In a 3-arm controlled trial we reported that both physician-directed and enhanced (physician plus patient activation) interventions increased treatment rates more than 10-fold (15%-20% absolute increases) compared with usual care; the cost-effectiveness of these ...

To test the effectiveness of a brief theory-based HIV prevention program led by peers among college students. A quasi-experimental research using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design with 2-mo follow-up. A university in Bangkok. For peer leaders, 70 undergrad students taking health sexuality course were invited to participate in the ...

: The incidence and the clinical characteristics of neonatal herpes simplex virus (NHSV) infection in Israel are unknown. : We reviewed the medical records of NHSV cases who were born between January 2001 and December 2007 in 5 medical centers located in central Israel. Cases were identified using International Classification ...

Background -  Heritability studies suggest that atopic dermatitis (AD) involves multiple genes and interactions with environmental factors. Advances in genomics have given us powerful techniques to study the genetics of AD. Objective -  To review the application of these techniques to canine AD. Results -  Candidate genes can be studied using quantitative PCR ...

Changes in total energy intake have been reported among children and adolescents, but the extent to which the components of total energy-energy density; portion size; and the number of eating/drinking occasions (EO)-drive these changes is unknown. The objective of the current study was to examine the relative contribution to changes ...

The differentiation between tumor and bland thromboses is important as the management differs. Retrospectively, we aim to evaluate the utility of FDG PET in detecting and differentiating tumor from bland thromboses and if FDG PET provides additional value to contrast-enhanced CT for tumor thrombus detection. Twenty-four sites of venous thromboembolism, ...

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association of the human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) 14 bp insertion (ins)/deletion (del) polymorphism with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions (URSA). The fixed or random effect pooled measure was selected based on the homogeneity test among studies that was evaluated with I(2) . Odds ratio (OR) ...

Prolonged sitting, including time spent sitting in cars, is detrimentally associated with health outcomes. This study examined whether commuting by car was associated with adults' weight gain over 4 years. Among 822 adult residents of Adelaide, Australia, weight change was ascertained from self-reported weight at baseline (2003-2004) and at follow-up ...

Skin barrier dysfunction exists in both human and canine atopic dermatitis, leading to increased water loss and potentially facilitating allergen penetration and sensitization. Both lipid (e.g. ceramides) and protein (e.g. filaggrin) abnormalities have been described. Some are genetically inherited (e.g. filaggrin mutations are one of the major risk factors in ...

Little is known about the effectiveness of statins on primary prevention of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of statin treatment for atrial fibrillation prevention in elderly patients with hypertension, and to determine if comorbidity or CHADS(2) (Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, ...

The prevalence of atopy and allergic disease continues to escalate worldwide. Defining immune mechanisms that suppress the underlying Th2-driven inflammatory process is critical for the rational design of new treatments to prevent or attenuate disease. Allergen immunotherapy has provided a useful framework for evaluating changes in the immune response that ...

To improve support and justification for health promotion efforts in schools, it is helpful to understand how students' health behaviors affect academic performance. Fifth-grade students completed an online school-administered health survey with questions regarding their eating behavior, physical activity, academic performance, and sleep patterns. Differences in health behaviors were examined ...

Growing up in families with an anthroposophic lifestyle has been associated with reduced risk of allergic disease in children. The aim of this report was to assess whether children with this lifestyle are infected earlier with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which has been associated with reduced risk of allergic disease, and ...

ABSTRACT: Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), but how vitamin D metabolism affects MS pathophysiology is not understood. We studied the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and related enzymes, including 1,25(OH)2D-24-hydroxylase (24-OHase; CYP24A1) and 25(OH)D-1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), in CNS tissues of 39 ...

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages including nondiet sodas, sport drinks, and energy drinks has been linked with obesity. Recent state and local efforts to tax these beverages have been unsuccessful. Enactment will be unlikely without public support, yet little research is available to assess how to effectively make the case for ...

Much effort in surgical education is placed on the development of clinical judgment and technical proficiency. However, little focus is placed on the management of stress associated with surgical performance. The inability to manage stress may lead to poor patient care, attrition from residency, and surgeon burnout. A blinded, matched, ...

ABSTRACT: There are 2 major classes of feedback. One class of feedback consists of the informal, numerous conversations between various people in the organization regarding the performance, behavior, and goals of an individual. Another class of feedback consists of formal reviews held once or twice a year between a supervisor ...

ABSTRACT: A 66-year-old man with left pyriform fossa squamous cell carcinoma (T2N0) was treated with chemoradiation. Nine months later, an emergency tracheostomy was performed for respiratory distress. Contrast-enhanced neck and thorax CT demonstrated a right pyriform mass. FDG-PET/CT showed linear increased uptake extending superiorly from the tracheostomy to the right ...

In allergic asthma, the diagnosis of house dust mite (HDM) allergy is mainly based on the patient's history, allergy testing by the skin prick test (SPT) or the levels of allergen-specific IgE. We retrospectively analysed data from 350 bronchial provocations with HDM and related it to the following parameters: specific ...

Protein stabilization was achieved by a novel approach based on the adsorption and establishment of affinity-like interactions with a biomimetic triazine-scaffolded ligand. A synthetic lead compound (ligand 3'/11, K(a)  ≈ 10(4)  M(-1) ) was selected from a previously screened solid-phase library of affinity ligands for studies of adsorption and stabilization of ...

While lesion patterns in white matter have been extensively reported in the literature on carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication, reports on the effects on gray matter damage are less common. The aim of this study was to investigate regional damage patterns focusing on gray matter using Tc ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) ...

Class I human leukocyte antigens (HLA) play an important role in the adaptive immune response by presenting antigens to CD8+ T cells. Studies have reported that several HLA class I alleles are associated with differential disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals, however, few class I associations with resistance ...

Pelvic osteomyelitis is a rare but serious condition that has the potential for systemic and muscular complications if left untreated. The diagnosis is difficult due to the relative rarity of the disease, the difficulty of localizing the site of the infection, and the tendency for the presentation to mimic other ...

No routine coagulation laboratory test is recommended during rivaroxaban or dabigatran treatment. However measuring drug concentration and/or anticoagulant activity can be desirable in some special clinical settings, such as bleeding, thrombosis recurrence or emergency surgery. The effects of dabigatran etexilate and rivaroxaban on various coagulation assays have been previously studied ...

The clinical diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD) is incorrect in 30% or more of subjects particularly at the time of symptom onset. Because Lewy-type α-synucleinopathy is present in the submandibular glands of PD patients, we assessed the feasibility of submandibular gland biopsy for diagnosing PD. We performed immunohistochemical staining for ...

Heretofore, corporate voluntary pledges to improve the health of Americans have been linked neither to explicit measurable commitments nor to a framework for an independent evaluation. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), whose members include 16 of the nation's leading consumer packaged goods food and beverage manufacturers, voluntarily pledged to ...

ABSTRACT: Osteoblastomas are rare tumors accounting for approximately 1% of all primary bone tumors. We report a case of osteoblastoma of the mandible with high FDG uptake. Initially, this lesion was judged as an osteosarcoma. Osteoblastomas are benign slow-growing tumors. High-resolution thin-slice CT images of the lesion as part of ...

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a common cause of patient morbidity and mortality and are classically thought to result, in part, from variation in expression and activity of hepatic enzymes of drug metabolism. It is now known that alterations in the expression of genes that encode drug- and bile-acid-transporter proteins ...

After-school programs may provide valuable opportunities for children to accumulate healthful physical activity (PA). This study assessed the PA of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade children in the Keep It Moving! (KIM) after-school PA program, which was implemented in an ethnically diverse and low socioeconomic status school district in Colorado Springs, ...

Background -  Adult stem cells come from many sources and have the capacity to differentiate into many cell types, including those of the skin. The most commonly studied stem cells are those termed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are easily isolated from bone marrow and adipose tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells are ...