A prospective cohort study of retinopathy-confirmed cerebral malaria (CM) survivors identified 42 of 132 with neurologic sequelae. The 38 survivors with sequelae who were alive when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology became available underwent brain MRIs. Common MRI abnormalities included periventricular T2 signal changes (53%), atrophy (47%), subcortical T2 signal ...

Efferent signals from the vagus nerve are thought to mediate both basal and meal-induced gastric acid secretion, and provide trophic support of the mucosa. However, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Neurturin, signaling via GDNF-family receptor α2 (GFRα2), is essential for parasympathetic innervation of many target tissues but its role ...

A series of Pt(ii) bipyridyl complexes with different aryl substituents (Ar = naphthyl (), anthryl (), pyrenyl () and phenothiazyl ()) on the fluorenylacetylide ligands are synthesized and investigated. The influence of the aryl substituent on the photophysics of these complexes is systematically investigated by spectroscopic methods and simulated by ...

Abstract Computational analysis of cancer pharmacogenomics data has resulted in biomarkers predictive of drug response, but the majority of response is not captured by current methods. Methods typically select single biomarkers or groups of related biomarkers, but do not account for response that is strictly dependent on many simultaneous genetic ...

ABSTRACT: The optimal length of antimicrobial therapy has not been extensively studied for a great majority of infections and, in critically ill patients affected by ventilator-associated pneumonia, is a persisting and unsolved issue confronting clinicians. The integration of biomarkers, clinical judgment, and microbiologic eradication might help to define a shorter ...

The rapidly increasing number of protein crystal structures available in PDB has naturally made statistical analyses feasible in studying complex high-order inter-residue correlations. In this paper, we report a Context-based Secondary Structure Potential (CSSP) for assessing the quality of predicted protein secondary structures generated by various prediction servers. CSSP is ...

ABSTRACT: The discovery of tissue reparative and immunosuppressive abilities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has drawn more attention to tumor microenvironment and its role in providing the soil for the tumor cell growth. MSCs are recruited to tumor which is referred as the never healing wound and altered by the ...

Metastatic spread in Ewing sarcomas (ES) is frequent and haematogenous. G-protein coupled receptor 64 (GPR64), an orphan receptor with normal expression restricted to human epididymis is specifically over-expressed in ES among sarcoma, but also up-regulated in a number of carcinomas derived from prostate, kidney or lung. Inhibition of GPR64 expression ...

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease in China. Polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect SFTS virus (SFTSV) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in previous clinically diagnosed human anaplasmosis patients and SFTS patients. A serosurvey for SFTSV infection was also conducted on healthy ...

Introduction Perforator flap transfer has the benefits of minimal donor site morbidity and customization in design. This study reports on the proximal lateral leg perforator (PLLP) flap transfer for head and neck reconstruction.Materials and Methods From January 2000 through December 2009, 18 patients underwent head and neck reconstruction with the PLLP flap, ...

The interaction between strictosamide (STM) and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular modeling under physiological pH 7.4. STM effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA via static quenching. The binding site number n ...

Half of the patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are over 65 years old. These elderly patients frequently have other diseases, some of them severe, which may alter their ability to receive standard curative therapy. However these associated diseases are heterogeneous and only a few contra-indicates chemotherapy treatments. We reviewed ...

Fusarium infections do not only affect the grain, but also the rest of the plant, which result in contamination of plants with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). The bioavailability of DON may be influenced by the matrix due to the differences in nutrient composition between grain and straw, particularly the high ...

Objective: To report an extremely rare case of thyroid tuberculosis (TT) with abnormal thyroid function and to review the related literature.Methods: We present the patient's history, clinical findings, laboratory test results, imaging exams, cytological data, management and follow-up. In addition, we perform a review of previously published cases of TT, ...

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk level is related to knowledge of the leading cause of death of women or heart attack symptoms. HYPOTHESIS: Women with higher CVD risk estimated by Framingham Risk Score (FRS) or metabolic syndrome (MS) have lower CVD knowledge. METHODS: Women visiting ...

Chromosome biorientation promotes congression and generates tension that stabilizes kinetochore-microtubule (kt-MT) interactions. Forces produced by molecular motors also contribute to chromosome alignment, but their impact on kt-MT attachment stability is unclear. A critical force that acts on chromosomes is the kinesin-10-dependent polar ejection force (PEF). PEFs are proposed to facilitate ...

Context:Sex hormones, particularly androgens, may influence not only adipose tissue distribution but also its functions.Objective:We explored the possibility of sexual dimorphism in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle function.Design:This was a case-control study.Setting:The setting was an academic hospital.Participants:Participants were severely obese men (n = 7), control women (n = 7), and ...

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and challenging behaviour (CB) often occur simultaneously in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Understanding the associations between anxiety and CB may contribute to more accurate diagnoses and management of both anxiety and CB in this population. AIMS: To examine the relationship between anxiety and CB. METHODS: A literature ...

OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features of a fatal case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient with multiple sclerosis treated with natalizumab. We will use this case to review PML risk stratification and diagnosis. DESIGN Case report. SETTING Tertiary referral center hospitalized care. PATIENT A ...

It doesn't take much to oxidize cycloalkanes directly to the corresponding cyclic ketones: molecular oxygen as the oxidant, water as the solvent, the cofactor NADP(+) (and a little 2-propanol to reduce it), as well as two catalytic enzymes-a hydroxylating P450 monooxygenase and an alcohol dehydrogenase.

Patients with a body mass index (BMI) above 35 kg/m2 with metabolic diseases benefit from Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) independently of their final BMI and the amount of body weight lost. However, the weight loss independent metabolic effects induced by RYGB remain less well understood. To elucidate metabolic changes after ...

Context:Odanacatib, a cathepsin K inhibitor, increases spine and hip areal bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with low BMD and cortical thickness in ovariectomized monkeys.Objective:The objective of the study was to examine the impact of odanacatib on the trabecular and cortical bone compartments and estimated strength at the hip ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: PDZ domains are structural protein domains that recognize simple linear amino acid motifs, often at protein C-termini, and mediate protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in important biological processes, such as ion channel regulation, cell polarity and neural development. PDZ domain-peptide interaction predictors have been developed based on domain and peptide ...

Objectives:Current clinical practice guidelines identify patients at high risk for fracture who are likely to benefit from pharmacological therapy and suggest ways to monitor for effectiveness of therapy. However, there is no clear guidance on when fracture risk has been reduced to an acceptably low level. As a consequence, some ...

The high-resolution real space mapping of Li-ion diffusion in LiNi(1/3)Co(1/3)Mn(1/3)O(2) cathode within an all-solid-state thin film Li-ion battery has been conducted using advanced Scanning Probe Microscopy Techniques, namely, Band Excitation Electrochemical Strain Microscopy (BE-ESM) and Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (c-AFM). In addition, local variations of the electrochemical response in LiNi(1/3)Co(1/3)Mn(1/3)O(2) ...

A bipyridinium ligand with a charge separated skeleton has been introduced into a metal-organic framework to yield a porous material with charge-polarized pore space, which exhibits selective adsorption for polar guest molecules and can be further used in gas chromatography for the separation of alcohol-water mixtures.

Objective. The brain foreign body response (FBR) is an important process that limits the functionality of electrodes that comprise the brain-machine interface. Associated events in this process include leakage of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), reactive astrogliosis, recruitment and activation of microglia, and neuronal degeneration. Proper BBB function is also integral ...

A prospective clinical study was conducted to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) with direct metallic stent placement using a prototype forward-viewing echoendoscope. The indication for EUS - CDS in this study was lower biliary obstruction only, and not failed endoscopic biliary drainage, because the aim ...

A simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for the simultaneous quantification of tetrabenazine and its active metabolites α-dihydrotetrabenazine and β-dihydrotetrabenazine in human plasma. Tetrabenazine d7 was used as internal standard (IS). The analytes were extracted from 200 μL aliquots ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Behcet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic disorder with muco-cutaneous, ocular, arthritic, vascular or central nervous system involvement. The role of gamma delta T cells is implicated in BD. The activation status of gamma delta T cells and their cytokine secretion against phosphoantigens are evaluated in BD. METHODS: NKG2A, ...

Objective: Some case reports have suggested an association between primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and peripheral polyneuropathy (PPN). However there are no studies examining this possible relationship. The aim of this study was to evaluate peripheral nerve conduction in subjects with PHPT.Methods: 17 patients with PHTP were included. Mean (±SD) age was ...

Edentulism, or tooth loss, seriously alters the appearance of the lower facial skeleton. The aim of this study was to determine if complete maxillary edentulism also impacts the curvature shape of the orbits and zygomatic arches in elderly adults. The study was conducted on 80 crania comprising two cross-sectional populations ...

A total of 1,220 subjects from Equatorial Guinea living in Spain (median age = 41 years; 453 male and 767 female) was examined for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV) viruses. Extracted RNA and DNA from the positive samples were used ...

AIMS: EphB2 is a member of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) family that is essential for the cell adhesion, neural crest migration, axon guidance and synaptogenesis in the nervous system. Recent studies show that preservation of EphB2 in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rescues the cognitive deficit, suggesting ...

The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway is a conserved pathway that regulates cell migration and polarity in various contexts. Here we show that key PCP pathway components such as Vangl2, Celsr1, Prickle1, FZD3, FZD7, Dvl2, Dvl3 and casein kinase 1 (CK1)-ε are up-regulated in B lymphocytes of patients with chronic ...

BACKGROUND: Postoperative liver dysfunction is the major source of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing partial hepatectomy. This study tested the benefits of a metabolic support protocol based on insulin infusion, for reducing liver dysfunction following hepatic resection. METHODS: Consecutive consenting patients scheduled for liver resection were randomized to receive ...

The glycoprotein (GP)Ib-IX-V complex is the platelet receptor for von Willebrand factor and many other molecules critically involved in hemostasis and thrombosis. The lack of functional GPIb-IX-V complexes on the platelet surface is the cause of Bernard-Soulier syndrome, a rare hereditary bleeding disorder also associated with macrothrombocytopenia. The GPIb-IX-V complex ...

Context:The duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) is a device that mimics the intestinal portion of gastric bypass surgery and has been shown to improve glucose metabolism rapidly in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).Objective:To assess the safety of the DJBL and to evaluate its potential to affect glycemic control beneficially ...

Reliable measurement of DNA concentration is essential for a broad range of applications in biology and molecular biology, and for many of these, quantifying the nucleic acid content is inextricably linked to obtaining optimal results. In its most simplistic form, quantitative analysis of nucleic acids can be accomplished by UV-Vis ...

The live attenuated yellow fever virus (YFV) 17D vaccine provides a good model to study immune responses to an acute viral infection in humans. We studied the temporal dynamics, composition, and character of the primary human T cell response to YFV. The acute YFV-specific effector CD8 T cell response was ...

Intermedin (IMD) is a novel peptide expressed in trophoblast cells in human placenta and enhances the invasion, migration, and human leukocyte antigen class I, G (HLA-G) expression in first-trimester HTR-8SV/neo cells. We recently reported that infusion of IMD antagonist in pregnant rats is detrimental to pregnancy outcome, resulting in impaired ...

Recently, developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) was described (Bianchini et al., 2010, J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 20, 807-27; Iaria & Barton, 2010, Exp Brain Res, 206, 189-96; Iaria, Bogod, Fox, & Barton, 2009, Neuropsychologia, 47, 30-40) as a navigational deficit in the absence of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Here, we reported the ...

Hippocampal parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV INs) provide fast and reliable GABAergic signalling to principal cells and orchestrate hippocampal ensemble activities. Precise coordination of principal cell activity by PV INs relies in part on the efficacy of excitatory afferents that recruit them in the hippocampal network. Feed-forward (FF) inputs in particular from ...

BACKGROUND:In this post hoc subanalysis of the Perioperative Ischemic Evaluation (POISE) trial, we sought to determine whether nitrous oxide was associated with the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and nonfatal cardiac arrest within 30 days of randomization.METHODS:The POISE trial of perioperative β-blockade was undertaken in ...

Colorful: The protein arginine deiminases are members of the enzyme family that catalyze posttranslational histone modification and consequent changes in gene expression. A visual readout of catalytic activity was developed that yields large fluorescence changes across the visible spectrum. The use of different fluorophores enables the simultaneous multicolor monitoring of ...

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) has been detected in the liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscle. The expression and mechanism of PPAR-α in atherosclerosis remains unclear. The present study was undertaken in order to examine the expression and role of PPAR-α in programmed atherosclerosis induced by a high‑fat diet and balloon-injury ...

Background:The mechanisms whereby gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of fetal overgrowth and development of metabolic diseases later in life are likely to involve changes in nutrient supply to the fetus. So, in this work we hypothesize that GDM may affect folic acid (FA) supply to the placenta and ...

Personality traits have been shown to influence suicidal behaviour but the literature on 'older' elderly is sparse. The aim was to compare neuroticism and extroversion in hospitalized suicide attempters aged 75 and above and a general population comparison group. Seventy-two hospitalized suicide attempters (mean age 81 years) were interviewed. Comparison ...

Details of the mechanism of asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by the chiral bifunctional ruthenium complexes, (S)-RuH[(R,R)-OCH(Ph)CH(Ph)NH2](η6-benzene) (Ru-1) and (S)-RuH[(R,R)-p-TsNCH(Ph)CH(Ph)NH2](η6-mesitylene) (Ru-2), were studied computationally by density functional theory with accounting for the solvation effects by using continuum, discrete, and mixed continuum/discrete solvation models via "solvated supermolecules" approach. In contrast ...

Objective: The SOLVE study investigated the initiation of basal insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes on oral antidiabetic (OAD) treatment and outcomes in patients with varying levels of glycemic control at baseline.Methods: This was an observational cohort study conducted in 10 countries, using insulin detemir. Data were collected at ...