Severe hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is likely to develop critical complications such as brainstem encephalitis, acute pulmonary edema, and circulatory failure, which cause child mortality during outbreaks. This study aims to investigate factors that predict the severity of HFMD. One hundred sixteen in-patient children with severe HFMD and ...

We determined the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence of the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus (Decapoda, Anomura). P. camtschaticus is one of the largest arthropods and the most expensive commercially available gourmet seafood. The genome sequence of P. camtschaticus is 16,720 bp in size and its gene content, gene order, and ...

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to validate the Activities and Participation component of the Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (OPD) from the patient's perspective. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted with a convenience sample of outpatients with Chronic Obstructive ...

Numerous empirical studies have investigated the relationships between cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and patients' psychological well-being, with a focus almost exclusively on its dark side. Very little is known on the impact of illness severity on both negative and positive indicators of patients' well-being, as well as on the psychosocial variables ...

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries, and its prevalence is expected to increase further in the coming years. While the pharmacokinetic changes observed in patients with heart failure have been reviewed twice in Clinical Pharmacokinetics, approximately a quarter century has passed since the ...

Nephrotoxicity is a major complication of gentamicin (GEN). We aimed to evaluate the potential protective effect of montelukast (MK) against GEN-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of eight animals as follows: (1) the rats were control; (2) intraperitoneally injected with GEN 14 ...

The interaction between oxazepam and C(60) fullerene was explored using first-principles vdW-DF calculations. It was found that oxazepam binds weakly to the fullerene cage via its carbonyl group. The binding of oxazepam to C(60) is affected drastically by nonlocal dispersion interactions, while vdW forces affect the corresponding geometries only a ...

RATIONALE: Lithium has been a standard pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorder over the last 60 years; however, the molecular targets through which lithium exerts its therapeutic effects are still not defined. Attenuation of the phosphatidylinositol signal transduction pathway as a consequence of inhibition of inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) has been proposed as ...

BACKGROUND: Currently, no treatment guidelines are available for posttransplant hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence. We retrospectively evaluated the rate of clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from serum according to various treatment regimens in two large Korean liver transplantation centers. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2008, HBV recurred in 59 ...

BACKGROUND: The use of Macrolane™ seems to have several advantages compared to the other standard methods for breast augmentation: it is faster, less invasive, and requires only local anesthesia. Nevertheless, various complications associated with the use of Macrolane™ have been described, e.g., encapsulated lumps in breast tissue, infection, and parenchymal ...

The aim of the present study was to provide normative data for the Croatian language using 346 visually presented objects (Cycowicz, Friedman, Rothstein, & Snodgrass Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 65:171-237, 1997; Roach, Schwartz, Martin, Grewal, & Brecher Clinical Aphasiology 24:121-133, 1996; Snodgrass & Vanderwart Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human ...

Summary With many molecular markers in many species, research efforts in quantitative genetics have focused on dissecting these traits and understanding the importance of factors such as correlated response due to hitchhiking or pleiotropy. Here, in an examination of long-term selection experiments in mice, the evidence strongly supports the primary ...

MicroRNAs have emerged as essential regulators of gene expression and may play important roles in a variety of human disorders. To understand the role of microRNA-mediated gene regulation in the kidney, we deleted the microRNA-processing enzyme Dicer in developing renal tubules and parts of the ureteric bud in mice. Genetic ...

Myelination by oligodendrocytes facilitates rapid nerve conduction. Loss of oligodendrocytes and failure of myelination lead to nerve degeneration and numerous demyelinating white matter diseases. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are key regulators on neuron survival and functions, have been recently identified to express in oligodendrocytes, especially in the myelin sheath. NMDA ...

Hydrogels are used to create three-dimensional microenvironments with properties that direct cell function. The current study demonstrates the versatility of hyaluronic acid (HA) based hydrogels with independent control over hydrogel properties such as mechanics, architecture, and spatial distribution of biological factors. Hydrogels were prepared by reacting furan-modified HA with bis-maleimide-poly(ethylene ...

Peptides derived from apolipoprotein B (apoB)-100 have been previously used in vaccine preparations to treat atherosclerosis. Such vaccines have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque development by 50 % in experimental animals, and this effect is associated with induction of T helper (Th)2 immune responses. In this study we immunised apolipoprotein ...

OBJECTIVE: To document the scale-up of India's Adolescent Girls' Anaemia Control Programme following a knowledge-centred framework for scaling up nutrition interventions and to identify the critical elements of and lessons learned from a decade of programme experience for the control of anaemia in adolescent girls. DESIGN: We reviewed all articles, ...

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent source of cardiac emboli in patients with ischemic stroke. AF may be asymptomatic and therefore undiagnosed. Screening for silent AF seems suitable in risk populations, little is however known on the yield and cost-effectiveness of such screening. METHODS AND RESULTS: All inhabitants in ...

Abstract Background: Hereditary fibrinogen A alpha-chain (AFib) amyloidosis affects different organs, especially the kidneys. No case of this disease has been reported in Latin America. Case report: A 52-year-old previously healthy Brazilian woman presented with a seven-month history of proteinuria in the absence of hematuria. The patient had normal blood ...

We have applied an algorithm to automatically identify emission lines in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (LIBS). Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm was used to ablate high-alloy stainless steel sample. The algorithm implemented by three parts: simulation of the set of spectra corresponding to different temperature (T) and electron density (N(e)), ...

CONTEXT Selective school-based alcohol prevention programs targeting youth with personality risk factors for addiction and mental health problems have been found to reduce substance use and misuse in those with elevated personality profiles. OBJECTIVES To report 24-month outcomes of the Teacher-Delivered Personality-Targeted Interventions for Substance Misuse Trial (Adventure trial) in ...

The aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with patients achieving goal A1c after 6 months in a pharmacist-managed diabetes clinic. This study is a descriptive, retrospective chart review of patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in a pharmacist-managed diabetes clinic. The primary endpoint was the ...

The origin of the non-linear solvatochromic shift of <i>para<i>-nitroaniline was investigated using a mean-field sequential QM/MM method, with electron transitions computed at CASPT2/cc-pVDZ level. Experimental data shows that the solvatochromic shift has a strong non-linear behavior in certain solvent mixtures. We studied the case of cyclohexane-triethylamine mixtures. The results are ...

The 17-electron radical CpCr(CO)(2)(IMe)(•) (IMe = 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) was synthesized by the reaction of IMe with [CpCr(CO)(3)](2), and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), IR, and variable temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The metal-centered radical is monomeric under all conditions and exhibits Curie paramagnetic behavior in ...

A sizable fraction of patients experiences adverse drug events or lack of drug efficacy. A part of this variability in drug response can be explained by genetic differences between patients. However, pharmacogenomic data as well as computational clinical decision support systems for interpreting such data are still unavailable in most ...

The dynamics of subthreshold membrane potential provide insight into the organization of activity in neural circuits. In many brain areas membrane potential is bistable, transiting between a relatively hyperpolarized down-state and a depolarized up-state. These up and down-states, which have been proposed to play a number of computational roles, have ...

BACKGROUND: Tobacco control policies have succeeded in reducing tobacco use, but the negative correlation between smoking prevalence and socioeconomic status (SES) has increased. This study focused on the relationships between time preferences, SES, and smoking behaviour, attitudes and risk awareness. METHODS: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in France in ...

The molecular determinants responsible for the potency of the RXP470.1 phosphinic peptide inhibitor towards matrix metalloprotease-12 (MMP-12) remain elusive. To address this issue, structure-activity study, X-ray crystallography and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments were performed. The crystal structure of MMP-12/inhibitor complex (1.15 Å) reveals that the inhibitor establishes multiple interactions ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In 2011, Royston et al. described technical details of a two-arm, multi-stage (TAMS) design. The design enables a trial to be stopped part-way through recruitment if the accumulating data suggests a lack of benefit of the experimental arm. Such interim decisions can be made using data on an ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism plays important roles in the whole process of pregnancy. Previous studies have demonstrated abnormalities of lipid metabolism in the placentas of pregnancies obtained by assisted reproductive technology (ART). Therefore, we hypothesized that ART micromanipulation may affect lipid metabolism in offspring, and focused on the fatty acid ...

The emission, mass balance, and distribution characteristics of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) as well as those of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu) were investigated during the co-combustion of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% sewage sludge (SS) in a pulverized coal power plant. The PCDD/F emissions increased ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) cause toxicological renal effects, but the clinical relevance at low-level exposures in general populations is unclear. The objective of this study is to assess the risk of developing end-stage renal disease in relation to Cd, Pb, and Hg exposure. METHODS: A ...

The impact upper extremity impairments (UE) have on UE function in breast cancer survivors (BCS) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between upper extremity active range of motion (AROM), passive range of motion (PROM), and strength with self-reported function in BCS. BCS (n  =  24) completed ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To identify prognostic factors associated with recurrence of low birthweight (LBW) in successive gestations, a study was carried out with a subsample of mothers enrolled in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort. METHODS: Data were collected by hospital-based interviews. Newborns were weighed and measured. Gestational age was defined according ...

Studying how pathogens subvert the host to cause disease has contributed to the understanding of fundamental cell biology. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, produces the virulence factor lethal toxin to disarm host immunity and cause pathology. We conducted a phenotypic small molecule screen to identify inhibitors of lethal ...

Most nonprimate mammals possess dichromatic ("red-green color blind") color vision based on short-wavelength-sensitive (S) and medium/long-wavelength-sensitive (ML) cone photoreceptor classes. However, the neural pathways carrying signals underlying the primitive "blue-yellow" axis of color vision in nonprimate mammals are largely unexplored. Here, we have characterized a population of color opponent (blue-ON) ...

In general neurologic practice, you would have seen a patient with migraine today, who would have described the problem, and almost certainly listed triggers for the attacks. So what happens when triggering is tested systematically, and what can we learn?

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the concurrent validity of the systemic lupus erythematosus responder index (SRI) in assessing improvement in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE). METHODS: The SRI considers changes in the SELENA-SLEDAI, BILAG and a 3-cm visual analogue scale of physician-rated disease activity (PGA) to determine patient improvement. Using prospectively ...

The Raman Optical Activity (ROA) spectra of both enantiomers of 2-Br-hexahelicene in chloroform solution have been measured in the range 1700-300 cm-1. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations accurately reproduce the observed features. The most intense ROA features are also the most intense Raman features, in the region 1350-1400 cm-1, and ...

A 6-mer oligonucleotide containing a fluorescent moiety has been used as a novel fluorescent probe for the 3'-overhang of telomeric DNA based on competition between non-fluorescent tetramolecular and fluorescent (3+1) intermolecular G-quadruplexes.

Increasing food production for the growing human population off a constraining land-base will require greater efficiency of production. Genetic improvement of feed efficiency in cattle, which is cumulative and permanent, is one likely vehicle to achieving efficiency gains. The objective of this review is to summarize genetic parameters for feed ...

Far upstream element-binding protein 2 (FBP2) is an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) trans-acting factor (ITAF) that negatively regulates enterovirus 71 (EV71) translation. This study shows that EV71 infection cleaved FBP2. Live EV71 and the EV71 replicon (not UV-inactivated virus particles) induced FBP2 cleavage, suggesting that viral replication results in ...

Whipple disease is a disorder caused by Tropheryma whipplei, a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacillus. In addition to gastrointestinal manifestations, many other systems may be involved in Whipple disease. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare manifestation of Whipple disease, and its clinical course is not well established. We report a case of ...

A periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is the preferred joint preserving treatment for young adults with symptomatic hip dysplasia and no osteoarthritis. In symptomatic dysplasia of the hip, there is labral pathology in up to 90% of cases. However, no consensus exists as to whether a labral tear should be treated before ...

The control of vocalization is critically dependent on auditory feedback. Here, we determined the human peri-Sylvian speech network that mediates feedback control of pitch using direct cortical recordings. Subjects phonated while a real-time signal processor briefly perturbed their output pitch (speak condition). Subjects later heard the same recordings of their ...

Uromodulin (UMOD) genetic variants cause familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy, characterized by hyperuricemia with decreased renal excretion of UMOD and uric acid, suggesting a role for UMOD in the regulation of plasma uric acid. To determine this, we screened common variants across the UMOD locus in one community-based Chinese population of ...

In many organs, myofibroblasts play a major role in the scarring process in response to injury. In liver fibrogenesis, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are thought to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts, but the origins of both HSCs and myofibroblasts remain elusive. In the developing liver, lung, and intestine, mesothelial cells (MCs) differentiate ...

Normally post-mitotic neurons that aberrantly re-enter the cell cycle without dividing account for a substantial fraction of the neurons that die in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We now report that this ectopic cell cycle re-entry (CCR) requires soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, the respective building blocks of the insoluble plaques and ...

During the first two weeks of mouse postnatal development, transient retinal circuits give rise to the spontaneous initiation and lateral propagation of depolarizations across the ganglion cell layer (GCL). Glutamatergic retinal waves occur during the second postnatal week, when GCL depolarizations are mediated by ionotropic glutamate receptors. Bipolar cells are ...

AIM: To improve the detection and quality of care of patients who attend the emergency department (ED) with confirmed or suspected domestic abuse (DA). DESIGN: A quality improvement report on the design, implementation and evaluation of a specialised service and structured training programme to detect and manage DA presentations within ...