We developed models of lymphatic nodes for six pediatric and two adult hybrid computational phantoms to calculate the lymphatic node dose estimates from external and internal radiation exposures. We derived the number of lymphatic nodes from the recommendations in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publications 23 and 89 at ...

Chemically modified mRNA is capable of inducing therapeutic levels of protein expression while circumventing the threat of genomic integration often associated with viral vectors. We utilized this novel therapeutic tool to express the regulatory T cell transcription factor, FOXP3, in a time- and site-specific fashion in murine lung, in order ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and radiographic results of patients who underwent single-level cervical arthroplasty using the Prestige LP. METHOD: Thirty-one patients with single-level cervical disc disease received the Prestige LP disc replacement from June 2008 to December 2009. The neck disability index (NDI), Japanese Orthopedic Association score (JOA) ...

Aquaporins (AQP) are a growing family of water-channel proteins, numbering 13 to date. Recent studies have reported AQP1 and AQP4 to be involved in the development and resorption of brain edemas of different origin. Other AQPs have also been detected in brain tissue, but their impact on brain edema remains ...

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is an intermediate lipid involved in the synthesis of phospholipids and triglycerides. As signaling regulators, DAG activate novel protein kinase C leading to decreased response to insulin in skeletal muscle. Alteration of DAG contents correlates with development of metabolic dysregulation in obese and diabetic conditions. Recent advances in ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The burden of out of pocket spending for the Mexican population is high compared to other countries. Even patients insured by social security institutions have to face the cost of health goods, services or nonmedical expenses related to their illness. Primary caregivers, in addition, experience losses in productivity ...

The aim of this investigation was to characterize and explain the rheological behaviour observed for mixed solutions of maltodextrin and galactomannans. When 1% w/w guar gum was mixed with 3% w/w low DE maltodextrin (DE 1 or DE 2), the viscosity at low shear rates (∼0.1 to 10 s(-1)) decreased ...

A study was conducted to evaluate the main effects of dietary nitrate adaptation by cattle and alfalfa cell wall to starch ratio in in vitro substrates on nitrate disappearance and nitrite and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, as well as hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) accumulations. Rumen fluid from steers ...

Mass extinctions manifest in Earth's geologic record were turning points in biotic evolution. We present (40)Ar/(39)Ar data that establish synchrony between the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and associated mass extinctions with the Chicxulub bolide impact to within 32,000 years. Perturbation of the atmospheric carbon cycle at the boundary likely lasted less than ...

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cognitive and locomotor regression and stereotypic hand movements. The disorder is caused by mutations in the X chromosomal MECP2 a gene encoding methyl CpG-binding protein. It has been associated with disturbances of cerebral folate homeostasis, as well as with speculations on a ...

BACKGROUND: Although the utility of laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been recognized in recent years, the impact of the laparoscopic liver resection for HCC with complete liver cirrhosis (F4) is still unknown. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 56 patients who underwent partial hepatectomy for HCC (3 cm or smaller ...

A multiphase slurry for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is prepared using an active material, a carbon conductive, a polymeric binder and a solvent, and its physicochemical characteristics is evaluated in this study. The polymer binder interacting with particles in the slurry plays a crucial role in constructing the internal configuration of ...

PURPOSE: A valved ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (V-P shunt) as a vesico-amniotic shunt (V-A shunt) preserves the filling/emptying cycle and normal bladder development in fetal lambs with bladder outlet obstruction. The optimal pressure for such shunts is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We created obstructive uropathy in 60-day gestation fetal lambs. A V-A ...

AIMS: To report the frequency of unsuspected pathologies detected by presurgical and/or postsurgical intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (IOTEE) and its impact on the extent of cardiac surgery and the number of pathologies remaining unoperated. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a 2-year study period, 469 patients (male/female = 273/196; age 68.0 ± 11.9 years) with presurgical and/or postsurgical ...

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, autoantibody driven celiac disease and infectious Whipple's disease can all be associated with neurological symptoms. The neurological manifestation may occur even before the gastrointestinal symptoms or the enteropathic symptoms can even be absent as in celiac disease. These diseases can be ...

ABSTRACT Two experiments tested whether Russian-speaking children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are sensitive to gender agreement when performing a gender decision task. In Experiment 1, the presence of overt gender agreement between verbs and/or adjectival modifiers and postverbal subject nouns memory was varied. In Experiment 2, agreement violations were ...

Changes in the outlook on management of oral health and dental disease have developed over decades for both dental professionals and the public but now is the time for these changes to be implemented in practice. Minimum intervention is concerned with preventing disease rather than restoring teeth and attitudes towards ...

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro responses of MLO-A5 osteogenic cells to two modifications of the bioactive glass 13-93. The modified glasses, which were designed for use as cell support scaffolds and contained added boron to form the glasses 13-93 B1 and 13-93 B3, were ...

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) induces reproductive failure in sows and respiratory problems in pigs of all ages. Live attenuated and inactivated vaccines are used on swine farms to control PRRSV. However, their protective efficacy against field strains of PRRSV remains questionable. New vaccines have been developed to ...

It has been reported that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which plays an important role in glial activation in neuropathic pain, is significantly increased in cancer pain. The present study was designed to assess the role of TLR4 in cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) by intrathecal administration of TLR4 signaling pathway blocker ...

Density functional theory computations were performed to examine the electronic and magnetic properties of MoO(3) two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets and their derived one-dimensional (1D) nanoribbons (NRs). The pristine 2D MoO(3) sheet is a nonmagnetic semiconductor with an indirect band gap, but can be transformed to a magnetic metal when the surface ...

Mucus hypersecretion is a major manifestation in patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases, and mucin5AC (MUC5AC) protein is a major component of airway mucus. Previous studies have demonstrated that neutrophil elastase (NE) stimulates the secretion of MUC5AC from airway epithelial cells, however, the mechanism is poorly understood. NE is a ...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic treatment of difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones (diameter ≥10 mm, or four or more) is difficult in patients who have undergone Billroth II (B-II) gastrectomy. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) can be particularly troublesome due to anatomical changes effected by the gastrectomy. AIM: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of ...

Depressive symptoms and episodes dominate the long-term course of bipolar disorder and are associated with high levels of disability and an increased risk of suicide. However, the treatment of bipolar depression has been poorly investigated in comparison with that of manic episodes and unipolar major depressive disorder. The goal of ...

Catalytic signal amplification was used for the colorimetric detection of CN(-) in aqueous media by using the enzyme catalase in tandem with mesoporous silica nanoparticle based synthetic HRP enzyme mimic Fe-MSNs. Signal amplification up to a maximum of eight fold was observed for the reporter "oxidized TMB" with respect to ...

A 13-year-old girl presented with a progressive ascending paralysis, bulbar dysfunction and finally respiratory arrest. Magnetic resonance (MR) showed acute cervicomedullary injury and hindbrain herniation. An emergency foramen magnum decompression and external ventricular drainage insertion were performed, and meningococcal infection was diagnosed. The patient recovered completely. Meningococcal encephalitis may have ...

BACKGROUND: Since 2007, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has been applied in humans. We performed this prospective study to evaluate the transvaginal route in terms of risks, complication rate, and long-term side effects such as dyspareunia. METHODS: From June 2007 to September 2011, we performed 222 transvaginal hybrid NOTES ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Having diagnosed a patient as having IgG4-related disease, I would have a low threshold for recommending immune-suppressive treatment, and would make that recommendation for any patient with vascular involvement. My initial approach would be prednisone at 40-60 mg/day with a plan to reduce the dose every two weeks, e.g., ...

This study examined food availability along children's paths to and from elementary school, and associations with change in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference over 1 year. Secondary data from 319 children aged 8-13 years from the "Multiple Opportunities to Reach Excellence" Project was used. Child anthropometry and demographic variables were ...

PURPOSE: To assess fitting of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses in patients with keratoconus, using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS: The study was conducted on 30 eyes of 30 keratoconic patients fitted with RGP lenses, namely Rose K2 lens. Biomicroscopic examination with and without RGP lens was done. ...

Body mass index (BMI) at admission is an important predictor of outcome in adolescent eating disorders. However, few studies have investigated BMI at admission, its changes in recent years, or modifying factors, such as duration of illness and age at onset in different geographical regions. Thus, this study aimed to ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant genetic variant found in vertebrates and invertebrates. SNP discovery has become a highly automated, robust and relatively inexpensive process allowing the identification of many thousands of mutations for model and non-model organisms. Annotating large numbers of SNPs can be a ...

BACKGROUND: Gastric fistula (GF) is the most serious complication after longitudinal sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), with an incidence ranging from 0 to 5 %. In this context, concomitant upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) has never been described. Here, we describe our experience of this situation and suggest a procedure for the standardized management ...

BACKGROUND: The relationship between nutritional risk and postoperative recovery of patients with major laparoscopic abdominal surgery is still unclear. The present study was designed to assess the value of the nutritional risk screening in predicting the postoperative outcomes in this cohort of patients. METHODS: Data from a consecutive series of ...

The possibility to affect bone formation by using crushed versus solid hydrogels as carriers for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) was studied. Hydrogels, based on chemical crosslinking between hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) derivatives, were loaded with BMP-2 and hydroxyapatite. Crushed and solid forms of the gels were analyzed both ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare laboratory outcomes and pregnancy rates of infertile couples, in which male partners have treated and untreated clinical varicocele before performing ICSI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of 306 couples in whom ICSI was performed due to infertility were evaluated retrospectively. All of the males had clinical varicocele, ...

This study tested two integrative socio-cognitive models, namely the information-motivation-behavioral skills model (IMB) and the I-Change model (ICM), to assess their hypothesized motivational pathways for the prediction of condom use during last sexual intercourse. Students (N = 1066) from Cape Town, South Africa, filled out questionnaires at three different time points. Structural ...

Background: Recent publications show that elevation of FGF23 is independently associated with progression or renal disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiovascular mortality. Dietary restriction of phosphate and phosphate binders are used for control phosphate balance and elevation of serum FGF23 levels. The aim of this study is to compare the ...

PURPOSE: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most important pain disorders with increasing social and economic implications. Given that CLBP is a multidimensional process associated with comorbidities such as anxiety and depression, treatment of chronic low back pain is still a challenge. Advancement of in vivo brain ...

Although there is growing recognition of the problem of dating violence, little is known about how it unfolds among young adolescents who are just beginning to date. This study examined classes (subgroups) and transitions between classes over three time points based on dating violence, bullying, and sexual harassment perpetration and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Shigella is a major pathogen responsible for bacillary dysentery, a severe form of shigellosis. Severity of the disease depends on the virulence of the infecting strain. Shigella pathogenicity is a multi-gene phenomenon, involving the participation of genes on an unstable large virulence plasmid and chromosomal pathogenicity islands. RESULTS: ...

Blue collar workers generally report high job stress and are exposed to loud noises at work and engage in many of risky health behavioral factors, all of which have been associated with poor sleep quality. However, sleep quality of blue collar workers has not been studied extensively, and no studies ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The use of positive psychological interventions may be considered as a complementary strategy in mental health promotion and treatment. The present article constitutes a meta-analytical study of the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions for the general public and for individuals with specific psychosocial problems. METHODS: We conducted a ...

E6 viral oncoproteins are key players in epithelial tumors induced by papillomaviruses in vertebrates, including cervical cancer in humans. E6 proteins target many host proteins by specifically interacting with acidic LxxLL motifs. We solved the crystal structures of bovine (BPV1) and human (HPV16) papillomavirus E6 proteins bound to LxxLL peptides ...

Collagen type-II is the dominant type of collagen in articular cartilage and chondroitin sulfate is one of the main components of cartilage extracellular matrix. Afibrillar and fibrillar type-II atelocollagen scaffolds with and without chondroitin sulfate were prepared using casting and freeze-drying methods. The scaffolds were characterised to highlight the effects ...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for superficial gastric neoplasm is a curative method. The aim of this study was to detect potential nonbleeding visible vessels (NBVVs) by using an infrared imaging (IRI) system. METHODS: A total of 24 patients (25 lesions) were consecutively enrolled between March 2010 and December 2010. ...

Aim: To assess the prognostic implications of serum uric acid levels on patients with IgA nephropathy in a longitudinal 8-year follow-up study and to identify an association between serum uric acid levels and the clinical and pathological phenotypes of IgA nephropathy. Subjects and methods: We reviewed the files of all ...

BACKGROUND: The pelvis as the biomechanical foundation of spine, plays an important role in the balance of the stance and gait through the multi-link spinal-pelvic system. If the pelvic axial rotation (PAR) exists in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients, it should theoretically have some effects on the body balance. PURPOSE: ...

BACKGROUND: It has been clearly shown that after elective colorectal surgery patients benefit from multimodal perioperative care programs. The Dutch Institute for Health Care Improvement started a breakthrough project to implement a multimodal perioperative care program of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). This pre/post noncontrolled study evaluated the success of ...

This study aims at verifying the potential of a recent radiological technology, cone beam CT (CBCT), for the reproduction of digital 3D models which may allow the user to verify the inner morphology of sharp force wounds within the bone tissue. Several sharp force wounds were produced by both single ...