BACKGROUND: United States foreign policy is tied extensively to health initiatives, many related to the use of military assets. Despite substantial resource investment by the US Department of Defense (DoD) in hospital ship humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions, the impact of this investment is unclear. METHODS: A systematic literature ...

The quantum mechanics of position measurement of a macroscopic object is typically inaccessible because of strong coupling to the environment and classical noise. In this work, we monitor a mechanical resonator subject to an increasingly strong continuous position measurement and observe a quantum mechanical back-action force that rises in accordance ...

Histopathologically, fibrosis in Fasciola-infected cattle livers was characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration such as eosinophils and macrophages, pseudo-lobule, pseudo-bile ducts and fibrotic bridges separating pseudo-lobules; the fibrotic lesions were developed in the Glisson's sheath. Pseudo-bile ducts consisting of epithelial cells reacted clearly to cytokeratin (CK) 19, indicating cholangiocyte origin. Immunophenotypes ...

The H-NS chromosome-organizing protein in E. coli can stabilize genomic DNA loops, and form oligomeric structures connected to repression of gene expression. Motivated by the link between chromosome organization, protein binding and gene expression, we analyzed publicly available genomic data sets of various origins, from genome-wide protein binding profiles to ...

Patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) frequently have coexisting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We aimed to determine if the prevalence and severity of OSA is greater in patients with IIH than would be expected, given their other risk factors for OSA. We included 24 patients (20 women, four men) with ...

Several studies have sought to understand the health effects of occupational exposure to cosmic radiation. However, only few biologic markers or associations with disease outcomes have so far been identified. In the present study, 22 long- and 26 medium-haul male Portuguese airline pilots and 36 factory workers who did not ...

In epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) epithelial cancer cells achieve mesenchymal features, essentially helping them to metastasize. There is some evidence that EMT could be increased in triple-negative (TNBC) or basal-like breast cancers, although more precise mechanisms considering e.g. EMT-regulating transcription factors are largely unknown. We assessed immunohistochemically vimentin (separately in in ...

We present a case of cardiac sarcoidosis of insidious onset mimicking arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Our patient initially presented with systemic sarcoidosis but later developed palpitations. The similarity in clinical presentation and cardiac magnetic resonance findings in both conditions posed a challenge in differentiating between the two in the absence ...

We report a case of a 21-year-old male with massive hypertrophic ischial tuberosity non-union. Among multiple other lesions, the patient suffered an open avulsion of the ischial tuberosity in a severe traffic accident in adolescence. A conservative treatment was decided for the avulsion. Because of sciatic pain and difficulties while ...

There is no consensus on the best management of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) in adults. We describe two patients with CAA and review transcatheter approaches to exclude them from the circulation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The cyanobacterial toxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is suggested to play a role in neurodegenerative disease. We have previously shown that although the selective uptake of BMAA in the rodent neonatal striatum does not cause neuronal cell death, exposure during the neonatal development leads to cognitive impairments in adult rats. The aim ...

PURPOSE: We examined whether the novel 6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine thienoyl antifolate, compound 2, might be an effective treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), reflecting its selective membrane transport by the proton-coupled folate transport (PCFT) over the reduced folate carrier (RFC). METHODS: HeLa sublines expressing exclusively PCFT (R1-11-PCFT4) or RFC (R1-11-RFC6) and ...

Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, has been associated with metastasis, therapy resistance, and cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of USP22 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples and to evaluate its clinical significance in PTC patients. USP22 expression was ...

Introduction: 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors (5-HT2A-Rs) are widely expressed in the brain and have been implicated in mood and behavior. Based on the use of atypical antipsychotics in schizophrenia, antagonism of 5-HT2A-Rs initially emerged as a potential intervention capable of reducing the incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms, while exerting an effective antipsychotic ...

Shoval et al. (Reports, 1 June 2012, p. 1157) showed how configurations of phenotypes may identify tasks that trade off with each other, using randomizations assuming independence of data points. I argue that this assumption may not be correct for most and possibly all examples and led to pseudoreplication and ...

Concentration dependent aggregation of two surfactants, anionic sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (Aerosol OT or AOT) and nonionic pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5), has been studied in cyclohexane-D12 using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). A clear monomer to aggregate transition has been observed for both surfactants, spherical inverse micelles for AOT and hank-like micelles ...

Introduction: Changes occurring in the chondrocyte gene that control articular cartilage are important for the onset and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). However, actual development of the disease may be also controlled by changes in epigenome. Areas covered: Topics include the association of the three components of epigenetic modification, i.e., DNA ...

Protein methyltransferases (PMTs) are a novel gene family of therapeutic relevance involved in chromatin-mediated signaling and other biological mechanisms. Most PMTs are organized around the structurally conserved SET domain that catalyzes the methylation of a substrate lysine. A few potent chemical inhibitors compete with the protein substrate, and all are ...

Purpose: Recently, coronary atrial bypass grafting (CABG) for dialysis patients increase, but the mortality is still high. Additionally, many patients show major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) after discharge and long-term results are not satisfactory. Methods: Ninety patients underwent CABG for dialysis patients. Logistic regression analysis was conducted using ...

Medical thromboprophylaxis reduces venous thromboembolism (VTE), while causing bleeding. Routine application of pharmacological VTE prophylaxis to low risk medical patients is likely to cause net harm; as a result only moderate or high risk patients should be exposed to VTE prophylaxis. To avoid unneeded exposure to VTE prophylaxis health care ...

Episodic (less than weekly) drug use and binge drinking increase HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM), yet no evidence-based interventions exist for these men. We describe an adaptation process of the Personalized Cognitive Counseling (PCC) intervention for utilization with high-risk, HIV-negative episodic, substance-using MSM. ...

In water, spin-lattice relaxation times (T(1)) and calibration curves for chemical shifts have been determined for the (13)C and the (1)H(C) atoms in HCOOH, HCOONa, CO(2), Na(2)CO(3) and NaHCO(3) by NMR spectroscopy. These data facilitate kinetic and mechanistic studies for H(2) storage/delivery in the carbon dioxide-formic acid systems under H(2) ...

Abstract Aims and objectives. The aim is to determine the efficacy of internal and external biliary drainage (ED) with special reference to the effect of bile acid on intestinal epithelium during experimental biliary obstruction. Methods. A total of 59 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: (I) ...

Research has shown that feelings of self-disgust may have a functional role in the genesis of depression by partially mediating the cross-sectional relationship between dysfunctional thoughts and depressive symptoms. However, there are many outstanding issues regarding these hypothesised associations. First, it is not yet clear whether self-disgust is a temporal ...

Summary A detailed database on the genealogy of the Makarska region in Croatia has been created. The twinning rate for three villages in the region (Podgora, Tučepi and Brela) were analysed over the period 1870 to 1940 and factors such as mother's age and birth order are discussed. Of the ...

Intramuscular 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Makena(®)), a synthetic progestin, is indicated to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women with a singleton pregnancy who have a history of a singleton spontaneous preterm birth. Makena(®) reduces the risk of preterm birth in this patient population, and is associated with improvements in ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Many mathematical models characterizing mechanisms of cell fate decisions have been constructed recently. Their further study may be impossible without development of methods of model composition, which is complicated by the fact that several models describing the same processes could use different reaction chains or incomparable sets of ...

Objective: To explore the association of the methylation status of MGMT and hMLH1 with chromosome damage induced by vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Materials and Methods: Methylation of MGMT and hMLH1 was measured in 101 VCM-exposed workers by methylation-specific PCR. Chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was measured by the cytokinesis-block ...

Abstract Flecainide base is pharmaceutically active substance used for production of flecainide acetate which is known in market as Tambacor, Almarytm, Apocard, Ecrinal or Flecaine. It is determined that flecainide base forms four polymorphic forms abbreviated as I(b), II(b), III(b) and IV(b). Flecainide base form I(b) is thermodynamically stable form ...

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is important in mediating hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Exogenous ghrelin is known to stimulate progenitor cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of adult hippocampus. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endogenous ghrelin in regulating the in vivo proliferation and differentiation of the ...

Abstract Patients with glycogen storage disease type I (GSD-I) often have marked hyperlipidemia with abnormal lipoprotein profiles. This metabolic abnormality improves, but is not fully corrected, with dietary therapy; therefore, these patients may be at high risk for the development of atherosclerosis. A recently discussed cardiovascular risk factor, asymmetric dimethylarginine ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of unilateral cochlear implant (CI) in patients over 60 on speech perception and quality of life, comparing the results obtained with a control group of younger CI recipients. Twenty CI users (mean age 72 years), postlingually deafened, were included in this ...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most frequent indications in musculoskeletal imaging because OA is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disease in developed countries. As the population becomes older and older, the need for adequate imaging techniques also increases. The various forms of osteoarthritis are associated with a high degree of ...

We examined several factors that affect people's ability to perceive possibilities for action. In Experiment 1, 24 participants crossed expanses of various sizes in three conditions: leaping, a familiar, launching action system; arm-swinging on monkey bars, an unpracticed skill that uses the arms rather than the legs; and crawling on ...

C6-carboxy-cellulose with a carboxylate content of 0.8 mmol g(-1) was obtained by oxidation of once-dried cellulose, using the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO)/NaClO/NaClO(2) system at pH 6.8 and 60 °C for 16 h. This method, with the addition of reagents in the order TEMPO, NaClO and NaClO(2), was 38 h faster than a ...

PURPOSE: While the Lasègue straight leg raising test is an established test for lumbar nerve root compression, an established equivalent for cervical nerve root compression is missing. The aim of this bi-modal study was to find the most effective way to stretch the cervical nerve roots anatomically in cadavers and ...

Proper regulation of white and brown adipogenic differentiation is important for maintaining an organism's metabolic profile in a homeostatic state. The recent observations showing that the p53 tumor suppressor plays a role in metabolism raise the question of whether it is involved in the regulation of white and brown adipocyte ...

While symptoms of deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) such as low frustration tolerance, temper outbursts, emotional impulsivity, and mood lability are commonly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), little is known about their nature. The main aim of this post hoc study was to examine the correlates of DESR in ...

The patent application WO2012082947 claims novel compounds as agonists of a plasma membrane-bound bile acid receptor TGR5. By activating TGR5, the agonists improve glycemic control and enhance energy expenditure. The basic generic claim of the patent covers pyrazole derivatives, different permutations on the core pyrazole ring are covered in the ...

BACKGROUNDS: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is an aggressive surgery with considerable operative risks, but offers the only chance for cure in patients with periampullary tumors. A growing number of elderly patients are being offered PD because of the aging of populations in developed countries. We examined surgical outcomes of PD in patients ...

BACKGROUND: Abdominal drainage is routinely performed after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), but this policy has recently been challenged. The aim of the present study was to assess whether abdominal drainage could be omitted after PD in patients at low risk of pancreatic fistula (PF). METHODS: From 2009 to 2011, 27 consecutive patients ...

Environmental pollution by pharmaceuticals is increasingly recognized as a major threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. A variety of pharmaceuticals enter waterways by way of treated wastewater effluents and remain biochemically active in aquatic systems. Several ecotoxicological studies have been done, but generally, little is known about the ecological effects of ...

In the present work a retrospective study on vegetal foreign bodies (VFBs) localization inside the tracheobronchial tree of forty-one dogs is reported. Totally 47 grass awns were found, and only three dogs presented more than one FB. Most of VFBs were found inside right bronchial ramifications (76.6%, no. 36), while ...

Abstract Aim: Uncoupling protein (UCP) genes, which may contribute to energy metabolism in mitochondria, may be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. We analyzed the differences in energy expenditure between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) UCP3-55C/T, UCP3 Y210Y, and UCP2 A55V among Indonesian children. Methods: The study included 76 schoolchildren (36 ...

PURPOSE: Whether coffee modulates response to endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients is currently unknown. The CYP1A2 and CYP2C8 enzymes contribute to tamoxifen and caffeine metabolism. The purpose was to investigate the impact of coffee consumption on tumor characteristics and risk for early events in relation to breast cancer treatment ...

Abstract Background and objectives The cost-effectiveness of pregabalin as an add-on to the standard treatment of Belgian patients with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) had been demonstrated in a previously published Markov model. The purpose of this study was to update that model with more recent cost data and clinical evidence, and ...

Niemann-Pick type C disease is an inherited autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and sphingolipids within the endosomal/lysosomal compartments. It has been observed that the administration of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) delays onset of clinical symptoms and reduces accumulation of cholesterol and gangliosides within neuronal cells. It ...

Background: New technologies have slowly become a part of psychologists' therapeutic office. However, many therapists still have doubts about the possibility of creating a good therapeutic relationship with patients in the presence of technology. Aims: This study evaluates the development of the therapeutic alliance in individuals with small animal phobia ...

The International Space Station (ISS) and the Antarctic Research Station Concordia are confined and isolated habitats in extreme and hostile environments. The human and habitat microflora can alter due to the special environmental conditions resulting in microbial contamination and health risk for the crew. In this study, 29 isolates from ...

Individuals who fish and eat self-caught fish make decisions about where to fish, the type to eat, and the quantity to eat. Federal and state agencies often issue consumption advisories for some fish with high mercury (Hg) concentrations, but seldom provide either the actual metal levels to the general public, ...