WorldWideScience

Sample records for patient mb omission

  1. Primary Care Providers' Perspectives on Errors of Omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poghosyan, Lusine; Norful, Allison A; Fleck, Elaine; Bruzzese, Jean-Marie; Talsma, AkkeNeel; Nannini, Angela

    2017-01-01

    Despite recent focus on patient safety in primary care, little attention has been paid to errors of omission, which represent significant gaps in care and threaten patient safety in primary care but are not well studied or categorized. The purpose of this study was to develop a typology of errors of omission from the perspectives of primary care providers (PCPs) and understand what factors within practices lead to or prevent these omissions. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect data from 26 PCPs, both physicians and nurse practitioners, from the New York State through individual interviews. One researcher conducted all interviews, which were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed in ATLAS.ti, Berlin by 3 researchers using content analysis. They immersed themselves into data, read transcripts independently, and conducted inductive coding. The final codes were linked to each other to develop the typology of errors of omission and the themes. Data saturation was reached at the 26th interview. PCPs reported that omitting patient teaching, patient followup, emotional support, and addressing mental health needs were the main categories of errors of omission. PCPs perceived that time constraints, unplanned patient visits and emergencies, and administrative burden led to these gaps in care. They emphasized that organizational support and infrastructure, effective teamwork and communication, and preparation for the patient encounter were important safeguards to prevent errors of omission within their practices. Errors of omission are common in primary care and could threaten patient safety. Efforts to eliminate them should focus on strengthening organizational attributes of practices, improving teamwork and communication, and assigning manageable workload to PCPs. Practice and policy change is necessary to address gaps in care and prevent them before they result in patient harm. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  2. Automatic detection of omissions in medication lists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Sharique; Duncan, George T; Neill, Daniel B; Padman, Rema

    2011-01-01

    Evidence suggests that the medication lists of patients are often incomplete and could negatively affect patient outcomes. In this article, the authors propose the application of collaborative filtering methods to the medication reconciliation task. Given a current medication list for a patient, the authors employ collaborative filtering approaches to predict drugs the patient could be taking but are missing from their observed list. The collaborative filtering approach presented in this paper emerges from the insight that an omission in a medication list is analogous to an item a consumer might purchase from a product list. Online retailers use collaborative filtering to recommend relevant products using retrospective purchase data. In this article, the authors argue that patient information in electronic medical records, combined with artificial intelligence methods, can enhance medication reconciliation. The authors formulate the detection of omissions in medication lists as a collaborative filtering problem. Detection of omissions is accomplished using several machine-learning approaches. The effectiveness of these approaches is evaluated using medication data from three long-term care centers. The authors also propose several decision-theoretic extensions to the methodology for incorporating medical knowledge into recommendations. Results show that collaborative filtering identifies the missing drug in the top-10 list about 40-50% of the time and the therapeutic class of the missing drug 50%-65% of the time at the three clinics in this study. Results suggest that collaborative filtering can be a valuable tool for reconciling medication lists, complementing currently recommended process-driven approaches. However, a one-size-fits-all approach is not optimal, and consideration should be given to context (eg, types of patients and drug regimens) and consequence (eg, the impact of omission on outcomes).

  3. START (screening tool to alert doctors to the right treatment)--an evidence-based screening tool to detect prescribing omissions in elderly patients.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Barry, P J

    2012-02-03

    BACKGROUND: Inappropriate prescribing encompasses acts of commission i.e. giving drugs that are contraindicated or unsuitable, and acts of omission i.e. failure to prescribe drugs when indicated due to ignorance of evidence base or other irrational basis e.g. ageism. There are considerable published data on the prevalence of inappropriate prescribing; however, there are no recent published data on the prevalence of acts of omission. The aim of this study was to calculate the prevalence of acts of prescribing omission in a population of consecutively hospitalised elderly people. METHODS: A screening tool (screening tool to alert doctors to the right treatment acronym, START), devised from evidence-based prescribing indicators and arranged according to physiological systems was prepared and validated for identifying prescribing omissions in older adults. Data on active medical problems and prescribed medicines were collected in 600 consecutive elderly patients admitted from the community with acute illness to a teaching hospital. On identification of an omitted medication, the patient\\'s medical records were studied to look for a valid reason for the prescribing omission. RESULTS: Using the START list, we found one or more prescribing omissions in 57.9% of patients. In order of prevalence, the most common prescribing omissions were: statins in atherosclerotic disease (26%), warfarin in chronic atrial fibrillation (9.5%), anti-platelet therapy in arterial disease (7.3%) and calcium\\/vitamin D supplementation in symptomatic osteoporosis (6%). CONCLUSION: Failure to prescribe appropriate medicines is a highly prevalent problem among older people presenting to hospital with acute illness. A validated screening tool (START) is one method of systematically identifying appropriate omitted medicines in clinical practice.

  4. Variation in the pattern of omissions and substitutions of grammatical morphemes in the spontaneous speech of so-called agrammatic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miceli, G; Silveri, M C; Romani, C; Caramazza, A

    1989-04-01

    We describe the patterns of omissions (and substitutions) of freestanding grammatical morphemes and the patterns of substitutions of bound grammatical morphemes in 20 so-called agrammatic patients. Extreme variation was observed in the patterns of omissions and substitutions of grammatical morphemes, both in terms of the distribution of errors for different grammatical morphemes as well as in terms of the distribution of omissions versus substitutions. Results are discussed in the context of current debates concerning the possibility of a theoretically motivated distinction between the clinical categories of agrammatism and paragrammatism and, more generally, concerning the theoretical usefulness of any clinical category. The conclusion is reached that the observed heterogeneity in the production of grammatical morphemes among putatively agrammatic patients renders the clinical category of agrammatism, and by extension all other clinical categories from the classical classification scheme (e.g., Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, and so forth) to more recent classificatory attempts (e.g., surface dyslexia, deep dysgraphia, and so forth), theoretically useless.

  5. The Non-omission of Nonfinite Be

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carson Schütze

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available It has long been known that children learning English optionally omit finite forms of the verb be (both copula and auxiliary. What makes be omissions possible? A classic answer is that be is semantically empty, hence a good choice to omit under performance-related pressures. What would this hypothesis lead us to expect about the infinitive form of be? In terms of semantic vacuity, nonfinite be is an even better choice for omission than finite be , since it does not carry tense or agreement information—most such deletions would be completely recoverable. Thus, the semantic vacuity hypothesis would lead us to expect omission of nonfinite be to be at least as frequent as omission of finite be . This is contrasted with the suggestion that be omission be incorporated into the Root/Optional Infinitive phenomenon. The latter finiteness hypothesis makes different predictions from the semantic vacuity hypothesis with respect to the relative rate of nonfinite be omission. The finding is that, in each relevant transcript, omission of finite be is attested, use of nonfinite be is attested, but there are no instances of omission of nonfinite be , contra the prediction of the semantic vacuity hypothesis. I develop an analysis within the Agreement/Tense Omission Model of the underspecification of Infl (cf. Schütze 1997. I claim that finite forms of be in (adult and child English are fused V+I heads, in the sense of Halle & Marantz’s (1993 Distributed Morphology. Their locus for vocabulary insertion has values for person/number, tense, and lexical category. The fused vocabulary items cannot be inserted in a syntactic structure in which INFL features have been underspecified. Overt be arises only when both AgrS and Tense are fully specified. Null be , i.e. Ø, the default member of the paradigm, arises from underspecification of Tense and/or underspecification of AgrS.

  6. 31 CFR 8.34 - Knowledge of client's omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Knowledge of client's omission. 8.34... client's omission. Each attorney, certified public accountant, or enrolled practitioner who knows that a client has not complied with applicable law, or has made an error in or omission from any document...

  7. Detecting intentional insulin omission for weight loss in girls with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinhas-Hamiel, Orit; Hamiel, Uri; Greenfield, Yuval; Boyko, Valentina; Graph-Barel, Chana; Rachmiel, Marianna; Lerner-Geva, Liat; Reichman, Brian

    2013-12-01

    Intentional insulin omission is a unique inappropriate compensatory behavior that occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, mostly in females, who omit or restrict their required insulin doses in order to lose weight. Diagnosis of this underlying disorder is difficult. We aimed to use clinical and laboratory criteria to create an algorithm to assist in the detection of intentional insulin omission. The distribution of HbA1c levels from 287 (181 females) patients with type 1 diabetes were used as reference. Data from 26 patients with type 1 diabetes and intentional insulin omission were analysed. The Weka (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) machine learning software, decision tree classifier with 10-fold cross validation was used to developed prediction models. Model performance was assessed by cross-validation in a further 43 patients. Adolescents with intentional insulin omission were discriminated by: female sex, HbA1c>9.2%, more than 20% of HbA1c measurements above the 90th percentile, the mean of 3 highest delta HbA1c z-scores>1.28, current age and age at diagnosis. The models developed showed good discrimination (sensitivity and specificity 0.88 and 0.74, respectively). The external test dataset revealed good performance of the model with a sensitivity and specificity of 1.00 and 0.97, respectively. Using data mining methods we developed a clinical prediction model to determine an individual's probability of intentionally omitting insulin. This model provides a decision support system for the detection of intentional insulin omission for weight loss in adolescent females with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Elevated CK-MB isoenzyme after exercise stress test and atrial pacing in patients with ischemic heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marmor, A.T.; Klein, R.; Plich, M.; Groshar, D.; Schneeweiss, A.

    1988-01-01

    Using a highly sensitive monoclonal antibody kit for CK-MB, significant release of small amounts of CK-MB isoenzyme after exercise stress test was detected 4 to 6 h after induction of ischemia. This occurred in ten out of 15 patients with ischemic heart disease (66 percent) and in only one of the 18 healthy subjects (5.6 percent) serving as a control group. In five patients with coronary artery disease in whom atrial pacing was performed with simultaneous blood sampling from coronary sinus, a drastic elevation in CK-MB isoenzyme (from 2.04 +/- 2.06 ng/L to 10.88 +/- 6.9 ng/L; p less than 0.001) was detected within 10 to 30 min after induction of acute ischemia. A small but significant increase in total CK also was detected (from 21 +/- 12 IU/L to 52 +/- 14IU/L; p less than 0.01). These preliminary observations have to be further investigated in a larger group of patients before a definitive conclusion can be reached about the clinical significance of CK-MB release during exercise

  9. 75 FR 78897 - Definition of Omission From Gross Income

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-17

    ... Definition of Omission From Gross Income AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final regulations. SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations defining an omission from gross income for... overstatement of basis in a sold asset results in an omission from gross income. The regulations will affect any...

  10. Effects of nutrient omission in Caesalpinia echinata plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Valiengo Valeri

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, the morphological alterations and the mineral composition of brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata plants caused by mineral nutrients omission in a green house experiment. The experimental units were distributed in the green house according to a completely random design. The treatments, each repeated five times, were the following : check (natural soil, complete (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Mn, and Zn and a complete solution but for the omission of one of the nutrients in parenthesis. Each plot was represented by a plant growing in a 7 dm3 vase filled with Quartzarenic Neosol. The analyzed variables were the following: visual nutritional deficiency symptoms, plant height, stem diameter, shoot dry matter, stem, branches and leaves included, and leaf nutrients level. The omission of nitrogen limited plant growth in height and shoot biomass production. The first visual deficiency symptoms were those due to N omission followed by those caused by P, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, and Mn omissions. Later on the K and B deficiency symptoms became visible. The omission of a nutrient always caused its level in the leaves to be significantly lower than that found when it was not omitted.

  11. Autoshaping, random control, and omission training in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locurto, C; Terrace, H S; Gibbon, J

    1976-11-01

    The role of the stimulus-reinforcer contingency in the development and maintenance of lever contact responding was studied in hooded rats. In Experiment I, three groups of experimentally naive rats were trained either on autoshaping, omission training, or a random-control procedure. Subjects trained by the autoshaping procedure responded more consistently than did either random-control or omission-trained subjects. The probability of at least one lever contact per trial was slightly higher in subjects trained by the omission procedure than by the random-control procedure. However, these differences were not maintained during extended training, nor were they evident in total lever-contact frequencies. When omission and random-control subjects were switched to the autoshaping condition, lever contacts increased in all animals, but a pronounced retardation was observed in omission subjects relative to the random-control subjects. In addition, subjects originally exposed to the random-control procedure, and later switched to autoshaping, acquired more rapidly than naive subjects that were exposed only on the autoshaping procedure. In Experiment II, subjects originally trained by an autoshaping procedure were exposed either to an omission, a random-control, or an extinction procedure. No differences were observed among the groups either in the rate at which lever contacts decreased or in the frequency of lever contacts at the end of training. These data implicate prior experience in the interpretation of omission-training effects and suggest limitations in the influence of stimulus-reinforcer relations in autoshaping.

  12. Cognitive function at rest and during exercise following breakfast omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komiyama, Takaaki; Sudo, Mizuki; Okuda, Naoki; Yasuno, Tetsuhiko; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Higaki, Yasuki; Ando, Soichi

    2016-04-01

    It has been suggested that breakfast omission, as opposed to breakfast consumption, has the detrimental effects on cognitive function. However, the effects of acute exercise following breakfast omission on cognitive function are poorly understood, particularly during exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactive effects of breakfast and exercise on cognitive function. Ten participants completed cognitive tasks at rest and during exercise in the breakfast consumption or omission conditions. Blood glucose concentration was measured immediately after each cognitive task. We used cognitive tasks to assess working memory [Spatial Delayed Response (DR) task] and executive function [Go/No-Go (GNG) task]. The participants cycled ergometer for 30 min while keeping their heart rate at 140 beats·min(-1). Accuracy of the GNG task was lower at rest in the breakfast omission condition than that in the breakfast consumption condition (Go trial: P=0.012; No-Go trial: P=0.028). However, exercise improved accuracy of the Go trial in the breakfast omission condition (P=0.013). Reaction time in the Go trial decreased during exercise relative to rest in both conditions (P=0.002), and the degree of decreases in reaction time was not different between conditions (P=0.448). Exercise and breakfast did not affect the accuracy of the Spatial DR task. The present results indicate that breakfast omission impairs executive function, but acute exercise improved executive function even after breakfast omission. It appears that beneficial effects of acute exercise on cognitive function are intact following breakfast omission. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. 31 CFR 10.21 - Knowledge of client's omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Knowledge of client's omission. 10.21... § 10.21 Knowledge of client's omission. A practitioner who, having been retained by a client with respect to a matter administered by the Internal Revenue Service, knows that the client has not complied...

  14. Armadilhas cognitivas: o caso das omissões na gênese dos acidentes de trabalho Cognitive traps: the case of omission in the genesis of work-related accidents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ldeberto Muniz de Almeida

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Neste artigo discute-se o tema das omissões na gênese de acidentes do trabalho, tendo como referência contribuições de James Reason. Os autores descrevem três acidentes de trabalho ocorridos em atividades de manutenção, e nos quais a omissão de passos na execução da atividade foi apontada como "causa" nas análises efetuadas pelas empresas, acarretando atribuição de culpa aos acidentados. Nos três casos, a análise efetuada pelos autores revelou que, na seqüência de passos da atividade havia presença simultânea de pelo menos quatro das características apontadas por Reason como geradoras de omissões, caracterizando as denominadas armadilhas cognitivas.This article discusses omissions in work-related accidents. The authors present James Reason's concepts on task characteristics which can increase the chance of operator omission. These ideas were applied to three accidents in which worker omission was given as the "cause" and "proof" of victim's guilt. Analysis of these accidents as a stepwise sequence of activities shows at least four of Reason's omissions characteristics. The expression "cognitive trap" is used to describe their simultaneous presence, and these omissions are highlighted as an organizational aspect requiring consideration in accident-prevention strategies.

  15. Autoshaping, random control, and omission training in the rat1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locurto, Charles; Terrace, H. S.; Gibbon, John

    1976-01-01

    The role of the stimulus-reinforcer contingency in the development and maintenance of lever contact responding was studied in hooded rats. In Experiment I, three groups of experimentally naive rats were trained either on autoshaping, omission training, or a random-control procedure. Subjects trained by the autoshaping procedure responded more consistently than did either random-control or omission-trained subjects. The probability of at least one lever contact per trial was slightly higher in subjects trained by the omission procedure than by the random-control procedure. However, these differences were not maintained during extended training, nor were they evident in total lever-contact frequencies. When omission and random-control subjects were switched to the autoshaping condition, lever contacts increased in all animals, but a pronounced retardation was observed in omission subjects relative to the random-control subjects. In addition, subjects originally exposed to the random-control procedure, and later switched to autoshaping, acquired more rapidly than naive subjects that were exposed only on the autoshaping procedure. In Experiment II, subjects originally trained by an autoshaping procedure were exposed either to an omission, a random-control, or an extinction procedure. No differences were observed among the groups either in the rate at which lever contacts decreased or in the frequency of lever contacts at the end of training. These data implicate prior experience in the interpretation of omission-training effects and suggest limitations in the influence of stimulus-reinforcer relations in autoshaping. PMID:16811960

  16. [Mistakes and omissions in judicial reports prepared in emergency services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turla, Ahmet; Aydin, Berna; Sataloğlu, Neva

    2009-03-01

    We aimed in this study to determine any mistakes or omissions made while preparing judicial reports, which contribute to the judicial process. In this study, we evaluated as samples 351 judicial reports of victims who applied to the Emergency Service of Ondokuz Mayis University between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 with respect to the judicial facts, and we recorded any mistakes or omissions of data in these reports. We determined that there was no record of age in 6% of the judicial reports, of examination time in 71.8%, of traumatic lesion or not in 30.5%, of the state of consciousness in 58.7%, and of the presence or not of life-threatening risks in 2.6%. The name of the physician who prepared the report was not provided in 8.0% of the reports. The most important omission is that none of the reports had the name, surname or signature of the person who had taken the prepared report. We concluded that, after graduation, it is necessary for physicians, who are responsible for both treating the patients and writing judicial reports, to attend in-service training programs. They must also be properly advised regarding their responsibilities in judicial cases.

  17. 48 CFR 925.901 - Omission of the audit clause.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Omission of the audit clause. 925.901 Section 925.901 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Additional Foreign Acquisition Clauses 925.901 Omission of the audit clause...

  18. Efficiency and safety of transfer of type 2 diabetes patients inadequately controlled on metformin alone to combined therapy with metformin and diabeton MB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Sergeevich Ametov

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To evaluate efficiency and tolerability of diabeton MB/metformin combination in patients failing to achieve optimal glycemic control when onmetformin monotherapy and prove advantages of this combination over combined low-dose therapy with glibenclamide and metformin. Materials and methods. The study included 464 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who poorly responded to metformin monotherapy. It was supplementedby diabeton MB. Efficiency and tolerability of combined treatment was evaluated from dynamics of glycemia and frequency of side-effects.40 patients were included in detailed comparative assessment (laboratory and instrumental, CGMS of this monotherapy and fixed low-dose combinationof glibenclamide with metformin. Results. Results of comparison show that diabeton MB/metformin combination ensured most optimal glycemic control with a minimal risk of side effects. Conclusion. Diabeton MB/metformin combination is convenient, efficient and safe.

  19. MDT-MB therapy in paucibacillary leprosy: A clinicopathological assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasad P

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization recommends treatment regimens for paucibacillary (PB and multibacillary (MB leprosy, which differ in their duration and components. Hence accurate classification of the disease is required. To overcome difficulties in classification Uniform Multi Drug Therapy (U-MDT has been recommended. AIM : To evaluate the benefit of adding clofazimine to paucibacillary regimens in leprosy patients by measuring clinical and histological resolution. METHODS: Forty-four paucibacillary patients were included in the study. Twenty-two patients were given MDT-PB regimen and the remaining MDT-MB regimen for six months . Skin biopsies were done before the commencement and at the end of treatment. Clinical and histological resolutions were measured according to the standard criteria a laid down. The results were analyzed using Fishers′ test and Crammers′ V test. RESULTS: Clinical improvement was observed in 90.9% in the MB group as compared to 27.3% in the PB group. Regression in the nerve swelling was observed in 70% in the MB group and in 37.5% in the PB group while histological resolution was observed in 72.8% and 54.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of clofazimine helps to resolve leprosy lesions both clinically and histologically, thus justifying the concept of Uniform MDT regimen for all patients.

  20. Article Omission in Headlines and Child Language: A Processing Approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Lange, J.

    2008-01-01

    The results of the crosslinguistic (Dutch, Italian and German) database analysis and experiments presented in my study show that there are interesting similarities between the pattern of article omission by adults in newspaper headlines and the pattern of article omission observed in language

  1. Anticipated Regret and Omission Bias in HPV Vaccination Decisions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Niels Holm

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated effects of anticipated regret on parents’ HPV vaccination intentions and effects of omission bias on HPV vaccination intentions and vaccine uptake. An online survey was completed by 851 parents of adolescent girls in Denmark, a country where HPV vaccine safety is currently...... heavily debated. Multivariate regression analyses revealed anticipated inaction regret as a significant positive predictor of vaccination intentions, and, anticipated action regret as a significant negative predictor of vaccination intentions. Multivariate analyses also revealed omission bias...... in a hypothetical vaccination vignette as a significant negative predictor of HPV vaccination intention as well as vaccine uptake. Finally, the study tested effects of anticipated regret and omission bias on evaluations of two extisting Danish pro-vaccine campaign videos. Here, the result revealed anticipated...

  2. Stereotyping by Omission: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate the Positive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergsieker, Hilary B.; Leslie, Lisa M.; Constantine, Vanessa S.; Fiske, Susan T.

    2014-01-01

    Communicators, motivated by strategic self-presentation, selectively underreport negative content in describing their impressions of individuals and stereotypes of groups, particularly for targets whom they view ambivalently with respect to warmth and competence. Communicators avoid overtly inaccurate descriptions, preferring to omit negative information and emphasize positive information about mixed individual targets (Study 1). With more public audiences, communicators increasingly prefer negativity omission to complete accuracy (Study 2), a process driven by self-presentation concerns (Study 3), and moderated by bidimensional ambivalence. Similarly, in an extension of the Princeton Trilogy studies, reported stereotypes of ethnic and national outgroups systematically omitted negative dimensions over 75 years—as anti-prejudice norms intensified—while neutral and positive stereotype dimensions remained constant (Study 4). Multiple assessment methods confirm this stereotyping-by-omission phenomenon (Study 5). Implications of negativity omission for innuendo and stereotype stagnation are discussed. PMID:22448889

  3. Two-site immunoradiometric assay for the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willson, V J.C.; Jones, H M; Thompson, R J [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Clinical School

    1981-06-18

    A two-site immunoradiometric assay for myocardial creatine kinase MB isoenzyme is described. The method utilizes immobilized anti-human creatine kinase BB antibodies and /sup 125/I-labelled anti-human creatine kinase MM antibodies and can specifically detect creatine kinase MB in the presence of approximately 1000-fold excess of creatine kinase MM or BB. Native kinase MB prepared from human heart and creatine kinase MB prepared by hybridisation of purified human creatine kinase MM and creatine kinase BB appeared to react identically in the assay. Serum estimations on patients with suspected myocardial infarction correlated with the presence of MB band on electrophoresis but preliminary results suggest that the two-site immunoradiometric assay may be more sensitive.

  4. A case of spuriously high CK-MB: Contemplate beyond cardiac

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rishard Abdul

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB is a widely tested enzyme in cardiac disease and thus has important clinical implications. We relate the scenario of a young patient presenting with chest pain whose CK-MB levels remained inordinately elevated despite a normal total CK level, resolution of symptoms and exclusion of coronary artery disease. Further analysis by electrophoresis revealed the presence of a rare molecular variant of creatine kinase: macro-CK type 1. While this may be a benign finding, there are sparse data demonstrating an association with non-cardiac pathologies such as malignancy, endocrinopathies, connective tissue and autoimmune diseases. Thus, after further exclusion of these associated conditions, the patient was reassured on the likely benign nature of macro-CK in this case.

  5. Real time data compactor (sparsifier) and 8 megabyte high speed FIFO for HEP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumbaugh, A.E.; Knickerbocker, K.L.; Wegner, C.R.; Baumbaugh, B.W.; Ruchti, R.

    1985-10-01

    A Video-Data-Acquisition-System (VDAS) has been developed to record image data from a scintillating glass fiber-optic target developed for High Energy Physics. The major components of the VDAS are a flash ADC, a ''real time'' high speed data compactor, and high speed 8 megabyte FIFO memory. The data rates through the system are in excess of 30 megabytes/second. The compactor is capable of reducing the amount of data needed to reconstruct typical images by as much as a factor of 20. The FIFO uses only standard NMOS DRAMS and TTL components to achieve its large size and high speed at relatively low power and cost

  6. Prognostic value of tissue protein expression levels of MIB-1 (Ki-67) in Danish ovarian cancer patients. From the 'MALOVA' ovarian cancer study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heeran, Mel C; Høgdall, Claus K; Kjaer, Susanne K

    2013-01-01

    The primary objective of this study was to assess the expression of MIB-1 (Ki-67) in tumour tissues from 808 patients with epithelial ovarian tumours. The second was to evaluate, whether MIB-1 (Ki-67) tissue expression levels correlate with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the dise...

  7. Stimulus- and response-reinforcer contingencies in autoshaping, operant, classical, and omission training procedures in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atnip, G W

    1977-07-01

    Separate groups of rats received 500 trials of lever-press training under autoshaping (food delivery followed 10-second lever presentations, or occurred immediately following a response); operant conditioning (responding was necessary for food delivery); and classical conditioning (food followed lever presentations regardless of responding). Each group then received 500 trials on an omission procedure in which food was omitted on trials with a response. Another group received 1000 trials on the omission procedure, and a fifth group, random control, received 1000 uncorrelated presentations of lever and food. The autoshaping, operant, and classical groups reached high response levels by the end of initial training. Acquisition was fastest in the autoshaping group. Responding remained consistently low in the control group. The omission group responded at a level between the control group and the other three groups. During omission training, responding in these three groups declined to the omission-group level. During omission training, the rats continued contacting the lever frequently after lever pressing had declined. Response maintenance under omission training seems not to require topographic similarity between the response and reinforcer-elicited consummatory behaviors.

  8. A two-site immunoradiometric assay for the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willson, V.J.C.; Jones, H.M.; Thompson, R.J.

    1981-01-01

    A two-site immunoradiometric assay for myocardial creatine kinase MB isoenzyme is described. The method utilizes immobilized anti-human creatine kinase BB antibodies and 125 I-labelled anti-human creatine kinase MM antibodies and can specifically detect creatine kinase MB in the presence of approximately 1000-fold excess of creatine kinase MM or BB. Native kinase MB prepared from human heart and creatine kinase MB prepared by hybridisation of purified human creatine kinase MM and creatine kinase BB appeared to react identically in the assay. Serum estimations on patients with suspected myocardial infarction correlated with the presence of MB band on electrophoresis but preliminary results suggest that the two-site immunoradiometric assay may be more sensitive. (Auth.)

  9. 7 CFR 1.51 - Claims based on negligence, wrongful act or omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Claims based on negligence, wrongful act or omission. 1.51 Section 1.51 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS Claims § 1.51 Claims based on negligence, wrongful act or omission. (a) Authority of the Department...

  10. Proliferative activity (MIB-1 index) is an independent prognostic parameter in patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcomas of subtypes other than malignant fibrous histiocytomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, V; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt; Bentzen, S M

    1998-01-01

    . The proliferative activity was assessed by use of the monoclonal antibody MIB-1 and evaluated in multiple, random systematic sampled fields of vision. The percentage of proliferating cells (the MIB-1 index) ranged between 1% and 85% (median 12%). A significant increase in mean MIB-1 index was seen with increasing...... histological malignancy grade. Variation in the incidence of p53 accumulation and bcl-2 positivity among different histological subtypes was observed. p53 accumulation was frequent in synovial sarcomas and leiomyo- and rhabdomyosarcomas, whereas bcl-2 preferentially was expressed in synovial sarcomas....... Univariate analysis identified patient age, tumour size, histological grade of malignancy, MIB-1 index and p53 accumulation as significant prognostic parameters. Multivariate Cox analysis, including tests for interaction terms between histological subtypes and MIB-1 index, showed independent prognostic...

  11. Troponin T or troponin I or CK-MB (or none?).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collinson, P O

    1998-11-01

    Differential diagnosis of patients who present with chest pain remains problematical. It has been shown that 11.8-7% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are sent home from the emergency department (ED). Audit of our own ED has shown the incidence of missed prognostically significant myocardial damage to be 6.7%. Diagnostic criteria for AMI have classically been based on the triad of history, ECG and measurement of cardiac enzymes. The choice of 'cardiac enzymes' has been dictated by the evolution of laboratory techniques, commencing with measurement of aspartate transaminase and progressing to measurement of creatine kinase (CK) and its MB isoenzyme (CK-MB). Measurement of CK-MB has been shown by both clinical studies and rigorous statistical analysis to represent the best test for the diagnosis of AMI. The advent of real time immunoassay together with advances in therapeutic options for management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has resulted in a paradigm shift in the approach to laboratory testing. Immunoassay for CK-MB (CK-MB mass measurement) is diagnostically superior to CK-MB activity measurement and is the test of choice for 'classical' AMI. Development of immunoassays for the cardiac troponins, i.e. cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), has enhanced diagnostic specificity. These measurements are completely specific for cardiac damage, allow quantitation of the extent of infarction and are diagnostically superior to CK-MB measurement. Applications of this specificity have included the differential diagnosis of CK elevation in arduous physical training, detection of myocardial damage after DC cardioversion and prediction of ejection fraction. Of more interest is the utility of these markers in management of patients presenting without clear electrocardiographic changes. Diagnosis and management of patients presenting with ST segment elevation has been clarified by large clinical trials of thrombolytic agents. In such

  12. The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions

    OpenAIRE

    Gulmez, Oyku; Atar, Ilyas; Ozin, B?lent; Korkmaz, Mehmet Emin; Atar, Asli; Aydinalp, Alp; Yildirir, Aylin; Muderrisoglu, Haldun

    2008-01-01

    Background: Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels in patients undergoing elective PCI. Methods: A total of 570 patients who underwent PCI were evaluated for CK-MB elevation. Patients who were on CCB therapy when admitted to the hospital constituted the CCB group. ...

  13. A de novo 1.58 Mb deletion, including MAP2K6 and mapping 1.28 Mb upstream to SOX9, identified in a patient with Pierre Robin sequence and osteopenia with multiple fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smyk, Marta; Roeder, Elizabeth; Cheung, Sau Wai; Szafranski, Przemyslaw; Stankiewicz, Paweł

    2015-08-01

    Defects of long-range regulatory elements of dosage-sensitive genes represent an under-recognized mechanism underlying genetic diseases. Haploinsufficiency of SOX9, the gene essential for development of testes and differentiation of chondrocytes, results in campomelic dysplasia, a skeletal malformation syndrome often associated with sex reversal. Chromosomal rearrangements with breakpoints mapping up to 1.6 Mb up- and downstream to SOX9, and disrupting its distant cis-regulatory elements, have been described in patients with milder forms of campomelic dysplasia, Pierre Robin sequence, and sex reversal. We present an ∼1.58 Mb deletion mapping ∼1.28 Mb upstream to SOX9 that encompasses its putative long-range cis-regulatory element(s) and MAP2K6 in a patient with Pierre Robin sequence and osteopenia with multiple fractures. Low bone mass panel testing using massively parallel sequencing of 23 nuclear genes, including COL1A1 and COL1A2 was negative. Based on the previous mouse model of Map2k6, suggesting that Sox9 is likely a downstream target of the p38 MAPK pathway, and our previous chromosome conformation capture-on-chip (4C) data showing potential interactions between SOX9 promoter and MAP2K6, we hypothesize that deletion of MAP2K6 might have affected SOX9 expression and contributed to our patient's phenotype. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oyku Gulmez

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Oyku Gulmez, Ilyas Atar, Bülent Ozin, Mehmet Emin Korkmaz, Aslı Atar, Alp Aydinalp, Aylin Yildirir, Haldun MuderrisogluBaskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, TurkeyBackground: Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB levels in patients undergoing elective PCI.Methods: A total of 570 patients who underwent PCI were evaluated for CK-MB elevation. Patients who were on CCB therapy when admitted to the hospital constituted the CCB group. No CCBs were given to the rest of the patients during the periprocedural period and these patients served as the control group. Blood samples for CK-MB were obtained before and at 6 h, 24 h, and 36 h after the procedure.Results: 217 patients were in the CCB group (mean age 60.2 ± 9.3 years, 162 males, and 353 were in the control group (mean age 60.0 ± 10.1 years, 262 males. CK-MB levels increased above the normal values in 41 patients (18.9% of the CCBs group and in 97 patients (27.5% of the control group (p = 0.02. Median CK-MB levels were significantly higher in the control group for all studied hours (for all p < 0.05.Conclusions: Prior oral CCB therapy may have favorable effects in preventing myocyte necrosis after elective PCI.Keywords: calcium channel blockers, myonecrosis, percutaneous coronary interventions

  15. Clinical characteristics and outcome in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients treated with 12 months WHO MDT-MBR: a retrospective analysis of 730 patients from a leprosy clinic at a tertiary care hospital of Northern India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogra, Sunil; Kumaran, Muthu Sendhil; Narang, Tarun; Radotra, Bishan Dass; Kumar, Bhushan

    2013-03-01

    Shortened (12 months) multidrug multibacillary regimen (MDT MBR) was implemented in India in 1998, however there is yet a paucity of crucial data on its long-term outcome. To assess the efficacy of 12 months MDT MBR in multibacillary (MB) patients at our centre. This was a retrospective study undertaken analysing the clinic records of 1210 patients registered at the leprosy clinic of our institute from 1999 to 2010. 730 MB patients were treated with 12 months MDT MBR over this period. High bacillary index (BI) > or = 3 + was observed in 313 patients at the time of registration. Four hundred and one (54.9%) patients experienced lepra reactions. Recurrent ENL was observed in only 14 patients which manifested even after 5 years of stopping treatment. Clinico-histological correlation was noted in 361 (49.5%) patients. During follow up period ranging from 9 months to 10 years, nearly all patients had clearance of skin lesions including histopathological/bacteriological improvement. Only 13 (1.7%) patients relapsed. All patients responded well with 12 months MDT MBR without significant side effects. The overall relapse rate was only 1.7%. Thus, the recommendation for 12 months MDT MBR for all MB patients is robust and operationally practical, a decision which seems logical.

  16. Linear Analysis of Autonomic Activity and Its Correlation with Creatine Kinase-MB in Overt Thyroid Dysfunctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavai, Manisha; Singh, Yogendra Raj; Gupta, R C; Mathur, Sandeep K; Bhandari, Bharti

    2018-04-01

    Autonomic activity may be deranged in thyroid dysfunctions and may lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Myopathy is a common manifestation in thyroid disorders and may be associated with raised serum creatine kinase (CK). We hypothesized that cardiovascular abnormality in thyroid dysfunction may manifest as raised CK-MB. This study was designed to investigate the correlation of CK and its isoform CK-MB with thyroid profile and linear parameters of heart rate variability (HRV). The study was conducted on 35 hypothyroid and hyperthyroid patients each, and 25 age-matched healthy controls. Autonomic activity was assessed by simple short term 5-min HRV. Biochemical evaluation of serum thyroid profile, CK-NAC and CK-MB were estimated in all the subjects. Our results demonstrated low HRV in hypo- as well as hyperthyroid patients. We observed significantly higher serum CK levels in hypothyroid patients when compared to hyperthyroids and controls. However, no significant differences were observed in CK-MB levels in the three groups. Significant positive correlation of CK with TSH and negative correlation with some HRV parameters (LF power, HF power, total power, SDNN, RMSSD) was observed in hypothyroid patients. Whereas correlation of CK-MB with thyroid profile as well as HRV parameters was non-significant in all the groups. Based on the CK and CK-MB findings and their correlation, we conclude that the cardiovascular changes seen in thyroid dysfunctions may primarily be due to autonomic imbalance without apparent cardiac muscle involvement. Whereas, raised CK levels indicate predominantly skeletal muscle involvement in hypothyroid patients.

  17. The Prognostic Value of International Prognostic Index and MIB-l Immunostaining of Peripheral Lymphoid Tissues and Bone Marrow in Patients with High-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assem, M.M.

    2001-01-01

    Cell kinetic data are important indicator of the aggressiveness of tumour and clinical response. The Ki-67 antigen plays a pivotal role in maintaining cell proliferation and the expression of this antigen was found to be a valuable indicator for aggressive disease in a variety of neoplastic disorders. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of the expression of Ki-67 antigen in peripheral lymphoid tissues and bone marrow, using the monoclonal antibody MIB-l that is applicable in formaline-fixed paraffin embedded samples in cases with high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Material and methods: The MIB-I immunostaining was performed on 96 samples from 48 patients with high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The study was performed on tissue sections, nodal or extra nodal, as well as on BM smears or BM paraffin embedded sections of same patients. Ki-67 index was determined using image analyzer. Results: Forty-five out of the studied 48 cases (93.8%) were positive with a median labelling index of 20.425% (Range, 0-58%). We were able to detect bone marrow involvement by detecting MIB-l positive cells in BM samples of 29 patients who were not morphologically diagnosed to have BM infiltration. There was a strong correlation between BM positivity for Ki-67 and Ki-67 labelling index (p < 0.001). Twenty-eight (58.3%) out of the studied 48 cases achieved complete remission (CR). The median duration of CR was 35 months (range, 8-42 months) and the overall survival at 48 months was 35.4% (median 22 months, 95% CI, 13-31 months). The median Ki-67 index (20.425%) was chosen as a cut-off level for statistical analysis of the variables that influence clinical outcome. The probability of inducing CR was associated with low and low intermediate International Prognostic Index (IPI) whereas a low growth fraction was associated, although not significant, with a trend toward a higher probability of inducing a CR. In univariate analysis, high MIB1 labelling

  18. Formal Model of Certificate Omission Schemes in VANET

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feiri, Michael; Petit, Jonathan; Kargl, Frank

    2014-01-01

    The benefits of certificate omission schemes in VANET have been so far proven by simulation. However, the research community is lacking of a formal model that would allow implementers and policy makers to select the optimal parameters for such schemes. In this paper, we lay the foundations of the

  19. Children's Omission of Prepositions in English and Icelandic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholas, Katrina Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this dissertation is to empirically test the hypothesis that children's omission of functional elements reflects performance factors (McKee, 1994; McKee & Iwasaki, 2001), rather than lack of knowledge (Felix, 1987; Radford, 1990, 1995; Tomasello, 2000). The multi-level production system treats content and function morphemes…

  20. Pengaruh Dividend Initiations dan Dividend Cut/Omissions terhadap Return Saham di Bursa Efek Jakarta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Dwi Ari Ambarwati

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available This research investigates market reactions to initiations and cut/omissions of cash dividend payment. Consistent with prior literature, the result of this research tend to support the propositions that shareholders make considerable use of the information implicit in dividend announcement. Shareholders react positively significant to the dividend initiations announcement and negatively significant to the dividend cut/omissions announcement. A multiple regression model is formulated to identify the factors that contribute significantly to the capital gain (loss suffered by shareholders when firm decide to initiate (cut/omit dividend. Result indicate that, in conformity with the information content hypothesis, the shareholders’s respond to dividend initiations significantly depends on  the firm size and the cumulative return movement (CARM in the preceding period. Whereas, the shareholders’s re¬spond to dividend cut/omissions significantly depends on the cumulative return movement (CARM in the preced¬ing period and risk/corrected beta of the firm at alpha 1% and 5%.Keywords: Signaling hypothesis, Dividend initiations, dividend cut/omissions

  1. Cluster processing for 16Mb DRAM production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergendahl, A.; Horak, D.

    1989-01-01

    Multichamber and in-situ technology are used to meet the challenge of manufacturing 16-Mb cost/performance DRAMs. The 16-Mb fabrication process is more complex than earlier 1-Mb and 4-Mb chips. Clustering of sequential process steps effectively compensates for both manufacturing complexity and foreign-material (FM) related defect densities. The development time of clusters combining new processes and equipment in multiple automated steps is nearly as long as the product development cycle. This necessitates codevelopment of manufacturing process cluster with technology integration while addressing the factors influencing FM defect generation, processing turnaround time (TAT), manufacturing costs, yield and array cell and support device designs. The advantages of multichamber and in situ processing have resulted in their application throughout the entire 16-Mb DRAM process as appropriate equipment becomes available

  2. Clinical utility of a two-site immunoradiometric assay for creatine kinase-MB in the detection of perioperative myocardial infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DePuey, E.G.; Aessopos, A.; Monroe, L.R.; Hall, R.J.; Thompson, W.L.; Sonnemaker, R.E.; Burdine, J.A.

    1983-01-01

    In 144 patients, creatine kinase MB was measured serially at 0, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h using a two-site immunoradionmetric assay (IRMA). Cardiac enzymes were also measured, including SGOT, LDH, total CPK, and CK-MB by electrophoresis. The presence of perioperative myocardial infarction (poMI) was established in 24 patients by the appearance of new electrocardiographic Q waves and/or new wall motion abnormalities detected by radionuclide ventriculography. In patients without poMI, CK-MB (IRMA) was elevated at 0 to 8 h but decreased by 16 h. In patients with poMI, peak values occurred at 16 to 24 h. Using a threshold value of 8.5 EU/I, patients with poMI could be distinguished from those without with 97% accuracy (sensitivity = 88%, specificity = 99%). We conclude that the CK-MB (IRMA) can serve as a valuable postoperative screening tet for poMI

  3. Identification of a 2 Mb human ortholog of Drosophila eyes shut/spacemaker that is mutated in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Collin, R.W.J.; Littink, K.W.; Klevering, B.J.; Born, L.I. van den; Koenekoop, R.K.; Zonneveld-Vrieling, M.N.; Blokland, E.A.W.; Strom, T.M.; Hoyng, C.B.; Hollander, A.I. den; Cremers, F.P.M.

    2008-01-01

    In patients with autosomal-recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP), homozygosity mapping was performed for detection of regions harboring genes that might be causative for RP. In one affected sib pair, a shared homozygous region of 5.0 Mb was identified on chromosome 6, within the RP25 locus. One of

  4. Patterns of failure after multimodal treatments for high-grade glioma: effectiveness of MIB-1 labeling index

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uehara, Kazuyuki; Fujii, Osamu; Soejima, Toshinori; Sugimura, Kazuro; Kohmura, Eiji; Sasaki, Ryohei; Sasayama, Takashi; Miyawaki, Daisuke; Nishimura, Hideki; Yoshida, Kenji; Okamoto, Yoshiaki; Mukumoto, Naritoshi; Akasaka, Hiroaki; Nishihara, Masamitsu

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to analyze the recurrence pattern of high-grade glioma treated with a multimodal treatment approach and to evaluate whether the MIB-1 labeling index (LI) could be a useful marker for predicting the pattern of failure in glioblastoma (GB). We evaluated histologically confirmed 131 patients with either anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) or GB. A median dose was 60 Gy. Concomitant and adjuvant chemotherapy were administered to 111 patients. MIB-1 LI was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Recurrence patterns were categorized according to the areas of recurrence as follows: central failure (recurrence in the 95% of 60 Gy); in-field (recurrence in the high-dose volume of 50 Gy; marginal (recurrence outside the high-dose volume) and distant (recurrence outside the RT field). The median follow-up durations were 13 months for all patients and 19 months for those remaining alive. Among AA patients, the 2-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 23.1% and 39.2%, respectively, while in GB patients, the rates were 13.3% and 27.6%, respectively. The median survival time was 20 months for AA patients and 15 months for GB patients. Among AA patients, recurrences were central in 68.7% of patients; in-field, 18.8%; and distant, 12.5%, while among GB patients, 69.0% of recurrences were central, 15.5% were in-field, 12.1% were marginal, and 3.4% were distant. The MIB-1 LI medians were 18.2% in AA and 29.8% in GB. Interestingly, in patients with GB, the MIB-1 LI had a strong effect on the pattern of failure (P = 0.014), while the extent of surgical removal (P = 0.47) and regimens of chemotherapy (P = 0.57) did not. MIB-1 LI predominantly affected the pattern of failure in GB patients treated with a multimodal approach, and it might be a useful tool for the management of the disease

  5. Medulloblastoma: evaluation of proliferative index by monoclonal antibody Mib-1, its prognostic correlation and therapeutic implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferrari Antonio Fernandes

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In the past few years, the monoclonal antibody MIB-1 has been used by researchers in order to retrospectively study paraffin imbibed tumor fragments. The medulloblastoma is the most common malignant central nervous system tumor in childhood. The objectives were: determination of the mean Mib-1 LI value from these patients, as well as the prognostic value of the method.This retrospective study represents an analysis of the cellular proliferation index of posterior fossa medulloblastomas collected from 22 patients at A.C. Camargo Hospital, from January 1990 to December 1999. The histopathological diagnosis was confirmed by H&E and proliferative index (LI was achived with Mib-1 which detects proliferating cells during G1, G2, S and M phases.The results demostrated that the mean Mib-1 was 30,1%, and ranged from 5,2% to 62,0%.In conclusion, this method has prognostic value, has to be used as routine for patients harboring medulloblastomas and the ones who have PI greater than the mean value found in this study, should be treated aggressively.

  6. Gender differences in serum CK-MB mass levels in healthy Braziliansubjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.M.C. Strunz

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The creatine kinase-isoenzyme MB (CK-MB mass assay is one of the laboratory tests used for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. It is recommended, however, that reference limits should take gender and race into account. In the present study, we analyzed the plasma CK-MB mass and troponin levels of 244 healthy volunteers without a personal history of coronary artery disease and with no chronic diseases, muscular trauma or hypothyroidism, and not taking statins. The tests were performed with commercial kits, CK-MB mass turbo kit and Troponin I turbo kit, using the Immulite 1000 analyzer from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostic. The values were separated according to gender and showed significant differences by the Mann-Whitney test. Mean (± SD CK-MB mass values were 2.55 ± 1.09 for women (N = 121; age = 41.20 ± 10.13 years and 3.49 ± 1.41 ng/mL for men (N = 123; age = 38.16 ± 11.12 years. Gender-specific reference values at the 99th percentile level, according to the Medicalc statistical software, were 5.40 ng/mL for women and 7.13 ng/mL for men. The influence of race was not considered because of the high miscegenation of the Brazilian population. The CK-MB values obtained were higher than the 5.10 mg/mL proposed by the manufacturer of the laboratory kit. Therefore, decision limits should be related to population and gender in order to improve the specificity of this diagnostic tool, avoiding misclassification of patients

  7. Comparação entre troponina I cardíaca e CK-MB massa em síndrome coronariana aguda sem supra de ST Comparación entre troponina i cardíaca y ck-mb masa en síndrome coronario agudo sin supradesnivel de ST Comparison between cardiac troponin I and CK-MB mass in acute coronary syndrome without st elevation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabete Silva dos Santos

    2011-03-01

    value between cTnI and CK-MB mass in patients with ACS without ST-segment elevation. METHODS: 1,027 patients were analyzed in a prospective way in a tertiary cardiology center. Combinations of biomarkers were examined: normal cTnI, normal CK-MB mass (65.5%, normal cTnI, elevated CK-MB mass (3.9%, elevated cTnI, normal CK-MB mass (8.8%, elevated cTnI, elevated CK-MB mass (20.7%. A multivariate analysis of clinical, electrocardiographic and laboratory variables determined the independent prognostic value of biomarkers for the event of death or (reinfarction within 30 days. RESULTS: Patients with at least one elevated biomarker were older (p = 0.02 and males (p < 0.001. The previous use of aspirin (p = 0.001, beta-blockers (p = 0.003 or statin (p = 0.013 was most frequent among those without elevated cTnI. Patients with both biomarkers elevated had more ST-segment depression (p < 0.001 or elevated creatinine (p < 0.001. In a multivariate analysis with the inclusion of cTnI, the CK-MB mass was not an independent variable for the event of death or (re infarction within 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, p = 0.71. When cTnI was not included, we had the following values: age (OR 1.07; p < 0.001; male (OR 1.09; p = 0.77; diabetes mellitus (OR 1.95; p = 0.02; previous stroke (OR 3.21; p = 0.008; creatinine level (OR 1.63; p = 0.002; CK-MB mass (OR 1.96; p = 0.03. C-statistic 0.77 (p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: With a dose of cTnI, CK-MB mass may be dispensable for prognostic evaluation. If cTnI is unavailable, CK-MB mass is acceptable for making a decision on treatment options.

  8. 45 CFR 60.6 - Reporting errors, omissions, and revisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting errors, omissions, and revisions. 60.6 Section 60.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL PRACTITIONER DATA BANK FOR ADVERSE INFORMATION ON PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS Reporting of...

  9. Omission and other sins: Tracking the quality of online machine ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Omission and other sins: Tracking the quality of online machine translation output over four years. ... Journal Home > Vol 46 (2016) > ... We believe users should be made aware of the risks they unknowingly take when using online MT.

  10. Omissions and Preventions as Cases of Genuine Causation | Hunt ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This analysis provides a basis for solving a number of puzzles about 'negative' events. Any 'intuition' of difference between causal statements employing such descriptions and others employing positive descriptions of events is also explained. With omissions, where this intuition has some basis, it is shown that nevertheless ...

  11. 24 CFR 1710.29 - Use of property report-misstatements, omissions or representation of HUD approval prohibited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-misstatements, omissions or representation of HUD approval prohibited. 1710.29 Section 1710.29 Housing and Urban...—misstatements, omissions or representation of HUD approval prohibited. Nothing is these regulations shall be construed to authorize or approve the use of a property report containing any untrue statement of a material...

  12. Legitimate lies : The relationship between omission, commission, and cheating

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pittarello, Andrea; Rubaltelli, Enrico; Motro, Daphna

    Across four experiments, we show that when people can serve their self-interest, they are more likely to refrain from reporting the truth ( lie of omission) than actively lie ( lie of commission). We developed a novel online "Heads or Tails" task in which participants can lie to win a monetary

  13. Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region in MIB-1 positive cells in non-small cell lung cancer: clinicopathological significance and survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobyakov, Dmitriy Sergeevich; Avdalyan, Ashot Merudzhanovich; Lazarev, Aleksandr Fedorovich; Lushnikova, Elena Leonidovna; Nepomnyashchikh, Lev Moiseevich

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the relation between argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR)-associated proteins and clinicopathological parameters and survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 207 surgical specimens diagnosed as NSCLC were included in this study. Double-staining procedures were performed using antigen Ki-67 (clone MIB-1) and silver nitrate by immunohistochemical and AgNOR-staining methods. The AgNOR area in MIB-1-positive cells of NSCLC is related to clinicopathological parameters under the TNM (tumor, node, and metastasis) system. The survival of patients with small AgNOR area in MIB-1-positive cells is better than that of patients with large AgNOR area. Molecular, biological (AgNOR area in MIB-1-positive cells), and clinicopathological (greatest tumor dimension, metastases to regional lymph nodes, histology, and differentiation) parameters are independent prognostic factors of NSCLC. The AgNOR area in MIB-1-positive cells is related to clinicopathological parameters and survival in NSCLC

  14. Reasons for omission of enforcement of an administrative judge's verdict and means of legal protection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alen Rajko

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Besides general repercussions of an omission of enforcement of court decisions on the protection of the rights of the parties and on the functioning of the legal system, such an omission in the administrative dispute has additional implications, related primarily to the realization of the constitutional guarantee of judicial review of administrative decisions, the concept of separation of powers, construction of a democratic state, etc. After general considerations of the matter of enforcement of court decisions, the author analyzes the normative framework of the enforcement of judgments of the administrative courts, as well as the evolution of this framework, points out the open questions regarding mentioned regulation, as well as the means of legal protection in case of an omission of enforcement of the verdict.

  15. Osteoporose bei Mb. Bechterew - neue Ansätze

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Obermayer-Pietsch B

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Eine axiale Osteoporose und daraus resultierende vertebrale Kompressionsfrakturen sind häufige Symptome eines Mb. Bechterew (MbB, Spondylarthritis ankylosans. Als ein möglicher genetischer Faktor der Osteoporose wurde eine Assoziation der Knochendichte (BMD mit BsmI- und FokI-Polymorphismen im Vitamin D-Rezeptor-(VDR-Gen publiziert. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Beziehungen zwischen diesen Polymorphismen, Knochenstoffwechsel, BMD und Aktivitätsindizes bei Patienten mit MbB untersucht. Bei 47 MbB-Patienten wurden Aktivitätsindizes und morphologische Parameter sowie BMD-Messungen (Dual-Röntgen-Absorptiometrie an Wirbelsäule und Schenkelhals im Vergleich zu 52 gesunden, altersgleichen Personen erhoben. Die Laborbestimmungen umfaßten biochemische Aktivitätsparameter, HLA-Typisierung sowie Knochenan- und -abbaumarker. Aus peripheren Leukozyten wurde genomische DNA präpariert und mittels Polymerase-Kettenreaktion (PCR und anschließender FokI- und BsmI-Restriktion der VDR-Genotyp nach vorhandenen bzw. fehlenden Schnittstellen (f/b bzw. F/B bestimmt. Bei MbB-Patienten fand sich eine Osteoporose deutlich häufiger als in der Kontrollgruppe. Eine Zuordnung von Aktivitätsindizes, BMD und Knochenstoffwechselparametern zu den Genotypen zeigte bei männlichen MbB-Patienten sowohl eine Assoziation der WS-Knochendichte als auch der Entzündungsmarker mit FokI-, nicht jedoch mit BsmI-Genotypen des VDR. Die pathophysiologischen Mechanismen dieser Assoziation, insbesondere mit der entzündlichen Aktivität des Mb. Bechterew, sind noch ungeklärt. Eine frühzeitige Erfassung des Osteoporoserisikos bei MbB-Patienten mittels molekularbiologischer Tests könnte eine rechtzeitige Prophylaxe und Therapie dieser Komplikation ermöglichen.

  16. Polygenetic Karsted Hardground Omission Surfaces in Lower Silurian Neritic Limestones: a Signature of Early Paleozoic Calcite Seas

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Noel P.; Desrochers, André; Kyser, Kurt T.

    2015-04-01

    Exquisitely preserved and well-exposed rocky paleoshoreline omission surfaces in Lower Silurian Chicotte Formation limestones on Anticosti Island, Quebec, are interpreted to be the product of combined marine and meteoric diagenesis. The different omission features include; 1) planar erosional bedding tops, 2) scalloped erosional surfaces, 3) knobs, ridges, and swales at bedding contacts, and 4) paleoscarps. An interpretation is proposed that relates specific omission surface styles to different diagenetic-depositional processes that took place in separate terrestrial-peritidal-shallow neritic zones. Such processes were linked to fluctuations in relative sea level with specific zones of diagenesis such as; 1) karst corrosion, 2) peritidal erosion, 3) subtidal seawater flushing and cementation, and 4) shallow subtidal deposition. Most surfaces are interpreted to have been the result of initial extensive shallow-water synsedimentary lithification that were, as sea level fell, altered by exposure and subaerial corrosion, only to be buried by sediments as sea level rose again. This succession was repeated several times resulting in a suite of recurring polyphase omission surfaces through many meters of stratigraphic section. Synsedimentary cloudy marine cements are well preserved and are thus interpreted to have been calcitic originally. Aragonite components are rare and thought to have to have been dissolved just below the Silurian seafloor. Large molluscs that survived such seafloor removal were nonetheless leached and the resultant megamoulds were filled with synsedimentary calcite cement. These Silurian inner neritic-strandline omission surfaces are temporally unique. They are part of a suite of marine omission surfaces that are mostly found in early Paleozoic neritic carbonate sedimentary rocks. These karsted hardgrounds formed during a calcite-sea time of elevated marine carbonate saturation and extensive marine cement precipitation. The contemporaneous greenhouse

  17. Omission of Dysphagia Therapies in Hospital Discharge Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kind, Amy; Anderson, Paul; Hind, Jacqueline; Robbins, JoAnne; Smith, Maureen

    2009-01-01

    Background Despite the wide implementation of dysphagia therapies, it is unclear whether these therapies are successfully communicated beyond the inpatient setting. Objective To examine the rate of dysphagia recommendation omissions in hospital discharge summaries for high-risk sub-acute care (i.e., skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation, long-term care) populations. Design Retrospective cohort study Subjects All stroke and hip fracture patients billed for inpatient dysphagia evaluations by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and discharged to sub-acute care in 2003-2005 from a single large academic medical center (N=187). Measurements Dysphagia recommendations from final SLP hospital notes and from hospital (physician) discharge summaries were abstracted, coded, and compared for each patient. Recommendation categories included: dietary (food and liquid), postural/compensatory techniques (e.g., chin-tuck), rehabilitation (e.g., exercise), meal pacing (e.g., small bites), medication delivery (e.g., crush pills), and provider/supervision (e.g., 1-to-1 assist). Results 45% of discharge summaries omitted all SLP dysphagia recommendations. 47%(88/186) of patients with SLP dietary recommendations, 82%(93/114) with postural, 100%(16/16) with rehabilitation, 90%(69/77) with meal pacing, 95%(21/22) with medication, and 79%(96/122) with provider/supervision recommendations had these recommendations completely omitted from their discharge summaries. Conclusions Discharge summaries omitted all categories of SLP recommendations at notably high rates. Improved post-hospital communication strategies are needed for discharges to sub-acute care. PMID:20098999

  18. Osteoporose bei Mb. Bechterew - neue Ansätze

    OpenAIRE

    Obermayer-Pietsch B; Aglas F; Hermann J; Leb G; Tauber G

    1999-01-01

    Eine axiale Osteoporose und daraus resultierende vertebrale Kompressionsfrakturen sind häufige Symptome eines Mb. Bechterew (MbB, Spondylarthritis ankylosans). Als ein möglicher genetischer Faktor der Osteoporose wurde eine Assoziation der Knochendichte (BMD) mit BsmI- und FokI-Polymorphismen im Vitamin D-Rezeptor-(VDR-)Gen publiziert. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Beziehungen zwischen diesen Polymorphismen, Knochenstoffwechsel, BMD und Aktivitätsindizes bei Patienten mit MbB untersuc...

  19. Omission, Suggestion, Completion : Film and the Imagination of the Spectator

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hanich, Julian

    2018-01-01

    This article counters the widespread assumption that film is exclusively a medium of showing, presentation or appearing by emphasizing the importance of the viewer’s act of imagination. At the center of attention is the aesthetic principle of omission, suggestion, and completion in film – in other

  20. Circulating irisin levels are lower in patients with either stable coronary artery disease (CAD) or myocardial infarction (MI) versus healthy controls, whereas follistatin and activin A levels are higher and can discriminate MI from CAD with similar to CK-MB accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasilakis, Athanasios D; Koulaxis, Dimitrios; Kefala, Nikoleta; Polyzos, Stergios A; Upadhyay, Jagriti; Pagkalidou, Eirini; Economou, Fotios; Anastasilakis, Chrysostomos D; Mantzoros, Christos S

    2017-08-01

    Several myokines are produced by cardiac muscle. We investigated changes in myokine levels at the time of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and following reperfusion in relation to controls. Patients with MI (MI Group, n=31) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were compared to patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) subjected to scheduled PCI (CAD Group, n=40) and controls with symptoms mimicking CAD without stenosis in angiography (Control Group, n=43). The number and degree of stenosis were recorded. Irisin, follistatin, follistatin-like 3, activin A and B, ALT, AST, CK and CK-MB were measured at baseline and 6 or 24h after the intervention. MI and CAD patients had lower irisin than controls (p<0.001). MI patients had higher follistatin, activin A, CK, CK-MB and AST than CAD patients and controls (all p≤0.001). None of the myokines changed following reperfusion. Circulating irisin was associated with the degree of stenosis in all patients (p=0.05). Irisin was not inferior to CK-MB in predicting MI while folistatin and activin A could discriminate MI from CAD patients with similar to CK-MB accuracy. None of these myokines was altered following PCI in contrast to CK-MB. Irisin levels are lower in MI and CAD implying that their production may depend on myocadial blood supply. Follistatin and activin A are higher in MI than in CAD suggesting increased release due to myocardial necrosis. They can predict MI with accuracy similar to CK-MB and their role in the diagnosis of MI remains to be confirmed by prospective large clinical studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Experimental utilization of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bitelli, U. d'Utra; Santos, A. dos; Jerez, R.; Diniz, R.; Fanaro, L.C.C.B.; Abe, A.Y.; Moreira, J.M.L.; Fer, N.; Giada, M.R.; Fuga, R.

    2003-01-01

    This paper aims to show the experimental utilization of the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor during the last fourteen years. The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero-power critical assembly specially designed to measure integral and differential reactor physics parameters to validate calculational methodologies and related nuclear data libraries. Experiments involving determination of spectral indices, critical mass, relative abundance of delayed neutrons, the inversion point of the isothermal reactivity coefficient and burnable poison are considered the most important experiments. Current experiments at IPEN/MB-01 reactor are also commented. (author)

  2. Homofobia e educação: quando a omissão também é signo de violência Homophobia and education: when omission is also a sign of violence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilson Fernandes Dinis

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Provocado pelo conceito de "amolador de facas", criado pelo psicólogo Luis Antonio Baptista, este artigo busca discutir alguns aspectos da violência contra estudantes LGBTT e a omissão do tema da diversidade sexual e de gênero no currículo escolar como forma oculta de homofobia e da cumplicidade de educadores e educadoras com essa violência.Being motivated by the concept of "knife sharpener" created by the psychologist Luis Antonio Baptista, this article aims to discuss some aspects of the violence against LGBTT students and the omission of the topic of gender and sexual diversity in schools curriculum as a hidden way of homophobia and as a sign of educators' complicity in this violence.

  3. CREATINE PHOSPHOKINASE ISOENZYME-MB MASS (CK-MB MASS AND TROPONIN I (cTnI IN DOGS (Canis familiaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Millena Vidal Freitas

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Cardiac markers, especially CK-MB mass and cTnI, have an essential role in both human and veterinary clinical and surgical cardiology, allowing a more precise and accurate diagnosis in myocardial lesions. The goal of this work was to measure these cardiac markers in veterinary medicine, improve their use and provide information about these laboratory methods that allow non-invasive health monitoring of the myocardial cell. Parameters quantification was obtained from sera of healthy dogs examined during routine procedures at the Small Animal Veterinary Hospital of Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro. The human chemiluminescence essay turbo kit (IMMULITE Turbo, Siemens ® test proved to be effective in canine species for both CK-MB mass and cTnI. In addition, the values found for CK-MB will significantly contribute to clinical routine or experimental work with dogs.

  4. Sex differences in the MB49 syngeneic, murine model of bladder cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White-Gilbertson, Shai; Davis, Megan; Voelkel-Johnson, Christina; Kasman, Laura M

    The MB49 syngeneic, murine model of bladder cancer has been widely used for more than 35 years. In humans, bladder cancer is one third as prevalent in women as in men, with a trend toward lower prevalence in parous compared to nulliparous women. Our objective was to determine if the MB49 bladder cancer model reproduces the sex differences observed in humans, and to determine its sensitivity to testosterone and the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Male and female C57BL/6 mice were implanted with MB49 murine bladder cancer cells, and observed for tumor growth. MB49 dose responses to hCG and dihydrotestosterone were determined in vitro . MB49 tumor growth was significantly greater in male mice than female mice. Pregnancy did not affect MB49 tumor growth in female mice. MB49 cells did not proliferate in response to hCG in vitro and the functional receptor for gonadotropins was absent. Dihydrotestosterone strongly stimulated growth of MB49 cells in vitro . The MB49 murine model of bladder cancer reproduced some aspects of the sex differences observed in humans. Our results suggest that testosterone may stimulate MB49 cell proliferation, which may explain the more rapid MB49 tumor growth observed in male mice.

  5. Terabytes to Megabytes: Data Reduction Onsite for Remote Limited Bandwidth Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirsch, M.

    2016-12-01

    Inexpensive, battery-powerable embedded computer systems such as the Intel Edison and Raspberry Pi have inspired makers of all ages to create and deploy sensor systems. Geoscientists are also leveraging such inexpensive embedded computers for solar-powered or other low-resource utilization systems for ionospheric observation. We have developed OpenCV-based machine vision algorithms to reduce terabytes per night of high-speed aurora video data down to megabytes of data to aid in automated sifting and retention of high-value data from the mountains of less interesting data. Given prohibitively expensive data connections in many parts of the world, such techniques may be generalizable to more than just the auroral video and passive FM radar implemented so far. After the automated algorithm decides which data to keep, automated upload and distribution techniques are relevant to avoid excessive delay and consumption of researcher time. Open-source collaborative software development enables data audiences from experts through citizen enthusiasts to access the data and make exciting plots. Open software and data aids in cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities, STEM outreach and increasing public awareness of the contributions each geoscience data collection system makes.

  6. Efeito da omissão de macronutrientes no crescimento, nos sintomas de deficiências nutricionais e na composição mineral em gravioleiras (Annona muricata Effect of macronutrient omission in growth, symptoms of nutricional deficiency and mineral composition in soursop plants (Annona muricata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnalda Maria Fernandes Batista

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da omissão de macronutrientes no crescimento, nos sintomas de deficiências nutricionais e na composição mineral em gravioleiras, conduziu-se experimento em casa de vegetação, mediante a técnica do elemento faltante. O delineamento foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições e sete tratamentos, sendo completo (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e micronutrientes e com omissão individual de N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S. As omissões dos macronutrientes afetaram o crescimento em altura, diâmetro das plantas e produção de matéria seca, quando comparados ao tratamento completo. Com base nos teores em g/kg dos macronutrientes nas folhas, encontraram-se os seguintes valores adequados nos tratamento completo e com omissão: N = 14,70 e 8,82; P = 0,92 e 0,47; K = 12,35 e 2,62; Ca = 14,11 e 3,44; Mg = 3,59 e 1,09; S = 5,32 e 2,30.This work had the objective of evaluating the effect of macronutrient omission in growth, symptoms of nutritional deficiency and mineral composition in soursop plants. It was carried out an experiment in greenhouse conditions, using the missing element technique. It was developed a randomized experiment with four repetition and seven treatments being completed (N, P, K, Ca. Mg, S and micronutrients and with the omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S from a complete solution. Omissions related to all macronutrients affected plant growth in height, diameter and dry matter yield compared to the complete treatment. Based on the contents in g/kg found in leaves, the levels to adequate (complete and deficient nutrient were defined as following: N = 14,70 and 8,82; P = 0,92 and 0,47; K = 12,35 and 2,62; Ca = 14,11 and 3,44; Mg = 3,59 and 1,09; S = 5,32 and 2,30, respectively.

  7. Learning not to respond: Role of the hippocampus in withholding responses during omission training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Norman M; Naeem, Maliha

    2017-02-01

    Autoshaping is a Pavlovian learning paradigm in which rats experience pairings of a CS and a US independently of their behavior. When the CS is a lever inserted into the test cage and the US is food delivered to an adjacent magazine, many rats acquire a lever-pressing response called 'sign-tracking' even though that response has no effect on the occurrence of either the CS or the US. Since these lever presses are always followed by the US, it has been suggested that sign-tracking could be due to unintended reinforcement of the response. To eliminate the possibility of such instrumental learning the omission schedule, in which a response to the CS cancels the US, was introduced. Previous research has shown that training rats on autoshaping and switching them to an omission schedule generally reduces but does not eliminate sign-tracking, suggesting that it may be due to both Pavlovian and instrumental learning. In the present study naive rats trained on an omission schedule sign-tracked less than a control group exposed to random, unpaired CS and US presentations, suggesting that they learned to withhold the lever press response because of the negative contingency between that response and the US. In a second experiment rats with dorsal hippocampus lesions sign-tracked more than sham-lesioned rats on omission schedules, suggesting that this case of learning not to respond is hippocampus-based. This conclusion is consistent with many previous findings on the inability of hippocampal rats to withhold or suppress responding, and with studies suggesting that one form of extinction of learned responses in normal rats is due to competition from hippocampus-based learning not to respond. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Reactor IPEN/MB-01 dosimetry using TLDs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavalieri, Tássio A.; Siqueira, Paulo T.D.; Yoriyaz, Hélio, E-mail: tassio.cavalieri@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energética s e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    This paper is a preliminary study on the use of reactor IPEN/MB-01 as standard radiation source for mixed field dosimetry studies. As a first step on this attempt, simulations and experiments, evaluating the neutron and gamma field distributions, were performed and compared. TLDs are widely employed in dose measurements and the TLD 100 / TLD 700 pair conforms with ICRU recommendations for mixed field dosimetry. In this study, TLD irradiations were performed in the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor. IPEN/MB-01 reactor is zero power reactor widely used to perform reactor physics experiments. Its neutron flux distribution is well known for a variety of reactor core configurations. However, the photon fluxes are unknown. A series of experiments with TLD 100 and TLD 700 were performed for two different core configurations (rectangular and cylindrical with a central flux trap). Simulations with MCNP5 for these two configurations were also done, and neutron and gamma fluxes distributions along the core were computed. The responses of TLD 100 and TLD 700 were compared with simulated fluxes and showing a good agreement between them. This paper presents the results of the experiments done so far given the status of the study under way in order to couple IPEN/MB-01 and TLD 100 / 700 pair into a mixed field calibration methodology. (author)

  9. MIB-1, AgNOR AND DNA DISTRIBUTION PARAMETERS AND THEIR PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS OF THE LUNG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uta Jütting

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important questions in clinical routine is to find out patients with good or worse prognosis to apply an optimal therapy scheme for each patient. In this study 58 patients with different neuroendocrine tumours of the lung were investigated. Histological sections were prepared with different stainings (MIB-1, AgNOR, Feulgen. By means of high resolution image cytometry stereological parameters were derived which are indicators for proliferation, ploidy and kinetics of the tumours. Cox regression analysis was calculated to test the significance of the parameters with regard to prognosis. The best parameter was MIB-1 which can easily be applied as a clinical standard staining and measurement.

  10. Inappropriate prescribing and prescribing omissions among drug-related problems using STOPP-START criteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verdoorn, M.A.; Kwint, H.-F.; Faber, A.; L. Bouvy, M.

    2013-01-01

    Background and objectives: Medication review has been suggested as a way to prevent drug related problems (DRPs). Screening tools have been formulated to identify potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) respectively called Screening Tool of Older

  11. Clinicopathological significance of p16, cyclin D1, Rb and MIB-1 levels in skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun-qi Liu

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the expression of p16, cyclin D1, retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb and MIB-1 in skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma tissues, and to determine the clinicopathological significance of the above indexes in these diseases. Methods: A total of 100 skull base chordoma, 30 chondrosarcoma, and 20 normal cartilage tissue samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of p16, cyclinD1, Rb and MIB-1 proteins were assessed for potential correlation with the clinicopathological features. Results: As compared to normal cartilage specimen (control, there was decreased expression of p16, and increased expression of cyclin D1, Rb and MIB-1 proteins, in both skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma specimens. MIB-1 LI levels were significantly increased in skull base chordoma specimens with negative expression of p16, and positive expression of cyclin D1 and Rb (P  0.05. However, p16 and MIB-1 levels correlated with the intradural invasion, and expression of p16, Rb and MIB-1 correlated with the number of tumor foci (P < 0.05. Further, the expression of p16 and MIB-1 appeared to correlate with the prognosis of patients with skull base chordoma. Conclusions: The abnormal expression of p16, cyclin D1 and Rb proteins might be associated with the tumorigenesis of skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma. Keywords: p16, Cyclin D1, Rb, MIB-1, Skull base chordoma, Skull base chondrosarcoma

  12. Topographical variations in behavior during autoshaping, automaintenance, and omission training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldridge, G D; Pear, J J

    1987-05-01

    Three pigeons were exposed to an autoshaping and automaintenance procedure while a computer-controlled tracking system continuously recorded the position of the bird's head as it moved freely in the experimental chamber. Although only 2 birds pecked the key during the conditional stimulus (red keylight), all 3 birds exhibited stable patterns of approaching the conditional stimulus and withdrawing from the intertrial stimulus (white keylight). Subsequent exposure to an omission procedure, in which pecks on the red key cancelled the presentation of food upon the termination of the red keylight, greatly reduced key pecking, but approaching and pecking in the vicinity of the conditional stimulus were maintained at high levels. When the omission contingency was removed key pecking increased. During all phases the birds withdrew from the area of the white key and engaged in repetitive back-and-forth or circuiting movements during this intertrial stimulus. The data document (a) the strong control the conditional stimulus in autoshaping and automaintenance exerts over approach to the key and pecking motions whether or not the conditional stimulus elicits key pecking at a high level; and (b) withdrawal from the vicinity of the key and the occurrence of stereotypic behavior during the intertrial interval.

  13. Engineering of RuMb: Toward a Green Catalyst for Carbene Insertion Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Matthew W; Vargas, David A; Lehnert, Nicolai

    2017-05-15

    The small, stable heme protein myoglobin (Mb) was modified through cofactor substitution and mutagenesis to develop a new catalyst for carbene transfer reactions. The native heme was removed from wild-type Mb and several Mb His64 mutants (H64D, H64A, H64V), and the resulting apoproteins were reconstituted with ruthenium mesoporphyrin IX (RuMpIX). The reconstituted proteins (RuMb) were characterized by UV-vis and circular dichroism spectroscopy and were used as catalysts for the N-H insertion of aniline derivatives and the cyclopropanation of styrene derivatives. The best catalysts for each reaction were able to achieve turnover numbers (TON) up to 520 for the N-H insertion of aniline, and 350 TON for the cyclopropanation of vinyl anisole. Our results show that RuMb is an effective catalyst for N-H insertion, with the potential to further increase the activity and stereoselectivity of the catalyst in future studies. Compared to native Mb ("FeMb"), RuMb is a more active catalyst for carbene transfer reactions, which leads to both heme and protein modification and degradation and, hence, to an overall much-reduced lifetime of the catalyst. This leads to lower TONs for RuMb compared to the iron-containing analogues. Strategies to overcome this limitation are discussed. Finally, comparison is also made to FeH64DMb and FeH64AMb, which have not been previously investigated for carbene transfer reactions.

  14. Effect of Breakfast Omission on Energy Intake and Evening Exercise Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clayton, David J; Barutcu, Asya; Machin, Claire; Stensel, David J; James, Lewis J

    2015-12-01

    Breakfast omission may reduce daily energy intake. Exercising fasted impairs performance compared with exercising after breakfast, but the effect breakfast omission has on evening exercise performance is unknown. This study assessed the effect of omitting breakfast on evening exercise performance and within-day energy intake. Ten male, habitual breakfast eaters completed two trials in a randomized, counterbalanced order. Subjects arrived at the laboratory in an overnight-fasted state and either consumed or omitted a 733 ± 46 kcal (3095 ± 195 kJ) breakfast. Ad libitum energy intake was assessed at 4.5 h (lunch) and 11 h (dinner). At 9 h, subjects completed a 30-min cycling exercise at approximately 60% VO2peak, followed by a 30-min maximal cycling performance test. Food was not permitted for subjects once they left the laboratory after dinner until 0800 h the following morning. Acylated ghrelin, GLP-1(7-36), glucose, and insulin were assessed at 0, 4.5, and 9 h. Subjective appetite sensations were recorded throughout. Energy intake was 199 ± 151 kcal greater at lunch (P daily energy intake but may impair performance later that day, even after consuming lunch.

  15. Myocardial infarct size vs duration of coronary artery occlusion in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Assessment by thallium-201 emission tomography, gated cardiac pool study and CK-MB release

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tamaki, Shunichi; Kambara, Hirofumi; Kadota, Kazunori; Murakami, Tomoyuki; Suzuki, Yukisono [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1984-03-01

    Relationship between the duration of coronary artery occlusion and myocardial infarct size was investigated in 24 patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction associated with occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. The duration of coronary artery occlusion was divided into (A) 4 hours or less, (B) 4-10 hours, and (C) 10 hours or more. Defect score obtained by thallium-201 emission computed tomography was significantly greater, and left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower as the duration of coronary artery occlusion increased. Creatine kinase-MB (..sigma..CK-MB) was higher in cases of longer duration of occlusion. However, this was not significant between the groups A and B, suggesting the influence of reperfusion on the ..sigma..CK-MB release. The duration of coronary artery occlusion was considered to be an important factor to determine the infarct size, and significance of early reperfusion was suggested.

  16. Unmasking of a hemizygous WFS1 gene mutation by a chromosome 4p deletion of 8.3 Mb in a patient with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flipsen-ten Berg, Klara; van Hasselt, Peter M; Eleveld, Marc J; van der Wijst, Suzanne E; Hol, Frans A; de Vroede, Monique A M; Beemer, Frits A; Hochstenbach, P F Ron; Poot, Martin

    2007-11-01

    The Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS (MIM 194190)), which is characterized by growth delay, mental retardation, epilepsy, facial dysmorphisms, and midline fusion defects, shows extensive phenotypic variability. Several of the proposed mutational and epigenetic mechanisms in this and other chromosomal deletion syndromes fail to explain the observed phenotypic variability. To explain the complex phenotype of a patient with WHS and features reminiscent of Wolfram syndrome (WFS (MIM 222300)), we performed extensive clinical evaluation and classical and molecular cytogenetic (GTG banding, FISH and array-CGH) and WFS1 gene mutation analyses. We detected an 8.3 Mb terminal deletion and an adjacent 2.6 Mb inverted duplication in the short arm of chromosome 4, which encompasses a gene associated with WFS (WFS1). In addition, a nonsense mutation in exon 8 of the WFS1 gene was found on the structurally normal chromosome 4. The combination of the 4p deletion with the WFS1 point mutation explains the complex phenotype presented by our patient. This case further illustrates that unmasking of hemizygous recessive mutations by chromosomal deletions represents an additional explanation for the phenotypic variability observed in chromosomal deletion disorders.

  17. 26 CFR 301.6229(c)(2)-1T - Substantial omission of income (temporary).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....6229(c)(2)-1T Substantial omission of income (temporary). (a) Partnership return—(1) General rule. (i) If any partnership omits from the gross income stated in its return an amount properly includible... omitted from gross income if information sufficient to apprise the Commissioner of the nature and amount...

  18. Suspected resistance of MDT-MB in Multibacillary Leprosy of Hansen's disease: Two case reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yudo Irawan

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Resistance to multidrug therapy (MDT is one of the complications in the treatment of Hansen’s disease/Morbus Hansen (MH. There are two types of resistancy, which are primary and secondary. MDT-multibacillary (MB resistance must be suspected when no clinical improvement and the acid-fast bacilli (AFB index is not reduced after 12 months of therapy. A 28-year-old woman with paresthesia on her face, arms and legs since 2.5 years ago, accompanied by thickening of the right posterior tibial nerve. The AFB examination showed a bacteriological index (BI of 15/6 and morphological index (MI of 0.50%. The second case, a 42-year-old man came with paresthetic lesions on his face, chest, back, both arms and legs since 2 years ago, accompanied by thickening of ulnar and lateral peroneal nerve. The BI was 12/5 and the MI was 0.40%. Both patients were diagnosed with borderline lepromatous type of MH and received MDT-MB for 12 months. Diagnosis of suspected resistance was established because no clinical improvement or any significant decrease of AFB index after completing the MDT treatment. The patients had secondary resistance after polymerase chain reaction evaluation showed that they were still rifampicin-sensitive. There was clinical improvement and significant decrease in FAB index after the patients continued the MDT-MB treatment with 600 mg additional rifampicin. The diagnosis of bacterial resistance should be made based on clinical evaluation before completion of treatment. Based on the two case reports, the resistance suspected may be secondary. Treatment using additional regimen can be initiated once the resistance has been proven.

  19. Omission of Breast Radiotherapy in Low-risk Luminal A Breast Cancer: Impact on Health Care Costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, K; Yap, M L; Yong, J H E; Mittmann, N; Hoch, J S; Fyles, A W; Warde, P; Gutierrez, E; Lymberiou, T; Foxcroft, S; Liu, F F

    2016-09-01

    The economic burden of cancer care is substantial, including steep increases in costs for breast cancer management. There is mounting evidence that women age ≥ 60 years with grade I/II T1N0 luminal A (ER/PR+, HER2- and Ki67 ≤ 13%) breast cancer have such low local recurrence rates that adjuvant breast radiotherapy might offer limited value. We aimed to determine the total savings to a publicly funded health care system should omission of radiotherapy become standard of care for these patients. The number of women aged ≥ 60 years who received adjuvant radiotherapy for T1N0 ER+ HER2- breast cancer in Ontario was obtained from the provincial cancer agency. The cost of adjuvant breast radiotherapy was estimated through activity-based costing from a public payer perspective. The total saving was calculated by multiplying the estimated number of luminal A cases that received radiotherapy by the cost of radiotherapy minus Ki-67 testing. In 2010, 748 women age ≥ 60 years underwent surgery for pT1N0 ER+ HER2- breast cancer; 539 (72%) underwent adjuvant radiotherapy, of whom 329 were estimated to be grade I/II luminal A subtype. The cost of adjuvant breast radiotherapy per case was estimated at $6135.85; the cost of Ki-67 at $114.71. This translated into an annual saving of about $2.0million if radiotherapy was omitted for all low-risk luminal A breast cancer patients in Ontario and $5.1million across Canada. There will be significant savings to the health care system should omission of radiotherapy become standard practice for women with low-risk luminal A breast cancer. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Language-specific dysgraphia in Korean patients with right brain stroke: influence of unilateral spatial neglect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Dae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Wook; Park, Kyoung Ha; Lee, Jae Woo

    2015-03-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Korean language-specific dysgraphia and unilateral spatial neglect in 31 right brain stroke patients. All patients were tested for writing errors in spontaneous writing, dictation, and copying tests. The dysgraphia was classified into visuospatial omission, visuospatial destruction, syllabic tilting, stroke omission, stroke addition, and stroke tilting. Twenty-three (77.4%) of the 31 patients made dysgraphia and 18 (58.1%) demonstrated unilateral spatial neglect. The visuospatial omission was the most common dysgraphia followed by stroke addition and omission errors. The highest number of errors was made in the copying and the least was in the spontaneous writing test. Patients with unilateral spatial neglect made a significantly higher number of dysgraphia in the copying test than those without. We identified specific dysgraphia features such as a right side space omission and a vertical stroke addition in Korean right brain stroke patients. In conclusion, unilateral spatial neglect influences copy writing system of Korean language in patients with right brain stroke.

  1. The Lack of Omission of Clitics in Greek Children with SLI: An Experimental Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Manika, S.; Varlokosta, S.; Wexler, K.

    2010-01-01

    Object clitics are not uniformly acquired across languages; French-, Italian, Catalan- speaking TD children show late acquisition of clitics, omission and a preference for using full DPs in contrast to Spanish-, Romanian- and Greek-speaking ones. This variation has been explained through the

  2. The correlation between MIB-1, AgNOR, and caspase-3 apoptosis with chemoradiotherapy response in cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iin Kurnia; Devita Tetriana; Budiningsih Siregar; Irwan Ramli; Andriono; Setiawan Soetopo; Tjahya Kurjana; Maringan DL Tobing; Bethy Suryawathi

    2013-01-01

    Chemoradiotherapy is one of treatments for the locally advanced cervical cancer given by concurrent radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the same time. Chemoradiotherapy response is influenced by biological factor i.e. cell kinetic that consists of cell proliferation and death. In this research, the correlation between AgNOR, MIB-1 cell proliferation biomarker and the expression of apoptotic caspase-3 with chemoradiotherapy response of cervical cancer has been studied. Twenty one microscopic tissue samples were taken from cervical cancer biopsies before radiotherapy. The tissue samples were stained with AgNOR, whereas MIB-1 and apoptosis caspase-3 in the tissue samples were detected by immunochemistry technique. After the completion of chemoradiotherapy treatment, the clinical response was observed by pelvic control method. The result of this research show that there is no correlation between AgNOR, MIB-1 value with apoptosis (p>0.05) before chemoradiotherapy. Cell proliferation observed by AgNOR and MIB-1 before chemoradiotherapy indicate no correlation with chemoradiotherapy response, however the apoptotic expression shows positive correlation with chemoradiotherapy response. The index of caspase-3 apoptosis obtained from this research can be used for considering the chemoradiotherapy schedule for the cervical cancer patient. (author)

  3. Normal results of post-race thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging in marathon runners with elevated serum MB creatine kinase levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, A.J.; Silverman, L.M.; Holman, B.L.

    1985-01-01

    Elevated cardiac enzyme values in asymptomatic marathon runners after competition can arise from skeletal muscle through exertional rhabdomyolysis, silent injury to the myocardium, or a combined tissue source. Peak post-race levels of the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase are similar to values in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Previously reported normal results of infarct-avid myocardial scintigraphy with technetium 99m pyrophosphate in runners after competition suggest a non-cardiac source but cannot exclude silent injury to the myocardium. Therefore, thallium 201 myocardial perfusion imaging was performed in runners immediately after competition together with determination of sequential cardiac enzyme levels. Among 15 runners tested, the average peak in serum MB creatine kinase 24 hours after the race was 128 IU/liter with a cumulative MB creatine kinase release of 117 IU/liter; these values are comparable to those in patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction. Thallium 201 myocardial scintigraphic results were normal in five runners randomly selected from those who volunteered for determination of sequential blood levels. It is concluded that elevations of serum MB creatine kinase in marathon runners arise from a skeletal muscle source and that thallium 201 myocardial scintigraphy is useful to assess runners for myocardial injury when clinical questions arise

  4. Granular activated carbon adsorption of MIB in the presence of dissolved organic matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summers, R Scott; Kim, Soo Myung; Shimabuku, Kyle; Chae, Seon-Ha; Corwin, Christopher J

    2013-06-15

    Based on the results of over twenty laboratory granular activated carbon (GAC) column runs, models were developed and utilized for the prediction of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) breakthrough behavior at parts per trillion levels and verified with pilot-scale data. The influent MIB concentration was found not to impact the concentration normalized breakthrough. Increasing influent background dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration was found to systematically decrease the GAC adsorption capacity for MIB. A series of empirical models were developed that related the throughput in bed volumes for a range of MIB breakthrough targets to the influent DOM concentration. The proportional diffusivity (PD) designed rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) could be directly used to scale-up MIB breakthrough performance below 15% breakthrough. The empirical model to predict the throughput to 50% breakthrough based on the influent DOM concentration served as input to the pore diffusion model (PDM) and well-predicted the MIB breakthrough performance below a 50% breakthrough. The PDM predictions of throughput to 10% breakthrough well simulated the PD-RSSCT and pilot-scale 10% MIB breakthrough. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effects of dexmedetomidine on H-FABP, CK-MB, cTnI levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhi; Chen, Qiang; Guo, Hao; Li, Zhishan; Zhang, Jinfeng; Lv, Lei; Guo, Yongqing

    2017-12-01

    This study investigated the effects of dexmedetomidine on heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB), and troponin I (cTnI) levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement. Patients undergoing heart valve replacement were randomly allocated to remifentanil anesthesia (control group, n=48) or dexmedetomidine anesthesia (observation group, n=48). Hemodynamic parameters were measured before anesthesia induction (T1), 1 min after intubation (T2), 10 min after start of surgery (T3), and on completion of surgery (T4). Levels of plasma H-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI were measured 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), 10 min after start of surgery (C2), on completion of surgery (C3), 6 h after surgery (C4), and 24 h after surgery (C5). S100β protein and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), and 24 h after surgery (C5). Neurological and cardiac function was evaluated 24 h after surgery. Incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was recorded for 1 year of follow-up. There were no significant differences in the average heart rate between the two groups during the perioperative period. The mean arterial pressure in the observation group was significantly lower than control group (PH-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI at C2, C3, C4 and C5, were significantly higher than C1, but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, levels of S100β and NSE in both groups were higher than those before induction (P<0.05), but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, neurological function scores were better, and myocardial contractility and arrhythmia scores significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05 for all). After follow-up for 1 year, incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was significantly lower in the observation

  6. Regional 500 mb heights and U.S. 1 000-500 mb thickness prior to the radiosonde era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaels, P. J.; Sappington, D. E.; Stooksbury, D. E.; Hayden, B. P.

    1990-09-01

    We developed a statistical model relating cyclone track eigenvectors over the U.S., southern Canada, and nearby oceans to a record of mean annual 500 mb heights. The length of the cyclone track record allowed us to calculate mean heights back to 1885. Use of mean annual surface pressure data allowed us to estimate the mean 1 000-500 mb thickness, which was related to mean annual temperature. This temperature calculation is unique in that it cannot suffer from urban or site bias. We find a warming of 1.5°C from the late 19th century to 1955, followed by a drop of 0.7° to 1980. By 1987, the calculated temperatures were 0.3° above the mean for 103 years of record. As an example of regional application, we examine results over the southwestern U.S.

  7. Critical Omissions and New Directions for Sustainable Tourism: A Situated Macro–Micro Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blanca A. Camargo

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper traces the history and evolution of sustainable tourism and identifies some critical issues and omissions in this and related approaches such as responsible tourism, ecotourism and pro-poor tourism. The academic, institutional and practical intersections of sustainable tourism and responsible tourism are examined. It reveals that important theoretical and practical considerations around well-being, inclusion, and sustainability have been omitted. A critical look at ecotourism reveals additional concerns, such as a cornucopia of guidelines and principles, without clear ethical justifications to support them. At the same time, academics in this domain have been slow to consider the modernist and neoliberal influences shaping ecotourism and sustainable tourism development, such as through the discourse of ecological modernization. We identify some key omissions, such as the missing ‘body’ in sustainable tourism discourse, lack of critical analysis of postcolonial and dependency issues, and propose re-situating ‘sustainable tourism’ within a micro–macro, local-global systems approach informed by a clear framework of justice and ethics.

  8. Removal of geosmin and 2-methylisorboneol (2-MIB) in water from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Geosmin and 2-methylisorboneol (2-MIB) are major organic pollutants ... The use of granular activated carbon (GAC) in the removal of geosmin and 2-MIB is ... were extracted from water samples by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and ...

  9. [Knock-down of BCL11A expression in breast cancer cells promotes MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hongli; Gui, Chen; Yan, Lijun

    2016-11-01

    Objective To detect the expression and pathological significance of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 11A (BCL11A) in breast cancer and investigate the effect of its silencing on the apoptosis of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. MethodsImmunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of BCL11A in 62 cases of human breast cancer tissues and 8 cases of normal tissues. We synthesized siRNA targeting BCL11A, and then siRNA was transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells. Forty-eight hours later, the suppression effect of siRNA on BCL11A was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. The apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells was detected by flow cytometry. Results The BCL11A protein was mainly expressed in cytoplasm. The expression level of BCL11A in breast cancer tissues was higher than that in paracancerous tissues. The expression had correlations with tumor grade, tumor stage, while it had no correlations with the patients' age and tumor size. BCL11A-siRNA significantly suppressed the expression of BCL11A mRNA and protein as compared with the control group. MDA-MB-231 cells transfected with BCL11A-siRNA had higher apoptosis rate compared with the control group. Conclusion The BCL11A protein is highly expressed in breast cancer and knock-down of BCL11A promotes the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells.

  10. Remote MIB item look-up service

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pras, Aiko; Boros, S.; Helthuis, Bert

    Despite some deficiencies, the Internet management framework is widely deployed and thousands of Management Information Base (MIB) modules have been defined thus far. These modules are used by implementors of agent software, as well as by managers and management applications, to understand the

  11. Contribution of creatine kinase MB mass concentration at admission to early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, A. J.; Gorgels, J. P.; van Vlies, B.; Koelemay, M. J.; Smits, R.; Tijssen, J. G.; Haagen, F. D.

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic value at admission of creatine kinase MB mass concentration, alone or in combination with electrocardiographic changes, in suspected myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Prospective study of all consecutive patients admitted within 12 hours after onset of chest pain to

  12. ER, p53 and MIB-1 are significantly associated with malignant phyllodes tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munawer, Nurhayati H; Md Zin, Reena; Md Ali, Siti-Aishah; Muhammad, Rohaizak; Ali, Jasmi; Das, Srijit

    2012-01-01

    Fibroadenomas (FA) are common while phyllodes tumors (PT) are rare and both tumors are composed of epithelial and stromal components. We evaluated the expression status of ER, Bc12, p53, and MIB-1 protein in these tumors. One hundred and ninety-three tumors comprising of 117 FAs and 76 PTs were examined using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray. The mean age of patients with FA was 28.5 years while the mean ages of patients with benign, borderline and malignant PTs were 41.7, 48.6 and 42.1 years, respectively. Also all types of PTs were large (>Scm). ER showed a strong nuclear staining in the epithelial component of all tumors while ER/3 immunoreactivity was detected in both the epithelial and stromal components ofF A and PT. ER/β (pcomponent were associated with tumor size. p53 expression was significantly associated with both the epithelial and stromal components of malignant PTs (pcomponent (p=0.000). In addition, MIB-1 was also found to be associated with ER and ER/3 in the stromal component (p=0.000). The expression of p53 with tumor size and histological grade in PT may increase the risk for malignancy.

  13. Omission and Resupply of Nitrogen Affect Physiological and Enzymatic Activities and the Gene Expression of Eucalypt Clones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loane Vaz Fernandes

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The mineral nutrient uptake of plants in the field occurs in pulses, due to variations in the substance concentrations at the root surface. The fluctuations in nutrient supply probably induce changes in the plant, which are to date unknown for Eucalyptus. This study evaluated these changes in plant growth, nutritional status, photosynthesis, and gene expression, which can serve as biomarkers of the nitrogen status, of four eucalypt clones exposed to N omission and resupply. A greenhouse experiment with four Eucalyptus clones was installed, and after initial growth exposed to N omission for 21 d, followed by N resupply in nutrient solution for 14 d. Nitrogen omission decreased the total N and photosynthetic pigments, net photosynthesis and photochemical dissipation, and increased enzyme activity especially in leaves and the gene expression in leaves and roots. Nitrogen resupply decreased these variations, indicating recovery. The total N concentration was highly and significantly correlated with net photosynthesis, enzyme activity, expression of genes GS2;1 and Gln1;3 in the leaves and AMT1;2 in the roots, contents of chlorophyll a and b, and photochemical energy dissipation. The enzymes GS and NR in the leaves and the genes AMT1;2, GS2;1 and Gln1;3 proved to be sensitive N indicators.

  14. The surprising costs of silence: Asymmetric preferences for prosocial lies of commission and omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Emma; Hart, Joanna; Moore, Kendra; Rubin, Emily; Yadav, Kuldeep; Halpern, Scott

    2018-01-01

    Across 7 experiments (N = 3883), we demonstrate that communicators and targets make egocentric moral judgments of deception. Specifically, communicators focus more on the costs of deception to them-for example, the guilt they feel when they break a moral rule-whereas targets focus more on whether deception helps or harms them. As a result, communicators and targets make asymmetric judgments of prosocial lies of commission and omission: Communicators often believe that omitting information is more ethical than telling a prosocial lie, whereas targets often believe the opposite. We document these effects within the context of health care discussions, employee layoffs, and economic games, among both clinical populations (i.e., oncologists and cancer patients) and lay people. We identify moderators and downstream consequences of this asymmetry. We conclude by discussing psychological and practical implications for medicine, management, behavioral ethics, and human communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Lexical diversity and omission errors as predictors of language ability in the narratives of sequential Spanish-English bilinguals: a cross-language comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Peggy F; Walden, Patrick R

    2013-08-01

    This study explored the utility of language sample analysis for evaluating language ability in school-age Spanish-English sequential bilingual children. Specifically, the relative potential of lexical diversity and word/morpheme omission as predictors of typical or atypical language status was evaluated. Narrative samples were obtained from 48 bilingual children in both of their languages using the suggested narrative retell protocol and coding conventions as per Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT; Miller & Iglesias, 2008) software. An additional lexical diversity measure, VocD, was also calculated. A series of logistical hierarchical regressions explored the utility of the number of different words, VocD statistic, and word and morpheme omissions in each language for predicting language status. Omission errors turned out to be the best predictors of bilingual language impairment at all ages, and this held true across languages. Although lexical diversity measures did not predict typical or atypical language status, the measures were significantly related to oral language proficiency in English and Spanish. The results underscore the significance of omission errors in bilingual language impairment while simultaneously revealing the limitations of lexical diversity measures as indicators of impairment. The relationship between lexical diversity and oral language proficiency highlights the importance of considering relative language proficiency in bilingual assessment.

  16. 17 CFR 210.4-03 - Inapplicable captions and omission of unrequired or inapplicable financial statements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... omission of unrequired or inapplicable financial statements. 210.4-03 Section 210.4-03 Commodity and... unrequired or inapplicable financial statements. (a) No caption should be shown in any financial statement as to which the items and conditions are not present. (b) Financial statements not required or...

  17. Assessment of Contaminated Brine Fate and Transport in MB139 at WIPP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuhlman, Kristopher L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Applied Systems Analysis and Research Dept.; Malama, Bwalya [Sandia National Lab., Carlsbad, NM (United States). Performance Assessment Dept.

    2014-07-01

    Following the radionuclide release event of February 14, 2014 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), actinide contamination has been found on the walls and floor in Panel 7 as a result of a release in Room 7 of Panel 7. It has been proposed to decontaminate Panel 7 at the WIPP by washing contaminated surfaces in the underground with fresh water. A cost-effective cleanup of this contamination would allow for a timely return to waste disposal operations at WIPP. It is expected that the fresh water used to decontaminate Panel 7 will flow as contaminated brine down into the porosity of the materials under the floor – the run-of-mine (ROM) salt above Marker Bed 139 (MB139) and MB139 itself – where its fate will be controlled by the hydraulic and transport properties of MB139. Due to the structural dip of MB139, it is unlikely that this brine would migrate northward towards the Waste-Handling Shaft sump. A few strategically placed shallow small-diameter observation boreholes straddling MB139 would allow for monitoring the flow and fate of this brine after decontamination. Additionally, given that flow through the compacted ROM salt floor and in MB139 would occur under unsaturated (or two-phase) conditions, there is a need to measure the unsaturated flow properties of crushed WIPP salt and salt from the disturbed rock zone (DRZ).

  18. Florida-specific NTCIP management information base (MIB) for closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera : final draft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Description: This following MIB has been developed for use by FDOT. This : proposed Florida-Specific NTCIP Management Information Base (MIB) For : Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Camera MIB is based on the following : documentations: : NTCIP 120...

  19. 45 CFR 61.6 - Reporting errors, omissions, revisions or whether an action is on appeal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting errors, omissions, revisions or whether an action is on appeal. 61.6 Section 61.6 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION HEALTHCARE INTEGRITY AND PROTECTION DATA BANK FOR FINAL ADVERSE INFORMATION ON...

  20. Serum dosage of CPK-MB in dogs with ST deviation by chemiluminescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André L.F. Santos

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Although frequently in humans, hypoxic and ischemic heart diseases are poorly documented in dogs, with only few reports of acute myocardial infarction (AMI in this species. Some electrocardiographic findings might suggest myocardium hypoxia/ischemia, like ST segment elevation or depression, but there are no studies showing whether deviations in ST segment are associated to myocardial injury and serum increase of creatine phosphokinase (CPK-MB. In order to investigate possible myocardial cells injury in poor perfusion conditions, 38 dogs were studied, 20 with normal electrocardiogram and 18 with ST segment elevation or depression, recorded in lead II, at a paper speed of 50 mm/sec and N sensibility (1mV=1cm. Serum measurement of creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme MB (CPK-MB in normal dogs (group 1 determined control values (in ng/mL, which were compared to those obtained from dogs with deviation (group 2, which allowed confirmation or not of myocardial injury. CPK-MB mean values obtained from dogs in groups 1 and 2 were 0.540ng/ml (SD±0.890ng/mL and 0.440ng/mL (SD±1.106, respectively. At a significance level of 5%, the relation of CPK-MB with age, mass and total creatine phosphokinase (CPK-T was not significant in groups 1 and 2. CPK-MB showed no difference, at 5% level, between groups 1 and 2. In conclusion, it is possible to use the human chemiluminescent immunometric assay kit in canine species and that hypoxia/ischemia revealed by ST segment deviation does not mean significant myocardium injury.

  1. Omission in Possible: the Forensic Linguistics Autopsy of the Court Interpreting Praxis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taufiq Jati Murtaya

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available To have a proportional rendition, an interpreter has to deal with the dilemmatic decision of technique employment. In fact, in a case of court interpreting there are a bunch of oppressive moments, since its impact is exclusively stroke on the hearings’ route; and generally in the law enforcement constitution. For that fundamental circumstance, this article links the perspectives to achieve the goal how the court interpreting should be held from the notion of one of the interpreting strategies, namely the omission and the conceptual perspective of forensic linguistics. Here, this article reviews some points of view from both sides; and scrutinizes what lies beneath so the findings are beneficial for the court interpreting practices and studies. This article articulates that the omissions are taken for the sake of the prosecution flawless systemic process. Thus, the interpreter should be aware of the nuance of the two main conditions of the witness examination session i.e. the examination-in-chief and the cross-examination. More importantly, the forensic linguistics considers this as the effort in a working condition of the court interpreter to keep the most proportional judicial atmosphere in balance in terms of symmetrical and asymmetrical relation. This article then proposes the significance of having more knowledge on forensic linguistics for a court interpreter in doing and learning court interpreting.

  2. Eficiência nutricional do milho cv. BRS 1030 submetido à omissão de macronutrientes em solução nutritiva

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ancélio Ricardo de Oliveira Gondim

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Em casa de vegetação, desenvolveu-se experimento com delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com sete tratamentos e três repetições, a fim de estudar a influência da omissão de nutrientes nas relações de eficiência (eficiência de absorção, translocação e utilização deplantas de milho cv. BRS 1030 crescidas em solução nutritiva de Hoagland & Arnon (1950, completa e com omissão de N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S, durante 30 dias. Após esse período, as plantas foram coletadas, separadas em parte aérea e raiz, secadas e em seguida pesadas e moídas, para determinação dos teores de macronutrientes e obtenção dos índices de eficiência. A omissão de macronutrientes promove diminuição na produção de massa seca da planta inteira e na eficiência de absorção dos nutrientes, quando comparada à do tratamento completo. A omissão de P, Mg e S resulta em maior eficiência de utilização, comparada com o tratamento completo. Plantas deficientes retranslocam os nutrientes, tentando manter seu conteúdo nas folhas medianas (ou parte aérea em relação aos demais órgãos.

  3. Efeito da omissão de macronutrientes e boro no crescimento, nos sintomas de deficiências nutricionais e na composição mineral de plantas de camucamuzeiro Effect of omission of macronutrient and boron on growth, on symptoms of nutritional deficiency and mineral composition in camucamuzeiro plants (Myrciaria dubia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismael de Jesus Matos Viégas

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da omissão de macronutrientes e do micronutriente boro no crescimento, nos sintomas de deficiências nutricionais e na composição mineral em plantas de camucamuzeiro, conduziu-se experimento em casa de vegetação, mediante a técnica do elemento faltante. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições e oito tratamentos, sendo completo (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e micronutrientes e omissão individual de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e B. Os sintomas visuais de deficiências foram, de modo geral, de fácil caracterização para todos os nutrientes. Com exceção do fósforo, as omissões dos demais nutrientes afetaram a produção de matéria seca, quando comparados ao tratamento completo. Com base nos teores em g kg-1, dos macronutrientes, e em mg kg-1, do micronutriente boro nas folhas, infere-se em uma primeira aproximação dos valores adequados (completo, ou seja: 16,9 a 18,2 de N ; 1,2 a 1,9 de P; 5,2 a 6,0 de K; 9,9 a 11,7 de Ca; 1,4 a 3,6 de Mg; 2,4 a 2,8 de S ; 8,4 a 9,5 de B e do deficiente (omissão , 6,5 a 7,9 de N ; =0,9 de P; =1,7 de K ; 5,4 a 6,5 de Ca; =0,7 de Mg; 0,7 a 1,2 de S e 1,1 a 1,9 de BThe effects of omission of macronutrient and boron on growth, on symptoms of nutritional deficiency and mineral composition of plants of "camucamuzeiro" were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, by means of the missing element technique. The experimental design was completely randomized, with eight treatments and four repetitions, including complete (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and micronutrients and individual omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and B. The visual symptoms of deficiency were easily characterized for all the nutrients. Excepting for P, dry mass was affected by the omission of all the other nutrients, when compared with the complete treatment. Based on the macronutrient (g kg-1 and on the micronutrient boron (mg kg-1 on leaves contents, a first approach of the

  4. High coronary calcium score and post-procedural CK-MB are noninvasive predictors of coronary stent restenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee JB

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Jae-Beom Lee,1 Yun-Seok Choi,2 Woo-Baek Chung,2 Ami Kwon,2 Chul-Soo Park,2 Man-Young Lee2 1Anyang Sam Hospital, 2Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Youido St Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea Purpose: High coronary calcium score (CCS and post-procedural cardiac enzyme may be related with poor outcomes in patients with coronary stent implantation. Methods: A total of 1,072 patients (63.2% male, mean age: 61.7±10.3 years who underwent coronary multi-detect computed tomography at index procedure and follow-up coronary angiography (CAG after drug-eluting stent (DES were divided into two groups: those with and without target lesion revascularization (TLR; >50% reduction in luminal stent diameter or angina symptoms on follow-up CAG. The CCSs for predicting stent revascularization were elucidated. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to risk factors. The initial CCS was significantly higher in the TLR group (1,102.4±743.7 vs 345.8±51.05, P=0.04. After adjustment of significant factors for TLR, only CCS and post-procedural creatine kinase MB form (CK-MB elevation were significant predictors of coronary artery TLR. Receiver operation curve revealed that >800 in CCS had 69% in sensitivity and 88% in specificity about predicting the TLR. Conclusion: High CCS with post-procedural CK-MB might be the useful predictors for TLR after DES implantation. Keywords: coronary restenosis, drug-eluting stents, calcium, creatine kinase

  5. Immunohistochemical profile of neurotrophins and MIB-1 in jugulotympanic paragangliomas: prognostic value and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artico, M; De Vincentiis, M; Ionta, B; Bianchi, E; Bosco, S; Onteleone, M; Fumagalli, L; Magliulo, G

    2012-01-01

    Jugulo-tympanic paragangliomas are the most common primary neoplasm of the middle ear, but little is still known about the histological features differentiating the benign and malignant forms. We investigated, with an immunohistochemical procedure, the expression of neurotrophins with their receptors, in fifteen samples of paragangliomas, and MIB-1 in order to consider them as prognostic factors of malignancy. We observed a general positivity for NGF - TrKA - NT4 - TrKC in the cytoplasm, and a strong expression for BDNF in the extracellular space. MIB-1 was moderate in the nucleus of neoplastic cells, weak in the cytoplasm and totally absent in the extracellular space. The comparison between the clinical recurrences and the rate of cytoplasmatic neurotrophins showed strong immunoreactivity in recurrent patients. It should be emphasized that 2 of the 3 recurrences had a wider distribution of the neutrophins, leading to hypothesize the involvement of these substances in the cell proliferation of glomus tumors. Malignant forms of these rare glomus tumors cannot be clearly identified using MIB-1 as a prognostic marker, although we can affirm that neurotrophins and their receptors can be considered as a panel of potential diagnostic markers to monitor the development of such malignancies. Although the small number of patients does not allow definitive conclusions to be made, our findings showed a possible trend towards significance which requires a more powerful study to evaluate this further.

  6. 10 MB disk platter from CDC 7638

    CERN Multimedia

    1974-01-01

    This magnetic disk was one of three which interfaced with various Control Data machines. This single platter came from a Control Data 7638 Disk Storage Subsystem and could contain up to 10MB - about the size of a few MP4's on your iPod.

  7. Cortical gamma activity during auditory tone omission provides evidence for the involvement of oscillatory activity in top-down processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurtubay, I G; Alegre, M; Valencia, M; Artieda, J

    2006-11-01

    Perception is an active process in which our brains use top-down influences to modulate afferent information. To determine whether this modulation might be based on oscillatory activity, we asked seven subjects to detect a silence that appeared randomly in a rhythmic auditory sequence, counting the number of omissions ("count" task), or responding to each omission with a right index finger extension ("move" task). Despite the absence of physical stimuli, these tasks induced a 'non-phase-locked' gamma oscillation in temporal-parietal areas, providing evidence of intrinsically generated oscillatory activity during top-down processing. This oscillation is probably related to the local neural activation that takes place during the process of stimulus detection, involving the functional comparison between the tones and the absence of stimuli as well as the auditory echoic memory processes. The amplitude of the gamma oscillations was reduced with the repetition of the tasks. Moreover, it correlated positively with the number of correctly detected omissions and negatively with the reaction time. These findings indicate that these oscillations, like others described, may be modulated by attentional processes. In summary, our findings support the active and adaptive concept of brain function that has emerged over recent years, suggesting that the match of sensory information with memory contents generates gamma oscillations.

  8. Structure of superhard tungsten tetraboride: A missing link between MB2 and MB12 higher borides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lech, Andrew T.; Turner, Christopher L.; Mohammadi, Reza; Tolbert, Sarah H.; Kaner, Richard B.

    2015-01-01

    Superhard metals are of interest as possible replacements with enhanced properties over the metal carbides commonly used in cutting, drilling, and wear-resistant tooling. Of the superhard metals, the highest boride of tungsten—often referred to as WB4 and sometimes as W1–xB3—is one of the most promising candidates. The structure of this boride, however, has never been fully resolved, despite the fact that it was discovered in 1961—a fact that severely limits our understanding of its structure–property relationships and has generated increasing controversy in the literature. Here, we present a new crystallographic model of this compound based on refinement against time-of-flight neutron diffraction data. Contrary to previous X-ray–only structural refinements, there is strong evidence for the presence of interstitial arrangements of boron atoms and polyhedral bonding. The formation of these polyhedra—slightly distorted boron cuboctahedra—appears to be dependent upon the defective nature of the tungsten-deficient metal sublattice. This previously unidentified structure type has an intermediary relationship between MB2 and MB12 type boride polymorphs. Manipulation of the fractionally occupied metal and boron sites may provide insight for the rational design of new superhard metals. PMID:25733870

  9. Clinician-scientist MB/PhD training in the UK: a nationwide survey of medical school policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett-Vanes, Ashton; Ho, Guiyi; Cox, Timothy M

    2015-12-30

    This study surveyed all UK medical schools regarding their Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (MB/PhD) training policy in order to map the current training landscape and to provide evidence for further research and policy development. Deans of all UK medical schools registered with the Medical Schools Council were invited to participate in this survey electronically. The number of medical schools that operate institutional MB/PhD programmes or permit self-directed student PhD intercalation. Medical school recruitment procedures and attitudes to policy guidance. 27 of 33 (81%) registered UK medical schools responded. Four (14%) offer an institutional MB/PhD programme. However, of those without institutional programmes, 17 (73%) permit study interruption and PhD intercalation: two do not (one of whom had discontinued their programme in 2013), three were unsure and one failed to answer the question. Regarding student eligibility, respondents cited high academic achievement in medical studies and a bachelor's or master's degree. Of the Medical schools without institutional MB/PhD programmes, 5 (21%) have intentions to establish a programme, 8 (34%) do not and 3 were unsure, seven did not answer. 19 medical schools (70%) considered national guidelines are needed for future MB/PhD programme development. We report the first national survey of MB/PhD training in the UK. Four medical schools have operational institutional MB/PhD programmes, with a further five intending to establish one. Most medical schools permit study interruption and PhD intercalation. The total number MB/PhD students yet to graduate from medical school could exceed 150, with 30 graduating per year. A majority of medical school respondents to this survey believe national guidelines are required for MB/PhD programme development and implementation. Further research should focus on the MB/PhD student experience. Discussion regarding local and national MB/PhD policies between medical

  10. Cardiac troponin T and CK-MB mass release after visually successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in stable angina pectoris

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravkilde, J; Nissen, H; Mickley, H

    1994-01-01

    The incidence of cardiac troponin T (Tn-T) and creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB mass release was studied in 23 patients with stable angina pectoris undergoing visually successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Serial blood samples were drawn for measurement of serum Tn...

  11. Mib1 contributes to persistent directional cell migration by regulating the Ctnnd1-Rac1 pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizoguchi, Takamasa; Ikeda, Shoko; Watanabe, Saori; Sugawara, Michiko; Itoh, Motoyuki

    2017-10-31

    Persistent directional cell migration is involved in animal development and diseases. The small GTPase Rac1 is involved in F-actin and focal adhesion dynamics. Local Rac1 activity is required for persistent directional migration, whereas global, hyperactivated Rac1 enhances random cell migration. Therefore, precise control of Rac1 activity is important for proper directional cell migration. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of Rac1 activity in persistent directional cell migration is not fully understood. Here, we show that the ubiquitin ligase mind bomb 1 (Mib1) is involved in persistent directional cell migration. We found that knockdown of MIB1 led to an increase in random cell migration in HeLa cells in a wound-closure assay. Furthermore, we explored novel Mib1 substrates for cell migration and found that Mib1 ubiquitinates Ctnnd1. Mib1-mediated ubiquitination of Ctnnd1 K547 attenuated Rac1 activation in cultured cells. In addition, we found that posterior lateral line primordium cells in the zebrafish mib1 ta52b mutant showed increased random migration and loss of directional F-actin-based protrusion formation. Knockdown of Ctnnd1 partially rescued posterior lateral line primordium cell migration defects in the mib1 ta52b mutant. Taken together, our data suggest that Mib1 plays an important role in cell migration and that persistent directional cell migration is regulated, at least in part, by the Mib1-Ctnnd1-Rac1 pathway. Published under the PNAS license.

  12. MIB-producing cyanobacteria (Planktothrix sp.) in a drinking water reservoir: distribution and odor producing potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Ming; Yu, Jianwei; Zhang, Junzhi; Chen, Hui; An, Wei; Vogt, Rolf D; Andersen, Tom; Jia, Dongmin; Wang, Jingshi; Yang, Min

    2015-01-01

    The production of odorant 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in water bodies by Planktothrix sp. have not been understood very well. Through a four-year investigation in Miyun Reservoir, a huge mesotrophic drinking water reservoir known to have the MIB episodes, we found that the Planktothrix sp. bloomed during September and October causing the high levels of MIB in the reservoir. The concentration of MIB and the biomass of MIB-producing cyanobacteria Planktothrix were measured (n = 887) at different sites and depths during different seasons. The results indicated that the shallow region of the reservoir is the major habitat for Planktothrix sp. due to that the light is able to penetrate down to the relatively high concentrations of nutrients close to the sediments. Quantile regression analysis between Planktothrix biomass and MIB concentration shows that the risk of MIB exceeding the odor threshold (15 ng L⁻¹) in water was as high as 90% when the Planktothrix density was more than 4.0 × 10⁵ cells L⁻¹, while the risk was reduced to 10% when the Planktothrix density remained below 1.6 × 10⁴ cells L⁻¹. This study will improve the understanding of the environmental behaviors of Planktothrix sp., and can provide useful information for better management of drinking water lakes/reservoirs experiencing the taste and odor (T&O) problems caused by deep living cyanobacterial species.

  13. Crescimento e sintomas de deficiência nutricional em Iris germanica L. decorrentes da omissão de macronutrientes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yara Brito Chaim Jardim Rosa

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available A busca crescente por Iris germanica L. pela farmacologia, medicina, indústria de perfume e cosméticos, tem demandado pesquisas relacionadas à nutrição mineral dessa planta. Assim, o objetivo dessa pesquisa foi analisar o crescimento e os sintomas visuais de deficiência em Iris germânica, sob condições de omissão de macronutrientes. O experimento foi conduzido na área de Jardinocultura da Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD em Dourados – MS. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com dez repetições, sendo que, a unidade experimental foi composta por uma planta de Iris germanica L., cultivada em vaso plástico com capacidade para 3 kg usando como substrato areia lavada esterilizada. Para analisar o crescimento e os sintomas de deficiência, e observar a suscetibilidade a doenças foram utilizados cinco tratamentos que corresponderam à solução nutritiva completa de Hogland e Arnon (macro e micronutrientes, e a omissão individual de N, P, K, e Ca. A deficiência de um macronutriente, especialmente N, Ca e P, além de promover diminuição do crescimento da planta e do número de gemas emergidas do rizoma, resultaram em alterações morfológicas, traduzidas como sintomas característicos de deficiência. A omissão de K contribuiu para o aumento da severidade de bacteriose causado por Erwinia spp.

  14. Omissões legislativas inconstitucionais: reflexões acerca do seu correto delineamento teórico e da legitimidade democrática do seu controle

    OpenAIRE

    João Paulo de Aguiar Santos

    2013-01-01

    A presente dissertação objetiva, a partir principalmente de reflexões abstratas, fornecer elementos capazes de fomentar um coerente questionamento em relação à formulação teórica dominante no que se refere ao estudo da inconstitucionalidade por omissão. Busca-se evidenciar o contexto histórico e jurídico em que o instituto foi desenvolvido para, em seguida, defender a necessidade de se partir para um novo delineamento teórico das circunstâncias aptas a caracterizarem a ocorrência de uma omiss...

  15. Identification of a 3.0-kb Major Recombination Hotspot in Patients with Sotos Syndrome Who Carry a Common 1.9-Mb Microdeletion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Remco; Shimokawa, Osamu; Harada, Naoki; Kinoshita, Akira; Ohta, Tohru; Niikawa, Norio; Matsumoto, Naomichi

    2005-01-01

    Sotos syndrome (SoS) is a congenital dysmorphic disorder characterized by overgrowth in childhood, distinctive craniofacial features, and mental retardation. Haploinsufficiency of the NSD1 gene owing to either intragenic mutations or microdeletions is known to be the major cause of SoS. The common ∼2.2-Mb microdeletion encompasses the whole NSD1 gene and neighboring genes and is flanked by low-copy repeats (LCRs). Here, we report the identification of a 3.0-kb major recombination hotspot within these LCRs, in which we mapped deletion breakpoints in 78.7% (37/47) of patients with SoS who carry the common microdeletion. The deletion size was subsequently refined to 1.9 Mb. Sequencing of breakpoint fragments from all 37 patients revealed junctions between a segment of the proximal LCR (PLCR-B) and the corresponding region of the distal LCR (DLCR-2B). PLCR-B and DLCR-2B are the only directly oriented regions, whereas the remaining regions of the PLCR and DLCR are in inverted orientation. The PLCR, with a size of 394.0 kb, and the DLCR, with a size of of 429.8 kb, showed high overall homology (∼98.5%), with an increased sequence similarity (∼99.4%) within the 3.0-kb breakpoint cluster. Several recombination-associated motifs were identified in the hotspot and/or its vicinity. Interestingly, a 10-fold average increase of a translin motif, as compared with the normal distribution within the LCRs, was recognized. Furthermore, a heterozygous inversion of the interval between the LCRs was detected in all fathers of the children carrying a deletion in the paternally derived chromosome. The functional significance of these findings remains to be elucidated. Segmental duplications of the primate genome play a major role in chromosomal evolution. Evolutionary study showed that the duplication of the SoS LCRs occurred 23.3–47.6 million years ago, before the divergence of Old World monkeys. PMID:15580547

  16. 17 CFR 260.7a-16 - Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and answers, omission of instructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and answers, omission of instructions. 260.7a-16 Section 260.7a-16 Commodity and... INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 Formal Requirements § 260.7a-16 Inclusion of items, differentiation between items and...

  17. Nutritional status of the cauliflower cultivar 'verona' grown with omission of out added macronutrients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianco, Matheus Saraiva; Cecílio Filho, Arthur Bernardes; de Carvalho, Leonardo Bianco

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge of plant nutritional status allows an understanding of the physiological responses of plants to crop fertilization. A hydroponic experiment evaluated the symptoms of macronutrient deficiency in cauliflower 'Verona' and determined: a) the macronutrient contents of foliar tissues when visual symptoms were observed, b) macronutrients content of foliar and inflorescence tissues at harvest. The effect of nutrient deficiency on inflorescence mass was also evaluated. Nitrogen deficiency caused chlorosis followed by purple color in the old leaves, while P deficiency caused only chlorosis in old leaves. Chlorosis at the edge of old leaves progressing to the center of the leaves was observed with the omission of K, and after was observed necrosis in the chlorotic areas. Ca deficiency caused tip burn in new leaves, while Mg deficiency caused internerval chlorosis in old leaves. The omission of each macronutrient reduced inflorescence dry matter. This deleterious effect was larger for N, P, and K deficiencies, reducing inflorescence dry matter by 87, 49, and 42%, respectively. When the nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, or Mg were supplied to cauliflower plants, the macronutrient contents at harvest were 8.8, 0.6, 3.5, 13.0, and 0.8 g kg-1 in the foliar tissues and 27.3, 2.2, 21.6, 1.1, and 0.7 g kg-1 in the inflorescence tissues, respectively.

  18. Identification of possible factors impacting dental students' ability to locate MB2 canals in maxillary molars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Ellen; Chehroudi, Babak; Coil, Jeffrey M

    2014-05-01

    This study examined the effect of the access size and straight-line path of access on third-year dental students' ability to locate a second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal in maxillary first and second molars. One hundred and six third-year dental students at one Faculty of Dentistry performed simulated root canal treatment with the aid of 2x magnification loupes on extracted teeth. A postgraduate endodontic student subsequently made a reasonable search for an untreated MB2 canal with the aid of a dental operating microscope. The mesiobuccal roots were then sectioned horizontally for determination of the canal configuration. The dental students were able to treat an MB2 canal in 15.8 percent of the teeth, but this was not associated with satisfactory access criteria. The postgraduate endodontic student identified an MB2 canal in 54.7 percent of the remaining tooth samples excluding those where the MB2 canal was found by the dental students; this represented 94.3 percent of those teeth confirmed by horizontal sectioning of the root to have an MB2 canal. The postgraduate student troughed, on average, 2.6 mm before negotiating the MB2 canal. As satisfactory access criteria and straight-line path of access did not correlate with the dental students' ability to find a second mesiobuccal canal, this result has important implications for educational goals with respect to endodontic treatment of maxillary molar teeth.

  19. INDIGENOUS STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN URBAN RONDÔNIA: THE OMISSION OF PUBLIC POLICY FAILURE OF ETHNIC ORIGINS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanubia Sampaio Santos

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This work presents the outline of a study that is underway, seeking evidence and question the reality of Indian students in schools not as the situations of indigenous affirmation and omission identity (ethnic belonging in urban public schools in Rondônia. The obtained data show everyday situations that characterize violence and prejudice against students indígenas.Essas and other situations that reveals the interethnic tension remains dormant and can manifest in many different situations. At school, occurs in intercultural interaction. To discuss these and other issues raised in the survey, support for authors who discuss indigenous education, management, public policy, anti-colonialist project, empowerment, autonomy and leadership indigenous perspective of the indigenous movement with Grupioni (2001, Lopes da Silva (2000; D'Angelis (2012; Bergamaschi (2012, Both (2009; Mendonça (2009; Castoriadis (1988; Secchi (2008; Tadeu da Silva (1999 and Paulo Freire (1982 with their outstanding contribution to the dialogue on indigenous education. Keywords: Indian student. Urban school. Prejudice. Omission identity.

  20. Insulin adherence behaviours and barriers in the multinational Global Attitudes of Patients and Physicians in Insulin Therapy study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyrot, M; Barnett, A H; Meneghini, L F; Schumm-Draeger, P-M

    2012-05-01

    To examine patient and physician beliefs regarding insulin therapy and the degree to which patients adhere to their insulin regimens. Internet survey of 1250 physicians (600 specialists, 650 primary care physicians) who treat patients with diabetes and telephone survey of 1530 insulin-treated patients (180 with Type 1 diabetes, 1350 with Type 2 diabetes) in China, France, Japan, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the UK or the USA. One third (33.2%) of patients reported insulin omission/non-adherence at least 1 day in the last month, with an average of 3.3 days. Three quarters (72.5%) of physicians report that their typical patient does not take their insulin as prescribed, with a mean of 4.3 days per month of basal insulin omission/non-adherence and 5.7 days per month of prandial insulin omission/non-adherence. Patients and providers indicated the same five most common reasons for insulin omission/non-adherence: too busy; travelling; skipped meals; stress/emotional problems; public embarrassment. Physicians reported low patient success at initiating insulin in a timely fashion and adjusting insulin doses. Most physicians report that many insulin-treated patients do not have adequate glucose control (87.6%) and that they would treat more aggressively if not for concern about hypoglycaemia (75.5%). Although a majority of patients (and physicians) regard insulin treatment as restrictive, more patients see insulin treatment as having positive than negative impacts on their lives. Glucose control is inadequate among insulin-treated patients, in part attributable to insulin omission/non-adherence and lack of dose adjustment. There is a need for insulin regimens that are less restrictive and burdensome with lower risk of hypoglycaemia. © 2012 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2012 Diabetes UK.

  1. Single protein omission reconstitution studies of tetracycline binding to the 30S subunit of Escherichia coli ribosomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buck, M.; Cooperman, B.S.

    1990-01-01

    In previous work the authors showed that on photolysis of Escherichia coli ribosomes in the presence of [ 3 H]tetracycline (TC) the major protein labeled is S7, and they presented strong evidence that such labeling takes place from a high-affinity site related to the inhibitory action of TC. In this work they use single protein omission reconstitution (SPORE) experiments to identify those proteins that are important for high-affinity TC binding to the 30S subunit, as measured by both cosedimentation and filter binding assays. With respect to both sedimentation coefficients and relative Phe-tRNA Phe binding, the properties of the SPORE particles they obtain parallel very closely those measured earlier, with the exception of the SPORE particle lacking S13. A total of five proteins, S3, S7, S8, S14, and S19, are shown to be important for TC binding, with the largest effects seen on omission of proteins S7 and S14. Determination of the protein compositions of the corresponding SPORE particles demonstrates that the observed effects are, for the most part, directly attributable to the omission of the given protein rather than reflecting an indirect effect of omitting one protein on the uptake of another. A large body of evidence supports the notion that four of these proteins, S3, S7, S14, and S19, are included, along with 16S rRNA bases 920-1,396, in one of the major domains of the 30S subunit. The results support the conclusion that the structure of this domain is important for the binding of TC and that, within this domain, TC binds directly to S7

  2. Antiretroviral medication prescribing errors are common with hospitalization of HIV-infected patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Commers, Tessa; Swindells, Susan; Sayles, Harlan; Gross, Alan E; Devetten, Marcel; Sandkovsky, Uriel

    2014-01-01

    Errors in prescribing antiretroviral therapy (ART) often occur with the hospitalization of HIV-infected patients. The rapid identification and prevention of errors may reduce patient harm and healthcare-associated costs. A retrospective review of hospitalized HIV-infected patients was carried out between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011. Errors were documented as omission, underdose, overdose, duplicate therapy, incorrect scheduling and/or incorrect therapy. The time to error correction was recorded. Relative risks (RRs) were computed to evaluate patient characteristics and error rates. A total of 289 medication errors were identified in 146/416 admissions (35%). The most common was drug omission (69%). At an error rate of 31%, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors were associated with an increased risk of error when compared with protease inhibitors (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.04-1.69) and co-formulated drugs (RR 1.59; 95% CI 1.19-2.09). Of the errors, 31% were corrected within the first 24 h, but over half (55%) were never remedied. Admissions with an omission error were 7.4 times more likely to have all errors corrected within 24 h than were admissions without an omission. Drug interactions with ART were detected on 51 occasions. For the study population (n = 177), an increased risk of admission error was observed for black (43%) compared with white (28%) individuals (RR 1.53; 95% CI 1.16-2.03) but no significant differences were observed between white patients and other minorities or between men and women. Errors in inpatient ART were common, and the majority were never detected. The most common errors involved omission of medication, and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors had the highest rate of prescribing error. Interventions to prevent and correct errors are urgently needed.

  3. Desenvolvimento e estado nutricional da beterraba em função da omisão de nutrientes Effect of macronutrient omission on growth and nutritional status on table beet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana U Alves

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da omissão de macronutrientes no desenvolvimento e no estado nutricional da beterraba, assim como descrever sintomas visuais de deficiência nutricional, um experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação da UNESP, Campus de Jaboticabal, SP. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com sete tratamentos, que corresponderam à solução completa (macro e micronutrientes e à omissão individual de N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S, com três repetições. Avaliou-se a altura das plantas, o número de folhas, a área foliar, a matéria seca da parte aérea, da raiz e planta inteira, os teores dos macronutrientes da parte aérea e raiz e descritos as desordens nutricionais. As omissões individuais de N, P, K e Ca foram as mais limitantes para o crescimento vegetativo da beterraba, reduzindo consideravelmente a altura, o número de folhas e as matérias secas de parte aérea, raiz e planta inteira. Foram observados sintomas de deficiência nutricional de cada elemento. Os teores dos macronutrientes na parte aérea do tratamento completo e com omissão dos nutrientes foram respectivamente: N = 32,9 - 13,8; P = 9,0 - 0,8; K = 126,0 - 15,1; Ca = 12,0 - 1,0; Mg = 10,1 - 0,7; S = 3,6 - 1,2 g kg-1.An experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions, in Jaboticabal, São Paulo State, Brazil, to evaluate the effects of macronutrient omission on beet nutritional status and development, as well as to describe nutritional deficiency symptoms. The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design with three replications and seven treatments, corresponding to complete nutritive solution (macro and micronutrients and individual N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S omission. Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot, root and whole plant dry mass and macronutrient levels were determined and nutritional deficiency symptoms were described. Individual omissions of N, P, K or Ca were the most limiting for beet growth

  4. Temporal and identity prediction in visual-auditory events: Electrophysiological evidence from stimulus omissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Laarhoven, Thijs; Stekelenburg, Jeroen J; Vroomen, Jean

    2017-04-15

    A rare omission of a sound that is predictable by anticipatory visual information induces an early negative omission response (oN1) in the EEG during the period of silence where the sound was expected. It was previously suggested that the oN1 was primarily driven by the identity of the anticipated sound. Here, we examined the role of temporal prediction in conjunction with identity prediction of the anticipated sound in the evocation of the auditory oN1. With incongruent audiovisual stimuli (a video of a handclap that is consistently combined with the sound of a car horn) we demonstrate in Experiment 1 that a natural match in identity between the visual and auditory stimulus is not required for inducing the oN1, and that the perceptual system can adapt predictions to unnatural stimulus events. In Experiment 2 we varied either the auditory onset (relative to the visual onset) or the identity of the sound across trials in order to hamper temporal and identity predictions. Relative to the natural stimulus with correct auditory timing and matching audiovisual identity, the oN1 was abolished when either the timing or the identity of the sound could not be predicted reliably from the video. Our study demonstrates the flexibility of the perceptual system in predictive processing (Experiment 1) and also shows that precise predictions of timing and content are both essential elements for inducing an oN1 (Experiment 2). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase MIB-1 Is Necessary To Form the Nuclear Halo in Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Leslie A; Starr, Daniel A

    2018-05-18

    Unlike the classical nuclear envelope with two membranes found in other eukaryotic cells, most nematode sperm nuclei are not encapsulated by membranes. Instead, they are surrounded by a nuclear halo of unknown composition. How the halo is formed and regulated is unknown. We used forward genetics to identify molecular lesions behind three classical fer (fertilization defective) mutations that disrupt the ultrastructure of the Caenorhabditis elegans sperm nuclear halo. We found fer-2 and fer-4 alleles to be nonsense mutations in mib-1. fer-3 was caused by a nonsense mutation in eri-3 GFP::MIB-1 was expressed in the germline during early spermatogenesis, but not in mature sperm. mib-1 encodes a conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase homologous to vertebrate Mib1 and Mib2, which function in Notch signaling. Here, we show that mib-1 is important for male sterility and is involved in the regulation or formation of the nuclear halo during nematode spermatogenesis. Copyright © 2018, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.

  6. MIBS breadboard ready for testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leijtens, Johan; de Goeij, Bryan; Boslooper, Erik

    2017-11-01

    MIBS is a spectrometer operating in the thermal infrared wavelength region, designed in frame of the phase A study for the ESA EarthCARE mission as part of the multispectral Imaging instrument MSI, which uses a 2D microbolometer array detector in stead of the more common MCT detectors. Utilization of a microbolometer and using an integrated calibration system, results in a sensor with a size and mass reduction of at least an order of magnitude when compared to currently flying instruments with similar spectral resolution. In order to demonstrate feasiblity a breadboard has been designed, which will be build and aligned in 2006 and will be ready for testing the forth quarter of 2006.

  7. Boehringer immunoinhibition procedure for creatine kinase-MB evaluated and compared with column ion-exchange chromatography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ter Welle, H. F.; Baartscheer, T.; Fiolet, J. W.

    1983-01-01

    In determination of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), the Boehringer immunoinhibition method gives a high and variable blank activity as compared with column-chromatography. Thus a correction must be applied. Furthermore, a second correction of 1% of total creatine kinase activity is necessary

  8. Mechanism of Binding to Ebola Virus Glycoprotein by the ZMapp, ZMAb, and MB-003 Cocktail Antibodies

    OpenAIRE

    Davidson, Edgar; Bryan, Christopher; Fong, Rachel H.; Barnes, Trevor; Pfaff, Jennifer M.; Mabila, Manu; Rucker, Joseph B.; Doranz, Benjamin J.

    2015-01-01

    Cocktails of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that target the surface glycoprotein (GP) of Ebola virus (EBOV) are effective in nonhuman primate models and have been used under emergency compassionate-treatment protocols in human patients. However, the amino acids that form the detailed binding epitopes for the MAbs in the ZMapp, ZMAb, and the related MB-003 cocktails have yet to be identified. Other binding properties that define how each MAb functionally interacts with GP—such as affinity, epito...

  9. Comparison of early myocardial technetium-99m pyrophosphate uptake to early peaking of creatine kinase and creatine kinase-MB as indicators of early reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, M.; Yuzuki, Y.; Arai, H.; Shimizu, K.; Morikawa, M.; Shimono, Y.

    1987-01-01

    The value of technetium-99m pyrophosphate (Tc-99m-PYP) scintigraphy as an indicator of reperfusion 2.8 to 8 hours after the onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction was compared with the value of early peak creatine kinase (CK) and CK-MB release within 16 hours after the onset of symptoms. In 29 patients who received thrombolytic therapy, recanalization was seen (group 1) and in 7 it was not (group 2). In 23 patients (79%) in group 1 scintigraphic findings were positive and in all 7 in group 2 they were negative. In 15 patients (52%) in group 1 and 1 patient (14%) in group 2, CK reached its peak level within 16 hours. In 20 patients (69%) in group 1 and 3 (43%) in group 2 the CK-MB level reached a peak within 16 hours. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy of positive results of early Tc-99m-PYP scintigraphy in predicting the reperfusion were 79%, 100% and 83%. These values are significantly higher than or similar to those of early peaking of CK and CK-MB release. In contrast to measurements of enzyme release, reperfusion data for Tc-99m-PYP scintigraphy are available immediately after thrombolytic therapy. Therefore, early Tc-99m-PYP scintigraphy (3 to 8 hours after onset of symptoms) is valuable as a noninvasive technique for early diagnosis of reperfusion

  10. Reactivity effect of a heavy water tank as reflector in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Adimir dos; Fuga, Rinaldo

    2013-01-01

    This experiment comprises a set of experiments performed in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor and described in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments, specifically the experiment aim to evaluate the reactivity due to the heavy water tank placed at reflector region of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. An aluminum tank was designed to be filled with heavy water and positioned at the west face of the IPEN/MB-01, additionally the experiment was also designed to allow variable heavy water height inside of this tank providing different neutron leakage rate in the west face of the IPEN/MB-01, consequently providing a series of interesting combinations. The measured quantities in the experiment are reactivities and critical control bank positions for several combinations of the control banks and an excess of reactivity of the heavy water tank. The experiment will be simulated using a Monte Carlo code MCNP in order to compare the different critical control bank position. (author)

  11. Omission of expected reward sensitizes the brain dopaminergic system of classically conditioned Atlantic salmon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vindas, M.A.; Höglund, Erik; Folkedal, O.

    in fishes. Here we show that the omission of expected reward (OER) leads to increased aggression towards conspecifics in classically conditioned Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Furthermore, in response to an acute stressor, OER fish displayed increased dopaminergic (DA) neurotransmission compared to controls....... There was also a general downregulation of dopamine receptor D1 gene expression in the telencephalon of OER groups, which suggests a coping mechanism in response to unbalanced DA metabolism. These results indicate that animals subjected to unpredictable reward conditions develop a senzitation of the DA...

  12. Nutritional Status of the Cauliflower Cultivar ‘Verona’ Grown with Omission of out Added Macronutrients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianco, Matheus Saraiva; Cecílio Filho, Arthur Bernardes; de Carvalho, Leonardo Bianco

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge of plant nutritional status allows an understanding of the physiological responses of plants to crop fertilization. A hydroponic experiment evaluated the symptoms of macronutrient deficiency in cauliflower ‘Verona’ and determined: a) the macronutrient contents of foliar tissues when visual symptoms were observed, b) macronutrients content of foliar and inflorescence tissues at harvest. The effect of nutrient deficiency on inflorescence mass was also evaluated. Nitrogen deficiency caused chlorosis followed by purple color in the old leaves, while P deficiency caused only chlorosis in old leaves. Chlorosis at the edge of old leaves progressing to the center of the leaves was observed with the omission of K, and after was observed necrosis in the chlorotic areas. Ca deficiency caused tip burn in new leaves, while Mg deficiency caused internerval chlorosis in old leaves. The omission of each macronutrient reduced inflorescence dry matter. This deleterious effect was larger for N, P, and K deficiencies, reducing inflorescence dry matter by 87, 49, and 42%, respectively. When the nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, or Mg were supplied to cauliflower plants, the macronutrient contents at harvest were 8.8, 0.6, 3.5, 13.0, and 0.8 g kg-1 in the foliar tissues and 27.3, 2.2, 21.6, 1.1, and 0.7 g kg-1 in the inflorescence tissues, respectively. PMID:25856380

  13. Eating patterns in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Associations with metabolic control, insulin omission, and eating disorder pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisting, Line; Reas, Deborah Lynn; Bang, Lasse; Skrivarhaug, Torild; Dahl-Jørgensen, Knut; Rø, Øyvind

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate eating patterns among male and female adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and the associations with age, zBMI, eating disorder (ED) pathology, intentional insulin omission, and metabolic control. The sample consisted of 104 adolescents (58.6% females) with child-onset T1D, mean age of 15.7 years (SD 1.8) and mean zBMI of 0.4 (SD 0.8). The Child Eating Disorder Examination (ChEDE) assessed meal/snack frequency and ED pathology. T1D clinical data was obtained from the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry. A significantly lower proportion of females than males (73.8% vs 97.7%) consumed breakfast on a daily basis. Approximately 50% of both genders ate lunch and 90% ate dinner daily. Among females, skipping breakfast was significantly associated with higher global ED psychopathology, shape concerns, self-induced vomiting, binge eating, insulin omission due to shape/weight concerns, and poorer metabolic control. Less frequent lunch consumption was significantly associated with poorer metabolic control. Skipping dinner was significantly associated with older age, higher dietary restraint, eating concerns, self-induced vomiting, and insulin omission. Among males, less frequent consumption of lunch and evening snacks was associated with attitudinal features of ED, including shape/weight concerns and dietary restraint. Among adolescents with T1D, irregular or infrequent meal consumption appears to signal potential ED pathology, as well as being associated with poorer metabolic control. These findings suggest the importance of routinely assessing eating patterns in adolescents with T1D to improve detection of ED pathology and to facilitate improved metabolic control and the associated risk of somatic complications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Mirrlees MB430 has 23 bar bmep potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1985-04-01

    Nominally rates at 1000 bhp per cylinder, the new Mirrlees Blackstone MB430 diesel engine with 430 mm bore and 480 mm stroke runs at 600 rev/min under bmep of 21 bar. Initially the engine has been released at 19 bar with the prospect of uprating to 23 bar bmep in due course. The performance testing of the engine is discussed.

  15. STS-48 MS Gemar uses laptop during training session in JSC's MB SMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    STS-48 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Mission Specialist (MS) Charles D. Gemar, wearing lightweight headset, enters data into a portable laptop computer on the middeck of JSC's Motion Based (MB) Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS). Gemar is participating in a preflight familiarization session in the MB-SMS located in the Mission Simulation and Training Facility Bldg 5. Visible to Gemar's right is a stowed extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and on his left are forward locker mockups.

  16. ER, p53 and MIB-1 are significantly associated with malignant phyllodes tumor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurhayati H Munawer

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Phyllodes tumors (PT are rare. We evaluated the expression status of ER, Bcl2, p53, and MIB-1 protein in these tumors. Methods: One hundred and ninety-three tumors were examined using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray. Results: ERβ (p <0.001, and p53 (p=0.006 in the stromal component were associated with tumor size. p53 expression was significantly associated with both epithelial and stro­mal components of malignant PTs (p<0.05. In PT, the decreased expressions of p53 and MIB-1 were significantly different with positive Bcl2 protein expression in epi­thelial component (p=0.000. Besides, MIB-1 was also found to be associated with ERα and ERβ in stromal component (p=0.000. Conclusion: The expression of p53 with tumor size and histological grade in PTs may increase risk for malignancy.

  17. Human gallbladder carcinoma: Role of neurotrophins, MIB-1, CD34 and CA15-3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artico, M; Bronzetti, E; Alicino, V; Ionta, B; Bosco, S; Grande, C; Bruno, M; Tranquilli Leali, F M; Ionta, G; Fumagalli, L

    2010-03-11

    Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common biliary tract tumor and the fifth most common gastrointestinal tract cancer .The prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma is poor and less than 5% of the patients are still alive five years postoperatively. Gallbladder specimens were obtained during surgical operations performed in eleven patients for resection of a gallbladder carcinoma, and during five autopsies (control cases selected among patients who died from for other causes, excluding those suffering from biliary or hepatic diseases). Immunohistochemical characterization and distribution of neurotrophins, with their respective receptors, were analyzed. The actual role played by these neurotrophic factors in the general regulation, vascular permeability, algic responsiveness, release of locally active substances and potential tumorigenesis in the gallbladder and biliary ducts compartment remains controversial. Our study revealed an increased immunohistochemical expression of NGF and TrKA in the epithelium and in the epithelial glands of the gallbladder carcinoma together with an evident immunoreactivity for BDNF in the same neoplastic areas. An evident immunoreactivity for NGF, TrKA and BDNF was observed in control specimens of gallbladder obtained during autopsies, whereas a weak or quite absent immunoreactivity was observed in the same specimens for NT4, TrKC and p75. On the contrary an appreciable immunoreactivity for p75 was observed in the specimens harvested from patients with gallbladder carcinoma. We also investigated the expression of some known tumor markers such as MIB-1 (anti Ki-67), CD34 and CA15-3, to identify a possible correlation between the expression of these molecular factors and the prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma. They resulted highly expressed in the stroma (CD34 and CA 15-3) and in the epithelium/epithelial glands (MIB-1) of the neoplastic areas and appeared to be almost absent in the control cases, suggesting that these markers, taken together

  18. Human gallbladder carcinoma: Role of neurotrophins, MIB-1, CD34 and CA15-3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Artico

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common biliary tract tumor and the fifth most common gastrointestinal tract cancer .The prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma is poor and less than 5% of the patients are still alive five years postoperatively.1 Gallbladder specimens were obtained during surgical operations performed in eleven patients for resection of a gallbladder carcinoma, and during five autopsies (control cases selected among patients who died from for other causes, excluding those suffering from biliary or hepatic diseases. Immunohistochemical characterization and distribution of neurotrophins, with their respective receptors, were analyzed. The actual role played by these neurotrophic factors in the general regulation, vascular permeability, algic responsiveness, release of locally active substances and potential tumorigenesis in the gallbladder and biliary ducts compartment remains controversial. Our study revealed an increased immunohistochemical expression of NGF and TrKA in the epithelium and in the epithelial glands of the gallbladder carcinoma together with an evident immunoreactivity for BDNF in the same neoplastic areas. An evident immunoreactivity for NGF, TrKA and BDNF was observed in control specimens of gallbladder obtained during autopsies, whereas a weak or quite absent immunoreactivity was observed in the same specimens for NT4, TrKC and p75. On the contrary an appreciable immunoreactivity for p75 was observed in the specimens harvested from patients with gallbladder carcinoma. We also investigated the expression of some known tumor markers such as MIB-1 (anti Ki-67, CD34 and CA15-3, to identify a possible correlation between the expression of these molecular factors and the prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma. They resulted highly expressed in the stroma (CD34 and CA 15-3 and in the epithelium/epithelial glands (MIB-1 of the neoplastic areas and appeared to be almost absent in the control cases, suggesting that these markers

  19. Correlation Among Six Biologic Factors (p53, p21WAF1, MIB-1, EGFR, HER2, and Bcl-2) and Clinical Outcomes After Curative Chemoradiation Therapy in Squamous Cell Cervical Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamashita, Hideomi; Murakami, Naoya; Asari, Takao; Okuma, Kae; Ohtomo, Kuni; Nakagawa, Keiichi

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The expressions of six cell-cycle-associated proteins were analyzed in cervical squamous cell carcinomas in correlation in a search for prognostic correlations in tumors treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (cCRT). Methods and Materials: The expressions of p53, p21/waf1/cip1, molecular immunology borstel-1 (MIB-1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2), and Bcl-2 were studied using an immunohistochemical method in 57 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated with cCRT. Patients received cCRT between 1998 and 2005. The mean patient age was 61 years (range, 27-82 years). The number of patients with Stage II, III, and IVA disease was 18, 29, and 10, respectively. Results: The number of patients with tumors positive for p53, p21/waf1/cip1, MIB-1, EGFR, HER2, and Bcl-2 was 26, 24, 49, 26, 13, and 11, respectively; no significant correlation was noted. The 5-year overall survival rates of HER2-positive and -negative patients was 76% vs. 44%, which was of borderline significance (p = 0.0675). No significant correlation was noted between overall survival and expressions of p53, p21/waf1/cip1, MIB-1, EGFR, and Bcl-2. No correlation was observed between local control and expression of any of the proteins. Conclusion: Expression of HER2 protein had a weak impact of borderline significance on overall survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with cCRT. However, no clinical associations could be established for p53, p21/waf1/cip1, MIB-1, EGFR, and Bcl-2 protein expressions.

  20. Antibacterial Synthetic Peptides Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibit Cytotoxic Effect against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yerly Vargas Casanova

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Linear, dimeric, tetrameric, and cyclic peptides derived from lactoferricin B, containing the RRWQWR motif, were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC chromatography and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity of the designed peptides against E. coli (ATCC 11775 and 25922 and their cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were evaluated. Dimeric and tetrameric peptides showed higher antibacterial activity in both bacteria strains than linear peptides. The dimeric peptide (RRWQWR2K-Ahx exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. Furthermore, the peptides with high antibacterial activity exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against the tested breast cancer cell lines. This cytotoxic effect was fast and dependent on the peptide concentration. The tetrameric molecule containing RRWQWR motif has an optimal cytotoxic effect at a concentration of 22 µM. The evaluated dimeric and tetrameric peptides could be considered as candidates for developing new therapeutic agents against breast cancer. Polyvalence of linear sequences could be considered as a novel and versatile strategy for obtaining molecules with high anticancer activity.

  1. Antibacterial Synthetic Peptides Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibit Cytotoxic Effect against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas Casanova, Yerly; Rodríguez Guerra, Jorge Antonio; Umaña Pérez, Yadi Adriana; Leal Castro, Aura Lucía; Almanzar Reina, Giovanni; García Castañeda, Javier Eduardo; Rivera Monroy, Zuly Jenny

    2017-09-29

    Linear, dimeric, tetrameric, and cyclic peptides derived from lactoferricin B, containing the RRWQWR motif, were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC chromatography and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity of the designed peptides against E. coli (ATCC 11775 and 25922) and their cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were evaluated. Dimeric and tetrameric peptides showed higher antibacterial activity in both bacteria strains than linear peptides. The dimeric peptide (RRWQWR)₂K-Ahx exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. Furthermore, the peptides with high antibacterial activity exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against the tested breast cancer cell lines. This cytotoxic effect was fast and dependent on the peptide concentration. The tetrameric molecule containing RRWQWR motif has an optimal cytotoxic effect at a concentration of 22 µM. The evaluated dimeric and tetrameric peptides could be considered as candidates for developing new therapeutic agents against breast cancer. Polyvalence of linear sequences could be considered as a novel and versatile strategy for obtaining molecules with high anticancer activity.

  2. The 1990 MB: The first Mars Trojan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowell, Edward

    1991-01-01

    Asteroid 1990 MB was discovered during the course of the Mars and Earth-crossing Asteroid and Comet Survey. An orbit based on a 9-day arc and the asteroid's location near Mars L5 longitude led to speculation that it might be in 1:1 resonance with Mars, analogous to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter. Subsequent observations strengthened the possibility, and later calculations confirmed it. The most recent orbit shows that the asteroid's semimajor axis is very similar to that of Mars.

  3. Improved protein quality in transgenic soybean expressing a de novo synthetic protein, MB-16.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunfang; Schernthaner, Johann; Labbé, Natalie; Hefford, Mary A; Zhao, Jiping; Simmonds, Daina H

    2014-06-01

    To improve soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] seed nutritional quality, a synthetic gene, MB-16 was introduced into the soybean genome to boost seed methionine content. MB-16, an 11 kDa de novo protein enriched in the essential amino acids (EAAs) methionine, threonine, lysine and leucine, was originally developed for expression in rumen bacteria. For efficient seed expression, constructs were designed using the soybean codon bias, with and without the KDEL ER retention sequence, and β-conglycinin or cruciferin seed specific protein storage promoters. Homozygous lines, with single locus integrations, were identified for several transgenic events. Transgene transmission and MB-16 protein expression were confirmed to the T5 and T7 generations, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of developing seed showed that the transcript peaked in growing seed, 5-6 mm long, remained at this peak level to the full-sized green seed and then was significantly reduced in maturing yellow seed. Transformed events carrying constructs with the rumen bacteria codon preference showed the same transcription pattern as those with the soybean codon preference, but the transcript levels were lower at each developmental stage. MB-16 protein levels, as determined by immunoblots, were highest in full-sized green seed but the protein virtually disappeared in mature seed. However, amino acid analysis of mature seed, in the best transgenic line, showed a significant increase of 16.2 and 65.9 % in methionine and cysteine, respectively, as compared to the parent. This indicates that MB-16 elevated the sulfur amino acids, improved the EAA seed profile and confirms that a de novo synthetic gene can enhance the nutritional quality of soybean.

  4. Variable Omission of "ne" in Real-Time French Chat: A Corpus-Driven Comparison of Educational and Non-Educational Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Compernolle, Remi A.; Williams, Lawrence

    2009-01-01

    This article reports on the variable omission of the French negative particle "ne" (the first marker of verbal negation) in synchronous (i.e., real-time) electronic communication environments. Patterns of variation in a corpus of non-educational chat (i.e., free, public-access Internet chat) are analyzed and compared to data produced by first-,…

  5. 24 CFR 401.403 - Rejection of a request for a Restructuring Plan because of actions or omissions of owner or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... likely to be remedied in a cost-effective manner through the Restructuring Plan. (3) Exception for sale... Restructuring Plan because of actions or omissions of owner or affiliate or project condition. 401.403 Section...-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.403 Rejection of a request for a Restructuring Plan because of actions...

  6. Reinke's edema: investigations on the role of MIB-1 and hepatocyte growth factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artico, M; Bronzetti, E; Ionta, B; Bruno, M; Greco, A; Ruoppolo, G; De Virgilio, A; Longo, L; De Vincentiis, M

    2010-07-08

    Reinke's edema is a benign disease of the human vocal fold, which mainly affects the sub-epithelial layer of the vocal fold. Microscopic observations show a strongly oedematous epithelium with loosened intercellular junctions, a disruption of the extracellular connections between mucosal epithelium and connective tissue, closely adherent to the thyroarytenoid muscle. Thickening of the basal layer of epithelium, known as Reinke's space, high deposition of fibronectin and chronic inflammatory infiltration it is also visible. We analyzed, together with the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), the expression level of MIB-1 in samples harvested from patients affected by Reinke's edema, in order to define its biological role and consider it as a possible prognostic factor in the follow-up after surgical treatment. We observed a moderate expression of HGF in the lamina propria of the human vocal fold and in the basal membrane of the mucosal epithelium. Our finding suggests that this growth factor acts as an antifibrotic agent in Reinke's space and affects the fibronectin deposition in the lamina propria. MIB-1, on the contrary, showed a weak expression in the basement membrane of the mucosal epithelium and a total absence in the lamina propria deep layer, thus suggesting that only the superficial layer is actively involved in the reparatory process with a high regenerative capacity, together with a high deposition of fibronectin. The latter is necessary for the cellular connections reconstruction, after the inflammatory infiltration.

  7. Requirement of carbon dioxide for initial growth of facultative methylotroph, Acidomonas methanolica MB58.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitsui, Ryoji; Katayama, Hiroko; Tanaka, Mitsuo

    2015-07-01

    The facultative methylotrophic bacterium Acidomonas methanolica MB58 can utilize C1 compounds via the ribulose monophosphate pathway. A large gene cluster comprising three components related to C1 metabolism was found in the genome. From upstream, the first was an mxa cluster encoding proteins for oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde; the second was the rmp cluster encoding enzymes for formaldehyde fixation; and the third was the cbb gene cluster encoding proteins for carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation. Examination of CO2 requirements for growth of A. methanolica MB58 cells demonstrated that it did not grow on any carbon source under CO2-free conditions. Measurement of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity and RT-PCR analysis demonstrated enzymatic activity was detected in A. methanolica MB58 at growth phase, regardless of carbon sources. However, methanol dehydrogenase and 3-hexlose-6-phosphate synthase expression was regulated by methanol or formaldehyde; it were detected during growth and apparently differed from ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase expression. These results suggested that A. methanolica MB58 may be initially dependent on autotrophic growth and that carbon assimilation was subsequently coupled with the ribulose monophosphate pathway at early- to mid-log phases during methylotrophic growth. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterization of the Key Aroma Compounds in Chinese Vidal Icewine by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry, Quantitative Measurements, Aroma Recombination, and Omission Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yue; Tang, Ke; Xu, Yan; Li, Ji-Ming

    2017-01-18

    The key aroma compounds of Chinese Vidal icewine were characterized by means of gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) on polar and nonpolar columns, and their flavor dilution (FD) factors were determined by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). A total of 59 odor-active aroma compounds in three ranks of Vidal icewines were identified, and 28 odorants (FD ≥ 9) were further quantitated for aroma reconstitution and omission tests. β-Damascenone showed the highest FD value of 2187 in all icewines. Methional and furaneol were first observed as important odorants in Vidal icewine. Aroma recombination experiments revealed a good similarity containing the 28 important aromas. Omission tests corroborated the significant contribution of β-damascenone and the entire group of esters. Besides, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (furaneol) and 3-(methylthio)-1-propanal (methional) also had significant effects on icewine character, especially on apricot, caramel, and tropical fruit characteristics.

  9. Different expression of MIB1 in primary site of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its bone marrow deposits, a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malysz J

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Jozef Malysz,1 Juanita J Evans,2 Malcolm Acon-Laws,3 Michael G Bayerl,1 Michael H Creer1 1Department of Pathology, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, 2Department of Pathology, St. John Heath – Providence, Southfield, MI, USA; 3Laboratorio de Patologia Hospital Cima, San Jose, Costa Rica Abstract: Evaluation of mindbomb E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (MIB1 (Ki67 proliferation index (PI in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas is increasingly a common addition to classification of lymphoma and staging procedures. Clinicians relay on PI as a surrogate marker of biologic activity; however, no established guidelines have been published whether PI at the primary site of the tumor gives the same answer as evaluation of tumor in staging marrow. In our study, dual immunohistochemical staining for MIB1 and CD20 was performed on tissue from primary site and bone marrow involved by B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma to compare PI for each individual patient. For all patients, MIB1 expression was higher at primary tumor site as compared to staging marrow. Additional analysis was performed to investigate the degree of difference depending on lymphoma morphology. Patients with large cell lymphoma at the primary site and large cell morphology in the marrow (LCL-L, those with large cell morphology at the primary site and small cell morphology in the marrow (LCL-S, and those with small cell morphology at the primary site and small cells in the marrow (SCL-S were compared. As expected, LCL cases had a higher mean PI at the primary site when compared to SCL cases (28.5% vs 2.8%, P=0.0001. In addition, the most significant difference between medullary and extramedullary PI was observed in cases with discordant morphology (LCL-S (21% vs 1.1%, P=0.009. Our results indicate that PI of lymphoma within the bone marrow should not be used as a surrogate prognostic indicator of lymphoma biology in its primary site. Keywords: proliferation index, biologic behavior

  10. Alteration of gene expression in MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cell line in response to continuous exposure to Trastuzumab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharieh, Elham Abu; Awidi, Abdulla S; Ahram, Mamoun; Zihlif, Malek A

    2016-01-10

    Development of resistance against cancer therapeutic agents is a common problem in cancer management. Trastuzumab resistance is one of the challenges in management of HER-2-positive breast cancer patients resulting in breast cancer progression, metastasis, and patient poor outcome. The aim of this study is to determine the alteration in gene expression in response to Trastuzumab resistance after long-term exposure to Trastuzumab. The Trastuzumab-resistant MDA-MB-453 (MDA-MB-453/TR) cell line was developed by exposing cells to 10 μM Trastuzumab continuously for 6 months. Sensitivity toward Trastuzumab was tested using cell viability assays. The acquisition of an epithelial-to mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype was also observed in parallel with the development of resistance. Based on the real-time-based PCR array technology, several genes were altered affecting multiple networks. The most up-regulated genes were TGF-β1 and EGF, and IGFBP-3. These genes are known to have a critical role in Trastuzumab resistance in breast cancer cell lines and/or in the acquisition of EMT. They are also recognized for their role in cancer progression and metastasis. These alterations indicate that the development of Trastuzumab resistance is multifactorial and involves a development of a mesenchymal like phenotype. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Performance evaluation of a chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay for CK-MB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zhi-Yuan; Fang, Yi-Zhen; Jin, Hong-Wei; Lin, Hua-Yue; Dai, Zhang; Luo, Qing; Li, Hong-Wei; Lin, Yan-Ling; Huang, Shui-Zhen; Gao, Lei; Xu, Fei-Hai; Zhang, Zhong-Ying

    2018-03-31

    To verify and evaluate the performance characteristics of a creatine kinase phosphokinase isoenzymes MB (CK-MB) assay kit, which produced by Xiamen Innodx Biotech Co. Ltd. Evaluation was carried out according to "Guidelines for principle of analysis performance evaluation of in vitro diagnostic reagent." The performance parameters included detection limit, linearity range, reportable range, recovery test, precision verification, interference test, cross-reactivity, matrix effect, and method comparison. The detection limit was 0.1 ng/mL. The assay had clinical linearity over range of 0.1 ng/mL-500 ng/mL. Reportable range was from 0.1 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL. The average percent of recovery was 99.66%. The coefficient of variation (CV) for within-run and between-run of low CK-MB sample was 5.55% and 6.16%, respectively. As for high-level sample, it was 7.88% and 7.80%. In medical decision level, the relative deviation (Bias) of all interference tests was lower than 15%. When the sample had mild-hemolysis; hemoglobin ≤15 g/L; triglyceride ≤17 mmol/L; bilirubin ≤427.5 μmol/L; rheumatoid factor ≤206U/mL, there was no significant interference to be found. Moreover, assay kit had no cross-reaction with CK-MM and CK-BB. At last, total diagnostic accuracy of kit was 93.24%, when compared with refer kit. Overall the results of the verification study indicated the performance of kit is met the requirements of the clinical test. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Omissão de nutrientes em plantas de pinhão-manso cultivadas em solução nutritiva

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janini Tatiane Lima Souza Maia

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available O pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L., pertecente à família Euphorbiaceae, é uma planta oleaginosa que tem recebido expressiva atenção para produção de biocombustível. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da deficiência de macro e micronutrientes no crescimento e estado nutricional de pinhão-manso, cultivado em solução nutritiva. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com treze tratamentos e três repetições. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de solução completa e omissão individual de cada um dos seguintes nutrientes: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn ou Fe. A ordem decrescente de restrição da produção de massa de matéria seca foi N>Mg>S>K>Ca=P>Zn>B=Fe. As omissões de N e de P foram as que mais afetaram os teores dos macronutrientes da parte aérea das plantas e os sintomas de deficiências observados foram clorose, redução do crescimento e folhas deformadas.

  13. Effects of Chinese medicinal herbs on expression of brain-derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its interaction with human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and endothelial HUVECs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Jen-Hwey; Chen, Fang-Pey; Tsai, Yi-Fang; Lin, Man-Ting; Tseng, Ling-Ming; Shyr, Yi-Ming

    2017-08-12

    Our previous study demonstrated that an up-regulation of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) signaling pathway is involved the mechanism causing the recurrence of triple negative breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs on MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells and how they interact with BDNF. Human TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells and human endothelial HUVEC cells were used to explore the effect of commonly used Chinese herbal medicines on cancer cells alone, on endothelial cells alone and on cancer cell/endothelial cell interactions; this was done via functional studies, including migration and invasion assays. Furthermore, Western blot analysis and real-time PCR investigations were also used to investigate migration signal transduction, invasion signal transduction, and angiogenic signal transduction in these systems. Finally, the effect of the Chinese medicinal herbs on cancer cell/endothelial cell interactions was assessed using co-culture and ELISA. In terms of autoregulation, BDNF up-regulated TrkB gene expression in both MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells. Furthermore, BDNF enhanced migration by MDA-MB-231 cells via Rac, Cdc42 and MMP, while also increasing the migration of HUVEC cells via MMP and COX-2 expression. As measured by ELISA, the Chinese herbal medicinal herbs A. membranaceus, P. lactiflora, L. chuanxiong, P. suffruticosa and L. lucidum increased BDNF secretion by MDA-MB-231 cells. Similarly, using a co-culture system with MDA-MB-231 cells, A. membranaceus and L. lucidum modulated BDNF-TrkB signaling by HUVEC cells. We conclude that BDNF plays an important role in the metastatic interaction between MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells. Some Chinese medicinal herbs are able to enhance the BDNF-related metastatic potential of the interaction between cancer cells and endothelial cells. These findings provide important information that should help with the development of integrated medical therapies for breast

  14. Clinical evaluation of the CARDIAC STATus, a rapid immunochromatographic assay for simultaneous detection of elevated concentrations of CK-MB and myoglobin in whole blood

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schouten, Y.; de Winter, R. J.; Gorgels, J. P.; Koster, R. W.; Adams, R.; Sanders, G. T.

    1998-01-01

    We studied the performance of the CARDIAC STATus, a new rapid, easy to perform qualitative whole blood bedside test for detection of elevated CK-MB and myoglobin in the emergency room. Blood samples from 182 consecutive patients with chest pain were drawn on admission and at five and seven hours

  15. Ármin Vámbéry (1832-1913 as a Historian of Early Hungarian Settlement in the Carpathian Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nándor Dreisziger

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In the English-speaking world Ármin Vámbéry is known as a traveler in Central Asia and a student of Turkic cultures and languages. In his native Hungary he is also known for his disagreement with linguists who believed that Hungarian belonged to the Ugric branch of the Finno-Ugric languages—a part of the Uralic linguistic family. Rather than accepting this theory, Vámbéry contended that Hungarian was largely a Turkic language that belonged more to the Altaic family. Few people know that Vámbéry also expressed strong opinions about the genesis of the Hungarian nation. The most important aspect of Vámbéry’s theory about Hungarian origins is the thesis that Hungarian ethnogenesis took place—beginning with late Roman times or even earlier—in the Carpathian Basin. A corollary of this proposition is that the nomadic tribes that conquered the Carpathian Basin at the end of the ninth century were Turkic peoples who were few in numbers and were assimilated by the region’s autochthonous—and by then Hungarian-speaking—population. This paper outlines Vámbéry’s arguments and describes to what extent research on this subject in the century since Vámbéry’s death has confirmed or contradicted his unconventional ideas.

  16. FPGA BASED ASYNCHRONOUS PIPELINED MB-OFDM UWB TRANSMITTER BACKEND MODULES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Santhi

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a novel scheme is proposed which comprises the advantages of asynchronous pipelining techniques and the advantages of FPGAs for implementing a 200Mbps MB-OFDM UWB transmitter digital backend modules. In asynchronous pipelined system, registers are used as in synchronous system. But they are controlled by handshaking signals. Since FPGAs are rich in registers, design and implementation of asynchronous pipelined MBOFDM UWB transmitter on FPGA using four-phase bundled-data protocol is considered in this paper. Novel ideas have also been proposed for designing asynchronous OFDM using Modified Radix-24 SDF and asynchronous interleaver using two RAM banks. Implementation has been performed on ALTERA STRATIX II EP2S60F1020C4 FPGA and it is operating at a speed of 350MHz. It is assured that the proposed MB-OFDM UWB system can be made to work on STRATIX III device with the operating frequency of 528MHz in compliance to the ECMA-368 standard. The proposed scheme is also applicable for FPGA from other vendors and ASIC.

  17. The MB2 gene family of Plasmodium species has a unique combination of S1 and GTP-binding domains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ogunjumo Oluwasanmi

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Identification and characterization of novel Plasmodium gene families is necessary for developing new anti-malarial therapeutics. The products of the Plasmodium falciparum gene, MB2, were shown previously to have a stage-specific pattern of subcellular localization and proteolytic processing. Results Genes homologous to MB2 were identified in five additional parasite species, P. knowlesi, P. gallinaceum, P. berghei, P. yoelii, and P. chabaudi. Sequence comparisons among the MB2 gene products reveal amino acid conservation of structural features, including putative S1 and GTP-binding domains, and putative signal peptides and nuclear localization signals. Conclusions The combination of domains is unique to this gene family and indicates that MB2 genes comprise a novel family and therefore may be a good target for drug development.

  18. The MB2 gene family of Plasmodium species has a unique combination of S1 and GTP-binding domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Lisa C; Nguyen, Thanh V; Deville, Benoit; Ogunjumo, Oluwasanmi; James, Anthony A

    2004-01-01

    Background Identification and characterization of novel Plasmodium gene families is necessary for developing new anti-malarial therapeutics. The products of the Plasmodium falciparum gene, MB2, were shown previously to have a stage-specific pattern of subcellular localization and proteolytic processing. Results Genes homologous to MB2 were identified in five additional parasite species, P. knowlesi, P. gallinaceum, P. berghei, P. yoelii, and P. chabaudi. Sequence comparisons among the MB2 gene products reveal amino acid conservation of structural features, including putative S1 and GTP-binding domains, and putative signal peptides and nuclear localization signals. Conclusions The combination of domains is unique to this gene family and indicates that MB2 genes comprise a novel family and therefore may be a good target for drug development. PMID:15222903

  19. Reinke’s Edema: investigations on the role of MIB-1 and hepatocyte growth factor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Artico

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Reinke’s edema is a benign disease of the human vocal fold, which mainly affects the sub-epithelial layer of the vocal fold. Micro­scopic observations show a strongly oedematous epithelium with loosened intercellular junctions, a disruption of the extracellular connections between mucosal epithelium and connective tissue, closely adherent to the thyroarytenoid muscle. Thickening of the basal layer of epithelium, known as Reinke’s space, high deposition of fibronectin and chronic inflammatory infiltration it is also visible. We analyzed, together with the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF, the expression level of MIB-1 in samples harvested from patients affected by Reinke’s edema, in order to define its biological role and consider it as a possible prognostic factor in the follow-up after surgical treatment. We observed a moderate expression of HGF in the lamina propria of the human vocal fold and in the basal membrane of the mucosal epithelium. Our finding suggests that this growth factor acts as an anti – fibrotic agent in Reinke’s space and affects the fibronectin deposition in the lamina propria. MIB-1, on the contrary, showed a weak expression in the basement membrane of the mucosal epithelium and a total absence in the lamina propria deep layer, thus suggesting that only the superficial layer is actively involved in the reparatory process with a high regenerative capacity, together with a high deposition of fibronectin. The latter is necessary for the cellular connections reconstruction, after the inflammatory infiltration.

  20. Determination of taste-active compounds of a bitter Camembert cheese by omission tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engel, E; Septier, C; Leconte, N; Salles, C; Le Quere, J L

    2001-11-01

    The taste-active compounds of a Camembert cheese selected for its intense bitterness defect were investigated. The water-soluble fraction (WSE) was extracted with pure water and fractionated by successive tangential ultrafiltrations and nanofiltration. The physicochemical assessment of these fractions led to the construction of a model WSE which was compared by sensory evaluation to the crude water-soluble extract, using a panel of 16 trained tasters. As no significant difference was perceived, this model WSE was then used directly or mixed with other cheese components for omission tests. Among the main taste characteristics of the WSE (salty, sour, umami and bitter), bitterness was found to be due to small peptides whose mass distribution was obtained by RPHPLC-MS (400-3000 Da) and whose taste properties are discussed.

  1. Coexistent coronary artery disease or myocardial bridging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using coronary CT angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jae Hwan; Chun, Eun Ju; Kim, Yeo Koon; Yoo, Jin Young; Choi, Sang Il; Choi, Dong Ju [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-07-15

    To evaluate the prevalence of coexistent coronary artery disease (CAD) or myocardial bridging (MB) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and assess the role of CCTA. The prevalence of obstructive CAD (> 50% luminal reduction) and MB (partial and full encasement) were assessed in 150 patients with HCM diagnosed by clinical findings, electrocardiography, and echocardiography of 19588 consecutive patients who underwent CCTA for suspected CAD. The overall feasibility of coronary artery visualization was 98.9% with CCTA. In patients with HCM, the prevalence of obstructive CAD and MB (14.7% partial and 28.0% full encasement) were 23.3% and 42.7%, respectively. Age, hypertension, family history of premature CAD, Framingham risk score and severe chest pain were associated with CAD, whereas male gender and septal type were associated with MB (all p < 0.05). In comparison to invasive coronary angiography (n = 37), the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for the detection of CAD and full encasement MB was 89.2% and 86.5%, respectively. One-quarter of patients with HCM had coexistent obstructive CAD or full encasement MB. CCTA can be a feasible and accurate noninvasive imaging modality for the detection of CAD and MB in patients with HCM.

  2. Apoptotic Effect of the Urtica Dioica Plant Extracts on Breast Cancer Cell Line (MDA- MB- 468

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Mohammadi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives: Cancer is one of the most causes of mortality in worldwide. Components derived from natural plants that induce apoptosis are used for cancer treatment. Therefore investigation of different herbal components for new anti-cancer drug is one of the main research activities throughout the world. According to low cost, oral consumption and easy access to the public extracts of Urtica dioica, in this study we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of this herb on MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells.   Methods: Cytotoxic effect of Urtica dioica extract was measured using MTT assays. To show induction of apoptosis by this plant TUNEL and DNA Fragmentation test were performed.   Results: In the present study dichloromethane extracts noticeably killed cancer cells. IC50 values related to human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MDA-MB-468 were 29.46±1.05 µg/ml in 24 hours and 15.54±1.04 µg/ml in 48 hours. TUNEL test and DNA Fragmentation assay showed apoptotic characteristic in the extract treated cells.   Conclusion: The results showed that MDA-MB-468 cells after treatment with dichloromethane extract of Urtica dioica, induces apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cancer cells which may be useful in the treatment of cancer.

  3. Different Expression of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases (ERK) 1/2 and Phospho-Erk Proteins in MBA-MB-231 and MCF-7 Cells after Chemotherapy with Doxorubicin or Docetaxel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taherian, Aliakbar; Mazoochi, Tahereh

    2012-01-01

    Curative treatment of breast cancer patients using chemotherapy often fails as a result of intrinsic or acquired resistance of the tumor to the drug. ERK is one of the main components of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK cascade, which mediates signal from cell surface receptors to transcription factors to regulate different gene expression. In this study, cytotoxicity and the expression of Erk1/2 and phospho-ERK was compared in MDA-MB-231 (ER-) and MCF-7 (ER+) cell lines after treatment with doxorubicin (DOX) or docetaxel (DOCT). Cell cytotoxicity of DOX or DOCT was calculated using MTT assay. Immonofluorescent technique was used to show MDR-1 protein in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells after treatment with DOX or DOCT. The expression of ERK1/2 and phpspho-ERK was assayed with immunoblotting. Comparing IC50 values showed that MDA-MB-231 cells are more sensitive than MCF-7 cells to DOX or DOCT. Immonofluorescent results confirmed the expression of MDR-1 in these two cell lines after DOX or DOCT treatment. In MDA-MB-231 cells the expression of ERK1/2 and phospho-ERK was decreased after DOX treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast in MCF-7 cells the expression of ERK1/2 and phospho-ERK was increased after DOX treatment. DOCT treatment demonstrated the same result with less significant differences than DOX. The heterogeneity seen in cell lines actually reflects the heterogeneity of breast cancers. That is why, patients categorized in one group respond differently to a single treatment. These results emphasize the importance of a more accurate classification and a more specific treatment of breast cancer subtypes.

  4. The association between nurse staffing and omissions in nursing care: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Peter; Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra; Dall'Ora, Chiara; Briggs, Jim; Maruotti, Antonello; Meredith, Paul; Smith, Gary B; Ball, Jane

    2018-03-08

    To identify nursing care most frequently missed in acute adult inpatient wards and to determine evidence for the association of missed care with nurse staffing. Research has established associations between nurse staffing levels and adverse patient outcomes including in-hospital mortality. However, the causal nature of this relationship is uncertain and omissions of nursing care (referred as missed care, care left undone or rationed care) have been proposed as a factor which may provide a more direct indicator of nurse staffing adequacy. Systematic review. We searched the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase and Medline for quantitative studies of associations between staffing and missed care. We searched key journals, personal libraries and reference lists of articles. Two reviewers independently selected studies. Quality appraisal was based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quality appraisal checklist for studies reporting correlations and associations. Data were abstracted on study design, missed care prevalence and measures of association. Synthesis was narrative. Eighteen studies gave subjective reports of missed care. Seventy-five per cent or more nurses reported omitting some care. Fourteen studies found low nurse staffing levels were significantly associated with higher reports of missed care. There was little evidence that adding support workers to the team reduced missed care. Low Registered Nurse staffing is associated with reports of missed nursing care in hospitals. Missed care is a promising indicator of nurse staffing adequacy. The extent to which the relationships observed represent actual failures, is yet to be investigated. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Monozygotic twins with a de novo 0.32 Mb 16q24.3 deletion, including TUBB3 presenting with developmental delay and mild facial dysmorphism but without overt brain malformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønborg, Sabine; Kjaergaard, Susanne; Hove, Hanne

    2015-01-01

    been associated with missense mutations in this group of genes. Here, we report two patients, monozygotic twins, carrying a de novo 0.32 Mb deletion of chromosome 16q24.3 including the TUBB3 gene. The patients presented with global developmental delay, mild facial dysmorphism, secondary microcephaly...

  6. Engineering nutritious proteins: improvement of stability in the designer protein MB-1 via introduction of disulfide bridges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doucet, Alain; Williams, Martin; Gagnon, Mylene C; Sasseville, Maxime; Beauregard, Marc

    2002-01-02

    Protein design is currently used for the creation of new proteins with desirable traits. In this laboratory the focus has been on the synthesis of proteins with high essential amino acid content having potential applications in animal nutrition. One of the limitations faced in this endeavor is achieving stable proteins despite a highly biased amino acid content. Reported here are the synthesis and characterization of two disulfide-bridged mutants derived from the MB-1 designer protein. Both mutants outperformed their parent protein MB-1 with their bridge formed, as shown by circular dichroism, size exclusion chromatography, thermal denaturation, and proteolytic degradation experiments. When the disulfide bridges were cleaved, the mutants' behavior changed: the mutants significantly unfolded, suggesting that the introduction of Cys residues was deleterious to MB-1-folding. In an attempt to compensate for the mutations used, a Tyr62-Trp mutation was performed, leading to an increase in bulk and hydrophobicity in the core. The Trp-containing disulfide-bridged mutants did not behave as well as the original MB-1Trp, suggesting that position 62 might not be adequate for a compensatory mutation.

  7. Treatment of hypermyoglobinemia after CRS + HIPEC for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis: A retrospective comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; Ji, Zhong-He; Yu, Yang; Li, Xin-Bao; Zhang, Yan-Bin; Peng, Kai-Wen; Li, Yan

    2017-11-01

    This retrospective comparative study aims to explore the time courses of serum myoglobin (Mb) changes, and summarize our experience in treating patients with hypermyoglobinemia after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).This study covered 60 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with CRS + HIPEC as the study group, and another 25 cancer patients treated with conventional extensive surgery without HIPEC as the control group from February to October 2016. In the study group, patients with postoperative hypermyoglobinemia were on a comprehensive treatment regimen consisting intravenous injection of sodium bicarbonate solution according to the Mb level. In the control group, patients were recorded and treated with the same regimen except for special sodium bicarbonate solution. The preoperative and postoperative serum Mb, blood urine nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) levels were evaluated.There were no significantly difference between the 2 groups in serum Mb, BUN, and Cr levels before surgery. Postoperative serum Mb levels were elevated in both groups and significantly higher on postoperative 0 to 2 days (P sodium bicarbonate could accelerate the reduction in serum Mb levels and reduce the risk for major organ damages.

  8. Stimulation of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) production by actinomycetes after cyclic chlorination in drinking water distribution systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbaszadegan, Morteza; Yi, Min; Alum, Absar

    2015-01-01

    The impact of fluctuation in chlorine residual on actinomycetes and the production of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) were studied in cast-iron and PVC model distribution systems. Actinomycetes were spiked in each system and continued operation for a 12-day non-chlorine experiment, resulting in no changes in actinomycetes and MIB concentrations. Three cyclic chlorination events were performed and chlorine residuals were maintained as follows: 1.0 mg L(-1) for 24 h, 0 mg L(-1) for 48 h, 0.5 mg L(-1) for 48 h, 0 mg L(-1) for 48 h and 2 mg L(-1) for 24 h. After each chlorination event, 2 -3 log decrease in actinomycetes was noted in both systems. However, within 48 h at 0 mg L(-1) chlorine, the actinomycetes recovered to the pre-chlorination levels. On the contrary, MIB concentration in both systems remained un-impacted after the first cycle and increased by fourfold ( 20 mg L(-1)) after the second cycle, which lasted through the third cycle despite the fact that actinomycetes numbers fluctuated 2-3 logs during this time period. For obtaining biofilm samples from field, water meters were collected from municipality drinking water distribution systems located in central Arizona. The actinomycetes concentration in asbestos cement pipe and cast iron pipe averaged 3.1 × 10(3) and 1.9 × 10(4) CFU cm(-2), respectively. The study shows that production of MIB is associated with changes in chlorine residual in the systems. This is the first report of cyclic chlorine shock as a stimulus for MIB production by actinomycetes in drinking water distribution system's ecology.

  9. Femoral Access PCI in a Default Radial Center Identifies High-Risk Patients With Poor Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uddin, Muezz; Bundhoo, Shantu; Mitra, Rito; Ossei-Gerning, Nicholas; Morris, Keith; Anderson, Richard; Kinnaird, Tim

    2015-10-01

    Increasingly the trans-radial route (TRR) is preferred over the trans-femoral route (TFR) for PCI. However, even in high volume default TRR centers a cohort of patients undergo TFR PCI. We examined the demographics, procedural characteristics, and outcomes of patients undergoing PCI via the TF. The patient demographics, procedural data, and outcomes of 5,379 consecutive patients undergoing PCI at a default radial center between 2009 and 2012 were examined. Major bleeding (MB) was classified by ACUITY and BARC definitions. A total of 559 (10.4%) patients underwent PCI via the TFR and 4,820 patients via the TRR (89.6%). Baseline variables associated with TFR were shock, previous CABG, chronic total occlusion intervention, rotablation/laser use, female sex, and renal failure. Sixty-five patients of the TFR cohort (11.6%) experienced MB with 27 (41.5%) being access site related. MB was significantly more frequent than in the radial cohort. The variables independently associated with MB in the TFR cohort were renal failure, acute presentation, shock, and age. In the TFR, patients with MB mortality was high at 30 days (17.2% vs 2.6% for no MB, P default radial PCI center 10% of patients undergo PCI via the femoral artery. These patients have high baseline bleeding risk and undergo complex interventions. As a result the incidence of major bleeding, transfusion and death are high. Alternative strategies are required to optimize outcomes in this select group. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Demonstration of 575-Mb/s downlink and 225-Mb/s uplink bi-directional SCM-WDM visible light communication using RGB LED and phosphor-based LED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuanquan; Wang, Yiguang; Chi, Nan; Yu, Jianjun; Shang, Huiliang

    2013-01-14

    We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel full-duplex bi-directional subcarrier multiplexing (SCM)-wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) visible light communication (VLC) system based on commercially available red-green-blue (RGB) light emitting diode (LED) and phosphor-based LED (P-LED) with 575-Mb/s downstream and 225-Mb/s upstream transmission, employing various modulation orders of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). For the downlink, red and green colors/wavelengths are assigned to carry useful information, while blue chip is just kept lighting to maintain the white color illumination, and for the uplink, the low-cost P-LED is implemented. In this demonstration, pre-equalization and post-equalization are also adopted to compensate the severe frequency response of LEDs. Using this scheme, 4-user downlink and 1-user uplink transmission can be achieved. Furthermore, it can support more users by adjusting the bandwidth of each sub-channel. Bit error rates (BERs) of all links are below pre-forward-error-correction (pre-FEC) threshold of 3.8x 10(-3) after 66-cm free-space delivery. The results show that this scheme has great potential in the practical VLC system.

  11. Arrival at CERN of the first MB4 DT chambers from Turin

    CERN Multimedia

    Marcos Fernandez Garcia

    2005-01-01

    The largest DT chambers to be installed into the outermost station of the CMS barrel muon detector (MB4) are built by INFN-Turin. The first batch of four chambers, out of 40, arrived at the CERN ISR area on February 2005.

  12. The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions

    OpenAIRE

    Oyku Gulmez; Ilyas Atar; Bülent Ozin; Mehmet Emin Korkmaz; Asli Atar; et al

    2008-01-01

    Oyku Gulmez, Ilyas Atar, Bülent Ozin, Mehmet Emin Korkmaz, Asli Atar, Alp Aydinalp, Aylin Yildirir, Haldun MuderrisogluBaskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, TurkeyBackground: Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels in pat...

  13. CYP1-mediated antiproliferative activity of dietary flavonoids in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Androutsopoulos, Vasilis P.; Ruparelia, Ketan; Arroo, Randolph R.J.; Tsatsakis, Aristidis M.; Spandidos, Demetrios A.

    2009-01-01

    Among the different mechanisms proposed to explain the cancer-protecting effect of dietary flavonoids, substrate-like interactions with cytochrome P450 CYP1 enzymes have recently been explored. In the present study, the metabolism of the flavonoids chrysin, baicalein, scutellarein, sinensetin and genkwanin by recombinant CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and CYP1A2 enzymes, as well as their antiproliferative activity in MDA-MB-468 human breast adenocarcinoma and MCF-10A normal breast cell lines, were investigated. Baicalein and 6-hydroxyluteolin were the only conversion products of chrysin and scutellarein metabolism by CYP1 family enzymes, respectively, while baicalein itself was not metabolized further. Sinensetin and genkwanin produced a greater number of metabolites and were shown to inhibit strongly in vitro proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells at submicromolar and micromolar concentrations, respectively, without essentially affecting the viability of MCF-10A cells. Cotreatment of the CYP1 family inhibitor acacetin reversed the antiproliferative activity noticed for the two flavones in MDA-MB-468 cells to 13 and 14 μM respectively. In contrast chrysin, baicalein and scutellarein inhibited proliferation of MDA-MB-468 cells to a lesser extent than sinensetin and genkwanin. The metabolism of genkwanin to apigenin and of chrysin to baicalein was favored by CYP1B1 and CYP1A1, respectively. Taken together the data suggests that CYP1 family enzymes enhance the antiproliferative activity of dietary flavonoids in breast cancer cells, through bioconversion to more active products.

  14. The prognostic value of oncogenic antigen 519 (OA-519) expression and proliferative activity detected by antibody MIB-1 in node-negative breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, V; Ladekarl, M; Holm-Nielsen, P

    1995-01-01

    The prognostic value of oncogenic antigen 519 (OA-519) expression and tumour proliferative activity was evaluated in a retrospective series of 118 patients with low-risk breast cancer. Low risk was defined as negative axillary nodes, tumour diameter histological evidence...... analysis, both the MIB-1 index and OA-519 expression were of independent prognostic value (2p breast cancer who might benefit from adjuvant therapy....

  15. Disposable urea biosensor based on nanoporous ZnO film fabricated from omissible polymeric substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahmanian, Reza; Mozaffari, Sayed Ahmad; Abedi, Mohammad

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, a facile and simple fabrication method of a semiconductor based urea biosensor was reported via three steps: (i) producing a ZnO–PVA composite film by means of a polymer assisted electrodeposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the F-doped SnO 2 conducting glass (FTO) using water soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), (ii) obtaining a nanoporous ZnO film by PVA omission via a subsequent post-treatment by annealing of the ZnO–PVA film, and (iii) preparation of a FTO/ZnO/Urs biosensor by exploiting a nanoporous ZnO film as an efficient and excellent platform area for electrostatic immobilization of urease enzyme (Urs) which was forced by the difference in their isoelectric point (IEP). The characterization techniques focused on the analysis of the ZnO–PVA film surfaces before and after annealing, which had a prominent effect on the porosity of the prepared ZnO film. The surface characterization of the nanostructured ZnO film by a field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE–SEM), exhibited a film surface area as an effective bio-sensing matrix for enzyme immobilization. The structural characterization and monitoring of the biosensor fabrication was performed using UV–Vis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Raman Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The impedimetric results of the FTO/ZnO/Urs biosensor showed a high sensitivity for urea detection within 8.0–110.0 mg dL −1 with the limit of detection as 5.0 mg dL −1 . - Highlights: • Novel disposable impedimetric urea biosensor fabrication based on ZnO–nanoporous transducer • Exploiting omissible PVA polymer as a simple strategy for ZnO–nanoporous film preparation • ZnO–nanoporous film as a good pore framework with large surface area/volume for enzyme immobilization • Application of impedimetric measurement for urea monitoring due to its rapidity, sensitivity, and repeatability

  16. Disposable urea biosensor based on nanoporous ZnO film fabricated from omissible polymeric substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahmanian, Reza; Mozaffari, Sayed Ahmad, E-mail: mozaffari@irost.ir; Abedi, Mohammad

    2015-12-01

    In the present study, a facile and simple fabrication method of a semiconductor based urea biosensor was reported via three steps: (i) producing a ZnO–PVA composite film by means of a polymer assisted electrodeposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the F-doped SnO{sub 2} conducting glass (FTO) using water soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), (ii) obtaining a nanoporous ZnO film by PVA omission via a subsequent post-treatment by annealing of the ZnO–PVA film, and (iii) preparation of a FTO/ZnO/Urs biosensor by exploiting a nanoporous ZnO film as an efficient and excellent platform area for electrostatic immobilization of urease enzyme (Urs) which was forced by the difference in their isoelectric point (IEP). The characterization techniques focused on the analysis of the ZnO–PVA film surfaces before and after annealing, which had a prominent effect on the porosity of the prepared ZnO film. The surface characterization of the nanostructured ZnO film by a field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE–SEM), exhibited a film surface area as an effective bio-sensing matrix for enzyme immobilization. The structural characterization and monitoring of the biosensor fabrication was performed using UV–Vis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Raman Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The impedimetric results of the FTO/ZnO/Urs biosensor showed a high sensitivity for urea detection within 8.0–110.0 mg dL{sup −1} with the limit of detection as 5.0 mg dL{sup −1}. - Highlights: • Novel disposable impedimetric urea biosensor fabrication based on ZnO–nanoporous transducer • Exploiting omissible PVA polymer as a simple strategy for ZnO–nanoporous film preparation • ZnO–nanoporous film as a good pore framework with large surface area/volume for enzyme immobilization • Application of impedimetric measurement for urea monitoring due to its rapidity, sensitivity, and

  17. Diagnostic omission errors in acute paediatric practice: impact of a reminder system on decision-making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fisher Helen

    2006-11-01

    consultation (McNemar test, p Conclusion We have shown that junior doctors used a Web-based diagnostic reminder system during acute paediatric assessments to significantly improve the quality of their diagnostic workup and reduce diagnostic omission errors. These benefits were achieved without any adverse effects on patient management following a quick consultation.

  18. The effects of prior calcium channel blocker therapy on creatine kinase-MB levels after percutaneous coronary interventions

    OpenAIRE

    Gulmez, Oyku

    2008-01-01

    Oyku Gulmez, Ilyas Atar, Bülent Ozin, Mehmet Emin Korkmaz, Aslı Atar, Alp Aydinalp, Aylin Yildirir, Haldun MuderrisogluBaskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, TurkeyBackground: Use of intracoronary calcium channel blockers (CCBs) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to have favorable effects on coronary blood flow. We aimed to investigate the effects of CCBs administrated perorally on creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels in pa...

  19. A 11.7-Mb Paracentric Inversion in Chromosome 1q Detected in Prenatal Diagnosis Associated with Familial Intellectual Disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigola, Maria A; Baena, Neus; Català, Vicenç; Lozano, Iris; Gabau, Elisabet; Guitart, Miriam; Fuster, Carmen

    2015-01-01

    Most apparent balanced chromosomal inversions are usually clinically asymptomatic; however, infertility, miscarriages, and mental retardation have been reported in inversion carriers. We present a small family with a paracentric inversion 1q42.13q43 detected in routine prenatal diagnosis. Molecular cytogenetic methods defined the size of the inversion as 11.7 Mb and excluded other unbalanced chromosomal alterations in the patients. Our findings suggest that intellectual disability is caused by dysfunction, disruption, or position effects of genes located at or near the breakpoints involved in this inversion. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. MicroRNA-101 inhibits cell proliferation, promotes cell apoptosis and increases sensitivity of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to paclitaxel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiu-Lin Ke

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To explore the effect that miR-101 inhibits breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and increases the chemosensitivity of paclitaxel to breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and its influence on protein expression level of target gene Bcl2. Methods: miR-101 was artificially synthesized, it used liposome 3000 to transfect MDA-MB-231 cells, and experiment was divided into three groups: blank control group, negative control group and miR-101 group. MTT assay was used to detect the effect of miR-101 on MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and chemosensitivity of paclitaxel-mediated MDA-MB-231 cells; flow cytometer was used to detect cell apoptosis. Real-time PCR and Western bloting were used to detect the changes of mRNA and protein expression levels of Bcl2. Results: After miR-101 transfected MDA-MB- 231 cells, cell proliferation ability significantly decreased compared with negative control group, and differences had statistical significance (P<0.01; after paclitaxel was used to process cells, IC50 of miR-101-processing group decreased by 2.45 times compared with blank control group, differences had statistical significance (P<0.05 and differences between blank control group and negative control group had no statistical significance; detection results by flow cytometer showed that both early-stage and late-stage apoptosis rates of MDA-MB-231 cells of miR-101 group were significantly higher than those of negative control group (P<0.05, and early-stage apoptosis rate was more significant (P<0.01; after transfection of miR-101, mRNA and protein levels of Bcl2 of MDA-MB-231 cells significantly decreased, and differences had statistical significance (P<0.05. Conclusion: miR-101 can inhibit breast cancer MDAMB- 231 cell proliferation through targeting and downregulating Bcl2, thereby increasing the chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel and promoting cell apoptosis.

  1. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF PILOT BASED CHANNEL ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES IN MB OFDM SYSTEMS

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    M. Madheswaran

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Ultra wideband (UWB communication is mainly used for short range of communication in wireless personal area networks. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM is being used as a key physical layer technology for Fourth Generation (4G wireless communication. OFDM based communication gives high spectral efficiency and mitigates Inter-symbol Interference (ISI in a wireless medium. In this paper the IEEE 802.15.3a based Multiband OFDM (MB OFDM system is considered. The pilot based channel estimation techniques are considered to analyze the performance of MB OFDM systems over Liner Time Invariant (LTI Channel models. In this paper, pilot based Least Square (LS and Least Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE channel estimation technique has been considered for UWB OFDM system. In the proposed method, the estimated Channel Impulse Responses (CIRs are filtered in the time domain for the consideration of the channel delay spread. Also the performance of proposed system has been analyzed for different modulation techniques for various pilot density patterns.

  2. The proliferation marker pKi-67 becomes masked to MIB-1 staining after expression of its tandem repeats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Mirko H H; Broll, Rainer; Bruch, Hans-Peter; Duchrow, Michael

    2002-11-01

    The Ki-67 antigen, pKi-67, is one of the most commonly used markers of proliferating cells. The protein can only be detected in dividing cells (G(1)-, S-, G(2)-, and M-phase) but not in quiescent cells (G(0)). The standard antibody to detect pKi-67 is MIB-1, which detects the so-called 'Ki-67 motif' FKELF in 9 of the protein's 16 tandem repeats. To investigate the function of these repeats we expressed three of them in an inducible gene expression system in HeLa cells. Surprisingly, addition of a nuclear localization sequence led to a complete absence of signal in the nuclei of MIB-1-stained cells. At the same time antibodies directed against different epitopes of pKi-67 did not fail to detect the protein. We conclude that the overexpression of the 'Ki-67 motif', which is present in the repeats, can lead to inability of MIB-1 to detect its antigen as demonstrated in adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Thereafter, in order to prevent the underestimation of Ki-67 proliferation indices in MIB-1-labeled preparations, additional antibodies (for example, MIB-21) should be used. Additionally, we could show in a mammalian two-hybrid assay that recombinant pKi-67 repeats are capable of self-associating with endogenous pKi-67. Speculating that the tandem repeats are intimately involved in its protein-protein interactions, this offers new insights in how access to these repeats is regulated by pKi-67 itself.

  3. Delayed O-methylation of l-DOPA in MB-COMT-deficient mice after oral administration of l-DOPA and carbidopa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tammimäki, Anne; Aonurm-Helm, Anu; Männistö, Pekka T

    2018-04-01

    1. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is involved in the O-methylation of l-DOPA, dopamine, and other catechols. The enzyme is expressed in two isoforms: soluble (S-COMT), which resides in the cytoplasm, and membrane-bound (MB-COMT), which is anchored to intracellular membranes. 2. To obtain specific information on the functions of COMT isoforms, we studied how a complete MB-COMT deficiency affects the total COMT activity in the body, peripheral l-DOPA levels, and metabolism after l-DOPA (10 mg kg -1 ) plus carbidopa (30 mg kg -1 ) administration by gastric tube in wild-type (WT) and MB-COMT-deficient mice. l-DOPA and 3-O-methyl-l-DOPA (3-OMD) levels were assayed in plasma, duodenum, and liver. 3. We showed that the selective lack of MB-COMT did not alter the total COMT activity, COMT enzyme kinetics, l-DOPA levels, or the total O-methylation of l-DOPA but delayed production of 3-OMD in plasma and peripheral tissues.

  4. Protein Kinase G facilitates EGFR-mediated cell death in MDA-MB-468 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, Nicole M.; Ceresa, Brian P., E-mail: brian.ceresa@louisville.edu

    2016-08-15

    The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase with critical implications in cell proliferation, migration, wound healing and the regulation of apoptosis. However, the EGFR has been shown to be hyper-expressed in a number of human malignancies. The MDA-MB-468 metastatic breast cell line is one example of this. This particular cell line hyper-expresses the EGFR and undergoes EGFR-mediated apoptosis in response to EGF ligand. The goal of this study was to identify the kinases that could be potential intermediates for the EGFR-mediated induction of apoptosis intracellularly. After identifying Cyclic GMP-dependent Protein Kinase G (PKG) as a plausible intermediate, we wanted to determine the temporal relationship of these two proteins in the induction of apoptosis. We observed a dose-dependent decrease in MDA-MB-468 cell viability, which was co-incident with increased PKG activity as measured by VASPSer239 phosphorylation. In addition, we observed a dose dependent decrease in cell viability, as well as an increase in apoptosis, in response to two different PKG agonists, 8-Bromo-cGMP and 8-pCPT-cGMP. MDA-MB-468 cells with reduced PKG activity had attenuated EGFR-mediated apoptosis. These findings indicate that PKG does not induce cell death via transphosphorylation of the EGFR. Instead, PKG activity occurs following EGFR activation. Together, these data indicate PKG as an intermediary in EGFR-mediated cell death, likely via apoptotic pathway.

  5. The diagnostic value of both troponin T and creatinine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB in detecting combined renal and myocardial injuries in asphyxiated infants.

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    Wilson E Sadoh

    Full Text Available Troponin T (cTnT and Creatinine Kinase Isoenzyme (CK-MB are both markers of myocardial injuries. However, CK-MB is also elevated in acute kidney injury.The diagnostic value of both cTnT and cardiac CK-MB in combined myocardial and acute kidney injuries (AKI in asphyxiated neonates was evaluated.40 asphyxiated infants and 40 non-asphyxiated controls were consecutively recruited. Serum levels of cTnT, CK-MB and creatinine were measured. Myocardial injury and AKI were defined as cTnT >95th percentile of the control and serum creatinine >1.0 mg/dl respectively.Of the 40 subjects, 9 (22.50%, 8 (20.00% and 4 (10.00% had myocardial injury, AKI and combined AKI and myocardial injuries respectively. The mean cTnT and CK-MB values were highest in infants with combined AKI and myocardial injuries. The Mean cTnT in infants with AKI, myocardial injury and combined AKI and myocardial injuries were 0.010±0.0007 ng/ml, 0.067±0.040 ng/ml and 0.084±0.067 ng/ml respectively, p = 0.006. The mean CK-MB in infants with AKI, myocardial injury and combined AKI and myocardial injuries were 2.78±0.22 ng/ml, 1.28±0.11 ng/ml and 4.58±0.52 ng/ml respectively, p = <0.0001.In severe perinatal asphyxia, renal and myocardial injuries could co-exist. Elevated cTnT signifies the presence of myocardial injury. Elevated CK-MB indicates either myocardial injury, AKI or both. Therefore renal injury should be excluded in asphyxiated infants with elevated CK-MB.

  6. Highly sensitive detection of ESR1 mutations in cell-free DNA from patients with metastatic breast cancer using molecular barcode sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masunaga, Nanae; Kagara, Naofumi; Motooka, Daisuke; Nakamura, Shota; Miyake, Tomohiro; Tanei, Tomonori; Naoi, Yasuto; Shimoda, Masafumi; Shimazu, Kenzo; Kim, Seung Jin; Noguchi, Shinzaburo

    2018-01-01

    We aimed to develop a highly sensitive method to detect ESR1 mutations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) using next-generation sequencing with molecular barcode (MB-NGS) targeting the hotspot segment (c.1600-1713). The sensitivity of MB-NGS was tested using serially diluted ESR1 mutant DNA and then cfDNA samples from 34 patients with metastatic breast cancer were analyzed with MB-NGS. The results of MB-NGS were validated in comparison with conventional NGS and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). MB-NGS showed a higher sensitivity (0.1%) than NGS without barcode (1%) by reducing background errors. Of the cfDNA samples from 34 patients with metastatic breast cancer, NGS without barcode revealed seven mutations in six patients (17.6%) and MB-NGS revealed six additional mutations including three mutations not reported in the COSMIC database of breast cancer, resulting in total 13 ESR1 mutations in ten patients (29.4%). Regarding the three hotspot mutations, all the patients with mutations detected by MB-NGS had identical mutations detected by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and mutant allele frequency correlated very well between both (r = 0.850, p < 0.01). Moreover, all the patients without these mutations by MB-NGS were found to have no mutations by ddPCR. In conclusion, MB-NGS could successfully detect ESR1 mutations in cfDNA with a higher sensitivity of 0.1% than conventional NGS and was considered as clinically useful as ddPCR.

  7. Potentially inappropriate prescribing in institutionalised older patients in Spain: the STOPP-START criteria compared with the Beers criteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonet M

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aims of this study were to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing using the Beers and STOPP criteria. The START criteria were applied to detect prescription omission in the geriatric population. We compared the utility of these criteria in institutionalised older people.Methods: Descriptive study reviewing the medication and clinical records of 81 residents (aged 65 years and more by pharmacists in a nursing home in the Lleida region (Spain.Results: The mean patients’ age was 84 (SD=8 years, with an average of 5 drugs per resident (total prescriptions: 416 medicines. The Beers criteria identified potentially inappropriate medication use in 25% of patients and 48% of patients used at least 1 inappropriate medication according to STOPP criteria. The most frequent potentially inappropriate medications for both criteria were long-acting benzodiazepines and NSAIDs. START detected 58 potential prescribing omissions in 44% of patients. Calcium-vitamin D supplementation in osteoporosis was the most frequent rule (15%, but omissions corresponding to the cardiovascular system implied 23% of patients.Conclusion: The STOPP-START criteria reveal that potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP is a highly prevalent problem among Spanish nursing home residents, and a statistically significant positive correlation was found between the number of medicines prescribed and the number of PIP detected in this study. The STOPP criteria detect a larger number of PI medications in this geriatric population than the Beers criteria. The prescribing omissions detected by the START criteria are relevant and require intervention. Pharmacists’ review of medications may help identify potentially inappropriate prescribing and, through an interdisciplinary approach, working with physicians may improve prescribing practices among geriatric residents of nursing homes.

  8. Synergistic action of cisplatin and echistatin in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czarnomysy, Robert; Surażyński, Arkadiusz; Popławska, Bożena; Rysiak, Edyta; Pawłowska, Natalia; Czajkowska, Anna; Bielawski, Krzysztof; Bielawska, Anna

    2017-03-01

    The aim of our study was to determine whether the use of cisplatin in the presence echistatin in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells leads to a reduction of toxic effects associated with the use of cisplatin. The expression of β 1 -integrin and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR), signaling pathway protein expression: protein kinase B (AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/ERK2), nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), and caspase-3 and -9 activity was measured after 24 h of incubation with tested compounds to explain detailed molecular mechanism of induction of apoptosis. The viability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining assay was performed to detect the induction of apoptosis. Inhibition DNA biosynthesis was determined by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. The expression of of β 1 -integrin, IGF-IR, AKT, ERK1/ERK2, NFκB, caspase-3 and -9 was evaluated using Western blot. The results suggest that treatment of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells for 24 h cisplatin plus echistatin severely inhibits cell growth and activates apoptosis by upregulation of caspase-3 and -9 expressions. The effect was stronger than treatment cisplatin and echistatin alone. In this study, we have found that cisplatin plus echistatin treatment decreases collagen biosynthesis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells stronger than the individual compounds. The inhibition was found to be dependent on the β 1 -integrin and IGF receptor activation. A significant reduction of ERK1/ERK2, AKT expression in cancer cells after cisplatin plus echistatin treatment was also found. The cancer cells treated by echistatin, cisplatin, and in particular the combination of both compounds drastically increased expression of NFκB transcription factor. Our results suggest that combined therapy cisplatin plus echistatin is a possible way to improve selectiveness of cisplatin. This

  9. Potentially inappropriate prescribing to older patients in primary care in the Netherlands: a retrospective longitudinal study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruin-Huisman, Linette; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; van Weert, Henk C. P. M.; Beers, Erna

    2017-01-01

    potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is associated with adverse health effects in older patients. PIP comprises prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs). to estimate the prevalence of PIMs and PPOs among older patients in primary

  10. Determination of buckling in the IPEN/MB-01 Reactor in cylindrical configuration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Purgato, Rafael Turrini; Bitelli, Ulysses d' Utra; Aredes, Vitor Ottoni; Silva, Alexandre F. Povoa da; Santos, Diogo Feliciano dos; Mura, Luis Felipe L.; Jerez, Rogerio, E-mail: rtpurgato@ipen.br, E-mail: ubitelli@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    One of the key parameters in reactor physics is the buckling of a reactor core. It is related to important parameters such as reaction rates, nuclear power operation, fuel burning, among others. In a critical reactor, the buckling depends on the geometric and material characteristics of the reactor core. This paper presents the results of experimental buckling in the reactor IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor in its cylindrical configuration with 28 fuel rods along its diameter. The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero power reactor designed to operate at a maximum power of 100 watts, it is a versatile nuclear facility which allows the simulation of all the characteristics of a large nuclear power reactor and ideal for this type of measurement. We conducted a mapping of neutron flux inside the reactor and thereby determined the total buckling of the cylindrical configuration. The reactor was operated for an hour. Then, the activation of the fuel rods was measured by gamma spectrometry on a rod scanner HPGe detector. We analyzed the gamma photons of the {sup 239}Np (276,6 keV) for neutron capture and the {sup 143}Ce (293,3 keV) for fission on both {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U, respectively. We analyzed the axial and radial directions. Other measurements were performed using wires and gold foils in the radial and axial directions of the reactor core. The results showed that the cylindrical configuration compared to standard rectangular configuration of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor has a higher neutron economy, since in this configuration there is less leakage of neutrons. The Buckling Total obtained from the three methods was 95.84 ± 2.67 m{sup -2}. (author)

  11. MB109 as bioactive human bone morphogenetic protein-9 refolded and purified from E. coli inclusion bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The development of chemical refolding of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily ligands has been instrumental to produce the recombinant proteins for biochemical studies and exploring the potential of protein therapeutics. The osteogenic human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (hBMP-2) and its Drosophila DPP homolog were the early successful cases of refolding into functional form. Despite the similarity in their three dimensional structure and amino acid sequences, several other TGF-β superfamily ligands could not be refolded readily by the same methods. Results Here, we report a comprehensive study on the variables of a rapid-dilution refolding method, including the concentrations of protein, salt, detergent and redox agents, pH, refolding duration and the presence of aggregation suppressors and host-cell contaminants, in order to identify the optimal condition to refold human BMP-9 (hBMP-9). To produce a recombinant form of hBMP-9 in E. coli cells, a synthetic codon-optimized gene was designed to encode the mature domain of hBMP-9 (Ser320 – Arg429) directly behind the first methionine, which we herein referred to as MB109. An effective purification scheme was also developed to purify the refolded MB109 to homogeneity with a final yield of 7.8 mg from 100 mg of chromatography-purified inclusion bodies as a starting material. The chemically refolded MB109 binds to ALK1, ActRIIb and BMPRII receptors with relatively high affinity as compared to other Type I and Type II receptors based on surface plasmon resonance analysis. Smad1-dependent luciferase assay in C2C12 cells shows that the MB109 has an EC50 of 0.61 ng/mL (25 pM), which is nearly the same as hBMP-9. Conclusion MB109 is prone to be refolded as non-functional dimer and higher order multimers in most of the conditions tested, but bioactive MB109 dimer can be refolded with high efficiency in a narrow window, which is strongly dependent on the pH, refolding duration, the presence of

  12. Array-CGH in patients with Kabuki-like phenotype: identification of two patients with complex rearrangements including 2q37 deletions and no other recurrent aberration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuscó, Ivon; del Campo, Miguel; Vilardell, Mireia; González, Eva; Gener, Blanca; Galán, Enrique; Toledo, Laura; Pérez-Jurado, Luis A

    2008-04-11

    Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by specific facial features, mild to moderate mental retardation, postnatal growth delay, skeletal abnormalities, and unusual dermatoglyphic patterns with prominent fingertip pads. A 3.5 Mb duplication at 8p23.1-p22 was once reported as a specific alteration in KS but has not been confirmed in other patients. The molecular basis of KS remains unknown. We have studied 16 Spanish patients with a clinical diagnosis of KS or KS-like to search for genomic imbalances using genome-wide array technologies. All putative rearrangements were confirmed by FISH, microsatellite markers and/or MLPA assays, which also determined whether the imbalance was de novo or inherited. No duplication at 8p23.1-p22 was observed in our patients. We detected complex rearrangements involving 2q in two patients with Kabuki-like features: 1) a de novo inverted duplication of 11 Mb with a 4.5 Mb terminal deletion, and 2) a de novo 7.2 Mb-terminal deletion in a patient with an additional de novo 0.5 Mb interstitial deletion in 16p. Additional copy number variations (CNV), either inherited or reported in normal controls, were identified and interpreted as polymorphic variants. No specific CNV was significantly increased in the KS group. Our results further confirmed that genomic duplications of 8p23 region are not a common cause of KS and failed to detect other recurrent rearrangement causing this disorder. The detection of two patients with 2q37 deletions suggests that there is a phenotypic overlap between the two conditions, and screening this region in the Kabuki-like patients should be considered.

  13. Blunt Cardiac Injury in Trauma Patients with Thoracic Aortic Injury

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    Rathachai Kaewlai

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Trauma patients with thoracic aortic injury (TAI suffer blunt cardiac injury (BCI at variable frequencies. This investigation aimed to determine the frequency of BCI in trauma patients with TAI and compare with those without TAI. All trauma patients with TAI who had admission electrocardiography (ECG and serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB from January 1999 to May 2009 were included as a study group at a level I trauma center. BCI was diagnosed if there was a positive ECG with either an elevated CK-MB or abnormal echocardiography. There were 26 patients (19 men, mean age 45.1 years, mean ISS 34.4 in the study group; 20 had evidence of BCI. Of 52 patients in the control group (38 men, mean age 46.9 years, mean ISS 38.7, eighteen had evidence of BCI. There was a significantly higher rate of BCI in trauma patients with TAI versus those without TAI (77% versus 35%, P<0.001.

  14. Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsutsui, Shinichi; Yasuda, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Kosuke; Takeuchi, Hideya; Nishizaki, Takashi; Higashi, Hidefumi; Era, Shoichi

    2006-01-01

    Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42%) cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089) associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS), while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer

  15. Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishizaki Takashi

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. Methods The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. Results The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42% cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089 associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS, while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. Conclusion The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer.

  16. Monitoring of tumor growth and metastasis potential in MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc human breast cancer xenografts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Y.-F. [Department of Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong Street, Pei-tou 112, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Lin, Y.-Y. [Department of Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong Street, Pei-tou 112, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Wang, H.-E. [Department of Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong Street, Pei-tou 112, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Liu, R.-S. [Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Nuclear Medicine Department, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Pang Fei [Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Hwang, J.-J. [Department of Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong Street, Pei-tou 112, Taipei, Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: jjhwang@ym.edu.tw

    2007-02-01

    Molecular imaging of reporter gene expression provides a rapid, sensitive and non-invasive monitoring of tumor behaviors. In this study, we reported the establishment of a novel animal model for longitudinal examination of tumor growth kinetics and metastatic spreading in vivo. The highly metastatic human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435s cell line was engineered to stably express herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-1-tk) and luciferase (luc). Both {sup 131}I-FIAU and D-luciferin were used as reporter probes. For orthotopic tumor formation, MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc cells were implanted into the first nipple of 6-week-old female NOD/SCID mice. For metastatic study, cells were injected via the lateral tail vein. Mice-bearing MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc tumors were scanned for tumor growth and metastatsis using Xenogen IVIS50 system. Gamma scintigraphy and whole-body autoradiography were also applied to confirm the tumor localization. The results of bioluminescence imaging as well as histopathological finding showed that tumors could be detected in femur, spine, ovary, lungs, kidney, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and muscle at 16 weeks post i.v. injection, and correlated photons could be quantified. This MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc human breast carcinoma-bearing mouse model combined with multimodalities of molecular imaging may facilitate studies on the molecular mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis.

  17. Monitoring of tumor growth and metastasis potential in MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc human breast cancer xenografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Y.-F.; Lin, Y.-Y.; Wang, H.-E.; Liu, R.-S.; Pang Fei; Hwang, J.-J.

    2007-01-01

    Molecular imaging of reporter gene expression provides a rapid, sensitive and non-invasive monitoring of tumor behaviors. In this study, we reported the establishment of a novel animal model for longitudinal examination of tumor growth kinetics and metastatic spreading in vivo. The highly metastatic human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435s cell line was engineered to stably express herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-1-tk) and luciferase (luc). Both 131 I-FIAU and D-luciferin were used as reporter probes. For orthotopic tumor formation, MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc cells were implanted into the first nipple of 6-week-old female NOD/SCID mice. For metastatic study, cells were injected via the lateral tail vein. Mice-bearing MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc tumors were scanned for tumor growth and metastatsis using Xenogen IVIS50 system. Gamma scintigraphy and whole-body autoradiography were also applied to confirm the tumor localization. The results of bioluminescence imaging as well as histopathological finding showed that tumors could be detected in femur, spine, ovary, lungs, kidney, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and muscle at 16 weeks post i.v. injection, and correlated photons could be quantified. This MDA-MB-435s/tk-luc human breast carcinoma-bearing mouse model combined with multimodalities of molecular imaging may facilitate studies on the molecular mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis

  18. Comparação entre troponina I cardíaca e CK-MB massa em síndrome coronariana aguda sem supra de ST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabete Silva dos Santos

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Há incertezas do valor prognóstico comparativo entre troponina I cardíaca (cTnI e CK-MB em síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA. OBJETIVO: Comparar o valor prognóstico entre a cTnI e a CK-MB massa em pacientes com SCA sem supradesnível do segmento ST. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 1.027 pacientes, de modo prospectivo, em um centro terciário de cardiologia. Combinações dos biomarcadores foram examinadas: cTnI normal, CK-MB massa normal (65,5%; cTnI normal, CK-MB massa elevada (3,9%; cTnI elevada, CK-MB massa normal (8,8%; cTnI elevada, CK-MB massa elevada (20,7%. Análise multivariada de variáveis clínicas, eletrocardiográficas e laboratoriais determinou o valor prognóstico independente dos biomarcadores para o evento de morte ou (reinfarto em 30 dias. RESULTADOS: Pacientes com pelo menos um biomarcador elevado foram mais idosos (p = 0,02 e do sexo masculino (p < 0,001. Uso prévio de aspirina (p = 0,001, betabloqueador (p = 0,003 ou estatina (p = 0,013 foi mais frequente naqueles sem elevação da cTnI. Pacientes com elevação de ambos os biomarcadores tinham mais depressão do segmento ST (p < 0,001 ou creatinina elevada (p < 0,001. Em análise multivariada com a inclusão da cTnI, a CK-MB massa não foi variável independente para o evento de morte ou (reinfarto em 30 dias (odds ratio [OR] 1,16; p = 0,71. Quando não se incluiu a cTnI, teve-se: idade (OR 1,07; p < 0,001; sexo masculino (OR 1,09; p = 0,77; diabete melito (OR 1,95; p = 0,02; acidente vascular cerebral prévio (OR 3,21; p = 0,008; creatinina elevada (OR 1,63; p = 0,002; elevação da CK-MB massa (OR 1,96; p = 0,03; estatística-C 0,77 (p < 0,001. CONCLUSÃO: Com dosagem da cTnI, a CK-MB massa pode ser dispensável para avaliação prognóstica. Na indisponibilidade da cTnI, a CK-MB massa é aceitável para decisão terapêutica.

  19. A Golay complementary TS-based symbol synchronization scheme in variable rate LDPC-coded MB-OFDM UWBoF system

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Jing; Wen, Xuejie; Chen, Ming; Chen, Lin

    2015-09-01

    In this paper, a Golay complementary training sequence (TS)-based symbol synchronization scheme is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) ultra-wideband over fiber (UWBoF) system with a variable rate low-density parity-check (LDPC) code. Meanwhile, the coding gain and spectral efficiency in the variable rate LDPC-coded MB-OFDM UWBoF system are investigated. By utilizing the non-periodic auto-correlation property of the Golay complementary pair, the start point of LDPC-coded MB-OFDM UWB signal can be estimated accurately. After 100 km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission, at the bit error rate of 1×10-3, the experimental results show that the short block length 64QAM-LDPC coding provides a coding gain of 4.5 dB, 3.8 dB and 2.9 dB for a code rate of 62.5%, 75% and 87.5%, respectively.

  20. Human papillomavirus DNA detection in menstrual blood from patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and condyloma acuminatum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Sze Chuen Cesar; Au, Thomas Chi Chuen; Chan, Sammy Chung Sum; Chan, Charles Ming Lok; Lam, Money Yan Yee; Zee, Benny Chung Ying; Pong, Wei Mei; Chan, Anthony Tak Cheung

    2010-03-01

    The Papanicolaou test generates pain and embarrassment, and cytology screening has limited sensitivity for detection of cervical neoplasia. These factors urge the use of another screening test that can overcome these limitations. We explore a completely noninvasive method using detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in women's menstrual blood (MB). The participants were divided into 3 cohorts: (i) 235 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN 3) (n = 48), CIN 2 (n = 60), CIN 1 (n = 58), or condyloma acuminatum (CAC) (n = 69) before treatment or remission; (ii) from the first cohort of patients, 108 CIN 3 or CIN 2 patients after treatment and 62 CIN 1 or CAC patients after remission; and (iii) 323 apparently normal subjects (ANS) without any cervical disease. The HPV genotypes of the infected patients were confirmed by direct sequencing. Quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was used to measure the MB HPV16 load for 15 infected patients. Results showed that the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for detection of MB HPV DNA in samples from patients with CIN or CAC were 82.8%, 93.1%, 90.0%, and 87.9%, respectively. Moreover, MB HPV DNA was found in samples from 22.2% of CIN 3 or CIN 2 patients after treatment, 0.0% of CIN 1 or CAC patients after remission, and 8.1% of ANS, 4 of whom were found to have CIN 1 or CAC. Furthermore, QRT-PCR showed that the normalized MB HPV16 DNA copy numbers in samples from patients with CIN 1 to CIN 3 were significantly increased. These preliminary results suggested that MB HPV DNA is a potential noninvasive marker for these premalignant cervical diseases.

  1. Errors in Computing the Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate due to Use of Single-pool Urea Kinetic Modeling or to Omission of the Residual Kidney Urea Clearance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daugirdas, John T

    2017-07-01

    The protein catabolic rate normalized to body size (PCRn) often is computed in dialysis units to obtain information about protein ingestion. However, errors can manifest when inappropriate modeling methods are used. We used a variable volume 2-pool urea kinetic model to examine the percent errors in PCRn due to use of a 1-pool urea kinetic model or after omission of residual urea clearance (Kru). When a single-pool model was used, 2 sources of errors were identified. The first, dependent on the ratio of dialyzer urea clearance to urea distribution volume (K/V), resulted in a 7% inflation of the PCRn when K/V was in the range of 6 mL/min per L. A second, larger error appeared when Kt/V values were below 1.0 and was related to underestimation of urea distribution volume (due to overestimation of effective clearance) by the single-pool model. A previously reported prediction equation for PCRn was valid, but data suggest that it should be modified using 2-pool eKt/V and V coefficients instead of single-pool values. A third source of error, this one unrelated to use of a single-pool model, namely omission of Kru, was shown to result in an underestimation of PCRn, such that each ml/minute Kru per 35 L of V caused a 5.6% underestimate in PCRn. Marked overestimation of PCRn can result due to inappropriate use of a single-pool urea kinetic model, particularly when Kt/V <1.0 (as in short daily dialysis), or after omission of residual native kidney clearance. Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Production and characterisation of glycolipid biosurfactant by Halomonas sp. MB-30 for potential application in enhanced oil recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhasayan, Asha; Kiran, G Seghal; Selvin, Joseph

    2014-12-01

    Biosurfactant-producing Halomonas sp. MB-30 was isolated from a marine sponge Callyspongia diffusa, and its potency in crude oil recovery from sand pack column was investigated. The biosurfactant produced by the strain MB-30 reduced the surface tension to 30 mN m(-1) in both glucose and hydrocarbon-supplemented minimal media. The critical micelle concentration of biosurfactant obtained from glucose-based medium was at 0.25 mg ml(-1) at critical micelle dilution 1:10. The chemical structure of glycolipid biosurfactant was characterised by infrared spectroscopy and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The emulsification activity of MB-30 biosurfactant was tested with different hydrocarbons, and 93.1 % emulsification activity was exhibited with crude oil followed by kerosene (86.6 %). The formed emulsion was stable for up to 1 month. To identify the effectiveness of biosurfactant for enhanced oil recovery in extreme environments, the interactive effect of pH, temperature and salinity on emulsion stability with crude oil and kerosene was evaluated. The stable emulsion was formed at and above pH 7, temperature >80 °C and NaCl concentration up to 10 % in response surface central composite orthogonal design model. The partially purified biosurfactant recovered 62 % of residual crude oil from sand pack column. Thus, the stable emulsifying biosurfactant produced by Halomonas sp. MB-30 could be used for in situ biosurfactant-mediated enhanced oil recovery process and hydrocarbon bioremediation in extreme environments.

  3. Human Papillomavirus DNA Detection in Menstrual Blood from Patients with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Condyloma Acuminatum ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Sze Chuen Cesar; Au, Thomas Chi Chuen; Chan, Sammy Chung Sum; Chan, Charles Ming Lok; Lam, Money Yan Yee; Zee, Benny Chung Ying; Pong, Wei Mei; Chan, Anthony Tak Cheung

    2010-01-01

    The Papanicolaou test generates pain and embarrassment, and cytology screening has limited sensitivity for detection of cervical neoplasia. These factors urge the use of another screening test that can overcome these limitations. We explore a completely noninvasive method using detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in women's menstrual blood (MB). The participants were divided into 3 cohorts: (i) 235 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN 3) (n = 48), CIN 2 (n = 60), CIN 1 (n = 58), or condyloma acuminatum (CAC) (n = 69) before treatment or remission; (ii) from the first cohort of patients, 108 CIN 3 or CIN 2 patients after treatment and 62 CIN 1 or CAC patients after remission; and (iii) 323 apparently normal subjects (ANS) without any cervical disease. The HPV genotypes of the infected patients were confirmed by direct sequencing. Quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was used to measure the MB HPV16 load for 15 infected patients. Results showed that the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for detection of MB HPV DNA in samples from patients with CIN or CAC were 82.8%, 93.1%, 90.0%, and 87.9%, respectively. Moreover, MB HPV DNA was found in samples from 22.2% of CIN 3 or CIN 2 patients after treatment, 0.0% of CIN 1 or CAC patients after remission, and 8.1% of ANS, 4 of whom were found to have CIN 1 or CAC. Furthermore, QRT-PCR showed that the normalized MB HPV16 DNA copy numbers in samples from patients with CIN 1 to CIN 3 were significantly increased. These preliminary results suggested that MB HPV DNA is a potential noninvasive marker for these premalignant cervical diseases. PMID:20089764

  4. 1H-Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Mb. Alzheimer's and MCI patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fankhauser, M.

    2009-01-01

    In this study a proton magnetic spectroscopy was conducted on 38 patients suffering from Alzheimer, 10 patients with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) and 21 elderly controls. The analyzed metabolites were N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho) and myo-Inositol (Ins). 1 H-MRS was conducted in the cingulated gyri and the centrum semiovale of 38 patients with AD, 10 patients with MCI and 21 elderly controls. A STEAM sequence was used at 1,5 Tesla. The values of NAA, Cho, Cr and Ins were measured and the ratios of NAA/Cr, NAA/Cho, Cho/Cr and Ins/Cr were statistically evaluated. The Ins/Cr Ratio in the posterior cingulated gyrus was significantly lower in the MCI group than in the DAT group (p=0,007), while the decrease of the Ins/Cr Ratio in the compared controls was not significant. The NAA/Cr ratio was not significantly different whether in patients with AD, MCI nor in the examined controls. NAA/Cho and Cho/Cr ratios were likewise not significantly different in the three groups. Our findings of an increased Ins/Cr Ratio in the AD group might indicate the beginning of glial activation in the posterior cingulated gyri. As the other examined ratios were not significantly different among the three groups, our patients may not have suffered significant neuronal loss yet. (author) [de

  5. MB-OFDM-UWB Based Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks for Underground Coalmine: A Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Ruisong; Yang, Wei; You, Kaiming

    2016-01-01

    Safety production of coalmines is a task of top priority which plays an important role in guaranteeing, supporting and promoting the continuous development of the coal industry. Since traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) cannot fully meet the requirements of comprehensive environment monitoring of underground coalmines, wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), enabling the retrieval of multimedia information, are introduced to realize fine-grained and precise environment surveillance. In this paper, a framework for designing underground coalmine WMSNs based on Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing Ultra-wide Band (MB-OFDM-UWB) is presented. The selection of MB-OFDM-UWB wireless transmission solution is based on the characteristics of underground coalmines. Network structure and design challenges are analyzed first, which is the foundation for further discussion. Then, key supporting technologies and open research areas in different layers are surveyed, and we provide a detailed literature review of the state of the art strategies, algorithms and general solutions in these issues. Finally, other research issues like localization, information processing, and network management are discussed. PMID:27999258

  6. MB-OFDM-UWB Based Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks for Underground Coalmine: A Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Ruisong; Yang, Wei; You, Kaiming

    2016-12-16

    Safety production of coalmines is a task of top priority which plays an important role in guaranteeing, supporting and promoting the continuous development of the coal industry. Since traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) cannot fully meet the requirements of comprehensive environment monitoring of underground coalmines, wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), enabling the retrieval of multimedia information, are introduced to realize fine-grained and precise environment surveillance. In this paper, a framework for designing underground coalmine WMSNs based on Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing Ultra-wide Band (MB-OFDM-UWB) is presented. The selection of MB-OFDM-UWB wireless transmission solution is based on the characteristics of underground coalmines. Network structure and design challenges are analyzed first, which is the foundation for further discussion. Then, key supporting technologies and open research areas in different layers are surveyed, and we provide a detailed literature review of the state of the art strategies, algorithms and general solutions in these issues. Finally, other research issues like localization, information processing, and network management are discussed.

  7. Immunohistochemical profile of various neurotransmitters, neurotrophins and MIB-1 in cholesteatomas of the petrous bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artico, Marco; Bronzetti, Elena; Lo Vasco, Vincenza Rita; Ionta, Brunella; Alicino, Valentina; D'Ambrosio, Anna; Magliulo, Giuseppe

    2008-01-01

    Compared to the normal epidermal epithelium, cholesteatomas have altered growth properties characterized by the excessive growth of keratinocytes leading to mucosal destruction. Either congenital or acquired, these lesions, which grow in the middle ear space, the petrous apex or the mastoid of temporal bones, are mostly considered benign skin tumoral lesions. However, many questions remain concerning their pathophysiology. Numerous studies have been proposed to identify those cholesteatoma lesions at risk of recurrence, a possible event that may cause hearing loss. We examined patients with petrous apex or mastoid cholesteatoma in order to analyze the expression of various neurotransmitters, neurotrophins and their receptors and the Ki-67 antigen for identification of a possible relationship between clinical outcome and histopathological behaviour in terms of the proliferative activity of cholesteatomas. Expression of the analyzed molecules was studied using immunohistochemical methods in seven adult patients with petrous apex cholesteatoma who underwent surgical removal of the lesion. Our results, in accordance with published data, confirm that Molecular Immunology Borstel-1 (MIB-1) and certain neurotransmitters could be useful in the prognostic evaluation of the risk of recurrence of aggressive forms of cholesteatoma.

  8. Analysis of DNA restriction fragments greater than 5.7 Mb in size from the centromeric region of human chromosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arn, P H; Li, X; Smith, C; Hsu, M; Schwartz, D C; Jabs, E W

    1991-01-01

    Pulsed electrophoresis was used to study the organization of the human centromeric region. Genomic DNA was digested with rare-cutting enzymes. DNA fragments from 0.2 to greater than 5.7 Mb were separated by electrophoresis and hybridized with alphoid and simple DNA repeats. Rare-cutting enzymes (Mlu I, Nar I, Not I, Nru I, Sal I, Sfi I, Sst II) demonstrated fewer restriction sites at centromeric regions than elsewhere in the genome. The enzyme Not I had the fewest restriction sites at centromeric regions. As much as 70% of these sequences from the centromeric region are present in Not I DNA fragments greater than 5.7 and estimated to be as large as 10 Mb in size. Other repetitive sequences such as short interspersed repeated segments (SINEs), long interspersed repeated segments (LINEs), ribosomal DNA, and mini-satellite DNA that are not enriched at the centromeric region, are not enriched in Not I fragments of greater than 5.7 Mb in size.

  9. Characteristic face: a key indicator for direct diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletions in Chinese velocardiofacial syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dandan; Chen, Yang; Xu, Chen; Wang, Ke; Wang, Huijun; Zheng, Fengyun; Ma, Duan; Wang, Guomin

    2013-01-01

    Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is a disease in human with an expansive phenotypic spectrum and diverse genetic mechanisms mainly associated with copy number variations (CNVs) on 22q11.2 or other chromosomes. However, the correlations between CNVs and phenotypes remain ambiguous. This study aims to analyze the types and sizes of CNVs in VCFS patients, to define whether correlations exist between CNVs and clinical manifestations in Chinese VCFS patients. In total, 55 clinically suspected Chinese VCFS patients and 100 normal controls were detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). The data from MLPA and all the detailed clinical features of the objects were documented and analyzed. A total of 44 patients (80.0%) were diagnosed with CNVs on 22q11.2. Among them, 43 (78.2%) presented with 22q11.2 heterozygous deletions, of whom 40 (93.0%) had typical 3-Mb deletion, and 3 (7.0%) exhibited proximal 1.5-Mb deletion; no patient was found with atypical deletion on 22q11.2. One patient (1.8%) presented with a 3-Mb duplication mapping to the typical 3-Mb region on 22q11.2, while none of the chromosomal abnormalities in the MLPA kit were found in the other 11 patients and 100 normal controls. All the 43 patients with 22q11.2 deletions displayed characteristic face and palatal anomalies; 37 of them (86.0%) had cognitive or behavioral disorders, and 23 (53.5%) suffered from immune deficiencies; 10 patients (23.3%) manifested congenital heart diseases. Interestingly, all patients with the characteristic face had 22q11.2 heterozygous deletions, but no difference in phenotypic spectrum was observed between 3-Mb and 1.5-Mb deletions. Our data suggest that the characteristic face can be used as a key indicator for direct diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletions in Chinese VCFS patients.

  10. Molecular Beam-Thermal Desorption Spectrometry (MB-TDS) Monitoring of Hydrogen Desorbed from Storage Fuel Cell Anodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lobo, Rui F M; Santos, Diogo M F; Sequeira, Cesar A C; Ribeiro, Jorge H F

    2012-02-06

    Different types of experimental studies are performed using the hydrogen storage alloy (HSA) MlNi 3.6 Co 0.85 Al 0.3 Mn 0.3 (Ml: La-rich mischmetal), chemically surface treated, as the anode active material for application in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The recently developed molecular beam-thermal desorption spectrometry (MB-TDS) technique is here reported for detecting the electrochemical hydrogen uptake and release by the treated HSA. The MB-TDS allows an accurate determination of the hydrogen mass absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy (HSA), and has significant advantages in comparison with the conventional TDS method. Experimental data has revealed that the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using such chemically treated alloy presents an enhanced surface capability for hydrogen adsorption.

  11. Detection of genomic variation by selection of a 9 mb DNA region and high throughput sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey I Nikolaev

    Full Text Available Detection of the rare polymorphisms and causative mutations of genetic diseases in a targeted genomic area has become a major goal in order to understand genomic and phenotypic variability. We have interrogated repeat-masked regions of 8.9 Mb on human chromosomes 21 (7.8 Mb and 7 (1.1 Mb from an individual from the International HapMap Project (NA12872. We have optimized a method of genomic selection for high throughput sequencing. Microarray-based selection and sequencing resulted in 260-fold enrichment, with 41% of reads mapping to the target region. 83% of SNPs in the targeted region had at least 4-fold sequence coverage and 54% at least 15-fold. When assaying HapMap SNPs in NA12872, our sequence genotypes are 91.3% concordant in regions with coverage > or = 4-fold, and 97.9% concordant in regions with coverage > or = 15-fold. About 81% of the SNPs recovered with both thresholds are listed in dbSNP. We observed that regions with low sequence coverage occur in close proximity to low-complexity DNA. Validation experiments using Sanger sequencing were performed for 46 SNPs with 15-20 fold coverage, with a confirmation rate of 96%, suggesting that DNA selection provides an accurate and cost-effective method for identifying rare genomic variants.

  12. Decatropis bicolor (Zucc.) Radlk essential oil induces apoptosis of the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estanislao Gómez, C C; Aquino Carreño, A; Pérez Ishiwara, D G; San Martín Martínez, E; Morales López, J; Pérez Hernández, N; Gómez García, M C

    2016-08-05

    Decatropis bicolor (Zucc.)Radlk is a plant that has been traditionally used for the treatment of breast cancer in some communities of Mexico. So, the aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of the essential oil of Decatropis bicolor against breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. The essential oil obtained from hydrodestillation of leaves of Decatropis bicolor was studied for its biological activity against breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 by MTT assay, Hematoxylin-eosin stain, Annexin V-FITC, TUNEL and western blot assays and for its chemical composition by GC-MS. The results showed a relevant cytotoxic effect of the essential oil towards MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- and time- dependent manner, with an IC50 of 53.81 ± 1.691 μg/ml but not in the epithelial mammary cell line MCF10A (207.51 ± 3.26 μg/ml). Morphological examination displayed apoptotic characteristics in the treated cells like cell size reduction, membrane blebbing and apoptotic bodies. In addition, the apoptotic rate significantly increased as well as DNA fragmentation and western blot analysis revealed that the essential oil induced apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells via intrinsic pathways due to the activation of Bax, caspases 9 and 3. Phytochemical analysis of the Decatropis bicolor essential oil showed the presence of twenty-three compounds. Major components of the oil were 1,5-cyclooctadiene,3-(methyl-2)propenyl (18.38 %), β-terpineol (8.16 %) and 1-(3-methyl-cyclopent-2-enyl)-cyclohexene (6.12 %). This study suggests that essential oil of Decatropis bicolor has a potential cytotoxic and antitumoral effect against breast cancer cells, with the presence of potential bioactive compounds. Our results contribute to the validation of the anticancer activity of the plant in Mexican traditional medicine.

  13. Ovicidal activity of Metarhizium brunneum (Mb F52) on dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ovicidal activity of Metarhizium brunneum F52 (Mb F52) grown from granules was evaluated against Aedes aegypti eggs over time. Survival of larvae from treated eggs was significantly less when compared with untreated eggs at 7, 10 and 14 days post treatment. Only 27 % of treated eggs produced vi...

  14. 150 Mb/s wifi transmission over 50m large core diameter step index POF

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shi, Y.; Nieto Munoz, M.; Okonkwo, C.M.; Boom, van den H.P.A.; Tangdiongga, E.; Koonen, A.M.J.

    2011-01-01

    We demonstrate successful transmission of WiFi signals over 50m step-index plastic optical fibre with 1mm core diameter employing an eye-safe resonant cavity light emitting diode and an avalanche photodetector. The EVM performance of 4.1% at signal data rate of 150Mb/s is achieved.

  15. Cytotoxic effect of sanguiin H-6 on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eun-Ji; Lee, Dahae; Baek, Seon-Eun; Kim, Ki Hyun; Kang, Ki Sung; Jang, Tae Su; Lee, Hye Lim; Song, Ji Hoon; Yoo, Jeong-Eun

    2017-09-15

    Sanguiin H-6 is a dimer of casuarictin linked by a bond between the gallic acid residue and one of the hexahydroxydiphenic acid units. It is an effective compound extracted from Rubus coreanus. It has an anticancer effect against several human cancer cells; however, its effect on breast cancer cells has not been clearly demonstrated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the anticancer effect and mechanism of action of sanguiin H-6 against two human breast carcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). We found that sanguiin H-6 significantly reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. It also increased the rates at which MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells underwent apoptosis. Furthermore, sanguiin H-6 induced the cleavage of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, which resulted in apoptosis. However, cleavage of caspase-9 was only detectable in MCF-7 cells. In addition, sanguiin H-6 increased the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings suggest that sanguiin H-6 is a potent therapeutic agent against breast cancer cells. In addition, it exerts its anticancer effect in an estrogen-receptor-independent manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of a Nursing Handoff Tool: A Web-Based Application to Enhance Patient Safety

    OpenAIRE

    Goldsmith, Denise; Boomhower, Marc; Lancaster, Diane R.; Antonelli, Mary; Kenyon, Mary Anne Murphy; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Dykes, Patricia C.

    2010-01-01

    Dynamic and complex clinical environments present many challenges for effective communication among health care providers. The omission of accurate, timely, easily accessible vital information by health care providers significantly increases risk of patient harm and can have devastating consequences for patient care. An effective nursing handoff supports the standardized transfer of accurate, timely, critical patient information, as well as continuity of care and treatment, resulting in enhan...

  17. Molecular Beam-Thermal Desorption Spectrometry (MB-TDS Monitoring of Hydrogen Desorbed from Storage Fuel Cell Anodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge H. F. Ribeiro

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Different types of experimental studies are performed using the hydrogen storage alloy (HSA MlNi3.6Co0.85Al0.3Mn0.3 (Ml: La-rich mischmetal, chemically surface treated, as the anode active material for application in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC. The recently developed molecular beam—thermal desorption spectrometry (MB-TDS technique is here reported for detecting the electrochemical hydrogen uptake and release by the treated HSA. The MB-TDS allows an accurate determination of the hydrogen mass absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy (HSA, and has significant advantages in comparison with the conventional TDS method. Experimental data has revealed that the membrane electrode assembly (MEA using such chemically treated alloy presents an enhanced surface capability for hydrogen adsorption.

  18. Discrepancies between sources providing the medication histories of acutely hospitalised patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karkov, Louise Lindved; Schytte-Hansen, Simon; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig

    2010-01-01

    practitioner (GP) and the in-home care provider. A discrepancy was defined as any disagreement or omission of information between the four sources concerning name, form, strength and dose for each drug with which the patient was being treated. Main outcome measure The number of discrepancies between the data...

  19. Misleading by Omission: Rethinking the Obligation to Inform Research Subjects about Funding Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manson, Neil C

    2017-11-15

    Informed consent requirements for medical research have expanded over the past half-century. The Declaration of Helsinki now includes an explicit positive obligation to inform subjects about funding sources. This is problematic in a number of ways and seems to oblige researchers to disclose information irrelevant to most consent decisions. It is argued here that such a problematic obligation involves an "informational fallacy." The aim in the second part of the paper is to provide a better approach to making sense of how a failure to inform about funding sources wrongs subjects: by making appeals to obligations to refrain from misleading by omission. This alternative approach-grounded in a general obligation to refrain from misleading, an obligation that is independent of informed consent-provides a basis for a norm that protects subjects' interests, without the informational fallacy. The approach developed here avoids the problems identified with the currently specified general obligation to inform about funding sources. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Assessment of neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio in patients with myocardial bridge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdulkadir Yıldız

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Myocardial bridge (MB is a congenital anomaly characterized by systolic narrowing of the epicardial coronary arterial segment while traveling in the myocardium. It is a benign entity but previous studies showed that the proximal portion is prone to an enhanced atherosclerosis. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR is a sensitive marker of systemic inflammation used as a predictor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in atherosclerotic heart disease. So in this study, we sought to evaluate the association between NLR and myocardial bridging. Methods: A total of 172 patients (mean age: 50.8 ± 11.5 years, 77.3% men with either angiographically proven MB or normal coronary arteries were included in the study. For the entire study population, hematologic parameters were measured using an automatic blood counter. Results: The study population consisted of 71 patients with MB (mean age: 51.4 ± 11.9 years, 80.3% male and 101 patients with normal coronary arteries (mean age: 50.5 ± 11.3 years, 75.2% male. There were no significant differences between groups regarding hemoglobin level, platelet count, glucose and creatinine. Compared to the control group, NLR was significantly higher in patients with MB (2.45 ± 1.19 vs. 1.72 ± 0.48; p 1.82 predicted myocardial bridge presence with 70% sensitivity and 71% specificity (ROC area under curve: 0.733, 95% CI: 0.654-0.811, p < 0.001. Conclusion: Our study findings demonstrated that MB is associated with elevated NLR, which is used to assess inflammatory status of the body. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (1: 24-28

  1. BETULINIC ACID WAS MORE CYTOTOXIC TOWARDS THE HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELL LINE MDA-MB-231 THAN THE HUMAN PROMYELOCYTIC LEUKAEMIA CELL LINE HL-60

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LATIFAH SAIFUL YAZAN

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Betulinic acid (BA is a pentacyclic triterpene found in several botanical sources that has been shown to cause apoptosis in a number of cell lines. This study was undertaken to determine the in vitro cytotoxic properties of BA towards the human mammary carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231 and the human promyelocytic leukaemia cell line HL-60 and the mode of the induced cell death. The cytotoxicity and mode of cell death of BA were determined using the MTT assay and DNAfragmentation analysis, respectively. In our study, the compound was found to be cytotoxic to MDA-MB-231 and HL-60 cells with IC50 values of 58 μg/mL and 134 μg/mL, respectively. Cells treated with high concentrations of BA exhibited features characteristic of apoptosis such as blebbing, shrinking and a number of small cytoplasm body masses when viewed under an inverted light microscope after 24 h. The incidence of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 was further confirmed bythe DNA fragmentation analysis, with the formation of DNA fragments of oligonucleosomal size (180-200 base pairs, giving a ladder-like pattern on agarose gel electrophoresis. BA was more cytotoxic towards MDA-MB-231 than HL-60 cells, and induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.

  2. Clinical and molecular characterization of two patients with overlapping de novo microdeletions in 2p14-p15 and mild mental retardation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wohlleber, Eva; Kirchhoff, Eva Maria; Zink, Alexander M

    2011-01-01

    Here, we present two patients with overlapping de novo microdeletions in chromosome 2p14-p15, mild mental retardation concerning especially language development, as well as mild dysmorphic features. Patient 1 also presented with generalized seizures, sensorineural hearing loss, and relative...... microcephaly. In patient 1, molecular karyotyping detected a 2.23-Mb deletion in chromosome 2p14-p15 including 11 known genes. The second patient, with a 2.84-Mb microdeletion containing 15 genes, was identified in the DECIPHER database. The two deleted regions overlap by a stretch of 1.6 Mb that contains 10...

  3. Analysis of Protein–Protein Interactions in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines Using Phthalic Acid Chemical

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shih-Shin Liang

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Phthalates are a class of plasticizers that have been characterized as endocrine disrupters, and are associated with genital diseases, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity in the GeneOntology gene/protein database. In this study, we synthesized phthalic acid chemical probes and demonstrated differing protein–protein interactions between MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Phthalic acid chemical probes were synthesized using silicon dioxide particle carriers, which were modified using the silanized linker 3-aminopropyl triethoxyslane (APTES. Incubation with cell lysates from breast cancer cell lines revealed interactions between phthalic acid and cellular proteins in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Subsequent proteomics analyses indicated 22 phthalic acid-binding proteins in both cell types, including heat shock cognate 71-kDa protein, ATP synthase subunit beta, and heat shock protein HSP 90-beta. In addition, 21 MCF-7-specific and 32 MDA-MB-231 specific phthalic acid-binding proteins were identified, including related proteasome proteins, heat shock 70-kDa protein, and NADPH dehydrogenase and ribosomal correlated proteins, ras-related proteins, and members of the heat shock protein family, respectively.

  4. Omissão de macronutrientes em plantas de amendoim Deficiency of macronutrients in peanuts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Solano de Oliveira Rodrigues Filho

    1988-01-01

    Full Text Available Plantas de amendoim Arachis hypogaea L. 'Tatu' foram cultivadas em condições de casa de vegetação, em vasos de Mitscherlich contendo areia lavada e irrigados com solução nutritiva completa e com soluções nutritivas com a omissão de cada macronutriente (N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S. As plantas mostraram sintomas de deficiência de macronutrientes, com exceção do fósforo, na ausência de cada elemento, relacionados com os seus baixos teores e redução no crescimento, desenvolvimento e produção de matéria seca.Peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea L. were cultivated in washed sand, under greenhouse conditions, irrigated with a complete nutrient solution and nutrient solutions with absence of each macronutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S. Typical symptoms of macronutrient deficiencies were observed, except for phosphorus, related to the content of the element in the plant. The absence of macronutrients also influenced the plant dry matter production, development and height.

  5. Vasodilator-Stimulated Phosphoprotein (VASP) depletion from breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells inhibits tumor spheroid invasion through downregulation of Migfilin, β-catenin and urokinase-plasminogen activator (uPA)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gkretsi, Vasiliki; Stylianou, Andreas; Stylianopoulos, Triantafyllos, E-mail: tstylian@ucy.ac.cy

    2017-03-15

    A hallmark of cancer cells is their ability to invade surrounding tissues and form metastases. Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM)-adhesion proteins are crucial in metastasis, connecting tumor ECM with actin cytoskeleton thus enabling cells to respond to mechanical cues. Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is an actin-polymerization regulator which interacts with cell-ECM adhesion protein Migfilin, and regulates cell migration. We compared VASP expression in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer (BC) cells and found that more invasive MDA-MB-231 cells overexpress VASP. We then utilized a 3-dimensional (3D) approach to study metastasis in MDA-MB-231 cells using a system that considers mechanical forces exerted by the ECM. We prepared 3D collagen I gels of increasing concentration, imaged them by atomic force microscopy, and used them to either embed cells or tumor spheroids, in the presence or absence of VASP. We show, for the first time, that VASP silencing downregulated Migfilin, β-catenin and urokinase plasminogen activator both in 2D and 3D, suggesting a matrix-independent mechanism. Tumor spheroids lacking VASP demonstrated impaired invasion, indicating VASP’s involvement in metastasis, which was corroborated by Kaplan-Meier plotter showing high VASP expression to be associated with poor remission-free survival in lymph node-positive BC patients. Hence, VASP may be a novel BC metastasis biomarker. - Highlights: • More invasive MDA-MB-231 overexpress VASP compared to MCF-7 breast cancer cells. • We prepared 3D collagen I gels of increasing concentration and characterized them. • VASP silencing downregulated Migfilin, β-catenin and uPA both in 2D and 3D culture. • Tumor spheroids lacking VASP demonstrated impaired invasion. • Kaplan-Meier plotter shows association of high VASP expression with poor survival.

  6. A multiple antibiotic and serum resistant oligotrophic strain, Klebsiella pneumoniae MB45 having novel dfrA30, is sensitive to ZnO QDs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chakrabarti Pinak

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was to describe a novel trimethoprim resistance gene cassette, designated dfrA30, within a class 1 integron in a facultatively oligotrophic, multiple antibiotic and human serum resistant test strain, MB45, in a population of oligotrophic bacteria isolated from the river Mahananda; and to test the efficiency of surface bound acetate on zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs as bactericidal agent on MB45. Methods Diluted Luria broth/Agar (10-3 media was used to cultivate the oligotrophic bacteria from water sample. Multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria were selected by employing replica plate method. A rapid assay was performed to determine the sensitivity/resistance of the test strain to human serum. Variable region of class 1 integron was cloned, sequenced and the expression of gene coding for antibiotic resistance was done in Escherichia coli JM 109. Identity of culture was determined by biochemical phenotyping and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on representative trimethoprim resistance-mediating DfrA proteins retrieved from GenBank. Growth kinetic studies for the strain MB45 were performed in presence of varied concentrations of ZnO QDs. Results and conclusions The facultatively oligotrophic strain, MB45, resistant to human serum and ten antibiotics trimethoprim, cotrimoxazole, ampicillin, gentamycin, netilmicin, tobramycin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, kanamycin and streptomycin, has been identified as a new strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. A novel dfr gene, designated as dfrA30, found integrated in class 1 integron was responsible for resistance to trimethoprim in Klebsiella pneumoniae strain MB45. The growth of wild strain MB45 was 100% arrested at 500 mg/L concentration of ZnO QDs. To our knowledge this is the first report on application of ZnO quantum dots to kill multiple antibiotics and serum resistant K. pneumoniae strain.

  7. Monoclinic MB phase and phase instability in [110] field cooled Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-4.5%PbTiO3 single crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Jianjun; Cao, Hu; Ge, Wenwei; Li, Jiefang; Viehland, D.

    2009-08-01

    We report the finding of a monoclinic MB phase in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-4.5%PbTiO3 single crystals. High precision x-ray diffraction investigations of [110] field cooled crystals have shown a transformation sequence of cubic(C)→tetragonal(T)→orthorhombic(O)→monoclinic(MB), which is different from that previously reported [A.-E. Renault et al., J. Appl. Phys. 97, 044105 (2005)]. Beginning in the zero-field-cooled condition at 383 K, a rhombohedral (R)→MB→O sequence was observed with increasing field. Coexisting MB and O phases were then found upon removal of field, which fully transformed to MB on cooling to room temperature.

  8. A 54 Mb 11qter duplication and 0.9 Mb 1q44 deletion in a child with laryngomalacia and agenesis of corpus callosum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lall Meena

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Partial Trisomy 11q syndrome (or Duplication 11q has defined clinical features and is documented as a rare syndrome by National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD. Deletion 1q44 (or Monosomy 1q44 is a well-defined syndrome, but there is controversy about the genes lying in 1q44 region, responsible for agenesis of the corpus callosum. We report a female child with the rare Partial Trisomy 11q syndrome and Deletion 1q44 syndrome. The genomic imbalance in the proband was used for molecular characterization of the critical genes in 1q44 region for agenesis of corpus callosum. Some genes in 11q14q25 may be responsible for laryngomalacia. Results We report a female child with dysmorphic features, microcephaly, growth retardation, seizures, acyanotic heart disease, and hand and foot deformities. She had agenesis of corpus callosum, laryngomalacia, anterior ectopic anus, esophageal reflux and respiratory distress. Chromosome analysis revealed a derivative chromosome 1. Her karyotype was 46,XX,der(1t(1;11(q44;q14pat. The mother had a normal karyotype and the karyotype of the father was 46,XY,t(1;11(q44;q14. SNP array analysis showed that the proband had a 54 Mb duplication of 11q14q25 and a 0.9 Mb deletion of the submicroscopic subtelomeric 1q44 region. Fluorescence Insitu Hybridisation confirmed the duplication of 11qter and deletion of 1qter. Conclusion Laryngomalacia or obstruction of the upper airway is the outcome of increased dosage of some genes due to Partial Trisomy 11q Syndrome. In association with other phenotypic features, agenesis of corpus callosum appears to be a landmark phenotype for Deletion 1q44 syndrome, the critical genes lying proximal to SMYD3 in 1q44 region.

  9. Predicted risks of radiogenic cardiac toxicity in two pediatric patients undergoing photon or proton radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Rui; Howell, Rebecca M; Homann, Kenneth; Giebeler, Annelise; Taddei, Phillip J; Mahajan, Anita; Newhauser, Wayne D

    2013-01-01

    Hodgkin disease (HD) and medulloblastoma (MB) are common malignancies found in children and young adults, and radiotherapy is part of the standard treatment. It was reported that these patients who received radiation therapy have an increased risk of cardiovascular late effects. We compared the predicted risk of developing radiogenic cardiac toxicity after photon versus proton radiotherapies for a pediatric patient with HD and a pediatric patient with MB. In the treatment plans, each patient’s heart was contoured in fine detail, including substructures of the pericardium and myocardium. Risk calculations took into account both therapeutic and stray radiation doses. We calculated the relative risk (RR) of cardiac toxicity using a linear risk model and the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values using relative seriality and Lyman models. Uncertainty analyses were also performed. The RR values of cardiac toxicity for the HD patient were 7.27 (proton) and 8.37 (photon), respectively; the RR values for the MB patient were 1.28 (proton) and 8.39 (photon), respectively. The predicted NTCP values for the HD patient were 2.17% (proton) and 2.67% (photon) for the myocardium, and were 2.11% (proton) and 1.92% (photon) for the whole heart. The predicted ratios of NTCP values (proton/photon) for the MB patient were much less than unity. Uncertainty analyses revealed that the predicted ratio of risk between proton and photon therapies was sensitive to uncertainties in the NTCP model parameters and the mean radiation weighting factor for neutrons, but was not sensitive to heart structure contours. The qualitative findings of the study were not sensitive to uncertainties in these factors. We conclude that proton and photon radiotherapies confer similar predicted risks of cardiac toxicity for the HD patient in this study, and that proton therapy reduced the predicted risk for the MB patient in this study

  10. Lambda-bar, lambda(1) and m(b) in three-flavor (lattice) QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freeland, Elizabeth D.; Art Inst. of Chicago; Kronfeld, Andreas S.; Simone, James N.; Van de Water, Ruth S.; Fermilab

    2006-01-01

    The heavy-quark expansion for inclusive semi-leptonic B decays introduces Λ and λ1 , which are matrix elements in heavy-quark effective field theory. We review how they can be obtained from an analysis of the heavy quark mass dependence of heavy-light meson masses in lattice QCD. We present preliminary results for the bottom quark mass, mb, using Λ and λ1 for the Bs meson from a 2+1 sea-flavor unquenched calculation

  11. Context dependent reversion of tumor phenotype by connexin-43 expression in MDA-MB231 cells and MCF-7 cells: Role of β-catenin/connexin43 association

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talhouk, Rabih S.; Fares, Mohamed-Bilal; Rahme, Gilbert J.; Hariri, Hanaa H.; Rayess, Tina; Dbouk, Hashem A.; Bazzoun, Dana; Al-Labban, Dania; El-Sabban, Marwan E.

    2013-01-01

    Connexins (Cx), gap junction (GJ) proteins, are regarded as tumor suppressors, and Cx43 expression is often down regulated in breast tumors. We assessed the effect of Cx43 over-expression in 2D and 3D cultures of two breast adenocarcinoma cell lines: MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. While Cx43 over-expression decreased proliferation of 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 by 56% and 80% respectively, MDA-MB-231 growth was not altered in 2D cultures, but exhibited 35% reduction in 3D cultures. C-terminus truncated Cx43 did not alter proliferation. Untransfected MCF-7 cells formed spherical aggregates in 3D cultures, and MDA-MB-231 cells formed stellar aggregates. However, MCF-7 cells over-expressing Cx43 formed smaller sized clusters and Cx43 expressing MDA-MB-231 cells lost their stellar morphology. Extravasation ability of both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells was reduced by 60% and 30% respectively. On the other hand, silencing Cx43 in MCF10A cells, nonneoplastic human mammary cell line, increased proliferation in both 2D and 3D cultures, and disrupted acinar morphology. Although Cx43 over-expression did not affect total levels of β-catenin, α-catenin and ZO-2, it decreased nuclear levels of β-catenin in 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and in 3D cultures of MDA-MB-231 cells. Cx43 associated at the membrane with α-catenin, β-catenin and ZO-2 in 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and only in 3D conditions in MDA-MB-231 cells. This study suggests that Cx43 exerts tumor suppressive effects in a context-dependent manner where GJ assembly with α-catenin, β-catenin and ZO-2 may be implicated in reducing growth rate, invasiveness, and, malignant phenotype of 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and 3D cultures of MDA-MB-231 cells, by sequestering β-catenin away from nucleus. - Highlights: • Cx43 over-expressing MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were grown in 2D and 3D cultures. • Proliferation and growth morphology were affected in a context dependent manner. • Extravasation ability of both MCF

  12. Context dependent reversion of tumor phenotype by connexin-43 expression in MDA-MB231 cells and MCF-7 cells: Role of β-catenin/connexin43 association

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Talhouk, Rabih S., E-mail: rtalhouk@aub.edu.lb [Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Fares, Mohamed-Bilal; Rahme, Gilbert J.; Hariri, Hanaa H.; Rayess, Tina; Dbouk, Hashem A.; Bazzoun, Dana; Al-Labban, Dania [Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); El-Sabban, Marwan E., E-mail: me00@aub.edu.lb [Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon)

    2013-12-10

    Connexins (Cx), gap junction (GJ) proteins, are regarded as tumor suppressors, and Cx43 expression is often down regulated in breast tumors. We assessed the effect of Cx43 over-expression in 2D and 3D cultures of two breast adenocarcinoma cell lines: MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. While Cx43 over-expression decreased proliferation of 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 by 56% and 80% respectively, MDA-MB-231 growth was not altered in 2D cultures, but exhibited 35% reduction in 3D cultures. C-terminus truncated Cx43 did not alter proliferation. Untransfected MCF-7 cells formed spherical aggregates in 3D cultures, and MDA-MB-231 cells formed stellar aggregates. However, MCF-7 cells over-expressing Cx43 formed smaller sized clusters and Cx43 expressing MDA-MB-231 cells lost their stellar morphology. Extravasation ability of both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells was reduced by 60% and 30% respectively. On the other hand, silencing Cx43 in MCF10A cells, nonneoplastic human mammary cell line, increased proliferation in both 2D and 3D cultures, and disrupted acinar morphology. Although Cx43 over-expression did not affect total levels of β-catenin, α-catenin and ZO-2, it decreased nuclear levels of β-catenin in 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and in 3D cultures of MDA-MB-231 cells. Cx43 associated at the membrane with α-catenin, β-catenin and ZO-2 in 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and only in 3D conditions in MDA-MB-231 cells. This study suggests that Cx43 exerts tumor suppressive effects in a context-dependent manner where GJ assembly with α-catenin, β-catenin and ZO-2 may be implicated in reducing growth rate, invasiveness, and, malignant phenotype of 2D and 3D cultures of MCF-7 cells, and 3D cultures of MDA-MB-231 cells, by sequestering β-catenin away from nucleus. - Highlights: • Cx43 over-expressing MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were grown in 2D and 3D cultures. • Proliferation and growth morphology were affected in a context dependent manner. • Extravasation ability of both MCF

  13. Measure of thermal neutron flux in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor using 197 Au wire activation detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, Andre Luis Ferreira

    1995-01-01

    This dissertation has aimed at developing a neutron flux measurement technique by means of detectors activation analysis. The main task of this work was the implementation of this thermal neutron flux measurement technique, using gold wires as activation detectors in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core. The neutron thermal flux spatial distribution was obtained by gold wire activation technique, with wire diameters of 0.125 mm and 0.250 mm in seven selected reactor experimental channels. The values of thermal flux were about 10 9 neutrons/cm 2 .s. This experiment has been the first one conducted with gold wires in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, being this technique implemented for use by experiments in flux mapping of the core

  14. Antitumor Activity of Chinese Propolis in Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongzhuan Xuan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Chinese propolis has been reported to possess various biological activities such as antitumor. In present study, anticancer activity of ethanol extract of Chinese propolis (EECP at 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL was explored by testing the cytotoxicity in MCF-7 (human breast cancer ER(+ and MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer ER(− cells. EECP revealed a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, annexin A7 (ANXA7, p53, nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65, reactive oxygen species (ROS levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential were investigated. Our data indicated that treatment of EECP for 24 and 48 h induced both cells apoptosis obviously. Exposure to EECP significantly increased ANXA7 expression and ROS level, and NF-κB p65 level and mitochondrial membrane potential were depressed by EECP dramatically. The effects of EECP on p53 level were different in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, which indicated that EECP exerted its antitumor effects in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis, regulating the levels of ANXA7, p53, and NF-κB p65, upregulating intracellular ROS, and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential. Interestingly, EECP had little or small cytotoxicity on normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs. These results suggest that EECP is a potential alternative agent on breast cancer treatment.

  15. Quantitative method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals based on odor sensitivity distribution: illustrated using 2-MIB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jianwei; An, Wei; Cao, Nan; Yang, Min; Gu, Junong; Zhang, Dong; Lu, Ning

    2014-07-01

    Taste and odor (T/O) in drinking water often cause consumer complaints and are thus regulated in many countries. However, people in different regions may exhibit different sensitivities toward T/O. This study proposed a method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals (ORGs) based on the odor sensitivity distribution of the local population. The distribution of odor sensitivity to 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) by the local population in Beijing, China was revealed by using a normal distribution function/model to describe the odor complaint response to a 2-MIB episode in 2005, and a 2-MIB concentration of 12.9 ng/L and FPA (flavor profile analysis) intensity of 2.5 was found to be the critical point to cause odor complaints. Thus the Beijing ORG for 2-MIB was determined to be 12.9 ng/L. Based on the assumption that the local FPA panel can represent the local population in terms of sensitivity to odor, and that the critical FPA intensity causing odor complaints was 2.5, this study tried to determine the ORGs for seven other cities of China by performing FPA tests using an FPA panel from the corresponding city. ORG values between 12.9 and 31.6 ng/L were determined, showing that a unified ORG may not be suitable for drinking water odor regulations. This study presents a novel approach for setting drinking water odor regulations. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Labelling of living mammalian spermatozoa with the fluorescent thiol alkylating agent, monobromobimane (MB): immobilization upon exposure to ultraviolet light and analysis of acrosomal status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cummins, J.M.; Fleming, A.D.; Crozet, N.; Kuehl, T.J.; Kosower, N.S.; Yanagimachi, R.

    1986-01-01

    Living spermatozoa of seven mammalian species were treated with the thiol-alkylating fluorescent labelling compound, monobromobimane (MBBR). MB-labelling alone had no effect on sperm motility, nor on the time course or ability of golden hamster spermatozoa to undergo the acrosome reaction when capacitated in vitro. Exposure of MB-labelled spermatozoa to ultraviolet (UV) light and excitation of the MB fluorochrome resulted in virtually immediate immobilization of the spermatozoa without affecting acrosomal status. UV exposure of unlabelled spermatozoa for up to 30 sec had no effect upon motility. Immobilization of MB-labelled spermatozoa depended on the midpiece being irradiated, as irradiation of the head alone, or of the more distal parts of the principal piece, had little or no effect upon motility. Labelling with MB followed by immobilization of individually selected spermatozoa was most useful for detailing the course and site of occurrence of the acrosome reaction during penetration of the cumulus oophorus by golden hamster spermatozoa in vitro. In these often hyperactivated spermatozoa, precise determination of the acrosomal status could not often otherwise be made due to the difficulty in visualizing the acrosomal region of a vigorously thrashing, hyperactivated spermatozoon. This technique should prove valuable in a variety of studies on sperm motility, capacitation and fertilization, and could also be extended to other cell systems

  17. Regulation of MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation by GSK-3β involves epigenetic modifications under high glucose conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Chanchal; Kaur, Jasmine; Tikoo, Kulbhushan

    2014-01-01

    Hyperglycemia is a critical risk factor for development and progression of breast cancer. We have recently reported that high glucose induces phosphorylation of histone H3 at Ser 10 as well as de-phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Ser 9 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Here, we elucidate the mechanism underlying hyperglycemia-induced proliferation in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We provide evidence that hyperglycemia led to increased DNA methylation and DNMT1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. High glucose condition led to significant increase in the expression of PCNA, cyclin D1 and decrease in the expression of PTPN 12, p21 and PTEN. It also induced hypermethylation of DNA at the promoter region of PTPN 12, whereas hypomethylation at Vimentin and Snail. Silencing of GSK-3β by siRNA prevented histone H3 phosphorylation and reduced DNMT1 expression. We show that chromatin obtained after immunoprecipitation with phospho-histone H3 was hypermethylated under high glucose condition, which indicates a cross-talk between DNA methylation and histone H3 phosphorylation. ChIP-qPCR analysis revealed up-regulation of DNMT1 and metastatic genes viz. Vimentin, Snail and MMP-7 by phospho-histone H3, which were down-regulated upon GSK-3β silencing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which shows that interplay between GSK-3β activation, histone H3 phosphorylation and DNA methylation directs proliferation of breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • High glucose induces phosphorylation of histone H3 and dephosphorylation of GSK-3β. • Moreover, hyperglycemia also leads to increased DNA methylation in MDA-MB-231 cells. • Inhibition of GSK-3β prevented histone H3 phosphorylation and reduced DNMT1 levels. • Interplay exists between GSK-3β, histone H3 phosphorylation and DNA methylation

  18. Regulation of MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation by GSK-3β involves epigenetic modifications under high glucose conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gupta, Chanchal; Kaur, Jasmine; Tikoo, Kulbhushan, E-mail: tikoo.k@gmail.com

    2014-05-15

    Hyperglycemia is a critical risk factor for development and progression of breast cancer. We have recently reported that high glucose induces phosphorylation of histone H3 at Ser 10 as well as de-phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Ser 9 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Here, we elucidate the mechanism underlying hyperglycemia-induced proliferation in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We provide evidence that hyperglycemia led to increased DNA methylation and DNMT1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. High glucose condition led to significant increase in the expression of PCNA, cyclin D1 and decrease in the expression of PTPN 12, p21 and PTEN. It also induced hypermethylation of DNA at the promoter region of PTPN 12, whereas hypomethylation at Vimentin and Snail. Silencing of GSK-3β by siRNA prevented histone H3 phosphorylation and reduced DNMT1 expression. We show that chromatin obtained after immunoprecipitation with phospho-histone H3 was hypermethylated under high glucose condition, which indicates a cross-talk between DNA methylation and histone H3 phosphorylation. ChIP-qPCR analysis revealed up-regulation of DNMT1 and metastatic genes viz. Vimentin, Snail and MMP-7 by phospho-histone H3, which were down-regulated upon GSK-3β silencing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which shows that interplay between GSK-3β activation, histone H3 phosphorylation and DNA methylation directs proliferation of breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • High glucose induces phosphorylation of histone H3 and dephosphorylation of GSK-3β. • Moreover, hyperglycemia also leads to increased DNA methylation in MDA-MB-231 cells. • Inhibition of GSK-3β prevented histone H3 phosphorylation and reduced DNMT1 levels. • Interplay exists between GSK-3β, histone H3 phosphorylation and DNA methylation.

  19. [Inhibitory effect of exogenous insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453 and its mechanism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Lei; Fan, Wen-Juan; Yang, Xu-Guang; Rao, Shu-Mei; Song, Jin-Ling; Song, Guo-Hua

    2013-10-25

    The present study was to investigate the effects of exogenous insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) on the proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453 and its possible mechanism. By means of MTT method in vitro, the results showed exogenous IGFBP7 inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-453 cells (IC50 of IGFBP7 = 8.49 μg/mL) in time- and concentration-dependent manner. SB203580, p38(MAPK) inhibitor, blocked the anti-proliferative effect of exogenous IGFBP7. The flow cytometry assay showed that exogenous IGFBP7 remarkably induced G0/G1 arrest in MDA-MB-453 cells. The Western blot showed that exogenous IGFBP7 promoted phosphorylation of p38(MAPK), up-regulated expression of p21(CIP1/WAF1), and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb. SB203580 restrained exogenous IGFBP7-induced regulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) and p-Rb in MDA-MB-453 cells. In conclusion, the present study suggests that exogenous IGFBP7 could activate the p38(MAPK) signaling pathway, upregulate p21(CIP1/WAF1) expression, inhibit phosphorylation of Rb, and finally induce G0/G1 arrest in MDA-MB-453 cells.

  20. Herbal Extract SH003 Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells by Inhibiting STAT3-IL-6 Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youn Kyung Choi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cancer inflammation promotes cancer progression, resulting in a high risk of cancer. Here, we demonstrate that our new herbal extract, SH003, suppresses both tumor growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells via inhibiting STAT3-IL-6 signaling path. Our new herbal formula, SH003, mixed extract from Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica gigas, and Trichosanthes kirilowii Maximowicz, suppressed MDA-MB-231 tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo and reduced the viability and metastatic abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. Furthermore, SH003 inhibited STAT3 activation, which resulted in a reduction of IL-6 production. Therefore, we conclude that SH003 suppresses highly metastatic breast cancer growth and metastasis by inhibiting STAT3-IL-6 signaling path.

  1. Effect of 3-bromopyruvate acid on the redox equilibrium in non-invasive MCF-7 and invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwiatkowska, Ewa; Wojtala, Martyna; Gajewska, Agnieszka; Soszyński, Mirosław; Bartosz, Grzegorz; Sadowska-Bartosz, Izabela

    2016-02-01

    Novel approaches to cancer chemotherapy employ metabolic differences between normal and tumor cells, including the high dependence of cancer cells on glycolysis ("Warburg effect"). 3-Bromopyruvate (3-BP), inhibitor of glycolysis, belongs to anticancer drugs basing on this principle. 3-BP was tested for its capacity to kill human non-invasive MCF-7 and invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We found that 3-BP was more toxic for MDA-MB-231 cells than for MCF-7 cells. In both cell lines, a statistically significant decrease of ATP and glutathione was observed in a time- and 3-BP concentration-dependent manner. Transient increases in the level of reactive oxygen species and reactive oxygen species was observed, more pronounced in MCF-7 cells, followed by a decreasing tendency. Activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) decreased in 3-BP treated MDA-MB-231 cells. For MCF-7 cells decreases of GR and GST activities were noted only at the highest concentration of 3-BP.These results point to induction of oxidative stress by 3-BP via depletion of antioxidants and inactivation of antioxidant enzymes, more pronounced in MDA-MB-231 cells, more sensitive to 3-BP.

  2. The Effect of Histone Hyperacetylation on Viability of Basal-Like Breast Cancer Cells MDA-MB-231

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aliasghar Rahimian

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background The Basal-Like breast cancer, is always known for lack of expression of estrogen receptor (ER, progesterone receptor (PR and as well, absence of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 gene amplification. Improper expression pattern of ER, PR, and Her2, makes Basal-Like breast tumors resistant to the current hormonal and anti HER2 treatments. In recent decades, several studies have been conducted to investigate the regulatory role of chemical modifications of core histones in gene expression. Their results have shown that histone acetylation is involved in regulation of cell survival. Acetylation of core histones is regulated by the epigenetic-modifying enzymes named Histone Deacetylases (HDACs. As a new approach to control the viability of breast tumor cells resistant to the hormonal and anti-HER2 treatments, we have targeted the HDACs. Using Trichostatin A (TSA as a known HDACs inhibitor, we have tried to hyperacetylate the core histones of MDA-MB-231 cells as an in vitro model of Basal-Like breast tumors. Then we have investigated the effect of histone hyperacetylation on viability of MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS and were incubated at 37°C, in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2 atmosphere. Then cells were treated with different concentrations of TSA including: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000 nM or control (1% DMSO. After 24 and 48 hours, viability of cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Results After 24 and 48h exposure to different concentrations of TSA, MDA-MB-231 cells showed a maximum tolerable dose. At higher concentrations, TSA decreased the percentage of cell viability through a time-dose dependent manner. IC50 value for 48h treatment was 600 nM. Conclusions Our results indicate that HDACs inhibition and subsequently hyperacetylation of histones, leads to cytotoxic effects on breast tumor cells resistant to the current treatments. Following

  3. Evaluation of the protein biomarkers and the analgesic response to systemic methylene blue in patients with refractory neuropathic pain: a double-blind, controlled study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miclescu AA

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Adriana A Miclescu,1 Martin Svahn,1 Torsten E Gordh1,2 1Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic, Uppsala University Hospital, 2Pain Research, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Aim: This study was carried out in patients with neuropathic pain in order to assess the analgesic effects and changes in protein biomarkers after the administration of methylene blue (MB, a diaminophenothiazine with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and with inhibitory effects on nitric oxide.Materials and methods: Ten patients with chronic refractory neuropathic pain were randomized to receive either MB (10 mg/mL Methylthioninium chloride 2 mg/kg (MB group or MB 0.02 mg/kg (control group infused over 60 minutes. Sensory function and pain (Numerical Rating Scale were evaluated at baseline and at 60 minutes after the start of the infusion. The patients kept a pain diary during the next 24 hours and for the following 4 days. Plasma and urinary concentrations of 8-isoprostane-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α and plasma protein biomarkers prior to and after the infusions were measured with radioimmunoassay and with proximity extension assay.Results: A decrease of the Numerical Rating Scale at 60 minutes in comparison with baseline was observed in the MB (P=0.047 group. The decrease was significant between the MB and the control group on the day of and day after MB infusion (P=0.04 and P=0.008, respectively. There was no difference in systemic protein expressions between groups except for prolactin (PRL (P=0.02. Three patients demonstrated diminished dynamic mechanical allodynia.Conclusion: MB decreased the pain levels in patients with chronic therapy-resistant neuropathic pain on the first 2 days after administration. Known as an endocrine modulator on the anterior pituitary gland, MB infusion produced a decrease of PRL. The detailed role of PRL effects in chronic neuropathic pain remains undetermined.Keywords: methylene blue, nitric oxide

  4. The two conformers of acetanilide unraveled using LA-MB-FTMW spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabezas, C.; Varela, M.; Caminati, W.; Mata, S.; López, J. C.; Alonso, J. L.

    2011-07-01

    Acetanilide has been investigated by laser ablation molecular beam Fourier transform microwave LA-MB-FTMW spectroscopy. The rotational spectrum of both trans and cis conformers have been analyzed to determine the rotational and 14N quadrupole coupling the constants. The spectrum of the less abundant cis conformer has been assigned for the first time. The doublets observed for this conformer have been interpreted in terms of the tunneling motion between two equivalent non-planar conformations through a small barrier in which the acetamide group and phenyl ring plane are perpendicular. The results are compared with those of the related formanilide.

  5. Using Augmented Reality in the Treatment of CRPS Patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, L; Hansen, Helle Puggård; Baskarada, D

      Background Mirror Visual Feedback (MVF) is an important part of therapeutic treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Unfortunately mirror boxes (MB) are not compatible with meaningful activities. Recently it was shown that Virtual Reality (VR) as MVF treatment makes this possible...... a game was also implemented. Ten healthy subjects participated in cross tests to compare AR, MB and VR. Interviews were used to examine the subjects' experiences and opinions.  Results A convincing mirror illusion was present in the AR setup. AR provided a better illusion than VR. The game diminished...... the illusion but improved motivation. Every participant preferred AR over both MB and VR. Discussion The results of this work indicate that AR might be a better approach for MVF than VR and MB. Further studies are needed before AR can be applied as a treatment for CRPS patients....

  6. ABR-based newborn hearing screening with MB11 BERAphone® using an optimized chirp for acoustical stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cebulla, Mario; Shehata-Dieler, Wafaa

    2012-04-01

    At our center, the Maico MB11 BERAphone(®) device is used for newborn hearing screening based on Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR). In 2006, an optimized chirp stimulus was implemented in the device to increase the reliability and quality of the screening method. In 2002, an automated response detection algorithm had been implemented. This study analyzes the screening results using the MB11 BERAphone(®) device with the implemented chirp stimulus and automated response detection method. The data presented were collected in the well-baby nursery as part of the newborn hearing screening program following a two stage screening protocol. To focus the study on the typical routine screening, data from at-risk babies were not included. Overall, data from 6866 babies (3604 males and 3262 females) screened from March 2006 to April 2011 were analyzed in this study. Out of the 6866 babies screened, 6607 passed bilaterally prior to hospital discharge (defined as 1st stage in this hearing screening program). Therefore, the pre-discharge pass rate of the hearing screening with the MB11 BERAphone(®) device was 96.2%. The resulting referral rate was 3.8%. The median test time per ear (excluding time for preparation and data reporting) was 28s with a range of 15-112s (5-95th percentile). The number of infants referred for 2nd stage, post-discharge re-screening was 259. Of this group, 71 passed bilaterally and 188 failed the re-screening in one or both ears. Therefore, including both the pre-discharge and post-discharge screening results, the bilateral pass rate was 97.3% and 2.7% were referred for diagnostic evaluation. Diagnostic testing was performed on all of the 188 infants who were referred. Results showed that 47 of these babies had hearing loss. This equates to a positive predictive value for a refer result of 25%. The observed prevalence of hearing impairment in our population was 0.684%. Diagnostic results for 141 of the referred newborns proved that they had normal

  7. PEA3 activates CXCR4 transcription in MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 breast cancer cells

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Shengmei Gu; Li Chen; Qi Hong; Tingting Yan; Zhigang Zhuang; Qiaoqiao wang; Wei Jin; Hua Zhu; Jiong Wu

    2011-01-01

    CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is a cell surface receptor that has been shown to mediate the metastasis of many solid tumors including lung,breast,kidney,and prostate tumors.In this study,we found that overexpression of ets variant gene 4 (PEA3) could elevate CXCR4 mRNA level and CXCR4 promoter activity in human MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells.PEA3 promoted CXCR4 expression and breast cancer metastasis.Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that PEA3 could bind to the CXCR4 promoter in the cells transfected with PEA3 expression vector.PEA3 siRNA attenuated CXCR4 promoter activity and the binding of PEA3 to the CXCR4 promoter in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells.These results indicated that PEA3 could activate CXCR4 promoter transcription and promote breast cancer metastasis.

  8. Measure of thermal neutron flux in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor using {sup 197} Au wire activation detectors; Medida do fluxo de neutrons termicos do reator IPEN/MB-01 com detectores de ativacao de fios de {sup 197} Au

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marques, Andre Luis Ferreira

    1995-12-31

    This dissertation has aimed at developing a neutron flux measurement technique by means of detectors activation analysis. The main task of this work was the implementation of this thermal neutron flux measurement technique, using gold wires as activation detectors in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core. The neutron thermal flux spatial distribution was obtained by gold wire activation technique, with wire diameters of 0.125 mm and 0.250 mm in seven selected reactor experimental channels. The values of thermal flux were about 10{sup 9} neutrons/cm{sup 2}.s. This experiment has been the first one conducted with gold wires in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, being this technique implemented for use by experiments in flux mapping of the core 73 refs., 60 figs., 31 tabs.

  9. Measure of thermal neutron flux in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor using {sup 197} Au wire activation detectors; Medida do fluxo de neutrons termicos do reator IPEN/MB-01 com detectores de ativacao de fios de {sup 197} Au

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marques, Andre Luis Ferreira

    1996-12-31

    This dissertation has aimed at developing a neutron flux measurement technique by means of detectors activation analysis. The main task of this work was the implementation of this thermal neutron flux measurement technique, using gold wires as activation detectors in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core. The neutron thermal flux spatial distribution was obtained by gold wire activation technique, with wire diameters of 0.125 mm and 0.250 mm in seven selected reactor experimental channels. The values of thermal flux were about 10{sup 9} neutrons/cm{sup 2}.s. This experiment has been the first one conducted with gold wires in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, being this technique implemented for use by experiments in flux mapping of the core 73 refs., 60 figs., 31 tabs.

  10. Validation and modification of a proposed substaging system for patients with intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jing-Houng; Kee, Kwong-Ming; Lin, Chih-Yun; Hung, Chao-Hung; Chen, Chien-Hung; Lee, Chuan-Mo; Lu, Sheng-Nan

    2015-02-01

    Based on up-to-seven criteria and Child-Pugh score, four substages of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were proposed. The purpose of this study was to validate and modify this proposal. Between January 2002 and February 2011, newly diagnosed intermediate HCC patients underwent transarterial embolization (TAE) were enrolled. Patients were stratified into four (B1-B4) substages and followed up until death or end of 2012. Patients' survivals and discriminatory ability of substaging systems were compared. Five-hundred and eighty patients were enrolled. There were 56.6%, 33.8%, 7.4%, and 2.2% in substage B1, B2, B3, and B4. The 5-year survival rate was 21.4%, 13.9%, 7.4%, and 7.7% with median survival time of 2.4, 1.3, 0.5, and 0.8 years (P  200 ng/mL, B1 was classified into B1a and B1b, and B2 into B2a and B2b. There were no differences in survivals between B1b and B2a (P = 0.174), and B2b and B3 (P = 0.785). Patients were re-classified into modified (m)B1 (B1a), mB2 (B1b + B2a), mB3 (B2b + B3). The modified substages (mB1-mB3) showed a more desirable substaging system. For BCLC intermediate HCC patients, substages B1-B4 were useful in predicting survival after TAE. However, modified substaging system provided better prognostic prediction. © 2014 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  11. A inclusão digital no Brasil e a responsabilidade civil estatal por omissão

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Siebeneichler de Andrade

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available As inovações tecnológicas e a caracterização da sociedade da informação geraram o reconhecimento da liberdade de informação como direito prestacional, razão pela qual sua efetividade criou deveres jurídicos estatais para proteger a segurança das informações digitais e promover o acesso igualitário às tecnologias da informação, cujo cumprimento não tem sido realizado com eficiência. Uma forma para afastar essa omissão estatal consiste na busca pela responsabilidade civil extracontratual objetiva do Estado. Contudo, a ausência de leis sobre políticas públicas de inclusão digital não tem possibilitado maiores avanços nesse âmbito, o que tem ocasionado um déficit no desenvolvimento econômico e tecnológico brasileiro.

  12. Efeito da omissão de macronutrientes em sisal Macronutrients deficiency on sisal (Agave sisalana perr.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Luiz de Barbos Salgado

    1982-01-01

    Full Text Available Plantas de sisal (Agave sisalana Perr. foram cultivadas em casa de vegetação, em vasos contendo areia lavada e irrigados com solução nutritiva completa e com soluções nutritivas com a omissão de cada macronutriente. As plantas mostraram, na ausência de cada nutriente, os sintomas típicos de sua carência, relacionados com baixos teores do respectivo elemento nas folhas, e redução no seu crescimento e desenvolvimento.Sisal plants were cultivated in washed sand during twenty-one months. The plants were irrigated with complete nutrient solution and solutions with absence of each macronutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S. The plants, in the absence of each macronutrient, showed typical symptoms which were related to the low level of the respective element in the leaf. The growing of the leaves was reduced by the absence of the macronutrients.

  13. The clinical significance of brain microbleeds in patients with Alzheimer′s disease: Preliminary study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae-Hyeok Heo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Microbleeds (MBs are observed frequently in Alzheimer′s disease (AD and suggested to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology, but their clinical significance remains unclear. Materials and Methods: The study recruited 100 patients with AD who were diagnosed at the memory clinic in Seoul Medical Center in 2014. For each patient, baseline characteristics, neuropsychological tests, cerebrovascular risk factors, medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA, and severity of small vessel disease (SVD according to the existence of MBs were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of MBs in patients with AD was 33%. The percentage of male gender, the severity of SVD and MTLA were significantly increased in MB(+ group. The MB(+ group showed more severe MTLA and SVD than MB(− group. Conclusions: These results suggested that MBs might reflect the burden of amyloid and ischemic vascular pathology.

  14. A Rare, Recurrent, De Novo 14q32.2q32.31 Microdeletion of 1.1 Mb in a 20-Year-Old Female Patient with a Maternal UPD(14-Like Phenotype and Intellectual Disability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almira Zada

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a 20-year-old female patient from Indonesia with intellectual disability (ID, proportionate short stature, motor delay, feeding problems, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, and precocious puberty who was previously screened normal for conventional karyotyping, fragile X testing, and subtelomeric MLPA analysis. Subsequent genome wide array analysis was performed on DNA from blood and revealed a 1.1 Mb deletion in 14q32.2q32.31 (chr14:100,388,343-101,506,214; hg19. Subsequent carrier testing in the parents by array showed that the deletion had occurred de novo in the patient and that her paternal 14q32 allele was deleted. The deleted region encompasses the DLK1/GTL2 imprinted gene cluster which is consistent with the maternal UPD(14-like phenotype of the patient. This rare, recurrent microdeletion was recently shown not to be mediated by low copy repeats, but by expanded TGG repeats, flanking the 14q32.2q32.21 deletion boundaries, a novel mechanism of recurrent genomic rearrangement. This is another example how the application of high resolution genome wide testing provides an accurate genetic diagnosis, thereby improving the care for patients and optimizing the counselling for family.

  15. Cardiac biomarkers in neonatology: BNP/NTproBNP, troponin I/T, CK-MB and myoglobin – a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita P. Teixeira

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Cardiac biomarkers play a central role in myocardial injury and heart failure in adult patients, but their clinical relevance in neonatology has not been clearly stablished. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the recent literature on B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP/N-terminal-pro-BNP (NTproBNP, troponin I/T, Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB and myoglobin and their relationship with different pathologies of the newborn. A total of 67 articles were included to undergo data extraction, after a first text and abstract analysis and a second full-text analysis, using the PubMed database.Evidence shows that cardiac biomarkers are a useful and fast diagnostic tool with great potential for becoming as important as clinical and echocardiographic findings in pathologies of the heart. BNP/NTproBNP and troponin I/T demonstrated to be the ones with greater value. BNP/NTproBNP is of particular significance in the diagnosis and management of patent ductus arteriosus, as it has a good correlation with diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Troponin T may be a beneficial additional marker for this disease, correlating with ductal significance and treatment response. Moreover, BNP/NTproBNP can be used, with other clinical and laboratory findings, in the diagnosis and as a guide for treatment in pulmonary hypertension and in the diagnosis and management of cardiac sequela in bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Troponin I/T finds its clinical importance in perinatal asphyxia as a marker of myocardial injury and a reliable indicator of severity and mortality. Further studies with larger cohort populations are needed for stablishing the cutoff values specific for each neonatal pathology allowing its early and proper management.

  16. Characterisation of aroma profiles of commercial soy sauce by odour activity value and omission test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yunzi; Su, Guowan; Zhao, Haifeng; Cai, Yu; Cui, Chun; Sun-Waterhouse, Dongxiao; Zhao, Mouming

    2015-01-15

    Twenty-seven commercial soy sauces produced through three different fermentation processes (high-salt liquid-state fermentation soy sauce, HLFSS; low-salt solid-state fermentation soy sauce, LSFSS; Koikuchi soy sauce, KSS) were examined to identify the aroma compounds and the effect of fermentation process on the flavour of the soy sauce was investigated. Results showed that 129 volatiles were identified, of which 41 aroma-active components were quantified. The types of odorants occurring in the three soy sauce groups were similar, although their intensities significantly differed. Many esters and phenols were found at relatively high intensities in KSS, whereas some volatile acids only occurred in LSFSS. Furthermore, 23 aroma compounds had average OAVs>1, among which 3-methylbutanal, ethyl acetate, 4-hydroxy-2-ethyl-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, 2-methylbutanal and 3-(methylthio)propanal exhibited the highest average OAVs (>100). In addition, omission tests verified the important contribution of the products resulting from amino acid catabolism to the characteristic aroma of soy sauce. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Antioxidant Activity and ROS-Dependent Apoptotic Effect of Scurrula ferruginea (Jack Danser Methanol Extract in Human Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Marvibaigi

    Full Text Available Scurrula ferruginea (Jack Danser is one of the mistletoe species belonging to Loranthaceae family, which grows on the branches of many deciduous trees in tropical countries. This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of S. ferruginea extracts. The cytotoxic activity of the selected extracts, which showed potent antioxidant activities, and high phenolic and flavonoid contents, were investigated in human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231 and non-cancer human skin fibroblast cells (HSF-1184. The activities and characteristics varied depending on the different parts of S. ferruginea, solvent polarity, and concentrations of extracts. The stem methanol extract showed the highest amount of both phenolic (273.51 ± 4.84 mg gallic acid/g extract and flavonoid contents (163.41 ± 4.62 mg catechin/g extract and strong DPPH• radical scavenging (IC50 = 27.81 μg/mL and metal chelation activity (IC50 = 80.20 μg/mL. The stem aqueous extract showed the highest ABTS•+ scavenging ability. The stem methanol and aqueous extracts exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 cells with IC50 of 19.27 and 50.35 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the extracts inhibited the migration and colony formation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Morphological observations revealed hallmark properties of apoptosis in treated cells. The methanol extract induced an increase in ROS generation and mitochondrial depolarization in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting its potent apoptotic activity. The present study demonstrated that the S. ferruginea methanol extract mediated MDA-MB-231 cell growth inhibition via induction of apoptosis which was confirmed by Western blot analysis. It may be a potential anticancer agent; however, its in vivo anticancer activity needs to be investigated.

  18. Radio-sensitization by Piper longumine of human breast adenoma MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Jian-Xin; Yao, Zhi-Feng; Li, Zhan-Feng; Liu, Yong-Biao

    2014-01-01

    The current study investigated the effects of Piper longumine on radio-sensitization of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and underlying mechanisms. Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in vitro and those in logarithmic growth phase were selected for experiments divided into four groups: control, X-ray exposed, Piper longumine, and Piper longumine combined with X-rays. Conogenic assays were performed to determine the radio-sensitizing effects. Cell survival curves were fitted by single-hit multi-target model and then the survival fraction (SF), average lethal dose (D0), quasi-threshold dose (Dq) and sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) were calculated. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM).Western blot assays were employed for expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bc1-2 and Bax) after treatment with Piper longumine and/or X-ray radiation. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by FCM with a DCFH-DA probe. The cloning formation capacity was decreased in the group of piperlongumine plus radiation, which displayed the values of SF2, D0, Dq significantly lower than those of radiation alone group and the sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) of D0 was1.22 and 1.29, respectively. The cell apoptosis rate was increased by the combination treatment of Piper longumine and radiation. Piper longumine increased the radiation-induced intracellular levels of ROS. Compared with the control group and individual group, the combination group demonstrated significantly decreased expression of Bcl-2 with increased Bax. Piper longumine at a non-cytotoxic concentration can enhance the radio-sensitivity of MDA- MB-231cells, which may be related to its regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression and the increase of intracellular ROS level, thus increasing radiation-induced apoptosis.

  19. Photonic Ultra-Wideband 781.25-Mb/s Signal Generation and Transmission Incorporating Digital Signal Processing Detection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gibbon, Timothy Braidwood; Yu, Xianbin; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

    2009-01-01

    The generation of photonic ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse signals using an uncooled distributed-feedback laser is proposed. For the first time, we experimentally demonstrate bit-for-bit digital signal processing (DSP) bit-error-rate measurements for transmission of a 781.25-Mb/s photonic UWB signal...

  20. Study on the isothermal forging process of MB26 magnesium alloy adaptor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Wenchen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The isothermal forging process is an effective method to manufacture complex-shaped components of hard-to-work materials, such as magnesium alloys. This study investigates the isothermal forging process of an MB26 magnesium alloy adaptor with three branches. The results show that two-step forging process is appropriate to form the adaptor forging, which not only improves the filling quality but also reduces the forging load compared with one-step forging process. Moreover, the flow line is distributed along the contour of the complex-shaped adaptor forging.

  1. Analysis of the IPEN/MB-01 critical unit based on criticality experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Adimir dos; Yamaguchi, Mitsuo; Ferreira, Carlos Roberto; Yoriyaz, Helio

    1995-01-01

    The analysis of the critical loading of the IPEN/MB-01 was performed by using several reactor cell methodologies. The results obtained by using the coupled NJOY/AMPX-II/HAMMER-TECHNION shows the good quality of the available nuclear data files as well as the methodologies in the Reactor Physics area. The original HAMMER system shows results that are well as the methodologies in the Reactor Physics area. The original HAMMER system shows results that are well outside of the desired quality for a cell code. (author), 15 refs, 3 figs, 5 tabs

  2. The fast neutron SEU cross section of a 4 Mb SRAM memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira Junior, Evaldo C.F.; Goncalez, Odair L.; Cruz, Marco Aurelio da; Prado, Adriane Cristina Mendes; Federico, Claudio Antonio; Gaspar, Felipe de Barros

    2013-01-01

    The results of a static test of single event upset (SEU) produced by fast neutrons on an ISSI 4Mb SRAM memory are reported in this work. To perform the tests, it was built a platform based on a motherboard which is controlled by microprocessor, whose function is to perform the writing, reading and control of the memories under irradiation. The irradiation was performed with a set of 8 241 Am-Be neutrons source in a quasi-isotropic incidence. The SEU cross was calculated from the accumulated bit flip count. (author)

  3. Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-TETA functionalized graphene oxide for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) and Cu(II)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fan; Zhang, Lijuan; Wang, Yeying; Liu, Xijian; Rohani, Sohrab; Lu, Jie

    2017-10-01

    The graphene oxide (GO) functionalized by Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-TETA nanoparticles, Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-TETA-GO, was firstly fabricated in a mild way as a novel adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) ions and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The magnetic composites showed a good dispersity in water and can be conveniently collected for reuse through magnetic separation due to its excellent magnetism. When the Fe3O4@SiO2@CS- TETA-GO was used as an absorbent for the absorption of MB and Cu(II), the adsorption kinetics and isotherms data well fitted the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model, respectively. Under the optimized pH and initial concentration, the maximum adsorption capacity was about 529.1 mg g-1 for MB in 20 min and 324.7 mg g-1 for Cu(II) in 16 min, respectively, exhibiting a better adsorption performance than other GO-based adsorbents reported recently. More importantly, the synthesized adsorbent could be effectively regenerated and repeatedly utilized without significant capacity loss after six times cycles. All the results demonstrated that Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-TETA-GO could be used as an excellent adsorbent for the adsorption of Cu(II) and MB in many fields.

  4. Genetic heterogeneity of patients with suspected Silver-Russell syndrome: genome-wide copy number analysis in 82 patients without imprinting defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, Takanobu; Nakamura, Akie; Fuke, Tomoko; Yamazawa, Kazuki; Sano, Shinichiro; Matsubara, Keiko; Mizuno, Seiji; Matsukura, Yoshika; Harashima, Chie; Hasegawa, Tatsuji; Nakajima, Hisakazu; Tsumura, Kumi; Kizaki, Zenro; Oka, Akira; Ogata, Tsutomu; Fukami, Maki; Kagami, Masayo

    2017-01-01

    Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by pre- and postnatal growth failure and dysmorphic features. Recently, pathogenic copy number variations (PCNVs) and imprinting defects other than hypomethylation of the H19 -differentially methylated region (DMR) and maternal uniparental disomy chromosome 7 have been reported in patients with the SRS phenotype. This study aimed to clarify the frequency and clinical features of patients with SRS phenotype caused by PCNVs. We performed array comparative genomic hybridization analysis using a catalog array for 54 patients satisfying the Netchine-Harbison clinical scoring system (NH-CSS) (SRS-compatible) and for 28 patients presenting with three NH-CSS items together with triangular face and/or fifth finger clinodactyly and/or brachydactyly (SRS-like) without abnormal methylation levels of 9 DMRs related to known imprinting disorders. We then investigated the clinical features of patients with PCNVs. Three of the 54 SRS-compatible patients (5.6%) and 2 of the 28 SRS-like patients (7.1%) had PCNVs. We detected 3.5 Mb deletion in 4p16.3, mosaic trisomy 18, and 3.77-4.00 Mb deletion in 19q13.11-12 in SRS-compatible patients, and 1.41-1.97 Mb deletion in 7q11.23 in both SRS-like patients. Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) were identified in two patients and moderate to severe global developmental delay was observed in four patients. Of the patients in our study, 5.6% of SRS-compatible and 7.1% of SRS-like patients had PCNVs. All PCNVs have been previously reported for genetic causes of contiguous deletion syndromes or mosaic trisomy 18. Our study suggests patients with PCNVs, who have a phenotype resembling SRS, show a high tendency towards CHDs and/or apparent developmental delay.

  5. Development of sensitive amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor using a CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C_6_0-Cs-IL nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roushani, Mahmoud; Bakyas, Kobra; Zare Dizajdizi, Behruz

    2016-01-01

    A sensitive hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) sensor was constructed based on copper nanoparticles/methylene blue/multiwall carbon nanotubes–fullerene–chitosan–ionic liquid (CuNPs/MB/MWCNTs–C_6_0–Cs–IL) nanocomposites. The MB/MWCNTs–C_6_0–Cs–IL and CuNPs were modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by the physical adsorption and electrodeposition of copper nitrate solution, respectively. The physical morphology and chemical composition of the surface of modified electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The electrochemical properties of CuNPs/MB/MWCNTs–C_6_0–Cs–IL/GCE were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry techniques and the sensor exhibited remarkably strong electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The peak currents possess a linear relationship with the concentration of H_2O_2 in the range of 0.2 μM to 2.0 mM, and the detection limit is 55.0 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, the modified electrode was used to determine H_2O_2 concentration in human blood serum sample with satisfactory results. - Highlights: • CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C_6_0-Cs-IL/GC electrode was constructed by layer-by-layer method. • The catalytic performance of the sensor was studied with the use of amperometric technique. • The constructed sensor showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H_2O_2. • The CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C_6_0-Cs-IL/GC electrode demonstrated high stability for the detection of H_2O_2.

  6. Development of sensitive amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor using a CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C{sub 60}-Cs-IL nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roushani, Mahmoud, E-mail: mahmoudroushani@yahoo.com; Bakyas, Kobra; Zare Dizajdizi, Behruz

    2016-07-01

    A sensitive hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) sensor was constructed based on copper nanoparticles/methylene blue/multiwall carbon nanotubes–fullerene–chitosan–ionic liquid (CuNPs/MB/MWCNTs–C{sub 60}–Cs–IL) nanocomposites. The MB/MWCNTs–C{sub 60}–Cs–IL and CuNPs were modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by the physical adsorption and electrodeposition of copper nitrate solution, respectively. The physical morphology and chemical composition of the surface of modified electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The electrochemical properties of CuNPs/MB/MWCNTs–C{sub 60}–Cs–IL/GCE were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry techniques and the sensor exhibited remarkably strong electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The peak currents possess a linear relationship with the concentration of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in the range of 0.2 μM to 2.0 mM, and the detection limit is 55.0 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, the modified electrode was used to determine H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentration in human blood serum sample with satisfactory results. - Highlights: • CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C{sub 60}-Cs-IL/GC electrode was constructed by layer-by-layer method. • The catalytic performance of the sensor was studied with the use of amperometric technique. • The constructed sensor showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • The CuNPs/MB/MWCNT-C{sub 60}-Cs-IL/GC electrode demonstrated high stability for the detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}.

  7. STS-48 MS Buchli and MS Gemar on MB SMS middeck during JSC training session

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    STS-48 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Mission Specialist (MS) James F. Buchli (left) and MS Charles D. Gemar listen to instructions while on the middeck of JSC's Motion Based (MB) Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS). Buchli and Gemar are reviewing inflight procedures during this preflight familiarization session held in the Mission Simulation and Training Facility Bldg 5.

  8. Experimental determination of neutron lifetimes through macroscopic neutron noise in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonnelli, Eduardo; Diniz, Ricardo [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP Travessa R-400, 05508-900, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2013-05-06

    The neutron lifetimes of the core, reflector, and global were experimentally obtained through macroscopic neutron noise in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor for five levels of subcriticality. The theoretical Auto Power Spectral Densities were derived by point kinetic equations taking the reflector effect into account, and one of the approaches consider an additional group of delayed neutrons.

  9. Flavokawain A induces apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 and inhibits the metastatic process in vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadiah Abu

    Full Text Available The kava-kava plant (Piper methsyticum is traditionally known as the pacific elixir by the pacific islanders for its role in a wide range of biological activities. The extract of the roots of this plant contains a variety of interesting molecules including Flavokawain A and this molecule is known to have anti-cancer properties. Breast cancer is still one of the leading diagnosed cancers in women today. The metastatic process is also very pertinent in the progression of tumorigenesis.MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells were treated with several concentrations of FKA. The apoptotic analysis was done through the MTT assay, BrdU assay, Annexin V analysis, cell cycle analysis, JC-1 mitochondrial dye, AO/PI dual staining, caspase 8/9 fluorometric assay, quantitative real time PCR and western blot. For the metastatic assays, the in vitro scratch assay, trans-well migration/invasion assay, HUVEC tube formation assay, ex vivo rat aortic ring assay, quantitative real time PCR and western blot were employed.We have investigated the effects of FKA on the apoptotic and metastatic process in two breast cancer cell lines. FKA induces apoptosis in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 in a dose dependent manner through the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Additionally, FKA selectively induces a G2/M arrest in the cell cycle machinery of MDA-MB231 and G1 arrest in MCF-7. This suggests that FKA's anti-cancer activity is dependent on the p53 status. Moreover, FKA also halted the migration and invasion process in MDA-MB231. The similar effects can be seen in the inhibition of the angiogenesis process as well.FKA managed to induce apoptosis and inhibit the metastatic process in two breast cancer cell lines, in vitro. Overall, FKA may serve as a promising candidate in the search of a new anti-cancer drug especially in halting the metastatic process but further in vivo evidence is needed.

  10. The Association Between Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing and Medication-Related Hospital Admissions in Older Patients : A Nested Case Control Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Stelt, C. A K; Vermeulen Windsant-van den Tweel, A. M A; Egberts, A. C G; van den Bemt, P. M L A; Leendertse, A. J.; Hermens, W. A J J; van Marum, R. J.; Derijks, H. J.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Medication-related problems can cause serious adverse drug events (ADEs) that may lead to hospitalization of the patient. There are multiple screening methods to detect and reduce potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs). Whether this will

  11. The Association Between Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing and Medication-Related Hospital Admissions in Older Patients: A Nested Case Control Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Stelt, C.A.K.; Vermeulen Windsant-van den Tweel, A.M.A.; Egberts, A.C.G.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/162850050; van den Bemt, P.M.L.A.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/151330689; Leendertse, A.J.; Hermens, W.A.J.J.; van Marum, R.J.; Derijks, Jeroen|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304840505

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Medication-related problems can cause serious adverse drug events (ADEs) that may lead to hospitalization of the patient. There are multiple screening methods to detect and reduce potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs). Whether this will

  12. The clinical value of antiplatelet therapy for patients with hemorrhage after thrombolysis based on susceptibility-weighted imaging: A prospective pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Jing; Li, Yue-Hua; Li, Yong-Dong; Li, Ming-Hua; Zhao, Jun-Gong; Chen, Shi-Wen

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate treatment decision-making based on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in patients with hemorrhage after thrombolysis. Materials and methods: One hundred and forty-six patients without intracranial hemorrhage on CT after receiving recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were allocated to two groups: antiplatelets (n = 72), who received antiplatelet therapy 24 h after rt-PA for 10 days; and non-antiplatelets (n = 74), who received no antiplatelet therapy. Twenty-two patients with SWI-detected microbleeds (MBs) or hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in the antiplatelets group (Group A) and 28 with MB or HT in the non-antiplatelets group (Group B) were included in this study. Results: Sixteen patients had MB and six HT in Group A; 18 had MB, six HT, and four parenchymal hemorrhage (PH) in Group B. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 7 and 14 days and the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days post-rt-PA were significantly lower in Group B than in Group A, duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter, and the favorable outcome rate was higher at 90 days (P < 0.05). There were no other significant differences. SWI evaluation at 14 days revealed eight patients with MB, 11 HT, and three PH in Group A; in Group B, 16 had MB, five HT, and one PH, with resolution of hemorrhage in six patients. Conclusions: Treatment decision-making based on SWI in acute stroke after thrombolysis was validated by the significantly reduced NIHSS score after 7/14 days, improved outcome, and reduced mRS in hemorrhage patients without antiplatelet therapy.

  13. Human Sulfatase 2 inhibits in vivo tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, Sarah M; Concino, Michael F; Liaw, Lucy; Martini, Paolo GV; Iskenderian, Andrea; Cook, Lynette; Romashko, Alla; Tobin, Kristen; Jones, Michael; Norton, Angela; Gómez-Yafal, Alicia; Heartlein, Michael W

    2010-01-01

    Extracellular human sulfatases modulate growth factor signaling by alteration of the heparin/heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) 6-O-sulfation state. HSPGs bind to numerous growth factor ligands including fibroblast growth factors (FGF), epidermal growth factors (EGF), and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), and are critically important in the context of cancer cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. We hypothesized that sulfatase activity in the tumor microenvironment would regulate tumor growth in vivo. We established a model of stable expression of sulfatases in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and purified recombinant human Sulfatase 2 (rhSulf2) for exogenous administration. In vitro studies were performed to measure effects on breast cancer cell invasion and proliferation, and groups were statistically compared using Student's t-test. The effects of hSulf2 on tumor progression were tested using in vivo xenografts with two methods. First, MDA-MB-231 cells stably expressing hSulf1, hSulf2, or both hSulf1/hSulf2 were grown as xenografts and the resulting tumor growth and vascularization was compared to controls. Secondly, wild type MDA-MB-231 xenografts were treated by short-term intratumoral injection with rhSulf2 or vehicle during tumor growth. Ultrasound analysis was also used to complement caliper measurement to monitor tumor growth. In vivo studies were statistically analyzed using Student's t test. In vitro, stable expression of hSulf2 or administration of rhSulf2 in breast cancer cells decreased cell proliferation and invasion, corresponding to an inhibition of ERK activation. Stable expression of the sulfatases in xenografts significantly suppressed tumor growth, with complete regression of tumors expressing both hSulf1 and hSulf2 and significantly smaller tumor volumes in groups expressing hSulf1 or hSulf2 compared to control xenografts. Despite significant suppression of tumor volume, sulfatases did not affect vascular

  14. Coping with unpredictability: Dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vindas, Marco A; Sørensen, Christina; Johansen, Ida

    2014-01-01

    Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward') causes increased aggression....... Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA) activity....... Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1) mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition...

  15. The use of nationwide on-line prescription records improves the drug history in hospitalized patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glintborg, Bente; Poulsen, Henrik E; Dalhoff, Kim P

    2008-01-01

    What is already known about this subject: Structured medication interviews improve the medication history upon hospitalization. Pharmacy records are valid lists of the prescribed medications available to individual patients. In Denmark, treating doctors now have access to their patients' pharmacy...... records through a real-time online electronic database What this study adds: Omission errors are frequent among hospitalized patients despite structured drug interviews and home visits. Pharmacy records may be used to minimize patients' recall bias and improve the medication lists....

  16. Radioimmunoassay for human myoglobin: methods and results in patients with skeletal muscle or myocardial disorders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyoshi, K.; Saito, S.; Kawai, H.; Kondo, A.; Iwasa, M.; Hayashi, T.; Yagita, M.

    1978-01-01

    A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay has been developed for the measurement of serum Mb. Immunization of rabbit with human Mb yielded anti-Mb antibody which was purified by affinity chromatography. Human hemoglobin, CK, and the component of serum per se did not appear to cross-react with the antibody. Mb was radiolabeled by the chloramine T method. The radioimmunoassay method could detect as little as 0.3 ng of Mb and was not affected by hemolysis. Information is also given on precision, recovery, and specimen preservation. Mb levels could be detected in all of 120 normal adults, and the values ranged between 1 and 28 ng/ml (mean, 13.1 +- 6.1). No sex difference was observed. Levels were markedly elevated in all the patients with progressive muscular dystrophy, especially in the Duchenne type at the level of 40 to 1700 ng/ml. It was also noticed that about 70% of female gene carriers of Duchenne type had a slightly increased Mb level. An elevated serum Mb was also noted in polymyositis. In every case of acute myocardial infarction, serum Mb levels were increased, peak values ranging from 175 to 4400 ng/ml and averaging 1162 +- 287.9 Mb levels were elevated faster and peaked earlier (within 6 to 12 hr after the attack) than serum CK activity and returned to nearly normal range within 3 to 4 days. The increase in serum Mb was also noticed in shock and surgery. These data indicate that radioimmunoassay of Mb is a useful test for judging the myolytic state of myogenic myopathies and for early detection of myocardial infarction

  17. C-reactive protein in patients with acute coronary syndrome: association with coronary markers, lipid profile and markers of coagulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munir, T.A.; Afzal, M.N.

    2010-01-01

    To determine levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and its association with coronary markers, lipid profile and markers of coagulation in patients of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The study was conducted at Shifa college of Medicine and Shifa international hospital for a period of one year (November 2005-December 2006). Patients and Methods: Sixty nine age matched controls and 133 consecutive patients of ACS were included in the study. CRP were measured by immunoturbidometric method, MB fraction of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and Troponin-1 by micro-particle enzyme immunoassay, lipid levels by Colorimetric Enzymatic methods, platelets by celldyn and coagulation markers were measured by CA-50 Sysmax. At admission mean CRP levels, cardiac biomarkers, lipid profile and coagulation markers were significantly increased in patients of ACS versus controls. Within the patients of ACS the mean levels of CRP, CK-MB, Trop I, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (Am) were significantly raised in patients with ST - elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non STEMI (NSTEMI) versus patients of unstable angina (VA). Association between CRP levels and coronary markers, coagulation markers and lipid profile was found to be non significant. The CRP levels were increased in patients with ACS as compared to controls. The CRP levels were insignificantly correlated with coronary markers (CK-MB, Trop I), coagulation markers (platelet count, PT, Am), and lipid profile (cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol) in patients with ACS. (author)

  18. Comparison between moving bed-membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems: influence of wastewater salinity variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Trapani, Daniele; Di Bella, Gaetano; Mannina, Giorgio; Torregrossa, Michele; Viviani, Gaspare

    2014-06-01

    Two pilot plant systems were investigated for the treatment of wastewater subject to a gradual increase of salinity. In particular, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a moving bed biofilm membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) were analyzed. Carbon and ammonium removal, kinetic constants and membranes fouling rates have been assessed. Both plants showed very high efficiency in terms of carbon and ammonium removal and the gradual salinity increase led to a good acclimation of the biomass, as confirmed by the respirometric tests. Significant biofilm detachments from carriers were experienced, which contributed to increase the irreversible superficial cake deposition. However, this aspect prevented the pore fouling tendency in the membrane module of MB-MBR system. On the contrary, the MBR pilot, even showing a lower irreversible cake deposition, was characterized by a higher pore fouling tendency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A Novel 2.3 Mb Microduplication of 9q34.3 Inserted into 19q13.4 in a Patient with Learning Disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shalinder Singh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Insertional translocations in which a duplicated region of one chromosome is inserted into another chromosome are very rare. We report a 16.5-year-old girl with a terminal duplication at 9q34.3 of paternal origin inserted into 19q13.4. Chromosomal analysis revealed the karyotype 46,XX,der(19ins(19;9(q13.4;q34.3q34.3pat. Cytogenetic microarray analysis (CMA identified a ~2.3Mb duplication of 9q, which was confirmed by Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH. The duplication at 9q34.3 is the smallest among the cases reported so far. The proband exhibits similar clinical features to those previously reported cases with larger duplication events.

  20. Experimental demonstration of all-optical 781.25-Mb/s binary phase-coded UWB Signal Generation and Transmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yu, Xianbin; Gibbon, Timothy Braidwood; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

    2009-01-01

    the requirements of Federal Communications Commission regulations. We experimentally demonstrated a 781.25-Mb/s UWB-over-fiber transmission system. A digital-signal-processing-based receiver is employed to calculate the bit-error rate. Our proposed system has potential application in future high-speed UWB impulse...

  1. Ziyuglycoside I Inhibits the Proliferation of MDA-MB-231 Breast Carcinoma Cells through Inducing p53-Mediated G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest and Intrinsic/Extrinsic Apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xue; Wang, Ke; Zhang, Kai; Zhang, Ting; Yin, Yongxiang; Xu, Fei

    2016-11-22

    Due to the aggressive clinical behavior, poor outcome, and lack of effective specific targeted therapies, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has currently been recognized as one of the most malignant types of tumors. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of ziyuglycoside I, one of the major components extracted from Chinese anti-tumor herbal Radix Sanguisorbae , on the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231. The underlying molecular mechanism of the cytotoxic effect ziyuglycoside I on MDA-MB-231 cells was investigated with cell viability assay, flow cytometric analysis and Western blot. Compared to normal mammary gland Hs 578Bst cells, treatment of ziyuglycoside I resulted in a significant growth inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Ziyuglycoside I induced the G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were found to be partially mediated through the up-regulation of p53 and p21 WAF1 , elevated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the activation of both intrinsic (mitochondrial-initiated) and extrinsic (Fas/FasL-initiated) apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the p53 specific siRNA attenuated these effects. Our study suggested that ziyuglycoside I-triggered MDA-MB-231 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were probably mediated by p53. This suggests that ziyuglycoside I might be a potential drug candidate for treating TNBC.

  2. Hyperglycemia regulates thioredoxin-ROS activity through induction of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) in metastatic breast cancer-derived cells MDA-MB-231

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turturro, Francesco; Friday, Ellen; Welbourne, Tomas

    2007-01-01

    We studied the RNA expression of the genes in response to glucose from 5 mM (condition of normoglycemia) to 20 mM (condition of hyperglycemia/diabetes) by microarray analysis in breast cancer derived cell line MDA-MB-231. We identified the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), whose RNA level increased as a gene product particularly sensitive to the variation of the level of glucose in culture media. We investigated the kinesis of the TXNIP RNA and protein in response to glucose and the relationship between this protein and the related thioredoxin (TRX) in regulating the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MDA-MB-231 cells. MDA-MB-231 cells were grown either in 5 or 20 mM glucose chronically prior to plating. For glucose shift (5/20), cells were plated in 5 mM glucose and shifted to 20 mM at time 0. Cells were analyzed with Affymetrix Human U133A microarray chip and gene expression profile was obtained. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot was used to validate the expression of TXNIP RNA and protein in response to glucose, respectively. ROS were detected by CM-H2DCFDA (5–6-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) and measured for mean fluorescence intensity with flow cytometry. TRX activity was assayed by the insulin disulfide reducing assay. We found that the regulation of TXNIP gene expression by glucose in MDA-MB-231 cells occurs rapidly within 6 h of its increased level (20 mM glucose) and persists through the duration of the conditions of hyperglycemia. The increased level of TXNIP RNA is followed by increased level of protein that is associated with increasing levels of ROS and reduced TRX activity. The inhibition of the glucose transporter GLUT1 by phloretin notably reduces TXNIP RNA level and the inhibition of the p38 MAP kinase activity by SB203580 reverses the effects of TXNIP on ROS-TRX activity. In this study we show that TXNIP is an oxidative stress responsive gene and its expression is exquisitely regulated by

  3. Hyperglycemia regulates thioredoxin-ROS activity through induction of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP in metastatic breast cancer-derived cells MDA-MB-231

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Friday Ellen

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We studied the RNA expression of the genes in response to glucose from 5 mM (condition of normoglycemia to 20 mM (condition of hyperglycemia/diabetes by microarray analysis in breast cancer derived cell line MDA-MB-231. We identified the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP, whose RNA level increased as a gene product particularly sensitive to the variation of the level of glucose in culture media. We investigated the kinesis of the TXNIP RNA and protein in response to glucose and the relationship between this protein and the related thioredoxin (TRX in regulating the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS in MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods MDA-MB-231 cells were grown either in 5 or 20 mM glucose chronically prior to plating. For glucose shift (5/20, cells were plated in 5 mM glucose and shifted to 20 mM at time 0. Cells were analyzed with Affymetrix Human U133A microarray chip and gene expression profile was obtained. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot was used to validate the expression of TXNIP RNA and protein in response to glucose, respectively. ROS were detected by CM-H2DCFDA (5–6-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and measured for mean fluorescence intensity with flow cytometry. TRX activity was assayed by the insulin disulfide reducing assay. Results We found that the regulation of TXNIP gene expression by glucose in MDA-MB-231 cells occurs rapidly within 6 h of its increased level (20 mM glucose and persists through the duration of the conditions of hyperglycemia. The increased level of TXNIP RNA is followed by increased level of protein that is associated with increasing levels of ROS and reduced TRX activity. The inhibition of the glucose transporter GLUT1 by phloretin notably reduces TXNIP RNA level and the inhibition of the p38 MAP kinase activity by SB203580 reverses the effects of TXNIP on ROS-TRX activity. Conclusion In this study we show that TXNIP is an oxidative stress responsive

  4. Hazardous Traffic Event Detection Using Markov Blanket and Sequential Minimal Optimization (MB-SMO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lixin Yan

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The ability to identify hazardous traffic events is already considered as one of the most effective solutions for reducing the occurrence of crashes. Only certain particular hazardous traffic events have been studied in previous studies, which were mainly based on dedicated video stream data and GPS data. The objective of this study is twofold: (1 the Markov blanket (MB algorithm is employed to extract the main factors associated with hazardous traffic events; (2 a model is developed to identify hazardous traffic event using driving characteristics, vehicle trajectory, and vehicle position data. Twenty-two licensed drivers were recruited to carry out a natural driving experiment in Wuhan, China, and multi-sensor information data were collected for different types of traffic events. The results indicated that a vehicle’s speed, the standard deviation of speed, the standard deviation of skin conductance, the standard deviation of brake pressure, turn signal, the acceleration of steering, the standard deviation of acceleration, and the acceleration in Z (G have significant influences on hazardous traffic events. The sequential minimal optimization (SMO algorithm was adopted to build the identification model, and the accuracy of prediction was higher than 86%. Moreover, compared with other detection algorithms, the MB-SMO algorithm was ranked best in terms of the prediction accuracy. The conclusions can provide reference evidence for the development of dangerous situation warning products and the design of intelligent vehicles.

  5. Influence of body position on muscle deoxy[Hb+Mb] during ramp cycle exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiMenna, Fred J; Bailey, Stephen J; Jones, Andrew M

    2010-09-30

    We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to test the hypothesis that body position alters the sigmoidal response profile of muscle fractional O(2) extraction (estimated using deoxy[Hb+Mb]) during incremental cycle exercise. Seven male subjects (mean±SD age 32±13 years) completed a ramp incremental cycling test to exhaustion (30W/min) in both the supine and upright body positions. The sigmoidal (as opposed to hyperbolic) model that provided the better fit to deoxy[Hb+Mb] data during upright cycling was also present for the supine response; however, the slope of the sigmoid was increased (upright: 0.052±0.012 vs. supine: 0.090±0.036%⋅%P(peak)(-1); Prate (upright: 83±8 vs. supine: 68±19%P(peak)(-1); Pchanges occurred in the absence of a leftward shift of the sigmoid. We also found a significantly greater deltaV(O)₂/deltaW slope above compared to below gas exchange threshold (GET) for both conditions (upright: 9.8±0.5 vs. 8.2±0.9; supine: 10.7±0.9 vs. 8.0±0.8) and for supine compared to upright cycling above GET. These findings suggest that the supine posture affects O₂ extraction and V(O)₂ kinetics to a greater extent as work rate progresses during ramp incremental exercise. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. 1.5Mb deletion of chromosome 4p16.3 associated with postnatal growth delay, psychomotor impairment, epilepsy, impulsive behavior and asynchronous skeletal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misceo, D; Barøy, T; Helle, J R; Braaten, O; Fannemel, M; Frengen, E

    2012-10-01

    Several Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome patients have been studied, mouse models for a few candidate genes have been constructed and two WHS critical regions have been postulated, but the molecular basis of the syndrome remains poorly understood. Single gene contributions to phenotypes of microdeletion syndromes have often been based on the study of patients carrying small, atypical deletions. We report a 5-year-old girl harboring an atypical 1.5Mb del4p16.3 and review seven previously published patients carrying a similar deletion. They show a variable clinical presentation and the only consistent feature is post-natal growth delay. However, four of eight patients carry a ring (4), and ring chromosomes in general are associated with growth deficiency. The Greek helmet profile is absent, although a trend towards common dysmorphic features exists. Variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance might play a role in WHS, resulting in difficult clinical diagnosis and challenge in understanding of the genotype/phenotype correlation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Proanthocyanidins from Uncaria rhynchophylla induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells while enhancing cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-Xin; Leung, George Pak-Heng; Zhang, Zhang-Jin; Xiao, Jian-Bo; Lao, Li-Xing; Feng, Feng; Mak, Judith Choi-Wo; Wang, Ying; Sze, Stephen Cho-Wing; Zhang, Kalin Yan-Bo

    2017-09-01

    Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Current treatments often result in systematic toxicity and drug resistance. Combinational use of non-toxic phytochemicals with chemotherapeutic agents to enhance the efficacy and reduce toxicity would be one promising approach. In this study, bioactive proanthocyanidins from Uncaria rhynchophylla (UPAs) were isolated and their anti-breast cancer effects alone and in combination with 5- fluorouracil (5-FU) were investigated in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The results showed that UPAs significantly inhibited cell viability and migration ability in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, UPAs induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner which was associated with increased cellular reactive oxygen species production, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, increases of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and levels of cleaved caspase 3. Treatments of the cells with UPAs resulted in an increase in G2/M cell cycle arrest. Cytotoxic effects of 5-FU against MDA-MB-231 cells were enhanced by UPAs. The combination treatment of UPAs and 5-FU for 48 h elicited a synergistic cytotoxic effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Altogether, these data suggest that UPAs are potential therapeutic agents for breast cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Sequence analysis and transcript identification within 1.5 MB of DNA deleted together with the NDP and MAO genes in atypical Norrie disease patients presenting with a profound phenotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-Merino, B; Bye, J; McDowall, J; Ross, M; Craig, I W

    2001-06-01

    Mutations at the Norrie disease gene locus, NDP, manifest in a broad range of defects. These range from a relatively mild, late-onset, exudative vitreoretinopathy to congenital blindness and sensorineural deafness combined, in some cases, with mental retardation. In addition, extensive deletions involving the NDP locus, located at Xp11.3, the adjacent monoamine oxidadase genes MAOA and MAOB, and additional material, result in a more severe pattern of symptoms. The phenotypes include all or some of the following; mental retardation, involuntary movements, hypertensive crises and hypogonadism. We extended an existing YAC contig to embrace the boundaries of three of the largest deletions and converted this into four PAC contigs. Computer analysis and experimental data have resulted in the identification of several putative loci, including a phosphatase inhibitor 2-like gene (dJ154.1) and a 250-bp sequence which resembles a homeobox domain (dA113.3), 1.2 Mb and 400 kb respectively from the MAO/NDP cluster. The pattern of expression of dJ154.1 suggests that it may represent an important factor contributing to the complex phenotypes of these deletion patients. Hum Mutat 17:523, 2001. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  9. [Medication reconciliation at hospital admission: Results and identification of target patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    San José Ruiz, B; Serrano De Lucas, L; López-Giménez, L R; Baza Martínez, B; Sautua Larreategi, S; Bustinza Txertudi, A; Sebastián Leza, Á; Chirivella Ramón, M T; Fonseca Legrand, J L; de Miguel Cascon, M

    2016-06-01

    To quantify and to classify the discrepancies between the admission treatment and the usual patient treatment. To determine the variables that predict those patients that will have more benefit from medication reconciliation. A prospective medication reconciliation study was conducted in the Vascular Surgery Unit from March 2014 to December 2014. When the patients were admitted to the Vascular Surgery Unit, they were informed about the study and asked to prepare information about their chronic treatment. The pharmacist then checked their clinical records, outpatient prescriptions, and also interviewed the patient, obtaining the best pharmacotherapeutic history available. The discrepancies with the admission treatment were written into the patient electronic clinical records. Finally, the physician classified the discrepancies, and changed the treatment, if needed. The statistical analysis included a comparison between patients with and without a non-justified discrepancy (NJD). The statistically different characteristics were used to plot Receiver Operating Characteristic curves, in order to determine the sensitivity and the specificity of these variables to select patients with discrepancies. A total of 380 patients were included. There were 845 non-justified, 600 justified non-documented, and 439 justified documented discrepancies. At least one NJD was identified in 293 patients (77%), with 65 patients (17%) having only justified discrepancies, and 22 patients (6%) having no discrepancies. NJD were: different dose, route or schedule (51%), omission (39%), wrong drug (8%) and commission (2%). The variables associated with discrepancies were number of chronic medications drugs and provider of information. In most studies, omission is the most frequent error. In contrast, in our study the most frequent error is different dose, route, or schedule. The variable that allows selecting patients at higher risk of discrepancies is the number of chronic drugs. This risk is

  10. Heavy reflector experiments in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Adimir dos; Silva, Graciete Simoes de Andrade e; Mura, Luis Felipe; Fuga, Rinaldo; Jerez, Rogerio; Mendonca, Arlindo Gilson

    2012-01-01

    Full text: The heavy reflector experiments performed in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor facility comprise a set of critical configurations employing the standard 28x26-fuel-rod configuration. The heavy reflector either Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel or Nickel plates was placed at one of the faces of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. Criticality is achieved by inserting the control banks BC1 and BC2 to the critical position. 32 plates around 0.3 mm thick were used in the experiment. The chosen distance between last fuel rod row and the first laminate for both type of laminates was 5.5 mm. Considering initially the SS case, the experimental data reveal that the reactivity decreases up to the sixth plate and after that it increases, becomes nearly zero (which was equivalent to initial zero excess reactivity with zero plates) for the 21 plates case and reaches a value of 154.91 pcm when the whole set of 32 plates are inserted in the reflector. This is a very striking result because it demonstrates that when all 32 plates are inserted in the reflector there is a net gain of reactivity. The reactivity behavior demonstrates all the physics events already mentioned in this work. When the number of plates are small (around 6), the neutron absorption in the plates is more important than the neutron reflection and the reactivity decreases. This condition holds up to a point where the neutron reflection becomes more important than the neutron absorption in the plates and the reactivity increases. The experimental data for the Carbon Steel and Nickel case shows the main features of the SS case, but for the Carbon Steel case the reactivity gain is small, thus demonstrating that Carbon Steel or essentially iron has not the reflector capability as the SS laminates do. The measured data of Nickel plates show a higher reactivity gain, thus demonstrating that Nickel is a good reflector. The theoretical analysis employing MCNP5 and ENDF/B-VII.0 show that the SS calculated results are in a good

  11. Comparison of Effectiveness between Rifampicin Ofloxin-Minocycline Regimen and Multidrug Therapy-World Health Organization in Multibacillary Leprosy Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Octawyana Moestopo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Multidrug therapy (MDT which is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO for multibacillary (MB leprosy patients has some side effects; it is given in 12 doses over 12-18 months. Patients who refuse or are contraindicated in undertaking MDT-WHO can be given alternative rifampicin-ofloxacin-minocycline (ROM regimen for 24 months, whose side effects are less but more expensive. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness between ROM and MDT-WHO regimen in the first 12 months based on the derivation in morphological index (MI of acid-fast bacilli (AFB in MB leprosy patient. Methods: This was an observational analytical study with retrospective cohort method. Data was collected from medical records of MB leprosy patients in the Medical Record Installation and Morbus Hansen Clinic, Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung. The overall derivation in MI in 12 months was assessed according to the type of therapy undertaken by the patient. Data was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U Test. Results: A total of 59 data were selected out of 800 data of new leprosy patients based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among those, 20 patients were treated by ROM and 39 by MDT-WHO. Derivation of MI occurred among both groups, but ROM regimen had higher percentage (94.83% compared with MDT-WHO regimen (79.57% with p value=0.003 (p <0.05. Conclusions: ROM regimen has better effectiveness than MDT-WHO regimen in the first 12 months in MB leprosy patients.

  12. Involving patients in checking the validity of the NHS shared record: a single practice pilot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sally Al-Agilly

    2008-01-01

    Conclusion Only a minority of patients chose to view and offer comment on their core clinical summaries. The majority of summaries were deemed to be accurate but there was a worrying level of omission and inaccuracy, including medication. It might be a better use of time to support doctors and patients working together to construct and check summaries rather than on information technology (IT and the complex ethical debate surrounding the core clinical Spine.

  13. Breakfast and Energy Drink Consumption in Secondary School Children: Breakfast Omission, in Isolation or in Combination with Frequent Energy Drink Use, is Associated with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Cross-Sectionally, but not at Six-Month Follow-Up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gareth eRichards

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available A considerable amount of research suggests that breakfast omission and the frequent use of caffeinated energy drinks may be associated with undesirable effects, and particularly so in children and adolescents. The current paper presents cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Cornish Academies Project to investigate the effects of consuming energy drinks and missing breakfast on stress, anxiety, and depression in a cohort of secondary school children from the South West of England. Questionnaires were administered at two time-points (spaced six months apart to collect information relating to diet and lifestyle over the previous six months, demographic and school data were acquired through the School Information Management System, and single-item measures of stress, anxiety, and depression were administered at the second time-point only. Associations between breakfast and energy drink consumption and stress, anxiety, and depression were investigated, and a multivariate approach was taken so that additional variance from diet, demography, and lifestyle could be controlled for statistically. Cross-sectional analyses showed that breakfast omission was consistently associated with negative outcomes, and that this was largely observed for both those who frequently consumed energy drinks and those who did not. However, cross-lag analyses showed that neither breakfast omission or energy drink consumption, alone or in combination, was predictive of stress, anxiety, or depression at six-month follow-up. This suggests that associations between breakfast and mental health may be bi-directional rather than breakfast being the causal factor.

  14. Breakfast and Energy Drink Consumption in Secondary School Children: Breakfast Omission, in Isolation or in Combination with Frequent Energy Drink Use, is Associated with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Cross-Sectionally, but not at 6-Month Follow-Up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Gareth; Smith, Andrew P

    2016-01-01

    A considerable amount of research suggests that breakfast omission and the frequent use of caffeinated energy drinks may be associated with undesirable effects, and particularly so in children and adolescents. The current paper presents cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Cornish Academies Project to investigate the effects of consuming energy drinks and missing breakfast on stress, anxiety, and depression in a cohort of secondary school children from the South West of England. Questionnaires were administered at two time-points (spaced 6 months apart) to collect information relating to diet and lifestyle over the previous 6 months. Demographic and school data were acquired through the School Information Management System, and single-item measures of stress, anxiety, and depression were administered at the second time-point only. Associations between breakfast and energy drink consumption and stress, anxiety, and depression were investigated, and a multivariate approach was taken so that additional variance from diet, demography, and lifestyle could be controlled for statistically. Cross-sectional analyses showed that breakfast omission was consistently associated with negative outcomes, and that this was largely observed for both those who frequently consumed energy drinks and those who did not. However, cross-lag analyses showed that neither breakfast omission or energy drink consumption, alone or in combination, was predictive of stress, anxiety, or depression at 6-month follow-up. This suggests that associations between breakfast and mental health may be bi-directional rather than breakfast being the causal factor.

  15. Growth and enzymological characteristics of a pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium sp. MB1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baev, M V; Kuznetsov, E V; Skladnev, D A; Govorukhina, N I; Sterkin, V E; Tsygankov, Y D

    1992-01-01

    Growth characteristics of batch and continuous cultures of the pink facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium sp. MB1 were determined. The response of a chemostat culture to a pulse increase of methanol concentration was studied. Malate, succinate and oxaloacetate additions to the methanol-supplemented medium decreased batch culture growth inhibition by methanol. The carotenoid content in cells grown in a chemostat decreased with increasing growth rate. The key enzyme activities of C1-metabolism were measured in a chemostat culture at different dilution rates.

  16. Comparing Apoptosis and Necrosis Effects of Arctium Lappa Root Extract and Doxorubicin on MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghafari, Fereshteh; Rajabi, Mohammad Reza; Mazoochi, Tahereh; Taghizadeh, Mohsen; Nikzad, Hossein; Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Taherian, Aliakbar

    2017-03-01

    Objective: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and very common malignancy in women worldwide. The efficacy of chemotherapy as an important part of breast cancer treatment is limited due to its side effects. While pharmaceutical companies are looking for better chemicals, research on traditional medicines that generally have fewer side effects is quite interesting. In this study, apoptosis and necrosis effect of Arctium lappa and doxorubicin was compared in MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Materials and Methods: MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 containing 10% FBS and 100 U/ml penicillin/streptomycin. MTT assay and an annexin V/propidium iodide (AV/PI) kit were used respectively to compare the survival rate and apoptotic effects of different concentrations of doxorubicin and Arctium lappa root extract on MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells. Results: Arctium lappa root extract was able to reduce cell viability of the two cell lines in a dose and time dependent manner similar to doxorubicin. Flow cytometry results showed that similar to doxorubicin, Arctium Lappa root extract had a dose and time dependent apoptosis effect on both cell lines. 10μg/mL of Arctium lappa root extract and 5 μM of doxorubicin showed the highest anti-proliferative and apoptosis effect in MCF7 and MDA231 cells. Conclusion: The MCF7 (ER/PR-) and MDA-MB-231 (ER/PR+) cell lines represent two major breast cancer subtypes. The similar anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Arctium lappa root extract and doxorubicin (which is a conventional chemotherapy drug) on two different breast cancer cell lines strongly suggests its anticancer effects and further studies. Creative Commons Attribution License

  17. Differential expression of cyclin Dl in human pituitary tumors: relation to MIB-1 and p27/Kipl labeling indices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hewedi, I.H.; Osman, W.M.; El Mahdy, M.M.

    2011-01-01

    Pituitary tumors are a common form of endocrine neoplasia. However few studies assessed the expression of the principal cyclin regulating checkpoint exit, cyclin Dl. Cyclin Dl expression in pituitary tumors and its possible relation to MIB-1 and p27/K.ipl labeling indices (Us) was explored. Design: We studied a total of 199 pituitaries, including normal pituitaries (n = 7), pituitary adenomas (n = 187), and pituitary carcinoma (n = 5). All tissues were tested as cores of archived tissue microarrays that were immuno stained for cyclin Dl, MIB-1 and p27 using a standard technique. Tissue cores were subjected to automated analysis to evaluate the staining LIs, Results: No cyclin Dl positive cells in the normal anterior pituitary gland was found. Sparse nuclear staining was noted in pituitary tumors. Higher expression of cyclin Dl was noted in pituitary carcinomas compared to adenomas (p < 0.001), in non-functioning adenomas compared to functioning ones (p < 0.001) in macroadenomas versus micro adenomas (p — 0.017) and in recurrent non recurrent adenomas (p < 0.001). Cyclin Dl LI and MIB-1 LI were related among adenomas (p < 0.001) and carcinomas (p = 0.041). p27 LI was neither related to pituitary adenoma recurrence nor invasion. Conclusions: Expression of cyclin Dl in pituitary tumors is related to cell proliferation, recurrence, and metastatic potential. Nuclear cyclin Dl expression is a good marker of aggressive behavior in pituitary tumors

  18. KIAA0100 Modulates Cancer Cell Aggression Behavior of MDA-MB-231 through Microtubule and Heat Shock Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenyu Zhong

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The KIAA0100 gene was identified in the human immature myeloid cell line cDNA library. Recent studies have shown that its expression is elevated in breast cancer and associated with more aggressive cancer types as well as poor outcomes. However, its cellular and molecular function is yet to be understood. Here we show that silencing KIAA0100 by siRNA in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 significantly reduced the cancer cells’ aggressive behavior, including cell aggregation, reattachment, cell metastasis and invasion. Most importantly, silencing the expression of KIAA0100 particularly sensitized the quiescent cancer cells in suspension culture to anoikis. Immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that KIAA0100 may play multiple roles in the cancer cells, including stabilizing microtubule structure as a microtubule binding protein, and contributing to MDA-MB-231 cells Anoikis resistance by the interaction with stress protein HSPA1A. Our study also implies that the interaction between KIAA0100 and HSPA1A may be targeted for new drug development to specifically induce anoikis cell death in the cancer cell.

  19. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor activates GTPase RhoA and inhibits cell invasion in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguilar-Rojas, Arturo; Huerta-Reyes, Maira; Maya-Núñez, Guadalupe; Arechavaleta-Velásco, Fabián; Conn, P Michael; Ulloa-Aguirre, Alfredo; Valdés, Jesús

    2012-01-01

    Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its receptor (GnRHR) are both expressed by a number of malignant tumors, including those of the breast. In the latter, both behave as potent inhibitors of invasion. Nevertheless, the signaling pathways whereby the activated GnRH/GnRHR system exerts this effect have not been clearly established. In this study, we provide experimental evidence that describes components of the mechanism(s) whereby GnRH inhibits breast cancer cell invasion. Actin polymerization and substrate adhesion was measured in the highly invasive cell line, MDA-MB-231 transiently expressing the wild-type or mutant DesK191 GnRHR by fluorometry, flow cytometric analysis, and confocal microscopy, in the absence or presence of GnRH agonist. The effect of RhoA-GTP on stress fiber formation and focal adhesion assembly was measured in MDA-MB-231 cells co-expressing the GnRHRs and the GAP domain of human p190Rho GAP-A or the dominant negative mutant GAP-Y1284D. Cell invasion was determined by the transwell migration assay. Agonist-stimulated activation of the wild-type GnRHR and the highly plasma membrane expressed mutant GnRHR-DesK191 transiently transfected to MDA-MB-231 cells, favored F-actin polymerization and substrate adhesion. Confocal imaging allowed detection of an association between F-actin levels and the increase in stress fibers promoted by exposure to GnRH. Pull-down assays showed that the effects observed on actin cytoskeleton resulted from GnRH-stimulated activation of RhoA GTPase. Activation of this small G protein favored the marked increase in both cell adhesion to Collagen-I and number of focal adhesion complexes leading to inhibition of the invasion capacity of MDA-MB-231 cells as disclosed by assays in Transwell Chambers. We here show that GnRH inhibits invasion of highly invasive breast cancer-derived MDA-MB-231 cells. This effect is mediated through an increase in substrate adhesion promoted by activation of RhoA GTPase and formation of

  20. Antisense imaging of epidermal growth factor-induced p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene expression in MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer xenografts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Judy; Chen, Paul; Mrkobrada, Marko [Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, M5S 2S2, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Hu, Meiduo [Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, M5S 2S2, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Vallis, Katherine A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Reilly, Raymond M. [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

    2003-09-01

    Molecular imaging of the expression of key genes which determine the response to DNA damage following cancer treatment may predict the effectiveness of a particular treatment strategy. A prominent early response gene for DNA damage is the gene encoding p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1}, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that regulates progression through the cell cycle. In this study, we explored the feasibility of imaging p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene expression at the mRNA level using an 18-mer phosphorothioated antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) labeled with {sup 111}In. The known induction of the p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene in MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cells following exposure to epidermal growth factor (EGF) was used as an experimental tool. Treatment of MDA-MB-468 cells in vitro with EGF (20 nM) increased the ratio of p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} mRNA/{beta}-actin mRNA threefold within 2 h as measured by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A concentration-dependent inhibition of EGF-induced p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} protein expression was achieved in MDA-MB-468 cells by treatment with antisense ODNs with up to a tenfold decrease observed at 1 {mu}M. There was a fourfold lower inhibition of p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} protein expression by control sense or random sequence ODNs. Intratumoral injections of EGF (15 {mu}g/day x 3 days) were employed to induce p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene expression in MDA-MB-468 xenografts implanted subcutaneously into athymic mice. RT-PCR of explanted tumors showed a threefold increased level of p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} mRNA compared with normal saline-treated tumors. Successful imaging of EGF-induced p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene expression in MDA-MB-468 xenografts was achieved at 48 h post injection of {sup 111}In-labeled antisense ODNs (3.7 MBq; 2 {mu}g). Tumors displaying basal levels of p21{sup WAF-1/CIP-1} gene expression in the absence of EGF treatment could not be visualized. Biodistribution studies showed a significantly higher tumor

  1. Diminished Frequency of Menstrual and Peripheral Blood NKT-Like Cells in Patients With Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion and Infertile Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Samira; Shokri, Fazel; Pour, Soheila Ansari; Khoshnoodi, Jalal; Jeddi-Tehrani, Mahmood; Zarnani, Amir-Hassan

    2018-01-01

    Systemic monitoring of immune system may not precisely outline the local immune status in the uterus. This survey is a continuation of our previous studies on potential usefulness of menstrual blood (MB) immunophenotyping as a tool for investigation of immunological disturbances in pregnancy-related disorders. Peripheral blood (PB) and MB from healthy fertile (n = 15), unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA; n = 15), and unexplained infertile women (n = 8) were collected simultaneously in the second day of their menstrual cycle and frequency of natural killer T (NKT)-like cell subpopulations were assessed by flow cytometry. Menstrual blood of all experimental groups contained higher percentage of TCRαβ + , CD45RO + , and CD16 - NKT-like cells compared to corresponding PB. Frequency of MB NKT-like cells in unexplained infertile participants was lower than fertile and URSA groups. Compared to normal participants, patients with URSA had lower frequency of PB TCRαβ + and higher CD16 + , while in infertile woman frequencies of PB CD45RO + , CD45RO - , CD16 - , IL17 + , and MB CD45RO + NKT-like cells were lower. Although, PB and MB seemingly have the same histological nature, our results showed that MB contained different composition of NKT-like subsets with different cytokine profiles and could be viewed as one potential biological sample for evaluation of patients with infertility and URSA.

  2. Validation the methodology calculate critical position of control rods to the critical facility IPEN/MB-01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez Aldama, D.; Rodriguez Gual, R.

    1998-01-01

    Presently work intends to validate the models and programs used in the Nuclear Technology Center for calculating the critical position of control rods by means of the analysis of the measurements performed at the critical facility IPEN/MB-01. The lattice calculations were carried out with the WIMS/D4 code and for the global calculations the diffusion code SNAP-3D was used

  3. Empirical conversion between teleseismic magnitudes (mb and Ms) and moment magnitude (Mw) at the Global, Euro-Mediterranean and Italian scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lolli, B.; Gasperini, P.; Vannucci, G.

    2014-11-01

    We analysed the conversion problem between teleseismic magnitudes (Ms and mb) provided by the Seismological Bulletin of the International Seismological Centre and moment magnitudes (Mw) provided by online moment tensor (MT) catalogues using the chi-square general orthogonal regression method (CSQ) that, differently from the ordinary least-square regression method (OLS), accounts for the measurement errors of both the predictor and response variables. To account for the non-linearity of the relationships, we used two types of curvilinear models: (i) the exponential model (EXP), recently proposed by the authors of the Global Catalogue sponsored by the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation and (ii) a connected bilinear (CBL) model, similar to that proposed by Ekström & Dziewonski, where two different linear trends at low and high magnitudes are connected by an arc of circle that preserves the continuity of the function and of its first derivative at the connecting points. For Ms, we found that the regression curves computed for a global data set (GBL) are likely to be biased by the incompleteness of global MT catalogues for Mw <5.0-5.5. In fact, the GBL curves deviate significantly from a similar regression curve computed for a Euro-Mediterranean data set (MED) integrated with the data provided by two regional MT catalogues including many more events with Mw < 5.0-5.5. The GLB regression curves overestimate the Mw proxies computed from Ms up to 0.5 magnitude units. Hence for computing Mw proxies at the global scale of Ms ≤ 5.5, we suggest to adopt the coefficients obtained from the MED regression. The analysis of the frequency-magnitude relationship of the resulting Mw proxy catalogues confirms the validity of this choice as the behaviour of b­-value as a function of cut-off magnitude of the GBL data set is much more stable using such approach. The incompleteness of Mw's provided from MT global catalogues also affects the mb GBL data set but in this case the

  4. Dorsomedial striatum lesions affect adjustment to reward uncertainty, but not to reward devaluation or omission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Carmen; Glueck, Amanda C; Conrad, Shannon E; Morón, Ignacio; Papini, Mauricio R

    2016-09-22

    The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) has been implicated in the acquisition of reward representations, a proposal leading to the hypothesis that it should play a role in situations involving reward loss. We report the results of an experiment in which the effects of DMS excitotoxic lesions were tested in consummatory successive negative contrast (reward devaluation), autoshaping training with partial vs. continuous reinforcement (reward uncertainty), and appetitive extinction (reward omission). Animals with DMS lesions exhibited reduced lever pressing responding, but enhanced goal entries, during partial reinforcement training in autoshaping. However, they showed normal negative contrast, acquisition under continuous reinforcement (CR), appetitive extinction, and response facilitation in early extinction trials. Open-field testing also indicated normal motor behavior. Thus, DMS lesions selectively affected the behavioral adjustment to a situation involving reward uncertainty, producing a behavioral reorganization according to which goal tracking (goal entries) became predominant at the expense of sign tracking (lever pressing). This pattern of results shows that the function of the DMS in situations involving reward loss is not general, but restricted to reward uncertainty. We suggest that a nonassociative, drive-related process induced by reward uncertainty requires normal output from DMS neurons. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. On the accuracy of the MB-pol many-body potential for water: Interaction energies, vibrational frequencies, and classical thermodynamic and dynamical properties from clusters to liquid water and ice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reddy, Sandeep K.; Straight, Shelby C.; Bajaj, Pushp; Huy Pham, C.; Riera, Marc; Moberg, Daniel R.; Morales, Miguel A.; Knight, Chris; Götz, Andreas W.; Paesani, Francesco

    2016-11-21

    The MB-pol many-body potential has recently emerged as an accurate molecular model for water simulations from the gas to the condensed phase. In this study, the accuracy of MB-pol is systematically assessed across the three phases of water through extensive comparisons with experimental data and high-level ab initio calculations. Individual many-body contributions to the interaction energies as well as vibrational spectra of water clusters calculated with MB-pol are in excellent agreement with reference data obtained at the coupled cluster level. Several structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties of the liquid phase at atmospheric pressure are investigated through classical molecular dynamics simulations as a function of temperature. The structural properties of the liquid phase are in nearly quantitative agreement with X-ray diffraction data available over the temperature range from 268 to 368 K. The analysis of other thermodynamic and dynamical quantities emphasizes the importance of explicitly including nuclear quantum effects in the simulations, especially at low temperature, for a physically correct description of the properties of liquid water. Furthermore, both densities and lattice energies of several ice phases are also correctly reproduced by MB-pol. Following a recent study of DFT models for water, a score is assigned to each computed property, which demonstrates the high and, in many respects, unprecedented accuracy of MB-pol in representing all three phases of water. Published by AIP Publishing.

  6. Mutually exclusive expression of DLX2 and DLX5/6 is associated with the metastatic potential of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morini, Monica; Astigiano, Simonetta; Gitton, Yorick; Emionite, Laura; Mirisola, Valentina; Levi, Giovanni; Barbieri, Ottavia

    2010-01-01

    The DLX gene family encodes for homeobox transcription factors involved in the control of morphogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Their expression can be regulated by Endothelin1 (ET1), a peptide associated with breast cancer invasive phenotype. Deregulation of DLX gene expression was found in human solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In particular, DLX4 overexpression represents a possible prognostic marker in ovarian cancer. We have investigated the role of DLX genes in human breast cancer progression. MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells were grown in vitro or injected in nude mice, either subcutaneously, to mimic primary tumor growth, or intravenously, to mimic metastatic spreading. Expression of DLX2, DLX5 and DLX6 was assessed in cultured cells, either treated or not with ET1, tumors and metastases by RT-PCR. In situ hybridization was used to confirm DLX gene expression in primary tumors and in lung and bone metastases. The expression of DLX2 and DLX5 was evaluated in 408 primary human breast cancers examining the GSE1456 and GSE3494 microarray datasets. Kaplan-Meier estimates for disease-free survival were calculated for the patients grouped on the basis of DLX2/DLX5 expression. Before injection, or after subcutaneous growth, MDA-MB-231 cells expressed DLX2 but neither DLX5 nor DLX6. Instead, in bone and lung metastases resulting from intravenous injection we detected expression of DLX5/6 but not of DLX2, suggesting that DLX5/6 are activated during metastasis formation, and that their expression is alternative to that of DLX2. The in vitro treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with ET1, resulted in switch from DLX2 to DLX5 expression. By data mining in microarray datasets we found that expression of DLX2 occurred in 21.6% of patients, and was significantly correlated with prolonged disease-free survival and reduced incidence of relapse. Instead, DLX5 was expressed in a small subset of cases, 2.2% of total, displaying reduced disease-free survival and high

  7. PIEZO channel protein naturally expressed in human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 as probed by atomic force microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Yuanqi; Yan, Fei; Chen, Runkang; Qian, Ming; Ou, Yun; Xie, Shuhong; Zheng, Hairong; Li, Jiangyu

    2018-05-01

    Mechanical stimuli drives many physiological processes through mechanically activated channels, and the recent discovery of PIEZO channel has generated great interests in its mechanotransduction. Many previous researches investigated PIEZO proteins by transcribing them in cells that originally have no response to mechanical stimulation, or by forming PIEZO-combined complexes in vitro, and few studied PIEZO protein's natural characteristics in cells. In this study we show that MDA-MB-231, a malignant cell in human breast cancer cell line, expresses the mechanosensitive behavior of PIEZO in nature without extra treatment, and we report its characteristics in response to localized mechanical stimulation under an atomic force microscope, wherein a correlation between the force magnitude applied and the channel opening probability is observed. The results on PIEZO of MDA-MB-231 can help establish a basis of preventing and controlling of human breast cancer cell via mechanical forces.

  8. The reflector effect on the neutron lifetimes in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor; O efeito do refletor sobre o tempo de vida neutronico no reator IPEN/MB-01

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonnelli, Eduardo

    2013-07-01

    The aim of this study is to present the reflector effect on the neutron lifetimes in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. The proposed method requires an approach which takes into account both the reflector and the core, so that the point kinetics equations, which constitute the theoretical basis of all mathematical development, contemplate both regions of the reactor. From these equations, as known as two regions kinetics point equations, theoretical expressions are obtained for the Auto Power Spectral Densities (APSD), which are used for least squares fit of the experimental data of APSD obtained in several subcritical states. The prompt neutron generation time, the neutron lifetimes in the reflector and the neutron return fraction from the reflector to the core are derived from the fitting. (author)

  9. ESTUDO DO COMPORTAMENTO DA CREATINO QUINASE (CK E CREATINO QUINASE-MB (CK-MB SÉRICA DE CÃES SUBMETIDOS À OXIGENAÇÃO POR MEMBRANA EXTRACORPÓREA (ECMO DURANTE UM PERÍODO DE TRÊS HORAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipp Silveira Ferreira

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMCMO is a technique of prolonged cardiopulmonary support, which aims to help the lungs or the heart when these organs present failure processes not responsive to conventional treatments. As it is not a physiological procedure, it represents a major challenge for medicine, which seeks to make it a safer procedure. Thus, this research was carried out to determine the course of the cardiac markers CK and CK-MB of five dogs submitted at ECMO for three hours. Mongrel dogs of various ages, weight and sex were used. Under anesthesic maintenance, the animals were subjected to femoral cannulation for ECMCMO, in an arterial-venous (AV deviation. Once the circuit was established, the variables were measured every thirty minutes for a period of three hours. The data were statistically analyzed with Anova, Tukey and Pearson Correlation, with α = 5%. The results showed an increase of serum CK and CK-MB, characterizing a muscular injury during the procedure. The results showed that ECMO induced a cardiac muscle injury by a physiological mechanism. It was concluded that ECMCMO is a viable technical support and do not induce myocardial injury in dogs during a period of three hours.

  10. Radioimmunoassay for human myoglobin: methods and results in patients with skeletal muscle or myocardial disorders. [/sup 125/I tracer technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyoshi, K.; Saito, S.; Kawai, H.; Kondo, A.; Iwasa, M.; Hayashi, T.; Yagita, M.

    1978-09-01

    A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay has been developed for the measurement of serum Mb. Immunization of rabbit with human Mb yielded anti-Mb antibody which was purified by affinity chromatography. Human hemoglobin, CK, and the component of serum per se did not appear to cross-react with the antibody. Mb was radiolabeled by the chloramine T method. The radioimmunoassay method could detect as little as 0.3 ng of Mb and was not affected by hemolysis. Information is also given on precision, recovery, and specimen preservation. Mb levels could be detected in all of 120 normal adults, and the values ranged between 1 and 28 ng/ml (mean, 13.1 +- 6.1). No sex difference was observed. Levels were markedly elevated in all the patients with progressive muscular dystrophy, especially in the Duchenne type at the level of 40 to 1700 ng/ml. It was also noticed that about 70% of female gene carriers of Duchenne type had a slightly increased Mb level. An elevated serum Mb was also noted in polymyositis. In every case of acute myocardial infarction, serum Mb levels were increased, peak values ranging from 175 to 4400 ng/ml and averaging 1162 +- 287.9 Mb levels were elevated faster and peaked earlier (within 6 to 12 hr after the attack) than serum CK activity and returned to nearly normal range within 3 to 4 days. The increase in serum Mb was also noticed in shock and surgery. These data indicate that radioimmunoassay of Mb is a useful test for judging the myolytic state of myogenic myopathies and for early detection of myocardial infarction.

  11. MIB-1 (KI-67) proliferation index and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) protein expression in nephroblastoma

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.A.I. Ghanem (Mazen); Th.H. van der Kwast (Theo); M.K. Sudaryo; R.B. Mathoera (Rejiv); M.M. van den Heuvel-Eibrink (Marry); A.A. Al-Doray; R.J.M. Nijman (Rien); G.J. van Steenbrugge (Gert Jan)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractPURPOSE: A number of studies have indicated that the tumor proliferation marker MIB-1 and cell cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1) expression are of prognostic importance in a variety of cancers. The present study was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of these

  12. The Search for Molecular Prognostic Markers of Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

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    V. M. Ibragimov

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to search for molecular prognostic markers of diabetic nephropathy (DN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. The study included 205 patients with T2DM and DN (stages 1 to 4. All patients were stratified by the MDRD equation. The control group included 30 healthy individuals. All T2DM patients were divided into 4 groups depending on the DN stages. Group 1 included 42 patients with DN-Stage 1 (prenephropathy, Group 2 included 48 patients with DN-Stage 2 (incipient nephropathy; Group 3 included 65 patients with DN-Stage 3 (overt nephropathy, and Group 4 included 50 patients with DN-Stage 4 (kidney failure. Molecular phenotyping of urine was processed with methods of proteomics: the prefractionation, the separation of proteins with standard sets (MB-HIC C8 Kit, MB-IMAC Cu, MB-Wax Kit, «Bruker», USA, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS/MS, Ultraflex II, «Bruker», USA. The data of the molecular interactions and functional features of proteins were received with STRING 10.0 database. Potentially new molecular markers of DN development were identified. The research into signaling pathways and the molecules that are involved in ECM formation may help in developing strategies to prevent DN.

  13. Experimental estimation of moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity of the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Rubens C. da; Bitelli, Ulysses D.; Mura, Luiz Ernesto C.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this article is to present the procedure for the experimental estimation of the Moderator Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity of the IPEN/MB-01 Research Reactor, a parameter that has an important role in the physics and the control operations of any reactor facility. At the experiment, the IPEN/MB-01 reactor went critical at the power of 1W (1% of its total power), and whose core configuration was 28 x 26 rectangular array of UO_2 fuel rods, inside a light water (moderator) tank. In addition, there was a heavy water (D_2O) reflector installed in the West side of the core to obtain an adequate neutron reflection along the experiment. The moderator temperature was increased in steps of 4 °C, and the measurement of the mean moderator temperature was acquired using twelve calibrated thermocouples, placed around the reactor core. As a result, the mean value of -4.81 pcm/°C was obtained for such coefficient. The curves of ρ(T) (Reactivity x Temperature) and α"M_T(T)(Moderator Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity x Temperature) were developed using data from an experimental measurement of the integral reactivity curves through the Stable Period and Inverse Kinetics Methods, that was carried out at the reactor with the same core configuration. Such curves were compared and showed a very similar behavior between them. (author)

  14. Cytotoxic effects of chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts of aerial parts of Cuscuta chinensis and Cuscuta epithymum on Hela, HT29 and MDA-MB-468 tumor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafarian, A; Ghannadi, A; Mohebi, B

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies have indicated that some species of Cuscuta possess anticancer activity on various cell lines. Due to the lack of detailed researches on the cytotoxic effects of Cuscuta chinensis and Cuscuta epithymum, the aim of the present study was to evaluate cytotoxic effects of chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts of these plants on the human breast carcinoma cell line (MDA-MB-468), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29) and human uterine cervical carcinoma (Hela). Using maceration method, different extracts of aerial parts of C. chinensis and C. epithymum were prepared. Extraction was performed using chloroform and ethanol/water (70/30). Total phenolic contents of the extracts were determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Using MTT assay, the cytotoxic activity of the extracts against HT29, Hela and MDA-MB-468 tumor cells was evaluated. Extracts were considered cytotoxic when more than 50% reduction on cell survival was observed. The poly-phenolic content of the hydroalcoholic and chloroform extracts of C. chinensis and C. epithymum were 56.08 ± 4.11, 21.49 ± 2.00, 10.64 ± 0.86 and 4.81 ± 0.38, respectively. Our findings showed that the chloroform extracts of C. chinensis and C. epithyum significantly reduced the viability of Hela, HT-29 and MDA-MB-468 cells. Also, hydroalcoholic extracts of C. chinensis significantly decreased the viability of HT29, Hela and MDA-MB-468 cells. However, in the case of hydroalcoholic extracts of C. epithymum only significant decrease in the viability of MDA-MB-468 cells was observed (IC50 = 340 μg/ml). From these findings it can be concluded that C. chinensis and C. epithymum are good candidates for further study to find new possible cytotoxic agents.

  15. Consistency of safety and efficacy of new oral anticoagulants across subgroups of patients with atrial fibrillation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Christophe Lega

    Full Text Available AIMS: The well-known limitations of vitamin K antagonists (VKA led to development of new oral anticoagulants (NOAC in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the consistency of treatment effects of NOAC irrespective of age, comorbidities, or prior VKA exposure. METHODS AND RESULTS: All randomized, controlled phase III trials comparing NOAC to VKA up to October 2012 were eligible provided their results (stroke/systemic embolism (SSE and major bleeding (MB were reported according to age (≤ or >75 years, renal function, CHADS2 score, presence of diabetes mellitus or heart failure, prior VKA use or previous cerebrovascular events. Interactions were considered significant at p <0.05. Three studies (50,578 patients were included, respectively evaluating apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran versus warfarin. A trend towards interaction with heart failure (p = 0.08 was observed with respect to SSE reduction, this being greater in patients not presenting heart failure (RR = 0.76 [0.67-0.86] than in those with heart failure (RR = 0.90 [0.78-1.04]; Significant interaction (p = 0.01 with CHADS2 score was observed, NOAC achieving a greater reduction in bleeding risk in patients with a score of 0-1 (RR 0.67 CI 0.57-0.79 than in those with a score ≥2 (RR 0.85 CI 0.74-0.98. Comparison of MB in patients with (RR 0.97 CI 0.79-1.18 and without (RR 0.76 CI 0.65-0.88 diabetes mellitus showed a similar trend (p = 0.06. No other interactions were found. All subgroups derived benefit from NOA in terms of SSE or MB reduction. CONCLUSIONS: NOAC appeared to be more effective and safer than VKA in reducing SSE or MB irrespective of patient comorbidities. Thromboembolism risk, evaluated by CHADS2 score and, to a lesser extent, diabetes mellitus modified the treatment effects of NOAC without complete loss of benefit with respect to MB reduction.

  16. Toward Joint Hypothesis-Tests Seismic Event Screening Analysis: Ms|mb and Event Depth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Dale [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Selby, Neil [AWE Blacknest

    2012-08-14

    Well established theory can be used to combine single-phenomenology hypothesis tests into a multi-phenomenology event screening hypothesis test (Fisher's and Tippett's tests). Commonly used standard error in Ms:mb event screening hypothesis test is not fully consistent with physical basis. Improved standard error - Better agreement with physical basis, and correctly partitions error to include Model Error as a component of variance, correctly reduces station noise variance through network averaging. For 2009 DPRK test - Commonly used standard error 'rejects' H0 even with better scaling slope ({beta} = 1, Selby et al.), improved standard error 'fails to rejects' H0.

  17. [A clinical evaluation of the increased serum myoglobin: creatine phosphokinase and lactic dehydrogenase in patients with thyroid disorders (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimoda, S I; Kasai, K

    1980-08-20

    Since muscle dysfunction is frequently associated with a hypothyroid state, many clinical reports have indicated that serum enzyme activities derived from the muscle such as creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transamynase (GOT) are elevated. These enzyme activities in the serum of hyperthyroidism, euthyroidism and hypothyrodism have been known to have a good inverse correlation with protein-bound iodine (PBI). Therefore, as part of a study of the relationship between thyroid states and muscle tissue, values of serum myoblobin (Mb) were measured by RIA. The values of Mb in untreated hyperthyroidism were significantly lower (P<0.01) and, in untreated hypothyroidism, Mb values were significantly higher (p<0.001) than in normal subjects. There was a significant inverse correlation (p<0.01) between T4 or T3 concentration and Mb levels in these subjects. The relationship found between either Mb and LDH or Mb and CPK was also studied in the present study, and it was found that Mb significantly correlated to both LDH and CPK (P<0.001). Abnormalities of these enzyme levels in serum returned to the normal range rapidly after the correction of the abnormal thyroid states in each patient.

  18. Withaferin A Induces ROS-Mediated Paraptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cell-Lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamalini Ghosh

    Full Text Available Advancement in cancer therapy requires a better understanding of the detailed mechanisms that induce death in cancer cells. Besides apoptosis, themode of other types of cell death has been increasingly recognized in response to therapy. Paraptosis is a non-apoptotic alternative form of programmed cell death, morphologically distinct from apoptosis and autophagy. In the present study, Withaferin-A (WA induced hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and formation of many cytoplasmic vesicles. This was due to progressive swelling and fusion of mitochondria and dilation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER, forming large vacuolar structures that eventually filled the cytoplasm in human breast cancer cell-lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. The level of indigenous paraptosis inhibitor, Alix/AIP-1 (Actin Interacting Protein-1 was down-regulated by WA treatment. Additionally, prevention of WA-induced cell death and vacuolation on co-treatment with protein-synthesis inhibitor indicated requirement of de-novo protein synthesis. Co-treatment with apoptosis inhibitor resulted in significant augmentation of WA-induced death in MCF-7 cells, while partial inhibition in MDA-MB-231 cells; implyingthat apoptosis was not solely responsible for the process.WA-mediated cytoplasmic vacuolationcould not be prevented by autophagy inhibitor wortmanninas well, claiming this process to be a non-autophagic one. Early induction of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Speciesby WA in both the cell-lines was observed. ROS inhibitorabrogated the effect of WA on: cell-death, expression of proliferation-associated factor andER-stress related proteins,splicing of XBP-1 (X Box Binding Protein-1 mRNA and formation of paraptotic vacuoles.All these results conclusively indicate thatWA induces deathin bothMCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines byROS-mediated paraptosis.

  19. Influence of iron and beryllium additions on heat resistance of silicide coatings on TsMB-30 molybdenum alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zajtseva, A.L.; Fedorchuk, N.M.; Lazarev, Eh.M.; Korotkov, N.A.

    1985-01-01

    Alloying of titanium modified silicide coatings on TsMB-30 molybdenum alloy with iron or beryllium is stated to improve their protective properties. Coatings with low content of alloying elements have the best protective properties. Service life of coatings is determined by the formed oxide film and phase transformations taking place in the coating

  20. Factors contributing to nonadherence to oral hypoglycemic medications among ambulatory type 2 diabetes patients in Southwestern Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adisa R

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The overall goal of the study was to evaluate the probable reasons for patients’ nonadherence to prescribed oral hypoglycemic medications in an ambulatory care setting in Nigeria with a view to identifying points for necessary intervention to improve adherence and treatment outcomes. Also, the recommended non-drug management options for diabetes patients with emphasis on self monitoring of blood glucose were assessed.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a 200-bed secondary health care facility in Southwestern Nigeria between 2nd April and 31st May 2008. Copies of pre-tested questionnaire were administered directly to 121 ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes at the study site. Information on socio-demographic characteristic, probable barriers that affect adherence to prescribed oral hypoglycemic medications, non-drug treatment options for diabetes, and patients’ self management efforts were obtained. Descriptive and chi-square statistics were used to evaluate the distribution of respondents’ opinion.Results: The response rate was almost 100%. The commonly cited intentional nonadherence practice included dose omission (70.2%. Almost 50% respondents were fed up with daily ingestion of drugs and 19.8% were inconvenienced with taking medications outside home and gave these as reasons for the dose omission. Forgetfulness (49.6% and high cost of medication (35.5% were mentioned as major non-intentional reasons for nonadherence. Aside oral medications, 82.6% and 95.0% of respondents respectively, reported moderate exercise and dietary restrictions as part of the prescribed treatment modalities. More than two third of respondents (81.8% had never monitored blood glucose by themselves. Significant association exist between sex, occupation and patients’ tendencies to forget doses of prescribed oral medications (p<0.05. Conclusion: Nonadherence behaviors among ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes occur mostly, as

  1. Mentha arvensis (Linn.-mediated green silver nanoparticles trigger caspase 9-dependent cell death in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells

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    Banerjee PP

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Prajna Paramita Banerjee,1 Arindam Bandyopadhyay,1 Singapura Nagesh Harsha,2 Rudragoud S Policegoudra,3 Shelley Bhattacharya,4 Niranjan Karak,2 Ansuman Chattopadhyay1 1Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, 2Advanced Polymer and Nanomaterial Laboratory, Department of Chemical Sciences, Center for Polymer Science and Technology, Tezpur University, Napaam, 3Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur, Assam, 4Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India Introduction: Leaf extract of Mentha arvensis or mint plant was used as reducing agent for the synthesis of green silver nanoparticles (GSNPs as a cost-effective, eco-friendly process compared to that of chemical synthesis. The existence of nanoparticles was characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, atomic-force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses, which ascertained the formation of spherical GSNPs with a size range of 3–9 nm. Anticancer activities against breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 were studied and compared with those of chemically synthesized (sodium borohydride [NaBH4]-mediated silver nanoparticles (CSNPs. Materials and methods: Cell survival of nanoparticle-treated and untreated cells was studied by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. Cell-cycle analyses were carried out using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Cell morphology was observed by fluorescence microscopy. Expression patterns of PARP1, P53, P21, Bcl2, Bax and cleaved caspase 9 as well as caspase 3 proteins in treated and untreated MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were studied by Western blot method. Results: MTT assay results showed that Mentha arvensis-mediated GSNPs

  2. Atopic dermatitis in West Highland white terriers is associated with a 1.3-Mb region on CFA 17.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Joana B; O'Leary, Caroline A; Duffy, David L; Kyaw-Tanner, Myat; Gharahkhani, Puya; Vogelnest, Linda; Mason, Kenneth; Shipstone, Michael; Latter, Melanie

    2012-03-01

    Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic inflammatory skin disease that shares similarities with AD in humans. Canine AD is likely to be an inherited disease in dogs and is common in West Highland white terriers (WHWTs). We performed a genome-wide association study using the Affymetrix Canine SNP V2 array consisting of over 42,800 single nucleotide polymorphisms, on 35 atopic and 25 non-atopic WHWTs. A gene-dropping simulation method, using SIB-PAIR, identified a projected 1.3 Mb area of association (genome-wide P = 6 × 10(-5) to P = 7 × 10(-4)) on CFA 17. Nineteen genes on CFA 17, including 1 potential candidate gene (PTPN22), were located less than 0.5 Mb from the interval of association identified on the genome-wide association analysis. Four haplotypes within this locus were differently distributed between cases and controls in this population of dogs. These findings suggest that a major locus for canine AD in WHWTs may be located on, or in close proximity to an area on CFA 17.

  3. Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) as an early diagnostic biomarker in patients with acute chest pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vupputuri, Anjith; Sekhar, Saritha; Krishnan, Sajitha; Venugopal, K; Natarajan, K U

    2015-01-01

    Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is an emerging biomarker, which was found to be sensitive for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We prospectively investigated the usefulness of H-FABP determination for the evaluation of acute chest pain in patients arriving at the emergency department. Fifty-four patients presenting with acute ischemic chest pain were evaluated. H-FABP was estimated at admission using latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay. Serial cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) determination, ischemia workup with stress testing, and/or coronary angiogram (CAG) were performed according to standard protocols. The sensitivity and specificity of H-FABP was 89.7% and 68%, for cTnI it was 62.1% and 100%, and for CK-MB it was 44.8% and 92%, respectively for diagnosis of AMI. The sensitivity of H-FABP was found to be far superior to initial cTnI and CK-MB, for those seen within 6h (100% vs. 46.1%, 33% respectively). On further evaluation of patients with positive H-FABP and negative cTnI, 71.4% of the patients had significant lesion on CAG, indicating ischemic cause of H-FABP elevation. Six patients with normal cTnI and CK-MB with high H-FABP had ST elevation on subsequent ECGs and were taken for primary angioplasty. H-FABP is a highly sensitive biomarker for the early diagnosis of AMI. H-FABP as early marker and cTnI as late marker would be the ideal combination to cover the complete diagnostic window for AMI. Detection of myocardial injury by H-FABP may also be applied in patients with unstable angina. H-FABP can also be used as a marker for early detection of STEMI before the ECG changes become apparent. Copyright © 2015 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of exosomes derived from MDA-MB-231 on proliferation of endothelial cells and the role of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuang LONG

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective  To investigate the effects of exosomes derived from breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 on proliferation of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs, and evaluate the role of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathway during the process. Methods  Exosomes were derived and purified from MDA-MB-231 by cryogenic ultracentrifugation and density gradient centrifugation. MTT assay was carried out for measurement of cell proliferation in HUVECs with exosome of 50, 100, 200 and 400μg/ml. The states of cell cycle of HUVECs co-cultured with 200μg/ml exosomes were detected by flow cytometry. The effects of 200μg/ml exosomes on the expression of ERK, Akt and phosphorylated ERK, Akt in HUVECs were detected with Western blotting. Results  Exosomes derived from MDA-MB-231 significantly promoted HUVECs proliferation in a classical time-and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry revealed that, co-cultured with 200μg/ml exosomes for 24h, S-phase cells in HUVECs increased, while G1/S phase cells in HUVECs decreased. Western blotting showed that, cocultured with 200μg/ml exosomes for 24h, 48h and 72h, the expressions of phosphorylated ERK and Akt were up-regulated in a time-dependent manner. Conclusion  Exosomes derived from breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 may promote HUVECs proliferation, the changes in cell cycle and the continuous activation of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathways may be the underlying mechanism.

  5. Experimental estimation of moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity of the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Rubens C. da; Bitelli, Ulysses D.; Mura, Luiz Ernesto C., E-mail: rubensrcs@usp.br, E-mail: ubitelli@ipen.br, E-mail: credidiomura@gmail.com [Universidade de Sao Paulo (PNV/POLI/USP), SP (Brazil). Arquitetura Naval e Departamento de Engenharia Oceanica; Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this article is to present the procedure for the experimental estimation of the Moderator Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity of the IPEN/MB-01 Research Reactor, a parameter that has an important role in the physics and the control operations of any reactor facility. At the experiment, the IPEN/MB-01 reactor went critical at the power of 1W (1% of its total power), and whose core configuration was 28 x 26 rectangular array of UO{sub 2} fuel rods, inside a light water (moderator) tank. In addition, there was a heavy water (D{sub 2}O) reflector installed in the West side of the core to obtain an adequate neutron reflection along the experiment. The moderator temperature was increased in steps of 4 °C, and the measurement of the mean moderator temperature was acquired using twelve calibrated thermocouples, placed around the reactor core. As a result, the mean value of -4.81 pcm/°C was obtained for such coefficient. The curves of ρ(T) (Reactivity x Temperature) and α{sup M}{sub T}(T)(Moderator Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity x Temperature) were developed using data from an experimental measurement of the integral reactivity curves through the Stable Period and Inverse Kinetics Methods, that was carried out at the reactor with the same core configuration. Such curves were compared and showed a very similar behavior between them. (author)

  6. Out-of-core detectors experiments in IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, Alfredo Y.; Fuga, Rinaldo; Mendonca, Arlindo Gilson; Moreira, Joao M.L.; Angioletto, Elcio; Fanaro, Leda Cristina C.B.; Jerez, Rogerio; Coelho, Paulo R. Pinto; Santos, Adimir dos; Silva, Graciete S. de A. e; Diniz, Ricardo

    2000-01-01

    In order to study the response of out-of-core detectors, 16 stainless steel plates, with 0.5 cm thickness, were placed at the core-reflector interface of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. BF 3 , 10 B and Au foil detectors were localized beyond the stainless steel plates in 7 different positions, one of them outside the moderator tank of the reactor for simulating a true PWR out-of-core detector. Calculations were performed for comparison with the experimental results with the TORT code, a three-dimensional transport theory discrete ordinate code. The experiment model utilized 16 energy groups, X-Y Z geometry, S 16 discrete ordinates and P 3 cross-sections. The obtained results showed a good agreement between measured and calculated reaction rates in Au foils. The larger discrepancy occurred for the case with 16 stainless steel with a 2,2% deviation. For position 7, outside of the moderator tank, the neutron flux was so low that it could not active the Au foils for the reaction rate measurements. (author)

  7. Characterization of inorganic phosphate transport in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo-Abrahão, Thais; Lacerda-Abreu, Marco Antônio; Gomes, Tainá; Cosentino-Gomes, Daniela; Carvalho-de-Araújo, Ayra Diandra; Rodrigues, Mariana Figueiredo; Oliveira, Ana Carolina Leal de; Rumjanek, Franklin David; Monteiro, Robson de Queiroz; Meyer-Fernandes, José Roberto

    2018-01-01

    Recent studies demonstrate that interstitial inorganic phosphate is significantly elevated in the breast cancer microenvironment as compared to normal tissue. In addition it has been shown that breast cancer cells express high levels of the NaPi-IIb carrier (SLC34A2), suggesting that this carrier may play a role in breast cancer progression. However, the biochemical behavior of inorganic phosphate (Pi) transporter in this cancer type remains elusive. In this work, we characterize the kinetic parameters of Pi transport in the aggressive human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and correlated Pi transport with cell migration and adhesion. We determined the influence of sodium concentration, pH, metabolic inhibitors, as well as the affinity for inorganic phosphate in Pi transport. We observed that the inorganic phosphate is dependent on sodium transport (K0,5 value = 21.98 mM for NaCl). Furthermore, the transport is modulated by different pH values and increasing concentrations of Pi, following the Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K0,5 = 0.08 mM Pi). PFA, monensin, furosemide and ouabain inhibited Pi transport, cell migration and adhesion. Taken together, these results showed that the uptake of Pi in MDA-MB-231 cells is modulated by sodium and by regulatory mechanisms of intracellular sodium gradient. General Significance: Pi transport might be regarded as a potential target for therapy against tumor progression.

  8. Impact of acute geriatric care in elderly patients according to the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment criteria in northern France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frély, Anne; Chazard, Emmanuel; Pansu, Aymeric; Beuscart, Jean-Baptiste; Puisieux, François

    2016-02-01

    In France, over 20% of hospitalizations of elderly people are a result of adverse drug events, of which 50% are considered preventable. Tools have been developed to detect inappropriate prescriptions. The Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) criteria are innovative and adapted to French prescriptions. This is one of the first French prospective studies to evaluate the impact of acute geriatric care on prescriptions at discharge in elderly patients using the STOPP/START criteria. The evaluation of prescriptions according to STOPP/START was carried out on admission and at discharge of patients in acute geriatric units at three hospitals in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, France. A total of 202 elderly hospitalized patients were included during the 4.5 months of the study (1.5 months per center). The mean number of drugs was seven on admission and at discharge. Over half of the prescriptions at admission contained at least one potentially inappropriate medication or one potential prescription omission. The prescriptions at discharge contained significantly fewer potentially inappropriate medications than prescriptions on admission (P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no difference between prescriptions at discharge in terms of potential prescription omissions. Acute geriatric hospitalization in France improves prescriptions in terms of potentially inappropriate medication, but has no impact on potential prescription omissions. Further studies must be carried out to see if STOPP/START could be used as a tool in French prescription. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  9. Effects of fish silage on growth and biochemical characteristics of fresh water microalga Scenedesmus sp. MB 23

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasmin Kaippilliparambil Abdulsamad

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Scenedesmus sp. MB 23 was cultivated in fish silage to study the effects of different concentrations on the growth and biochemical characteristics, particularly the protein, carbohydrate and lipid properties. Fish silage with 12% concentration was most effective for the growth and biomass production of Scenedesmus sp. The microalga reached maximum cell density (2433.89 × 104 cells/mL, chlorophyll-a concentration (2.766 μg/mL, specific growth rate (0.48/d and biomass (2.73 g/L on this medium. In mass culture, enhanced production of protein (123.87 mg/g dry weight of alga, carbohydrate (44.904 mg/g dry weight of alga and lipid (84.21 mg/g dry weight of alga was found using 9% fish silage. The effective reduction (up to 90% in the concentrations of nitrate, phosphorus and ammonia in the final fish silage medium proved the removal efficiency of Scenedesmus sp. The enhanced production of Scenedesmus sp. MB 23 indicated that effective bioremediation of fish waste can be conducted using algal mass production in fish silage. The study also proved that microalgae grown in fish silage have great industrial potential and can be used as a source of feed and biofuel.

  10. Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rose, Peter; Huang, Qing; Ong, Choon Nam; Whiteman, Matt

    2005-01-01

    A high dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a reduction in numerous human pathologies particularly cancer. In the current study, we examined the inhibitory effects of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and watercress (Rorripa nasturtium aquaticum) extracts on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced cancer cell invasion and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity using human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Aberrant overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases, including metalloproteinase-9, is associated with increased invasive potential in cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrate that extracts of broccoli and Rorripa suppressed TPA-induced MMP-9 activity and invasiveness in a concentration dependant manner as determined by zymographic analysis. Furthermore, fractionation of individual extracts followed by liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis (LC-MS) revealed that the inhibitory effects of each vegetable were associated with the presence of 4-methysulfinylbutyl (sulforaphane) and 7-methylsulphinylheptyl isothiocyanates. Taken together, our data indicate that isothiocyanates derived form broccoli and Rorripa inhibit metalloproteinase 9 activities and also suppress the invasive potential of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro. The inhibitory effects observed in the current study may contribute to the suppression of carcinogenesis by diets high in cruciferous vegetables

  11. Development and application of graphite-SiO2/Al2O3/Nb2O5-methylene blue (GRP-SiAlNb-MB composite for electrochemical determination of dopamine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana de Fátima Giarola

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present paper an amperometric sensor based on graphite-SiO2/Al2O3/Nb2O5-methylene blue (GRP-SiAlNb-MB composite has been successfully prepared for dopamine (DA determination in real samples. The electrochemical behavior of DA at the GRP-SiAlNb-MB has been evaluated by employing cyclic voltammetry. The best ratio (m/m of GRP-SiAlNb-MB composite was found to be 1:0.54. Under optimized conditions (pH 7.5 in 0.15 mol L−1 phosphate buffer the amperometry method responds linearly to DA from 5.0 up to 500.0 μmol L−1 (r = 0.995 with limits of detection and quantification of 1.49 and 4.97 μmol L−1, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for DA determination in real samples of pharmaceutical formulations and can be used for routine quality control analysis of pharmaceutical formulations containing DA. The use of inorganic matrix SiAlNb was found to be very useful to adsorb MB in the composite material with further improvement of the anodic peak current of DA.

  12. Improved Laccase Production by Trametes pubescens MB89 in Distillery Wastewaters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. J. Strong

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Various culture parameters were optimised for laccase synthesis by Trametes pubescens MB89, including pH, carbon source, nitrogen source, lignocellulosic supplements, and reported inducers. Glucose, in conjunction with a complex nitrogen source at pH 5.0, resulted in the highest laccase yield. Adding ethanol, copper, or 2,5-xylidine prior to inoculation further improved laccase concentrations. The addition of 2,5-xylidine was further investigated with multiple additions applied at varying times. This novel application substantially improved laccase production when applied regularly from inoculation and during the growth phase, and also countered glucose repression of laccase synthesis. Single and multiple factor changes were studied in three distillery wastewaters and a wine lees. A synergistic increase in laccase synthesis was observed with the addition of glucose, copper, and 2,5-xylidine. Single addition of 2,5-xylidine proved most beneficial with distillery wastewaters, while copper addition was most beneficial when using the wine lees as a culture medium.

  13. Advancing bioluminescence imaging technology for the evaluation of anticancer agents in the MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc mammary fat pad and subrenal capsule tumor models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cathy; Yan, Zhengming; Arango, Maria E; Painter, Cory L; Anderes, Kenna

    2009-01-01

    Tumors grafted s.c. or under the mammary fat pad (MFP) rarely develop efficient metastasis. By applying bioluminescence imaging (BLI) technology, the MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc subrenal capsule (SRC) model was compared with the MFP model for disease progression, metastatic potential, and response to therapy. The luciferase-expressing MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc cell line was used in both MFP and SRC models. BLI technology allowed longitudinal assessment of disease progression and the therapeutic response to PD-0332991, Avastin, and docetaxel. Immunohistochemical analysis of Ki67 and CD31 staining in the primary tumors was compared in these models. Caliper measurement was used in the MFP model to validate the BLI quantification of primary tumors. The primary tumors in MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc MFP and SRC models displayed comparable growth rates and vascularity. However, tumor-bearing mice in the SRC model developed lung metastases much earlier (4 weeks) than in the MFP model (>7 weeks), and the metastatic progression contributed significantly to the survival time. In the MFP model, BLI and caliper measurements were comparable for quantifying palpable tumors, but BLI offered an advantage for detecting the primary tumors that fell below a palpable threshold and for visualizing metastases. In the SRC model, BLI allowed longitudinal assessment of the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of PD-0332991, Avastin, and docetaxel, and the results correlated with the survival benefits of these agents. The MDA-MB-435-HAL-Luc SRC model and the MFP model displayed differences in disease progression. BLI is an innovative approach for developing animal models and creates opportunities for improving preclinical evaluations of anticancer agents.

  14. Deficiência nutricional em plântulas de feijão-de-corda decorrente da omissão de macro e micronutrientes Nutritional deficiency in cowpea seedlings due to omission of macro and micronutrients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael de Souza Miranda

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available O feijão-de-corda [Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp] cv. Pitiúba é uma importante cultura nos âmbitos econômico e social do Nordeste do Brasil, especialmente no Estado do Ceará, que é considerado o maior produtor desta região. Com a finalidade de caracterizar os sintomas de deficiências nutricionais em plântulas de feijão-de-corda, as sementes foram semeadas em areia exaustivamente lavada e, após um período de cinco dias, as plântulas foram transferidas para uma solução nutritiva completa para o período de aclimatação. Após três dias, as plântulas foram submetidas aos diferentes tratamentos. O experimento teve os seguintes tratamentos: solução nutritiva completa (N; P; K; Ca; Mg; S e micronutrientes e omissão individual de cada elemento -N; -P; -K; -Ca; -Mg; -S; -B; -Fe, bem como ausência de aeração. Os sintomas das deficiências foram observados, caracterizados e registrados por fotografias. No final do experimento, as medidas de comprimento e os teores de matérias fresca e seca das raízes e parte aérea das plântulas foram analisados. Todos os macros e micronutrientes causaram sintomas de deficiência e afetaram o desenvolvimento das plântulas. Os sintomas foram desenvolvidos primeiramente em plântulas com carência em Fe, Ca e N. A matéria seca total foi reduzida em todos os tratamentos com ausência de nutrientes. A ausência de Ca, N e Fe foi responsável por uma maior redução da biomassa. A ordem decrescente de redução foi a seguinte: Ca > N > Fe > P > K > Mg > S > Aeração > B > Completo.The Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp] cv. Pitiúba is an important crop in the economic and social contexts in the Northeast of Brazil, especially in the state of Ceará, which is considered the largest producer of this region. With the purpose of characterizing the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies in Cowpea seedlings, the seeds were sowed in washed sand and, after a period of five days, the seedlings were

  15. Physical and transcription map of a 25 Mb region on human chromosome 7 (region q21-q22)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scherer, S. [Univ. of Toronto (Canada)]|[Hosptial for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada); Little, S.; Vandenberg, A. [Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    We are interested in the q21-q22 region of chromosome 7 because of its implication in a number of diseases. This region of about 25 Mb appears to be involved in ectrodactyly/ectodermal dysplasia/cleft plate (EEC) and split hand/split foot deformity (SHFD1), as well as myelodysplastic syndrome and acute non-lymphocyte leukemia. In order to identify the genes responsible for these and other diseases, we have constructed a physical map of this region. The proximal and distal boundaries of the region were operationally defined by the microsatellite markers D7S660 and D7S692, which are about 35 cM apart. This region between these two markers could be divided into 13 intervals on the basis of chromosome breakpoints contained in somatic cell hybrids. The map positions for 43 additional microsatellite markers and 25 cloned genes were determined with respect to these intervals. A physical map based on contigs of over 250 YACs has also been assembled. While the contigs encompass all of the known genetic markers mapped to the region and almost cover the entire 25-Mb region, there are 3 gaps on the map. One of these gaps spans a set of DNA markers for which no corresponding YAC clones could be identified. To connect the two adjacent contigs we have initiated cosmid walking with a chromosome 7-specific library (Lawrence Livermore Laboratory). A tiling path of 60 contiguous YAC clones has been assembled and used for direct cDNA selection. Over 300 cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized. They are being grouped into transcription units by Northern blot analysis and screening of full-length cDNA libraries. Further, exon amplification and direct cDNA library screening with evolutionarily conserved sequences are being performed for a 1-Mb region spanning the SHFD1 locus to ensure detection of all transcribed sequences.

  16. The reflector effect on the neutron lifetimes in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonnelli, Eduardo

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to present the reflector effect on the neutron lifetimes in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. The proposed method requires an approach which takes into account both the reflector and the core, so that the point kinetics equations, which constitute the theoretical basis of all mathematical development, contemplate both regions of the reactor. From these equations, as known as two regions kinetics point equations, theoretical expressions are obtained for the Auto Power Spectral Densities (APSD), which are used for least squares fit of the experimental data of APSD obtained in several subcritical states. The prompt neutron generation time, the neutron lifetimes in the reflector and the neutron return fraction from the reflector to the core are derived from the fitting. (author)

  17. MbT-Tool: An open-access tool based on Thermodynamic Electron Equivalents Model to obtain microbial-metabolic reactions to be used in biotechnological process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araujo, Pablo Granda; Gras, Anna; Ginovart, Marta

    2016-01-01

    Modelling cellular metabolism is a strategic factor in investigating microbial behaviour and interactions, especially for bio-technological processes. A key factor for modelling microbial activity is the calculation of nutrient amounts and products generated as a result of the microbial metabolism. Representing metabolic pathways through balanced reactions is a complex and time-consuming task for biologists, ecologists, modellers and engineers. A new computational tool to represent microbial pathways through microbial metabolic reactions (MMRs) using the approach of the Thermodynamic Electron Equivalents Model has been designed and implemented in the open-access framework NetLogo. This computational tool, called MbT-Tool (Metabolism based on Thermodynamics) can write MMRs for different microbial functional groups, such as aerobic heterotrophs, nitrifiers, denitrifiers, methanogens, sulphate reducers, sulphide oxidizers and fermenters. The MbT-Tool's code contains eighteen organic and twenty inorganic reduction-half-reactions, four N-sources (NH4 (+), NO3 (-), NO2 (-), N2) to biomass synthesis and twenty-four microbial empirical formulas, one of which can be determined by the user (CnHaObNc). MbT-Tool is an open-source program capable of writing MMRs based on thermodynamic concepts, which are applicable in a wide range of academic research interested in designing, optimizing and modelling microbial activity without any extensive chemical, microbiological and programing experience.

  18. Effects of Urtica dioica dichloromethane extract on cell apoptosis and related gene expression in human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-468).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, A; Mansoori, B; Goldar, S; Shanehbandi, D; Khaze, V; Mohammadnejad, L; Baghbani, E; Baradaran, B

    2016-02-29

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in worldwide, especially in developing countries. Therefore, a large number of anticancer agents with herbal origins have been reported against this deadly disease. This study is the first to examine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Urtica dioica in MDA-MB-468, human breast adenocarcinoma cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylethiazol-2 yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) reduction and trypan-blue exclusion assay were performed in MDA-MB-468 cells as well as control cell line L929 to analyze the cytotoxic activity of the dichloromethane extract. In addition, Apoptosis induction of Urtica dioica on the MDA-MB-468 cells was assessed using TUNEL (terminal deoxy transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick- end labeling) assay and DNA fragmentation analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that the extract significantly inhibited cell growth and viability without inducing damage to normal control cells. Nuclei Staining in TUNEL and DNA fragments in DNA fragmentation assay and increase in the mRNA expression levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, decrease in the bcl2 and no significant change in the caspase-8 mRNA expression level, showed that the induction of apoptosis was the main mechanism of cell death that induce by Urtica dioica extract. Our results suggest that urtica dioica dichloromethane extract may contain potential bioactive compound(s) for the treatment of breast adenocarcinoma.

  19. Neutron lifetimes behavior analysis considering the two-region kinetic model in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonnelli, Eduardo; Diniz, Ricardo [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP Travessa R-400, 05508-900, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo (Brazil)

    2014-11-11

    This is a complementary work about the behavior analysis of the neutron lifetimes that was developed in the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor facility. The macroscopic neutron noise technique was experimentally employed using pulse mode detectors for two stages of control rods insertion, where a total of twenty levels of subcriticality have been carried out. It was also considered that the neutron reflector density was treated as an additional group of delayed neutrons, being a sophisticated approach in the two-region kinetic theoretical model.

  20. Neutron lifetimes behavior analysis considering the two-region kinetic model in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonnelli, Eduardo; Diniz, Ricardo

    2014-01-01

    This is a complementary work about the behavior analysis of the neutron lifetimes that was developed in the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor facility. The macroscopic neutron noise technique was experimentally employed using pulse mode detectors for two stages of control rods insertion, where a total of twenty levels of subcriticality have been carried out. It was also considered that the neutron reflector density was treated as an additional group of delayed neutrons, being a sophisticated approach in the two-region kinetic theoretical model

  1. International open trial of uniform multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy patients: Findings & implications for national leprosy programmes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manickam, Ponnaiah; Mehendale, Sanjay M; Nagaraju, Bathyala; Katoch, Kiran; Jamesh, Abdul; Kutaiyan, Ramalingam; Jianping, Shen; Mugudalabetta, Shivakumar; Jadhav, Vitthal; Rajkumar, Prabu; Padma, Jayasree; Kaliaperumal, Kanagasabai; Pannikar, Vijayakumar; Krishnamurthy, Padabettu; Gupte, Mohan D

    2016-10-01

    Uniform therapy for all leprosy patients will simplify leprosy treatment. In this context, we evaluated six-month multidrug therapy (MDT) currently recommended for multibacillary (MB) patients as uniform MDT (U-MDT) in a single-arm open trial under programme conditions. Primary objective was to determine efficacy to prevent five-year cumulative five per cent relapse. Secondary objectives were to assess acceptability, safety and compliance. Newly detected, treatment-naive leprosy patients were enrolled in India (six sites) and P. R. China (two sites). Primary outcome was clinically confirmed relapse of occurrence of one or more new skin patches consistent with leprosy, without evidence of reactions post-treatment. Event rates per 100 person years as well as five-year cumulative risk of relapse, were calculated. A total of 2091 paucibacillary (PB) and 1298 MB leprosy patients were recruited from the 3437 patients screened. Among PB, two relapsed (rate=0.023; risk=0.11%), eight had suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (rate=0.79) and rate of new lesions due toreactions was 0.24 (n=23). Rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 0.39 (n=37), 0.54 (n=51) and 0.03 (n=3), respectively. Among MB, four relapsed (rate=0.07; risk=0.37%) and 16 had suspected ADR (rate=2.64). Rate of new lesions due to reactions among MB was 1.34 (n=76) and rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 1.37 (n=78), 2.01 (n=114) and 0.49 (n=28), respectively. Compliance to U-MDT was 99 per cent. Skin pigmentation due to clofazimine was of short duration and acceptable. We observed low relapse, minimal ADR and other adverse clinical events. Clofazimine-related pigmentation was acceptable. Evidence supports introduction of U-MDT in national leprosy programmes. [CTRI No: 2012/ 05/ 002696].

  2. Differentially expressed proteins in ER+ MCF7 and ER- MDA- MB-231 human breast cancer cells by RhoGDI-α silencing and overexpression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooshmand, Somayeh; Ghaderi, Abbas; Yusoff, Khatijah; Thilakavathy, Karuppiah; Rosli, Rozita; Mojtahedi, Zahra

    2014-01-01

    The consequence of Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (RhoGDIα) activity on migration and invasion of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and negative (ER-) breast cancer cells has not been studied using the proteomic approach. Changes in expression of RhoGDIα and other proteins interacting directly or indirectly with RhoGDIα in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, with different metastatic potentials is of particular interest. ER+ MCF7 and ER- MDA-MB-231 cell lines were subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and spots of interest were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of- flight/time- of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis after downregulation of RhoGDIα using short interfering RNA (siRNA) and upregulated using GFP-tagged ORF clone of RhoGDIα. The results showed a total of 35 proteins that were either up- or down-regulated in these cells. Here we identifed 9 and 15 proteins differentially expressed with silencing of RhoGDIα in MCF-7 and the MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. In addition, 10 proteins were differentially expressed in the upregulation of RhoGDIα in MCF7, while only one protein was identified in the upregulation of RhoGDIα in MDA-MB-231. Based on the biological functions of these proteins, the results revealed that proteins involved in cell migration are more strongly altered with RhoGDI-α activity. Although several of these proteins have been previously indicated in tumorigenesis and invasiveness of breast cancer cells, some ohave not been previously reported to be involved in breast cancer migration. Hence, these proteins may serve as useful candidate biomarkers for tumorigenesis and invasiveness of breast cancer cells. Future studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which these proteins regulate cell migration. The combination of RhoGDIα with other potential biomarkers may be a more promising approach in the inhibition of breast cancer cell migration.

  3. Improvement in Patient Transfer Process From the Operating Room to the PICU Using a Lean and Six Sigma-Based Quality Improvement Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleich, Stephen J; Nemergut, Michael E; Stans, Anthony A; Haile, Dawit T; Feigal, Scott A; Heinrich, Angela L; Bosley, Christopher L; Tripathi, Sandeep

    2016-08-01

    Ineffective and inefficient patient transfer processes can increase the chance of medical errors. Improvements in such processes are high-priority local institutional and national patient safety goals. At our institution, nonintubated postoperative pediatric patients are first admitted to the postanesthesia care unit before transfer to the PICU. This quality improvement project was designed to improve the patient transfer process from the operating room (OR) to the PICU. After direct observation of the baseline process, we introduced a structured, direct OR-PICU transfer process for orthopedic spinal fusion patients. We performed value stream mapping of the process to determine error-prone and inefficient areas. We evaluated primary outcome measures of handoff error reduction and the overall efficiency of patient transfer process time. Staff satisfaction was evaluated as a counterbalance measure. With the introduction of the new direct OR-PICU patient transfer process, the handoff communication error rate improved from 1.9 to 0.3 errors per patient handoff (P = .002). Inefficiency (patient wait time and non-value-creating activity) was reduced from 90 to 32 minutes. Handoff content was improved with fewer information omissions (P improved among nearly all PICU providers. By using quality improvement methodology to design and implement a new direct OR-PICU transfer process with a structured multidisciplinary verbal handoff, we achieved sustained improvements in patient safety and efficiency. Handoff communication was enhanced, with fewer errors and content omissions. The new process improved efficiency, with high staff satisfaction. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  4. Measurement of β/Λ ratio and calibration of IPEN-MB-01 power reactor using the noise technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, F.R.; Moreira, J.M.L.

    1989-01-01

    The ratio β/Λ and power level for the IPEN-MB-01 critical facility are obtained experimentally through the noise analysis technique. This techniques is based on the determination of the auto and cross-power spectral density of two ionization chambers. The power measurement results obtained for channels 5 and 6 are shown in Table 2. For an effective neutron fraction of 0.00788 a prompt mean generation time of 65 microseconds was obtained. (author) [pt

  5. Phenolic Fractions from Muscadine Grape "Noble" Pomace can Inhibit Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231 Better than those from European Grape "Cabernet Sauvignon" and Induce S-Phase Arrest and Apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jianming; Wei, Zheng; Zhang, Shengyu; Peng, Xichun; Huang, Yu; Zhang, Yali; Lu, Jiang

    2017-05-01

    Tons of grape pomace which still contained a rich amount of plant polyphenols, is discarded after winemaking. Plant polyphenols have multi-functional activities for human body. In this study, polyphenols of pomaces from Muscadinia rotundifolia "Noble" and Vitis vinifera "Cabernet Sauvignon" were extracted and fractionated, and then they were analyzed with LC-MS and the inhibitory effects on breast cancer cells were compared. The inhibition on MDA-MB-231 cells of fractions from "Noble" was further evaluated. The results showed that polyphenols from 2 grape pomaces could be separated into 3 fractions, and ellagic acid and/or ellagitannins were only detected in fractions from "Noble" pomace. All 3 fractions from "Noble" pomace inhibited MDA-MB-231 better than MCF-7. But fraction 2 from "Cabernet Sauvignon" inhibited MCF-7 better while fraction 1 and fraction 3 inhibited both 2 cells similarly. Moreover, the fractions from "Noble" pomace rather than "Cabernet Sauvignon" can inhibit MDA-MB-231 better. Finally, fractions from "Noble" pomace can induce S-phase arrest and apoptosis on MDA-MB-231. These findings suggested the extracts from grape pomace especially those from "Noble," are potential to be utilized as health beneficial products or even anti-breast cancer agents. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  6. Experimental determination of spectral indices by scanning of fuel rod in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fanaro, Leda Cristina Cabelo Bernardes

    2009-01-01

    In this work, the spectral indexes 28ρ * and 25δ * , and gamma efficiency factor in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor were determined experimentally employing a rod scanning technique. In the case of 28ρ * , this method has the advantage of eliminating most of the correction factors derived from the calculations. Only the fission yield factor and the relative fission rate in the 235 U remain in the determination of the 25δ * . The experiments were performed with different thicknesses of cadmium sleeves: 0.55 mm, 1.10 mm and 2.20 mm. The final experimental uncertainty achieved in the experiment, less that 1 %, and the excellent geometrical and material data characterization of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor allow to use the results as benchmark for validate calculation methods and related nuclear data libraries. The comparison between calculated values and experimental values was performed by employing the MCNP-5 code and the nuclear data libraries: ENDF/B-VI.8, ENDF/B-VII.0, JENDL-3.3 and JEFF-3.1. The results demonstrate that the difference among libraries is very small. Also, the comparison between calculated values and experimental values shows that there has been considerable progress in the recent nuclear data libraries. The best result is obtained with ENDF/B-VII.0 nuclear data library, and the highest discrepancy was obtained with JEFF-3.1 and JENDL-3.3 nuclear data libraries. (author)

  7. DIAGNOSTIC EFFICACY OF CARDIAC TROPONIN-T IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENTS ADMITTED IN INTENSIVE CARDIAC CARE UNIT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tapan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Myocardial infarction is a common and severe manifestation of ischaemic heart disease (IHD. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI is the result of death of heart muscle cells following either from a prolonged or severe ischaemia. The World Health Organisation emphasises IHD as our "Modern Epidemic" and AMI as common cause of sudden death. AIM The present study has been undertaken with the aim to assess the role of cardiac Troponin-T in early diagnosis of AMI and to evaluate its positive roles over CK-MB and LDH enzyme assays. The study also aims to find out the role of cardiac Troponin-T test, where ECG changes are nondiagnostic and inconclusive for AMI. MATERIAL & METHOD One hundred cases of provisionally diagnosed AMI, who were admitted during June 2012 to July 2015 in ICC Unit of TMC & Dr. BRAM Teaching Hospital, formed the subjects for the study. Those patients reported 2 to 10 hours after onset of chest pain were included in this study. Patients reported beyond 10 hours after onset of chest pain of AMI cases and patients having chest pain of non-AMI causes are excluded from the study. The provisional diagnosis of AMI was done on the basis of the history, chest pain, clinical findings and ECG changes. Trop-T test (Troponin-T sensitive rapid test by Muller Bardoff, et al, 1991 as well as CK-MB (creatine kinase-MB isoenzymeassays were performed immediately for each and every patient. Trop-T test was repeated in some selective cases where the early changes were insignificant and the results were compared with those of CK-MB, at different period of the disease onset. RESULTS The rapid cardiac Troponin-T test (CTn-T has 100% specificity for AMI whereas CK-MB and LDH have specificities of 80% and 60% respectively. The CTn-T has diagnostic efficiency of 92% for AMI but ECG has only 69% sensitivity and 80% specificity. The overall diagnostic efficacy of cardiac Troponin-T is higher than that of CK-MB, LDH and ECG (94% versus 92%, 91 % and 72

  8. Glycoprotein CD44 expression in normal, hyperplasic and neoplastic endometrium. An immunohistochemical study including correlations with p53, steroid receptor status and proliferative indices (PCNA, MIB1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zagorianakou, N; Ioachim, E; Mitselou, A; Kitsou, E; Zagorianakou, P; Stefanaki, S; Makrydimas, G; Agnantis, N J

    2003-01-01

    We have studied by immunohistochemistry the presence and localization of CD44, estrogen and progesterone receptors, p53 and proliferative associated indices (MIB1, PCNA) in archival endometrial tissue, in order to determine their diagnostic and prognostic value as well as the possible correlations between them. We examined 186 samples of endometrial tissue (100 endometrial carcinomas of endometrioid type, 40 cases of hyperplasia and 46 of normal endometrium). Patient records were examined for FIGO stage, grade, and depth of myometrial invasion, histology, and lympho-vascular space invasion. Strong membranous immunostaining (> 10% of neoplastic cells) was observed in 45% of the carcinomas. A statistically significant correlation was found in the expression of protein in stromal cells, when compared with epithelial cells (p failed to show any statistical correlation with tumor grade or with vessel invasion. The expression of the protein was lower in FIGO Stage II compared with Stage I (p = 0.03). A positive relation of CD44 expression with progesterone receptor status (p = 0.02) was detected. CD44 expression was also positively associated with the proliferation associated with the proliferative index MIB1 (p = 0.001). CD44 is closely related to the secretory phase of the normal menstrual cycle and its expression is decreased in hyperplasia (simple or complex with or without atypia) and in cancer cases. These observations suggest that decreased CD44 expression might be functionally involved in the multiple mechanisms of the development and progression of endometrial lesions.

  9. Interrelation of androgen receptor and miR-30a and miR-30a function in ER-, PR-, AR+ MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Shuhua; Liu, Han; Liu, Xia; Liu, Shan; Wang, Yahong; Yu, Qi; Niu, Yun

    2017-10-01

    The association between androgen-induced androgen receptor (AR) activating signal and microRNA (miR)-30a was investigated, as well as the function of miR-30a in estrogen receptor-negative (ER - ), progesterone receptor-negative (PR - ), and AR-positive (AR + ) MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. Androgen-induced AR activating signal upregulated the expression of AR, and downregulated the expression of miR-30a, b and c. Bioinformatics analysis indicated a putative miR-30a, b and c binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of AR mRNA. It was confirmed that the AR gene is a direct target of miR-30a, whereas AR does not target the miR-30a promoter, and AR activating signal may indirectly downregulate miR-30a through other cell signaling pathways. In this positive feedback mechanism AR is then upregulated through miR-30a. Overexpression of miR-30a inhibited cell proliferation, whereas inhibition of miR-30a expression by specific antisense oligonucleotides, increased cell growth. Previously, androgen-induced AR activating signal was demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation in ER - , PR - and AR + MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells, but AR activating signal downregulated the expression of miR-30a, relieving the inhibition of MDA-MB-453 cell growth. Therefore, in MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells, miR-30a has two different functions regarding cell growth: Inhibition of cell proliferation through a positive feedback signaling pathway; and the relative promotion of cell proliferation through downregulation of miR-30a. Thus, the association between AR activating signal and microRNAs is complex, and microRNAs may possess different functions due to different signaling pathways. Although the results of the present study were obtained in one cell line, they contribute to subsequent studies on ER - , PR - and AR + breast cancer.

  10. A 1.7-Mb YAC contig around the human BDNF gene (11p13): integration of the physical, genetic, and cytogenetic maps in relation to WAGR syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosier, M.F.; Martin, A.; Houlgatte, R. [Genetique Moleculaire et Biologie du Development, Villejuif (France)] [and others

    1994-11-01

    WAGR (Wilms tumor, aniridia, genito-urinary abnormalities, mental retardation) syndrome in humans is associated with deletions of the 11p13 region. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene maps to this region, and its deletion seems to contribute to the severity of the patient`s mental retardation. Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) carrying the BDNF gene have been isolated and characterized. Localization of two known exons of this gene leads to a minimal estimation of its size of about 40 kb. Chimerism of the BDNF YACs has been investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization and chromosome assignment on somatic cell hybrids. Using the BDNF gene, YAC end sequence tagged sites (STS), and Genethon microsatellite markers, the authors constructed a 1.7-Mb contig and refined the cytogenetic map at 11p13. The resulting integrated physical, genetic, and cytogenetic map constitutes a resource for the characterization of genes that may be involved in the WAGR syndrome. 42 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.

  11. Calculation of self-shielding coefficients, flux depression and cadmium factor for thermal neutron flux measurement of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, Andre Luis Ferreira; Ting, Daniel Kao Sun; Mendonca, Arlindo Gilson

    1996-01-01

    A calculation methodology of Flux Depression, Self-Shielding and Cadmium Factors is presented, using the ANISN code, for experiments conducted at the IPEN/MB-01 Research Reactor. The correction factors were determined considering thermal neutron flux and 0.125 e 0.250 mm diameter of 197 Au wires. (author)

  12. Proximal 21q deletion as a result of a de novo unbalanced t(12;21) translocation in a patient with dysmorphic features, hepatomegaly, thick myocardium and delayed psychomotor development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jespersgaard, Cathrine; Damgaard, Ida N; Cornelius, Nanna

    2016-01-01

    of the region from 32.3 Mb to 37.1 Mb was more crucial than the deletion of other regions. CASE PRESENTATION: In this study we describe a female patient with dysmorphic features, hepatomegaly, thick myocardium and psychomotor delay. Conventional karyotyping was initially interpreted as full monosomy 21...

  13. DiSCaMB: a software library for aspherical atom model X-ray scattering factor calculations with CPUs and GPUs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chodkiewicz, Michał L; Migacz, Szymon; Rudnicki, Witold; Makal, Anna; Kalinowski, Jarosław A; Moriarty, Nigel W; Grosse-Kunstleve, Ralf W; Afonine, Pavel V; Adams, Paul D; Dominiak, Paulina Maria

    2018-02-01

    It has been recently established that the accuracy of structural parameters from X-ray refinement of crystal structures can be improved by using a bank of aspherical pseudoatoms instead of the classical spherical model of atomic form factors. This comes, however, at the cost of increased complexity of the underlying calculations. In order to facilitate the adoption of this more advanced electron density model by the broader community of crystallographers, a new software implementation called DiSCaMB , 'densities in structural chemistry and molecular biology', has been developed. It addresses the challenge of providing for high performance on modern computing architectures. With parallelization options for both multi-core processors and graphics processing units (using CUDA), the library features calculation of X-ray scattering factors and their derivatives with respect to structural parameters, gives access to intermediate steps of the scattering factor calculations (thus allowing for experimentation with modifications of the underlying electron density model), and provides tools for basic structural crystallographic operations. Permissively (MIT) licensed, DiSCaMB is an open-source C++ library that can be embedded in both academic and commercial tools for X-ray structure refinement.

  14. Correlation between therapy and lipid profile of leprosy patients: is there a higher risk for developing cardiovascular diseases after treatment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Rosalba V G; de Araújo, Rafael S; Aarão, Tinara L S; da Silva Costa, Paulo Diovanne; Sousa, Jorge R; Quaresma, Juarez A S

    2017-05-01

    The impact of leprosy reduces health-related quality of life of affected patients, interfering with different factors such as nutrition. This study investigated the lipid profile, nutritional status, and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients who underwent leprosy treatment in Brazil. Eighty-four adult patients of both genders ranging in age from 20 to 60 years and diagnosed with paucibacillary (PB) or multibacillary (MB) leprosy were selected after undergoing multidrug treatment. The following data were collected: sociodemographic and clinical data; food intake; anthropometric measures (weight, height, and waist circumference); and lipid profile components (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-c], and triglycerides). Among the study population, there was a predominance of males (65.48%) aged 50 to 60 years, patients with an income of 248-496 American dollars (63.10%), patients who completed elementary school (65.48%), inactive patients (76.19%), non-smokers (46.43%), and non-drinking patients (69.05%). The levels (mean ± standard deviation) of total cholesterol were 193.8 ± 29.4 mg/dL in the PB form and 203.5 ± 41.7 mg/dL in the MB form. The mean LDL-c was 116.9 ± 22.7 mg/dL in PB patients and 121 ± 31.3 mg/dL in MB patients. Mean triglyceride levels were 123.4 ± 45.2 mg/dL in the PB form and 147.4 ± 88.9 mg/dL in the MB form. The evaluation of nutritional status showed that 41.67% of the patients were eutrophic, while 55.96% had excess weight. Food intake was significantly associated with HDL-c in male patients (P = 0.0264) and with triglycerides in patients above the ideal weight (P = 0.0049). The risk of acquiring CVDs was observed to be high due to patients' excess weight and increased waist circumference. This study will guide clinicians in the adequate treatment of patients with leprosy in order to avoid adverse cardiovascular

  15. MbT-Tool: An open-access tool based on Thermodynamic Electron Equivalents Model to obtain microbial-metabolic reactions to be used in biotechnological process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Araujo Granda

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Modelling cellular metabolism is a strategic factor in investigating microbial behaviour and interactions, especially for bio-technological processes. A key factor for modelling microbial activity is the calculation of nutrient amounts and products generated as a result of the microbial metabolism. Representing metabolic pathways through balanced reactions is a complex and time-consuming task for biologists, ecologists, modellers and engineers. A new computational tool to represent microbial pathways through microbial metabolic reactions (MMRs using the approach of the Thermodynamic Electron Equivalents Model has been designed and implemented in the open-access framework NetLogo. This computational tool, called MbT-Tool (Metabolism based on Thermodynamics can write MMRs for different microbial functional groups, such as aerobic heterotrophs, nitrifiers, denitrifiers, methanogens, sulphate reducers, sulphide oxidizers and fermenters. The MbT-Tool's code contains eighteen organic and twenty inorganic reduction-half-reactions, four N-sources (NH4+, NO3−, NO2−, N2 to biomass synthesis and twenty-four microbial empirical formulas, one of which can be determined by the user (CnHaObNc. MbT-Tool is an open-source program capable of writing MMRs based on thermodynamic concepts, which are applicable in a wide range of academic research interested in designing, optimizing and modelling microbial activity without any extensive chemical, microbiological and programing experience.

  16. Gallic acid indanone and mangiferin xanthone are strong determinants of immunosuppressive anti-tumour effects of Mangifera indica L. bark in MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Rivera, Dagmar; Delgado, René; Bougarne, Nadia; Haegeman, Guy; Berghe, Wim Vanden

    2011-06-01

    Vimang is a standardized extract derived from Mango bark (Mangifera Indica L.), commonly used as anti-inflammatory phytomedicine, which has recently been used to complement cancer therapies in cancer patients. We have further investigated potential anti-tumour effects of glucosylxanthone mangiferin and indanone gallic acid, which are both present in Vimang extract. We observed significant anti-tumour effects of both Vimang constituents in the highly aggressive and metastatic breast cancer cell type MDA-MB231. At the molecular level, mangiferin and gallic acid both inhibit classical NFκB activation by IKKα/β kinases, which results in impaired IκB degradation, NFκB translocation and NFκB/DNA binding. In contrast to the xanthone mangiferin, gallic acid further inhibits additional NFκB pathways involved in cancer cell survival and therapy resistance, such as MEK1, JNK1/2, MSK1, and p90RSK. This results in combinatorial inhibition of NFκB activity by gallic acid, which results in potent inhibition of NFκB target genes involved in inflammation, metastasis, anti-apoptosis and angiogenesis, such as IL-6, IL-8, COX2, CXCR4, XIAP, bcl2, VEGF. The cumulative NFκB inhibition by gallic acid, but not mangiferin, is also reflected at the level of cell survival, which reveals significant tumour cytotoxic effects in MDA-MB231 cells. Altogether, we identify gallic acid, besides mangiferin, as an essential anti-cancer component in Vimang extract, which demonstrates multifocal inhibition of NFκB activity in the cancer-inflammation network. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Apigenin inhibits HGF-promoted invasive growth and metastasis involving blocking PI3K/Akt pathway and β4 integrin function in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, W.-J.; Chen, W.-K.; Wang, C.-J.; Lin, W.-L.; Tseng, T.-H.

    2008-01-01

    Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, Met, known to control invasive growth program have recently been shown to play crucial roles in the survival of breast cancer patients. The diet-derived flavonoids have been reported to possess anti-invasion properties; however, knowledge on the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms in suppressing HGF/Met-mediated tumor invasion and metastasis is poorly understood. In our preliminary study, we use HGF as an invasive inducer to investigate the effect of flavonoids including apigenin, naringenin, genistein and kaempferol on HGF-dependent invasive growth of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Results show that apigenin presents the most potent anti-migration and anti-invasion properties by Boyden chamber assay. Furthermore, apigenin represses the HGF-induced cell motility and scattering and inhibits the HGF-promoted cell migration and invasion in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of apigenin on HGF-induced signaling activation involving invasive growth was evaluated by immunoblotting analysis, it shows that apigenin blocks the HGF-induced Akt phosphorylation but not Met, ERK, and JNK phosphorylation. In addition to MDA-MB-231 cells, apigenin exhibits inhibitory effect on HGF-induced Akt phosphorylation in hepatoma SK-Hep1 cells and lung carcinoma A549 cells. By indirect immunofluorescence microscopy assay, apigenin inhibits the HGF-induced clustering of β4 integrin at actin-rich adhesive site and lamellipodia through PI3K-dependent manner. Treatment of apigenin inhibited HGF-stimulated integrin β4 function including cell-matrix adhesion and cell-endothelial cells adhesion in MDA-MB-231 cells. By Akt-siRNA transfection analysis, it confirmed that apigenin inhibited HGF-promoted invasive growth involving blocking PI3K/Akt pathway. Finally, we evaluated the effect of apigenin on HGF-promoted metastasis by lung colonization of tumor cells in nude mice and organ metastasis of tumor cells in chick embryo. By

  18. Radiographic bone changes in multibacillary leprosy patients in Aburof mission clinic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mustafa, El Rayah Mohamed

    1996-08-01

    Leprosy is an infectious, chronic granulomatous disease, caused by M. leprae. It is one of the most seriously disabling and economically important disease. In Sudan it affects about 20 thousands people. In this study 60 patients of MB leprosy were included. Historry and physical examination were carried out for each patient. BI was done for all patients and were subjected to x-ray investigations of the paranasal sinuses, hands and feet. 85%(51) of these patients were found to have radiographic changes in paranasal sinuses, 35 patients with mucosal thickening and 16 with diffuse opacified sinuses. 86.7% (52) of those patients were found to have radiographic bone changes in their hand and feet. 23.6% and 75.4% were found with specific and non-specific bone changes in their hands and feet respectively. A spectrum of radiographic bone changes was found in the hands and feet including; destruction, fractures, phalangeal resoption, distal phalangeal tapering, flexion deformities, osteoarthritic changes, charcot's joints, osteoporosis cystic bone changes and enlarged nutrient bone foramina. The majority of patients with radiographic changes in the paranasal sinsuses, hands and feet, were found to have long duration of the disease and more bacterial load. The disability in hands and feet is the major risk factor in bone affection in MB leprosy. (Author)

  19. Wolf-Hirschhorn (4p-) syndrome: prenatal diagnosis, molecular cytogenetic characterization and association with a 1.2-Mb microduplication at 8p22-p21.3 and a 1.1-Mb microduplication at 10p15.3 in a fetus with an apparently pure 4p deletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chih-Ping; Su, Yi-Ning; Chen, Yi-Yung; Su, Jun-Wei; Chern, Schu-Rern; Chen, Yu-Ting; Chen, Wen-Lin; Chen, Li-Feng; Wang, Wayseen

    2011-12-01

    To present prenatal diagnosis and molecular cytogenetic characterization of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) associated with microduplications at 8p and 10p in a fetus with an apparently pure 4p deletion. A 35-year-old gravida 2, para 1 woman underwent amniocentesis at 18 weeks of gestation because of advanced maternal age. Her husband was 38 years of age. There was no family history of congenital malformations. Amniocentesis revealed a karyotype of 46,XY,del(4p16.1). The parental karyotypes were normal. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis revealed a 6.5-Mb deletion at 4p16.3-p16.1, a 1.2-Mb microduplication at 8p22-p21.3, and a 1.1-Mb microduplication at 10p15.3, or arr cgh 4p16.3p16.1 (0-6,531,998 bp)×1, 8p22p21.3 (18,705,388-19,940,445 bp)×3, 10p15.3 (0-1,105,065 bp)×3. Polymorphic DNA marker analysis confirmed a paternal origin of 4p deletion. Prenatal ultrasound revealed facial dysmorphism and hypospadias. The aCGH analysis of the parents revealed no genomic imbalance. Fluorescence in situ hybridization study showed an unbalanced reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 4 and 10 at bands 4p16.1 and 10p15.3. The cytogenetic result, thus, was 46,XY,der(4)t(4;10)(p16.1;p15.3),dup(8)(p21.3p22). The parents elected to terminate the pregnancy, and a 470-g malformed fetus was delivered. The present case provides evidence that an apparently pure 4p deletion can be associated with subtle chromosome imbalances in other chromosomes. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Probing early tumor response to radiation therapy using hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate in MDA-MB-231 xenografts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albert P Chen

    Full Text Available Following radiation therapy (RT, tumor morphology may remain unchanged for days and sometimes weeks, rendering anatomical imaging methods inadequate for early detection of therapeutic response. Changes in the hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]lactate signals observed in vivo following injection of pre-polarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate has recently been shown to be a marker for tumor progression or early treatment response. In this study, the feasibility of using ¹³C metabolic imaging with [1-¹³C]pyruvate to detect early radiation treatment response in a breast cancer xenograft model was demonstrated in vivo and in vitro. Significant decreases in hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]lactate relative to [1-¹³C]pyruvate were observed in MDA-MB-231 tumors 96 hrs following a single dose of ionizing radiation. Histopathologic data from the treated tumors showed higher cellular apoptosis and senescence; and changes in the expression of membrane monocarboxylate transporters and lactate dehydrogenase B were also observed. Hyperpolarized ¹³C metabolic imaging may be a promising new tool to develop novel and adaptive therapeutic regimens for patients undergoing RT.

  1. A 3.1-4.8 GHz CMOS receiver for MB-OFDM UWB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Guang; Yao Wang; Yin Jiangwei; Zheng Renliang; Li Wei; Li Ning; Ren Junyan

    2009-01-01

    An integrated fully differential ultra-wideband CMOS receiver for 3.1-4.8 GHz MB-OFDM systems is presented. A gain controllable low noise amplifier and a merged quadrature mixer are integrated as the RF front-end. Five order Gm-C type low pass filters and VGAs are also integrated for both I and Q IF paths in the receiver. The ESD protected chip is fabricated in a Jazz 0.18 μm RF CMOS process and achieves a maximum total voltage gain of 65 dB, an AGC range of 45 dB with about 6 dB/step, an averaged total noise figure of 6.4 to 8.8 dB over 3 bands and an in-band IIP3 of -5.1 dBm. The receiver occupies 2.3 mm 2 and consumes 110 mA from a 1.8 V supply including test buffers and a digital module.

  2. A 3.1-4.8 GHz CMOS receiver for MB-OFDM UWB

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang Guang; Yao Wang; Yin Jiangwei; Zheng Renliang; Li Wei; Li Ning; Ren Junyan, E-mail: w-li@fudan.edu.c [State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203 (China)

    2009-01-15

    An integrated fully differential ultra-wideband CMOS receiver for 3.1-4.8 GHz MB-OFDM systems is presented. A gain controllable low noise amplifier and a merged quadrature mixer are integrated as the RF front-end. Five order Gm-C type low pass filters and VGAs are also integrated for both I and Q IF paths in the receiver. The ESD protected chip is fabricated in a Jazz 0.18 mum RF CMOS process and achieves a maximum total voltage gain of 65 dB, an AGC range of 45 dB with about 6 dB/step, an averaged total noise figure of 6.4 to 8.8 dB over 3 bands and an in-band IIP3 of -5.1 dBm. The receiver occupies 2.3 mm{sup 2} and consumes 110 mA from a 1.8 V supply including test buffers and a digital module.

  3. Detection of antibodies to both M. leprae PGL-I and MMP-II to recognize leprosy patients at an early stage of disease progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongsheng; Liu, Weijing; Jin, Yali; Yu, Meiwen; Jiang, Haiqin; Tamura, Toshiki; Maeda, Yumi; Makino, Masahiko

    2015-11-01

    Antibodies to phenolic glycolipid (PGL)-I and major membrane protein (MMP)-II were evaluated for serodiagnosis of leprosy in Southwest China, and the role in predicting the occurrence of the disease in household contacts (HHCs) of leprosy was examined. Using PGL-I (natural disaccharide-octyl-bovine serum albumin) antigen-based diagnosis (IgM antibodies), we could detect 94.9% of multibacillary (MB) leprosy and 38.9% paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients, whereas using MMP-II (IgG antibody), 88.1% of MB and 61.1% of PB patients were positive. By combining the 2 tests and considering either test positive as positive, 100% of MB patients and 72.2% of PB patients were found to test positive. Of the HHCs of leprosy, 28.3% and 30% had positive levels of PGL-I and MMP-II Abs, respectively. Seven out of 21 HHCs, who had high Ab titer to either antigen, developed leprosy during the follow-up period of 3 years. These data suggest that the measurement of both anti-PGL-I as well as anti-MMP-II antibodies could facilitate early detection of leprosy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Antipsychotic treatment dosing profile in patients with schizophrenia evaluated with electronic monitoring (MEMS®).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acosta, Francisco J; Ramallo-Fariña, Yolanda; Bosch, Esperanza; Mayans, Teresa; Rodríguez, Carlos J; Caravaca, Ana

    2013-05-01

    Although the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS®) device offers accurate information on treatment dosing profile, such profile has never been studied in patients with schizophrenia. Enhancing our knowledge on this issue would help in developing intervention strategies to improve adherence to antipsychotic treatment in these patients. 74 outpatients with schizophrenia were monitored with the MEMS device for a 3-month period, for evaluation of antipsychotic treatment dosing profile, possible influence of medication schedule-related variables, adherence to treatment--considering dose intake within prescribed timeframes--and possible Hawthorne's effect of using the MEMS device. Dose-omission gaps occurred in 18.7% of monitoring days, most frequently during weekends, almost significantly. Almost one-third of prescribed doses were taken out of prescribed time. Neither the prescribed number of daily doses nor the indicated time of the day for dose intake (breakfast, dinner), were associated with correct antipsychotic dosing. Excess-dose was rare in general, and more frequent out of prescribed dose timeframe. No Hawthorne's effect was found for the MEMS device. Adherence reached only 35% according to a definition that included dose intake within prescribed timeframes. Antipsychotic treatment dosing was considerably irregular among patients with schizophrenia. Strategies to reduce dose-omission gaps and increase dosing within prescribed timeframes seem to be necessary. Gaining knowledge on precise oral antipsychotic dosing profiles or the influence of schedule-related variables may be useful to design strategies towards enhancing adherence. There appears to be no Hawthorne's effect associated with the use of MEMS devices in outpatients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Generation of an approximately 2.4 Mb human X centromere-based minichromosome by targeted telomere-associated chromosome fragmentation in DT40.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, W; Critcher, R; Lee, C; Farr, C J

    1999-05-01

    A linear mammalian artificial chromosome (MAC) will require at least three types of functional element: a centromere, two telomeres and origins of replication. As yet, our understanding of these elements, as well as many other aspects of structure and organization which may be critical for a fully functional mammalian chromosome, remains poor. As a way of defining these various requirements, minichromosome reagents are being developed and analysed. Approaches for minichromosome generation fall into two broad categories: de novo assembly from candidate DNA sequences, or the fragmentation of an existing chromosome to reduce it to a minimal size. Here we describe the generation of a human minichromosome using the latter, top-down, approach. A human X chromosome, present in a DT40-human microcell hybrid, has been manipulated using homologous recombination and the targeted seeding of a de novo telomere. This strategy has generated a linear approximately 2.4 Mb human X centromere-based minichromosome capped by two artificially seeded telomeres: one immediately flanking the centromeric alpha-satellite DNA and the other targeted to the zinc finger gene ZXDA in Xp11.21. The chromosome retains an alpha-satellite domain of approximately 1. 8 Mb, a small array of gamma-satellite repeat ( approximately 40 kb) and approximately 400 kb of Xp proximal DNA sequence. The mitotic stability of this minichromosome has been examined, both in DT40 and following transfer into hamster and human cell lines. In all three backgrounds, the minichromosome is retained efficiently, but in the human and hamster microcell hybrids its copy number is poorly regulated. This approach of engineering well-defined chromosome reagents will allow key questions in MAC development (such as whether a lower size limit exists) to be addressed. In addition, the 2.4 Mb minichromosome described here has potential to be developed as a vector for gene delivery.

  6. Buckling measurement in the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor in cylindrical configuration of minor excess of reactivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Purgato, Rafael Turrini; Bitelli, Ulysses d' Utra; Aredes, Vitor Ottoni; Silva, Alexandre F. Povoa da; Santos, Diogo Feliciano dos; Lima, Ana Cecilia de Souza, E-mail: ubitelli@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    This work presents the results of experimental Buckling in the IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor in its cylindrical configuration with 28 fuel rods along its diameter. The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero power reactor designed to operate at a maximum power of 100 watts. It is a versatile nuclear facility, which allows for the simulation of all the characteristics of a nuclear power reactor making it an ideal test bed for this kind of measurement. A mapping of neutron flux inside the reactor is carried out in order to determine the total Buckling of the cylindrical configuration. The reactor was operated for one hour. Then, the activity of the fuel rods is measured by gamma ray spectrometry using a HPGe solid state detector and a suitable rod scanner. Photon energies of 276.6keV from {sup 239}Np (neutron capture (n,?) nuclear reaction) and 293.3keV from {sup 143}Ce (fission (n,f) nuclear reaction on both {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U) , are respectively along both axial and radial directions. Other measurements are performed using gold wires and foils along radial and axial directions of the reactor core. The three methods above resulted in a weighted average value of 93.18 ± 8.47 m-2 for the Total Buckling of this cylindrical core configuration with 28 control rods along its diameter with 568 fuel rods and only 271 pcm of excess reactivity. (author)

  7. In vitro membrane binding and protein binding (IAM MB/PB technology to estimate in vivo distribution: applications in early drug discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klara Livia Valko

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The drug discovery process can be accelerated by chromatographic profiling of the analogs to model in vivo distribution and the major non-specific binding. A balanced potency and chromatographically determined membrane and protein binding (IAM MB/PB data enable selecting drug discovery compounds for further analysis that have the highest probability to show the desired in vivo distribution behavior for efficacy and reduced chance for toxicity. Although the basic principles of the technology have already appeared in numerous publications, the lack of standardized procedures limited its widespread applications especially in academia and small drug discovery biotech companies. In this paper, the standardized procedures are described that has been trademarked as Regis IAM MB/PB Technology®. Comparison between the Drug Efficiency Index (DEI=pIC50-logVdu+2 and generally used Ligand Lipophilicity Efficiency (LLE has been made, demonstrating the advantage of measured IAM and HSA binding over calculated log P. The power of the proposed chromatographic technology is demonstrated using the data of marketed drugs.

  8. Stimulus-dependent modulation of visual neglect in a touch-screen cancellation task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Ingo; Volkening, Katharina; Garbacenkaite, Ruta

    2015-05-01

    Patients with left-sided neglect frequently show omissions and repetitive behavior on cancellation tests. Using a touch-screen-based cancellation task, we tested how visual feedback and distracters influence the number of omissions and perseverations. Eighteen patients with left-sided visual neglect and 18 healthy controls performed four different cancellation tasks on an iPad touch screen: no feedback (the display did not change during the task), visual feedback (touched targets changed their color from black to green), visual feedback with distracters (20 distracters were evenly embedded in the display; detected targets changed their color from black to green), vanishing targets (touched targets disappeared from the screen). Except for the condition with vanishing targets, neglect patients had significantly more omissions and perseverations than healthy controls in the remaining three subtests. Both conditions providing feedback by changing the target color showed the highest number of omissions. Erasure of targets nearly diminished omissions completely. The highest rate of perseverations was observed in the no-feedback condition. The implementation of distracters led to a moderate number of perseverations. Visual feedback without distracters and vanishing targets abolished perseverations nearly completely. Visual feedback and the presence of distracters aggravated hemispatial neglect. This finding is compatible with impaired disengagement from the ipsilesional side as an important factor of visual neglect. Improvement of cancellation behavior with vanishing targets could have therapeutic implications. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Evaluation of cardiac function tests in Sudanese adult patients with sickle cell trait

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamal E.A. Abdelsalam

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cardiac dysfunctions have been recognized as a common complication of sickle cell anaemia (SCA, and together with pulmonary disorder accounts for many deaths in these patients. However, sickle cell traits appear clinically normal, although they have genetic abnormality. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of sickle cell trait on cardiac prognostic markers by measuring high density lipoprotein (HDL-C, low density lipoprotein (LDL-C, cardiac creatine kinase (CK-MB, ultra-sensitive C reactive protein (us-CRP, total homocysteine (Hyc, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP tests in adult Sudanese patients with sickle cell trait.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 200 healthy volunteers as a control group and 200 diagnosed patients with sickle cell trait. It was carried out in Khartoum Specialized Hospital, Al-Bayan Hospital, Obayed Clinical Center and Dr. Nadir Specialized Hospital, Sudan between January 2015 and January 2016. All participants were between 20-32 years old. LDL-C, HDL-C, CK-MB, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP concentrations were measured by Hitachi 912 full-automated Chemistry Analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Germany as manufacturer procedure, while homocysteine level was measured by ELISA technique using special kit.Results: When compared to control group, the levels of LDL-C, hs-CRP and NT-proBNP revealed significant increase in patients’ sera (p<0.001, while Hyc and CK-MB levels were increased insignificantly in patients with SCT (p=0.069, p=0.054 respectively. On the other hand, comparison to control group, HDL-C showed insignificant reduction in patients (p=0.099.Conclusion: The results suggest that sickle cell trait increased the risk of patient-related complication secondary to cardiac dysfunction.

  10. Different postconditioning cycles affect prognosis of aged patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Xin; Cui, Yuqi; Ferdous, Misbahul; Cui, Lianqun; Zhao, Peng

    2017-07-17

    Postconditioning can affect the infarct size in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few studies show an effect of different postconditioning cycles on AMI aged patients. This study sought to assess the effect of different postconditioning cycles on prognosis in aged patients with AMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 74 aged patients were randomly assigned to three groups. Control group; PC-1 group accepted postconditioning 4 cycles of 30 s inflation and 30 s deflation; PC-2 group accepted postconditioning 4 cycles of 60 s. Creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), troponin I (cTnI), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and corrected Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame counts (CTFC) were analyzed before andafter treatment. All patients received an echocardiographic examination for whole heart function, wall motion score index (WMSI) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) examination at 7 days and 6 months after treatment. S: The peak of CK-MB, postoperative 72 h cTnI and CTFC were significantly attenuated by postconditioning when compared with the control group. The hs-CRP of the postconditioning group was lower than the control group 24 h postoperative. No difference was observed between PC-1 and PC-2 group about the effect described above. At 7 days, heart function in the postconditioning group was improved when compared with the control group. At 6 months, the WMSI and SPECT score significantly reduced in the PC-2 group compared with the control and PC-1 groups, but there was no difference among the three groups about echo data except the left ventricular end-systolic diameter. Postconditioning is significantly beneficial to prognosis in aged patients with AMI. The cardiac protective effect of 4 cycles of 60 s procedure was observed in WMSI and SPECT. It is favorable to implement this procedure in aged patients with AMI in clinic.

  11. Rapid dimerization of quercetin through an oxidative mechanism in the presence of serum albumin decreases its ability to induce cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pham, Anh; Bortolazzo, Anthony [Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192-0100 (United States); White, J. Brandon, E-mail: Brandon.White@sjsu.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192-0100 (United States)

    2012-10-19

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quercetin cannot be detected intracellularly despite killing MDA-MB-231 cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quercetin forms a heterodimer through oxidation in media with serum. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The quercetin heterodimer does not kill MDA-MB-231 cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ascorbic acid stabilizes quercetin increasing cell death in quercetin treated cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quercetin, and not a modified form, is responsible for apoptosis and cell death. -- Abstract: Quercetin is a member of the flavonoid family and has been previously shown to have a variety of anti-cancer activities. We and others have reported anti-proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and induction of apoptosis of cancer cells after treatment with quercetin. Quercetin has also been shown to undergo oxidation. However, it is unclear if quercetin or one of its oxidized forms is responsible for cell death. Here we report that quercetin rapidly oxidized in cell culture media to form a dimer. The quercetin dimer is identical to a dimer that is naturally produced by onions. The quercetin dimer and quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside are unable to cross the cell membrane and do not kill MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, supplementing the media with ascorbic acid increases quercetin's ability to induce cell death probably by reduction oxidative dimerization. Our results suggest that an unmodified quercetin is the compound that elicits cell death.

  12. Rapid dimerization of quercetin through an oxidative mechanism in the presence of serum albumin decreases its ability to induce cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pham, Anh; Bortolazzo, Anthony; White, J. Brandon

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Quercetin cannot be detected intracellularly despite killing MDA-MB-231 cells. ► Quercetin forms a heterodimer through oxidation in media with serum. ► The quercetin heterodimer does not kill MDA-MB-231 cells. ► Ascorbic acid stabilizes quercetin increasing cell death in quercetin treated cells. ► Quercetin, and not a modified form, is responsible for apoptosis and cell death. -- Abstract: Quercetin is a member of the flavonoid family and has been previously shown to have a variety of anti-cancer activities. We and others have reported anti-proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and induction of apoptosis of cancer cells after treatment with quercetin. Quercetin has also been shown to undergo oxidation. However, it is unclear if quercetin or one of its oxidized forms is responsible for cell death. Here we report that quercetin rapidly oxidized in cell culture media to form a dimer. The quercetin dimer is identical to a dimer that is naturally produced by onions. The quercetin dimer and quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside are unable to cross the cell membrane and do not kill MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, supplementing the media with ascorbic acid increases quercetin’s ability to induce cell death probably by reduction oxidative dimerization. Our results suggest that an unmodified quercetin is the compound that elicits cell death.

  13. Apoptotic potential of two Caryophyllaceae species in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Mosaddegh

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives: Plants have been used to treat diseases like cancer for many years and today the trend towards their use is increasing. One of the most effective mechanisms of plants against cancer is inducing apoptosis. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death which acts opposite to cell division. It starts in response to some stimuli. Despite the effectiveness of apoptosis inducing agents, their use has been limited due to side effects and resistance to these treatments; so, applying medicinal herbs due to their lower cost and toxicity has drawn attentions. Recent research at the Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences on two medicinal plants Acanthophyllum bracteatum and A. microcephalum has shown cytotoxic effects of these two species, but the mechanism of their toxicity has remained unknown; thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the apoptotic potential of Acanthophyllum bracteatum and A. microcephalum. Methods: In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of the methanol extract of Acanthophyllum bracteatum and A. microcephalum was evaluated against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cells by MTT assay; furthermore, their apoptosis potential has been evaluated by annexin-V/propidium iodide assay and Hoechst 33258 staining in the same cell lines. Results: The methanol extract of A. microcephalum and A. bracteatum showed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines with IC50 values of 64, 159 and 102, 250 μg/mL, respectively. The results of the apoptosis assays confirmed the potential of the two plants extracts to induce apoptosis in both cell lines while A. microcephalum demonstrated more considerable results. Conclusion: A. microcephalum could be a suitable choice for further breast cancer studies.

  14. Determination of buckling and probability of leakage of neutron in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor in cylindrical configuration; Medida do buckling e da probabilidade de fuga de neutrons do nucleo do reator IPEN/MB-01

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Purgato, Rafael Turrini

    2014-07-01

    One of the key parameters in reactor physics is the Buckling of a reactor core. It is related to important parameters such as reaction rates, nuclear power operation, fuel burning, among others. In a critical reactor, the Buckling depends on the geometric and material characteristics of the reactor core. This work presents the results of experimental Buckling in the reactor IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor in its cylindrical configuration with 28 fuel rods along its diameter. The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero power reactor designed to operate at a maximum power of 100 watts, it is a versatile nuclear facility which allows the simulation of all the characteristics of a large nuclear power reactor and ideal for this type of measurement. We conducted a mapping of neutron flux inside the reactor and thereby determined the total Buckling of the cylindrical configuration. The reactor was operated for one hour. Then, the activity of the fuel rods was measured by gamma spectrometry on a rod scanner HPGe detector. We analyzed the gamma photons of the {sup 239}Np (276,6 keV) for neutron capture (n,γ) and the {sup 143}Ce (293,3 keV) for fission (n,f) on both {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U, respectively. We analyzed the axial and radial directions. Other measurements were performed using wires and gold foils in the radial and axial directions of the reactor core. The Buckling Total obtained from the three methods by weighted mean is 96,55 ± 7,47 m{sup -2}. The goal is to obtain experimental values of a set of experimental data to allow one direct comparison with values calculated by the codes used in reactor physics CITATION and MCNP. (author)

  15. Measurements of the neutron energy spectra in the core of IPEN/MB-01 reactor; Medida do espectro de energia dos neutrons no nucleo do reator IPEN/MB-01

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martins, Fernando Prat Goncalves

    2006-07-01

    This work presents the neutron spectrum measurements in the Reactor IPEN/MB-01 using very thin activation detectors in the metallic form, in reactor core, in moderator region. An articulated device allows that the foils are inserted in the central position of reactor core, ensuring that all the foils are irradiated in the same position. The activation detectors of different materials such Au{sup 197}, Mg{sup 24}, Ti{sup 4}'8, In{sup 115}, Sc{sup 45} and others, were selected to cover a large range of neutron spectrum. After the irradiation, the activation detectors were submitted to a spectrometry gamma by using a system of counting with high purity Germanium, to obtain the saturation activity per target nuclide. The saturation activity is one of the main data of input of unfolding code SANDBP, that through an iterative adjustment, modify the spectrum that better agree with the dataset of code input, composition mainly for measure reaction rate per target nuclide and a initial input spectrum, calculated for Hammer-Technion code, supplying a solution spectrum. (author)

  16. Measurements of the neutron energy spectra in the core of IPEN/MB-01 reactor; Medida do espectro de energia dos neutrons no nucleo do reator IPEN/MB-01

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martins, Fernando Prat Goncalves

    2006-07-01

    This work presents the neutron spectrum measurements in the Reactor IPEN/MB-01 using very thin activation detectors in the metallic form, in reactor core, in moderator region. An articulated device allows that the foils are inserted in the central position of reactor core, ensuring that all the foils are irradiated in the same position. The activation detectors of different materials such Au{sup 197}, Mg{sup 24}, Ti{sup 4}'8, In{sup 115}, Sc{sup 45} and others, were selected to cover a large range of neutron spectrum. After the irradiation, the activation detectors were submitted to a spectrometry gamma by using a system of counting with high purity Germanium, to obtain the saturation activity per target nuclide. The saturation activity is one of the main data of input of unfolding code SANDBP, that through an iterative adjustment, modify the spectrum that better agree with the dataset of code input, composition mainly for measure reaction rate per target nuclide and a initial input spectrum, calculated for Hammer-Technion code, supplying a solution spectrum. (author)

  17. Effect of Six Missile-Bay Baffle Configurations and a Rocket End Plate on Ejection Releases of an MB-1 Rocket from a 0.05 Scale Model of the Convair F-106A Airplane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, William F.; Lee, John B.

    1959-01-01

    As a continuation of an investigation of the release characteristics of an MB-1 rocket carried internally by the Convair F-106A airplane, six missile-bay baffle configurations and a rocket end plate have been investigated in the 27- by 27-inch preflight jet of the NASA Wallops Station. The MB-1 rocket used had retractable fins and was ejected from a missile bay modified by the addition of six different baffle configurations. For some tests a rocket end plate was added to the model. Dynamically scaled models (0.04956 scale) were tested at a simulated altitude of 22,450 feet and Mach numbers of 0.86, 1.59, and 1.98, and at a simulated altitude of 29,450 feet and a Mach number of 1.98. The results of this investigation indicate that the missile-bay baffle configurations and the rocket end plate may be used to reduce the positive pitch amplitude of the MB-1 rocket after release. The initial negative pitching velocity applied to the MB-1 rocket might then be reduced in order to maintain a near-level-flight attitude after release. As the fuselage angle of attack is increased, the negative pitch amplitude of the rocket is decreased.

  18. Origin and paleoenvironment of Pleistocene-Holocene Travertine deposit from the Mbéré sedimentary sub-basin along the Central Cameroon shear zone: Insights from petrology and palynology and evidence for neotectonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchouatcha, Milan Stafford; Njoya, André; Ganno, Sylvestre; Toyama, Réné; Ngouem, Paul Aubin; Njiké Ngaha, Pierre Ricard

    2016-06-01

    The Mbéré sub-basin belongs to the Mbéré-Djerem intra-continental basin of Central North Cameroon. In this sub-basin, a travertine outcrop has been discovered and investigated palynologically and petrologically in this study. The sporopollinic content of the studied travertine is mainly composed of fungal spores (Rhyzophagites sp., Monoporisporites sp …) associated with rare fresh water algae spores such as Chomotriletes minor and angiosperm pollens (compositae, graminae, …). This sporopollinic association is indicative of hot and semi-arid to arid paleoclimate and reveals a Pleistocene-Holocene depositional age. The whole rock major element geochemistry shows relative enrichment of CaO (49.48%) and CO2 (38.49%). The origin of CO2 is probably from magmatic and/or metamorphic fluids. Compared to other travertines, SiO2 and Al2O3 contents are significant with average concentrations of 5.68% and 2.58% respectively. The mineralogical composition revealed by a microscopic study of bulk rocks is dominated by calcite (90-92%) associated to quartz (2-4%) and feldspar (2-3%), meanwhile the heavy mineral concentrate is formed by various mineral types such as zircon (most abundant), garnet, tourmaline, epidote, biotite, peridot and aegirine augite suggesting that the underground water has crossed both volcanic, plutonic and metamorphic rocks. With the mineral composition made of both chemical and detrital derived elements, the Mbéré travertine corresponds to chemico-lithoclastic/detrital limestone. In the Mbéré trough, numerous thermo-mineral springs are located along major fractures and faults. This result suggests that the Mbéré travertine deposit is related to the rising of deep water with the help of a fracturing system, similar to those of Irdi (Morocco), Italy and Turkey where there is much volcanism.

  19. The non Opec petroleum supply would get from 42 to 47 Mb/day from 1995 until 2000 but the call to Opec petroleum would reach 50 Mb/day in the year 2010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1996-01-01

    The increase of non Opec petroleum supply is going to reach 47 Mb/d in 2000. This increase comes from the North sea production and that is the reason why the international Energy Agency estimates that the petroleum prices, except supply disruption, will not increase. An increase of international energy demand is predicted from 34% to 46% between 1995 and 2010. This demand will be satisfied by fossil fuels. The petroleum demand will become from 70 millions of barrels by day to 92 and 97 millions barrels by day in 2010. The dependence of OECD countries could reach 60% in 2010 against 50% nowadays. It is predicted that middle east Opec countries would supply 50% of the worldwide petroleum needs and the OECD energy consumption could represent 50% of the worldwide energy consumption. (N.C.). 3 tabs

  20. Ex vivo assessment of protective effects of carvacrol against DNA lesions induced in primary rat cells by visible light excited methylene blue (VL+MB).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slamenova, D; Horvathova, E; Chalupa, I; Wsolova, L; Navarova, J

    2011-01-01

    Carvacrol belongs to frequently occurring phenolic components of essential oils (EOs) and it is present in many kinds of plants. Biological effect of this phenol derivative on human beings is however not sufficiently known. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the level of VL+MB-induced oxidative DNA lesions in hepatocytes and testicular cells (freshly isolated from control or carvacrol-watered rats) by the modified single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). The results showed that carvacrol significantly reduced the level of VL+MB-induced oxidized bases (EndoIII- and Fpg-sensitive sites) only in hepatocytes but not in testicular cells. Chromosomal aberration assay of primary hepatocytes, isolated from control or carvacrol-watered rats did not testify any genotoxic activity of carvacrol. We suggest that in vivo applied synthetic carvacrol, whose antioxidative activity was confirmed by DPPH assay, exhibits primarily a strong hepatoprotective activity against oxidative damage to DNA.

  1. Impact of Dose Reductions, Delays Between Chemotherapy Cycles, and/or Shorter Courses of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II and III Colorectal Cancer Patients: a Single-Center Retrospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sgouros, Joseph; Aravantinos, Gerasimos; Kouvatseas, George; Rapti, Anna; Stamoulis, George; Bisvikis, Anastasios; Res, Helen; Samantas, Epameinondas

    2015-12-01

    Most stage II or III colorectal cancer patients are receiving nowadays a 4 to 6-month course of adjuvant chemotherapy. However, delays between cycles, reductions in the doses of chemotherapy drugs, or even permanent omissions of chemotherapy cycles might take place due to side effects or patient's preference. We examined the impact of these treatment modifications on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). We retrospectively collected data from colorectal cancer patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy in our Department. Patients were categorized in five groups based on whether they had or not delays between chemotherapy cycles, dose reductions, and permanent omissions of chemotherapy cycles. Three-year RFS and OS of the five different groups were compared using the log-rank test and the Sidak approach. Five hundred and eight patients received treatment. Twenty seven percent of the patients had the full course of chemotherapy; the others had delays, dose reductions, or early termination of the treatment. No statistically significant differences were observed in 3-year RFS and OS between the five groups. A trend for worse RFS was noticed with early termination of treatment. A similar trend was also noticed for OS but only for stage II patients. In colorectal cancer patients, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, delays between chemotherapy cycles, dose reductions of chemotherapy drugs, or even early termination of the treatment course do not seem to have a negative impact in 3-year RFS and OS; however, due to the trend of worse RFS in patients receiving shorter courses of chemotherapy, further studies are needed.

  2. Prenatal Diagnosis of a 2.5 Mb De Novo 17q24.1q24.2 Deletion Encompassing KPNA2 and PSMD12 Genes in a Fetus with Craniofacial Dysmorphism, Equinovarus Feet, and Syndactyly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Emmanuelle Naud

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Interstitial 17q24.1 or 17q24.2 deletions were reported after conventional cytogenetic analysis or chromosomal microarray analysis in patients presenting intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism, and/or malformations. We report on a fetus with craniofacial dysmorphism, talipes equinovarus, and syndactyly associated with a de novo 2.5 Mb 17q24.1q24.2 deletion. Among the deleted genes, KPNA2 and PSMD12 are discussed for the correlation with the fetal phenotype. This is the first case of prenatal diagnosis of 17q24.1q24.2 deletion.

  3. Patient involvement in blood transfusion safety: patients' and healthcare professionals' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, R; Murphy, M F; Sud, A; Noel, S; Moss, R; Asgheddi, M; Abdur-Rahman, I; Vincent, C

    2012-08-01

    Blood transfusion is one of the major areas where serious clinical consequences, even death, related to patient misidentification can occur. In the UK, healthcare professional compliance with pre-transfusion checking procedures which help to prevent misidentification errors is poor. Involving patients at a number of stages in the transfusion pathway could help prevent the occurrence of these incidents. To investigate patients' willingness to be involved and healthcare professionals' willingness to support patient involvement in pre-transfusion checking behaviours. A cross-sectional design was employed assessing willingness to participate in pre-transfusion checking behaviours (patient survey) and willingness to support patient involvement (healthcare professional survey) on a scale of 1-7. One hundred and ten patients who had received a transfusion aged between 18 and 93 (60 male) and 123 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses and midwives) involved in giving blood transfusions to patients. Mean scores for patients' willingness to participate in safety-relevant transfusion behaviours and healthcare professionals' willingness to support patient involvement ranged from 4.96-6.27 to 4.53-6.66, respectively. Both groups perceived it most acceptable for patients to help prevent errors or omissions relating to their hospital identification wristband. Neither prior experience of receiving a blood transfusion nor professional role of healthcare staff had an effect on attitudes towards patient participation. Overall, both patients and healthcare professionals view patient involvement in transfusion-related behaviours quite favourably and appear in agreement regarding the behaviours patients should adopt an active role in. Further work is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to improve transfusion safety. © 2012 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine © 2012 British Blood Transfusion Society.

  4. Enhancement of viability of radiosensitive (PBMC and resistant (MDA-MB-231 clones in low-dose-rate cobalt-60 radiation therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Lima Falcão

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: In the present study, the authors investigated the in vitro behavior of radio-resistant breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231 cells line and radiosensitive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC, as a function of different radiation doses, dose rates and postirradiation time kinetics, with a view to the interest of clinical radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: The cells were irradiated with Co-60, at 2 and 10 Gy and two different exposure rates, 339.56 cGy.min–1 and the other corresponding to one fourth of the standard dose rates, present over a 10-year period of cobalt therapy. Post-irradiation sampling was performed at pre-established kinetics of 24, 48 and 72 hours. The optical density response in viability assay was evaluated and a morphological analysis was performed. Results: Radiosensitive PBMC showed decrease in viability at 2 Gy, and a more significant decrease at 10 Gy for both dose rates. MDAMB- 231 cells presented viability decrease only at higher dose and dose rate. The results showed MDA-MB-231 clone expansion at low dose rate after 48–72 hours post-radiation. Conclusion: Low dose rate shows a possible potential clinical impact involving decrease in management of radio-resistant and radiosensitive tumor cell lines in cobalt therapy for breast cancer.

  5. Normalization of periodontal tissues in osteopetrotic mib mutant rats, treated with CSF-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wojtowicz, A.; Yamauchi, M.; Sotowski, R.; Ostrowski, K.

    1998-01-01

    The osteopetrotic mib mutation in rats causes defects in the skeletal bone tissue in young animals. These defects, i.e. slow bone remodelling, changes in both crystallinity and mineral content, are transient and undergo normalization, even without any treatment in 6-wk-old animals. Treatment with CSF-1 (colony stimulating factor-1) accelerates the normalization process in skeletal bones. The periodontal tissues around the apices of incisors show abnormalities caused by the slow remodelling process of the mandible bone tissue, the deficiency of osteoclasts and their abnormal morphology, as well as the disorganization of periodontal ligament fibres. In contrast to the skeletal tissues, these abnormalities would not undergo spontaneous normalization. Under treatment with colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1), the primitive bone trabeculae of mandible are resorbed and the normalization of the number of osteoclasts and their cytology occurs. The organization of the periodontal ligament fibres is partially restored, resembling the histological structure of the normal one.

  6. Breakfast and Energy Drink Consumption in Secondary School Children: Breakfast Omission, in Isolation or in Combination with Frequent Energy Drink Use, is Associated with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Cross-Sectionally, but not at Six-Month Follow-Up

    OpenAIRE

    Gareth eRichards; Andrew Paul Smith

    2016-01-01

    A considerable amount of research suggests that breakfast omission and the frequent use of caffeinated energy drinks may be associated with undesirable effects, and particularly so in children and adolescents. The current paper presents cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Cornish Academies Project to investigate the effects of consuming energy drinks and missing breakfast on stress, anxiety, and depression in a cohort of secondary school children from the South West of England. Que...

  7. Breakfast and Energy Drink Consumption in Secondary School Children: Breakfast Omission, in Isolation or in Combination with Frequent Energy Drink Use, is Associated with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Cross-Sectionally, but not at 6-Month Follow-Up

    OpenAIRE

    Richards, Gareth; Smith, Andrew P.

    2016-01-01

    A considerable amount of research suggests that breakfast omission and the frequent use of caffeinated energy drinks may be associated with undesirable effects, and particularly so in children and adolescents. The current paper presents cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Cornish Academies Project to investigate the effects of consuming energy drinks and missing breakfast on stress, anxiety, and depression in a cohort of secondary school children from the South West of England. Que...

  8. Emergency CT in blunt abdominal trauma of multiple injury patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinnunen, J.; Kivioja, A.; Poussa, K.; Laasonen, E.M.

    1994-01-01

    Multiple injury patients with blunt abdominal trauma (n = 110) were examined by abdominal CT. An i.v., but not peroral, contrast medium was used, thereby eliminating the delay caused by administering peroral contrast medium and any subsequent delay in making the diagnoses and beginning operative treatment. Eighteen patients underwent emergency laparotomy after the initial CT examination. The preoperative CT findings were compared to the laparotomy findings. CT revealed all but one of the severe parenchymal organ lesions requiring surgery. The one liver laceration that went undetected had caused hemoperitoneum, which was diagnosed by CT. The bowel and mesenteric lesions presented as intra-abdominal blood, and the hemoperitoneum was discovered in every patient with these lesions. Fourteen patients also initially had positive abdominal CT findings; 10 of them underwent an additional abdominal CT within 3 days, but the repeat studies did not reveal any lesions in need of surgery. Omission of the oral contrast medium did not jeopardize making the essential diagnoses, but it did save time. (orig.)

  9. The results of investigation and the analysis of the mechanical properties of L485MB steel used for gas-pipelines construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wasiak, J.; Szteke, W.; Bilous, W.; Hajewska, E.; Wagner, T.; Przyborska, M.

    2001-01-01

    In the paper results of mechanical properties investigation carried out on two sectors of the tube made of L485MB steel cutting out from the gas pipeline after stress test are described. The calculation of the critical dimensions of cracks in examined material is given. The diagnostic programme SACC serving to the evaluation of the exploitation safety of elements with cracks was applied. (author)

  10. The Urtica dioica extract enhances sensitivity of paclitaxel drug to MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Ali; Mansoori, Behzad; Aghapour, Mahyar; Shirjang, Solmaz; Nami, Sanam; Baradaran, Behzad

    2016-10-01

    Due to the chemo resistant nature of cancer cells and adverse effects of current therapies, researchers are looking for the most efficient therapeutic approach which has the lowest side effects and the highest toxicity on cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the synergic effect of Urtica dioica extract in combination with paclitaxel on cell death and invasion of human breast cancer MDA-MB-468 cell line. To determine the cytotoxic effects of Urtica dioica extract with paclitaxel, MTT assay was performed. The scratch test was exploited to assess the effects of Urtica dioica, Paclitaxel alone and combination on migration of cancer cells. The expression levels of snail-1, ZEB1, ZEB2, twist, Cdc2, cyclin B1 and Wee1 genes were quantified using qRT-PCR and western blot performed for snail-1expression. The effects of plant extract, Paclitaxel alone and combination on different phases of cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results of MTT assay showed that Urtica dioica significantly destroyed cancer cells. Interestingly, Concurrent use of Urtica dioica extract with paclitaxel resulted in decreased IC50 dose of paclitaxel. Moreover, findings of scratch assay exhibited the inhibitory effects of Urtica dioica, Paclitaxel alone and combination on migration of MDA-MB-468 cell line. Our findings also demonstrated that the extract substantially decreased the Snail-1 and related gene expression. Ultimately, Cell cycle arrest occurred at G2/M phase post-treatment by deregulating Cdc2 and wee1. Our results demonstrated that the dichloromethane extract of Urtica dioica inhibit cell growth and migration. Also, Urtica dioica extract substantially increased sensitivity of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. Therefore, it can be used as a potential candidate for treatment of breast cancer with paclitaxel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. Identification of Novel Human Breast Carcinoma (MDA-MB-231) Cell Growth Modulators from a Carbohydrate-Based Diversity Oriented Synthesis Library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenci, Elena; Innocenti, Riccardo; Biagioni, Alessio; Menchi, Gloria; Bianchini, Francesca; Trabocchi, Andrea

    2016-10-20

    The application of a cell-based growth inhibition on a library of skeletally different glycomimetics allowed for the selection of a hexahydro-2 H -furo[3,2- b ][1,4]oxazine compound as candidate inhibitors of MDA-MB-231 cell growth. Subsequent synthesis of analogue compounds and preliminary biological studies validated the selection of a valuable hit compound with a novel polyhydroxylated structure for the modulation of the breast carcinoma cell cycle mechanism.

  12. Sustainability of protocolized handover of pediatric cardiac surgery patients to the intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chenault, Kristin; Moga, Michael-Alice; Shin, Minah; Petersen, Emily; Backer, Carl; De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Suresh, Santhanam

    2016-05-01

    Transfer of patient care among clinicians (handovers) is a common source of medical errors. While the immediate efficacy of these initiatives is well documented, sustainability of practice changes that results in better processes of care is largely understudied. The objective of the current investigation was to evaluate the sustainability of a protocolized handover process in pediatric patients from the operating room after cardiac surgery to the intensive care unit. This was a prospective study with direct observation assessment of handover performance conducted in the cardiac ICU (CICU) of a free-standing, tertiary care children's hospital in the United States. Patient transitions from the operating room to the CICU, including the verbal handoff, were directly observed by a single independent observer in all phases of the study. A checklist of key elements identified errors classified as: (1) technical, (2) information omissions, and (3) realized errors. Total number of errors was compared across the different times of the study (preintervention, postintervention, and the current sustainability phase). A total of 119 handovers were studied: 41 preintervention, 38 postintervention, and 40 in the current sustainability phase. The median [Interquartile range (IQR)] number of technical errors was significantly reduced in the sustainability phase compared to the preintervention and postintervention phase, 2 (1-3), 6 (5-7), and 2.5 (2-4), respectively P = 0.0001. Similarly, the median (IQR) number of verbal information omissions was also significantly reduced in the sustainability phase compared to the preintervention and postintervention phases, 1 (1-1), 4 (3-5) and 2 (1-3), respectively. We demonstrate sustainability of an improved handover process using a checklist in children being transferred to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. Standardized handover processes can be a sustainable strategy to improve patient safety after pediatric cardiac surgery.

  13. TRIM44 Is a Poor Prognostic Factor for Breast Cancer Patients as a Modulator of NF-κB Signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawabata, Hidetaka; Azuma, Kotaro; Ikeda, Kazuhiro; Sugitani, Ikuko; Kinowaki, Keiichi; Fujii, Takeshi; Osaki, Akihiko; Saeki, Toshiaki; Horie-Inoue, Kuniko; Inoue, Satoshi

    2017-09-08

    Many of the tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins function as E3 ubiquitin ligases and are assumed to be involved in various events, including oncogenesis. In regard to tripartite motif-containing 44 (TRIM44), which is an atypical TRIM family protein lacking the RING finger domain, its pathophysiological significance in breast cancer remains unknown. We performed an immunohistochemical study of TRIM44 protein in clinical breast cancer tissues from 129 patients. The pathophysiological role of TRIM44 in breast cancer was assessed by modulating TRIM44 expression in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. TRIM44 strong immunoreactivity was significantly associated with nuclear grade ( p = 0.033), distant disease-free survival ( p = 0.031) and overall survival ( p = 0.027). Multivariate analysis revealed that the TRIM44 status was an independent prognostic factor for distant disease-free survival ( p = 0.005) and overall survival ( p = 0.002) of patients. siRNA-mediated TRIM44 knockdown significantly decreased the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and inhibited the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Microarray analysis and qRT-PCR showed that TRIM44 knockdown upregulated CDK19 and downregulated MMP1 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Notably, TRIM44 knockdown impaired nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)-mediated transcriptional activity stimulated by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). Moreover, TRIM44 knockdown substantially attenuated the TNFα-dependent phosphorylation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB and IκBα in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. TRIM44 would play a role in the progression of breast cancer by promoting cell proliferation and migration, as well as by enhancing NF-κB signaling.

  14. Influence of boron vacancies on phase stability, bonding and structure of MB2 (M  =  Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W) with AlB2 type structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahlqvist, Martin; Rosen, Johanna; Jansson, Ulf

    2015-01-01

    Transition metal diborides in hexagonal AlB 2 type structure typically form stable MB 2 phases for group IV elements (M  =  Ti, Zr, Hf). For group V (M  =  V, Nb, Ta) and group VI (M  =  Cr, Mo, W) the stability is reduced and an alternative hexagonal rhombohedral MB 2 structure becomes more stable. In this work we investigate the effect of vacancies on the B-site in hexagonal MB 2 and its influence on the phase stability and the structure for TiB 2 , ZrB 2 , HfB 2 , VB 2 , NbB 2 , TaB 2 , CrB 2 , MoB 2 , and WB 2 using first-principles calculations. Selected phases are also analyzed with respect to electronic and bonding properties. We identify trends showing that MB 2 with M from group V and IV are stabilized when introducing B-vacancies, consistent with a decrease in the number of states at the Fermi level and by strengthening of the B–M interaction. The stabilization upon vacancy formation also increases when going from M in period 4 to period 6. For TiB 2 , ZrB 2 , and HfB 2 , introduction of B-vacancies have a destabilizing effect due to occupation of B–B antibonding orbitals close to the Fermi level and an increase in states at the Fermi level. (paper)

  15. Complex autism spectrum disorder in a patient with a 17q12 microduplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Tracy; Desai, Khyati; Grodberg, David; Mehta, Lakshmi; Cohen, Ninette; Tryfon, Ana; Kolevzon, Alexander; Soorya, Latha; Buxbaum, Joseph D; Edelmann, Lisa

    2012-05-01

    Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are phenotypically complex developmental neuropsychiatric disorders affecting approximately 0.6% of the population. About 30-70% of affected children are also considered to have intellectual disability (ID). The underlying genetic causes of ASDs are diverse with a defined etiology in 16-20%. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) has proven useful in identifying sub-microscopic chromosome aberrations in a subset of patients, some of which have been shown to be recurrent. One such aberration is the 1.4 Mb microdeletion at chromosome 17q12, which has been reported to be associated with renal disease, growth restriction, diabetes, cognitive impairment, seizures, and in some cases an ASD. Patients with the reciprocal chromosome 17q12 microduplication typically have also been identified with ID and in some cases seizures and behavioral abnormalities. Here we report a patient with a de novo, 1.4 Mb microduplication diagnosed with significant ID involving complex deficits and autism. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with the 17q12 microduplication and a complex ASD phenotype. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. The additional benefit of the ML Flow test to classify leprosy patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bührer-Sékula, Samira; Illarramendi, Ximena; Teles, Rose B; Penna, Maria Lucia F; Nery, José Augusto C; Sales, Anna Maria; Oskam, Linda; Sampaio, Elizabeth P; Sarno, Euzenir N

    2009-08-01

    The use of the skin lesion counting classification leads to both under and over diagnosis of leprosy in many instances. Thus, there is a need to complement this classification with another simple and robust test for use in the field. Data of 202 untreated leprosy patients diagnosed at FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was analyzed. There were 90 patients classified as PB and 112 classified as MB according to the reference standard. The BI was positive in 111 (55%) patients and the ML Flow test in 116 (57.4%) patients. The ML Flow test was positive in 95 (86%) of the patients with a positive BI. The lesion counting classification was confirmed by both BI and ML Flow tests in 65% of the 92 patients with 5 or fewer lesions, and in 76% of the 110 patients with 6 or more lesions. The combination of skin lesion counting and the ML Flow test results yielded a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 87% for MB classification, and correctly classified 86% of the patients when compared to the standard reference. A considerable proportion of the patients (43.5%) with discordant test results in relation to standard classification was in reaction. The use of any classification system has limitations, especially those that oversimplify a complex disease such as leprosy. In the absence of an experienced dermatologist and slit skin smear, the ML Flow test could be used to improve treatment decisions in field conditions.

  17. In situ hydrothermal synthesis of a novel hierarchically porous TS-1/modified-diatomite composite for methylene blue (MB) removal by the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Weiwei; Yuan, Peng; Liu, Dong; Yu, Wenbin; Laipan, Minwang; Deng, Liangliang; Chen, Fanrong

    2016-01-15

    Hierarchically porous TS-1/modified-diatomite composites with high removal efficiency for methylene blue (MB) were prepared via a facile in situ hydrothermal route. The surface charge state of the diatomite was modified to enhance the electrostatic interactions, followed by in situ hydrothermal coating with TS-1 nanoparticles. The zeolite loading amount in the composites could be adjusted by changing the hydrothermal time. The highest specific surface area and micropore volume of the obtained composites were 521.3m(2)/g and 0.254cm(3)/g, respectively, with an optimized zeolite loading amount of 96.8%. Based on the synergistic effect of efficient adsorption and photocatalysis resulting from the newly formed hierarchically porous structure and improved dispersion of TS-1 nanoparticles onto diatomite, the composites' removal efficiency for MB reached 99.1% after 2h of photocatalytic reaction, even higher than that observed using pure TS-1 nanoparticles. Moreover, the superior MB removal kinetics of the composites were well represented by a pseudo-first-order model, with a rate constant (5.28×10(-2)min(-1)) more than twice as high as that of pure TS-1 nanoparticles (2.43×10(-2)min(-1)). The significant dye removal performance of this novel TS-1/modified-diatomite composite indicates that it is a promising candidate for use in waste water treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Anti-proliferative effect of biogenic gold nanoparticles against breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 & MCF-7)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uma Suganya, K.S.; Govindaraju, K.; Ganesh Kumar, V.; Prabhu, D.; Arulvasu, C.; Stalin Dhas, T.; Karthick, V.; Changmai, Niranjan

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Biosynthesis of stable and well dispersed predominantly spherical gold nanoparticles of size around ∼12.5 nm. • Anticancer assessment of gold nanoparticles on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. • AuNPs were found non toxic to normal HMEC cells. • Flow cytometry results revealed significant arrest in cell proliferation in early G0/G1 to S phase. - Abstract: Breast cancer is a major complication in women and numerous approaches are being developed to overcome this problem. In conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy the post side effects cause an unsuitable effect in treatment of cancer. Hence, it is essential to develop a novel strategy for the treatment of this disease. In the present investigation, a possible route for green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using leaf extract of Mimosa pudica and its anticancer efficacy in the treatment of breast cancer cell lines is studied. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be effective in killing cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 & MCF-7) which were studied using various anticancer assays (MTT assay, cell morphology determination, cell cycle analysis, comet assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and DAPI staining). Cell morphological analysis showed the changes occurred in cancer cells during the treatment with AuNPs. Cell cycle analysis revealed apoptosis in G_0/G_1 to S phase. Similarly in Comet assay, there was an increase in tail length in treated cells in comparison with the control. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay showed prompt fluorescence in treated cells indicating the translocation of phosphatidylserine from the inner membrane. PI and DAPI staining showed the DNA damage in treated cells.

  19. Anti-proliferative effect of biogenic gold nanoparticles against breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 & MCF-7)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uma Suganya, K.S. [Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600119 (India); Govindaraju, K., E-mail: govindtu@gmail.com [Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600119 (India); Ganesh Kumar, V. [Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600119 (India); Prabhu, D.; Arulvasu, C. [Department of Zoology, University of Madras, Guindy campus, Chennai 600 025 (India); Stalin Dhas, T.; Karthick, V.; Changmai, Niranjan [Centre for Ocean Research, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600119 (India)

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • Biosynthesis of stable and well dispersed predominantly spherical gold nanoparticles of size around ∼12.5 nm. • Anticancer assessment of gold nanoparticles on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. • AuNPs were found non toxic to normal HMEC cells. • Flow cytometry results revealed significant arrest in cell proliferation in early G0/G1 to S phase. - Abstract: Breast cancer is a major complication in women and numerous approaches are being developed to overcome this problem. In conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy the post side effects cause an unsuitable effect in treatment of cancer. Hence, it is essential to develop a novel strategy for the treatment of this disease. In the present investigation, a possible route for green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using leaf extract of Mimosa pudica and its anticancer efficacy in the treatment of breast cancer cell lines is studied. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be effective in killing cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 & MCF-7) which were studied using various anticancer assays (MTT assay, cell morphology determination, cell cycle analysis, comet assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and DAPI staining). Cell morphological analysis showed the changes occurred in cancer cells during the treatment with AuNPs. Cell cycle analysis revealed apoptosis in G{sub 0}/G{sub 1} to S phase. Similarly in Comet assay, there was an increase in tail length in treated cells in comparison with the control. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay showed prompt fluorescence in treated cells indicating the translocation of phosphatidylserine from the inner membrane. PI and DAPI staining showed the DNA damage in treated cells.

  20. Digital PCR assessment of MGMT promoter methylation coupled with reduced protein expression optimises prediction of response to alkylating agents in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sartore-Bianchi, Andrea; Pietrantonio, Filippo; Amatu, Alessio; Milione, Massimo; Cassingena, Andrea; Ghezzi, Silvia; Caporale, Marta; Berenato, Rosa; Falcomatà, Chiara; Pellegrinelli, Alessio; Bardelli, Alberto; Nichelatti, Michele; Tosi, Federica; De Braud, Filippo; Di Nicolantonio, Federica; Barault, Ludovic; Siena, Salvatore

    2017-01-01

    O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) is a repair protein, and its deficiency makes tumours more susceptible to the cytotoxic effect of alkylating agents. Five clinical trials with temozolomide or dacarbazine have been performed in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with selection based on methyl-specific PCR (MSP) testing with modest results. We hypothesised that mitigated results are consequences of unspecific patient selection and that alternative methodologies for MGMT testing such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could enhance patient enrolment. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded archival tumour tissue samples from four phase II studies of temozolomide or dacarbazine in MGMT MSP-positive mCRCs were analysed by IHC for MGMT protein expression and by methyl-BEAMing (MB) for percentage of promoter methylation. Pooled data were then retrospectively analysed according to objective response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). One hundred and five patients were included in the study. Twelve had achieved partial response (PR) (11.4%), 24 stable disease (SD; 22.9%) and 69 progressive disease (PD; 65.7%). Patients with PR/SD had lower IHC scores and higher MB levels than those with PD. MGMT expression by IHC was negatively and MB levels positively associated with PFS (p alkylating agents. Their combination could enhance patient selection in this setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The experimental determination and evaluation of the spectral indices of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor for the IRPhE project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Adimir dos; Fanaro, Leda C.C.B.; Jerez, Rogério

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • A new experimental method for the spectral index measurements was developed. • The method eliminates the need of calculated correction factors for the case of 28 ρ. • The experimental results were approved for inclusion in the IRPhE handbook. • MCNP5 with ENDF/B-VII.0 described well the experimental data. - Abstract: New experimental results for the spectral indices of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor are presented in this work. The experimental approach considers a new technique for the 28 ρ case which does not require any sort of calculated correction factors. This aspect gave to the IPEN/MB-01 experiment an excellent quality and free of possible bias due to these calculated correction factors. The uncertainty analysis show, even considering the uncertainties of the geometric and material data of the facility, that the final uncertainties are small enough and well understood for a benchmark problem. The experiment was evaluated and included in the IRPhE handbook. The theory/experiment comparison reveals that there is considerable progress in the 238 U nuclear data for application in thermal reactors. The theory/experiment comparison employs the nuclear data libraries ENDF/B-VII.0, ENDF/B-VI.8, JEF3.1, and JENDL3.3 and reveals an excellent agreement for the spectral index 28 ρ * independently of the nuclear data library considered; aspect never found before in several other comparisons. The long term overprediction of the 238 U neutron epithermal capture appears to be eliminated with the improvements in the recent nuclear data libraries. The experimental performed at the IPEN/MB-01 reactor supports the changes in the 238 U nuclear data incorporated in ENDF/B-VII.0 as well as in the other libraries studied in this work. The theory/experiment comparison of 25 δ * and (C8/F) ept show that these spectral indices are in general slightly overpredicted, thus suggesting that the thermal fission cross section of 235 U might be a little bit underestimated

  2. Deontological guilt and obsessive compulsive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancini, Francesco; Gangemi, Amelia

    2015-12-01

    The emotion of guilt plays a pivotal role in the genesis and maintenance of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). But what kind of guilt do OC patients want to prevent? Several studies suggest the existence of two different types of guilt emotions, namely deontological and altruistic guilt. This research suggests that the former, more than the latter, is involved in OCD. Studies in which people must hypothetically choose between killing one person to save a few (consequentialist choice) or take no action and allow things to take their course (omission choice), have found that the latter is consistent with the "Do not play God" moral principle whereas the former is consistent with altruistic motivations. This paper is aimed at verifying whether both OC patients, with no induction, and nonclinical participants, after the induction of deontological guilt prefer omission more often than a consequentialist option. It is hypothesized that people with OCD will be motivated to avoid feeling deontological guilt and thus will be more likely to opt for omission. Similarly, nonclinical participants who receive a deontological guilt induction will also be more likely to choose omission. In two studies participants were given seven scenarios (four moral dilemmas, three control scenarios). Twenty patients with OCD, 20 anxious controls, and 20 healthy participants took part in study 1. In study 2, we recruited 70 healthy participants who were randomly assigned to receive a deontological guilt or a control induction. Consistent with hypotheses, in Study 1 OC patients preferred omission, instead of the consequentialist option, moreso than did the clinical and nonclinical controls. In Study 2, the group receiving the deontological guilt induction preferred omission to a greater extent than did the altruistic group. The present study cannot establish that the goal of preventing or neutralizing deontological guilt actually drives obsessions and compulsions. These results provide further

  3. Clock generation and distribution for the 130-nm Itanium$^{R}$ 2 processor with 6-MB on-die L3 cache

    CERN Document Server

    Tam, S; Limaye, R D

    2004-01-01

    The clock generation and distribution system for the 130-nm Itanium 2 processor operates at 1.5 GHz with a skew of 24 ps. The Itanium 2 processor features 6 MB of on-die L3 cache and has a die size of 374 mm/sup 2/. Fuse-based clock de-skew enables post-silicon clock optimization to gain higher frequency. This paper describes the clock generation, global clock distribution, local clocking, and the clock skew optimization feature.

  4. Identification of Novel Human Breast Carcinoma (MDA-MB-231 Cell Growth Modulators from a Carbohydrate-Based Diversity Oriented Synthesis Library

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Lenci

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The application of a cell-based growth inhibition on a library of skeletally different glycomimetics allowed for the selection of a hexahydro-2H-furo[3,2-b][1,4]oxazine compound as candidate inhibitors of MDA-MB-231 cell growth. Subsequent synthesis of analogue compounds and preliminary biological studies validated the selection of a valuable hit compound with a novel polyhydroxylated structure for the modulation of the breast carcinoma cell cycle mechanism.

  5. Renoprotective effect of remote ischemic postconditioning in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cao B

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Bangming Cao,* Chi Zhang,* Haipeng Wang, Ming Xia, Xiangjun Yang Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Whether upper arm remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC exerts protection to kidney in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI remains unknown. Methods: Sixty-four patients with STEMI were randomized to PPCI + RIPostC (n=29 and PPCI (n=35 groups. RIPostC consisting of 4 cycles of 5 minutes occlusion/reperfusion by cuff inflation/deflation of the upper arm was started within 1 minute after the first balloon dilatation. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected before PPCI and at 0.5, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after PPCI to detect serum creatinine (SCr and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB. Acute kidney injury (AKI rate and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR were calculated. The transthoracic echocardiography was performed 7 days after PPCI to assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF. Results: The patients in the PPCI + RIPostC group had a lower AKI rate compared with those in the PPCI group (P=0.04. The eGFR after PPCI increased in the PPCI + RIPostC group compared to the PPCI group (P<0.01. The peak of CK-MB concentration in the PPCI + RIPostC group was significantly lower than that in the PPCI group (P<0.01. The area under the curve of CK-MB decreased in the PPCI + RIPostC group compared with that in the PPCI group. LVEF in the PPCI + RIPostC group was significantly higher than that in the PPCI group (P=0.04. Conclusion: Upper arm RIPostC exerts renal and cardiac protection following cardiac ischemia–reperfusion in patients with STEMI. Keywords: myocardial ischemia reperfusion, ST-segmental elevation myocardial infarction, primary percutaneous coronary intervention, remote ischemic postconditioning

  6. Xp21 contiguous gene syndromes: Deletion quantitation with bivariate flow karyotyping allows mapping of patient breakpoints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCabe, E.R.B.; Towbin, J.A. (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States)); Engh, G. van den; Trask, B.J. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States))

    1992-12-01

    Bivariate flow karyotyping was used to estimate the deletion sizes for a series of patients with Xp21 contiguous gene syndromes. The deletion estimates were used to develop an approximate scale for the genomic map in Xp21. The bivariate flow karyotype results were compared with clinical and molecular genetic information on the extent of the patients' deletions, and these various types of data were consistent. The resulting map spans >15 Mb, from the telomeric interval between DXS41 (99-6) and DXS68 (1-4) to a position centromeric to the ornithine transcarbamylase locus. The deletion sizing was considered to be accurate to [plus minus]1 Mb. The map provides information on the relative localization of genes and markers within this region. For example, the map suggests that the adrenal hypoplasia congenita and glycerol kinase genes are physically close to each other, are within 1-2 Mb of the telomeric end of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene, and are nearer to the DMD locus than to the more distal marker DXS28 (C7). Information of this type is useful in developing genomic strategies for positional cloning in Xp21. These investigations demonstrate that the DNA from patients with Xp21 contiguous gene syndromes can be valuable reagents, not only for ordering loci and markers but also for providing an approximate scale to the map of the Xp21 region surrounding DMD. 44 refs., 3 figs.

  7. Managing direct oral anticoagulants in patients undergoing dentoalveolar surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, J P; Woolcombe, S A; Patel, R K; Obisesan, O; Roberts, L N; Bryant, C; Arya, R

    2017-02-24

    Our objective was to describe our experience of managing a cohort of adult patients prescribed direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) undergoing dentoalveolar procedures between November 2012 and May 2016. Prior to conducting a procedure a formal assessment was made of each patient's anticoagulation treatment. A specific plan was then formulated, balancing the risk of bleeding with the risk of thrombosis. Patients received a telephone consultation one week following treatment to assess any post-operative bleeding. Eighty-two patients underwent 111 oral surgical procedures, the majority of which were dental extractions. In the case of 35 (32%) procedures, advice was given to omit the DOAC, either before or after treatment. There was no bleeding following the majority of procedures. Persistent bleeding followed 15 (13.5%) procedures, of which 7 (6.3%) procedures required specific intervention. The majority of patients prescribed DOACs can undergo dentoalveolar procedures safely. Important considerations when planning treatment are: (i) when the patient usually takes their dose of DOAC, (ii) the time the procedure is performed and, (iii) when the DOAC is taken post-procedure. In our experience, if these factors are considered carefully, omission of DOAC doses is unlikely to be required for most patients.

  8. [Predictive value of early phrase echocardiography and cardiac biological markers in patients with severe sepsis: a five-year single-center retrospective study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zang, Xuefeng; Chen, Wei; Sheng, Bo; Zhao, Lei; Gu, Xuyun; Zhen, Jie; Liu, Ping

    2018-04-01

    To assess the predictive value of early phrase echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers in patients with severe sepsis. A retrospective analysis of severe septic patients (patients with acute coronary syndrome and end stage renal disease were excluded) in department of intensive care unit of Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Shijitan Hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 was conducted. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), myoglobin (MYO), creatine kinase (CK), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) within 6 hours after admission, and bedside echocardiography indexes [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the ratio of the peak blood flow velocity in the early stage of the mitral valve and the peak blood flow rate of the mitral valve (E/A ratio)] within 6 hours after diagnosis were recorded. The differences of indexes between patients with decreased contractile function (LVEF value in severe sepsis patients. (1) A total of 316 patients were enrolled in the survey period. Decreased cardiac systolic function (LVEF value for prognosis in severe sepsis patient, among which NT-proBNP and cTnI had higher predictive value [the area under ROC curve (AUC) were 0.920 and 0.901 respectively, both P values measured by echocardiography in early phrase were unrelated to 28-day prognosis. APACHE II score, E/A ratio, NT-proBNP, cTnI, MYO, CK and CK-MB were related to 28-day prognosis. APACHE II scores and NT-proBNP were independent prognostic factors in severe sepsis patient.

  9. Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Restores Attention-Related Activity in the Angular Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krick, Christoph M; Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Plinkert, Peter K; Reith, Wolfgang

    2017-01-01

    Background: Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound without external acoustic stimulation. Recent tinnitus research suggests a relationship between attention processes and tinnitus-related distress. It has been found that too much focus on tinnitus comes at the expense of the visual domain. The angular gyrus (AG) seems to play a crucial role in switching attention to the most salient stimulus. This study aims to evaluate the involvement of the AG during visual attention tasks in tinnitus sufferers treated with Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy (HNMT), an intervention that has been shown to reduce tinnitus-related distress. Methods: Thirty-three patients with chronic tinnitus, 45 patients with recent-onset tinnitus, and 35 healthy controls were tested. A fraction of these (21/21/22) were treated with the "compact" version of the HNMT lasting 1 week with intense treatments, while non-treated participants were included as passive controls. Visual attention was evaluated during functional Magnet-Resonance Imaging (fMRI) by a visual Continous Performance Task (CPT) using letter-based alarm cues ("O" and "X") appearing in a sequence of neutral letters, "A" through "H." Participants were instructed to respond via button press only if the letter "O" was followed by the letter "X" (GO condition), but not to respond if a neutral letter appeared instead (NOGO condition). All participants underwent two fMRI sessions, before and after a 1-week study period. Results: The CPT results revealed a relationship between error rates and tinnitus duration at baseline whereby the occurrence of erroneous "GO omissions" and the reaction time increased with tinnitus duration. Patients with chronic tinnitus who were treated with HNMT had decreasing error rates (fewer GO omissions) compared to treated recent-onset patients. fMRI analyses confirmed greater activation of the AG during CPT in chronic patients after HNMT treatment compared to treated recent-onset patients. Conclusions: Our

  10. Submicroscopic subtelomeric aberrations in Chinese patients with unexplained developmental delay/mental retardation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Liwen

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Subtelomeric imbalance is widely accepted as related to developmental delay/mental retardation (DD/MR. Fine mapping of aberrations in gene-enriched subtelomeric regions provides essential clues for localizing critical regions, and provides a strategy for identifying new candidate genes. To date, no large-scale study has been conducted on subtelomeric aberrations in DD/MR patients in mainland China. Methods This study included 451 Chinese children with moderate to severe clinically unexplained DD/MR. The subtelomere-MLPA (multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification and Affymetrix human SNP array 6.0 were used to determine the subtelomeric copy number variations. The exact size and the breakpoint of each identified aberration were well defined. Results The submicroscopic subtelomeric aberrations were identified in 23 patients, with a detection rate of 5.1%. 16 patients had simple deletions, 2 had simple duplications and 5 with both deletions and duplications. The deletions involved 14 different subtelomeric regions (1p, 2p, 4p, 6p, 7p, 7q, 8p, 9p, 10p, 11q, 14q, 15q, 16p and 22q, and duplications involved 7 subtelomeric regions (3q, 4p, 6q, 7p, 8p, 12p and 22q. Of all the subtelomeric aberrations found in Chinese subjects, the most common was 4p16.3 deletion. The sizes of the deletions varied from 0.6 Mb to 12 Mb, with 5-143 genes inside. Duplicated regions were 0.26 Mb to 11 Mb, with 6-202 genes inside. In this study, four deleted subtelomeric regions and one duplicated region were smaller than any other previously reported, specifically the deletions in 11q25, 8p23.3, 7q36.3, 14q32.33, and the duplication in 22q13. Candidate genes inside each region were proposed. Conclusions Submicroscopic subtelomeric aberrations were detected in 5.1% of Chinese children with clinically unexplained DD/MR. Four deleted subtelomeric regions and one duplicated region found in this study were smaller than any previously reported, which

  11. Arctigenin, a lignan from Arctium lappa L., inhibits metastasis of human breast cancer cells through the downregulation of MMP-2/-9 and heparanase in MDA-MB-231 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Chenghua; Zhu, Zhihui; Zhao, Yaping; Zhu, Rui; Zhao, Huajun

    2017-01-01

    Arctigenin is a bioactive lignan isolated from the seeds of Arctium lappa L. which has been widely used as a diuretic and a diaphoretic in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the present study, the authors investigated the effects of arctigenin on tumor migration and invasion in aggressive human breast cancer cells. The MTT assay results showed that arctigenin did not show a significant cytotoxic effect on the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 cells. However, wound healing migration and Boyden chamber invasion assays demonstrated that arctigenin significantly inhibited in vitro migration and invasion of the MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, gelatin zymography results showed that arctigenin reduced the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Western blot analysis results demonstrated that the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 and heparanase proteins was significantly downregulated following the treatment of arctigenin. Finally, the antiangiogenic activity of arctigenin was also examined by the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Arctigenin treatment significantly inhibited angiogenesis in the CAM. In conclusion, the results revealed that arctigenin significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells by downregulating MMP-2, MMP-9 and heparanase expression. However, further studies are still necessary to investigate the exact mechanisms involved and to explore signal transduction pathways to better understand the biological mechanisms.

  12. COTS low-cost 622-Mb/s free-space laser communications link for short-distance commercial applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Kenneth A.

    2000-05-01

    The results from a low cost 622 Mb/s, free-space laser communication link operating at 850 nm for short distance commercial applications is presented. The test results demonstrate the use of a free-space laser communications transceiver for building to building applications such as LAN, WAN and ATM operations, etc. This illustrates the potential for wide-use commercial computer network applications. The transceiver is constructed of commercial off-the-shelf materials for the development of a low-cost laser communications data link. The test system configuration utilizes standard Personal Computers with network cards and signal conversion cards for the copper to optical medical conversion. These tests precede the development of an increased data rate device operating at 2.5 Gb/s.

  13. Performance of DS-UWB in MB-OFDM and multi-user interference over Nakagami-m fading channels

    KAUST Repository

    Mehbodniya, Abolfazl

    2011-01-18

    The mutual interference between the two ultra wideband (UWB) technologies, which use the same frequency spectrum, will be a matter of concern in the near future. In this context, we present a performance analysis of direct-sequence (DS) UWB communication in the presence of multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) UWB interfering transmissions. The channel fading is modeled according to Nakagami-m distribution, and multi-user interference is taken into account. The DS-UWB system performance is evaluated in terms of bit error rate (BER). Specifically, using the characteristic function approach, an analytical expression for the average BER is derived conditioned on the channel impulse response. Numerical and simulation results are provided and compared for different coexistence scenarios. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Dopamine receptors genes polymorphisms in Parkinson patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pozhidaev, Ivan V; Alifirova, V. M.; Freidin, Maxim B.; Zhukova, I.A.; Fedorenko, Olga Yu; Osmanova, Diana Z; Mironova, Y.S.; Wilffert, Berend; Ivanova, Svetlana A.; Loonen, Antonius

    2017-01-01

    Dopamine receptors genes polymorphisms in Parkinson patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia I. Pozhidaev(1), V.M. Alifirova(2), M.B. Freidin(3), I.A. Zhukova(2), O.Y. Fedorenko(1), D.Z. Osmanova(1), Y.S. Mironova(2), B. Wilffert(4), S.A. Ivanova(1), A.J.M. Loonen(5) (1)Mental Health Research

  15. [Medicines reconciliation in critically ill patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Martin, C; Aquerreta, I; Faus, V; Idoate, A

    2014-01-01

    Medicines reconciliation plays a key role in patient safety. However, there is limited data available on how this process affects critically ill patients. In this study, we evaluate a program of reconciliation in critically ill patients conducted by the Intensive Care Unit's (ICU) pharmacist. Prospective study about reconciliation medication errors observed in 50 patients. All ICU patients, excluding patients without regular treatment. Reconciliation process was carried out in the first 24h after ICU admission. Discrepancies were clarified with the doctor in charge of the patient. We analyzed the incidence of reconciliation errors, their characteristics and gravity, the interventions made by the pharmacist and their acceptance by physicians. A total of 48% of patients showed at least one reconciliation error. Omission of drugs accounted for 74% of the reconciliation errors, mainly involving antihypertensive drugs (33%). An amount of 58% of reconciliation errors detected corresponded to severity category D. Pharmacist made interventions in the 98% of patients with discrepancies. A total of 81% of interventions were accepted. The incidence and characteristics of reconciliation errors in ICU are similar to those published in non-critically ill patients, and they affect drugs with high clinical significance. Our data support the importance of the stablishment of medication reconciliation proceedings in critically ill patients. The ICU's pharmacist could carry out this procedure adequately. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  16. Diagnosis and fine localization of deletion region in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Tao-Yun; Chia, David; Wang, Jing-Min; Wu, Ye; Li, Jie; Xiao, Jing; Jiang, Yu-Wu

    2010-07-01

    Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) results from the partial deletion of 4p. This study aimed to identify and fine map the chromosome deletion regions of Chinese children with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome among the developmental delay/mental retardation (DD/MR) patients. We analyzed the relationship of phenotype and genotype. Inclusion criteria were: moderate to severe DD/MR, no definite perinatal brain injury, and no trauma, toxication, hypoxia, infection of central nervous system; routine karyotyping was normal, no evidence of typical inherited metabolic disorder or specific neurodegenerative disorders from cranial neuro-imaging and blood/urinary metabolic diseases screening; no mutation of FMR1 in male patients, no typical clinical manifestation of Rett syndrome in female patients. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and Affymetrix genome-wide human SNP array 6.0 assays were applied to accurately define the exact size of subtelomeric aberration region of four WHS patients. All four WHS patients presented with severe DD, hypotonia and microcephaly, failure to thrive, 3/4 patients with typical facial features and seizures, 2/4 patients with congenital heart defects and cleft lip/palate, 1/4 patients with other malformations. The length of the deletions ranged from 3.3 Mb to 9.8 Mb. Two of four patients had "classic" WHS, 1/4 patients had "mild"-to-"classic" WHS, and 1/4 patients had "mild" WHS. WHS patients in China appear to be consistent with those previously reported. The prevalence of signs and symptoms, distribution of cases between "mild" and "classic" WHS, and the correlation between length of deletion and severity of disease of these patients were all similar to those of the patients from other populations.

  17. Optimized Method for Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda L. Peterson

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Cancer cells often have dysregulated metabolism, which is largely characterized by the Warburg effect—an increase in glycolytic activity at the expense of oxidative phosphorylation—and increased glutamine utilization. Modern metabolomics tools offer an efficient means to investigate metabolism in cancer cells. Currently, a number of protocols have been described for harvesting adherent cells for metabolomics analysis, but the techniques vary greatly and they lack specificity to particular cancer cell lines with diverse metabolic and structural features. Here we present an optimized method for untargeted metabolomics characterization of MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer cells, which are commonly used to study metastatic breast cancer. We found that an approach that extracted all metabolites in a single step within the culture dish optimally detected both polar and non-polar metabolite classes with higher relative abundance than methods that involved removal of cells from the dish. We show that this method is highly suited to diverse applications, including the characterization of central metabolic flux by stable isotope labelling and differential analysis of cells subjected to specific pharmacological interventions.

  18. Metastatic Group 3 Medulloblastoma in a Patient With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Case Description and Molecular Characterization of the Tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moavero, Romina; Folgiero, Valentina; Carai, Andrea; Miele, Evelina; Ferretti, Elisabetta; Po, Agnese; Diomedi Camassei, Francesca; Lepri, Francesca Romana; Vigevano, Federico; Curatolo, Paolo; Valeriani, Massimiliano; Colafati, Giovanna S; Locatelli, Franco; Tornesello, Assunta; Mastronuzzi, Angela

    2016-04-01

    Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric brain tumor. We describe a child with tuberous sclerosis complex that developed a Group 3, myc overexpressed, metastatic medulloblastoma (MB). Considering the high risk of treatment-induced malignancies, a tailored therapy, omitting radiation, was given. Based on the evidence of mammalian target of rapamycin mTORC, mTOR Complex; RAS, Rat sarcoma; RAF, rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (mTOR) pathway activation in the tumor, targeted therapy was applied resulting in complete remission of disease. Although the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway plays a role in MB, we did not find TSC1/TSC2 (TSC, tuberous sclerosis complex) mutation in our patient. We speculate that a different pathway resulting in mTOR activation is the basis of both TSC and MB in this child; H&E, haematoxilin and eosin; Gd, gadolinium. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Resveratrol modulates MED28 (Magicin/EG-1) expression and inhibits epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced migration in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ming-Fen; Pan, Min-Hsiung; Chiou, Yi-Siou; Cheng, An-Chin; Huang, Han

    2011-11-09

    Resveratrol and pterostilbene exhibit diverse biological activities. MED28, a subunit of the mammalian Mediator complex for transcription, was also identified as magicin, an actin cytoskeleton Grb2-associated protein, and as endothelial-derived gene (EG-1). Several tumors exhibit aberrant MED28 expression, whereas the underlying mechanism is unclear. Triple-negative breast cancers, often expressing epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), are associated with metastasis and poor survival. The objective of this study is to compare the effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene and to investigate the role of MED28 in EGFR-overexpressing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Pretreatment of resveratrol, but not pterostlbene, suppressed EGF-mediated migration and expression of MED28 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, overexpression of MED28 increased migration, and the addition of EGF further enhanced migration. Our data indicate that resveratrol modulates the effect of MED28 on cellular migration, presumably through the EGFR/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway, in breast cancer cells.

  20. Analysis of error type and frequency in apraxia of speech among Portuguese speakers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maysa Luchesi Cera

    Full Text Available Abstract Most studies characterizing errors in the speech of patients with apraxia involve English language. Objectives: To analyze the types and frequency of errors produced by patients with apraxia of speech whose mother tongue was Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: 20 adults with apraxia of speech caused by stroke were assessed. The types of error committed by patients were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and frequencies compared. Results: We observed the presence of substitution, omission, trial-and-error, repetition, self-correction, anticipation, addition, reiteration and metathesis, in descending order of frequency, respectively. Omission type errors were one of the most commonly occurring whereas addition errors were infrequent. These findings differed to those reported in English speaking patients, probably owing to differences in the methodologies used for classifying error types; the inclusion of speakers with apraxia secondary to aphasia; and the difference in the structure of Portuguese language to English in terms of syllable onset complexity and effect on motor control. Conclusions: The frequency of omission and addition errors observed differed to the frequency reported for speakers of English.

  1. Analysis of error type and frequency in apraxia of speech among Portuguese speakers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cera, Maysa Luchesi; Minett, Thaís Soares Cianciarullo; Ortiz, Karin Zazo

    2010-01-01

    Most studies characterizing errors in the speech of patients with apraxia involve English language. To analyze the types and frequency of errors produced by patients with apraxia of speech whose mother tongue was Brazilian Portuguese. 20 adults with apraxia of speech caused by stroke were assessed. The types of error committed by patients were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and frequencies compared. We observed the presence of substitution, omission, trial-and-error, repetition, self-correction, anticipation, addition, reiteration and metathesis, in descending order of frequency, respectively. Omission type errors were one of the most commonly occurring whereas addition errors were infrequent. These findings differed to those reported in English speaking patients, probably owing to differences in the methodologies used for classifying error types; the inclusion of speakers with apraxia secondary to aphasia; and the difference in the structure of Portuguese language to English in terms of syllable onset complexity and effect on motor control. The frequency of omission and addition errors observed differed to the frequency reported for speakers of English.

  2. Comparing Apoptosis and Necrosis Effects of Arctium Lappa Root Extract and Doxorubicin on MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines

    OpenAIRE

    Ghafari, Fereshteh; Rajabi, Mohammad Reza; Mazoochi, Tahereh; Taghizadeh, Mohsen; Nikzad, Hossein; Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Taherian, Aliakbar

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and very common malignancy in women worldwide. The efficacy of chemotherapy as an important part of breast cancer treatment is limited due to its side effects. While pharmaceutical companies are looking for better chemicals, research on traditional medicines that generally have fewer side effects is quite interesting. In this study, apoptosis and necrosis effect of Arctium lappa and doxorubicin was compared in MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines...

  3. Addressing the selective role of distinct prefrontal areas in response suppression: A study with brain tumor patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arbula, Sandra; Pacella, Valentina; De Pellegrin, Serena; Rossetto, Marta; Denaro, Luca; D'Avella, Domenico; Della Puppa, Alessandro; Vallesi, Antonino

    2017-06-01

    The diverging evidence for functional localization of response inhibition within the prefrontal cortex might be justified by the still unclear involvement of other intrinsically related cognitive processes like response selection and sustained attention. In this study, the main aim was to understand whether inhibitory impairments, previously found in patients with both left and right frontal lesions, could be better accounted for by assessing these potentially related cognitive processes. We tested 37 brain tumor patients with left prefrontal, right prefrontal and non-prefrontal lesions and a healthy control group on Go/No-Go and Foreperiod tasks. In both types of tasks inhibitory impairments are likely to cause false alarms, although additionally the former task requires response selection and the latter target detection abilities. Irrespective of the task context, patients with right prefrontal damage showed frequent Go and target omissions, probably due to sustained attention lapses. Left prefrontal patients, on the other hand, showed both Go and target omissions and high false alarm rates to No-Go and warning stimuli, suggesting a decisional rather than an inhibitory impairment. An exploratory whole-brain voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping analysis confirmed the association of left ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal lesions with target discrimination failure, and right ventrolateral and medial prefrontal lesions with target detection failure. Results from this study show how left and right prefrontal areas, which previous research has linked to response inhibition, underlie broader cognitive control processes, particularly involved in response selection and target detection. Based on these findings, we suggest that successful inhibitory control relies on more than one functionally distinct process which, if assessed appropriately, might help us to better understand inhibitory impairments across different pathologies. Copyright © 2017 The Authors

  4. Non-Muscle Myosin II Isoforms Have Different Functions in Matrix Rearrangement by MDA-MB-231 Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bridget Hindman

    Full Text Available The role of a stiffening extra-cellular matrix (ECM in cancer progression is documented but poorly understood. Here we use a conditioning protocol to test the role of nonmuscle myosin II isoforms in cell mediated ECM arrangement using collagen constructs seeded with breast cancer cells expressing shRNA targeted to either the IIA or IIB heavy chain isoform. While there are several methods available to measure changes in the biophysical characteristics of the ECM, we wanted to use a method which allows for the measurement of global stiffness changes as well as a dynamic response from the sample over time. The conditioning protocol used allows the direct measurement of ECM stiffness. Using various treatments, it is possible to determine the contribution of various construct and cellular components to the overall construct stiffness. Using this assay, we show that both the IIA and IIB isoforms are necessary for efficient matrix remodeling by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, as loss of either isoform changes the stiffness of the collagen constructs as measured using our conditioning protocol. Constructs containing only collagen had an elastic modulus of 0.40 Pascals (Pa, parental MDA-MB-231 constructs had an elastic modulus of 9.22 Pa, while IIA and IIB KD constructs had moduli of 3.42 and 7.20 Pa, respectively. We also calculated the cell and matrix contributions to the overall sample elastic modulus. Loss of either myosin isoform resulted in decreased cell stiffness, as well as a decrease in the stiffness of the cell-altered collagen matrices. While the total construct modulus for the IIB KD cells was lower than that of the parental cells, the IIB KD cell-altered matrices actually had a higher elastic modulus than the parental cell-altered matrices (4.73 versus 4.38 Pa. These results indicate that the IIA and IIB heavy chains play distinct and non-redundant roles in matrix remodeling.

  5. Sismotectónica de la falla de Alhama de Murcia, implicaciones sismogenéticas del terremoto de Lorca de junio-1977 (Mb: 4,2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martínez-Díaz, J. J.

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available A seismotectonic study of the oblique slip (strike-slip-reverse Alhama de Murcia Fault (FAM is presented. The spatial and temporal distribution of historical and instrumental seismicity around the fault is analyzed. The Lorca (1977, Mb 4.2 seismic sequence is interpreted in order to explain the extensional focal mechanism of the mainshock, under a compressional stress field. A model in which local extension occurs in the hanging wall, due to reverse movement of Alhama de Murcia Fault, is proposed to explain the earthquake. The hanging wall suffers a lateral extension due to free lateral space increase and/or flexion The dynamic link of FAM activity with small normal faults, located inside the hanging wall, may produce earthquakes with Mb ≻ 4.0. In that way, seismic risk assessment studies must to be into account the dynamic relations of second order active faults with the major faults, that are the true kinematic engine triggering activity on them.En este trabajo se presenta el estudio sismotectónico de la falla oblicua (inversodireccional de Alhama de Murcia y su entorno. Se analiza la distribución espacial y temporal de la sismicidad histórica e instrumental en el entorno de la falla y se reinterpreta la génesis de la serie sísmica de Lorca ocurrida en junio de 1977 (Mb: 4,2, que se explica desde un punto de vista tectónico, relacionando su mecanismo de foco de tipo extensional, con la estructura neotectónica de la zona epicentral. Se propone un modelo para la génesis de este evento relacionado con el levantamiento y plegamiento de la Sierra de las Estancias asociado a la actividad inverso-direccional de la FAM. En el bloque levantado se pueden producir dos efectos que explican un tensor local extensional: ganancia de espacio lateral en el bloque levantado por la falla, y procesos de flexión asociados a la componente inversa. La conexión dinámica entre la actividad inverso-direccional de la FAM y la actividad normal de las

  6. Consequences of the natural retinoid/retinoid X receptor ligands action in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line: Focus on functional proteomics

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Flodrová, Dana; Toporová, L.; Laštovičková, Markéta; Macejová, D.; Hunaková, L.; Brtko, J.; Bobálová, Janette

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 281, NOV (2017), s. 26-34 ISSN 0378-4274 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-15479S Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) SAV-15-01 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : breast cancer * MDA-MB-231 * biomarker * retinoids Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 3.858, year: 2016

  7. Heavy reflector experiments composed of carbon steel and nickel in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Adimir dos; Silva, Graciete Simoes de Andrade e; Mura, Luis Felipe; Jerez, Rogerio; Mendonca, Arlindo Gilson; Fuga, Rinaldo

    2013-01-01

    The heavy reflector experiments performed in the IPEN/Mb-01 research reactor facility comprise a set of critical configurations employing the standard 28x26-fuel-rod configuration. The heavy reflector either, carbon steel or nickel plates was placed at one of the faces of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. Criticality is achieved by inserting the control banks BC1 and BC2 to the critical position. 32 plates around 0.3 mm thick were used in all the experiment. The chosen distance between last fuel rod row and the first laminate for all types of laminates was 5.5 mm. Considering initially the carbon steel case, the experimental data reveal that the reactivity decreases up to the fifth plate and after that it increases, becomes nearly zero (which was equivalent to initial zero excess reactivity with zero plates) for the 28 plates case and reaches a value of 42.73 pcm when the whole set of 32 plates are inserted in the reflector. This is a very striking result because it demonstrates that when all 32 plates are inserted in the reflector there is a net gain of reactivity. The reactivity behavior demonstrates all the physics events already mentioned in this work. When the number of plates are small (around 5), the neutron absorption in the plates is more important than the neutron reflection and the reactivity decreases. This condition holds up to a point where the neutron reflection becomes more important than the neutron absorption in the plates and the reactivity increases. The experimental data for the nickel case shows the main features of the carbon steel case, but for the carbon steel case the reactivity gain is small, thus demonstrating that carbon steel or essentially iron has not the reflector capability as the nickel laminates do. The measured data of nickel plates show a higher reactivity gain, thus demonstrating that nickel is a better reflector than iron. The theoretical analysis employing MCNP5 and ENDF/B-VII.0 show that the calculated results have good results up to

  8. (−)-Xanthatin Selectively Induces GADD45γ and Stimulates Caspase-Independent Cell Death in Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Shuso; Matsuo, Kazumasa; Yaji, Kentaro; Okajima-Miyazaki, Shunsuke; Harada, Mari; Miyoshi, Hiroko; Okamoto, Yoshiko; Amamoto, Toshiaki; Shindo, Mitsuru; Omiecinski, Curtis J.; Aramaki, Hironori

    2014-01-01

    exo-Methylene lactone group-containing compounds, such as (−)-xanthatin, are present in a large variety of biologically active natural products, including extracts of Xanthium strumarium (Cocklebur). These substances are reported to possess diverse functional activities, exhibiting anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, and anticancer potential. In this study, we synthesized six structurally related xanthanolides containing exo-methylene lactone moieties, including (−)-xanthatin and (+)-8-epi-xanthatin, and examined the effects of these chemically defined substances on the highly aggressive and farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI)-resistant MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line. The results obtained demonstrate that (−)-xanthatin was a highly effective inhibitor of MDA-MB-231 cell growth, inducing caspase-independent cell death, and that these effects were independent of FTase inhibition. Further, our results show that among the GADD45 isoforms, GADD45γ was selectively induced by (−)-xanthatin and that GADD45γ-primed JNK and p38 signaling pathways are, at least in part, involved in mediating the growth inhibition and potential anticancer activities of this agent. Given that GADD45γ is becoming increasingly recognized for its tumor suppressor function, the results presented here suggest the novel possibility that (−)-xanthatin may have therapeutic value as a selective inducer of GADD45γ in human cancer cells, in particular in FTI-resistant aggressive breast cancers. PMID:21568272

  9. Tissue factor-factor VIIa-specific up-regulation of IL-8 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells is mediated by PAR-2 and results in increased cell migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjortoe, Gertrud M; Petersen, Lars C; Albrektsen, Tatjana

    2004-01-01

    Tissue factor (TF), the cellular receptor for factor VIIa (FVIIa), besides initiating blood coagulation, is believed to play an important role in tissue repair, inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Like TF, the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) is shown to play a critical role...... in these processes. To elucidate the potential mechanisms by which TF contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis, we investigated the effect of FVIIa on IL-8 expression and cell migration in a breast carcinoma cell line, MDA-MB-231, a cell line that constitutively expresses abundant TF. Expression of IL-8 m......RNA in MDA-MB-231 cells was markedly up-regulated by plasma concentrations of FVII or an equivalent concentration of FVIIa (10 nM). Neither thrombin nor other proteases involved in hemostasis were effective in stimulating IL-8 in these cells. Increased transcriptional activation of the IL-8 gene...

  10. Measurement of nuclear reaction rates and spectral indices along the radius of fuel pellets from IPEN/MB-01 reactor; Medidas de taxas de reacao nuclear e de indices espectrais ao longo do raio das pastilhas combustiveis do reator IPEN/MB-01

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mura, Luis Felipe Liambos

    2010-07-01

    This work presents the measurements of the nuclear reaction rates along the radial direction of the fuel pellet by irradiation and posterior gamma spectrometry of a thin slice of fuel pellet of UO{sub 2} with 4,3% enrichment. From its irradiation the rate of radioactive capture and fission have been measured as a function of the radius of the pellet disk using a HPGe detector. Lead collimators has been used for this purpose. Simulating the fuel pellet in the pin fuel of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, a thin UO{sub 2} disk is used. This disk is inserted in the interior of a dismountable fuel rod. This fuel rod is then placed in the central position of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core and irradiated during 1 hour under a neutron flux of around 9 x 10{sup 8} n/cm{sup 2}s. For gamma spectrometry 10 collimators with different diameters have been used, consequently, the nuclear reactions of radioactive capture that occurs in atoms of {sup 238}U and fissions that occur on both {sup 235}U and {sup 238}U are measured in function of 10 different region (diameter of collimator) of the fuel pellet disk. Corrections in the geometric efficiency due to introduction of collimators on HPGe detection system were estimated using photon transport of MCNP-4C code. Some calculated values of nuclear reaction rate of radioactive capture and fission along of the radial direction of the fuel pellet obtained by Monte Carlo methodology, using the MCNP-4C code, are presented and compared to the experimental data showing very good agreement. Besides nuclear reaction rates, the spectral indices {sup 28{rho}} and {sup 25{delta}} have been obtained at each different radius of the fuel pellet disk. (author)

  11. Selective regain of egfr gene copies in CD44+/CD24-/low breast cancer cellular model MDA-MB-468

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agelopoulos, Konstantin; Buerger, Horst; Brandt, Burkhard; Greve, Burkhard; Schmidt, Hartmut; Pospisil, Heike; Kurtz, Stefan; Bartkowiak, Kai; Andreas, Antje; Wieczorek, Marek; Korsching, Eberhard

    2010-01-01

    Increased transcription of oncogenes like the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently caused by amplification of the whole gene or at least of regulatory sequences. Aim of this study was to pinpoint mechanistic parameters occurring during egfr copy number gains leading to a stable EGFR overexpression and high sensitivity to extracellular signalling. A deeper understanding of those marker events might improve early diagnosis of cancer in suspect lesions, early detection of cancer progression and the prediction of egfr targeted therapies. The basal-like/stemness type breast cancer cell line subpopulation MDA-MB-468 CD44 high /CD24 -/low , carrying high egfr amplifications, was chosen as a model system in this study. Subclones of the heterogeneous cell line expressing low and high EGF receptor densities were isolated by cell sorting. Genomic profiling was carried out for these by means of SNP array profiling, qPCR and FISH. Cell cycle analysis was performed using the BrdU quenching technique. Low and high EGFR expressing MDA-MB-468 CD44 + /CD24 -/low subpopulations separated by cell sorting showed intermediate and high copy numbers of egfr, respectively. However, during cell culture an increase solely for egfr gene copy numbers in the intermediate subpopulation occurred. This shift was based on the formation of new cells which regained egfr gene copies. By two parametric cell cycle analysis clonal effects mediated through growth advantage of cells bearing higher egfr gene copy numbers could most likely be excluded for being the driving force. Subsequently, the detection of a fragile site distal to the egfr gene, sustaining uncapped telomere-less chromosomal ends, the ladder-like structure of the intrachromosomal egfr amplification and a broader range of egfr copy numbers support the assumption that dynamic chromosomal rearrangements, like breakage-fusion-bridge-cycles other than proliferation drive the gain of egfr copies. Progressive genome modulation

  12. Increased odds and predictive rates of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and observed sex differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Bene, Victor A; Arce Rentería, Miguel; Maiman, Moshe; Slugh, Mitch; Gazzola, Deana M; Nadkarni, Siddhartha S; Barr, William B

    2017-07-01

    The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is a self-report instrument, previously shown to differentiate patients with epileptic seizures (ES) and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). At present, the odds of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations in PNES patients, as well as the diagnostic predictive value of such scale elevations, remain largely unexplored. This can be of clinical utility, particularly when a diagnosis is uncertain. After looking at mean group differences, we applied contingency table derived odds ratios to a sample of ES (n=92) and PNES (n=77) patients from a video EEG (vEEG) monitoring unit. We also looked at the positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), as well as the false discovery rate (FDR) and false omission rate (FOR) for scales found to have increased odds of elevation in PNES patients. This was completed for the overall sample, as well as the sample stratified by sex. The odds of elevations related to somatic concerns, negative mood, and suicidal ideation in the PNES sample ranged from 2 to 5 times more likely. Female PNES patients had 3-6 times greater odds of such scale elevations, while male PNES patients had odds of 5-15 times more likely. PPV rates ranged from 53.66% to 84.62%, while NPV rates ranged from 47.52% to 90.91%. FDR across scales ranged from 15.38% to 50%, while the FOR ranged from 9.09% to 52.47%. Consistent with prior research, PNES patients have greater odds of MMPI-2-RF scale elevations, particularly related to somatic concerns and mood disturbance. Female PNES patients endorsed greater emotional distress, including endorsement of suicide related items. Elevations of these scales could aid in differentiating PNES from ES patients, although caution is warranted due to the possibility of both false positives and the incorrect omissions of PNES cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Study of the Role of siRNA Mediated Promoter Methylation in DNMT3B Knockdown and Alteration of Promoter Methylation of CDH1, GSTP1 Genes in MDA-MB -453 Cell Line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naghitorabi, Mojgan; Mir Mohammad Sadeghi, Hamid; Mohammadi Asl, Javad; Rabbani, Mohammad; Jafarian-Dehkordi, Abbas

    2017-01-01

    Promoter methylation is one of the main epigenetic mechanisms that leads to the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes during carcinogenesis. Due to the reversible nature of DNA methylation, many studies have been performed to correct theses epigenetic defects by inhibiting DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). In this case novel therapeutics especially siRNA oligonucleotides have been used to specifically knock down the DNMTs at mRNA level. Also many studies have focused on transcriptional gene silencing in mammalian cells via siRNA mediated promoter methylation. The present study was designed to assess the role of siRNA mediated promoter methylation in DNMT3B knockdown and alteration of promoter methylation of Cadherin-1 (CDH1), Glutathione S-Transferase Pi 1(GSTP1), and DNMT3B genes in MDA-MB-453 cell line. MDA-MB-453 cells were transfected with siDNMT targeting DNMT3B promoter and harvested at 24 and 48 h post transfection to monitor gene silencing and promoter methylation respectively. DNMT3B expression was monitored by quantitative RT-PCR method. Promoter methylation was quantitatively evaluated using differential high resolution melting analysis. A non-significant 20% reduction in DNMT3B mRNA level was shown only after first transfection with siDNMT, which was not reproducible. Promoter methylation levels of DNMT3B, CDH1, and GSTP1 were detected at about 15%, 70% and 10% respectively, in the MDA-MB-453 cell line, with no significant change after transfection. Our results indicated that siDNMT sequence were not able to affect promoter methylation and silencing of DNMT3B in MDA-MB-453 cells. However, quantitation of methylation confirmed a hypermethylated phenotype at CDH1 and GSTP1 promoters as well as a differential methylation pattern at DNMT3B promoter in breast cancer.

  14. Determination of buckling and probability of leakage of neutron in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor in cylindrical configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Purgato, Rafael Turrini

    2014-01-01

    One of the key parameters in reactor physics is the Buckling of a reactor core. It is related to important parameters such as reaction rates, nuclear power operation, fuel burning, among others. In a critical reactor, the Buckling depends on the geometric and material characteristics of the reactor core. This work presents the results of experimental Buckling in the reactor IPEN/MB-01 nuclear reactor in its cylindrical configuration with 28 fuel rods along its diameter. The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero power reactor designed to operate at a maximum power of 100 watts, it is a versatile nuclear facility which allows the simulation of all the characteristics of a large nuclear power reactor and ideal for this type of measurement. We conducted a mapping of neutron flux inside the reactor and thereby determined the total Buckling of the cylindrical configuration. The reactor was operated for one hour. Then, the activity of the fuel rods was measured by gamma spectrometry on a rod scanner HPGe detector. We analyzed the gamma photons of the 239 Np (276,6 keV) for neutron capture (n,γ) and the 143 Ce (293,3 keV) for fission (n,f) on both 238 U and 235 U, respectively. We analyzed the axial and radial directions. Other measurements were performed using wires and gold foils in the radial and axial directions of the reactor core. The Buckling Total obtained from the three methods by weighted mean is 96,55 ± 7,47 m -2 . The goal is to obtain experimental values of a set of experimental data to allow one direct comparison with values calculated by the codes used in reactor physics CITATION and MCNP. (author)

  15. A 3.96 GHz phase-locked loop for mode-1 MB-OFDM UWB hopping carrier generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng Yongzheng; Li Weinan; Xia Lingli; Huang Yumei; Hong Zhiliang, E-mail: yumeihuang@fudan.edu.c [State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203 (China)

    2009-07-15

    A fully integrated phase-locked loop (PLL) is presented for a single quadrature output frequency of 3.96 GHz. The proposed PLL can be applied to mode-1 MB-OFDM UWB hopping carrier generation. An adaptive frequency calibration loop is incorporated into the PLL. The capacitance area in the loop filter is largely reduced through a capacitor multiplier. Implemented in a CMOS process, this PLL draws 13.0 mA current from a single 1.2 V supply while occupying 0.55 mm{sup 2} die area. Measurement results show that the PLL achieves a phase noise of-70 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and -113 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The integrated RMS jitter from 1 kHz to 10 MHz is 2.2 ps. The reference spur level is less than -68 dBc.

  16. A 3.96 GHz phase-locked loop for mode-1 MB-OFDM UWB hopping carrier generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Yongzheng; Li Weinan; Xia Lingli; Huang Yumei; Hong Zhiliang

    2009-01-01

    A fully integrated phase-locked loop (PLL) is presented for a single quadrature output frequency of 3.96 GHz. The proposed PLL can be applied to mode-1 MB-OFDM UWB hopping carrier generation. An adaptive frequency calibration loop is incorporated into the PLL. The capacitance area in the loop filter is largely reduced through a capacitor multiplier. Implemented in a CMOS process, this PLL draws 13.0 mA current from a single 1.2 V supply while occupying 0.55 mm 2 die area. Measurement results show that the PLL achieves a phase noise of-70 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and -113 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The integrated RMS jitter from 1 kHz to 10 MHz is 2.2 ps. The reference spur level is less than -68 dBc.

  17. Reactivity and neutron flux measurements in IPEN/MB-01 reactor with B4C burnable poison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fer, Nelson Custodio; Moreira, Joao Manoel Losada

    2000-01-01

    Burnable poison rods, made of B 4 C- Al 2 O 3 pellets with 5.01 mg/cm 3 10 B concentration, have been manufactured for a set of experiments in the IPEN/MB-01 zero-power reactor. Several core parameters which are affected by the burnable poisons rods have been measured. The principal results, for the situation in which the burnable poison rods are located near the absorber rods of a control rod, are they cause a 29% rod worth shadowing, a reduction of 39% in the local void coefficient of reactivity, a reduction of 4.8% in the isothermal temperature coefficient of reactivity, and a reduction of 9% in the thermal neutron flux in the region where the burnable poison rods are located. These experimental results will be used for the validation of burnable poison calculation methods in the CTMSP. (author)

  18. Measurements of the neutron energy spectra in the core of IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, Fernando Prat Goncalves

    2006-01-01

    This work presents the neutron spectrum measurements in the Reactor IPEN/MB-01 using very thin activation detectors in the metallic form, in reactor core, in moderator region. An articulated device allows that the foils are inserted in the central position of reactor core, ensuring that all the foils are irradiated in the same position. The activation detectors of different materials such Au 197 , Mg 24 , Ti 4 '8, In 115 , Sc 45 and others, were selected to cover a large range of neutron spectrum. After the irradiation, the activation detectors were submitted to a spectrometry gamma by using a system of counting with high purity Germanium, to obtain the saturation activity per target nuclide. The saturation activity is one of the main data of input of unfolding code SANDBP, that through an iterative adjustment, modify the spectrum that better agree with the dataset of code input, composition mainly for measure reaction rate per target nuclide and a initial input spectrum, calculated for Hammer-Technion code, supplying a solution spectrum. (author)

  19. Characterization of the neutronic fields obtained by means of neutron traps inside the nuclear reactor core IPEN/MB-01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mura, Luiz Ernesto Credidio

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the results of the neutron flux values obtained from the deployment of a Flux Trap of neutrons in the reactor core IPEN/MB-01. We analyzed several configurations of Flux Traps deployed in the reactor core IPEN/MB-01 in order to get elected to Flux Trap configuration more efficient. To characterize the neutron spectrum were irradiated in the center of the Flux Trap activation detectors of different materials (Au, Sc, In, Ti, Ni). The respective gamma spectroscopy of these elements after irradiation with and without cadmium cover, provided the experimental values of the nuclear reaction rates (saturation activity) by the target nuclei and their uncertainties used as input to the code SANDBP who calculated the energy spectrum of neutrons in the center of the 'Flux-Trap' in 50 energy groups, using the input spectra calculated at the irradiation position (center of the 'Flux Trap') by codes for Reactor Physics. The results found an increase in the thermal neutron flux in the center of the Flux Trap configuration 203 for the standard configuration (default) of about 350% without having the need to increase the reactor power. We also made comparisons between the spectra obtained by SANDBP deployed, compared to those calculated by MCNP-4C code and XSDRNPM. The spatial characterization of the thermal neutron flux is made with activation foils in the form of an infinitely dilute bulk alloy of 1% Au and 99% Al in some internal points of the configuration 203 (axially to Flux Trap a nd adjacent radial) and the results showed a significant increase in the magnitude of their values when compared to standard rectangular configuration. (author)

  20. [Serological and cellular reactivity to mycobacterial proteins in Hansen's disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rada, Elsa; Aranzazu, Nacarid; Rodríguez, Vestalia; Borges, Rafael; Convit, Jacinto

    2010-09-01

    The study was designed for evaluating immunological reactivity to various mycobacterial protein preparations using serological and cell-mediated immunological tests in patients with clinical leprosy signs, predominantly, with the multibacillary forms. All patients were adults with ages between 20 and 30 years. Fifty eight (n = 81) percent corresponded to Lepromatous Leprosy (LL), 29% (n = 41) to Borderline Lepromatous Leprosy (BL) and 10% (n = 41) to Borderline Borderline Leprosy (BB); only 3% were Borderline Tuberculoid (BT) patients: 74% males and 26% females. The most frequent reactional phenomenon was of the Erythema Nodosum (ENL) type. The mycobacterial proteins tested were: total crude Mycobacterium leprae antigens (MISA); Mycobacterium bovis (MbSA and excretion MbSA); partially purified excretion protein antigen, with a 30 kDa relative movility (Ml30); and recombinant M. leprae proteins (Mt70, Mb 65, Ml 36, 28, 18 and 10 kDa). Two of the recombinant proteins (Ml10 and Ml 36 kDa) presented a statiscally significant higher serological reactivity, directly related with a larger bacillary load (p = 0.0051 and 0.050 respectively). The 30 kDa protein was predominantly recognized by antibodies from multibacillary patients. Results show that mean antibody values were higher in non reactional patients when tested against complete proteins (MbSA and ex MbSA) when compared with the group of patients who presented reactional phenomena (p = 0.000567 and 0.000061, respectively). Comparing reactional with non reactional patients, it was seen that mean antibody values against complete proteins (MbSA and ex MbSA) were higher in non reactional individuals (p = 0.000567 and 0.000061, respectively). This same behavior occurred towards individual mycobacterial proteins (30, 10 and 36 kDa). The T lymphocyte prolypherative response in reactional and non reactional patients towards mycobacterial proteins (MlSA, Ml 10 kDa, MbSA, ex MbSA) was negative.

  1. Gas Phase Structure of Amino Acids: La-Mb Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mata, I. Pena S.; Sanz, M. E.; Vaquero, V.; Cabezas, C.; Perez, C.; Blanco, S.; López, J. C.; Alonso, J. L.

    2009-06-01

    Recent improvements in our laser ablation molecular beam Fourier transform microwave (LA-MB-FTMW) spectrometer such as using Laval-type nozzles and picoseconds Nd:YAG lasers (30 to 150 ps) have allowed a major step forward in the capabilities of this experimental technique as demonstrated by the last results in serine cysteine and threonine^a for which seven, six and seven conformers have been respectively identified. Taking advantage of these improvements we have investigated the natural amino acids metionine, aspartic and glutamic acids and the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with the aim of identify and characterize their lower energy conformers. Searches in the rotational spectra have lead to the identification of seven conformers of metionine, six and five of aspartic and glutamic acids, respectively, and seven for the γ-aminobutyric. These conformers have been unambiguously identified by their spectroscopic constants. In particular the ^{14}N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, that depend heavily on the orientation of the amino group with respect to the principal inertial axes of the molecule, prove to be a unique tool to distinguish unambigously between conformations with similar rotational constants. For the γ-aminobutyric acid two of the seven observed structures are stablized by an intramolecular interaction n-π*. Two new conformers of proline have been identified together with the two previously observed. J. L. Alonso, C. Pérez, M. E. Sanz, J. C. López, S. Blanco, Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys., 2009, 11, 617. D. B. Atkinson, M. A. Smith, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1995, 66, 4434 S. Blanco, M. E. Sanz, J. C. López, J. L. Alonso, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA2007, 104, 20183. M. E. Sanz, S. Blanco, J. C. López, J. L. Alonso, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.,2008, 120, 6312. A. Lesarri, S. Mata, E. J. Cocinero, S. Blanco, J.C. López, J. L. Alonso, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. , 2002, 41, 4673

  2. Preliminary decommissioning plan of the reactor IPEN-MB01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vivas, Ary de Souza

    2014-01-01

    Around the world, many nuclear plants were built and need to be turned off at a certain time because they are close to their recommended time of use is approximately 50 years. So the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), seeks to guide and recommend a set of guidelines for the conduct of activities of nuclear facilities, with special attention to countries that do not have a framework regulatory Legal that sustain the activities of decommissioning. Brazil, so far, does not have a specific standard to guide the steps of the guidelines regarding decommissioning research reactors. However, in March 2011 a study committee was formed with the main task facing the issues of decommissioning of nuclear installations in Brazil, culminating in Resolution 133 of November 8, 2012, a standard project that treat about the Decommissioning of nucleoelectric plants. O Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN) has two research reactors one being the reactor IPEN/MB-01. The purpose of this master dissertation is to develop a preliminary plan for decommissioning this research reactor, considering the technical documentation of the facility (RAS-Safety Analysis Report), the existing standards of CNEN (National Nuclear Energy Commission), as well as IAEA recommendations. In terms of procedures for decommissioning research reactors, this work was based on what is most modern in experiences, strategies and lessons learned performed and documented in IAEA publications covering techniques and technologies for decommissioning. Considering these technical knowledge and due to the peculiarities of the facility, was selected to immediate dismantling strategy, which corresponds to the start of decommissioning activities once the installation is switched off, dividing it into work sectors. As a resource for monitoring and project management of reactor decommissioning and maintenance of records, we developed a database using Microsoft Access 2007, which contain all the items and

  3. Molecular cytogenetic and phenotypic characterization of ring chromosome 13 in three unrelated patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdallah-Bouhjar, Inesse B.; Mougou-Zerelli, Soumaya; Hannachi, Hanene; Gmidène, Abir; Labalme, Audrey; Soyah, Najla; Sanlaville, Damien; Saad, Ali; Elghezal, Hatem

    2013-01-01

    We report on the cytogenetic and molecular investigations of constitutional de-novo ring chromosome 13s in three unrelated patients for better understanding and delineation of the phenotypic variability characterizing this genomic rearrangement. The patient’s karyotypes were as follows: 46,XY,r(13)(p11q34) dn for patients 1 and 2 and 46,XY,r(13)(p11q14) dn for patient 3, as a result of the deletion in the telomeric regions of chromosome 13. The patients were, therefore, monosomic for the segment 13q34 → 13qter; in addition, for patient 3, the deletion was larger, encompassing the segment 13q14 → 13qter. Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed these rearrangement and array CGH technique showed the loss of at least 2.9 Mb on the short arm and 4.7 Mb on the long arm of the chromosome 13 in patient 2. Ring chromosome 13 (r(13)) is associated with several phenotypic features like intellectual disability, marked short stature, brain and heart defects, microcephaly and genital malformations in males, including undescended testes and hypospadias. However, the hearing loss and speech delay that were found in our three patients have rarely been reported with ring chromosome 13. Although little is known about its etiology, there is interesting evidence for a genetic cause for the ring chromosome 13. We thus performed a genotype-phenotype correlation analysis to ascertain the contribution of ring chromosome 13 to the clinical features of our three cases. PMID:27625853

  4. ARTICULATION DISORDERS IN SERBIAN LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN WITH SPEECH PATHOLOGY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitrić, Tanja; Veselinović, Mila; Mitrović, Slobodan M

    2015-01-01

    Articulation is the result of speech organs and it means clean, clear and distinct pronunciation of voices in words. A prospective study included 24 children between 5 and 15 years of age, of both sexes. All children were monolingual, Serbian being their native language. The quality of articulation was tested with Triage articulation test. Neither omission nor distortion of plosives was observed in any of them, whereas substitution of plosives occurred in 12% of patients. Omission of affricates was not observed in any of the subjects, but substitution and distortion occurred in 29%, and 76% of subjects, respectively. Omission of fricatives was found in 29% subjects, substitution in 52%, and distortion in 82% of subjects. Omission and distortion of nasals was not recorded in any of the subjects, and substitution occurred in 6% of children. Omission of laterals was observed in 6%, substitution in 46% and distortion in 52% of subjects with articulation disorders. Discussion and Articulation disorders were observed not only in children diagnosed with dyslalia but in those with dysphasia and stuttering as well. Children with speech disorders articulate vowels best, then nasals and plosives. Articulation of fricatives and laterals was found to be most severely deviated, including all three disorders, i.e. substitution, omission and distortion. Spasms of speech muscles and vegetative reactions were also observed in this study, but only in children with stuttering.

  5. Development of a preliminary decommissioning plan of the reactor IPEN/MB-01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vivas, Ary de Souza; Carneiro, Alvaro Luiz Guimaraes

    2013-01-01

    Around the world, many nuclear plants were built and need to be turned off at a certain time because they are close to their recommended time of use is approximately 50 years. So the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), seeks to guide and recommend, through publications, guidelines for the conduct of activities both for decommissioning nuclear power plants and for research reactors, with special attention to countries that do not have a framework regulatory Legal that sustain the activities of decommissioning. Brazil, so far, does not have a specific standard to guide the steps of the guidelines regarding decommissioning research reactors, having only a standard applied to decommissioning power plants which was published in November 2012. The Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) has two research reactors one being the reactor IPEN/MB-01. The aim of this work is to develop a preliminary plan for decommissioning of nuclear reactor research, considering the technical documentation of the system (RAS-Safety Analysis Report), the existing rules of CNEN (National Nuclear Energy Commission), as well as regulatory instructions and recommendations of the IAEA. The preliminary decommissioning plan consists of the presentation of actions and steps required as well as the strategies to be adopted for the shutdown of the facility under the technical and administrative, seeking the safety, health workers and the general public, minimizing environmental impacts. (author)

  6. Non-invasive imaging of myocardial bridge by coronary computed tomography angiography: the value of transluminal attenuation gradient to predict significant dynamic compression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yuehua; Yu, Mengmeng; Zhang, Jiayin; Li, Minghua [Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People' s Hospital, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai (China); Lu, Zhigang; Wei, Meng [Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People' s Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Shanghai (China)

    2017-05-15

    To study the diagnostic value of transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG) measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for identifying relevant dynamic compression of myocardial bridge (MB). Patients with confirmed MB who underwent both CCTA and ICA within one month were retrospectively included. TAG was defined as the linear regression coefficient between luminal attenuation and distance. The TAG of MB vessel, length and depth of MB were measured and correlated with the presence and degree of dynamic compression observed at ICA. Systolic compression ≥50 % was considered significant. 302 patients with confirmed MB lesions were included. TAG was lowest (-17.4 ± 6.7 HU/10 mm) in patients with significant dynamic compression and highest in patients without MB compression (-9.5 ± 4.3 HU/10 mm, p < 0.001). Linear correlation revealed relation between the percentage of systolic compression and TAG (Pearson correlation, r = -0.52, p < 0.001) and no significant relation between the percentage of systolic compression and MB depth or length. ROC curve analysis determined the best cut-off value of TAG as -14.8HU/10 mm (area under curve = 0.813, 95 % confidence interval = 0.764-0.855, p < 0.001), which yielded high diagnostic accuracy (82.1 %, 248/302). The degree of ICA-assessed systolic compression of MB significantly correlates with TAG but not MB depth or length. (orig.)

  7. Efeitos cardiovasculares da anestesia local com vasoconstritor durante exodontia em coronariopatas Cardiovascular effects of local anesthesia with vasoconstrictor during dental extraction in coronary patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria C. L. S. Conrado

    2007-05-01

    during or after dental treatment under anesthesia with vasoconstrictor (epinephrine. METHODS: A total of 54 coronary patients undergoing dental extraction under local anesthesia with or without vasoconstrictor were included. They were divided into two groups (by drawing envelopes: group I (27 patients using anesthetics with vasoconstrictor, and group II (27 cases without vasoconstrictor. 24-hour Holter monitoring, Doppler-echocardiogram before and after dental intervention, and determination of biochemical markers (CK-MB mass, CK-MB activity, and troponin T before and 24 hours after dental extraction were performed in all patients. Heart rate and blood pressure were also measured in the pre, post-anesthesia and post-dental extraction phases. Doppler echocardiography assessed left ventricular segmental contractility and the occasional occurrence of mitral regurgitation. The usual pharmaceutical treatment prescribed by the cardiologist was maintained in all cases. RESULTS: Three patients in group I presented ST-segment depression (1.0 mm during administration of anesthesia; two other patients in group I had CK-MB mass elevation, and ischemia was not observed in any other case, as assessed by the other methods. No chest pain, arrhythmias, occurrence or worsening of left ventricular segmental hypocontractility or mitral regurgitation were observed in the study. CONCLUSION: Dental extraction performed under anesthesia with 1:100,000 epinephrine does not imply additional ischemic risks, as long as performed with good anesthetic technique and maintenance of the pharmacological treatment prescribed by the cardiologist.

  8. Effects of Mind-Body Exercises for Mood and Functional Capabilities in Patients with Stroke: An Analytical Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liye Zou

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The effects of stroke are both physical and mental in nature and may have serious implications on the overall well-being of stroke survivors. This analytical review aims to critically evaluate and statistically synthesize the existing literature regarding the effects of mind-body (MB exercises on mood and functional capabilities in patients with stroke. Methods: A structured literature review was performed in both English (PubMed, PEDro, and Cochrane Library and Chinese (Wanfang and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Information Database databases. Sixteen randomized controlled trials were considered eligible for meta-analysis. Based on the random effects model, we used the pooled effect size to determine the magnitude of rehabilitative effect of MB exercise intervention on depression, anxiety, activities of daily living, and functional mobility among stroke survivors. The sum PEDro score ranged from five to nine points (fair-to-good methodological quality, but the absence of concealed allocation and blinded assessors were reported in most studies. Results: The aggregated results showed that MB exercise intervention is associated with significantly improved ADL (Hedges’ g = 1.31, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.77, p < 0.001, I2 = 79.82% and mobility (Hedges’ g = 0.67, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.09, p < 0.001, I2 = 69.65%, and reduced depression (Hedges’ g = −0.76, 95% CI −1.16 to −0.35, p < 0.001, I2 = 74.84%. Conclusions: as add-on treatments, the MB exercises may potentially improve depression, activities of daily living, and mobility of these post-stroke patients. Future studies with more robust methodology will be needed to provide a more definitive conclusion.

  9. Effects of Mind-Body Exercises for Mood and Functional Capabilities in Patients with Stroke: An Analytical Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Liye; Yeung, Albert; Zeng, Nan; Wang, Chaoyi; Sun, Li; Thomas, Garrett Anthony; Wang, Huiru

    2018-04-11

    Objective : The effects of stroke are both physical and mental in nature and may have serious implications on the overall well-being of stroke survivors. This analytical review aims to critically evaluate and statistically synthesize the existing literature regarding the effects of mind-body (MB) exercises on mood and functional capabilities in patients with stroke. Methods : A structured literature review was performed in both English (PubMed, PEDro, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese (Wanfang and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Information Database)) databases. Sixteen randomized controlled trials were considered eligible for meta-analysis. Based on the random effects model, we used the pooled effect size to determine the magnitude of rehabilitative effect of MB exercise intervention on depression, anxiety, activities of daily living, and functional mobility among stroke survivors. The sum PEDro score ranged from five to nine points (fair-to-good methodological quality), but the absence of concealed allocation and blinded assessors were reported in most studies. Results : The aggregated results showed that MB exercise intervention is associated with significantly improved ADL (Hedges' g = 1.31, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.77, p < 0.001, I ² = 79.82%) and mobility (Hedges' g = 0.67, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.09, p < 0.001, I ² = 69.65%), and reduced depression (Hedges' g = -0.76, 95% CI -1.16 to -0.35, p < 0.001, I ² = 74.84%). Conclusions : as add-on treatments, the MB exercises may potentially improve depression, activities of daily living, and mobility of these post-stroke patients. Future studies with more robust methodology will be needed to provide a more definitive conclusion.

  10. Coping with unpredictability: dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vindas, Marco A; Sørensen, Christina; Johansen, Ida B; Folkedal, Ole; Höglund, Erik; Khan, Uniza W; Stien, Lars H; Kristiansen, Tore S; Braastad, Bjarne O; Øverli, Øyvind

    2014-01-01

    Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward') causes increased aggression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Here we report changes in brain monoaminergic activity and relative abundance of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine receptor mRNA transcripts in the same paradigm. Groups of fish were initially conditioned to associate a flashing light with feeding. Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA) activity. Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1) mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition OER suppressed abundance of BDNF in the telencephalon of non-stressed fish. Regardless of OER treatment, a strong positive correlation between BDNF and D1 mRNA abundance was seen in non-stressed fish. This correlation was disrupted by acute stress, and replaced by a negative correlation between BDNF abundance and plasma cortisol concentration. These observations indicate a conserved link between DA, neurotrophin regulation, and corticosteroid-signaling pathways. The results also emphasize how fish models can be important tools in the study of neural plasticity and responsiveness to environmental unpredictability.

  11. Single-Dose Lignocaine-Based Blood Cardioplegia in Single Valve Replacement Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaydip Ramani

    Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE: Myocardial protection is the most important in cardiac surgery. We compared our modified single-dose long-acting lignocaine-based blood cardioplegia with short-acting St Thomas 1 blood cardioplegia in patients undergoing single valve replacement. METHODS: A total of 110 patients who underwent single (aortic or mitral valve replacement surgery were enrolled. Patients were divided in two groups based on the cardioplegia solution used. In group 1 (56 patients, long-acting lignocaine based-blood cardioplegia solution was administered as a single dose while in group 2 (54 patients, standard St Thomas IB (short-acting blood-based cardioplegia solution was administered and repeated every 20 minutes. All the patients were compared for preoperative baseline parameters, intraoperative and all the postoperative parameters. RESULTS: We did not find any statistically significant difference in preoperative baseline parameters. Cardiopulmonary bypass time were 73.8±16.5 and 76.4±16.9 minutes (P=0.43 and cross clamp time were 58.9±10.3 and 66.3±11.2 minutes (P=0.23 in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Mean of maximum inotrope score was 6.3±2.52 and 6.1±2.13 (P=0.65 in group 1 and group 2, respectively. We also did not find any statistically significant difference in creatine-phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB, Troponin-I levels, lactate level and cardiac functions postoperatively. CONCLUSION: This study proves the safety and efficacy of long-acting lignocaine-based single-dose blood cardioplegia compared to the standard short-acting multi-dose blood cardioplegia in patients requiring the single valve replacement. Further studies need to be undertaken to establish this non-inferiority in situations of complex cardiac procedures especially in compromised patients.

  12. Myocardial contusion following nonfatal blunt chest trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, S.A.; Puri, V.K.; Mittal, V.K.; Cortez, J.

    1983-01-01

    Currently available diagnostic techniques for myocardial contusion following blunt chest trauma were evaluated. We investigated 30 patients prospectively over a period of 1 year for the presence of myocardial contusion. Among the 30 patients, eight were found to have myocardial contusion on the basis of abnormal electrocardiograms, elevated creatine phosphokinase MB fraction (CPK-MB), and positive myocardial scan. Myocardial scan was positive in seven of eight patients (87.5%). CPK-MB fraction was elevated in four of eight patients (50%). Definitive electrocardiographic changes were seen in only two of eight patients (25%). It appears that myocardial scan using technetium pyrophosphate and CPK-MB fraction determinations are the most reliable aids in diagnosis of myocardial contusion following blunt chest trauma

  13. Assessment of Nonverbal and Verbal Apraxia in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monia Presotto

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To assess the presence of nonverbal and verbal apraxia in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD and analyze the correlation between these conditions and patient age, education, duration of disease, and PD stage, as well as evaluate the correlation between the two types of apraxia and the frequency and types of verbal apraxic errors made by patients in the sample. Method. This was an observational prevalence study. The sample comprised 45 patients with PD seen at the Movement Disorders Clinic of the Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Patients were evaluated using the Speech Apraxia Assessment Protocol and PD stages were classified according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Results. The rate of nonverbal apraxia and verbal apraxia in the present sample was 24.4%. Verbal apraxia was significantly correlated with education (p≤0.05. The most frequent types of verbal apraxic errors were omissions (70.8%. The analysis of manner and place of articulation showed that most errors occurred during the production of trill (57.7% and dentoalveolar (92% phonemes, consecutively. Conclusion. Patients with PD presented nonverbal and verbal apraxia and made several verbal apraxic errors. Verbal apraxia was correlated with education levels.

  14. Analysis of 90 Mb of the potato genome reveals conservation of gene structures and order with tomato but divergence in repetitive sequence composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O'Brien Kimberly

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Solanaceae family contains a number of important crop species including potato (Solanum tuberosum which is grown for its underground storage organ known as a tuber. Albeit the 4th most important food crop in the world, other than a collection of ~220,000 Expressed Sequence Tags, limited genomic sequence information is currently available for potato and advances in potato yield and nutrition content would be greatly assisted through access to a complete genome sequence. While morphologically diverse, Solanaceae species such as potato, tomato, pepper, and eggplant share not only genes but also gene order thereby permitting highly informative comparative genomic analyses. Results In this study, we report on analysis 89.9 Mb of potato genomic sequence representing 10.2% of the genome generated through end sequencing of a potato bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC clone library (87 Mb and sequencing of 22 potato BAC clones (2.9 Mb. The GC content of potato is very similar to Solanum lycopersicon (tomato and other dicotyledonous species yet distinct from the monocotyledonous grass species, Oryza sativa. Parallel analyses of repetitive sequences in potato and tomato revealed substantial differences in their abundance, 34.2% in potato versus 46.3% in tomato, which is consistent with the increased genome size per haploid genome of these two Solanum species. Specific classes and types of repetitive sequences were also differentially represented between these two species including a telomeric-related repetitive sequence, ribosomal DNA, and a number of unclassified repetitive sequences. Comparative analyses between tomato and potato at the gene level revealed a high level of conservation of gene content, genic feature, and gene order although discordances in synteny were observed. Conclusion Genomic level analyses of potato and tomato confirm that gene sequence and gene order are conserved between these solanaceous species and that

  15. Criteria for the selective use of chest computed tomography in blunt trauma patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brink, Monique; Dekker, Helena M.; Kool, Digna R.; Blickman, Johan G.; Deunk, Jaap; Edwards, Michael J.R.; Vugt, Arie B. van; Kuijk, Cornelis van

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to derive parameters that predict which high-energy blunt trauma patients should undergo computed tomography (CT) for detection of chest injury. This observational study prospectively included consecutive patients (≥16 years old) who underwent multidetector CT of the chest after a high-energy mechanism of blunt trauma in one trauma centre. We included 1,047 patients (median age, 37; 70% male), of whom 508 had chest injuries identified by CT. Using logistic regression, we identified nine predictors of chest injury presence on CT (age ≥55 years, abnormal chest physical examination, altered sensorium, abnormal thoracic spine physical examination, abnormal chest conventional radiography (CR), abnormal thoracic spine CR, abnormal pelvic CR or abdominal ultrasound, base excess <-3 mmol/l and haemoglobin <6 mmol/l). Of 855 patients with ≥1 positive predictors, 484 had injury on CT (95% of all 508 patients with injury). Of all 192 patients with no positive predictor, 24 (13%) had chest injury, of whom 4 (2%) had injuries that were considered clinically relevant. Omission of CT in patients without any positive predictor could reduce imaging frequency by 18%, while most clinically relevant chest injuries remain adequately detected. (orig.)

  16. Criteria for the selective use of chest computed tomography in blunt trauma patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brink, Monique; Dekker, Helena M.; Kool, Digna R.; Blickman, Johan G. [Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Deunk, Jaap; Edwards, Michael J.R. [Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Centre, Department of Surgery, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Vugt, Arie B. van [Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Emergency Medicine, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Kuijk, Cornelis van [VU (Vrije Universiteit) University, Medical Center Amsterdam, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2010-04-15

    The purpose of this study was to derive parameters that predict which high-energy blunt trauma patients should undergo computed tomography (CT) for detection of chest injury. This observational study prospectively included consecutive patients ({>=}16 years old) who underwent multidetector CT of the chest after a high-energy mechanism of blunt trauma in one trauma centre. We included 1,047 patients (median age, 37; 70% male), of whom 508 had chest injuries identified by CT. Using logistic regression, we identified nine predictors of chest injury presence on CT (age {>=}55 years, abnormal chest physical examination, altered sensorium, abnormal thoracic spine physical examination, abnormal chest conventional radiography (CR), abnormal thoracic spine CR, abnormal pelvic CR or abdominal ultrasound, base excess <-3 mmol/l and haemoglobin <6 mmol/l). Of 855 patients with {>=}1 positive predictors, 484 had injury on CT (95% of all 508 patients with injury). Of all 192 patients with no positive predictor, 24 (13%) had chest injury, of whom 4 (2%) had injuries that were considered clinically relevant. Omission of CT in patients without any positive predictor could reduce imaging frequency by 18%, while most clinically relevant chest injuries remain adequately detected. (orig.)

  17. Two 24-hour Studies of Water Quality in the Ala Wai Canal during March and July, 1994 for the Mamala Bay Study, Pollutant Source Identification Project MB-3 (NODC Accession 0001188)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Pollutant Source Identification Project (MB-3) sought to provide a summary and analysis of pollutant loads to Mamala Bay from both point and nonpoint sources....

  18. Measurement of nuclear reaction rates and spectral indices along the radius of fuel pellets from IPEN/MB-01 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mura, Luis Felipe Liambos

    2010-01-01

    This work presents the measurements of the nuclear reaction rates along the radial direction of the fuel pellet by irradiation and posterior gamma spectrometry of a thin slice of fuel pellet of UO 2 with 4,3% enrichment. From its irradiation the rate of radioactive capture and fission have been measured as a function of the radius of the pellet disk using a HPGe detector. Lead collimators has been used for this purpose. Simulating the fuel pellet in the pin fuel of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, a thin UO 2 disk is used. This disk is inserted in the interior of a dismountable fuel rod. This fuel rod is then placed in the central position of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core and irradiated during 1 hour under a neutron flux of around 9 x 10 8 n/cm 2 s. For gamma spectrometry 10 collimators with different diameters have been used, consequently, the nuclear reactions of radioactive capture that occurs in atoms of 238 U and fissions that occur on both 235 U and 238 U are measured in function of 10 different region (diameter of collimator) of the fuel pellet disk. Corrections in the geometric efficiency due to introduction of collimators on HPGe detection system were estimated using photon transport of MCNP-4C code. Some calculated values of nuclear reaction rate of radioactive capture and fission along of the radial direction of the fuel pellet obtained by Monte Carlo methodology, using the MCNP-4C code, are presented and compared to the experimental data showing very good agreement. Besides nuclear reaction rates, the spectral indices 28 ρ and 25 δ have been obtained at each different radius of the fuel pellet disk. (author)

  19. Δ9-THC modulation of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) gene expression: Possible involvement of induced levels of PPARα in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Shuso; Ikeda, Eriko; Su, Shengzhong; Harada, Mari; Okazaki, Hiroyuki; Yoshioka, Yasushi; Nishimura, Hajime; Ishii, Hiroyuki; Kakizoe, Kazuhiro; Taniguchi, Aya; Tokuyasu, Miki; Himeno, Taichi; Watanabe, Kazuhito; Omiecinski, Curtis J.; Aramaki, Hironori

    2014-01-01

    We recently reported that Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9 -THC), a major cannabinoid component in Cannabis Sativa (marijuana), significantly stimulated the expression of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was previously implicated in this induction. However, the mechanisms mediating this induction have not been elucidated in detail. We performed a DNA microarray analysis of Δ 9 -THC-treated samples and showed the selective up-regulation of the PPARα isoform coupled with the induction of FA2H over the other isoforms (β and γ). Δ 9 -THC itself had no binding/activation potential to/on PPARα, and palmitic acid (PA), a PPARα ligand, exhibited no stimulatory effects on FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells; thus, we hypothesized that the levels of PPARα induced were involved in the Δ 9 -THC-mediated increase in FA2H. In support of this hypothesis, we herein demonstrated that; (i) Δ 9 -THC activated the basal transcriptional activity of PPARα in a concentration-dependent manner, (ii) the concomitant up-regulation of PPARα/FA2H was caused by Δ 9 -THC, (iii) PA could activate PPARα after the PPARα expression plasmid was introduced, and (iv) the Δ 9 -THC-induced up-regulation of FA2H was further stimulated by the co-treatment with L-663,536 (a known PPARα inducer). Taken together, these results support the concept that the induced levels of PPARα may be involved in the Δ 9 -THC up-regulation of FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells

  20. Δ(9)-THC modulation of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) gene expression: possible involvement of induced levels of PPARα in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Shuso; Ikeda, Eriko; Su, Shengzhong; Harada, Mari; Okazaki, Hiroyuki; Yoshioka, Yasushi; Nishimura, Hajime; Ishii, Hiroyuki; Kakizoe, Kazuhiro; Taniguchi, Aya; Tokuyasu, Miki; Himeno, Taichi; Watanabe, Kazuhito; Omiecinski, Curtis J; Aramaki, Hironori

    2014-12-04

    We recently reported that Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC), a major cannabinoid component in Cannabis Sativa (marijuana), significantly stimulated the expression of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was previously implicated in this induction. However, the mechanisms mediating this induction have not been elucidated in detail. We performed a DNA microarray analysis of Δ(9)-THC-treated samples and showed the selective up-regulation of the PPARα isoform coupled with the induction of FA2H over the other isoforms (β and γ). Δ(9)-THC itself had no binding/activation potential to/on PPARα, and palmitic acid (PA), a PPARα ligand, exhibited no stimulatory effects on FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells; thus, we hypothesized that the levels of PPARα induced were involved in the Δ(9)-THC-mediated increase in FA2H. In support of this hypothesis, we herein demonstrated that; (i) Δ(9)-THC activated the basal transcriptional activity of PPARα in a concentration-dependent manner, (ii) the concomitant up-regulation of PPARα/FA2H was caused by Δ(9)-THC, (iii) PA could activate PPARα after the PPARα expression plasmid was introduced, and (iv) the Δ(9)-THC-induced up-regulation of FA2H was further stimulated by the co-treatment with L-663,536 (a known PPARα inducer). Taken together, these results support the concept that the induced levels of PPARα may be involved in the Δ(9)-THC up-regulation of FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Assessment of Interactions between Cisplatin and Two Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in MCF7, T47D and MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines - An Isobolographic Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Wawruszak

    Full Text Available Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs are promising anticancer drugs, which inhibit proliferation of a wide variety of cancer cells including breast carcinoma cells. In the present study, we investigated the influence of valproic acid (VPA and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, vorinostat, alone or in combination with cisplatin (CDDP on proliferation, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle progression in MCF7, T47D and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell lines. The type of interaction between HDIs and CDDP was determined by an isobolographic analysis. The isobolographic analysis is a very precise and rigorous pharmacodynamic method, to determine the presence of synergism, addition or antagonism between different drugs with using variety of fixed dose ratios. Our experiments show that the combinations of CDDP with SAHA or VPA at a fixed-ratio of 1:1 exerted additive interaction in the viability of MCF7 cells, while in T47D cells there was a tendency to synergy. In contrast, sub-additive (antagonistic interaction was observed for the combination of CDDP with VPA in MDA-MB-231 "triple-negative" (i.e. estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, and HER-2 negative human breast cancer cells, whereas combination of CDDP with SAHA in the same MDA-MB-231 cell line yielded additive interaction. Additionally, combined HDIs/CDDP treatment resulted in increase in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in all tested breast cancer cell lines in comparison with a single therapy. In conclusion, the additive interaction of CDDP with SAHA or VPA suggests that HDIs could be combined with CDDP in order to optimize treatment regimen in some human breast cancers.

  2. Oral microbiota carriage in patients with multibracket appliance in relation to the quality of oral hygiene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klaus, Katharina; Eichenauer, Johanna; Sprenger, Rhea; Ruf, Sabine

    2016-10-28

    The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of oral microbiota (Candida species (spp.), Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacilli) in patients with multibracket (MB) appliances in relation to the quality of oral hygiene. Saliva and plaque samples were collected from three groups of 25 patients each (good oral hygiene (GOH), poor oral hygiene (POH), and poor oral hygiene with white spot lesions (POH/WSL)). Counts of colony forming units (CFU) of the investigated oral microbiota were compared using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Both saliva and plaque samples showed a high prevalence of Candida spp. in all patients (saliva: 73.4 %, plaque: 60.9 %). The main Candida species was C. albicans. The salivary CFU of Candida spp. in the GOH group was significantly lower than that in the POH group (p = 0.045) and POH/WSL group (p = 0.011). S. mutans was found in the saliva and plaque samples of all patients. Lactobacilli were found in the saliva samples of all patients and in 90.7 % of the plaque samples. In the saliva samples, the CFU of Lactobacilli were more numerous in the POH and POH/WSL groups than in the GOH group (p = 0.047). The investigated sample of patients showed a high carriage of oral Candida spp. Patients with WSL formation during MB appliance treatment exhibited higher counts of Candida and Lactobacilli compared with patients with good oral hygiene. Independent of oral hygiene quality, S. mutans was detected in all patients.

  3. A comparative study of rapid test and routine methods for the measurement of cardiac markers in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    gholamreza Shahsavari

    2014-06-01

    Conclusion: The present results showed that the rapid cTnI test is very specific but not sensitive for AMI diagnosis while rapid CK-MB test is neither sensitive nor specific for AMI dignosis in patients with acute chest pain.

  4. Achievement in research on ion beam application under the scientific cooperation program with the Gesellschaft fuer schwerionenforschung mbH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshida, Masaru; Maekawa, Yasunari (eds.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment

    2003-03-01

    The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the Gasellshaft fuer Schwerionenforshung mbH (GSI) signed a memorandum of 'Research and Development in the Field of Ion Beam Application' in January, 1991 and started the cooperative research program. The cooperation has been implemented by means of joint research between JAERI and GSI, exchange of scientific and technical experts, and providing mutual exchange of research materials as well as technical information. This report summarizes the cooperative research activities under the cooperative research program in the last 12 years. The list of publications and several articles relating to this cooperative research program are attached as an appendix. All the attached articles are reprinted with permission from the publishers. (author)

  5. Survivin as a therapeutic target in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brun, S N; Markant, S L; Esparza, L A; Garcia, G; Terry, D; Huang, J-M; Pavlyukov, M S; Li, X-N; Grant, G A; Crawford, J R; Levy, M L; Conway, E M; Smith, L H; Nakano, I; Berezov, A; Greene, M I; Wang, Q; Wechsler-Reya, R J

    2015-07-01

    Medulloblastoma (MB) is a highly malignant brain tumor that occurs primarily in children. Although surgery, radiation and high-dose chemotherapy have led to increased survival, many MB patients still die from their disease, and patients who survive suffer severe long-term side effects as a consequence of treatment. Thus, more effective and less toxic therapies for MB are critically important. Development of such therapies depends in part on identification of genes that are necessary for growth and survival of tumor cells. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein that regulates cell cycle progression and resistance to apoptosis, is frequently expressed in human MB and when expressed at high levels predicts poor clinical outcome. Therefore, we hypothesized that Survivin may have a critical role in growth and survival of MB cells and that targeting it may enhance MB therapy. Here we show that Survivin is overexpressed in tumors from patched (Ptch) mutant mice, a model of Sonic hedgehog (SHH)-driven MB. Genetic deletion of survivin in Ptch mutant tumor cells significantly inhibits proliferation and causes cell cycle arrest. Treatment with small-molecule antagonists of Survivin impairs proliferation and survival of both murine and human MB cells. Finally, Survivin antagonists impede growth of MB cells in vivo. These studies highlight the importance of Survivin in SHH-driven MB, and suggest that it may represent a novel therapeutic target in patients with this disease.

  6. Phenotypic and microRNA transcriptomic profiling of the MDA-MB-231 spheroid-enriched CSCs with comparison of MCF-7 microRNA profiling dataset

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lily Boo

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Breast cancer spheroids have been widely used as in vitro models of cancer stem cells (CSCs, yet little is known about their phenotypic characteristics and microRNAs (miRNAs expression profiles. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the phenotypic characteristics of MDA-MB-231 spheroid-enriched cells for their CSCs properties and also to determine their miRNAs expression profile. Similar to our previously published MCF-7 spheroid, MDA-MB-231 spheroid also showed typical CSCs characteristics namely self-renewability, expression of putative CSCs-related surface markers and enhancement of drug resistance. From the miRNA profile, miR-15b, miR-34a, miR-148a, miR-628 and miR-196b were shown to be involved in CSCs-associated signalling pathways in both models of spheroids, which highlights the involvement of these miRNAs in maintaining the CSCs features. In addition, unique clusters of miRNAs namely miR-205, miR-181a and miR-204 were found in basal-like spheroid whereas miR-125, miR-760, miR-30c and miR-136 were identified in luminal-like spheroid. Our results highlight the roles of miRNAs as well as novel perspectives of the relevant pathways underlying spheroid-enriched CSCs in breast cancer.

  7. A Breast Cell Atlas: Organelle analysis of the MDA-MB-231 cell line by density-gradient fractionation using isotopic marking and label-free analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marianne Sandin

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Protein translocation between organelles in the cell is an important process that regulates many cellular functions. However, organelles can rarely be isolated to purity so several methods have been developed to analyse the fractions obtained by density gradient centrifugation. We present an analysis of the distribution of proteins amongst organelles in the human breast cell line, MDA-MB-231 using two approaches: an isotopic labelling and a label-free approach.

  8. Microarray and FISH-based genotype-phenotype analysis of 22 Japanese patients with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Kenji; Wakui, Keiko; Kosho, Tomoki; Okamoto, Nobuhiko; Mizuno, Seiji; Itomi, Kazuya; Hattori, Shigeto; Nishio, Kimio; Samura, Osamu; Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki; Kako, Yuko; Arai, Takashi; Tsutomu, Oh-ishi; Kawame, Hiroshi; Narumi, Yoko; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Fukushima, Yoshimitsu

    2014-03-01

    Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a contiguous gene deletion syndrome of the distal 4p chromosome, characterized by craniofacial features, growth impairment, intellectual disability, and seizures. Although genotype-phenotype correlation studies have previously been published, several important issues remain to be elucidated including seizure severity. We present detailed clinical and molecular-cytogenetic findings from a microarray and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based genotype-phenotype analysis of 22 Japanese WHS patients, the first large non-Western series. 4p deletions were terminal in 20 patients and interstitial in two, with deletion sizes ranging from 2.06 to 29.42 Mb. The new Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome critical region (WHSCR2) was deleted in all cases, and duplication of other chromosomal regions occurred in four. Complex mosaicism was identified in two cases: two different 4p terminal deletions; a simple 4p terminal deletion and an unbalanced translocation with the same 4p breakpoint. Seizures began in infancy in 33% (2/6) of cases with small (6 Mb). Status epilepticus occurred in 17% (1/6) with small deletions and in 87% (13/15) with larger deletions. Renal hypoplasia or dysplasia and structural ocular anomalies were more prevalent in those with larger deletions. A new susceptible region for seizure occurrence is suggested between 0.76 and 1.3 Mb from 4 pter, encompassing CTBP1 and CPLX1, and distal to the previously-supposed candidate gene LETM1. The usefulness of bromide therapy for seizures and additional clinical features including hypercholesterolemia are also described. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Adherence to medicamentous therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus: results of patient questionnaires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Viktorovna Surkova

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To assess the frequency and character of non-compliance with medicamentous therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the results of a questionnaire study. Materials and methods. A special qiuestionnaire form was filled by 745 patients (232 men of mean age 60.3?10.4 years, duration of the disease 6.4?5.5 years and mean HbA1c level 7.7?1.1%. Results. 52.8% of the patients reported non-compliance with medication. The most frequent profile of non-compliance was the change of time and occasional omission of therapeuticdoses (42.7 and 42.2% respectively, the main cause being mere forgetfulness (71.2%. Other factors (30.8% included poor understanding of medication schedule andfears of health hazard from the following of medical advice. Patients to whom monotherapy with glibomet was prescribed (n=277 showed a lower non-compliance rate and lowerHbA1c level despite the intake of fewer daily doses than patients taking other oral hypoglycemic agents (7.0?1.0 vs 7.3?1.3%, p

  10. Estimation of infarct size by myocardial emission computed tomography with thallium-201 and its relation to creatine kinase-MB release after myocardial infarction in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamaki, S.; Nakajima, H.; Murakami, T.

    1982-01-01

    Emission computed tomography (ECT) for thallium-201 ( 201 Tl) myocardial imaging was evaluated in estimating infarct size (IS). In 18 patients in whom IS was estimated enzymatically at the time of the acute episode, planar 201 Tl perfusion scintigraphy and ECT with a rotating gamma camera were performed 4 weeks after the first myocardial infarction. From the size of 201 Tl perfusion defects, the infarct area in planar images and the infarct volume in reconsturcted ECT images were measured by computerized planimetry. When scintigraphic IS was compared with the accumulated creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme release (CK-MBr), infarct volume determined from ECT correlated closely with CK-MBr (r=0.89), whereas infarct area measured from planar images correlated less satisfactorily with the enzymatic IS (for an average infarct area from three views, r=0.69; for the largest infarct area, r=0.73). Although conventional scintigraphic evaluation is useful for detecting and localizing infarction, quantification of ischemic injury with this two-dimensional technique has a significant inherent limitation. The ECT approach can provide a more accurate three-dimensional quantitative estimate of infarction, and can corroborate the enzymatic estimate of IS

  11. Estimation of infarct size by myocardial emission computed tomography with 201Tl and its relation to creatine kinase-MB release after myocardial infarction in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamaki, S.; Nakajima, H.; Murakami, T.

    1982-01-01

    We evaluated emission computed tomography (ECT) 201 Tl myocardial imaging in estimating infarct size (IS). In 18 patients in whom IS was estimated enzymatically at the time of the acute episode, planar 201 Tl perfusion scintigraphy and ECT with a rotating gamma camera were performed 4 weeks after the first myocardial infarction. From the size of 201 Tl perfusion defects, the infarct area in planar images and the infarct volume in reconstructed ECT images were measured by computerized planimetry. When scintigraphic IS was compared with the accumulated creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme release (CK-MBr), infarct volume determined from ECT correlated closely with CK-MBr (r . 0.89), whereas infarct area measured from planar images correlated less satisfactorily with the enzymatic IS (for an average infarct area from three views, r . 0.69; for the largest infarct area, r . 0.73). Although conventional scintigraphic evaluation is useful for detecting and localizing infarction, quantification of ischemic injury with this two-dimensional technique has a significant inherent limitation. The ECT approach can provide a more accurate three-dimensional quantitative estimate of infarction, and can corroborate the enzymatic estimate of IS

  12. Myocardial bridging: evaluation with multislice computed tomography coronary angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barros, M.V.L. de; Rabelo, D.R.; Nunes, M.C.P.; Siqueira, M.H.A. [Mater Dei Hospital, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2012-04-15

    Myocardial bridging (MB) is defined as a segment of a major epicardial coronary artery that proceeds intramurally through the myocardium beneath the muscle bridge. Although MB is clinically silent in most cases, it has been associated with myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and sudden death. Conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is the gold standard for detection, but it is invasive and may not be sensitive enough to detect a thin bridge. Recently, multislice computed tomography coronary angiography (MCTCA) have made possible the clear detection of the entire running courses of coronary arteries and the MB itself. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence MB in patients suspect to coronary artery disease submitted to MCTCA and assessing the predictive value of this method in the midterm. Methods: 498 consecutive patients were examined by MCTCA for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and followed for a mean follow-up of 17 months for the occurrence of cardiovascular events (death, hospitalization and / or revascularization myocardial). Results: The mean age of patients was 58.4 ± 12.5 years old, 74.3% male. Among the patients, 6,02% (30 patients) showed MB. The major indications were angina pectoris in 45,8% and positive stress testing in 33,3%. 62,5% showed absent atherosclerotic disease and only 1 patient showed moderade descending anterior stenosis. During the follow-up none patient showed hard events. Conclusion: Patients with MB could present with angina pectoris and positive stress testing and showed midterm excellent prognosis. MCTCA is an alternative noninvasive imaging tool that allows for easy and accurate evaluation of MB.

  13. MIB Probes for measurements of particle and energy fluxes in plasma of Wendelstein 7-X

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demidov, V. I.; Koepke, M. E.; Kurlyandskaya, I. P.; Raitses, Y.

    2014-10-01

    Magnetically insulated baffled (MIB) probes and probe arrays that share the simplicity of simple Langmuir probes but supersede them in their ability to make real-time measurements of plasma potential, temperature and energy/particle fluxes in W7-X stellarator plasma are being developed. The probes offer the advantages of direct measurements of the plasma fluid observables, while being non-emitting and electrically floating. The principle of operation of the probe is based on the dependence of the voltage drop in the plasma-probe sheath on the direction of the local magnetic field. The core technology for these probes rests with the use of a special baffling configuration such that electron current to the probe is fully controllable in the closed, open or partially open orientation, by a simple rotation of the baffle with respect to the magnetic field alignment in the plasma. The baffled-probe designs proposed for edge diagnostics will increase the capability to characterize separately plasma properties in real-time for understanding of underlying physics in the edge plasma.

  14. Criticality analysis of IPEN/MB-01 reactor using scale 6.0 and ENDF/B VII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, Fabiano S.; Salome, Jean; Pereira, Claubia; Fortini, Angela

    2015-01-01

    Since 1988, the IPEN/MB-01 reactor has been utilized for basic reactor physics research and as an instructional laboratory system. A series of experiments was conducted, and many of the components were evaluated in LEU-COMP-THERM-077 and LEU-COMP-THERM-089 benchmarks. In this work, we will compare the benchmark value references, with the newest ENDF/BVII libraries for neutron transport calculations through KENO-VI of the SCALE 6.0 codes. The 3D reactor model was simulated using 238 groups of energy and continuous energy libraries. The idea was to obtain, on this work, preliminary values of effective neutron multiplication factor to guide future work to get nuclear data as neutron flux, depleted fuel isotopic composition and generate homogenized and collapsed cross-sections libraries by few neutron energy groups to be used by other neutronic codes. It is expected that this study will produce a research source to be used as a support for future works employing such codes for nuclear safety criticality analysis and to verify compliance with the requirements of safety standards for nuclear fuel materials. (author)

  15. Electron Microscopic Analysis and Structural Characterization of Novel NADP(H)-Containing Methanol : N,N'-Dimethyl-4-Nitrosoaniline Oxidoreductases from the Gram-Positive Methylotrophic Bacteria Amycolatopsis methanolica and Mycobacterium gastri MB19

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bystrykh, Leonid V.; Vonck, Janet; Bruggen, Ernst F.J. van; Beeumen, Jozef van; Samyn, Bart; Govorukhina, Natalya I.; Arfman, Nico; Duine, Johannis A.; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert

    The quaternary protein structure of two methanol:N,N'-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (NDMA) oxidoreductases purified from Amycolatopsis methanolica and Mycobacterium gastri MB19 was analyzed by electron microscopy and image processing. The enzymes are decameric proteins (displaying fivefold symmetry)

  16. Adjuvant radiation use in older women with early-stage breast cancer at Johns Hopkins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollock, YaoYao G; Blackford, Amanda L; Jeter, Stacie C; Wright, Jean; Cimino-Mathews, Ashley; Camp, Melissa; Harvey, Susan; Asrari, Fariba; Schoenborn, Nancy L; Stearns, Vered

    2016-11-01

    In 2004, The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines incorporated omission of radiation therapy after breast-conservation surgery in women ≥70 years old with stage I, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who plan to receive endocrine therapy. One study demonstrated wide variation in implementing this change across 13 NCCN institutions. We evaluated the practice pattern at our institution. We identified women ≥70 years old treated at our institution from 2009 to 2014. We calculated radiation therapy omission rate in those meeting the guidelines. We explored associations between radiation therapy omission, year of diagnosis, and patient characteristics with Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Fisher's exact tests. A total of 667 women met the inclusion criteria, and 117 (18 %) were candidates for radiation therapy omission. Mean age among the 117 was 76.3 years (Range: 70-95). Overall radiation therapy omission rate was 36.8 %, but varied greatly by year of diagnosis (Range: 7.7-54.5 %). This variation persisted after excluding women who did not receive endocrine therapy (Mean: 39.0 %, Range: 0.0-75.0 %). Factors associated with higher radiation therapy omission rates included older age and not having pathological nodal evaluation. The radiation therapy omission rate did not vary by race, tumor type, grade, or size. The implementation of the NCCN guideline has not been consistent at our institution. Our data suggest that other tools should be considered to apply the guidelines more consistently. We have implemented a quality improvement protocol that incorporates life expectancy estimate and geriatric assessment in women meeting the NCCN guideline at our institution.

  17. CD4+, CD8+, CD3+ cell counts and CD4+/CD8+ ratio among patients with mycobacterial diseases (leprosy, tuberculosis), HIV infections, and normal healthy adults: a comparative analysis of studies in different regions of India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Tahziba; Kulshreshtha, K K; Yadav, V S; Katoch, Kiran

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we estimated the CD4+, CD8+, CD3+ cell counts and the CD4/CD8 ratio among normal healthy controls (adults and children), leprosy patients (without any complications and during reactional states), TB patients (with and without HIV), and HIV-positive patients (early infection and full-blown AIDS) and correlated the changes with disease progression. In our study, it was observed that among adults, CD4+ cell counts ranged from 518-1098, CD8+ from 312-952, whereas CD4/CD8 ratio from 0.75-2.30. Among children, both CD4+ and CD8+ cells were more and the CD4/CD8 ratio varied from 0.91-3.17. With regard to leprosy patients, we observed that CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts were lower among PB (pauci-bacillary) and MB (multi-bacillary) patients. CD4/CD8 ratio was 0.99 ± 0.28 among PB patients while the ratio was lower, 0.78 ± 0.20, among MB patients. CD4+ cell counts were raised during RR (reversal reactions) and ENL (erythema nodosum leprosum) among the PB and MB patients whereas the CD8+ cell counts were lower among PB and MB patients. CD4/CD8 ratio doubled during reactional episodes of RR and ENL. Among the HIV-negative tuberculosis (TB) patients, both the CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts were found to be less and the CD4/CD8 ratio varied between 0.53-1.75. Among the HIV-positive TB patients and HIV-positive patients, both the CD4+ and CD8+ cells were very less and ratio drops significantly. In the initial stages of infection, as CD4+ counts drop, an increase in the CD8+ cell counts was observed and the ratio declines. In full-blown cases, CD4+ cell counts were very low, 3-4 to 54 cells, CD8+ cells from 12-211 and the ratio drops too low. This study is the first of its kind in this region of the country and assumes importance since no other study has reported the values of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte counts among patients with mycobacterial diseases (leprosy and TB), HIV infections along with normal healthy individuals of the region, and correlation with clinical

  18. Complex distal 10q rearrangement in a girl with mild intellectual disability: follow up of the patient and review of the literature of non-acrocentric satellited chromosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarri, Catherine; Douzgou, Sofia; Gyftodimou, Yolanda; Tümer, Zeynep; Ravn, Kirstine; Pasparaki, Angela; Sarafidou, Theologia; Kontos, Harry; Kokotas, Haris; Karadima, Georgia; Grigoriadou, Maria; Pandelia, Effie; Theodorou, Virginia; Moschonas, Nicholas K; Petersen, Michael B

    2011-11-01

    We report on an intellectually disabled girl with a de novo satellited chromosome 10 (10qs) and performed a review of the literature of the non-acrocentric satellited chromosomes (NASC). Satellites and stalks normally occur on the short arms of acrocentric chromosomes; however, the literature cites several reports of satellited non-acrocentric chromosomes, which presumably result from a translocation with an acrocentric chromosome. This is, to our knowledge, the third report of a 10qs chromosome. The phenotype observed in the proband prompted a search for a structural rearrangement of chromosome 10q. By microsatellite analysis we observed a 4 Mb deletion on the long arm of chromosome 10, approximately 145 kb from the telomere. FISH and array CGH analyses revealed a complex rearrangement involving in range from the centromere to the telomere: A 9.64 Mb 10q26.11-q26.2 duplication, a 1.3 Mb region with no copy number change, followed by a 5.62 Mb 10q26.2-q26.3 deletion and a translocation of satellite material. The homology between the repeat sequences at 10q subtelomere region and the sequences on the acrocentric short arms may explain the origin of the rearrangement and it is likely that the submicroscopic microdeletion and microduplication are responsible for the abnormal phenotype in our patient. The patient presented here, with a 15-year follow-up, manifests a distinct phenotype different from the 10q26 pure distal monosomy and trisomy syndromes. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. The applications and clinical significance of IMA, H-FABP joint CKMB in acute myocardial infarction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Hui Zeng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the applications and clinical significance of ischemia-modified protein (IMA, heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP joint creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB in acute myocardial infarction (AMI. Methods: From January 2014 to December 2014, 84 clinical materials of patients with AMI in Department of cardiology were collected, and 80 cases of normal projects were the control group. IMA was determinated with albumincobalt ion binding assay. The levels of H-FABP and CK-MB of 84 cases of AMI patients and 80 cases of normal subjects were determinated with immunoturbidimetric. The value of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of AMI patients were analyzed with subject-specific curve (ROC. Results: The levels of serum IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of AMI group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Differences showed statistical significance (P < 0.05. The levels of serum IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB increased as the increase of coronary lesion vessels in patients with AMI (P < 0.05. The levels of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB of the death group were significantly higher than those of the surviving group (P < 0.05. ROC curve analysis showed that when IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB joint detections of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were greater than singleindex detection (P < 0.05. Conclusions: The expression levels of IMA, H-FABP and CK-MB are closely related to the occurrence and development of disease progression in patients with AMI. IMA, H-FABP joint CK-MB detection can improve the sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of AMI.

  20. Stromelysin-3 over-expression enhances tumourigenesis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines: involvement of the IGF-1 signalling pathway

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    Mennerich Detlev

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Stromelysin-3 (ST-3 is over-expressed in the majority of human carcinomas including breast carcinoma. Due to its known effect in promoting tumour formation, but its impeding effect on metastasis, a dual role of ST-3 in tumour progression, depending on the cellular grade of dedifferentiation, was hypothesized. Methods The present study was designed to investigate the influence of ST-3 in vivo and in vitro on the oestrogen-dependent, non-invasive MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line as well as on the oestrogen-independent, invasive MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line. Therefore an orthotopic human xenograft tumour model in nude mice, as well as a 3D matrigel cell culture system, were employed. Results Using both in vitro and in vivo techniques, we have demonstrated that over-expression of ST-3 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells leads to both increased cell numbers and tumour volumes. This observation was dependent upon the presence of growth factors. In particular, the enhanced proliferative capacity was in MCF-7/ST-3 completely and in MDA-MB-231/ST-3 cells partially dependent on the IGF-1 signalling pathway. Microarray analysis of ST-3 over-expressing cells revealed that in addition to cell proliferation, further biological processes seemed to be affected, such as cell motility and stress response. The MAPK-pathway as well as the Wnt and PI3-kinase pathways, appear to also play a potential role. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that breast cancer cell lines of different differentiation status, as well as the non-tumourigenic cell line MCF-10A, have a comparable capability to induce endogenous ST-3 expression in fibroblasts. Conclusion These data reveal that ST-3 is capable of enhancing tumourigenesis in highly differentiated "early stage" breast cancer cell lines as well as in further progressed breast cancer cell lines that have already undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition. We propose that ST-3 induction in tumour

  1. Stromelysin-3 over-expression enhances tumourigenesis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines: involvement of the IGF-1 signalling pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasper, Grit; Lehmann, Kerstin E; Reule, Matthias; Tschirschmann, Miriam; Dankert, Niels; Stout-Weider, Karen; Lauster, Roland; Schrock, Evelin; Mennerich, Detlev; Duda, Georg N

    2007-01-01

    Stromelysin-3 (ST-3) is over-expressed in the majority of human carcinomas including breast carcinoma. Due to its known effect in promoting tumour formation, but its impeding effect on metastasis, a dual role of ST-3 in tumour progression, depending on the cellular grade of dedifferentiation, was hypothesized. The present study was designed to investigate the influence of ST-3 in vivo and in vitro on the oestrogen-dependent, non-invasive MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line as well as on the oestrogen-independent, invasive MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line. Therefore an orthotopic human xenograft tumour model in nude mice, as well as a 3D matrigel cell culture system, were employed. Using both in vitro and in vivo techniques, we have demonstrated that over-expression of ST-3 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells leads to both increased cell numbers and tumour volumes. This observation was dependent upon the presence of growth factors. In particular, the enhanced proliferative capacity was in MCF-7/ST-3 completely and in MDA-MB-231/ST-3 cells partially dependent on the IGF-1 signalling pathway. Microarray analysis of ST-3 over-expressing cells revealed that in addition to cell proliferation, further biological processes seemed to be affected, such as cell motility and stress response. The MAPK-pathway as well as the Wnt and PI3-kinase pathways, appear to also play a potential role. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that breast cancer cell lines of different differentiation status, as well as the non-tumourigenic cell line MCF-10A, have a comparable capability to induce endogenous ST-3 expression in fibroblasts. These data reveal that ST-3 is capable of enhancing tumourigenesis in highly differentiated 'early stage' breast cancer cell lines as well as in further progressed breast cancer cell lines that have already undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition. We propose that ST-3 induction in tumour fibroblasts leads to the stimulation of the IGF-1R pathway in

  2. Coping with unpredictability: dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco A Vindas

    Full Text Available Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward' causes increased aggression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar. Here we report changes in brain monoaminergic activity and relative abundance of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and dopamine receptor mRNA transcripts in the same paradigm. Groups of fish were initially conditioned to associate a flashing light with feeding. Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT or dopamine (DA activity. Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1 mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition OER suppressed abundance of BDNF in the telencephalon of non-stressed fish. Regardless of OER treatment, a strong positive correlation between BDNF and D1 mRNA abundance was seen in non-stressed fish. This correlation was disrupted by acute stress, and replaced by a negative correlation between BDNF abundance and plasma cortisol concentration. These observations indicate a conserved link between DA, neurotrophin regulation, and corticosteroid-signaling pathways. The results also emphasize how fish models can be important tools in the study of neural plasticity and responsiveness to environmental unpredictability.

  3. Δ{sup 9}-THC modulation of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) gene expression: Possible involvement of induced levels of PPARα in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takeda, Shuso [Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Laboratory of Xenobiotic Metabolism and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hiroshima International University (HIU), 5-1-1 Hiro-koshingai, Kure, Hiroshima 737-0112 (Japan); Ikeda, Eriko [Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Su, Shengzhong [Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, 101 Life Sciences Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Harada, Mari [Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Okazaki, Hiroyuki [Drug Innovation Research Center, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Yoshioka, Yasushi; Nishimura, Hajime; Ishii, Hiroyuki; Kakizoe, Kazuhiro; Taniguchi, Aya; Tokuyasu, Miki; Himeno, Taichi [Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Watanabe, Kazuhito [Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Ho-3 Kanagawa-machi, Kanazawa 920-1181 (Japan); Omiecinski, Curtis J. [Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, 101 Life Sciences Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Aramaki, Hironori [Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Drug Innovation Research Center, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan)

    2014-12-04

    We recently reported that Δ{sup 9}-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ{sup 9}-THC), a major cannabinoid component in Cannabis Sativa (marijuana), significantly stimulated the expression of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was previously implicated in this induction. However, the mechanisms mediating this induction have not been elucidated in detail. We performed a DNA microarray analysis of Δ{sup 9}-THC-treated samples and showed the selective up-regulation of the PPARα isoform coupled with the induction of FA2H over the other isoforms (β and γ). Δ{sup 9}-THC itself had no binding/activation potential to/on PPARα, and palmitic acid (PA), a PPARα ligand, exhibited no stimulatory effects on FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells; thus, we hypothesized that the levels of PPARα induced were involved in the Δ{sup 9}-THC-mediated increase in FA2H. In support of this hypothesis, we herein demonstrated that; (i) Δ{sup 9}-THC activated the basal transcriptional activity of PPARα in a concentration-dependent manner, (ii) the concomitant up-regulation of PPARα/FA2H was caused by Δ{sup 9}-THC, (iii) PA could activate PPARα after the PPARα expression plasmid was introduced, and (iv) the Δ{sup 9}-THC-induced up-regulation of FA2H was further stimulated by the co-treatment with L-663,536 (a known PPARα inducer). Taken together, these results support the concept that the induced levels of PPARα may be involved in the Δ{sup 9}-THC up-regulation of FA2H in MDA-MB-231 cells.

  4. Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older patients admitted to psychiatric hospital

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rongen, S.; Kramers, C.; O'Mahony, D.; Feuth, T.; Olde Rikkert, M.G.M.; Ahmed, A.I.A.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing including potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescription omissions (PPOs) and to assess related risk factors in older people with major psychiatric illness.

  5. Speech rehabilitation of maxillectomy patients with hollow bulb obturator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Pravesh; Jain, Veena; Thakar, Alok

    2012-09-01

    To evaluate the effect of hollow bulb obturator prosthesis on articulation and nasalance in maxillectomy patients. A total of 10 patients, who were to undergo maxillectomy, falling under Aramany classes I and II, with normal speech and hearing pattern were selected for the study. They were provided with definitive maxillary obturators after complete healing of the defect. The patients were asked to wear the obturator for six weeks and speech analysis was done to measure changes in articulation and nasalance at four different stages of treatment, namely, preoperative, postoperative (after complete healing, that is, 3-4 months after surgery), after 24 hours, and after six weeks of providing the obturators. Articulation was measured objectively for distortion, addition, substitution, and omission by a speech pathologist, and nasalance was measured by Dr. Speech software. The statistical comparison of preoperative and six weeks post rehabilitation levels showed insignificance in articulation and nasalance. Comparison of post surgery complete healing with six weeks after rehabilitation showed significant differences in both nasalance and articulation. Providing an obturator improves the speech closer to presurgical levels of articulation and there is improvement in nasality also.

  6. Speech rehabilitation of maxillectomy patients with hollow bulb obturator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pravesh Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate the effect of hollow bulb obturator prosthesis on articulation and nasalance in maxillectomy patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 10 patients, who were to undergo maxillectomy, falling under Aramany classes I and II, with normal speech and hearing pattern were selected for the study. They were provided with definitive maxillary obturators after complete healing of the defect. The patients were asked to wear the obturator for six weeks and speech analysis was done to measure changes in articulation and nasalance at four different stages of treatment, namely, preoperative, postoperative (after complete healing, that is, 3-4 months after surgery, after 24 hours, and after six weeks of providing the obturators. Articulation was measured objectively for distortion, addition, substitution, and omission by a speech pathologist, and nasalance was measured by Dr. Speech software. Results: The statistical comparison of preoperative and six weeks post rehabilitation levels showed insignificance in articulation and nasalance. Comparison of post surgery complete healing with six weeks after rehabilitation showed significant differences in both nasalance and articulation. Conclusion: Providing an obturator improves the speech closer to presurgical levels of articulation and there is improvement in nasality also.

  7. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP/ACP5) promotes metastasis-related properties via TGFβ2/TβR and CD44 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reithmeier, Anja; Panizza, Elena; Krumpel, Michael; Orre, Lukas M; Branca, Rui M M; Lehtiö, Janne; Ek-Rylander, Barbro; Andersson, Göran

    2017-09-15

    Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP/ACP5), a metalloenzyme that is characteristic for its expression in activated osteoclasts and in macrophages, has recently gained considerable focus as a driver of metastasis and was associated with clinically relevant parameters of cancer progression and cancer aggressiveness. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with different TRAP expression levels (overexpression and knockdown) were generated and characterized for protein expression and activity levels. Functional cell experiments, such as proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed as well as global phosphoproteomic and proteomic analysis was conducted to connect molecular perturbations to the phenotypic changes. We identified an association between metastasis-related properties of TRAP-overexpressing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and a TRAP-dependent regulation of Transforming growth factor (TGFβ) pathway proteins and Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44). Overexpression of TRAP increased anchorage-independent and anchorage-dependent cell growth and proliferation, induced a more elongated cellular morphology and promoted cell migration and invasion. Migration was increased in the presence of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins osteopontin and fibronectin and the basement membrane proteins collagen IV and laminin I. TRAP-induced properties were reverted upon shRNA-mediated knockdown of TRAP or treatment with the small molecule TRAP inhibitor 5-PNA. Global phosphoproteomics and proteomics analyses identified possible substrates of TRAP phosphatase activity or signaling intermediates and outlined a TRAP-dependent regulation of proteins involved in cell adhesion and ECM organization. Upregulation of TGFβ isoform 2 (TGFβ2), TGFβ receptor type 1 (TβR1) and Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (SMAD2), as well as increased intracellular phosphorylation of CD44 were identified upon TRAP perturbation. Functional antibody-mediated blocking and chemical

  8. The challenges in monitoring and preventing patient safety incidents for people with intellectual disabilities in NHS acute hospitals: evidence from a mixed-methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuffrey-Wijne, Irene; Goulding, Lucy; Gordon, Vanessa; Abraham, Elisabeth; Giatras, Nikoletta; Edwards, Christine; Gillard, Steve; Hollins, Sheila

    2014-09-24

    There has been evidence in recent years that people with intellectual disabilities in acute hospitals are at risk of preventable deterioration due to failures of the healthcare services to implement the reasonable adjustments they need. The aim of this paper is to explore the challenges in monitoring and preventing patient safety incidents involving people with intellectual disabilities, to describe patient safety issues faced by patients with intellectual disabilities in NHS acute hospitals, and investigate underlying contributory factors. This was a 21-month mixed-method study involving interviews, questionnaires, observation and monitoring of incident reports to assess the implementation of recommendations designed to improve care provided for patients with intellectual disabilities and explore the factors that compromise or promote patient safety. Six acute NHS Trusts in England took part. Data collection included: questionnaires to clinical hospital staff (n = 990); questionnaires to carers (n = 88); interviews with: hospital staff including senior managers, nurses and doctors (n = 68) and carers (n = 37); observation of in-patients with intellectual disabilities (n = 8); monitoring of incident reports (n = 272) and complaints involving people with intellectual disabilities. Staff did not always readily identify patient safety issues or report them. Incident reports focused mostly around events causing immediate or potential physical harm, such as falls. Hospitals lacked effective systems for identifying patients with intellectual disabilities within their service, making monitoring safety incidents for this group difficult.The safety issues described by the participants were mostly related to delays and omissions of care, in particular: inadequate provision of basic nursing care, misdiagnosis, delayed investigations and treatment, and non-treatment decisions and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) orders. The events leading to avoidable harm

  9. Mycobacterium leprae is identified in the oral mucosa from paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgado de Abreu, M A M; Roselino, A M; Enokihara, M; Nonogaki, S; Prestes-Carneiro, L E; Weckx, L L M; Alchorne, M M A

    2014-01-01

    In leprosy, the nasal mucosa is considered as the principal route of transmission for the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. The objective of this study was to identify M. leprae in the oral mucosa of 50 untreated leprosy patients, including 21 paucibacillary (PB) and 29 multibacillary (MB) patients, using immunohistochemistry (IHC), with antibodies against bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and phenolic glycolipid antigen-1 (PGL-1), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with MntH-specific primers for M. leprae, and to compare the results. The material was represented by 163 paraffin blocks containing biopsy samples obtained from clinically normal sites (including the tongue, buccal mucosa and soft palate) and visible lesions anywhere in the oral mucosa. All patients and 158 available samples were included for IHC study. Among the 161 available samples for PCR, 110 had viable DNA. There was viable DNA in at least one area of the oral mucosa for 47 patients. M. leprae was detected in 70% and 78% of patients using IHC and PCR, respectively, and in 94% of the patients by at least one of the two diagnostic methods. There were no differences in detection of M. leprae between MB and PB patients. Similar results were obtained using anti-BCG and anti-PGL-1 antibodies, and immunoreactivity occurred predominantly on free-living bacteria on the epithelial surface, with a predilection for the tongue. Conversely, there was no area of predilection according to the PCR results. M. leprae is present in the oral mucosa at a high frequency, implicating this site as a potential means of leprosy transmission. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  10. Physical distance, genetic relationship, age, and leprosy classification are independent risk factors for leprosy in contacts of patients with leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moet, F Johannes; Pahan, David; Schuring, Ron P; Oskam, Linda; Richardus, Jan H

    2006-02-01

    Close contacts of patients with leprosy have a higher risk of developing leprosy. Several risk factors have been identified, including genetic relationship and physical distance. Their independent contributions to the risk of developing leprosy, however, have never been sufficiently quantified. Logistic-regression analysis was performed on intake data from a prospective cohort study of 1037 patients newly diagnosed as having leprosy and their 21,870 contacts. Higher age showed an increased risk, with a bimodal distribution. Contacts of patients with paucibacillary (PB) leprosy with 2-5 lesions (PB2-5) and those with multibacillary (MB) leprosy had a higher risk than did contacts of patients with single-lesion PB leprosy. The core household group had a higher risk than other contacts living under the same roof and next-door neighbors, who again had a higher risk than neighbors of neighbors. A close genetic relationship indicated an increased risk when blood-related children, parents, and siblings were pooled together. Age of the contact, the disease classification of the index patient, and physical and genetic distance were independently associated with the risk of a contact acquiring leprosy. Contact surveys in leprosy should be not only focused on household contacts but also extended to neighbors and consanguineous relatives, especially when the patient has PB2-5 or MB leprosy.

  11. How complete is the information on preadmission psychotropic medications in inpatients with dementia? A comparison of hospital medical records with dispensing data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisa, Federica Edith; Palese, Francesca; Romanese, Federico; Barbone, Fabio; Logroscino, Giancarlo; Riedel, Oliver

    2018-06-05

    Reliable information on preadmission medications is essential for inpatients with dementia, but its quality has hardly been evaluated. We assessed the completeness of information and factors associated with incomplete recording. We compared preadmission medications recorded in hospital electronic medical records (EMRs) with community-pharmacy dispensations in hospitalizations with discharge code for dementia at the University Hospital of Udine, Italy, 2012-2014. We calculated: (a) prevalence of omissions (dispensed medication not recorded in EMRs), additions (medication recorded in EMRs not dispensed), and discrepancies (any omission or addition); (b) multivariable logistic regression odds ratio, with 95% confidence interval (95% CI), of ≥1 omission. Among 2,777 hospitalizations, 86.1% had ≥1 discrepancy for any medication (Kappa 0.10) and 33.4% for psychotropics. When psychotropics were recorded in EMR, antipsychotics were added in 71.9% (antidepressants: 29.2%, antidementia agents: 48.2%); when dispensed, antipsychotics were omitted in 54.4% (antidepressants: 52.7%, antidementia agents: 41.5%). Omissions were 92% and twice more likely in patients taking 5 to 9 and ≥10 medications (vs. 0 to 4), 17% in patients with psychiatric disturbances (vs. none), and 41% with emergency admission (vs. planned). Psychotropics, commonly used in dementia, were often incompletely recorded. To enhance information completeness, both EMRs and dispensations should be used. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibition on angiographic complications during percutaneous coronary intervention in the ESPRIT trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blankenship, J C; Tasissa, G; O'Shea, J C; Iliadis, E A; Bachour, F A; Cohen, D J; Lui, H K; Mann, T; Cohen, E; Tcheng, J E

    2001-09-01

    We sought to determine whether eptifibatide decreases the incidence of in-laboratory angiographic complications and to determine the relationship of angiographically evident complications to elevations of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) enzyme levels during percutaneous coronary intervention. In the Enhanced Suppression of the Platelet IIb/IIIa Receptor with Integrilin Therapy (ESPRIT) trial, eptifibatide during coronary intervention was associated with decreased ischemic complications at 48 h and 30 days. Patients (n = 2,064) were randomized to placebo versus eptifibatide (two 180 microg/kg boluses 10 min apart and as a continuous infusion of 2 microg/kg per min) during percutaneous coronary stenting. Angiographic complications including major dissection, distal embolization, residual thrombus, abrupt closure, residual stenosis >50% and side-branch occlusion were prospectively recorded by the operator. Creatine kinase-MB levels were measured after the procedure and every 6 h thereafter. The incidence of angiographic complications and CK-MB elevation was determined for eptifibatide versus placebo groups. Eptifibatide-treated patients demonstrated nonsignificant trends toward fewer angiographic complications (10 vs. 12% for placebo patients, p = 0.13) and, for patients with angiographic complications, fewer subsequent CK-MB elevations (43 vs. 50% for placebo patients, p = 0.31). In patients without any angiographic complications, the incidence of CK-MB elevation >3 times the normal was 7% with placebo and 4% with eptifibatide (p = 0.003). Eptifibatide during nonurgent coronary stent intervention only minimally (and insignificantly) reduces the incidence of angiographic complications and subsequent CK-MB elevations in patients developing an angiographic complication. The greater effect is to reduce myocardial infarction in patients undergoing otherwise uneventful coronary stent implantation as well as in the overall study population.

  13. Photodynamic effects of methylene blue-loaded polymeric nanoparticles on dental plaque bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klepac-Ceraj, Vanja; Patel, Niraj; Song, Xiaoqing; Holewa, Colleen; Patel, Chitrang; Kent, Ralph; Amiji, Mansoor M; Soukos, Nikolaos S

    2011-09-01

    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is increasingly being explored for treatment of oral infections. Here, we investigate the effect of PDT on human dental plaque bacteria in vitro using methylene blue (MB)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA) nanoparticles with a positive or negative charge and red light at 665 nm. Dental plaque samples were obtained from 14 patients with chronic periodontitis. Suspensions of plaque microorganisms from seven patients were sensitized with anionic, cationic PLGA nanoparticles (50 µg/ml equivalent to MB) or free MB (50 µg/ml) for 20 min followed by exposure to red light for 5 min with a power density of 100 mW/cm2 . Polymicrobial oral biofilms, which were developed on blood agar in 96-well plates from dental plaque inocula obtained from seven patients, were also exposed to PDT as above. Following the treatment, survival fractions were calculated by counting the number of colony-forming units. The cationic MB-loaded nanoparticles exhibited greater bacterial phototoxicity in both planktonic and biofilm phase compared to anionic MB-loaded nanoparticles and free MB, but results were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Cationic MB-loaded PLGA nanoparticles have the potential to be used as carriers of MB for PDT systems. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  14. Measurement of the relative power density distribution of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, using a fuel rod gamma scanning technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carneiro, Alvaro Luiz Guimaraes

    1996-01-01

    This work presents a measurement methodology for determination of radial and axial relative power density distribution of the IPEN/MB-01 Reactor core by means of the fuel rod gamma scanning. The methodology is based on the proportionality between gamma activity emitted by the radioactive decay of the fission products and power density. The scanning technique consists of counting gamma radiation above 0,6 MeV along the active area of the fuel rod, getting a distribution profile. The experimental results will be used as a benchmark for qualification and to establish possible deviations for the calculational methodology currently used at IPEN. The comparison of the calculated and measured results showed good agreement. (author)

  15. Improved radioimmunoassay for creatine kinase isoenzymes in plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritter, C.S.; Mumm, S.R.; Roberts, R.

    1981-01-01

    We describe convenient and relatively rapid procedures for purifying creatine kinase isoenzymes MM, BB, and MB, and their use in an improved radioimmunoassay for creatine kinase isoenzymes in plasma. The modifications include use of: (a) BB with a specific activity of 400 kU/G, which can be labeled with a specific radioactivity of 20 Ci/g; (b) albumin-free purified MB as inhibitor; (c) antiserum to MB creatine kinase; and (d) a second-antibody technique that necessitates only a 15-min incubation. The radioimmunoassay for MB has a sensitivity of 0.2 μg/L (80 mU/L) and a CV of <5%. Plasma MB average 22 (SD 12) μg/L in 200 normal subjects; 24 (SD 12) μg/L in 200 patients with chest pain without infarction; and 23 (SD 7) μg/L in 43 patients with renal disease, whether measured before or after dialysis. Peak values for plasma MB averaged 191 (SD 86) μg/L in 325 patients with documented myocardial infarction; BB was negligible. Extensive clinical experience indicates the radioimmunoassay to be suitably rapid, highly sensitive, and reliable as a diagnostic assay for MB on plasma

  16. The hemodynamic effects of methylene blue when administered at the onset of cardiopulmonary bypass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maslow, Andrew D; Stearns, Gary; Butala, Parag; Batula, Parag; Schwartz, Carl S; Gough, Jeffrey; Singh, Arun K

    2006-07-01

    Hypotension occurs during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), in part because of induction of the inflammatory response, for which nitric oxide and guanylate cyclase play a central role. In this study we examined the hemodynamic effects of methylene blue (MB), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, administered during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Thirty patients undergoing cardiac surgery were randomized to receive either MB (3 mg/kg) or saline (S) after institution of CPB and cardioplegic arrest. CPB was managed similarly for all study patients. Hemodynamic data were assessed before, during, and after CPB. The use of vasopressors was recorded. All study patients experienced a similar reduction in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) with the onset of CPB and cardioplegic arrest. MB increased MAP and SVR and this effect lasted for 40 minutes. The saline group demonstrated a persistently reduced MAP and SVR throughout CPB. The saline group received phenylephrine more frequently during CPB, and more norepinephrine after CPB to maintain a desirable MAP. The MB group recorded significantly lower serum lactate levels despite equal or greater MAP and SVR. In conclusion, administration of MB after institution of CPB for patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors increased MAP and SVR and reduced the need for vasopressors. Furthermore, serum lactate levels were lower in MB patients, suggesting more favorable tissue perfusion.

  17. Mitogen-stimulated phospholipid synthesis in normal and immune-deficient human B cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chien, M.M.; Yokoyama, W.M.; Ashman, R.F.

    1986-01-01

    Eight patients with common variable panhypogammaglobulinemia were shown in the in vitro Ig biosynthesis assay to have defective B cell responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Phospholipid synthesis was assessed in the B cell plus monocyte fraction (MB) and irradiated T cells (T*) of patients and paired normal controls. Cell populations were studied separately and in the four possible combinations (1:1), with and without PWM, to reveal the effect of cell interactions. At 16 to 20 hr the mean stimulation index (SI) +/- standard error for MB cells alone was 1.01 +/- 0.02 for eight patients and 0.99 +/- 0.02 for the paired normals; the T* cell SI was 1.25 +/- 0.04 for patients and 1.28 +/- 0.05 for normals. Combinations of normal MB cells with normal T* cells showed significantly higher SI when compared with the combinations of normal MB cells with patient T* cells (p less than 0.005). However, the combination of patient MB cells with patient T* cells and the combination of patient MB cells with normal T* cells were not significantly different in SI (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Isolation of patient and normal B cells, T* cells, and monocytes after the choline pulse showed that patient B cells gave a higher SI with normal T* help than with patient T* help. Of greatest interest is the finding that patient B cells that were defective in PWM-stimulated Ig production nevertheless showed a phospholipid synthesis response to PWM in the normal range, suggesting that the maturation defect in these B cells occurs later than the phospholipid synthesis acceleration step, or on a different pathway

  18. Curcumin Suppresses Proliferation and Migration of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells through Autophagy-Dependent Akt Degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yemin; Zhou, Yu; Li, Mingxin; Wang, Changhua

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies have evidenced that the anticancer potential of curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a main yellow bioactive compound from plant turmeric was mediated by interfering with PI3K/Akt signaling. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still poorly understood. This study experimentally revealed that curcumin treatment reduced Akt protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, along with an activation of autophagy and suppression of ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) function. The curcumin-reduced Akt expression, cell proliferation, and migration were prevented by genetic and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy but not by UPS inhibition. Additionally, inactivation of AMPK by its specific inhibitor compound C or by target shRNA-mediated silencing attenuated curcumin-activated autophagy. Thus, these results indicate that curcumin-stimulated AMPK activity induces activation of the autophagy-lysosomal protein degradation pathway leading to Akt degradation and the subsequent suppression of proliferation and migration in breast cancer cell. PMID:26752181

  19. Emergence of Ebola Virus Escape Variants in Infected Nonhuman Primates Treated with the MB-003 Antibody Cocktail

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey R. Kugelman

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available MB-003, a plant-derived monoclonal antibody cocktail used effectively in treatment of Ebola virus infection in non-human primates, was unable to protect two of six animals when initiated 1 or 2 days post-infection. We characterized a mechanism of viral escape in one of the animals, after observation of two clusters of genomic mutations that resulted in five nonsynonymous mutations in the monoclonal antibody target sites. These mutations were linked to a reduction in antibody binding and later confirmed to be present in a viral isolate that was not neutralized in vitro. Retrospective evaluation of a second independent study allowed the identification of a similar case. Four SNPs in previously identified positions were found in this second fatality, suggesting that genetic drift could be a potential cause for treatment failure. These findings highlight the importance selecting different target domains for each component of the cocktail to minimize the potential for viral escape.

  20. Development of a Nursing Handoff Tool: A Web-Based Application to Enhance Patient Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, Denise; Boomhower, Marc; Lancaster, Diane R.; Antonelli, Mary; Kenyon, Mary Anne Murphy; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Dykes, Patricia C.

    2010-01-01

    Dynamic and complex clinical environments present many challenges for effective communication among health care providers. The omission of accurate, timely, easily accessible vital information by health care providers significantly increases risk of patient harm and can have devastating consequences for patient care. An effective nursing handoff supports the standardized transfer of accurate, timely, critical patient information, as well as continuity of care and treatment, resulting in enhanced patient safety. The Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospital Healthcare Information Technology Innovation Program (HIP) is supporting the development of a web based nursing handoff tool (NHT). The goal of this project is to develop a “proof of concept” handoff application to be evaluated by nurses on the inpatient intermediate care units. The handoff tool would enable nurses to use existing knowledge of evidence-based handoff methodology in their everyday practice to improve patient care and safety. In this paper, we discuss the results of nursing focus groups designed to identify the current state of handoff practice as well as the functional and data element requirements of a web based Nursing Handoff Tool (NHT). PMID:21346980