Assessing game experience: heart rate variability, in-game behavior and self-report measures

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Complications with Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in 2,820 Examinations

Objective: To perform a retrospective evaluation of the incidence of complications and adverse events during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in 2,820 examinations. Patients and Methods: Subjects included in- and outpatients at Pisa University Hospital referred for FEES by other physicians due to dysphagia symptoms. Neurologic diseases were the most commonly diagnosed conditions in the patients tested (48.3%). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Results: Our study showed minor side effects (discomfort, occasional gagging and vomiting) and a few complications [three cases of anterior epistaxis (0.1%), one case of posterior epistaxis (0.04%), three cases of vasovagal syncope (0.1%) and two cases of laryngospasm (0.07%)]. These cases of laryngospasm occurred in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spontaneously resolved after some difficulty. Conclusions: Our study confirms the published data regarding the safety of FEES and the incidence of complications with this procedure, but also highlights that in neurologic patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, laryngospasm is more likely to occur as a severe complication. The overall risk of FEES is minimal, but it is recommended that clinicians be well trained in recognising the signs and symptoms of adverse reactions and be ready to take appropriate action if these occur.
Folia Phoniatr Logop 2016;68:37-45

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Tongue and Lower Lip Movement in Semivowel /w/ Production

Aims: Previous studies have shown significant correlations between the acoustic characteristics of /w/ and speech intelligibility. To understand the articulatory pattern in /w/ production, the current study investigated the movement characteristics of the tongue and lower lip in whip productions in comparison to bib productions. Methods: Data from 19 typical adult male participants were collected using electromagnetic articulography. A number of kinematic measures of tongue body (approximately 25 mm posterior to the tongue apex) and lower lip movements were analyzed. Results: The findings suggested different movement patterns of the tongue body and lower lip in whip and bib productions. The amount of lip movement in the anterior-posterior plane exhibited by each speaker did not vary between whip and bib. However, speakers did exhibit more tongue retraction/advancement, greater overall tongue movement, and faster tongue movement speed in whip than in bib. Conclusion: Tongue movement in the anterior-posterior plane, such as tongue retraction and advancement, was found to be crucial for the production of /w/ in typical male speakers. Thus, the articulatory kinematics of the tongue in the anterior-posterior plane and its coordination with the lips need to be further examined in speakers with dysarthria to understand the underlying kinematic characteristics that influence speech intelligibility.
Folia Phoniatr Logop 2016;68:46-51

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Victims Seeking Help from Speech-Language Pathologists: Bullying, Preparedness, and Perceptions

Objective: Antibullying initiatives indicate that all school-based personnel should accept responsibility for changing the school climate and eliminating bullying. This study examined if victims seeking assistance for bullying contacted speech-language pathologists (SLPs), SLPs' preparation to address bullying and their current perceptions of responsibilities and interventions. Methods: A mailed survey consisting of a questionnaire and scale on bullying intervention strategies was completed by 418 school-based SLPs. Results: Sixty-one (14.6%) SLPs reported that victims on their caseloads told them directly about being bullied during the last month. The majority of SLPs (84.9%) reported that bullying was a problem in schools, and 65.1% reported that they had observed students being bullied in the past month. Less than half of the SLPs (46.7%) reported feeling prepared to deal with bullying episodes. Thirty-six SLPs (7.9%) reported that they did not address bullying issues because it was outside the scope of practice or job responsibilities. Conclusions: This is the first large study to report that victims seek help from SLPs directly for assistance with bullying incidents. SLPs stated that they received some training in addressing bullying issues but did not feel prepared. SLPs thought bullying was a problem but were undecided about the best strategies for assisting the students.
Folia Phoniatr Logop 2016;68:29-36

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Factors Influencing the Quality of Sunscreen Application in a Pilot Comparative Study

Occupational UV exposure represents a considerable part of the cumulative lifelong UV exposure in many outdoor professions ¹, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin has recently been recognized as an occupational disease in Germany ². Prevention is thus required by law. Sunscreens are popular methods of sun protection. This explorative pilot study aimed to compare the quality of sunscreen application in an occupational and a leisure setting and the factors which may influence it.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide promotes eccrine gland sweat secretion

Summary

Background

Sweat secretion is the major function of eccrine sweat glands; when this process is disturbed (paridrosis), serious skin problems can arise. To elucidate causes of paridrosis, an improved understanding of the regulation, mechanisms and factors underlying sweat production is required. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) exhibits pleiotropic functions that are mediated via its receptors (PAC1R, VPAC1R and VPAC2R). Although some studies suggested a role for PACAP in the skin and several exocrine glands, the effects of PACAP on the process of eccrine sweat secretion have not been examined.

Objectives

To investigate the effect of PACAP on eccrine sweat secretion.

Methods

RT-PCR and immunostaining were used to determine the expression and localization of PACAP and its receptors in mouse and human eccrine sweat glands. We subcutaneously injected PACAP into the footpads of mice and used the starch iodine test to visualize sweat-secreting glands.

Results

Immunostaining showed PACAP and PAC1R expression by secretory cells from mouse and human sweat glands. PACAP immunoreactivity was also localized in nerve fibres around eccrine sweat glands. PACAP significantly promoted sweat secretion at the injection site, and this could be blocked by the PAC1R-antagonist PACAP6-38. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), an agonist of VPAC1R and VPAC2R, failed to induce sweat secretion.

Conclusions

This is the first report demonstrating that PACAP may play a crucial role in sweat secretion via its action on PAC1R located in eccrine sweat glands. The mechanisms underlying the role of PACAP in sweat secretion may provide new therapeutic options to combat sweating disorders.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Saliva induces expression of antimicrobial peptides and promotes intracellular killing of bacteria in keratinocytes by EGFR-transactivation

Summary

Background

Wounds in the oral cavity, constantly exposed to both saliva and bacteria, heal quickly without infection. Furthermore, during licking of skin wounds, saliva promotes wound healing and plays a role in keeping the wound free of infection.

Objectives

To investigate whether saliva induced expression of antimicrobial peptides in human epidermal keratinocytes and whether saliva promoted clearance of intracellular bacteria in these cells.

Methods

Expression of antimicrobial peptides were investigated in the oral mucosa and ex vivo injured skin by immunohistochemistry. hBD-3 expression were investigated in epidermal keratinocytes after saliva stimulation with real time PCR and immunofluorescence.

Results

We found higher expression of antimicrobial peptides in the oral mucosa compared to the epidermis. Saliva accelerated the injury-induced expression of antimicrobial peptides in human skin ex vivo and was a potent inducer of the expression of antimicrobial peptides in epidermal keratinocytes. The expression of antimicrobial peptides was induced by metalloprotease-dependent EGFR transactivation mediated by a salivary lipid. Saliva increased the intracellular clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in keratinocytes through EGFR-activation.

Conclusions

These findings suggest a previously unreported role of saliva in innate immunity and demonstrate for the first time that saliva induces gene expression in epidermal keratinocytes.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Anti-MDA5 antibody level is a novel tool for monitoring disease activity in rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease with dermatomyositis

Summary

Background

Anti-MDA5 antibodies are associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) or dermatomyositis (DM).

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the relevance of monitoring anti-MDA5 antibody levels for the management of RP-ILD in patients with CADM or DM.

Methods

Twelve patients with CADM or DM (CADM, 10; DM, 2) accompanied by RP-ILD were included. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were recorded. Serial measurements of anti-MDA5 antibody levels were measured. All patients were treated with corticosteroids, tacrolimus, and intravenous cyclophosphamide.

Results

All patients achieved RP-ILD remission after combined immunosuppressive therapy for a mean time of 6.8 months, with significant decreases noted in the mean anti-MDA5 antibody levels at remission. Six (50%) patients became anti-MDA5-antibody negative conversion after therapy. Upon a mean follow-up of 31 months, RP-ILD relapse was observed in 4 (33%) patients in both the anti-MDA5-antibody-sustained positive group and the negative conversion group. However, relapsed patients in the sustained positive group relapsed earlier than those in the negative conversion group. Thus, a decrease in anti-MDA5 antibody levels during remission was associated with longer remission. Relapses were associated with a re-increase of anti-MDA5 antibody levels in 4/4 (100%) patients. In contrast, none of the patients without re-increase in anti-MDA5 antibody exhibited symptoms of relapse during follow-up. Therefore, re-increase in anti-MDA5 antibody levels was associated with relapse.

Conclusions

The anti-MDA5 antibody level is a novel parameter for monitoring and a good predictor of RP-ILD relapse in patients with CADM or DM.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Large-scale functional brain connectivity during emotional engagement as revealed by beta-series correlation analysis

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a hub in the network that mediates appetitive responses whereas the amygdala is thought to mediate both aversive and appetitive processing. Both structures may facilitate adaptive responses to emotional challenge by linking perception, attention, memory, and motor circuits. We provide an initial exploration of these hypotheses by recording simultaneous EEG-fMRI in eleven participants viewing affective pictures. MPFC- and amygdala-seeded functional connectivity maps were generated by applying the beta-series correlation method. The mPFC-seeded correlation map encompassed visual regions, sensorimotor areas, prefrontal cortex, and medial temporal lobe structures, exclusively for pleasant content. For the amygdala-seeded correlation map, a similar set of distributed brain areas appeared in the unpleasant-neutral contrast, with the addition of structures such as the insula and thalamus. A substantially sparser network was recruited for the pleasant-neutral contrast. Using the late positive potential (LPP) to index the intensity of emotional engagement, functional connectivity was found to be stronger in trials with larger LPP. These results demonstrate that mPFC-mediated functional interactions are engaged specifically during appetitive processing, whereas the amygdala is coupled to distinct sets of brain regions during both aversive and appetitive processing. The strength of these interactions varies as a function of the intensity of emotional engagement.

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Systemic Sarcoidosis Unmasked by Cushing’s Disease Surgical Treatment

Diseases responsive to glucocorticoids, like sarcoidosis, are rarely masked by Cushing's syndrome. An ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma is a possible cause of Cushing's syndrome and its resection can make a subclinical sarcoidosis clear. Only few cases of sarcoidosis following the treatment of hypercortisolism are reported in literature. We report a case of sarcoidosis after the resection of an ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma.

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Optimization of Growth Conditions for Purification and Production of L-Asparaginase by Spirulina maxima

L-asparaginase (L-AsnA) is widely distributed among microorganisms and has important applications in medicine and in food technology sectors. Therefore, the ability of the production, purification, and characterization of AsnA from Spirulina maxima (SM) were tested. SM cultures grown in Zarrouk medium containing different N2 (in NaNO3 form) concentrations (1.25, 2.50, and 5.0 g/L) for 18 days contained a significant various quantity of dry biomass yields and AsnA enzyme levels. MS L-AsnA activity was found to be directly proportional to the N2 concentration. The cultures of SM at large scales (300 L medium, 5 g/L N2) showed a high AsnA enzyme activity (898 IU), total protein (405 mg/g), specific enzyme activity (2.21 IU/mg protein), and enzyme yield (51.28 IU/L) compared with those in low N2 cultures. The partial purification of crude MS AsnA enzyme achieved by 80% ammonium sulfate AS precipitated and CM-Sephadex C-200 gel filtration led to increases in the purification of enzyme with 5.28 and 10.91 times as great as that in SM crude enzymes. Optimum pH and temperature of purified AsnA for the hydrolyzate were 8.5 and 37 ± 0.2°C, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on L-asparaginase production in S. maxima.

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Community-Based Emergency Care: A Model for Prehospital Care in Remote Canadian Communities

Editorial
A. M. Orkin, D. VanderBurgh, S. D. Ritchie, J. D. Curran, J. Beardy
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine,FirstView Article(s), 4 pages

Abstract


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Barriers to point-of-care ultrasound use in rural emergency departments

Editorial
Taft Micks, Kyle Sue, Peter Rogers
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine,FirstView Article(s), 5 pages

Abstract


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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1202: Role of Lipids in the Onset, Progression and Treatment of Periodontal Disease. A Systematic Review of Studies in Humans

The risk of different oral problems (root caries, tooth mobility, and tooth loss) can be increased by the presence of periodontal disease, which has also been associated with a growing list of systemic diseases. The presence of some bacteria is the primary etiology of this disease; a susceptible host is also necessary for disease initiation. In this respect, the progression of periodontal disease and healing of the periodontal tissues can be modulated by nutritional status. To clarify the role of lipids in the establishment, progression, and/or treatment of this pathology, a systematic review was conducted of English-written literature in PubMed until May 2016, which included research on the relationship of these dietary components with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. According to publication type, randomized-controlled trials, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies were included. Among all the analyzed components, those that have any effect on oxidative stress and/or inflammation seem to be the most interesting according to current evidence. On one hand, there is quite a lot of information in favor of a positive role of n-3 fatty acids, due to their antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. On the other hand, saturated fat-rich diets increase oxidative stress as well the as intensity and duration of inflammatory processes, so they must be avoided.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1200: Non-Ligand-Induced Dimerization is Sufficient to Initiate the Signalling and Endocytosis of EGF Receptor

The binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to EGF receptor (EGFR) stimulates cell mitogenesis and survival through various signalling cascades. EGF also stimulates rapid EGFR endocytosis and its eventual degradation in lysosomes. The immediate events induced by ligand binding include receptor dimerization, activation of intrinsic tyrosine kinase and autophosphorylation. However, in spite of intensified efforts, the results regarding the roles of these events in EGFR signalling and internalization is still very controversial. In this study, we constructed a chimeric EGFR by replacing its extracellular domain with leucine zipper (LZ) and tagged a green fluorescent protein (GFP) at its C-terminus. We showed that the chimeric LZ-EGFR-GFP was constitutively dimerized. The LZ-EGFR-GFP dimer autophosphorylated each of its five well-defined C-terminal tyrosine residues as the ligand-induced EGFR dimer does. Phosphorylated LZ-EGFR-GFP was localized to both the plasma membrane and endosomes, suggesting it is capable of endocytosis. We also showed that LZ-EGFR-GFP activated major signalling proteins including Src homology collagen-like (Shc), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt. Moreover, LZ-EGFR-GFP was able to stimulate cell proliferation. These results indicate that non-ligand induced dimerization is sufficient to activate EGFR and initiate cell signalling and EGFR endocytosis. We conclude that receptor dimerization is a critical event in EGF-induced cell signalling and EGFR endocytosis.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1197: Expression Analysis of PIN Genes in Root Tips and Nodules of Medicago truncatula

Polar auxin transport is dependent on the family of PIN-formed proteins (PINs), which are membrane transporters of anionic indole-3-acetic acid (IAA−). It is assumed that polar auxin transport may be essential in the development and meristematic activity maintenance of Medicago truncatula (M. truncatula) root nodules. However, little is known about the involvement of specific PIN proteins in M. truncatula nodulation. Using real-time quantitative PCR, we analyzed the expression patterns of all previously identified MtPIN genes and compared them between root nodules and root tips of M. truncatula. Our results demonstrated significant differences in the expression level of all 11 genes (MtPIN1–MtPIN11) between examined organs. Interestingly, MtPIN9 was the only PIN gene with higher expression level in root nodules compared to root tips. This result is the first indication of PIN9 transporter potential involvement in M. truncatula nodulation. Moreover, relatively high expression level in root nodules was attributed to MtPINs encoding orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana PIN5 subclade. PIN proteins from this subclade have been found to localize in the endoplasmic reticulum, which may indicate that the development and meristematic activity maintenance of M. truncatula root nodules is associated with intracellular homeostasis of auxins level and their metabolism in the endoplasmic reticulum.

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Superior moisture barrier properties of CMOS passivation stacks by the use of plasma-densified oxides

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How the mold compound thermal expansion overrules the solder composition choice in board level reliability performance

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PASSIVE COMPONENT EMBEDDING IN PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

The PCESA project was started in 2014 to investigate the suitability of embedding passive components in printed circuit boards for space applications. After compiling an overview of available technologies for component embedding, a test board was designed and manufactured to evaluate the performance and reliability of direct embedding of passive components in printed circuit boards. In parallel, an existing space PCB was redesigned to use embedded components and act as a functional demonstrator for the project. The main test results, result analysis and recommendations for future use are detailed in this presentation.

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Polymer-based encapsulation materials with optimized diffusion barrier properties for flexible hermetic medical electronics

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Enzymatic Conversion of Magnetic Nanoparticles to a Non-Magnetic Precipitate: A New Approach to Magnetic Sensing

Analyst, 2016, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C6AN00709K, Communication

Arati Kolhatkar, Andrew C. Jamison, Ivan Nekrashevich, Katerina Kourentzi, Dmitri Litvinov, Audrius Brazdeikis, Richard Willson, T. Randall Lee
Magnetic sensing utilizes the detection of biomolecule-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Our strategy of-fers a novel approach to magnetic sensing where in situ con-version produces a "loss of signal" in the...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

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Fabrication of "ion-imprinted" dual-emission quantum dots nanohybrid for selective fluorescence turn-on and ratiometric detection of cadmium ions

Analyst, 2016, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C6AN00868B, Paper

Jing Wang, Chenxing Jiang, Xiaoqi Wang, Ligeng Wang, Aimin Chen, Jun Hu, Zhihui Luo
In this work, we have fabricated a new dual-emission quantum dots (QDs) nanohybrid for fluorescence ratiometric determination of cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) in water samples, where "turn-on" model and "ion-imprinted" technique...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

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A molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor based on the mimetic enzyme catalytic effect for ultra-trace Ni2+ determination

Analyst, 2016, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C6AN00926C, Paper

Bin Yang, Jianping Li, Lianming Zhang, Guobao Xu
A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemiluminescence (MIP-ECL) sensor was developed for the highly sensitive and selective determination of ultra-trace Ni2+. The complex of Ni2+-dimethylglyoxime (Ni-DMG) was chosen as the...
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

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Complex phenotypes blur conventional borders between Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson syndrome and genitopatellar syndrome

Abstract

Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson syndrome (SBBYSS) and genitopatellar syndrome (GTPTS) are clinically similar disorders with some overlapping features. Although they are currently considered to be distinct clinical entities, both were found to be caused by de novo truncating sequence variants in the KAT6B (lysine acetyltransferase 6B) gene, strongly suggesting that they are allelic disorders. Herein, we report the clinical and genetic findings in a girl presenting with a serious multiple congenital anomaly syndrome with phenotypic features overlapping both SBBYSS and GTPTS; pointing out that the clinical distinction between these disorders is not exact and there do exist patients, in whom conventional clinical classification is problematic. Genetic analyses revealed a truncating c.4592delA (p.Asn1531Thrfs*18) variant in the last KAT6B exon. Our findings support that phenotypes associated with typical KAT6B disease-causing variants should be referred to as "KAT6B spectrum disorders" or "KAT6B related disorders", rather than their current SBBYSS and GTPTS classification.

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Percutaneous trans-abdominal external looped needle with two holes in the trocar sheath for port-site closures in difficult obese cases

Abstract

Introduction

Port closure is essential after successful laparoscopic surgery to prevent incisional hernia. However, good fascial closure still represents a problem, especially in obese patients and when the port wound is oblique. We report a novel technique for port-site closures in such cases.

Methods

This study involved 67 obese patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. We used a novel technique for port-site closure that employed a looped needle passed through two holes in the port sheath.

Results

The method was used in 67 patients (45 laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 22 laparoscopic hernia repairs), with a mean BMI of 35.7 kg/m². No intraoperative incidents or port-site hernias were reported during follow-up (mean, 22 months).

Conclusion

Our procedure is safe, easy, and effective for fascial port site closures, especially in cases of difficult obese patients and oblique port wounds.

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Lower vitamin D status may explain racial disparities in all-cause mortality among younger commercially insured women with incident metastatic breast cancer

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Relationship between Female University Students’ Knowledge on Menstruation and Their Menstrual Hygiene Practices: A Study in Tamale, Ghana

Positive perception about menstruation and good menstrual hygiene practice safeguards the health of postpubescent females by reducing their vulnerability to reproductive and urinary tract infections. Using a questionnaire, a cross-sectional study involving 293 randomly selected female undergraduate students in northern Ghana assessed the relationship between knowledge on menstruation and the practice of safe menstrual hygiene. Data collected was analyzed using GraphPad 5.01. This study found that although majority of respondents (73.4%) were aware of menstruation before menarche, most of them experienced fear and panic when it occurred. Mothers were the first to be informed when menstruation occurred, although teachers first provided them knowledge on menstruation. Respondents' knowledge on menstruation was average (57.3%) but their menstrual hygiene practice was good (80.2%). Age () and course of study () significantly influenced respondents' knowledge on menstruation with older students as well as the medical and midwifery students being most knowledgeable. Muslim rather than Christian female students practiced better menstrual hygiene (). Average knowledge score on menstruation indicated a deficit of knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. Increasing knowledge on menstruation had a positive and significant effect on practice of good menstrual hygiene.

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Chemopreventive Properties and Toxicity of Kelulut Honey in Sprague Dawley Rats Induced with Azoxymethane

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. Colon cancer has been a major problem worldwide. Kelulut honey (KH) is produced by the stingless bees from Trigona species and has strong antioxidant activities that could be one of the potential chemopreventive agents from natural resources. Aim of This Study. This study investigated the chemopreventive properties and toxicity of KH in Sprague Dawley rats induced with azoxymethane (AOM). Material and Method. Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats aged 5 weeks were divided into 4 groups: (G1) untreated group not induced with AOM, (G2) untreated group induced with AOM, (G3) treated group induced with AOM, and (G4) treated group not induced with AOM. Injection of AOM (15 mg/kg) was via intraperitoneal route once a week for two subsequent weeks. The treatment groups were given oral administration of KH (1183 mg/kg body weight) twice daily for 8 weeks. Results. Treatment with KH significantly reduced the total number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (AC) and crypt multiplicity. KH was not toxic to the animals since the level of blood profile parameters, liver enzymes, and kidney functions was in normal range. Conclusions. The current finding shows that KH has chemopreventive properties in rats induced with colorectal cancer and also was found not toxic towards the animals.

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Luteolin Prevents H2O2-Induced Apoptosis in H9C2 Cells through Modulating Akt-P53/Mdm2 Signaling Pathway

Introduction. Luteolin, a falconoid compound in many Chinese herbs and formula, plays important roles in cardiovascular diseases. The underlying mechanism of luteolin remains to be further elaborated. Methods. A model of hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced H9C2 cells apoptosis was established. Cell viabilities were examined with an MTT assay. ,-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) and flow cytometry were used to detect ROS level and apoptosis rate, respectively. The expressions of signaling proteins related to apoptosis were analyzed by western blot and mRNA levels were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Quercetin was applied as positive drug. Results. Incubation with various concentrations of H2O2 (0, 50, 100, and 200 μM) for 1 h caused dose-dependent loss of cell viability and 100 μM H2O2 reduced the cell viability to approximately 50%. Treatments with luteolin and quercetin protected cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and reduced cellular ROS level and apoptosis rate. Moreover, luteolin could downregulate the expressions of Bax, caspase-8, cleaved-caspase-3, and p53 in apoptotic signaling pathway. Further study showed that the expressions of Akt, Bcl-2, and Mdm2 were upregulated by luteolin. Conclusion. Luteolin protects H9C2 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis. The protective and antiapoptotic effects of luteolin could be mediated by regulating the Akt-P53/Mdm2 apoptotic pathway.

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Multiple Circulating Cytokines Are Coelevated in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Inflammatory biomarkers, including cytokines, are associated with COPD, but the association of particular circulating cytokines with systemic pathology remains equivocal. To investigate this, we developed a protein microarray system to detect multiple cytokines in small volumes of serum. Fourteen cytokines were measured in serum from never-smokers, ex-smokers, current smokers, and COPD patients (GOLD stages 1–3). Certain individual circulating cytokines (particularly TNFα and IL-1β) were significantly elevated in concentration in the serum of particular COPD patients (and some current/ex-smokers without COPD) and may serve as markers of particularly significant systemic inflammation. However, numerous circulating cytokines were raised such that their combined, but not individual, elevation was significantly associated with severity of disease, and these may be further indicators of, and contributors to, the systemic inflammatory manifestations of COPD. The coelevation of numerous circulating cytokines in COPD is consistent with the insidious development, chronic nature, and systemic comorbidities of the disease.

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SPH modelling as alternative numerical method for wave loading assessment

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Protein complexes predictions within protein interaction networks using genetic algorithms

Background: Protein–protein interaction networks are receiving increased attention due to their importance in understanding life at the cellular level. A major challenge in systems biology is to understand the modular structure of such biological networks. Although clustering techniques have been proposed for clustering protein–protein interaction networks, those techniques suffer from some drawbacks. The application of earlier clustering techniques to protein–protein interaction networks in order to predict protein complexes within the networks does not yield good results due to the small-world and power-law properties of these networks. Results: In this paper, we construct a new clustering algorithm for predicting protein complexes through the use of genetic algorithms. We design an objective function for exclusive clustering and overlapping clustering. We assess the quality of our proposed clustering algorithm using two gold-standard data sets. Conclusions: Our algorithm can identify protein complexes that are significantly enriched in the gold-standard data sets. Furthermore, our method surpasses three competing methods: MCL, ClusterOne, and MCODE in terms of the quality of the predicted complexes. The source code and accompanying examples are freely available at http://ift.tt/2a8qoEb.

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A promising antitumor activity of evodiamine incorporated in hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: pro-apoptotic activity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells

Background: Evodiamine has gained wide interests recently because of its antitumor activities. However, a superior bioavailability is required to achieve better efficacy due to its poor water solubility. The aim of this study was to enhance the evodiamine's aqueous solubility by preparing evodiamine/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (EVO/HP-β-CD) inclusion complex, which is incorporated evodiamine into HP-β-CD, and compare the antitumor activities before and after inclusion with HP-β-CD in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Results: The EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes were prepared by the kneading method and structurally characterized. P-glycoprotein ATPase assays firstly demonstrated that evodiamine was a substrate of P-glycoprotein, while HP-β-CD and EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes inhibited P-glycoprotein by blocking P-glycoprotein ATPase activity. The EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes may be a promising anticancer drug candidate without drug resistance. After given evodiamine or EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes intervention, cell viability evaluation indicated that the half inhibition concentration of evodiamine and EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes on HepG2 cells was 8.516 and 0.977 μM, respectively. The caspase-3 enzyme activity analysis and Annexin V/PI double-staining revealed that EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes possessed better antitumor activities than evodiamine. Additionally, Hoechst 33258 staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assay demonstrated that EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes induced HepG2 cell apoptosis more effectively than evodiamine. Conclusions: The improved antitumor activities of evodiamine were attributed to the enhanced solubility and P-glycoprotein inhibition by HP-β-CD. These results are promising for the drug administration of EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes to enhance the bioavailability of evodiamine in vivo.

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Identification of protein complexes from multi-relationship protein interaction networks

Background: Protein complexes play an important role in biological processes. Recent developments in experiments have resulted in the publication of many high-quality, large-scale protein-protein interaction (PPI) datasets, which provide abundant data for computational approaches to the prediction of protein complexes. However, the precision of protein complex prediction still needs to be improved due to the incompletion and noise in PPI networks. Results: There exist complex and diverse relationships among proteins after integrating multiple sources of biological information. Considering that the influences of different types of interactions are not the same weight for protein complex prediction, we construct a multi-relationship protein interaction network (MPIN) by integrating PPI network topology with gene ontology annotation information. Then, we design a novel algorithm named MINE (identifying protein complexes based on Multi-relationship protein Interaction NEtwork) to predict protein complexes with high cohesion and low coupling from MPIN. Conclusions: The experiments on yeast data show that MINE outperforms the current methods in terms of both accuracy and statistical significance.

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A method for predicting protein complex in dynamic PPI networks

Background: Accurate determination of protein complexes has become a key task of system biology for revealing cellular organization and function. Up to now, the protein complex prediction methods are mostly focused on static protein protein interaction (PPI) networks. However, cellular systems are highly dynamic and responsive to cues from the environment. The shift from static PPI networks to dynamic PPI networks is essential to accurately predict protein complex. Results: The gene expression data contains crucial dynamic information of proteins and PPIs, along with high-throughput experimental PPI data, are valuable for protein complex prediction. Firstly, we exploit gene expression data to calculate the active time point and the active probability of each protein and PPI. The dynamic active information is integrated into high-throughput PPI data to construct dynamic PPI networks. Secondly, a novel method for predicting protein complexes from the dynamic PPI networks is proposed based on core-attachment structural feature. Our method can effectively exploit not only the dynamic active information but also the topology structure information based on the dynamic PPI networks. Conclusions: We construct four dynamic PPI networks, and accurately predict many well-characterized protein complexes. The experimental results show that (i) the dynamic active information significantly improves the performance of protein complex prediction; (ii) our method can effectively make good use of both the dynamic active information and the topology structure information of dynamic PPI networks to achieve state-of-the-art protein complex prediction capabilities.

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Retrospective analysis on the agreement between skin prick test and serum food specific IgE antibody results in adults with suspected food allergy

Background: Food allergy is a common clinical problem in adults. Given logistical barriers to conducting food challenges, the use of skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) are important in establishing the diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the agreement of SPT and sIgE results in adults presenting to an allergy clinic with suspected food allergy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records at the University of Alberta Allergy Clinic between September 2013 and May 2015 was performed. Demographic, medical history as well as SPT and specific IgE results were recorded. Agreement of SPT and sIgE for individual food allergens was analyzed by Kappa statistics. Results: Data from 260 patients was collected. The population was predominantly female, often having other atopic diseases. Very few food challenges were performed; IgE mediated food allergy was diagnosed in a minority (29.6 %) of cases. Kappa values which reached statistical significance were moderate for peanut ĸ = 0.535 (p = 0.0002, CI 0.364–0.707), walnut ĸ = 0.408 (p = 0.001 CI 0.159–0.657), pecan ĸ = 0.530 (p = 0.001 CI 0.211–0.848), and lobster ĸ = 0.543 (p = 0.004 CI 0.197–0.889), substantial for pistachio ĸ = 0.657 (p = 0.023 CI 0.224–1.000), codfish ĸ = 0.770 (p = 0.0002 CI 0.558–0.983), shrimp ĸ = 0.627 (p = 0.0006 CI 0.383–0.871) and egg white ĸ = 0.625 (p = 0.002 CI 0.293–0.957), almost perfect for cashew ĸ = 0.894 (p = 0.0008 CI 0.693–1.000) and salmon ĸ = 0.874 (p = 0.004 CI 0.705–1.000). Conclusions: The agreement between SPT and sIgE results on adults being evaluated for food allergy is at least moderate or better for peanut, walnut, pecan, pistachio, cashew, lobster, shrimp, codfish, salmon and egg white. This should be reassuring for patients who have contraindications or restricted access to either test as the results for the above allergens will likely agree. These findings may suggest that these tests could possibly be interchangeable in adults being evaluated for suspected food allergy and will aid primary care physicians in the triage of patients requiring allergist care.

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A novel approach for multi-SNP GWAS and its application in Alzheimer’s disease

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have effectively identified genetic factors for many diseases. Many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), have epistatic causes, requiring more sophisticated analyses to identify groups of variants which together affect phenotype. Results: Based on the GWAS statistical model, we developed a multi-SNP GWAS analysis to identify pairs of variants whose common occurrence signaled the Alzheimer's disease phenotype. Conclusions: Despite not having sufficient data to demonstrate significance, our preliminary experimentation identified a high correlation between GRIA3 and HLA-DRB5 (an AD gene). GRIA3 has not been previously reported in association with AD, but is known to play a role in learning and memory.

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A systematic framework to derive N-glycan biosynthesis process and the automated construction of glycosylation networks

Background: Abnormalities in glycan biosynthesis have been conclusively related to various diseases, whereas the complexity of the glycosylation process has impeded the quantitative analysis of biochemical experimental data for the identification of glycoforms contributing to disease. To overcome this limitation, the automatic construction of glycosylation reaction networks in silico is a critical step. Results: In this paper, a framework K2014 is developed to automatically construct N-glycosylation networks in MATLAB with the involvement of the 27 most-known enzyme reaction rules of 22 enzymes, as an extension of previous model KB2005. A toolbox named Glycosylation Network Analysis Toolbox (GNAT) is applied to define network properties systematically, including linkages, stereochemical specificity and reaction conditions of enzymes. Our network shows a strong ability to predict a wider range of glycans produced by the enzymes encountered in the Golgi Apparatus in human cell expression systems. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a better understanding of the underlying glycosylation process and the potential of systems glycobiology tools for analyzing conventional biochemical or mass spectrometry-based experimental data quantitatively in a more realistic and practical way.

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Hypomethylation coordinates antagonistically with hypermethylation in cancer development: a case study of leukemia

Background: Methylation changes are frequent in cancers, but understanding how hyper- and hypomethylated region changes coordinate, associate with genomic features, and affect gene expression is needed to better understand their biological significance. The functional significance of hypermethylation is well studied, but that of hypomethylation remains limited. Here, with paired expression and methylation samples gathered from a patient/control cohort, we attempt to better characterize the gene expression and methylation changes that take place in cancer from B cell chronic lymphocyte leukemia (B-CLL) samples. Results: Across the dataset, we found that consistent differentially hypomethylated regions (C-DMRs) across samples were relatively few compared to the many poorly consistent hypo- and highly conserved hyper-DMRs. However, genes in the hypo-C-DMRs tended to be associated with functions antagonistic to those in the hyper-C-DMRs, like differentiation, cell-cycle regulation and proliferation, suggesting coordinated regulation of methylation changes. Hypo-C-DMRs in B-CLL were found enriched in key signaling pathways like B cell receptor and p53 pathways and genes/motifs essential for B lymphopoiesis. Hypo-C-DMRs tended to be proximal to genes with elevated expression in contrast to the transcription silencing-mechanism imposed by hypermethylation. Hypo-C-DMRs tended to be enriched in the regions of activating H4K4me1/2/3, H3K79me2, and H3K27ac histone modifications. In comparison, the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) signature, marked by EZH2, SUZ12, CTCF binding-sites, repressive H3K27me3 marks, and "repressed/poised promoter" states were associated with hyper-C-DMRs. Most hypo-C-DMRs were found in introns (36 %), 3′ untranslated regions (29 %), and intergenic regions (24 %). Many of these genic regions also overlapped with enhancers. The methylation of CpGs from 3′UTR exons was found to have weak but positive correlation with gene expression. In contrast, methylation in the 5′UTR was negatively correlated with expression. To better characterize the overlap between methylation and expression changes, we identified correlation modules that associate with "apoptosis" and "leukocyte activation". Conclusions: Despite clinical heterogeneity in disease presentation, a number of methylation changes, both hypo and hyper, appear to be common in B-CLL. Hypomethylation appears to play an active, targeted, and complementary role in cancer progression, and it interplays with hypermethylation in a coordinated fashion in the cancer process.

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A sandwich-like strategy for the label-free detection of oligonucleotides by surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS)

Analyst, 2016, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C6AN01129B, Paper

Qiang Su, Gilbert Noll
For the detection of oligonucleotides a sandwich-like detection strategy has been developed by which the background fluorescence is significantly lowered in comparison to surface-bound molecular beacons. Surface bound optical molecular...
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Unusual side effect of cannabis use: Acute abdomen due to duodenal perforation

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

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Comparative effects of acute hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia on pro-atherothrombotic biomarkers and endothelial function in non-diabetic humans

Journal of Diabetes and its Complications

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Impact of scribes on patient throughput in adult and pediatric academic EDs

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine

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Prognostic significance of C5a2 on PMN and C5a2intra/C5a2 ratio level for early sepsis in an Emergency Department

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine

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Pediatric pelvic ring injuries: How benign are they?

Injury

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Epidemiology of lower extremity injuries presenting to the emergency room in the United States: Snow skiing vs. snowboarding

Injury

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Where do freestanding emergency departments choose to locate? A national inventory and geographic analysis in three states

Annals of Emergency Medicine

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Enhanced risk prediction model for emergency department use and hospitalizations in patients in a primary care medical home

The American Journal of Managed Care

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Emergency department management of febrile respiratory illness in children

Pediatric Emergency Care

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Bowel preparation prior to percutaneous ilio-sacral screw insertion: Is it necessary?

European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery

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