Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

Background And Aim: The treat-to-target strategy has emerged in ulcerative colitis management. Mucosal healing is the best target, albeit not in induction therapy of acute diseases as clinical conditions vary over a short duration. To determine the targets during induction therapy for acute ulcerative colitis, we identified markers to predict mucosal healing at 3 and 12 months of initiating the induction therapy. Read More

Cytometry A 2018 Dec;93(12):1213-1219

Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine, General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty, University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Diagnostic leukapheresis (DLA) is based on continuous centrifugation that collects mononuclear cells from peripheral blood with a density of 1.055-1.08 g/ml. Read More

Cytometry A 2018 Dec;93(12):1260-1266

Menarini Silicon Biosystems S.p.A, Bologna, Italy.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells shed into the bloodstream by invasive tumors and their analysis offers a promising noninvasive tool to predict and monitor therapeutic responses. CTCs can be isolated from patient blood and their characterization at single-cell level can inform on the genomic landscape of a tumor. All CTC enrichment methods bear a burden of contaminating normal cells, which mandate a further step of purification to enable reliable downstream genetic analysis. Read More

Cytometry A 2018 Dec;93(12):1207-1212

Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Laboratory of Experimental Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Biomarkers in the blood of cancer patients include circulating tumor cells (CTCs), tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tdEVs), EV-associated miRNA (EV-miRNA), and circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA). Because the size and density of biomarkers differ, blood is centrifuged to isolate or concentrate the biomarker of interest. Here, we applied a model to estimate the effect of centrifugation on the purity of a biomarker according to published protocols. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Internal Medicine, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.

Objective:  Allostatic load (AL) represents multisystem physiological "wear-and-tear" reflecting emerging chronic disease risk. We assessed AL during the first year postpartum in a diverse community sample with known health disparities.

Methods:  The Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Community Child Health Network enrolled 2,448 predominantly low-income African-American, Latina, and White women immediately after delivery of liveborn infants at ≥20 weeks' gestation, following them over time with interviews, clinical measures, and biomarkers. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Background:  Little is known about the association between bisphenol A (BPA) or triclosan (TCS) exposure and hypertension in pregnancy.

Objective:  To investigate potential associations between maternal urinary concentrations of BPA or TCS and gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia.

Study Design:  Among 1,909 pregnant women participating in the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals (MIREC) study, urinary concentrations of BPA and TCS were measured in the first trimester by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using isotope dilution. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.

Objective:  We sought to examine pathogen distribution and clinical presentation of late-onset sepsis (LOS) at an urban tertiary care center.

Study Design:  We performed a retrospective review of all culture-confirmed cases of LOS presenting to our institution from 2013 to 2017. Medical records were evaluated for demographic information, sepsis risk factors, encounter location, and clinical outcome. Read More

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Background: Parasitic infections constitute a major public health problem worldwide, particularly among underprivileged communities in developing countries including Nigeria. The present study aimed to determine the epidemiology of polyparasitism (multiple parasitic infections) among rural communities in Kano State, North Central Nigeria.

Methods: A total of 551 individuals were screened for the presence of intestinal, urogenital and blood parasites by using different diagnostic techniques. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0208417. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Surgery, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America.

Objective: There has been an appreciable rise in postpartum hemorrhage requiring blood transfusions in the United States. Our objective is to better define patients at greatest risk for peripartum transfusion at the time of cesarean in order to identify cases for early intervention and monitoring.

Methods: Our study is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0208878. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Paediatrics, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Anemia is regarded as major public health problem among adolescents in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) but there is limited primary data in many countries, including Nepal. This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of anemia in a nationally representative sample of adolescents within the 2014 National Adolescent Nutrition Survey in Nepal. A total of 3780 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were selected from a cross-sectional survey through multi-stage cluster sampling. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2018 Dec 14;24:9081-9089. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Sports, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy was one of the most serious and harmful diabetic complications, characterized by progressive loss of renal function and renal fibrosis. Aerobic exercise training is an important non-pharmacologic method to prevent and treat diabetes mellitus and diabetic complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Intraperitoneal (i. Read More

Nutrition 2018 Oct 13;60:94-99. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Research Group on Metabolism, Nutrition and Strength Training, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil; Appalachian State University, Department of Health and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Caroline, USA.

Objectives: It is well established that ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO) causes metabolic alkalosis. However, there is no consensus in terms of optimal NaHCO doses leading to enhanced performance. This study aimed to determine the effects of different NaHCO doses on performance and lactate clearance in non-professional cyclists. Read More

J Pharm Biomed Anal 2018 Dec 5;165:173-181. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

National Center of Mass Spectrometry in Changchun and Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry and Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China. Electronic address:

In this study, a novel analysis strategy for progressively targeted screening and characterization of drug ingredients from in vitro to in vivo was proposed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for comprehensive characterization of in vivo metabolic profile of Polygalae radix (PR). First, an in vitro chemical profile of PR was described with the assistance of UNIFI™ software. The characteristic neutral small molecule losses were summarized to distinguish different chemical structures in the PR extract. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2018 Dec 11;67:152-159. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea; Microbiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea; Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center (SCIRC), Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

This study identified 8-azaguanine (8-AG) as a novel immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) through a high-throughput screen of the Preswick Chemical Library in a model of human NK cell cytotoxicity against blood cancer cells. 8-AG, originally developed as an antineoplastic agent, significantly increased the cytotoxicity of NK cells and was superior in this activity to previously known IMiDs, such as fluoxetine and amphotericin B, identified from the same library. IFN-γ expression was also slightly increased by 8-AG. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2018 Oct 11;71(1):149-155. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia; Functional Foods Research Group, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an important cause of chronic disability in humans.

Methods: We characterized a model of chronic IBD in young male Wistar rats by administering dextran sodium sulfate (DSS: 0%, 0.25%, 0. Read More

Mol Immunol 2018 Dec 11;105:190-197. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA. Electronic address:

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes an arthralgia febrile illness that has affected millions of people on three continents. Previously, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that have prophylactic and therapeutic activity were found to remove virus in joint tissues, thereby reducing the severity of symptoms in mice and non-human primates. In this study, we sought to develop thermostable small recombinant antibodies against CHIKV for future diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic applications. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

The Brain and Muscle Energy Group, Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway; Synaptic Neurochemistry and Amino Acid Transporters Labs, Division of Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IMB) and Healthy Brain Ageing Centre (SERTA), University of Oslo, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway; Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

The energy deficit hypothesis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggests that low lactate production by brain astrocytes causes the symptoms of the disorder. Astrocytes are the main producers of lactate in the brain; however, skeletal muscles can produce the most lactate in the body. The lactate production by skeletal muscles increases with physical activity, as does the expression of the lactate transporter monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan980-8575; Collaborating Research Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, 9002 Research Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1781.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among adults worldwide. However, the distribution of etiology of CAP varies from one country to another with limited data from rural areas.

Methods: A prospective hospital-based study on adult CAP was conducted in Leyte, Central Philippines from May 2010 to May 2012. Read More

Acta Biomater 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Nankai University School of Medicine, Tianjin 300071, China; The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, The College of Life Science, Tianjin 300071, China. Electronic address:

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has emerged as a very promising strategy for the treatments of peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, MSC-based therapies are limited by low cell retention and survival rate in the ischemic zone. Small molecular (SM) hydrogels have shown attractive abilities to enhance the therapeutic effects of human MSCs via promoting their proliferation or maintaining their differentiation potential. Read More

Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, and Department of Chemical Physics, iCHEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Jinzai road 96, Hefei,230026, Anhui, China. Electronic address:

Efficient delivery of hydrophobic photosensitizer (PS) into tumor cells is a key step for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Redox-responsive polymeric nanoparticles of amphiphilic macro-photosensitizer has designed and prepared as a prodrug-like pro-photosensitizer (pro-PS) for PDT. PEG works as the hydrophilic block and the near infrared (NIR) brominated BODIPY derivative (BDP) works as the hydrophobic PS, and they were linked via the disulfide bond as PEG-SS-BDP, which could be broken for drug release owing to the high GSH concentration inside tumor cells. Read More

Appetite 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Modifying the type of dietary fat consumed may impact appetite, therefore having implications in weight management.

Objective: To test the effects of a 5-day, high-fat diet rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a diet rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) on markers of appetite.

Methods: Fifteen normal weight men participated in a randomized cross-over design with two controlled feeding trials (3d lead-in diet, pre-diet visit, 5d PUFA- or MUFA-rich diet, post-diet visit). Read More

Life Sci 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pharmacy, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Endocrinology and Metabolism Group, Sydney Institute of Health Sciences, Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. Electronic address:

Aims: Chronic treatment with antipsychotics, especially most of atypical ones, leads to development of metabolic abnormalities. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The mechanisms underlying olanzapine-induced metabolic adverse effects in the liver, however, remain unclear. Read More

Life Sci 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ein Helwan, Cairo 11795, Egypt. Electronic address:

Aims: Cerebral ischemia reperfusion (I/R) is a neurovascular disease leading to cerebral damage. It was found that postmenopausal women are liable to more dangerous effects than men at same age in stroke. The objective of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effect of zeranol against cerebral ischemia reperfusion in ovariectomized rats. Read More

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether rupture on blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be a pathway for trichlorfon-induced neurotoxic effects, and to investigate its implications on oxidative status, cell viability and brain neurotransmitters in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). The BBB permeability was increased in fish exposed for 24 h to 22 mg/L of trichlorfon compared to the control group, as well as in those exposed to 11 and 22 mg/L of trichlorfon for 48 h. Compared to the control group, brain reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxide levels were higher when exposed to 22 mg/L of trichlorfon and 11 and 22 mg/L of trichlorfon after 24 h and 48 h, respectively, while the antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radical levels was lower. Read More

J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Institute of Maternal and Child Research, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address:

Study Objective: The Androgen Receptor (AR) harbors a variable repeat of a variable number of glutamine residues [(CAG)n] which seems to affect inversely AR transcriptional activity. We assessed whether (CAG)n affect the sequence of the androgen-sensitive pubertal events and body composition in prepubertal girls.

Design: and participants: Nested case-control study within the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study of 1196 low-middle income children (≈50% girls) from Santiago, Chile. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

DaLian Medical University, DaLian, 116044, Liaoning, P.R.

Objective: To evaluate the values of CSF and serum PCT for the diagnosis of intracranial infection after craniotomy and the relationship between them, and explore the PCT value about the application in the clinical antibiotics guidance.

Methods: Reviewing the incidence of intracranial infection in 21 craniotomy patients from the Subei People Hospital of Northern Jiangsu Province. CSF samples and venous blood were collected for the analysis. Read More

Microb Pathog 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Mycology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Gal. Gustavo Cordeiro de Farias street, SN, Petrópolis, 59012-570, Natal city, RN, Brazil. Electronic address:

Candida tropicalis is a pathogenic yeast with worldwide recognition as the second or third more frequently isolated species in Latin America, for both superficial and systemic infections. Because of its high prevalence, and growing clinical interest, it is essential to understand genetic variability patterns of this important Candida species in the tropics. Besides belonging to the human normal microbiota, C. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Departamento de Biofísica e Radiobiologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address:

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) plays important roles by interacting with specific molecular patterns on cell surfaces, triggering first-line host defense. We investigated the MBL interaction with healthy red blood cell membranes as well as its effects on the membrane rheology. We explored electrostatic interactions between cationic quantum dots (QDs) and negatively charged red blood cell surfaces to quantitatively evaluate membrane electrical charges as well as to investigate the MBL binding to healthy erythrocytes. Read More

Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil. Electronic address:

Stroke consists of an abrupt reduction of cerebral blood flow resulting in hypoxia that triggers an excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. After the ischemic process, neural precursor cells present in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus proliferate and migrate towards the lesion, contributing to the brain repair. The neurogenesis is induced by signal transduction pathways, growth factors, attractive factors for neuroblasts, transcription factors, pro and anti-inflammatory mediators and specific neurotransmissions. Read More

Antiviral Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address:

The summer of 2018 in Germany was the second hottest and driest on record. These generally extremely favorable climatic conditions most likely triggered the further expansion and the efficient propagation of the zoonotic arthropod-borne West Nile virus in many Southern/Southeastern and even Central European countries. WNV infections were detected for the first time in resident wild and aviary birds, such as common blackbirds, northern goshawks and great grey owls in Eastern and Southeastern Germany. Read More

Dev Comp Immunol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Neonatal mammals have increased disease susceptibility and sub-optimal vaccine responses. This raises problems in both humans and farm animals. The high prevalence of paratuberculosis in goats and the lack of an effective vaccine against it have a strong impact on the dairy sector, and calls for vaccines optimized for the neonatal immune system. Read More

Cell Signal 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland. Electronic address:

Solid tumor microenvironments are often subjected to various levels of hypoxia. Although regulation of gene expression has been examined extensively, most studies have focused on prolonged hypoxia. The tumor microenvironment, however, experiences waves of hypoxia and reoxygenation that stimulate the expression of pro-angiogenic factors that promote blood vessel formation. Read More

Neuroscience 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

The present study was designed to use blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) imaging to "fingerprint" the change in activity in response to oxycodone (OXY) in drug naïve rats before and after repeated exposure to OXY. It was hypothesized that repeated exposure to OXY would initiate adaptive changes in brain organization that would be reflected in an altered response to opioid exposure. Male rats exposed to OXY repeatedly showed conditioned place preference, evidence of drug seeking behavior and putative neuroadaptation. Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Background: Asian populations have relatively lower prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and tend to exhibit symptoms of prolonged gastric retention. However, it remains unknown if slower gastric empting influences its features in Asian countries.

Aim: We prospectively assessed the potential implications of slower gastric emptying in an Asian-Pacific cohort of gastroesophageal reflux disease by a hospital-based survey. Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), Nuffield Department of Population Health|, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

We aimed to review the epidemiologic literature examining lifestyle, metabolic risk factors, and blood-based biomarkers including multi-omics (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and to discuss how these predictive markers can inform early diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A search of the PubMed database was conducted in June 2018 to review epidemiologic studies of (1) lifestyle and metabolic risk factors for PDAC, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and risk prediction models incorporating these factors and (2) blood-based biomarkers for PDAC (conventional diagnostic markers, metabolomics, and proteomics). Prospective cohort studies have reported at least twenty possible risk factors for PDAC, including smoking, heavy alcohol drinking, adiposity, diabetes, and pancreatitis, but the relative risks (RR) and population attributable fractions of individual risk factors are small (mostly <10%). Read More

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018 Dec;59(15):5965-5972

Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of reducing diabetes-induced lysyl oxidase (LOX) overexpression on vascular cell apoptosis and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) characteristics in diabetic rats.

Methods: Nondiabetic rats, diabetic rats, and diabetic rats intravitreally (IV) injected with LOX siRNA or scrambled (scram) siRNA were used in the study. One month after the onset of diabetes, intravitreal injections were initiated at monthly intervals for up to three times. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0209258. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China.

Dragon's blood collected from the genus Dracaena is used as a renowned traditional medicine in various cultures worldwide. However, the genetics of the genus Dracaena and the formation mechanism of dragon's blood remain poorly understood. Here, we generate the first draft genome reference assembly of an elite Chinese Dracaena species, Dracaena cambodiana, from next-generation sequencing data with 89. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0208940. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America.

Rationale: HSP90B1, also known as gp96, is a chaperone for multiple Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and is necessary for TLR-mediated inflammatory responses in murine myeloid cells. The molecule is also expressed in T-cells though its specific role is unknown. We hypothesized that human HSP90B1 regulates monocyte and T-cell responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and that its variants are associated with susceptibility to TB disease. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 Dec 14;12(12):e0007027. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Validation of elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is based on clinical indicators, using the WHO simplified grading system. Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection and anti-Ct antibody responses (anti-Pgp3) have both been evaluated as alternative indicators in settings with varying levels of trachoma. There is a need to evaluate the feasibility of using tests for Ct infection and anti-Pgp3 antibodies at scale in a trachoma-endemic country and to establish the added value of the data generated for understanding transmission dynamics in the peri-elimination setting. Read More

Med Sci Sports Exerc 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Purpose: The aim was to determine the minimum secondary exhaustion criteria cut-offs (i.e. max respiratory exchange ratio [RERmax], max heart rate [HRmax], max rating of perceived exertion [RPEmax], and max blood lactate concentration [BLmax]) necessary to determine maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) during cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET), by balancing type I and type II errors. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Pediatrics, Sendai Medical Center, 2-8-8 Miyagino, Sendai 983-8520, Japan.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, systemic vasculitis syndrome that occurs in children. The clinical symptoms and epidemiological features of KD strongly suggest that KD is triggered by unidentified infectious agents in genetically predisposed patients. In addition, a number of studies have described the role of B cells in the development of KD. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Internal Medicine-Division of Geriatrics, University of Utah, United States.

Blood flow regulation is a critical factor for tissue oxygenation and substrate supply. Increased reactivity of arteries to vasoconstrictors may increase vascular resistance, resulting in reduced blood flow. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of high fat (HF) diet on stiffness and vasoconstrictor reactivity of white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT) resistance arteries and also investigated the interconversion of both the adipose depots during HF diet condition. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, United States.

The deletion of the prorenin receptor (PRR) in adipose tissue elevates systolic blood pressure (SBP) and circulating soluble form of PRR (sPRR) in male mice fed a high-fat diet (HF). However, sex differences in the contribution of adipose-PRR and sPRR to the regulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in key organs for blood pressure control are undefined. Therefore, we assessed blood pressure and the systemic and intrarenal RAS status in adipose-PRR KO female mice. Read More

Curr Med Res Opin 2018 Dec 14:1-16. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

a Department of Endocrinology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University , Dalian , PR China.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of a twice-daily injection of insulin aspart (BIAsp) 30 and BIAsp50 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poorly controlled with oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs).

Methods: In this 12-week prospective, randomized, parallel trial, a total of 80 T2DM patients, 59 ± 10 years old with a disease duration of 9.3 ± 6. Read More

Health Psychol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Warren Alpert Medical School.

Objective: Self-regulation interventions encouraging daily weighing prevent weight gain in young adults; however, concerns have been raised that such interventions may have undesirable effects on eating pathology, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The present study examined whether self-regulation interventions and self-weighing frequency were associated with these indices in normal weight individuals and those with overweight or obesity.

Methods: Young adults ( = 599), 18-35 years with a body mass index (BMI) 21. Read More

Psychol Aging 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Biobehavioral Health and Medicine.

Advancing age is often characterized by preserved or even enhanced emotion regulation, which is thought to manifest in terms of age-related reductions in the within-person association between stressors and negative affect. Existing research from ecological momentary assessment and end-of-day daily diary studies examining such age-related benefits have yielded mixed results, potentially due to differences in samples, design, and measurement of everyday stressors and negative affect. We conducted a coordinated analysis of 5 ecological momentary assessments and 2 end-of-day daily diary studies to examine adult age differences in the within-person association between everyday stressors and negative affect. Read More

Mol Pharm 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Antibody fragment F8- mediated Interleukin 10 (IL10) delivery is a novel treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). F8 binds to the extra-domain-A of fibronectin (ED-A). In this study, in-vivo biodistribution and arthritis targeting of radiolabeled F8-IL10 were investigated in RA patients, followed by further animal studies. Read More

Pol J Microbiol 2018 ;67(4):525-528

Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University , Nicosia , Cyprus.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is transmitted by a fecal oral route from animals to humans following exposure to the body fluids of infected animals. We investigated the seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis E (anti-HEV) antibodies by monitoring IgG and IgM virus antibodies amongst employees in the animal industry in North Cyprus through a cross-sectional study. Samples were taken from individuals without occupational exposure to animals and from those who worked with animals (doing animal husbandry, veterinary work or butchery). Read More

Pol J Microbiol 2018 ;67(4):479-486

Chair of Microbiology, Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College , Cracow , Poland.

The gold standard in microbiological diagnostics of bacteremia is a blood culture in automated systems. This method may take several days and has low sensitivity. New screening methods that could quickly reveal the presence of bacteria would be extremely useful. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1804-1809

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233004, China.

To find proper the surgical approval and evaluate clinical efficacy to treat the tumor of upper parapharyngeal space involving the base of skull and intracranial skull. The data of 9 cases from June 2013 and June 2018 were analyzed retrospectively including schwannoma in 6 cases, pleomorphic adenoma in 2 cases and hemangioma in 1 case. All cases received preoperative high resolution CT and MRI, some cases also did the DSA examination. Read More