Oligomerization of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) induced on binding to heparin or heparan sulfate proteoglycan is considered to be crucial for receptor activation and initiation of biological ...responses. To gain insight into the mechanism of activation of the receptor by FGFs, in the present study we investigate the effect(s) of interaction of a heparin analog, sucrose octasulfate (SOS), on the structure, stability, and biological activities of a recombinant acidic FGF from Notophthalmus viridescens (nFGF‐1). SOS is found to bind to nFGF‐1 and significantly increase the thermodynamic stability of the protein. Using a variety of techniques such as size‐exclusion chromatography, sedimentation velocity, and multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, it is shown that binding of SOS to nFGF‐1 retains the protein in its monomeric state. In its monomeric state (complexed to SOS), n‐FGF‐1 shows significant cell proliferation activity. 15N and 1H chemical shift perturbation and the intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) between SOS and nFGF‐1 reveal that the ligand binds to the dense, positively charged cluster located in the groove enclosed by β‐strands 10 and 11. In addition, molecular modeling based on the NOEs observed for the SOS‐nFGF‐1 complex, indicates that SOS and heparin share a common binding site on the protein. In conclusion, the results of the present study clearly show that heparin‐induced oligomerization of nFGF‐1 is not mandatory for its cell proliferation activity.
Objectives:
To establish isometric endurance times for trunk-stabilization exercises in 6 different positions and compare 3 kinds of trunk-flexor exercises.
Participants:
28 healthy young women with ...no history of disabling back pain.
Design:
Isometric endurance times were measured in 6 tests: 60° flexor, 45° flexor, curl-up, extensor, and left- and right-side-bridge exercises.
Results:
The mean endurance time was 375 ± 252 seconds for the 60° flexor test; 101 ± 51 seconds, 45° flexor test; 107 ± 54 seconds, curl-up test; 158 ± 45 seconds, extensor test; 70 ± 23 seconds, left-side-bridge test; and 68 ± 23 seconds, right-side-bridge test.
Conclusions:
Of the 3 flexor exercises, the 60° exercise was time consuming and had a larger variance. The 45° flexor exercise and curl-up exercise were time effective and showed less variance. The curl-up exercise is easy, convenient, and representative of trunk-flexor effort and can be considered a preferable alternative to the 60° flexor exercise.
Purpose
The authors sought to study the relationship between Doppler ultrasonography and deterioration of renal function in patients with spinal cord injury.
Materials and methods
Nineteen patients ...who underwent follow-up with radioisotopic renography were evaluated. Median patient age was 50 interquartile ratio (IQR) 35–57 years, and time since injury was 4.7 (IQR 1.3–9.2) years. Following Doppler ultrasound, patients were divided into groups based on baseline renal resistive index (RRI): normal RRI (≤0.7), group 1 (n=14); and abnormal RRI (> 0.7), group 2 (n=5), and were followed up with radioisotopic renography 1 or more years later. Annual change in effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) was analysed.
Results
The 38 kidneys (two for each patient) were stratified by initial RRI, with 28 in group 1 and ten in group 2. Result of univariate generalised estimation equation (GEE) analysis for the factors affecting the change in effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) indicated that the high RRI value (RRI > 0.7) correlated with the change in ERPF. ERPF value in group 2 was significantly decreased (
p
=0.01) by an average of 60.33 ml/min (standard error = 23.26).
Conclusions
An RRI > 0.7 is a risk factor for future renal function deterioration in patients with spinal cord injury. Thus, annual Doppler ultrasonography to assess the RRI and the degree of hydronephrosis is recommended.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been shown to cause hepatic carcinogenesis. A total 58,251 of ...cDNA clones of full-length cDNA libraries of HBV and HCV-infected HCC and their surrounding non-tumor tissues, respectively, were sequenced and analyzed by blasting against GENEBANK maintained by NCBI. About 180 and 279 of genes were shown an obviously increased and decreased expression patterns between HCC tissue and its adjacent non-tumor tissue. The candidate genes consisted of the genes encoded liver specific metabolism enzymes, secretory functional proteins, proteases and their inhibitors, protein chaperon, cell cycle components, apoptosis-related proteins, transcriptional factors, and DNA binding proteins. Several genes were further investigated by using real-time PCR to confirm the gene expression levels in at least 24 pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The results showed that genes encoded reticulon 4, RGS-1, antiplasmin, and kallikrein B were down-regulated with the average of 2.8, 8.5, 3.2, and 10.5-fold, respectively. Our results provide crucial candidate genes to develop clinical diagnosis and gene therapy of HCC.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Candidemia is a growing concern worldwide, and its species distribution has shifted toward non-albicans Candida in recent decades, especially in patients with malignancy. This study aimed to update ...the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility of non-albicans candidemia isolates from the cancer patients. Adult cancer patients with non-albicans candidemia were recruited, and clinical data were retrospectively collected from five medical centers in Taiwan from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2014. In vitro susceptibility was determined by the broth dilution method using a Sensititre YeastOne system and interpreted according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. A total of 346 episodes of non-albicans candidemia were identified in cancer patients. Candida tropicalis was the most common species (n=145, 41.9%) and had the highest resistance rate to fluconazole (n=17, 13.9%) among all the preserved isolates, including C. tropicalis, Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis. A higher Charlson comorbidity index, non-albicans candidemia due to C. tropicalis, neutropenia and septic shock were independent predictors of 28-day mortality. In conclusion, the species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of non-albicans candidemia isolates in our study differed from those in Western countries, providing useful information about local epidemiology for the selection of empirical antifungal agents for cancer patients.
This paper proposes an efficient HW/SW integrated verification methodology for 3D Graphics (3DG) acceleration on SoC development. The proposed methodology is built for verifying 3DG SoC with FPGA ...emulation and contains a GUI analyzing tool for displaying emulation results and assisting HW/SW debugging automatically. With the verification methodology, designers can detect unobvious bugs from HW and SW modules individually and shorten the verification time during SoC integration. In this paper, we will introduce the implemented environment of 3DG SoC and elucidate significance and necessary of proposed method. For the convenience of verification, the analyzing tool that we have developed contains the functions of displaying frame results, comparing different benchmarks, recording FPGA emulation, detecting pixel color, and analyzing bug statistics. As a result, this verification methodology with analyzing tool will help designers to easily verify the complicated 3DG SoC.
The effects of ellagic acid on the in vivo N-acetylation and metabolism of 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) were investigated in bladder,
blood, colon, kidney, liver, feces and urine samples from male ...Sprague-Dawley rats. Major metabolites such as 1-OH-2-AAF,
8-OH-2-AAF and 9-OH-2-AAF were found in bladder tissues, 1-OH-2-AAF, 5-OH-2-AAF and 8-OH-2-AAF were found in blood samples,
1-OH-2-AAF, 3-OH-2-AAF, 5-OH-2-AAF, 8-OH-2-AAF and 9-OH-2-AAF were found in colon tissues, 1-OH-2-AAF, 3-OH-2-AAF and 9-OH-2-AAF
were found in kidney tissues, 1-OH-2-AAF, 3-OH-2-AAF and 8-OH-2-AAF were found in liver tissues, 1-OH-2-AAF, 3-OH-2-AAF, 5-OH-2-AAF
and 8-OH-2-AAF were found in feces samples and 1-OH-2-AAF, 3-OH-2-AAF, 5-OH-2-AAF and 8-OH-2-AAF were also found in urine
samples after rats had been orally treated with 2-AF (50 mg/kg) for 24 h. Pretreatment of male rats with ellagic acid (10
mg/kg) 24 h prior to the administration of 2-AF (50 mg/kg) resulted in absence of 8-OH-2-AAF in bladder tissues, and there
were significant decreases of 8-OH-2-AAF in blood and urine samples. In blood samples, amounts of 2-AAF and 8-OH-2-AAF were
significantly decreased; in colon tissues, amounts of 2-AF, 1-OH-2-AAF and 3-OH-2-AAF, in liver tissues, amounts of 2-AAF,
1-OH-2-AAF and 3-OH-2-AAF, and in urine samples, amounts of 2-AF and 8-OH-2-AAF were significantly decreased in 24-h ellagic
acid (EA)-treated rats before 2-AF was added to the diet. However, significantly increased 1-OH-2-AAF concentrations were
found in urine samples in 24-h EA-treated rats before 2-AF was administered. In the EA and 2-AF rats, in the same time treated
groups, bladder, colon and liver tissues, and feces and urine samples showed significant differences when compared to the
ones without EA co-treatment. We saw significant decreases of the amounts of 2-AF and 1-OH-2-AAF in colon tissues. The feces
samples showed increased amounts of 2-AAF in EA- and in 2-AF- treated rats in the same time groups, but urine samples showed
a decreased amount of 8-OH-2-AAF in both EA-treated groups. The total amounts of 2-AF metabolites in bladder, blood, kidney
and liver tissues showed significant difference between control and the group which was EA-treated 24 h before 2-AF was added.
The total amounts of 2-AF metabolites in the liver, feces and urine showed significant decreases between control and EA-treated
at the same time with 2-AF groups. This is the first report of EA affecting the N-acetylation and metabolism of 2-AF in rat
tissues in vivo.
Abstract As in other Tetranychus species, both T. kanzawai and T. urticae undergo reproductive diapause induced by short-days and low temperatures. This study compares the diapause characteristics of ...populations of these two species from Taiwan with those from Kagoshima (southern Japan) and the Okinawa islands (southwestern islands). Our previous study (Takafuji et al., 2001, Appl. Entomol. Zool. 36: 177-184) showed that most T. kanzawai populations from Kagoshima exhibited more than 90% diapause at 15 deg C-9Ll5D, but the incidence of diapause in populations from the Okinawa islands was very low, and some exhibited no diapause even at 15 deg C. The present study shows that populations from central Taiwan, including those from the lowlands, exhibited a lower incidence of diapause than populations from Kagoshima, but a higher incidence than populations from the Okinawa islands. These results imply that the gene flow among populations in the lowlands and mountains maintains a higher incidence of diapause in Taiwan, but the diapause characteristic may have been eliminated by warm temperatures on the Okinawa islands, on which there are no high mountains. On the other hand, all populations of T. urticae from Kagoshima, Okinawa and Taiwan similarly exhibited a very low incidence of diapause.
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of daily activities among elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) within 2 weeks after hospital discharge. Seven ...male and two female COPD patients aged 65-80 were inter viewed. Inter views were tape recorded, and then transcribed verbatim within 48 hours. Data were analyzed according to the method of qualitative research through constant comparison and content analysis. The data generated seven themes(1) expectations beyond oneʼs strength; (2) fear of having another attack; (3) slowing and simplifying activities; (4) acting according oneʼs abilities; (5) protecting one self; (6) striving for an independent life; and (7) trying to continue living. The findings of this research can help health professionals understand experiences of COPD patients, sensitively and precisely recognize their daily activity needs, and provide suitable interventions during the discharge transition to facilitate a better quality of life for elderly patients.
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