Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often involves the cardiopulmonary dysfunction that deteriorates health-related quality of life (HRQL) and exercise capacity. Work efficiency (WE) ...indicates the efficiency of overall oxygen consumption (VO
) during exercise. This study investigated whether different WEs have different effects on pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).
Forty-five patients with stable COPD were scheduled for PR. The PR programs consisted of twice-weekly sessions for three months. These patients were comprehensively evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing and COPD assessment test (CAT) before and after PR. We compared these parameters between patients with a normal versus poor WE.
Twenty-one patients had a normal WE and twenty-four patients had a poor WE (<8.6 mL/min/watt). Patients with a poor WE had earlier anaerobic metabolism, a poorer oxygen pulse, lower exercise capacity, more exertional dyspnea, and a poorer HRQL than those with a normal WE. PR improved exercise capacity, HRQL, anaerobic threshold, exertional dyspnea and leg fatigue in patients with either normal or poor WE. However, significant improvement of WE, oxygen pulse, respiratory frequency (Rf) during exercise, chest tightness, activity and sleepiness by CAT were noted only in patients with a poor WE. Among the patients with a poor WE, 29% patients had WE returned to normal after PR.
Patients with different WE had different responses to PR. PR improved exercise capacity and HRQL regardless of a normal or poor WE. However, WE, oxygen pulse, Rf during exercise, chest tightness, activity and sleepiness were only improved in patients with a poor WE.
Both thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and i.v. lidocaine were able to decrease postoperative pain and duration of ileus. We compared TEA and i.v. lidocaine (IV) regarding their effects on cytokines, ...pain and bowel function after colonic surgery.
Sixty patients were randomly allocated to one of the three groups. TEA group had lidocaine 2 mg kg−1 followed by 3 mg kg−1 h−1 epidurally and an equal volume of i.v. normal saline. The IV group received the same amount of lidocaine i.v. and normal saline epidurally. The control group received normal saline via both routes. These regimens were started 30 min before surgery and were continued throughout. Blood cytokines were measured at scheduled times within 72 h.
Both TEA and IV groups had better pain relief. The total consumptions using patient-controlled epidural analgesia were 81.6 (6.5), 55.0 (5.3) and 45.6 (3.9) ml (P<0.01) and the times of flatus passage were 50.2 (4.9), 60.2 (5.8) and 71.7 (4.7) h (P<0.01) in the TEA, IV and control groups, respectively. The TEA group exhibited the best postoperative pain relief and the least cytokine surge. The IV group experienced better pain relief and less cytokine release than the control group.
The TEA lidocaine had better pain relief, lower opioid consumption, earlier return of bowel function and lesser production of cytokines than IV lidocaine during 72 h after colonic surgery; IV group was better than the control group.
A standardized treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) of the colon and rectum has not been clearly established. The objective of this study is to examine our experience in patients with ...colorectal GISTs and review the appropriate surgical management.
The medical records of patients with colorectal GIST treated in our institution between 1995 and 2005 were reviewed. The malignant potential of the GIST was assessed with the current consensus criteria defined by the National Institutes of Health. Clinical parameters were also evaluated to determine prognostic factors.
There were 10 male and 7 female patients, with a median age of 64 years (range: 19 - 84). Bloody stool and abdominal pain were the most commonly reported symptoms in colorectal GISTs. There were 7 colonic GISTs and 10 rectal GISTs. Sixteen patients underwent surgery with a margin of negative resection including 12 radical surgical resections, 3 transanal wide excisions, and one colonoscopic excision. Pathological results revealed a high risk in 8 patients (47.1 %), an intermediate risk in 4 (23.5 %), a low risk in 3 (17.6 %), and a very low risk in 2 (11.8 %). Three patients (3 / 16, 18.6 %) developed disease relapse after primary radical resection. All the three patients were high-risk rectal GISTs, accounting for 42.9 % (3 / 7) in the high-risk group. The median time to disease relapse was 15.7 months (range: 6 - 24). Cox regression analysis showed that variables including age, gender, and tumor size were not presenting statistically significant differences between groups of relapse and non-relapse patients.
Non-high-risk colorectal GISTs bear a good prognosis after margin-negative surgery. Transanal wide excision for non-high-risk GISTs is mandatory if a complete resection can be performed. Abdominoperineal resection would be preserved only in patients with high risk or large non-high-risk lower rectal GISTs. The high-risk group has high incidence of relapse even though a complete resection was achieved. Adjuvant therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor would be beneficial to these patients.
Change in tilapia myosin molecular conformation due to pressurization at 50 to 200 MPa for 0 to 60 min was investigated. After a 50-MPa treatment, tilapia myosins slightly decreased their total ...sulfhydryl contents and exposed their hydrophobic residues. Experimental results indicated that 100- and 150-MPa treatments caused an apparent unfolding of myosins and a 1-fold increase of their surface hydrophobicity (S(o)). Myosins mainly formed intermolecular disulfide bonds with pressures of 100 to 200 MPa. In addition, increasing pressures altered the myosin conformation and decreased its Ca-ATPase activity. Myosin apparently unfolded and formed disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions with pressurizing at 150 MPa.
We report the design and characterization of two genetically encoded fluorescent reporters of histone protein methylation. The reporters are four-part chimeric proteins consisting of a substrate ...peptide from the N-terminus of histone H3 fused to a chromodomain (a natural methyllysine-specific recognition domain), sandwiched between a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-capable pair of fluorophores, cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Enzymatic methylation by a methyltransferase induces complexation of the methylated substrate peptide to the chromodomain, changing the FRET level between the flanking CFP and YFP domains. Reporters developed using the chromodomains from HP1 and Polycomb respond to enzymatic methylation at the lysine 9 and lysine 27 positions of histone H3, respectively, giving 60% and 28% YFP/CFP emission ratio increases in vitro or in single living cells. These reporters should be useful for studying gene silencing and X-chromosome inactivation with high spatial and temporal resolution in intact cells and may also aid in the search for conjectured histone demethylase activity.
Ages of White Dwarf-Red Subdwarf Systems Monteiro, Hektor; Jao, Wei-Chun; Henry, Todd ...
Astrophysical journal/The Astrophysical journal,
02/2006, Letnik:
638, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We provide the first age estimates for two recently discovered white dwarf-red subdwarf systems, LHS 193AB and LHS 300AB. These unusual systems provide a new opportunity for linking the reliable age ...estimates for the white dwarfs to the (measurable) metallicities of the red subdwarfs. We have obtained precise photometry in the V sub(J)R sub(KC)I sub(KC)JH bands and spectroscopy covering from 6000 to 9000 AA for the two new systems, as well as for a comparison white dwarf-main-sequence red dwarf system, GJ 283 AB. Using model grids available in the literature, we estimate the cooling ages, as well as temperatures, surface gravities, masses, progenitor masses, and total lifetimes of the white dwarfs. The results indicate that the two new systems are probably ancient thick-disk objects with ages of at least 6-9 Gyr. We also conduct searches of red dwarf and white dwarf compendia from SDSS data, Lepine Shara Proper Motion (LSPM) catalog, and Chaname & Gould for additional common proper motion white dwarf-red subdwarf systems. Only seven new candidate systems are found, which indicates the rarity of these systems.
We have measured a trigonometric parallax to the young brown dwarf 2MASSW J1207334-393254. The distance (54.0 unkpc) and space motion confirm membership in the TW Hydrae Association. The primary is a ...sub(-)25 M unk brown dwarf. We discuss the "planetary mass" secondary, which is certainly below the deuterium-burning limit but whose colors and absolute magnitudes pose challenges to our current understanding of planetary-mass objects.
Copolymerization of polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PDMS–PU–HEMA) hydrogel was performed. After treating with oxygen plasma, the sodium salt of 4-styrenesulfonic ...acid (NASS) was grafted onto the hydrogel in a one-step process. The surface density of peroxide active groups was determined by the iodide method. The hydrophilicity of the hydrogels surface was evaluated by measuring the water contact angle and water retention. The result demonstrated that oxygen plasma treatment and NASS grafting can improve the hydrophilicity. In addition, in order to evaluate cell compatibility, L929 fibroblasts cells were cultured on the surface of these hydrogels and the cell number was determined by the MTT testing. The results show that plasma treatment and NASS grafting can cause higher cell adhesion and cell growth rates than untreated PDMS–PU–HEMA. Furthermore, NASS grafting can also reduce the platelet adhesion and protein adsorption, hence effectively extending the blood coagulation times. Consequently hydrophilicity, cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility were greatly enhanced by the NASS grafting of PDMS–PU–HEMA.
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