First Use (first + use)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Camphorsulfonamide-Based Quinoline Ligands and Their N-Oxides: First Use in the Enantioselective Addition of Organozinc Reagents to Aldehydes.

CHEMINFORM, Issue 18 2009
Ricardo Martinez
Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source]


Diastereoselective Baylis,Hillman Reaction: First Use of Chiral 2,3-Epoxy Aldehydes as Novel Electrophiles.

CHEMINFORM, Issue 4 2005
Palakodety Radha Krishna
Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source]


Early adolescent cannabis exposure and positive and negative dimensions of psychosis

ADDICTION, Issue 10 2004
N. C. Stefanis
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the effect of exposure to cannabis early in adolescence on subclinical positive and negative symptoms of psychosis. Design Cross-sectional survey in the context of an ongoing cohort study. Setting Government-supported general population cohort study. Participants A total of 3500 representative 19-year olds in Greece. Measurements Subjects filled in the 40-item Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, measuring subclinical positive (paranoia, hallucinations, grandiosity, first-rank symptoms) and negative psychosis dimensions and depression. Drug use was also reported on. Findings Use of cannabis was associated positively with both positive and negative dimensions of psychosis, independent of each other, and of depression. An association between cannabis and depression disappeared after adjustment for the negative psychosis dimensions. First use of cannabis below age 16 years was associated with a much stronger effect than first use after age 15 years, independent of life-time frequency of use. The association between cannabis and psychosis was not influenced by the distress associated with the experiences, indicating that self-medication may be an unlikely explanation for the entire association between cannabis and psychosis. Conclusions These results add credence to the hypothesis that cannabis contributes to the population level of expression of psychosis. In particular, exposure early in adolescence may increase the risk for the subclinical positive and negative dimensions of psychosis, but not for depression. [source]


Surge in treatment admissions related to methamphetamine use in Cape Town, South Africa: implications for public health

DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2008
ANDREAS PLÜDDEMANN
Abstract Introduction and Aims. In the past decade, methamphetamine has become increasingly a drug of concern globally. The purpose of this study is to describe the changing trends in treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse in Cape Town, South Africa and to highlight the implications of these changes for policy, practice and research. Design and Methods. Data were collected on admissions for drug abuse treatment through a regular monitoring system involving drug treatment centres and programmes in Cape Town every 6 months as part of the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU). A one-page form was completed by treatment centre personnel to obtain demographic data, the patients' primary and secondary substances of abuse, the mode, frequency and age of first use of substance and information on prior treatment. Results. The results indicate that between 2004 and 2006 a dramatic increase in treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse occurred, a large proportion of the methamphetamine patients are adolescents and that the drug is almost exclusively smoked. Discussion and Conclusions. The rapid increase in admissions for methamphetamine abuse is of great concern, particularly as the drug has a number of serious, often chronic, side effects and that a large proportion of the patients are adolescents. The implications for public health are discussed. [source]


HARM REDUCTION DIGEST 34: How quick to heroin dependence?§

DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 5 2006
ROSS COOMBER
In the popular press, and to some extent in the academic literature, there is an assumption that heroin can almost instantly addict a novice user. In this Digest, based on a paper presented at the 2005 APSAD Conference, Coomber & Sutton have extracted quantitative data from their qualitative study of a sample of ,street' heroin users to investigate how rapidly they became physically dependent. They suggest that the period from first use to addiction and regular use to daily use may be longer than many assume and that beliefs about ,instant addiction' are a harm reduction issue. Although small in scope, the study raises questions about the myth of instant heroin addiction which have implications for treatment, prevention and policy. Simon LentonEditor, Harm Reduction Digest [source]


Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of drug use among adolescents: results from the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey

ADDICTION, Issue 8 2007
Corina Benjet
ABSTRACT Aims To estimate the life-time and 12-month prevalence of illicit drug use among Mexican adolescents, the age of onset of first drug use and the socio-demographic correlates. Method A multi-stage probability survey of adolescents aged 12,17 years residing in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area was carried out in 2005. Adolescents were administered the computer-assisted adolescent version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview by trained lay interviewers in their homes. The response rate was 71% (n = 3005). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed considering the multi-stage and weighted sample design of the survey. Findings Of the adolescents, 5.2% have ever tried illicit drugs, 2.9% in the last 12 months. The most frequently used drugs are marijuana, followed by tranquilizers/stimulants. The median age of first use is 14 years. Correlates of life-time drug use are older age, having dropped out of school, parental drug problems, low religiosity and low parental monitoring. Conclusions While drug use among Mexican adolescents is lower than among adolescents from other developed countries, its increasing prevalence with age and the narrowing male/female ratio calls for firm public health actions, particularly prevention strategies. [source]


Early adolescent cannabis exposure and positive and negative dimensions of psychosis

ADDICTION, Issue 10 2004
N. C. Stefanis
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the effect of exposure to cannabis early in adolescence on subclinical positive and negative symptoms of psychosis. Design Cross-sectional survey in the context of an ongoing cohort study. Setting Government-supported general population cohort study. Participants A total of 3500 representative 19-year olds in Greece. Measurements Subjects filled in the 40-item Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, measuring subclinical positive (paranoia, hallucinations, grandiosity, first-rank symptoms) and negative psychosis dimensions and depression. Drug use was also reported on. Findings Use of cannabis was associated positively with both positive and negative dimensions of psychosis, independent of each other, and of depression. An association between cannabis and depression disappeared after adjustment for the negative psychosis dimensions. First use of cannabis below age 16 years was associated with a much stronger effect than first use after age 15 years, independent of life-time frequency of use. The association between cannabis and psychosis was not influenced by the distress associated with the experiences, indicating that self-medication may be an unlikely explanation for the entire association between cannabis and psychosis. Conclusions These results add credence to the hypothesis that cannabis contributes to the population level of expression of psychosis. In particular, exposure early in adolescence may increase the risk for the subclinical positive and negative dimensions of psychosis, but not for depression. [source]


Most smokeless tobacco use is not a causal gateway to cigarettes: using order of product use to evaluate causation in a national US sample

ADDICTION, Issue 8 2003
Lynn T. Kozlowski
ABSTRACT Aims, To evaluate non-causal and causal patterns of smokeless tobacco (SLT) and cigarette use; to assess the prevalence of ,non-gateway' and possible ,gateway' patterns of SLT use. Design and setting, Data from the Cancer Control Supplement to the 1987 National Health Interview Survey, a representative survey of non-institutionalized adults in the United States. From reported age at first use, participants were categorized by type and sequence of tobacco product use. SUDAAN 8.0.1 was used for statistical analyses. Participants, Males aged 18,34 (n = 3454), weighted to provide estimates of the US population. A subsample of males aged 23,34 (n = 2614) was analyzed to minimize the possibility of future product switching. Measurements, Smoking status, smokeless tobacco (snuff, chewing tobacco, both) use status, age at regular use of cigarettes, age at first use of smokeless tobacco. Findings, Of those 23,34-year-olds who had ever used SLT with or without cigarettes, 77.2% (95% CI: 71.3, 83.3) were classifiable as non-gateway users in that 35.0% (95% CI: 29.9, 40.1) had only used SLT and 42.2% (95% CI: 36.8, 47.7) had used cigarettes first. Cigarette use in younger cohorts was less common, despite increased SLT use. Those who used cigarettes before moist snuff were 2.1 times more likely to have quit smoking (95% CI 1.21,6.39) than cigarette-only users. Conclusions, The large majority of SLT users are non-gateway users. Causal gateway effects should be of minor concern for policy. SLT may be more likely to prevent smoking than cause it. [source]


Organocatalytic Asymmetric Sulfa-Michael Additions to ,,,-Unsaturated Sulfonates,

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2009
Dieter Enders
Abstract The reactivity of ,,,-unsaturated sulfonates and aromaticthiols in an organocatalyzed sulfa-Michael addition was explored. Bifunctional chiral thiourea catalysts were found to promote the reaction, and the corresponding Michael adducts were afforded in moderate to good yields (24,92,%) and with moderate levels of asymmetric induction (33,64,% ee). This study represents the first use of ,,,-unsaturated sulfonates in a catalytic asymmetric Michael addition. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009) [source]


Inorganic Nanoparticles for MRI Contrast Agents

ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009
Hyon Bin Na
Abstract Various inorganic nanoparticles have been used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to their unique properties, such as large surface area and efficient contrasting effect. Since the first use of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) as a liver contrast agent, nanoparticulate MRI contrast agents have attracted a lot of attention. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been extensively used as MRI contrast agents due to their ability to shorten T2* relaxation times in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. More recently, uniform ferrite nanoparticles with high crystallinity have been successfully employed as new T2 MRI contrast agents with improved relaxation properties. Iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with targeting agents have been used for targeted imaging via the site-specific accumulation of nanoparticles at the targets of interest. Recently, extensive research has been conducted to develop nanoparticle-based T1 contrast agents to overcome the drawbacks of iron oxide nanoparticle-based negative T2 contrast agents. In this report, we summarize the recent progress in inorganic nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agents. [source]


Experience with Delay-Tolerant Networking from orbit,

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 5-6 2010
W. Ivancic
Abstract We describe the first use from space of the Bundle Protocol for Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) and lessons learned from experiments made and experience gained with this protocol. The Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), constructed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), is a multiple-satellite Earth-imaging low-Earth-orbit sensor network in which recorded image swaths are stored onboard each satellite and later downloaded from the satellite payloads to a ground station. Store-and-forward of images with capture and later download gives each satellite the characteristics of a node in a disruption-tolerant network. Originally developed for the ,Interplanetary Internet,' DTNs are now under investigation in an Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) DTN research group (RG), which has developed a ,bundle' architecture and protocol. The DMC is technically advanced in its adoption of the Internet Protocol (IP) for its imaging payloads and for satellite command and control, based around reuse of commercial networking and link protocols. These satellites' use of IP has enabled earlier experiments with the Cisco router in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO) onboard the constellation's UK-DMC satellite. Earth images are downloaded from the satellites using a custom IP-based high-speed transfer protocol developed by SSTL, Saratoga, which tolerates unusual link environments. Saratoga has been documented in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for wider adoption. We experiment with the use of DTNRG bundle concepts onboard the UK-DMC satellite, by examining how Saratoga can be used as a DTN ,convergence layer' to carry the DTNRG Bundle Protocol, so that sensor images can be delivered to ground stations and beyond as bundles. Our practical experience with the first successful use of the DTNRG Bundle Protocol in a space environment gives us insights into the design of the Bundle Protocol and enables us to identify issues that must be addressed before wider deployment of the Bundle Protocol. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Chronic shedding of Campylobacter species in beef cattle

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
G.D. Inglis
Abstract Aims:, To determine the prevalence of chronic shedding of Campylobacter species by beef cattle, a longitudinal study of shedding patterns was conducted in a cohort of 60 beef steers over a 4-month period. Methods and Results:, Steers were maintained in a simulated feedlot setting but individually in pens to minimize transmission among animals. At each collection time, campylobacters in faeces were detected using conventional PCR. In addition, quantities of Campylobacter jejuni and C. lanienae in faeces were measured using real-time quantitative (RTQ) PCR. All of the steers tested shed Campylobacter species during the course of the study, and overall, 90% of the 299 samples tested were positive for Campylobacter DNA. The majority of the animals (86%) shed campylobacters at ,4 sample times. The most prevalent taxon detected in bovine faeces was C. lanienae (56% of samples) followed by C. jejuni (13%), C. hyointestinalis (8%), and C. fetus (2%). No C. coli was detected, and 13% of the faecal samples contained two or more of the above species. Seven (12%) and 34 (57%) animals shed C. jejuni and C. lanienae at ,3 sample times, respectively. For both C. lanienae and C. jejuni, a substantial number of cells were detected in faeces using RTQ-PCR; 27% of the samples positive for C. jejuni contained populations >104 cells g,1 (maximum of 5 × 105 cells g,1), and 44% of samples positive for C. lanienae possessed populations >106 cells g,1 (maximum of 4 × 108 cells g,1). A significant correlation was observed between shedding of C. lanienae and the severity of liver abscesses. In 27% of the samples, an amplicon was obtained for genus-specific but not for the species-specific primers. Sequencing of the partial 16S rRNA gene suggested the presence of at least two undescribed Campylobacter species but this has yet to be confirmed. Conclusions:, A high percentage of feedlot cattle shed large quantities of Campylobacter species in their faeces over a protracted period of time (ca 112 days). Significance and Impact of the Study:, This is the first study of longitudinal shedding patterns of campylobacters in beef cattle using PCR-detection methods. In addition, this is the first use of RTQ-PCR to directly quantify C. jejuni or C. lanienae in faeces. The results of the study show that a large number of cattle (>85%) chronically shed campylobacters in feedlots. [source]


The Early History of Cardiac Surgery in Stockholm

JOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 6 2003
Kjell Radegran M.D.
The portal figure is Clarence Crafoord (1899,1983) who already in 1927 had succeeded with the Trendelenburg pulmonary embolectomy operation. He went on to develop lung surgery in general. With foresight he stimulated the chemists of Karolinska Institute to purify heparin, first for prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism and later for use with the heart-lung machine. In 1944 he became the first surgeon to successfully operate on patients with coarctation of the aorta. With Viking Olov Bjork and Ake Senning the heart-lung machine was improved, finally allowing its clinical use in a patient operated in 1954 for a myxoma of the left atrium, with long-term survival. This was the first successful use of the heart-lung machine in Sweden and the second in the world. He and his coworkers, first at the Sabbatsberg hospital and from 1957 at the Karolinska hospital made major contributions to cardiology and radiology, apart from the progresses in cardiac surgery. Contributions such as pressure recording from the left atrium by needle puncture in 1950, the Senning operation for transposition of the great arteries and the first use of a totally implantable cardiac pacemaker in 1958 are indeed medical history. (J Card Surg 2003;18:564-572) [source]


Screening Tablets for DOB Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy,

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 5 2007
Steven E. J. Bell Ph.D.
Abstract:, 2,5,-Dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine (DOB) is of particular interest among the various "ecstasy" variants because there is an unusually long delay between consumption and effect, which dramatically increases the danger of accidental overdose in users. Screening for DOB in tablets is problematic because it is pharmacologically active at 0.2,3 mg, which is c. 50 times less than 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) and makes it more difficult to detect in seized tablets using conventional spot tests. The normal Raman spectra of seized DOB tablets are dominated by the bands of the excipient with no evidence of the drug component. Here we report the first use of on-tablet surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to enhance the signal from a low concentration drug. Raman studies (785-nm excitation) were carried on series of model DOB/lactose tablets (total mass c. 400 mg) containing between 1 mg and 15 ,g of DOB and on seized DOB tablets. To generate surface-enhanced spectra, 5 ,L of centrifuged silver colloid was dispensed onto the upper surface of the tablets, followed by 5 ,L of 1.0 mol/dm3 NaCl. The probe laser was directed onto the treated area and spectra accumulated for c. 20 sec (10 sec × 2). It was found that the enhancement of the DOB component in the model tablets containing 1 mg DOB/tablet and in the seized tablets tested was so large that their spectra were completely dominated by the vibrational bands of DOB with little or no contribution from the unenhanced lactose excipient. Indeed, the most intense DOB band was visible even in tablets containing just 15 ,g of the drug. On-tablet surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is a simple method to distinguish between low dose DOB tablets and those with no active constituent. The fact that unique spectra are obtained allows identification of the drug while the lack of sample preparation and short signal accumulation times mean that the entire test can be carried out in <1 min. [source]


Low-temperature bitumen stiffness and viscous paraffinic nano- and micro-domains by cryogenic AFM and PDM

JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY, Issue 3 2007
J-F. MASSON
Summary In an effort to better understand the structure and behaviour of bitumen in low temperature, we describe the first use of cryogenic atomic force microscopy and phase detection microscopy to characterize bitumen nano- and micro-structures. The results were interpreted in light of glass transition temperatures (Tgs) for bitumen fractions. The domains visible by microscopy, the catana, peri and para phases, were attributed to domains rich in asphaltenes, naphthene and polar aromatics, and saturates, respectively. Between ,10°C and ,30°C, atomic force microscopy images revealed topographic features not visible in atomic force microscopy images acquired at room temperature. According to phase detection microscopy and Tgs, the features were assigned to viscous unfrozen saturates. Upon cooling to ,72°C, unfrozen domains of 20,400 nm were observed. These domains were found in the paraphase rich in saturates and in the periphase rich in naphthene aromatics and polar aromatics. The findings indicate that new viscous domains form upon cooling to low temperatures owing to phase segregation, and that some bitumens are never entirely rigid in low temperatures. [source]


Hydrophobic ion pairing of isoniazid using a prodrug approach

JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 6 2002
Huiyu Zhou
Abstract Inhalation therapy for infectious lung diseases, such as tuberculosis, is currently being explored, with microspheres being used to target alveolar macrophages. One method of drug encapsulation into polymeric microspheres to form hydrophobic ion-paired (HIP) complexes, and then coprecipitate the complex and polymer using supercritical fluid methodology. For the potent antituberculosis drug, isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide, INH), to be used in this fashion, it was modified into an ionizable form suitable for HIP. The charged prodrug, sodium isoniazid methanesulfonate (Na,INHMS), was then ion paired with hydrophobic cations, such as alkyltrimethylammonium or tetraalkylammonium. The logarithms of the apparent partition coefficients (log P,) of various HIP complexes of INHMS display a roughly linear relationship with the numbers of carbon atoms in the organic counterions. The water solubility of the tetraheptylammonium,INHMS complex is about 220-fold lower than that of Na,INHMS, while the solubility in dichloromethane exceeds 10 mg/mL, which is sufficient for microencapsulation of the drug into poly(lactide) microspheres. The actual logarithm of the dichloromethane/water partition coefficient (log P) for tetraheptylammonium,INHMS is 1.55, compared to a value of ,,1.8 for the sodium salt of INHMS. The dissolution kinetics of the tetraheptylammonium,INHMS complex in 0.9% aqueous solutions of NaCl was also investigated. Dissolution of tetraheptylammonium,INHMS exhibited a first-order time constant of about 0.28 min,1, followed by a slower reverse ion exchange process to form Na,INHMS. The half-life of this HIP complex is on the order of 30 min, making the enhanced transport of the drug across biological barriers possible. This work represents the first use of a prodrug approach to introduce functionality that would allow HIP complex formation for a neutral molecule. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 91:1502,1511, 2002 [source]


Ethanol Potentiation of Glycine Receptors Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes Antagonized by Increased Atmospheric Pressure

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 5 2003
Daryl L. Davies
Background: Behavioral and biochemical studies indicate that exposure to 12 times normal atmospheric pressure (12 ATA) of helium-oxygen gas (heliox) is a direct, selective ethanol antagonist. The current study begins to test the hypothesis that ethanol acts by a common mechanism on ligand-gated ion channels by expanding previous hyperbaric investigations on ,-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors (GABAARs) at the biochemical level to ,1glycine (GlyRs) expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Methods: Oocytes expressing wild-type ,1 homomeric GlyRs were voltage-clamped (,70 mV) and tested in the presence of glycine (EC2) ± ethanol (50,200 mM) under 1 ATA control and 3 to 12 ATA heliox conditions. Glycine concentration response curves, strychnine/glycine interactions, and zinc (Zn2+) modulation of GlyR function was also tested. Results: Pressure reversibly antagonized the action of ethanol. The degree of antagonism increased as pressure increased. Pressure did not significantly alter the effects of glycine, strychnine, or Zn2+, indicating that ethanol antagonism by pressure cannot be attributed to alterations by pressure of normal GlyR function. The antagonism did not reflect tolerance to ethanol, receptor desensitization, or receptor rundown. Conclusion: This is the first use of hyperbarics to investigate the mechanism of action of ethanol in recombinant receptors. The findings indicate that pressure directly and selectively antagonizes ethanol potentiation of ,1GlyR function in a reversible and concentration- and pressure-dependent manner. The sensitivity of ethanol potentiation of GlyR function to pressure antagonism indicates that ethanol acts by a common, pressure-antagonism,sensitive mechanism in GlyRs and GABAARs. The findings also support the hypothesis that ethanol potentiation of GlyR function plays a role in mediating the sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol. [source]


Darwin, Galton and the Statistical Enlightenment

JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 3 2010
Stephen M. Stigler
Summary., On September 10th, 1885, Francis Galton ushered in a new era of Statistical Enlightenment with an address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Aberdeen. In the process of solving a puzzle that had lain dormant in Darwin's Origin of Species, Galton introduced multivariate analysis and paved the way towards modern Bayesian statistics. The background to this work is recounted, including the recognition of a failed attempt by Galton in 1877 as providing the first use of a rejection sampling algorithm for the simulation of a posterior distribution, and the first appearance of a proper Bayesian analysis for the normal distribution. [source]


Identification of New Zealand bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus and Mystacina tuberculata) in flight from analysis of echolocation calls by artificial neural networks

JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 4 2001
Stuart Parsons
Abstract Time-expanded and heterodyned echolocation calls of the New Zealand long-tailed Chalinolobus tuberculatus and lesser short-tailed bat Mystacina tuberculata were recorded and digitally analysed. Temporal and spectral parameters were measured from time-expanded calls and power spectra generated for both time-expanded and heterodyned calls. Artificial neural networks were trained to classify the calls of both species using temporal and spectral parameters and power spectra as input data. Networks were then tested using data not previously seen. Calls could be unambiguously identified using parameters and power spectra from time-expanded calls. A neural network, trained and tested using power spectra of calls from both species recorded using a heterodyne detector set to 40 kHz (the frequency with the most energy of the fundamental of C. tuberculatus call), could identify 99% and 84% of calls of C. tuberculatus and M. tuberculata, respectively. A second network, trained and tested using power spectra of calls from both species recorded using a heterodyne detector set to 27 kHz (the frequency with the most energy of the fundamental of M. tuberculata call), could identify 34% and 100% of calls of C. tuberculatus and M. tuberculata, respectively. This study represents the first use of neural networks for the identification of bats from their echolocation calls. It is also the first study to use power spectra of time-expanded and heterodyned calls for identification of chiropteran species. The ability of neural networks to identify bats from their echolocation calls is discussed, as is the ecology of both species in relation to the design of their echolocation calls. [source]


The potato StLTPa7 gene displays a complex Ca2+ -associated pattern of expression during the early stage of potato,Ralstonia solanacearum interaction

MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
GANG GAO
SUMMARY Although nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are widely expressed during plant defence responses to pathogens, their functions and regulation are not fully understood. In this article, we report the isolation of a cDNA for the new nsLTP, StLTPa7, from cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) infected with Ralstonia solanacearum. The cDNA was predicted to encode a type 1 nsLTP containing an N-terminal signal sequence and possessing the characteristic features of nsLTPs. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the encoded amino acid sequence of the nsLTP was similar to those of other previously reported plant nsLTPs, which contain a putative calmodulin-binding site consisting of approximately 12 highly conserved amino acid residues. The expression of the StLTPa7 gene was studied during the early stages of potato,R. solanacearum interaction using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Northern analyses, and a complex calcium (Ca2+)-associated pattern of expression was observed with the following features: (i) transcripts of the StLTPa7 gene were systemically up-regulated by infection with R. solanacearum; (ii) the StLTPa7 gene was stimulated by salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid and Ca2+; (iii) qRT-PCR showed that, during the early stage of R. solanacearum infection, nsLTP transcripts accumulated over a time course that paralleled that of Ca2+ accumulation, detected using environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX) spectrometry; and (iv) the Ca2+ channel blocker, ruthenium red, partially blocked R. solanacearum -induced StLTPa7 expression. This report represents the first use of EDAX analysis to establish a synchrony between Ca2+ accumulation and nsLTP expression in response to potato,R. solanacearum interactions. Collectively, these results suggest that StLTPa7 may be a pathogen- and Ca2+ -responsive plant defence gene. [source]


Vitamin supplement use among children with Down's syndrome and risk of leukaemia: a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study

PAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
Cindy K. Blair
Summary Vitamin supplements have been proposed for children with Down's syndrome (DS) with claims of improving cognitive abilities, or immune or thyroid function. Several studies have shown decreased levels of zinc in this population. Because children with DS have a 50-fold increased risk of developing acute leukaemia during the first 5 years of life, we explored the relation between child vitamin and herbal supplement use and the risk of leukaemia in a case-control study. During the period 1997,2002, we enrolled 158 children with DS aged 0,18 years that were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (n = 97) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (n = 61) at participating Children's Oncology Group institutions. We enrolled 173 DS children without leukaemia (controls), selected from the cases' primary care clinic and frequency-matched on age. Data were collected via telephone interviews with mothers of the index child regarding use of multivitamins, zinc, vitamin C, iron and herbal supplements, including age at first use, frequency and duration. Among controls, 57% reported regular multivitamin use (,3 times/week for ,3 months) compared with 48% of ALL cases and 61% of AML cases. We found no evidence of an association between children's regular multivitamin use and ALL or AML (adjusted odds ratios [OR] = 0.94 [95% CI 0.52, 1.70] and 1.90 [0.73, 4.91] respectively). There was a suggestion of an increased risk for AML associated with regular multivitamin use during the first year of life or for an extended duration (ORs = 2.38 [0.94, 5.76] and 2.59 [1.02, 6.59] respectively). Despite being the largest study of DS-leukaemia, our sample size was small, resulting in imprecise effect estimates. Future research should include larger sample sizes as well as a full assessment of diet including vitamin supplementation to adequately examine the relation between nutritional status and childhood leukaemia. [source]


Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome,A Novel Treatment Using an Intrathecal Morphine Pump to Relieve Intractable Visceral Pain

PAIN PRACTICE, Issue 2 2008
Oren T. Guttman MD
,,Abstract Purpose: Median arcuate ligament syndrome, which presents with intractable visceral pain, is difficult to both diagnose and treat. This case report describes the first use of an intrathecal morphine pump as an effective therapeutic intervention. Clinical features: We describe a 39-year-old female who presented with a four-year history of misdiagnosed debilitating abdominal pain. After multiple failed attempts at medical management and surgeries, a trial of intrathecal narcotics provided significant relief. Six months after insertion of an intrathecal morphine pump, the patient was pain-free and had resumed all activities of daily living. Conclusion: The use of an intrathecal narcotic pump should be considered for treatment of patients with intractable visceral pain secondary to median arcuate ligament syndrome.,, [source]


Factors influencing gender differences in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in childhood: The Tucson Children's Respiratory Study

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
Anne L. Wright PhD
Abstract Studies identified gender differences in diagnosed asthma, but the extent to which they can be attributed to differences in symptom experience and frequency rather than factors influencing diagnosis has not been established. We investigated prevalence of, and consultation for, asthma symptoms, as well as diagnosis and treatment in 533 boys and 556 girls enrolled in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study, a population-based birth-cohort study. Questionnaires regarding respiratory symptoms and diagnoses were obtained at ages 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, and 18 years. Boys were significantly more likely than girls to experience both wheeze and frequent wheeze most years in the first decade of life. However, girls with symptoms were less likely than boys to see a physician (74.1% vs. 83.4%, P,<,0.001) and to be labeled as having asthma (43.3% vs. 53.8%, P,<,0.009), even after adjusting for symptom frequency. A difference in symptom presentation also appeared to influence diagnosis: nocturnal cough without frequent wheeze was more prevalent among girls, and was associated with reduced diagnosis of asthma. Among subjects who consulted a physician for wheeze, boys were significantly more likely than girls to have taken medication (81.5% vs. 73.5%, P,<,0.01). The lag time between age at first wheeze and first use of medication among those consulting a physician for wheeze or asthma was greater for girls, especially among subjects with frequent wheeze (2.8 vs. 1.6 years, P,<,0.005). These findings indicate that gender differences in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma cannot be explained completely by differences in symptom prevalence and frequency. Pediatr Pulmonol. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Rapid Control of Wound Infections by Targeted Photodynamic Therapy Monitored by In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging,

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Michael R. Hamblin
ABSTRACT The worldwide rise in antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of novel antimicrobial strategies. In this study we report on the first use of a photochemical approach to destroy bacteria infecting a wound in an animal model. Following topical application, a targeted polycationic photosensitizer conjugate between poly- l -lysine and chlorine6 penetrated the Gram (,) outer bacterial membrane, and subsequent activation with 660 nm laser light rapidly killed Escherichia coli infecting excisional wounds in mice. To facilitate real-time monitoring of infection, we used bacteria that expressed the lux operon from Photorhabdus luminescens; these cells emitted a bioluminescent signal that allowed the infection to be rapidly quantified, using a low-light imaging system. There was a light-dose dependent loss of luminescence in the wound treated with conjugate and light, not seen in untreated wounds. Treated wounds healed as well as control wounds, showing that the photodynamic treatment did not damage the host tissue. Our study points to the possible use of this methodology in the rapid control of wounds and other localized infections. [source]


In situ crosslinked hydrogels formed using Cu(I)-free Huisgen cycloaddition reaction

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 10 2009
Meredith Clark
Abstract BACKGROUND: ,Click' chemistry, or the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of organic azides with alkynes, has been evaluated for many biomedical purposes; however, its utility in crosslinking hydrogels in situ is limited by the toxicity of the requisite copper(I) catalyst. We report the first use of catalyst-free Huisgen cycloaddition to generate crosslinked hydrogels under physiological conditions using multivalent azide-functionalized polymers and an electron-deficient dialkyne crosslinker. RESULTS: Water-soluble azide-functionalized polymers were crosslinked with an electron-deficient dialkyne crosslinker to form hydrogels at physiological temperature without the addition of copper(I) catalyst. Crosslinking was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and 1H NMR analyses. Flow by vial inversion and dynamic rheological methodologies were implemented to evaluate gelation kinetics at 37 °C of variable polymer compositions, concentrations and stoichiometric ratios. Kinetic studies revealed gelation in as little as 12 h at 37 °C, although strong gels that withstand inversion were observed by 1,8 days. CONCLUSION: The ability to form hydrogel networks under mild conditions demonstrates the potential viability of the catalyst-free ,click' crosslinking chemistry for in situ gelling and other biological applications. Further chemical modifications in the crosslinking moieties, as well as polymer and crosslinker conformations, are expected to enhance gelation kinetics to a more biomedically practical rate. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


The Law: President Bush's First Executive Privilege Claim: The FBI/Boston Investigation

PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2003
CHARLES TIEFER
President George W. Bush staked out an array of positions in protection of government secrecy, including his first use of executive privilege in a congressional investigation. He invoked privilege in a House committee inquiry in December 2001, with respect to Justice Department deliberative documents bearing on serious abuses by the Boston Federal Bureau of Investigation. The ensuing dispute came to a climax in a March 2002 bearing at which the committee invited this author to analyze previous parallel oversight situations. Soon thereafter, the Bush administration effectively surrendered its attempted executive privilege claim and provided the key documents that bad been withheld. [source]


Simultaneous use of a levonorgestrel intrauterine system and an etonogestrel subdermal implant for debilitating adolescent endometriosis

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Moamar AL-JEFOUT
Abstract Adolescent familial endometriosis may cause severe and persistent symptoms that are disruptive to lifestyle. Treatment may be difficult in many cases. We describe the novel and successful first use of a simultaneous combination of a levonorgestrel intrauterine system and an etonogestrel subdermal implant in a teenager with severe pain symptoms as a result of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis, which was refractory to other treatments. [source]


Co-Administration of Dextromethorphan and Morphine: Reduction of Post-Operative Pain and Lack of Influence on Morphine Metabolism

BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
Maciej Suski
In a double-blind study, 60 patients with ASA physical status I,II were randomised into two groups. Group dextromethorphan (n = 30; age: 15.9 ± 2.4 years) was given oral dextromethorphan 30 or 45 mg 1 hr before surgery and 8, 20 and 32 hr after operation. Group placebo (n = 30; age: 16.5 ± 2.7 years) received placebo at identical times. Post-operative analgesic requirements were assessed using nurse-controlled analgesia system. Pain was assessed using numeric rating scale before first administration of morphine and at 2, 3, 4, 6, 24 and 48 hr after operation. Blood samples were taken 20 min. after the first use of morphine (within 1 hr after operation). The total use of analgesics during surgery was lower in the dextromethorphan group. The dose of morphine providing relief immediately after surgery, as well as total analgesic requirements in the first and second day after surgery did not differ between groups. Subjectively evaluated pain intensity score (numeric rating scale) was lower for the dextromethorphan patients in the first 4 hr, but not later after surgery. Plasma levels of morphine, morphine-6-glucuronide and morphine-3-glucuronide did not differ between groups. Dextromethorphan did not influence morphine glucuronidation, in terms of promotion of formation of any morphine glucuronides. In conclusion, in young patients subjected to spine surgery, addition of dextromethorphan to morphine reduced pain only in early post-operative period. In such patients, co-analgesic action of dextromethorphan was not associated with significant changes in plasma levels of morphine metabolites. [source]


Childhood risk factors for offending before first psychiatric admission for people with schizophrenia: a case,control study of high security hospital admissions

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 3 2010
B.Sc., Ch.B., M.Sc., Roland M. Jones M.B.
Background People with schizophrenia who offend do not constitute a homogenous population. Pre-illness characteristics may distinguish groups. Aims To test for differences in prevalence of childhood risk factors for offending between serious offenders with schizophrenia who had started offending before their first ever psychiatric admission (pre-admission offenders) and those who had started after it (post-admission offenders). Our hypothesis was that such adverse childhood factors would be more prevalent in the pre-admission offenders. Method Retrospective interview and records case,control study of all first high security hospital admissions diagnosed with schizophrenia in England 1972,2000. Risk factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Results 853 patients were pre- and 741 post-admission offenders. Our hypothesis was confirmed in that factors associated with pre-admission offending were paternal criminal convictions, larger family size, and younger age at first use of illicit drugs, on first smoking cigarettes, and at maternal separation. There were differences too in pre-high security hospital treatment: pre-admission offenders had been younger at first court appearance and had more criminal justice system disposals, post-admission offenders were younger at first ever psychiatric hospital admission and more often hospitalized. Conclusions While early offending among people with schizophrenia may delay treatment, making the distinction between pre-admission and post-admission offending may be useful in understanding the aetiology of the offending, and establishment of such a history may help in targeting interventions supplementary to treatment specific for the psychosis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


"Over-and-under" pericardial covered stent with paclitaxel balloon in a saphenous vein graft,

CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 6 2010
Joanna J. Wykrzykowska MD
Abstract Treatment of vein graft disease remains a challenge in interventional cardiology because of the risk of embolization and no-reflow phenomenon. Currently available distal protection devices have their limitations. The PTFE-covered stents may be well suited for venous graft lesion treatment, but those available commercially to date have poor crossing profiles, and deliverability and high rates of restenosis. We report the first use of over-and-under pericardium-covered stent in combination with drug-eluting balloon to treat venous graft disease. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]