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III

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	34%
Chemistry	29%
Life Sciences	17%
Earth and Environmental Science	4%
Polymers and Materials Science	3%
Physics and Astronomy	2%
Humanities and Social Sciences	2%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	2%
6 Other Domains	7%

Kinds of III

Terms modified by III

iii antiarrhythmic drug

iii polyketide synthase

iii secretion machinery

Selected Abstracts

Allen Forte in Music Analysis

MUSIC ANALYSIS, Issue 1-2 2007
Arnold Whittall
ABSTRACT This article explores the engagement of an American music theorist with a British journal. Music Analysis excludes the word ,theory' from its title to avoid confusion with American journals. But many American theorists have welcomed the alternative it represents, and of these Allen Forte is pre-eminent. His contributions began with Vol. 2/iii (October 1983) and have continued through to the present issue. As this survey suggests, those contributions which are transcripts of spoken presentations emphasise that analysis is not just abstraction but ,a human thing'. Yet, whether Forte is writing primarily about a topic such as pitch-class set theory or about admired composers , Musorgsky, Debussy, Messiaen , he offers a distinctive blend of general and particular, placing compositional specifics within wider perspectives which invariably stimulate the reader not just to think but to listen, and re-listen. [source]

Bartók's String Quartet No. 4/III: A New Interpretative Approach

MUSIC ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2000
Amanda Bayley
[source]

Visualization of Surface-specific Antigens in Various Strains of Enterotoxigenic E. coli

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 2005
S. Lüdi
Proteinaceous surface antigens of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) appear as pili, and are important virulence factors as they allow bacteria to attach to the small intestinal mucosa. Surface antigens are classified as colonization factor antigens (CFA) and coli surface antigens (CS). Known groups include CFA/I, CFA/II (consisting of CS1, CS2 and CS3), CA/III and CFA/IV (consisting of CS4, CS5 and CS6). The goal of the present study was to examine the morphology of pili by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and to localize specific surface antigens by immunolabelling. Using different strains of E. coli grown under various culture conditions, pili were visualized by negative staining and corresponding surface antigens were demonstrated by immunogold-labelling using both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Expression of pili was dependent on culture conditions and sample handling. In contrast to CFA/I and CS3, CS6 pili were not detectable after negative staining. Selected antibodies, however, allowed surface antigens to be demonstrated unequivocally. These results will be of value in investigating the expression of colonizing factors in genetically modified bacterial strains. [source]

Comparison of p16INK4A and Hybrid Capture® 2 human papillomavirus testing as adjunctive tests in liquid-based gynecologic SurePathÔ preparations

DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
Aziza Nassar M.D., F.I.A.C.
Abstract p16INK4a, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is functionally inactivated in many tumors, including cervical cancer. We compared p16INK4A immunocytochemical staining and Hybrid Capture® 2 (HCII) on SurePathÔ specimens using tissue biopsies (as the gold standard). Their utility in a spectrum of atypical and preneoplastic lesions, and their ability to accurately identify underlying lesions of CIN II or greater was assessed using biopsy follow-up data. One-hundred and seventeen residual SurePathÔ samples were collected: 43 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 47 low-grade (LGSIL), and 27 high-grade (HGSIL) squamous intraepithelial lesions. Two slides were prepared from each sample; one stained with the SurePathÔ autocyte stain and one immunostained using the CINtecÔ p16INK4a Cytology Kit (Dakocytomation). High-risk HPV testing was performed using the HCII DNA test (Digene, Gaithersburg, MD). Available tissue biopsy follow-up data was retrieved. p16INK4a was positive in 32.6% (14/43) ASCUS, 46.8% (22/47) LGSIL, and 48.1% (13/27) HGSIL specimens. HCII DNA test was positive in 41.9% (18/43) ASCUS, 78.7% (37/47) LGSIL, and 96.3% (26/27) HGSIL samples. The sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of p16INK4a and HCII were: 58.7% and 89.8%, 58.6% and 34.6%, 69.2% and 72.1%, 47.2% and 64.3%, respectively. In patients with cervical biopsies, the PPV of HCII (92.3%) results for a biopsy with CINII/III was significantly higher than the PPV of p16INK4a (52%) (P = 0.001). Using liquid-based cytology specimens, HCII is a more sensitive test than p16INK4a for detection of abnormal cytology. HCII has a higher PPV than p16INK4a for identifying CIN II/III. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:142,148. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Electronic Interactions in Ferrocene- and Ruthenocene-Functionalized Tetraazamacrcocyclic Ligand Complexes of FeII/III, CoII, NiII, CuII and ZnII

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005
Peter Comba
Abstract The syntheses of ferrocene- and ruthenocene-functionalized tetraazamacrocyclic ligands and their corresponding transition metal complexes are described. Reaction of N,N, -bis(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-propanediamine (2,3,2-tet) with 1,1,-diformylferrocene and 1,1,-diformylruthenocene produces the ligands fcmac and rcmac in 81,85% yield. Examination of their CuII, NiII, CoII, ZnII and FeII/III complexes by IR, UV/Vis, EPR and Mössbauer spectroscopy as well as by electrochemical studies suggests electronic communication between the two metal centers of each complex. The molecular structure of [CuII(fcmac)(FBF3)]BF4, determined by X-ray structure analysis, is reported and shows that the distance between the two metals is 4.54 Å. Stability constants, determined by potentiometric titration, indicate that the copper(II) complexes are of similar stability as those with unfunctionalized tetraazamacrocyclic ligands (e.g. cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane); stability constants of cobalt(II) complexes are about 2 log units smaller, those of nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes are reduced by more than 10 log units. This selectivity is discussed on the basis of the structural studies. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005) [source]

Increased tumor necrosis factor ,,converting enzyme activity induces insulin resistance and hepatosteatosis in mice,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Loredana Fiorentino
Tumor necrosis factor ,,converting enzyme (TACE, also known as ADAM17) was recently involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. We observed that TACE activity was significantly higher in livers of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 1 month, and this activity was increased in liver > white adipose tissue > muscle after 5 months compared with chow control. In mouse hepatocytes, C2C12 myocytes, and 3T3F442A adipocytes, TACE activity was triggered by palmitic acid, lipolysaccharide, high glucose, and high insulin. TACE overexpression significantly impaired insulin-dependent phosphorylation of AKT, GSK3, and FoxO1 in mouse hepatocytes. To test the role of TACE activation in vivo, we used tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (Timp3) null mice, because Timp3 is the specific inhibitor of TACE and Timp3,/, mice have higher TACE activity compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Timp3,/, mice fed a HFD for 5 months are glucose-intolerant and insulin-resistant; they showed macrovesicular steatosis and ballooning degeneration compared with WT mice, which presented only microvesicular steatosis. Shotgun proteomics analysis revealed that Timp3,/, liver showed a significant differential expression of 38 proteins, including lower levels of adenosine kinase, methionine adenosysltransferase I/III, and glycine N -methyltransferase and higher levels of liver fatty acid-binding protein 1. These changes in protein levels were also observed in hepatocytes infected with adenovirus encoding TACE. All these proteins play a role in fatty acid uptake, triglyceride synthesis, and methionine metabolism, providing a molecular explanation for the increased hepatosteatosis observed in Timp3,/, compared with WT mice. Conclusion: We have identified novel mechanisms, governed by the TACE,Timp3 interaction, involved in the determination of insulin resistance and liver steatosis during overfeeding in mice. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source]

Acute and Chronic Vascular Rejection in Nonhuman Primate Kidney Transplantation

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2006
G. Wieczorek
A nonhuman primate (NHP) study was designed to evaluate in nonlife-supporting kidney allografts the progression from acute rejection with transplant endarteritis (TXA) to chronic rejection (CR) with sclerosing vasculopathy. Group G1 (n = 6) received high cyclosporine A (CsA) immunosuppression and showed neither TXA nor CR during 90 days post-transplantation. Group G2 (n = 6) received suboptimal CsA immunosuppression and showed severe TXA with graft loss within 46 days (median). Arterial intimal changes included infiltration of macrophages and T lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, CD8) with few myofibroblasts, abundant fibronectin/collagen IV, scant collagens I/III, high rate of cellular proliferation and no C4d accumulation along peritubular capillaries. Group G3 (n = 12) received suboptimal CsA and anti-rejection therapy (rabbit ATG + methylprednisolone + CsA) of TXA. Animals developed CR and lost grafts within 65 days (median). As compared to G2, the arterial intimal changes showed less macrophages and T lymphocytes, an increased number of myofibroblasts, abundant fibronectin/collagen IV and scar collagens I/III, C4d deposition along capillaries in 60% of animals and transplant glomerulopathy in 80% of animals. In conclusion, CR is an immune stimulated process initiated during TXA with the accumulation and proliferation of myofibroblasts, and progressive deposition of collagens in the intima. Our experimental design appears well suited to study events leading to CR. [source]

Close temporal relationship between onset of cancer and scleroderma in patients with RNA polymerase I/III antibodies

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 9 2010
Ami A. Shah
Objective This study was undertaken to examine the temporal relationship between scleroderma development and malignancy, and to evaluate whether this differs by autoantibody status among affected patients. Methods Study participants had a diagnosis of scleroderma, a diagnosis of cancer, cancer, an available serum sample, and a cancer pathology specimen. Sera were tested for autoantibodies against topoisomerase I, centromere, and RNA polymerase I/III by immunoprecipitation and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared across autoantibody categories. Expression of RNA polymerases I and III was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using cancerous tissue from patients with anti,RNA polymerase antibodies. Results Twenty-three patients were enrolled. Six patients tested positive for anti,RNA polymerase I/III, 5 for anti,topoisomerase I, and 8 for anticentromere, and 4 were not positive for any of these antigens. The median duration of scleroderma at cancer diagnosis differed significantly between groups (,1.2 years in the anti,RNA polymerase I/III group, +13.4 years in the anti,topoisomerase I group, +11.1 years in the anticentromere group, and +2.3 years in the group that was negative for all antigens tested) (P = 0.027). RNA polymerase III demonstrated a robust nucleolar staining pattern in 4 of 5 available tumors from patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III. In contrast, nucleolar RNA polymerase III staining was not detected in any of 4 examined tumors from the RNA polymerase antibody,negative group (P = 0.048). Conclusion Our findings indicate that there is a close temporal relationship between the onset of cancer and scleroderma in patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III, which is distinct from scleroderma patients with other autoantibody specificities. In this study, autoantibody response and tumor antigen expression are associated. We propose that malignancy may initiate the scleroderma-specific immune response and drive disease in a subset of scleroderma patients. [source]

Comparison of p16INK4A and Hybrid Capture® 2 human papillomavirus testing as adjunctive tests in liquid-based gynecologic SurePathÔ preparations

Alkanethiols Modified Gold Electrodes for Selective Detection of Molecules with Different Polarity and Molecular Size.

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 3-5 2009
Application to Vitamin B2 Analysis
Abstract The cyclic voltammetry behavior of several molecules with different polarity and molecular size on gold electrodes modified with nonfunctionalized alkanethiols of different chain length, usually employed as chromatographic stationary phases, are studied. The redox systems hexacyanoferrate(II/III), ferrocene/ferrocine and hydroquinone/quinone are chosen as template molecules. As modifiers, ethanethiol, 1-octanethiol and di- n -octadecyldisulfide are selected. We can conclude that polar molecules can reach the electrode surface through channels created by the modifiers. However, when nonpolar compounds are analyzed, the nonpolar interactions between the analyte and the terminal group of the modifier lead to retention of the compound, retarding its arrival to the electrode surface. A molecule with polar and nonpolar part was used for the application of this conclusion. If the gold electrode is modified with di- n -octadecyldisulfide, the electrochemical behavior of vitamin B2 becomes simpler than that observed on a bare one. This result allows a sensitive and selective procedure to be developed for direct determination of vitamin B2 in pharmaceutical formulations. [source]

Endothelial markers in chronic heart failure: training normalizes exercise-induced vWF release

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 9 2004
L. W. E. Sabelis
Abstract Background, Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by endothelial dysfunction. Vascular endothelium is important for control of haemostasis and vasoregulation. The aim of the present study was to investigate plasma levels of several endothelial markers and the exercise-induced changes on these plasma levels in CHF patients. Subsequently, the effect of a 6-month training programme on these markers is described. Materials and methods, Twenty-nine male CHF patients (NYHA II/III, age 60 ± 8 year, body mass index 26·7 ± 2·3 kg m,2, left ventricular ejection fraction 26·3,7·2%; mean ± SD) participated. Patients were randomly assigned to a training or control group. Training (26 weeks; combined strength and endurance exercises) was four sessions/week: two sessions supervised and two sessions at home. Before and after intervention, anthropometry, endothelial markers (haemostasis and vasoregulation), maximal workload and peak oxygen uptake were assessed. Results, Physical training positively affected maximal workload. Plasma levels of endothelial markers were not affected by physical training and not related to exercise tolerance. After training, stimulated (maximal exercise) plasma von Willebrand Factor (vWF) release was present, whereas at baseline this release was absent. Conclusion, Physical training led to normalization of the stimulated plasma vWF release. Plasma levels of other endothelial markers were not affected by physical training either at rest or under stimulated (maximal exercise) conditions. [source]

Decanuclear Manganese Isobutyrate Clusters Featuring a Novel MnII8MnIII2 Core

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 28 2009
Iurii L. Malaestean
Abstract Recrystallization of freshly prepared MnII isobutyrate from PrOH or from EtOH/MeCN mixtures containing pyrazole (pyr) yields neutral mixed-valence decanuclear manganese(II/III) complexes, [Mn10O2(O2CCHMe2)18(HO2CCHMe2)2(PrOH)2] (1) and [Mn10O2(O2CCHMe2)18(pyr)4] (2). The Mn10 metal core of both 1 and 2 consists of eight MnII and two MnIII centers and represents a new motif in the structural organization of polynuclear mixed-valence manganese clusters. Both, 1 and 2 exhibit a net antiferromagnetic exchange coupling resulting in singlet ground states. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009) [source]

The serotonin 5-HT2 receptor,phospholipase C system inhibits the induction of long-term potentiation in the rat visual cortex

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2000
Yoshikuni Edagawa
Abstract The effect of serotonin 5-HT2 receptor stimulation on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the primary visual cortex was investigated by using rat brain slices in vitro. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of layer IV were recorded in layer II/III. The 5-HT2 receptor agonist 1-(2,5-dimethyl-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) did not affect baseline synaptic potentials evoked by single-pulse test stimulation, but significantly inhibited the induction of LTP in a concentration-dependent manner (0.1,10 ,m). The LTP-inhibiting effect of DOI (10 ,m) was blocked by the 5-HT2,7 receptor antagonist ritanserin (10 ,m), but not by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist NAN-190 (10 ,m) nor by the 5-HT3,4 receptor antagonist MDL72222 (10 ,m). The inhibitory effect of DOI was also blocked by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122, but not by its inactive analogue U73343. These results suggest that visual cortex LTP is inhibited by activation of the 5-HT2 receptor,phospholipase C system. In addition, the LTP-inhibiting effect of DOI was abolished by the presence of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (10 ,m), suggesting that 5-HT2 receptor-mediated inhibition of visual cortex LTP is dependent on GABAergic inhibition. [source]

Statistical behavior of complex cancer karyotypes

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 4 2005
Mattias Höglund
Epithelial tumors commonly show complex and variable karyotypes that obscure the identification of general patterns of the karyotypic evolution. To overcome some of these problems, we previously systematically analyzed the accumulated cytogenetic data from individual tumor types by using various statistical means. In the present study, we compare previous results obtained for nine tumor types and perform several meta-analyses of data obtained from a number of epithelial tumors, including head and neck, kidney, bladder, breast, colorectal, ovarian, and lung cancer, as well as from malignant melanoma and Wilms tumor, with the specific aim of discovering common patterns of karyotypic evolution. We show that these tumors frequently develop through a hypo- or a hyperdiploid pathway and progress by an increasing number of alternative imbalances through at least two karyotypic phases, Phases I and II, and possibly through a third, Phase III. During Phase I, the karyotypes exhibited a power law distribution of both the number of changes per tumor and the frequency distribution at which bands were involved in breaks. At the transition from Phase I to Phase II/III, the observed power law distributions were lost, indicating a transition from an ordered and highly structured process to a disordered and chaotic pattern. The change in karyotypic orderliness at the transition from Phase I to Phase II/III was also shown by a drastic difference in karyotypic entropy. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Maternal high-fat feeding primes steatohepatitis in adult mice offspring, involving mitochondrial dysfunction and altered lipogenesis gene expression,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Kimberley D. Bruce
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes an increasingly prevalent spectrum of liver disorders associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. It is uncertain why steatosis occurs in some individuals, whereas nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs in others. We have generated a novel mouse model to test our hypothesis: that maternal fat intake contributes to the development of NAFLD in adult offspring. Female mice were fed either a high-fat (HF) or control chow (C) diet before and during gestation and lactation. Resulting offspring were fed either a C or a HF diet after weaning, to generate four offspring groups; HF/HF, HF/C, C/HF, C/C. At 15 weeks of age, liver histology was normal in both the C/C and HF/C offspring. Kleiner scoring showed that although the C/HF offspring developed nonalcoholic fatty liver, the HF/HF offspring developed NASH. At 30 weeks, histological analysis and Kleiner scoring showed that both the HF/C and C/HF groups had NAFLD, whereas the HF/HF had a more severe form of NASH. Therefore, exposure to a HF diet in utero and during lactation contributes toward NAFLD progression. We investigated the mechanisms by which this developmental priming is mediated. At 15 weeks of age, hepatic mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) enzyme complex activity (I, II/III, and IV) was reduced in both groups of offspring from HF-fed mothers (HF/C and HF/HF). In addition, measurement of hepatic gene expression indicated that lipogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory pathways were up-regulated in the 15-week-old HF/C and HF/HF offspring. Conclusion: Maternal fat intake contributes toward the NAFLD progression in adult offspring, which is mediated through impaired hepatic mitochondrial metabolism and up-regulated hepatic lipogenesis. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source]

Switching between "On" and "Off" states of persistent activity in lateral entorhinal layer III neurons,

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 4 2007
Babak Tahvildari
Abstract Persistent neural spiking maintains information during a working memory task when a stimulus is no longer present. During retention, this activity needs to be stable to distractors. More importantly, when retention is no longer relevant, cessation of the activity is necessary to enable processing and retention of subsequent information. Here, by means of intracellular recording with sharp microelectrode in in vitro rat brain slices, we demonstrate that single principal layer III neurons of the lateral entorhinal cortex (EC) generate persistent spiking activity with a novel ability to reliably toggle between spiking activity and a silent state. Our data indicates that in the presence of muscarinic receptor activation, persistent activity following an excitatory input may be induced and that a subsequent excitatory input can terminate this activity and cause the neuron to return to a silent state. Moreover, application of inhibitory hyperpolarizing stimuli is neither able to decrease the frequency of the persistent activity nor terminate it. The persistent activity can also be initiated and terminated by synchronized synaptic stimuli of layer II/III of the perirhinal cortex. The neuronal ability to switch "On" and "Off" persistent activity may facilitate the concurrent representation of temporally segregated information arriving in the EC and being directed toward the hippocampus. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Cholinergic modulation of synaptic physiology in deep layer entorhinal cortex of the rat

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001
Mi Young Cheong
Abstract We have recently shown that cholinergic effects on synaptic transmission and plasticity in the superficial (II/III) layers of the rat medial entorhinal cortex (EC) are similar, but not identical, to those in the hippocampus (Yun et al. [2000] Neuroscience 97:671,676). Because the superficial and deep layers of the EC preferentially convey afferent and efferent hippocampal projections, respectively, it is of interest to compare cholinergic effects between the two regions. We therefore investigated the physiological effects of cholinergic agents in the layer V of medial EC slices under experimental conditions identical to those in the previous study. Bath application of carbachol (0.5 ,M) induced transient depression of field potential responses in all cases tested (30 of 30; 18.5% ± 2.3%) and rarely induced long-lasting potentiation (only 3 of 30; 20.4% ± 3.2% in successful cases). At 5 ,M, carbachol induced transient depression only (20 of 20, 48.9% ± 2.8%), which was blocked by atropine (10 ,M). Paired-pulse facilitation was enhanced during carbachol-induced depression, suggesting presynaptic action of carbachol. Long-term potentiation (LTP) could be induced in the presence of 10 ,M atropine by theta burst stimulation, but its magnitude was significantly lower (9.1% ± 4.7%, n = 15) compared to LTP in control slices (22.4% ± 3.9%, n = 20). These results, combined with our previous findings, demonstrate remarkably similar cholinergic modulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity across the superficial and deep layers of EC. J. Neurosci. Res. 66:117,121, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Sling operations in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: How to adjust sling tension

JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2003
Ibraheem Mahmoud Ezzat
Abstract Aim:, To find an objective method of adjusting sling tension in order to avoid postoperative urinary obstruction. Methods:, Thirty-five female patients with type II/III and type III stress urinary incontinence were treated using a sling procedure. Pubovaginal fascial slings were implanted in 20 patients and polytetrafluoroethylene patch slings with nylon sutures were implanted in 15 patients. During the procedures the urinary bladder was partially full and the patients, who were under spinal or epidural anesthesia, were asked to cough and strain. The proper tension that effectively prevents urine leakage was selected and the corresponding suture length was marked. An objective new method to adjust sling tension was used. As part of this method, the abdominal bulge index is added to the suture length before tying. Results:, Short-term follow-up of 6,12 months showed that 33 of 35 patients reported no leakage of urine (94%). Two patients had unsatisfactory urge incontinence. We did not encounter postoperative urinary retention in any patient. No significant post-voiding residual urine was reported. None of our patients in this series have complained of difficulties during micturition or the need to strain during voiding. Conclusion:, Proper adjustment of sling tension using the abdominal bulge index has eliminated postoperative urinary retention and obstructed urine flow, including any appreciable amount of post-voiding residual urine. This method has been found to be both objective and reproducible. [source]

A RE-APPRAISAL OF THE APPLICATION OF ROCK-EVAL PYROLYSIS TO SOURCE ROCK STUDIES IN THE NIGER DELTA

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2005
A. Akinlua
Thirty four shale samples from the Tertiary Agbada Formation were analysed for TOC and Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters in order to evaluate the effect of oil-based mud contamination on source-rock characterization. The samples were obtained from five wells in the offshore Niger Delta over a depth range of 5,460ft to 11,580ft. The results indicated that the raw (unextracted) samples were dominated by Type III kerogen. However, after extraction, both Types II/III and III kerogen were identified, consistent with previous studies. These results demonstrate that it is essential that shale samples should be extracted prior to TOC and Rock-Eval pyrolysis for accurate source-rock evaluation. [source]

Photodynamic therapy of vulvar and vaginal condyloma and intraepithelial neoplasia using topically applied 5-aminolevulinic acid,

LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 4 2002
Mathias K. Fehr MD
Abstract Background and Objectives To determine the feasibility of photodynamic therapy (PDT) of vulvar and vaginal condyloma and intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN, VAIN) and to compare PDT results with conventional treatments. Study Design/Materials and Methods Thirty-eight patients with vulvar or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) grade II/III (n,=,22) or condyloma (n,=,16) had 10% 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-gel applied topically. After 2,4 hours, 80,125 J/cm2 laser light at a wavelength of 635 nm was applied. PDT was compared to conventional treatments for condyloma (CO2 laser evaporation) and for VIN III (laser evaporation, surgical excision). Results The complete clearance rate for condyloma treated by PDT was 66% and the rate for IN was 57% (as determined by biopsy). Of the neoplasia patients, none with hyperkeratotic VIN (n,=,4) responded, and only one of four with increased pigmentation cleared. No scarring occurred, and postoperative discomfort lasted 4.9,±,3.4 days. Reduced disease-free survival (DFS) was associated with multifocal VIN (P,=,0.02, OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.15,4.08), but DFS did not vary with treatment mode. Conclusions Although PDT is not equally efficacious for all subgroups, PDT for condyloma and intraepithelial neoplasia appears to be as effective as conventional treatments, but with shorter healing time and excellent cosmetic results. Lasers Surg. Med. 30:273,279, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Decreased protein tyrosine phosphorylation and membrane fluidity in spermatozoa from infertile men with varicocele

MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 12 2006
M.G. Buffone
Abstract Varicocele is a prevalent pathology among infertile men. The mechanisms linking this condition to infertility, however, are poorly understood. Our previous work showed a relationship between sperm functional quality and the ability of spermatozoa to respond to capacitating conditions with increased membrane fluidity and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Given the reported association between varicocele, oxidative stress, and sperm dysfunction, we hypothesized that spermatozoa from infertile patients with varicocele might have a combined defect at the level of membrane fluidity and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Semen samples from infertile patients with and without grade II/III left varicocele were evaluated for motion parameters (computer-assisted semen analysis [CASA]), hyperactivation (CASA), incidence and intensity of protein tyrosine phosphorylation (phosphotyrosine immunofluorescence and western blotting), and membrane fluidity (Laurdan fluorometry), before and after a capacitating incubation (6 hr at 37°C in Ham's F10/BSA, 5% CO2). Spermatozoa from varicocele samples presented a decreased response to the capacitating challenge, showing significantly lower motility, hyperactivation, incidence and intensity of tyrosine phosphorylation, and membrane fluidity. The findings reported in this article indicate that the sperm dysfunction associated to infertile varicocele coexists with decreased sperm plasma membrane fluidity and tyrosine phosphorylation. These deficiencies represent potential new pathophysiological mechanisms underlying varicocele-related infertility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 73: 1591,1599, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Adalimumab in Japanese patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis: Efficacy and safety results from a Phase II/III randomized controlled study

THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Akihiko ASAHINA
Abstract Incidence of psoriasis vulgaris in Asians is estimated at 0.05,0.3%. Studies in North America and Europe demonstrated that adalimumab, a fully human, recombinant, immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, was efficacious and well-tolerated in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. This 24-week, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of three different dosing regimens of adalimumab in Japanese patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis (n = 169). Patients were randomized to receive adalimumab 40 mg every other week (eow), adalimumab 80-mg loading dose at week 0 followed by adalimumab 40 mg eow starting at week 2, adalimumab 80 mg eow, or placebo eow given as s.c. injections. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a 75% or greater improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score at week 16. At week 16, PASI 75 response rates were significantly greater for all three adalimumab groups (40 mg eow: 57.9%, P < 0.001; 40 mg eow plus loading dose: 62.8%, P < 0.001; 80 mg eow: 81.0%, P < 0.001) versus placebo (4.3%). As early as week 4, the 40-mg eow plus loading dose and 80-mg eow groups achieved significantly greater PASI 75 response rates compared with placebo. Injection-site reactions and hepatic events occurred in greater percentages of adalimumab-treated patients compared with placebo. Adalimumab therapy demonstrated efficacy and safety at all three dosage regimens. Rapid response rate in patients receiving 40 mg eow plus loading dose supports using an 80-mg loading dose in the treatment of psoriasis. [source]

Le phosphate de cobalt et de lithium à valence mixte Li4+xCo2,x(P2O7)2 (x = 0,03): étude structurale et analyse de distribution de charge

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C, Issue 1 2010
Salah Kouass
The title compound, namely lithium cobalt(II/III) bis(diphosphate), Li4.03Co1.97(P2O7)2, is a new mixed-valent lithium/cobalt(II/III) phosphate. Three metal sites out of seven are occupied simultaneously by Li+ and CoII/III ions. This disorder was established both from an analysis of the atomic displacement ellipsoids and Li/Co,O bond distances, and by means of a charge-distribution (CHARDI) model, which provides satisfactory agreement on the computed charges (Q) for all the cations. [source]

Safety and efficacy of bortezomib in high-risk and elderly patients with relapsed multiple myeloma

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
Paul G. Richardson
Summary Adverse prognostic factors in multiple myeloma include advanced age, number of prior therapies, and higher International Staging System (ISS) disease stage. In the international, randomised, phase-3 Assessment of Proteasome Inhibition for Extending Remissions (APEX) study, bortezomib demonstrated significantly longer time to progression (TTP), higher response rates and improved survival compared with high-dose dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma following one to three prior therapies. In this APEX subgroup analysis, efficacy of bortezomib and dexamethasone was compared in elderly (age ,65 years) and high-risk (>1 prior line of therapy; ISS stage II/III; refractory to prior therapy) patients. Bortezomib demonstrated substantial clinical activity in these patients. Response rate (34,40% vs. 13,19%), including complete response rate (5,8% vs. 0,1%), was significantly higher with bortezomib versus dexamethasone in all four subgroups. Similarly, median TTP was significantly longer with bortezomib versus dexamethasone, and 1-year survival probability was significantly higher in all subgroups. As in the total APEX population, rates of grade 3/4 adverse events were higher in bortezomib- versus dexamethasone-treated patients aged ,65 years and with >1 prior line, while rates of serious adverse events were similar; toxicities generally proved manageable. Bortezomib should be considered an appropriate treatment for elderly and high-risk patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. [source]

High response rate and manageable toxicity with an intensive, short-term chemotherapy programme for Burkitt's lymphoma in adults

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2004
Massimo Di Nicola
Summary A very short, intensive paediatric chemotherapy programme was tested in a consecutive monoinstitutional group of 22 adult Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) patients. After a 5-week induction phase of weekly infusions consisting of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, high-dose (HD) methotrexate (MTX) plus leukovorin rescue, and intrathecal MTX or cytarabine (ARA-C), a consolidation phase including HD ARA-C plus cisplatin was given. Responding patients achieving less than complete response (CR) after completion of the initial induction phase, were promptly shifted to a high-dose, stem cell supported sequential chemotherapy schema (R-HDS). Patient characteristics: median age, 35·5 (range 18,76) years; Ann Arbor stage I,II/III,IV, 11/11; bulky disease, 15 patients; LDH , 460 U/l, 11 patients. The median duration of the chemotherapy programme was 62 d (range, 43,94 d). Seventeen patients achieved a CR (77%), one patient died of progressive disease and four partial responders following induction were converted to CR following R-HDS. Of 17 patients in CR, one died of infectious toxicity while in CR, and one relapsed at 30 months and died of progressive disease. After a median follow-up of 28·7 months (range, 6,158 months), 16 patients (73%) were in continued CR. Overall survival and progression-free survival were 77% [95% confidence interval (CI), 52,99%] and 68% (95% CI, 43,99%) respectively. Confirmation of these excellent efficacy and feasibility results by larger, multicentre and prospective studies is warranted. [source]

Identification of 14 novel GLB1 mutations, including five deletions, in 19 patients with GM1 gangliosidosis from South America

CLINICAL GENETICS, Issue 3 2007
R Santamaria
GM1 gangliosidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by the absence or reduction of lysosomal ,-galactosidase activity because of mutations in the GLB1 gene. Three major clinical forms have been established: type I (infantile), type II (late infantile/juvenile) and type III (adult). A mutational analysis was performed in 19 patients with GM1 gangliosidosis from South America, mainly from Argentina. Two of them were of Gypsy origin. Main clinical findings of the patients are presented. All 38 mutant alleles were identified: of the 22 different mutations found, 14 mutations are described here for the first time. Among the novel mutations, five deletions were found. Four of them are relatively small (c.435_440delTCT, c.845_846delC, c.1131_1145del15 and c.1706_1707delC), while the other one is a deletion of 1529 nucleotides that includes exon 5 and is caused by an unequal crossover between intronic Alu sequences. All the described patients with GM1 gangliosidosis were affected by the infantile form, except for four unrelated patients classified as type II, III, and II/III (two cases). The two type II/III patients bore the previously described p.R201H mutation, while the adult patient bore the new p.L155R. The juvenile patient bore two novel mutations: p.S434L and p.G554E. The two Gypsy patients are homozygous for the p.R59H mutation as are all Gypsy patients previously genotyped. [source]

Eversion thromboendovenectomy in organized portal vein thrombosis during liver transplantation

CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2004
Ricardo Robles
Abstract: Portal thrombosis is no longer considered a contraindication for transplantation because of the technical experience acquired in the field of liver transplantation and the development of various surgical techniques. All the same, the results obtained in portal thrombosis patients are at times suboptimal, and the surgical technique used (thromboendovenectomy or veno-venous bypass) is also controversial. Between May 1988 and December 2001, 455 liver transplants were performed, of which 32 (7%) presented portal vein thrombosis. Of these, eight belonged to the first 227 transplants (group I), and 24 to the other 228 (group II). Of the 32 cases with portal thrombosis, 20 (62%) were type Ib, seven (22%) type II/III and five (16%) type IV. Twenty-two were males (69%), with a mean age of 50 yr (range: 30,70 yr); the thrombosis in all cases developed over a cirrhotic liver: 15 cases of an ethanolic origin, 11 because of hepatitis C virus, two cases of autoimmune aetiology, one case of primary biliary cirrhosis, one case because of hepatitis B virus and two cases of a cryptogenic origin. Five cases had a history of surgical treatment for portal hypertension. The surgical method in all cases consisted of an eversion thromboendovenectomy (ETEV) under direct visual guidance, with occlusion of the portal flow using a Fogarty balloon. Once re-canalization was achieved, we performed local heparinization and end-to-end portal anastomosis. In no case was systemic post-operative heparinization performed. In the 32 cases in which thrombectomy was attempted it was achieved in 31 of them (96%), failing only in a case of type IV thrombosis, which was resolved by portal arterialization. Of the 31 successful cases, only one with type IV thrombosis re-thrombosed. The 5-yr survival rate of the patients in the series was 69%, with 10 patients dying, of whom only two from causes related to the thrombosis and the thrombosis treatment, both with type IV thrombosis. The ideal treatment for portal thrombosis during liver transplantation is controversial and depends on its extension and the experience of the surgeon. In our experience, ETEV resolves most thromboses (types I, II and III), but management of type IV, which occasionally can be treated with this technique, may require more complex procedures such as bypass, portal arterialization or cavoportal haemitransposition. [source]

NMR and the uncertainty principle: How to and how not to interpret homogeneous line broadening and pulse nonselectivity.

CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 5 2008
IV. (Un?)certainty
Abstract Following the treatments presented in Parts I, II, and III, I herein address the popular notion that the frequency of a monochromatic RF pulse as well as that of a monochromatic FID is "in effect" uncertain due to the (Heisenberg) Uncertainty Principle, which also manifests itself in the fact that the FT-spectrum of these temporal entities is spread over a nonzero frequency band. I will show that the frequency spread should not be interpreted as "in effect" meaning a range of physical driving RF fields in the former, and "spin frequencies" in the latter case. The fact that a shorter pulse or a more quickly decaying FID has a wider FT-spectrum is in fact solely due to the Fourier Uncertainty Principle, which is a less well known and easily misunderstood concept. A proper understanding of the Fourier Uncertainty Principle tells us that the FT-spectrum of a monochromatic pulse is not "broad" because of any "uncertainty" in the RF frequency, but because the spectrum profile carries all of the pulse's features (frequency, phase, amplitude, length, temporal location) coded into the complex amplitudes of the FT-spectrum's constituent eternal basis harmonic waves. A monochromatic RF pulse's capability to excite nonresonant magnetizations is in fact a purely classical off-resonance effect that has nothing to do with "uncertainty". Analogously, "Lorentzian lineshape" means exactly the same thing physically as "exponential decay," and all inferences as to the physical reasons for that decay must be based on independent assumptions or observations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 32A: 373,404, 2008. [source]

NMR and the uncertainty principle: How to and how not to interpret homogeneous line broadening and pulse nonselectivity.

CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 4 2008

Abstract Following the treatments presented in Parts I and II, I herein discuss in more detail the popular notion that the frequency of a monochromatic RF pulse as well as that of a monochromatic FID is "in effect" uncertain due to the (Heisenberg) Uncertainty Principle, which also manifests itself in the fact that the FT-spectrum of these temporal entities is spread over a nonzero frequency band. In Part III, I continue my preliminary review of some further fundamental concepts, such as the Heisenberg and Fourier Uncertainty Principles, that are needed to understand whether or not the NMR linewidth and the RF excitation bandwidth have anything to do with "uncertainty". The article then culminates in re-addressing our Two NMR Problems in a more conscientious frame of mind by using a more refined formalism. The correct interpretation of these problems will be discussed in Part IV. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 32A: 302,325, 2008. [source]

Introduction to diffusion tensor imaging mathematics: Part III.

CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 2 2006
Tensor calculation, noise, optimization, simulations
Abstract The mathematical aspects of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTMRI, or DTI), the measurement of the diffusion tensor by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are discussed in this three-part series. Part III begins with a comparison of different ways to calculate the tensor from diffusion-weighted imaging data. Next, the effects of noise on signal intensities and diffusion tensor measurements are discussed. In MRI signal intensities as well as DTI parameters, noise can introduce a bias (systematic deviation) as well as scatter (random deviation) in the data. Propagation-of-error formulas are explained with examples. Step-by-step procedures for simulating diffusion tensor measurements are presented. Finally, methods for selecting the optimal b factor and number of b = 0 images for measuring several properties of the diffusion tensor, including the trace (or mean diffusivity) and anisotropy, are presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 28A: 155,179, 2006 [source]