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Kinds of These Results Selected AbstractsSkin Tightening Effect Using Fractional Laser Treatment: I. A Randomized Half-Side Pilot Study on Faces of Patients with AcneDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 1 2010TERUKI DAINICHI MD BACKGROUND Fractional laser resurfacing is a new procedure for skin rejuvenation. OBJECTIVE To assess the skin remodeling effect of fractional laser treatment. METHODS Twelve Asian patients with acne were irradiated using a fractional 1,540-nm erbium glass laser on a random half of the face twice with a 4-week interval. RESULTS The faces were contoured on the treated side of most patients. Statistical analyses of the facial images showed that the skin tightening effect was significant 4 weeks after the first and second irradiation (p<.001 after both treatments). CONCLUSION These results suggest that fractional laser resurfacing is a possible alternative to nonsurgical skin tightening of the face. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters. [source] Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-like neuropeptide is secreted as a neurohormone from specific brain neurons into the corpus allatum in the silkworm Bombyx moriENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Mi Young KIM Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-like neuropeptide in the silkworm, Bombyx mori , by using immunocytochemical techniques on the brain and retrocerebral complex of fifth instar larvae. In the brain, four pairs of median neurosecretory cell (MNC) bodies and six pairs of lateral neurosecretory cell (LNC) bodies had distinct immunoreactivities to this peptide, suggesting that this peptide is produced from two types of brain neuron. These reactivities were much stronger in the MNC than in the LNC. Labeled MNC projected their axons into the contralateral corpora allata, to which axons of labeled MNC were eventually innervated, through decussation in the median region, contralateral nerve corporis cardiaci I and nerve corpora allata I. Labeled LNC extended their axons into the ipsilateral corpora allata to be innervated through the ipsilateral nerve corporis cardiaci II and nerve corpora allata I. These results suggest that BDNF is secreted as a neurohormone from MNC and LNC of the brain into the corpora allata. [source] Trace eyeblink conditioning in decerebrate guinea pigsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 7 2003Sadaharu Kotani Abstract We investigated the trace eyeblink conditioning in decerebrate guinea pigs to elucidate the possible role of the cerebellum and brainstem in this hippocampus-dependent task. A 350-ms tone conditioned stimulus was paired with a 100-ms periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus with a trace interval of either 0, 100, 250 or 500 ms. Decerebrate animals readily acquired the conditioned response with a trace interval of 0 or 100 ms. Even in the paradigm with a 500-ms trace interval, which is known to depend critically on the hippocampus in all animal species examined, the decerebrate guinea pigs acquired the conditioned response, which had adaptive timing as well as in the other paradigms with a shorter trace interval. However, it took many more trials to learn in the 500-ms trace paradigm than in the shorter trace interval paradigms, and the conditioned response expression was unstable from trial to trial. When decerebrate animals were conditioned step by step with a trace interval of 100, 250 and 500 ms, sequentially, they easily acquired the adaptive conditioned response to a 500-ms trace interval. However, the frequency of conditioned responses decreased after the trace interval was shifted from 250 ms to 500 ms, which was not observed after the shift from 100 ms to 250 ms. These results suggest that the cerebellum and brainstem could maintain the ,trace' of the conditioned stimulus and associate it with the unconditioned stimulus even in the 500-ms trace paradigm, but that the forebrain might be required for facilitating and stabilizing the association. [source] Crack-healing behaviour and resultant high-temperature fatigue strength of machined Si3N4/SiC composite ceramicFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 1 2008Y.-S. JUNG ABSTRACT The crack-healing behaviour of machining cracks in Si3N4/20 wt% SiC composite was investigated. The machining cracks were introduced by a heavy machining process, during the creation of a semicircular groove. The machined specimens were healed at various temperatures and times in air. The optimized crack-healing condition of the machined specimens was found to be a temperature of 1673 K and a time of 10 h. The specimens healed by this condition exhibited almost the same strength as the smooth specimens healed. Moreover, the bending strengths and the fatigue limits of the machined specimens healed were systematically investigated at temperatures from room temperature to 1673 K. The machined specimens healed at the optimized condition exhibited an almost constant bending strength (,700 MPa) up to 1673 K. Also, the specimens exhibited considerably high cyclic and static fatigue limits at temperatures from 1073 to 1573 K. These results demonstrated that the crack-healing could be an effective method for improving the structural integrity and reducing machining costs of the Si3N4/SiC composite ceramic. [source] Disruption of structural and functional integrity of ,2 -macroglobulin by cathepsin EFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2003Mitsue Shibata ,2 -Macroglobulin (,2M) is an abundant glycoprotein with the intrinsic capacity for capturing diverse proteins for rapid delivery into cells. After internalization by the receptor- mediated endocytosis, ,2M-protein complexes were rapidly degraded in the endolysosome system. Although this is an important pathway for clearance of both ,2M and biological targets, little is known about the nature of ,2M degradation in the endolysosome system. To investigate the possible involvement of intracellular aspartic proteinases in the disruption of structural and functional integrity of ,2M in the endolysosome system, we examined the capacity of ,2M for interacting with cathepsin E and cathepsin D under acidic conditions and the nature of its degradation. ,2M was efficiently associated with cathepsin E under acidic conditions to form noncovalent complexes and rapidly degraded through the generation of three major proteins with apparent molecular masses of 90, 85 and 30 kDa. Parallel with this reaction, ,2M resulted in the rapid loss of its antiproteolytic activity. Analysis of the N-terminal amino-acid sequences of these proteins revealed that ,2M was selectively cleaved at the Phe811-Leu812 bond in about 100mer downstream of the bait region. In contrast, little change was observed for ,2M treated by cathepsin D under the same conditions. Together, the synthetic SPAFLA peptide corresponding to the Ser808,Ala813 sequence of human ,2M, which contains the cathepsin E-cleavage site, was selectively cleaved by cathepsin E, but not cathepsin D. These results suggest the possible involvement of cathepsin E in disruption of the structural and functional integrity of ,2M in the endolysosome system. [source] Vinexin , regulates the phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor on the cell surfaceGENES TO CELLS, Issue 9 2006Masaru Mitsushima Epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates various cellular events, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and oncogenesis. In this study, we found that exogenous expression of vinexin , enhanced the phosphorylation of 180-kDa proteins in an EGF-dependent manner in Cos-7 cells. Western blot analysis using phospho-specific antibodies against EGFR identified EGFR as a phosphorylated 180-kDa protein. Vinexin , did not stimulate the phosphorylation of EGFR but suppressed the dephosphorylation, resulting in a sustained phosphorylation. Mutational analyses revealed that both the first and third SH3 domains were required for a sustained phosphorylation of EGFR. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of vinexin , reduced the phosphorylation of EGFR on the cell surface in HeLa cells. The sustained phosphorylation of EGFR induced by vinexin , was completely abolished by adding the EGFR-specific inhibitor AG1478 even after EGF stimulation, suggesting that the kinase activity of EGFR is required for the sustained phosphorylation induced by vinexin ,. We also found that E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl is a binding partner of vinexin , through the third SH3 domain. Expression of wild-type vinexin , but not a mutant containing a mutation in the third SH3 domain decreased the cytosolic pool of c-Cbl and increased the amount of membrane-associated c-Cbl. Furthermore, over-expression of c-Cbl suppressed the sustained phosphorylation of EGFR induced by vinexin ,. These results suggest that vinexin , plays a role in maintaining the phosphorylation of EGFR on the plasma membrane through the regulation of c-Cbl. [source] The response of heterotrophic activity and carbon cycling to nitrogen additions and warming in two tropical soilsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2010DANIELA F. CUSACK Abstract Nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase significantly in tropical regions in the coming decades, where changes in climate are also expected. Additional N and warming each have the potential to alter soil carbon (C) storage via changes in microbial activity and decomposition, but little is known about the combined effects of these global change factors in tropical ecosystems. In this study, we used controlled laboratory incubations of soils from a long-term N fertilization experiment to explore the sensitivity of soil C to increased N in two N-rich tropical forests. We found that fertilization corresponded to significant increases in bulk soil C concentrations, and decreases in C loss via heterotrophic respiration (P< 0.05). The increase in soil C was not uniform among C pools, however. The active soil C pool decomposed faster with fertilization, while slowly cycling C pools had longer turnover times. These changes in soil C cycling with N additions corresponded to the responses of two groups of microbial extracellular enzymes. Smaller active C pools corresponded to increased hydrolytic enzyme activities; longer turnover times of the slowly cycling C pool corresponded to reduced activity of oxidative enzymes, which degrade more complex C compounds, in fertilized soils. Warming increased soil respiration overall, and N fertilization significantly increased the temperature sensitivity of slowly cycling C pools in both forests. In the lower elevation forest, respired CO2 from fertilized cores had significantly higher ,14C values than control soils, indicating losses of relatively older soil C. These results indicate that soil C storage is sensitive to both N deposition and warming in N-rich tropical soils, with interacting effects of these two global change factors. N deposition has the potential to increase total soil C stocks in tropical forests, but the long-term stability of this added C will likely depend on future changes in temperature. [source] The conversion of the corn/soybean ecosystem to no-till agriculture may result in a carbon sinkGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 11 2005Carl J. Bernacchi Abstract Mitigating or slowing an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) has been the focus of international efforts, most apparent with the development of the Kyoto Protocol. Sequestration of carbon (C) in agricultural soils is being advocated as a method to assist in meeting the demands of an international C credit system. The conversion of conventionally tilled agricultural lands to no till is widely accepted as having a large-scale sequestration potential. In this study, C flux measurements over a no-till corn/soybean agricultural ecosystem over 6 years were coupled with estimates of C release associated with agricultural practices to assess the net biome productivity (NBP) of this no-till ecosystem. Estimates of NBP were also calculated for the conventionally tilled corn/soybean ecosystem assuming net ecosystem exchange is C neutral. These measurements were scaled to the US as a whole to determine the sequestration potential of corn/soybean ecosystems, under current practices where 10% of agricultural land devoted to this ecosystem is no-tilled and under a hypothetical scenario where 100% of the land is not tilled. The estimates of this analysis show that current corn/soybean agriculture in the US releases ,7.2 Tg C annually, with no-till sequestering ,2.2 Tg and conventional-till releasing ,9.4 Tg. The complete conversion of land area to no till might result in 21.7 Tg C sequestered annually, representing a net C flux difference of ,29 Tg C. These results demonstrate that large-scale conversion to no-till practices, at least for the corn/soybean ecosystem, could potentially offset ca. 2% of annual US carbon emissions. [source] Treatment of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypotension: Cervicothoracic and Lumbar Blood Patch and Peroral Steroid TreatmentHEADACHE, Issue 3 2006Jan Hannerz MD Methods.,Twelve consecutive patients with clinical symptoms and testing results compatible with a diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypotension (IIH), but no identifiable site of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, were treated with a cervicothoracic or lumbar epidural "blood patch" (EBP) or orally administered steroids. Results.,Prompt and complete relief from headache persisting for at least 4 months was attained in 3 of 4 treatments with cervicothoracic EBP, 2 of 15 with lumbar EBP, and 4 of 8 with steroids. Conclusion.,These results suggest that in patients who presumably suffer from IIH and yet have no identifiable site of CSF leakage, the presumed leakage more often occurs at the cervicothoracic level than the lumbar. In addition, our experience suggests that some IIH patients may be treated effectively with oral steroids and a trial of such therapy may be considered as an alternative to EBP. [source] Topiramate as an Adjunctive Treatment in Migraine ProphylaxisHEADACHE, Issue 10 2003Héctor R. Martínez MD Background.,Anticonvulsants now are commonly used for headache prevention. Topiramate, one of the newer anticonvulsants, recently has been demonstrated to be effective as monotherapy for migraine prophylaxis. Objective.,To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of topiramate as adjunctive prophylactic therapy for migraine. Material and Methods.,A prospective trial involving patients with more than 3 migraine attacks per month was performed. Patients continued their usual prophylactic treatment. Baseline analgesic use and frequency and duration of migraine attacks were recorded. A 4-point visual analog scale evaluated severity. Laboratory tests, electrocardiogram, and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging were performed before study entry. After informed consent was obtained, patients were instructed to take 25 mg of topiramate per day, with 25- to 50-mg weekly increments to a maximum of 100 mg per day. Safety was assessed at the first month; tolerability and efficacy were assessed every week for the first month and then every month for 3 months. Effectiveness was assessed by comparing baseline and on-treatment migraine status, and data were analyzed by the Fisher exact test. Results.,Twenty-five women and 11 men (mean age, 44 years) were evaluated. Existing prophylactic treatment was either propranolol or flunarizine (or both) in 80% of the patients. At 3 months of therapy with topiramate, headache frequency decreased from 17 to 3 episodes per month, headache duration from 559 to 32 minutes, and intensity from 9 to 1 by visual analog scale (P < .001). Improvement in frequency and severity of migraine was observed in 83% of patients. Slight or no changes in headache were observed in 6 patients. Tolerability was good in 30 patients. The most common side effects were acroparesthesias, weight loss, sleepiness, and headache worsening. No adverse interaction with propranolol or flunarizine was observed. Conclusions.,These results suggest that topiramate is efficacious and safe as an adjunctive treatment in patients with migraine whose prior response to prophylactic management has been less than satisfactory. [source] Peripheral Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Chronic, Disabling Transformed MigraineHEADACHE, Issue 4 2003Charles A. Popeney DO Background.,Up to 5% of the general population suffers from transformed migraine. This study analyzes clinical responses of transformed migraine to cervical peripheral nerve stimulation. Methods.,Headache frequency, severity, and disability (Migraine Disability Assessment [MIDAS] scores) were independently measured in an uncontrolled consecutive case series of 25 patients with transformed migraine implanted with C1 through C3 peripheral nerve stimulation. All patients met International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for episodic migraine, as well as suggested criteria for transformed migraine, and had been refractory to conventional treatment for at least 6 months. Responses to C1 through C3 peripheral nerve stimulation were recorded. Results.,Prior to stimulation, all patients experienced severe disability (grade IV on the MIDAS) with 75.56 headache days (average severity, 9.32; average MIDAS score, 121) over a 3-month period. Following stimulation, 15 patients reported little or no disability (grade I), 1 reported mild disability (grade II), 4 reported moderate disability (grade III), and 5 continued with severe disability (grade IV), with 37.45 headache days (average severity, 5.72; average MIDAS score, 15). The average improvement in the MIDAS score was 88.7%, with all patients reporting their headaches well controlled after stimulation. Conclusions.,These results raise the possibility that C1 through C3 peripheral nerve stimulation can help improve transformed migraine symptoms and disability. A controlled study is required to confirm these results. [source] Dynamic Assessment of Abnormalities in Central Pain Transmission and Modulation in Tension-type Headache SufferersHEADACHE, Issue 2 2000Jonathan D. Neufeld PhD Objective.,To examine and compare central pain processing and modulation in young tension-type headache sufferers with that of matched healthy controls using an induced headache "challenge" paradigm. Background.,Recent research has suggested that abnormalities in central pain processing and descending pain modulation may contribute to chronic tension-type headache. These abnormalities, if they contribute to headache pathogenesis, should be present in young adult tension-type headache sufferers. Recent research using static measures of physiological variables, such as muscle tenderness and exteroceptive suppression, has identified chronic muscle tenderness as a characteristic of young tension-type headache sufferers, but other central nervous system functional abnormalities may require a dynamic "challenge" to be observed. Methods.,Twenty-four young women meeting the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria for tension-type headache (headache-prone) and a matched group of 24 healthy women who reported fewer than 10 problem headaches per year (control) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Subjects completed jaw clenching and a placebo condition on different days in counterbalanced order. Pericranial muscle tenderness, pressure-pain thresholds on the temporalis, and exteroceptive suppression periods were assessed before and after each procedure. Head pain was recorded for 12 to16 hours following each condition. Results.,Headache-prone subjects were more likely than controls to experience headaches after both the jaw clenching and placebo procedures, but neither group was significantly more likely to experience headaches following jaw clenching than placebo. In pretreatment measurements, headache-prone subjects exhibited greater muscle tenderness than controls, but pressure-pain detection thresholds and exteroceptive suppression periods did not differ in the two groups. Control subjects showed increases in muscle tenderness and exteroceptive suppression periods following both the clenching and placebo procedures, whereas headache-prone subjects exhibited no significant changes in any of the physiological measures following either experimental manipulation. Conclusions.,These results confirm previous findings indicating abnormally high pericranial muscle tenderness in young tension headache sufferers even in the headache-free state. In addition, the results suggest that the development of headaches following noxious stimulation is more strongly related to headache proneness and associated abnormalities in central pain transmission or modulation (indexed by pericranial muscle tenderness and exteroceptive suppression responses) than muscle strain induced by jaw clenching. [source] Mechanism of Action of Low Recurrence of Gastritis Caused by Helicobacter pylori with the Type II Urease B GeneHELICOBACTER, Issue 2 2004Md. Badruzzaman ABSTRACT Background., Low recurrence of gastritis is seen in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori carrying the type II urease B gene, compared with H. pylori carrying types I and III. The underlying mechanism has been studied in terms of the urease activity and interleukin (IL)-8 production capacity of different strains of H. pylori. Materials and Methods., Forty-five patients infected with different strains of H. pylori (type I; 15, type II; 15 and type III; 15) were enrolled in the study. H. pylori was isolated from gastric mucosa and cultured in the presence of urea at pH 5.5 to evaluate urease activity. The capacity of different strains of H. pylori to induce IL-8 mRNA and IL-8 from a human gastric cancer cell line and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was evaluated. Results., The urease activity of type II H. pylori[523 ± 228 µg of ammonia/dl/108 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml] was significantly lower than that of type I (1355 ± 1369 µg of ammonia/dl/108 CFU/ml) and type III (1442 ± 2229 µg of ammonia/dl/108 CFU/ml) (p < .05). Gastric cancer cells cocultured with type II H. pylori produced lower levels of IL-8 mRNA compared with type I and type III H. pylori. The levels of IL-8 were also significantly lower in cultures induced by type II H. pylori compared with those induced by type I and type III H. pylori. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells also produced lower levels of IL-8 when cocultured with type II compared with type I H. pylori. Conclusions., These results indicate that both the lower level of urease activity and the low IL-8-inducing capacity of type II H. pylori might underlie the lower recurrence rate of gastritis caused by type II H. pylori. [source] Amygdala damage affects event-related potentials for fearful faces at specific time windowsHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 7 2010Pia Rotshtein Abstract The amygdala is known to influence processing of threat-related stimuli in distant brain regions, including visual cortex. The time-course of these distant influences is unknown, although this information is important for resolving debates over likely pathways mediating an apparent rapidity in emotional processing. To address this, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) to seen fearful face expressions, in preoperative patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy who had varying degrees of amygdala pathology, plus healthy volunteers. We found that amygdala damage diminished ERPs for fearful versus neutral faces within the P1 time-range, ,100,150 ms, and for a later component at ,500,600 ms. Individual severity of amygdala damage determined the magnitude of both these effects, consistent with a causal amygdala role. By contrast, amygdala damage did not affect explicit perception of fearful expressions nor a distinct emotional ERP effect at 150,250 ms. These results demonstrate two distinct time-points at which the amygdala influences fear processing. The data also demonstrate that while not all aspects of expression processing are disrupted by amygdala damage, there is a crucial impact on an early P1 component. These findings are consistent with the existence of multiple processing stages or routes for fearful faces that vary in their dependence on amygdala function. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Selective regulation of CD40 expression in murine dendritic cells by thiol antioxidantsIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Norifumi Iijima Summary Interaction of CD40 on dendritic cells (DC) with CD40 ligand induces interleukin-12 (IL-12) production by these DC during the antigen presentation. Thus, the level of CD40 expression appears to influence the capability of DC to induce a T helper 1 (Th1) response. However, it is not fully understood how CD40 expression on DC is regulated. In the present study, we examined the effects of the reducing agents, N -acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC) and reduced glutathione (GSH), on tumour necrosis factor-, (TNF-,)-induced phenotypic changes in murine DC. TNF-, markedly increased the expression on DC of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the costimulatory molecules, CD40, CD80 and CD86. Both NAC and GSH completely abolished the TNF-,-induced enhancement of CD40 expression, but had no considerable effect on the expression of CD80, CD86 and MHC. The marked decrease of CD40 protein with NAC was also detected by Western blotting, but was not associated with the expression level of CD40 mRNA in DC. Thus, NAC appears to reduce CD40 expression on DC by regulating a post-transcriptional pathway. The inhibitory effect of NAC or GSH on TNF-,-induced CD40 expression was released by simply removing these agents from the culture. In contrast, culture of TNF-,-treated DC with NAC or GSH markedly decreased the expression of CD40 within 12 hr. These results demonstrate that reducing agents selectively, rapidly and reversibly regulate CD40 expression on DC, which may eventually affect the capability of DC for Th1/Th2 polarization. [source] Rate constants for H + CH4, CH3 + H2, and CH4 dissociation at high temperatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 11 2001J. W. Sutherland The Laser Photolysis-Shock Tube technique coupled with H-atom atomic resonance absorption spectrometry has been used to study the reaction, H + CH4 , CH3 + H2, over the temperature range, 928,1697 K. Shock-tube studies on the reverse of this reaction, CH3 + H2 , H + CH4, using CH3I dissociation in the presence of H2 yielded H-atom formation rates and rate constants for the reverse process over the temperature range, 1269,1806 K. These results were transformed (using well-established equilibrium constants) to the forward direction. The combined results for H + CH4 can be represented by an experimental three parameter expression, k = 6.78 × 10,21 T3.156 exp(,4406 K/T) cm3 molecule,1 s,1 (348,1950 K) that was evaluated from the present work and seven previous studies. Using this evaluation, disagreements between previously reported values for the dissociation of CH4 could be reconciled. The thermal decomposition of CH4 was then studied in Kr bath gas. The dissociation results agreed with the earlier studies and were theoretically modeled with the Troe formalism. The energy transfer parameter necessary to explain both the present results and those of Kiefer and Kumaran (J Phys Chem 1993, 97, 414) is, ,,,E,all/cm,1 = 0.3323 T0.7. The low temperature data on the reverse reaction, H + CH3 (in He) from Brouard et al. (J Phys Chem 1989, 93, 4047) were also modeled with the Troe formalism. Lastly, the rate constant for H + CH4 was theoretically calculated using conventional transition state theory with Eckart tunneling corrections. The potential energy surface used was from Kraka et al. (J Chem Phys 1993, 99, 5306) and the derived T-dependence with this method agreed almost perfectly with the experimental evaluation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 669,684, 2001 [source] Effect of oral hygiene instruction and scaling on oral malodour in a population of Turkish children with gingival inflammationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2006C. KARA Summary. Aim., Oral malodour affects a large proportion of the population, and may cause a significant social or psychological handicap to those suffering from it. The condition has a positive correlation with the accumulation of bacterial plaque in the oral cavity. The aim of the present study was twofold: first, to determine whether oral malodour and periodontal disease parameters are associated with one another in 150 Turkish subjects (mean age ± SD = 9·1 ± 2·7 years; age range = 7,12 years); and secondly, to investigate the impact of oral hygiene instruction and scaling on oral malodour. Design., The parameters measured included whole-mouth odour judge scoring, halimeter measurements, saliva pH scores, gingival index, plaque index, and probing depth before and after the treatment procedures. Results., Odour judge scores were significantly associated with halimeter findings. However, gingival index, plaque index and probing depth were significantly associated with odour judge scores and halimeter scores. The statistical analysis revealed that periodontal treatments caused a significant reduction (P < 0·001) in volatile sulphur compound formation. Conclusion., These results suggest that, in the population studied, periodontal health and oral malodour are associated with one another. Oral malodour levels were significantly reduced after treating gingival inflammation. Thus, in order to avoid oral malodour in children, oral care should not be neglected. [source] Randomized trial of trigger point injection for renal colicINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 9 2002MASANORI IGUCHI Abstract Background: Many drugs have been utilized for the treatment of renal colic, but to date no drugs that relieve pain quickly and completely have been developed. Thus, we conducted a prospective trial to evaluate the effects of trigger point injection on renal colic. In this study, we used a local injection of lidocaine to the trigger point of patients experiencing renal colic, and evaluated the efficacy in patients using the visual analog scale. Methods: Sixty patients with renal colic were enrolled in this study and divided into two groups by a simple randomization: (i) the butylscopolamine group (n = 30, intravenous injection of butylscopolamine bromide and sulpyrine); and (ii) the lidocaine group (n = 30, local anesthesia to the trigger point with lidocaine). Results: Renal colic had disappeared completely at the end of the trigger point injection in 15/30 patients and the average time required to produce a 50% improvement in symptoms was 9 min in all patients in the group. In the lidocaine group, only one patient needed an additional anodyne treatment after 60 min and none of the 29 patients whose pain disappeared within 60 min needed further anodyne treatment within 24 h. These results were all significantly superior to those of the conventional treatment. No side-effects and complications were observed. Conclusion: Trigger point injection, in our experience, is an easy, safe and effective method for the amelioration of renal colic. It was significantly superior to the combination of intravenous butylscopolamine and sulpyrine. [source] Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing studentsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2010Ya-Chu Hsiao hsiao y.-c., chien l.-y., wu l.-y., chiang c.-m. & huang s.-y. (2010) Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(7), 1612,1622. Abstract Title.,Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Aim., This paper is a report of an exploration of the association of spiritual health with clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. Background., Several studies in western countries have demonstrated an association between spirituality and health. Spirituality-related research in eastern countries, however, is still in its infancy. Methods., A cross-sectional design was adopted and structured questionnaires were used for data collection. We adopted the Probability Proportional to Size cluster sampling method to recruit nursing students in senior grades. Data were collected in 2005 using the Spiritual Health Scale, Perceived Clinical Practice Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Health Promotion Behaviours Scale. Results., A total of 1276 nursing students with an average age of 20·1 years (sd = 1·6 years) participated in the study. Spiritual health was negatively associated with clinical practice stress (r = ,0·211, P < 0·001) and depressive tendency (r = ,0·324, P < 0·001) and positively associated with health-promoting behaviours (r = 0·611, P < 0·001). Using hierarchical regression analysis to control for demographic factors, spiritual health was found to be an important predictive factor for clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours. Conclusion., These results are consistent with research findings from western countries. Educators should develop strategies to address nursing students' spiritual health. This may help nursing students to manage their stress, to reduce depressive symptoms and to enhance health-promoting behaviours. [source] Psychosocial treatments for people with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance misuse: systematic reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2009Michelle Cleary Abstract Title.,Psychosocial treatments for people with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance misuse: systematic review. Aim., This study is a report of a systematic review to assess current evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for reducing substance use, as well as improving mental state and encouraging treatment retention, among people with dual diagnosis. Background., Substance misuse by people with a severe mental illness is common and of concern because of its many adverse consequences and lack of evidence for effective psychosocial interventions. Data sources., Several electronic databases were searched to identify studies published between January 1990 and February 2008. Additional searches were conducted by means of reference lists and contact with authors. Review methods., Results from studies using meta-analysis, randomized and non-randomized trials assessing any psychosocial intervention for people with a severe mental illness and substance misuse were included. Results., Fifty-four studies were included: one systematic review with meta-analysis, 30 randomized controlled trials and 23 non-experimental studies. Although some inconsistencies were apparent, results showed that motivational interviewing had the most quality evidence for reducing substance use over the short term and, when combined with cognitive behavioural therapy, improvements in mental state were also apparent. Cognitive behavioural therapy alone showed little consistent support. Support was found for long-term integrated residential programmes; however, the evidence is of lesser quality. Contingency management shows promise, but there were few studies assessing this intervention. Conclusion., These results indicate the importance of motivational interviewing in psychiatric settings for the reduction of substance use, at least in the short term. Further quality research should target particular diagnoses and substance use, as some interventions may work better for some subgroups. [source] Socioeconomic instability and the availability of health resources: their effects on infant mortality rates in Macau from 1957,2006JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5-6 2010Moon Fai Chan Aim., To investigate the effects of socioeconomic instability and the availability of health resources on infant mortality rate. Background., In 1960, the infant mortality rate was 46·3 infants per 1000 live births in Macau but by 2006 it had declined to 2·7 infants per 1000 live births. Design., A retrospective design collecting yearly data for the Macau covering the period from 1957,2006. The infant mortality rate was the dependent variable and demographics, socioeconomic status and health resources are three main explanatory variables to determine the mortality rate. Methods., Regression modelling. Results., Results show that higher birth (Beta = 0·029, p = 0·004) and unemployment rates (Beta = ,0·120, p = 0·036) and more public expenditure on health (Beta = ,0·282, p < 0·001) were significantly more likely to reduce the infant mortality rate. Conclusions., These results indicate that the socioeconomically disadvantaged are at a significantly higher risk for infant mortality. In contrast, more public expenditure on health resources significantly reduces the risk for infant mortality. This study provides further international evidence that suggests that improving aspects of the healthcare system may be one way to compensate for the negative effects of social inequalities on health outcomes. Relevance to clinical practice., The implication of these results is that more effort, particularly during economic downturns, should be put into removing the barriers that impede access to healthcare services and increasing preventive care for the population that currently has less access to health care in communities where there is a scarcity of medical resources. In addition, efforts should be made to expand and improve the coverage of prenatal and infant healthcare programmes to alleviate regional differences in the use of health care and improve the overall health status of infants in Macau. [source] A randomised controlled trial of the effects of cryotherapy on pain, eyelid oedema and facial ecchymosis after craniotomyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 21 2009Yong Soon Shin Aim., To identify the effects of cryotherapy on patient discomfort following craniotomy. Background., Following craniotomy, many patients suffer from unexpected discomfort, including pain, eyelid oedema and ecchymosis. Cryotherapy is regarded as a safe method for managing these postcraniotomy problems. Design., Randomised controlled trial. Methods., A total of 97 Korean patients who underwent elective supratentorial craniotomy were randomly assigned to a cryotherapy or a control group. In the cryotherapy group, ice bags were applied to surgical wounds, and cold gel packs were applied to periorbital areas, for 20 minutes per hour, beginning three hours postoperatively and for three days thereafter. The level of patient pain was measured using the visual analogue scale while the eyelid oedema was measured using the Kara & Gokalan's scale. Ecchymosis was also classified according to its extent. Results., The level of pain three hours after craniotomy was similar in the cryotherapy and control groups (57·9 vs. 58·7). Three days after surgery, pain had significantly decreased in the cryotherapy group (p = 0·021). After adjusting diagnosis by analysis of covariance (ancova), pain score did not differ significantly between the two groups. The mean eyelid oedema scores were lower in the cryotherapy group than in the control group (0·59 vs. 2·29, p < 0·001), with ancova showing that cryotherapy had a significant effect on eyelid oedema (p < 0·001). Pain (p = 0·047) and eyelid oedema (p < 0·001) in the cryotherapy group were significantly decreased over time. Ecchymosis were significantly less frequent in the cryotherapy (11/48, 22·9%) than in the control (26/49, 53·1%) group (p = 0·003). Logistic regression analysis showed that cryotherapy affected ecchymosis (p = 0·001). Conclusion., These results indicate that cryotherapy can control pain, eyelid oedema and facial ecchymosis after craniotomy. Relevance to clinical practice., Cryotherapy, which is both convenient and cost-effective, can be used to prevent postoperative discomforts in a clinical setting. [source] Correlations between type-indicator fish species and lake productivity in German lowland lakesJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006X.-F. Garcia Morphotypes for 67 lakes in the German lowlands were derived, based on maximum depth and mixis type. A threshold of 11 m maximum depth was identified to be the best level to discriminate shallow from deep lake morphotypes. The fish communities in these two morphotypes were significantly different. Indicator species analyses based on fish biomasses found vendace Coregonus albula in deep lakes and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus, bream Abramis brama, white bream Abramis bjoerkna, roach Rutilus rutilus, pikeperch Sander lucioperca and small perch Perca fluviatilis in shallow lakes to be the most representative species of their communities. Lake productivity was closely related to biomass and in part abundance of the type-indicator species, with vendace declining with increasing chlorophyll a concentration in the deep lakes, whereas biomass of pikeperch, bream, white bream and ruffe increased and biomass of small perch decreased with increasing chlorophyll a. These results indicate that assessment of ecological integrity of lakes by their fish fauna is generally possible, if lakes are initially separated according to a depth-related morphotype before the assessment, and if eutrophication is considered to be the main anthropogenic degradation. [source] Effect of temperature on pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in mud crab, Scylla serrata (Forsskål), following oral administrationJOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 3 2008W H Fang Abstract The study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin following a single oral gavage (10 mg kg,1) in mud crab, Scylla serrata, at water temperatures of 19 and 26 °C. Enrofloxacin concentration in haemolymph was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A multiple and repeated haemolymph sampling from the articular cavity of crab periopods was developed. The haemolymph of an individual crab was successfully sampled up to 11 times from the articular cavity. The profile of haemolymph enrofloxacin concentration of an individual crab versus time was thus achieved. The mean haemolymph enrofloxacin concentration versus time was described by a two-compartment model with first-order absorption at two water temperatures. The peak concentrations of haemolymph enrofloxacin at 19 and 26 °C were 7.26 and 11.03 ,g mL,1, at 6 and 2 h, respectively. The absorption and distribution half-life time ( and t1/2,) at 19 °C were 3.7 and 4.5 h, respectively, which were markedly larger than the corresponding values (1.1 and 1.5 h) at 26 °C; the elimination half-life time (t1/2,) was 79.1 and 56.5 h at 19 and 26 °C, respectively. The area under curve (AUC), total body clearance (Cl) and mean residence time (MRT0,,) at 19 °C were 636.0 mg L,1 h, 0.016 L h,1 kg,1 and 102.5 h, respectively; the corresponding values at 26 °C were 583.4 mg L,1 h, 0.018 L h,1 kg,1and 63.7 h. These results indicate that enrofloxacin is absorbed and eliminated more rapidly in mud crab at 26 °C than at 19 °C. [source] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHELL SWAB AND SHELL CRUSH METHODS FOR THE RECOVERY OF SALMONELLA FROM SHELL EGGSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2008T. KAWASAKI ABSTRACT Swabbing is the standard methodology for the recovery of resident microorganism from shell eggs in Japan. A comparative study of shell swab (SW) and shell crush (CR) techniques was performed to recover the laboratory-inoculated Salmonella from shell eggs. It was found that the recovery of Salmonella by CR methods was significantly higher (4.5,7.5 log cfu/egg) than that of SW methods (3.1,6.3 log cfu/egg). However, analyses with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (invA as a target gene), fluorescent microscopic and quantitative analyses with a Live/Dead BacLight bacterial viability kit revealed that not all of the inoculated Salmonella spp. populations were recovered as intact cells by either method. The chemiluminescent bacterial viability assay showed that chemiluminescence intensity (CI) began to increase after 30 min in CR samples; on the other hand, SW samples did not show any increase in CI for 2 h. These results suggest that SW might cause more damage and lethality to cells than CR. In addition, to determine the most appropriate method for recovering resident aerobic bacteria, coliforms and Salmonella spp from shell eggs, 4,000 commercial eggs were collected and sampled by shell rinse (SR) and CR techniques using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) warmed to different temperatures. PBS at 37C was found to be the best recovery solution and temperature, respectively, for recovering aerobic microorganisms from shell eggs by both methods and the CR methods recovered a higher population than did the SR methods (4.9 versus 5.8 log cfu/egg for SR and CR methods, respectively; n = 500 eggs/method). Therefore, the CR method along with recovery buffer (PBS) at 37C could be an effective technique for the recovery of microorganisms from post-processed shell eggs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS There is a need to develop a rapid and highly sensitive method for the recovery of microorganisms from shell eggs. Such recovery methods are also useful for evaluating the efficacy of newly developed shell egg disinfection techniques. Many methods involving rinsing, swabbing, and crushing of shell eggs have been reported; however, we performed a comparative study of the method used to recover the Salmonella from shell eggs. We found that the shell crush method (CR) was superior to the shell swab method (SW) for the recovery of Salmonella spp., and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37C was found to be the best recovery solution and temperature, respectively, for recovering microorganisms from shell eggs by both methods. Therefore, the CR method along with recovery buffer (PBS) at 37C could be an effective technique for the recovery of microorganisms from post-processed shells. Use of this method could be recommended for the microbial evaluation of post-processed shell eggs in industries. [source] Effects of Vegetable Juice Powder Concentration and Storage Time on Some Chemical and Sensory Quality Attributes of Uncured, Emulsified Cooked SausagesJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2007J.J. Sindelar ABSTRACT:, Uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added meat products can be manufactured with vegetable juice powder (VJP) and a starter culture containing Staphylococcus carnosus, resulting in quality and sensory attributes similar to traditional cured products. The 1st objective of this study was to determine the effects of varying concentrations of VJP and incubation times (MIN-HOLD) on quality characteristics, including lipid oxidation, color, and cured meat pigment concentrations, of emulsified-frankfurter-style-cooked (EFSC) sausages over a 90-d storage period. The 2nd objective was to compare residual nitrate and nitrite content resulting from different processing treatments and the 3rd objective was to assess sensory properties of finished products. Four EFSC sausage treatments (TRT) (TRT 1: 0.20% VJP, 30 MIN-HOLD; TRT 2: 0.20% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD; TRT 3: 0.40% VJP, 30 MIN-HOLD; TRT 4: 0.40% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD) and a sodium nitrite-added control (C) were used for this study. No differences for lipid oxidation (TBARS) between any TRTs and C or over time were observed. No differences (P > 0.05) for CIE L* values were found between TRTs. CIE a* and reflectance ratio values revealed that TRTs 2, 4, and C were redder than TRTs 1 and 3 at day 0. Trained sensory intensity ratings for cured aroma, cured color, cured flavor, uniform color, and firmness determined that all but TRT 1 were similar to C. These results indicate a longer incubation time (120 compared with 30 min) was found more critical than VJP level (0.20% or 0.40%) to result in products comparable to a sodium nitrite-added control. [source] Chlamydia pneumoniae and luminal narrowing after coronary angioplastyJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2001K. J. Mattila Mattila KJ, Juvonen JT, Kotamäki MK, Saikku PA (Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki; Kainuu Central Hospital, Kajaani, and National Public Health Institute, Oulu, Finland). Chlamydia pneumoniae and luminal narrowing after coronary angioplasty. J Intern Med 2001; 250: 67,71. Objectives.,Numerous studies have linked Chlamydia pneumoniae with atherosclerotic vessel disease and a trend for an association of the bacteria with restenosis after percutaneous transluminae coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has also been observed. The aim of this study was to assess the role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the luminal narrowing taking place after PTCA. Design.,A noninterventional 6-month follow-up study. Setting.,A university hospital. Subjects.,A total of 122 patients with angiographically proven coronary heart disease (CHD) referred for PTCA. Interventions.,None. Main outcome measures.,The degree of luminal narrowing in the coronary arteries following coronary angioplasty. Results.,The levels of C. pneumoniae antibodies (IgG, IgA and IgM classes) and immune complexes were not associated with luminal narrowing after PTCA in multivariate analyses whilst smoking, plasma endothelin levels and diabetes were. The serologic parameters did not change during the follow up either. Conclusions.,These results do not support a role for C. pneumoniae in luminal narrowing following PTCA. [source] CaM kinase II and protein kinase C activations mediate enhancement of long-term potentiation by nefiracetam in the rat hippocampal CA1 regionJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2008Shigeki Moriguchi Abstract Nefiracetam is a pyrrolidine-related nootropic drug exhibiting various pharmacological actions such as cognitive-enhancing effect. We previously showed that nefiracetam potentiates NMDA-induced currents in cultured rat cortical neurons. To address questions whether nefiracetam affects NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, we assessed effects of nefiracetam on NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) by electrophysiology and LTP-induced phosphorylation of synaptic proteins by immunoblotting analysis. Nefiracetam treatment at 1,1000 nM increased the slope of fEPSPs in a dose-dependent manner. The enhancement was associated with increased phosphorylation of ,-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor through activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) without affecting synapsin I phosphorylation. In addition, nefiracetam treatment increased PKC, activity in a bell-shaped dose,response curve which peaked at 10 nM, thereby increasing phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate and NMDA receptor. Nefiracetam treatment did not affect protein kinase A activity. Consistent with the bell-shaped PKC, activation, nefiracetam treatment enhanced LTP in the rat hippocampal CA1 region with the same bell-shaped dose,response curve. Furthermore, nefiracetam-induced LTP enhancement was closely associated with CaMKII and PKC, activation with concomitant increases in phosphorylation of their endogenous substrates except for synapsin I. These results suggest that nefiracetam potentiates AMPA receptor-mediated fEPSPs through CaMKII activation and enhances NMDA receptor-dependent LTP through potentiation of the post-synaptic CaMKII and protein kinase C activities. Together with potentiation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function, nefiracetam-enhanced AMPA and NMDA receptor functions likely contribute to improvement of cognitive function. [source] Ca2+ -induced permeabilization promotes free radical release from rat brain mitochondria with partially inhibited complex IJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2005Tatyana V. Votyakova Abstract Mitochondrial complex I dysfunction has been implicated in a number of brain pathologies, putatively owing to an increased rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) release. However, the mechanisms regulating the ROS burden are poorly understood. In this study we investigated the effect of Ca2+ loads on ROS release from rat brain mitochondria with complex I partially inhibited by rotenone. The addition of 20 nm rotenone to brain mitochondria increased ROS release. Ca2+ (100 µm) alone had no effect on ROS release, but greatly potentiated the effects of rotenone. The effect of Ca2+ was decreased by ruthenium red. Ca2+ -challenged mitochondria lose about 88% of their glutathione and 46% of their cytochrome c under these conditions, although this depends only on Ca2+ loading and not complex I inhibition. ADP in combination with oligomycin decreased the loss of glutathione and cytochrome c and free radical generation. Cyclosporin A alone was ineffective in preventing these effects, but augmented the protection provided by ADP and oligomycin. Non-specific permeabilization of mitochondria with alamethicin also increased the ROS signal, but only when combined with partial inhibition of complex I. These results demonstrate that Ca2+ can greatly increase ROS release by brain mitochondria when complex I is impaired. [source] Oxidative modification of mitochondrial proteins and cell death in Parkinson's diseaseJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2002W. Maruyama Oxidative stress is one of the cell death mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease. Most of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generate in mitochondria through oxidative phosphorylation, and a part of them are not scavenged by antioxidative system and react with bioactive molecules. Recently, alpha-synuclein containing nitrotyrosine, a marker for oxidative modification by peroxynitrite, was identified in Lewy body. In addition, inhibitors of mitochondrial respiratory chain were reported to induce formation of Lewy body-like inclusion in vivo and in vitro. In this paper it was examined whether ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generated in mitochondria oxidize mitochondrial respiratory enzymes and induce the formation of inclusion body and cell death in PD. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were treated with a peroxynitrite donor, SIN-1, or an inhibitor of complex I, rotenone. After the treatment, proteins modified with toxic aldehydes, 4-hydroxynonenal and acrolein, and containing nitrotyrosine were analyzed by immunoblotting. Particularly in mitochondrial fraction, the oxidized protein was characterized by two-dimensional immunoblotting. Most of the oxidized proteins were detected in subunits proteins of complex I. These results indicate that mitochondrial complex I is a main target of oxidative stress in dopamine neurons and its dysfunction may be involved in the death mechanism in neurodegenerative disorders. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||