The Ile148Met (rs738409, G-allele) in the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene (PNPLA3) associates with liver fat content and may lead to loss-of-function (hydrolysis) or gain-of-function (CoA-dependent lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase) defects. PNPLA3 is up-regulated by dietary carbohydrates, and interactions between rs738409 and carbohydrates, and sugar and ω6:ω3-poly

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has an established role in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in the newborn. However, costs and potential toxicity associated with iNO have generated interest in alternative inhaled selective pulmonary vasodilators such as iloprost. In a preterm lamb model of respiratory distress syndrome, we studied effects of increasing doses of iloprost followed by iNO on right

Cerebral ischemia is characterized by an early disruption of GABAergic neurotransmission contributing to an imbalance of the excitatory/inhibitory equilibrium and neuronal death, but the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Here we report a downregulation of GABAA receptor (GABAAR) expression, affecting both mRNA and protein levels of GABAAR subunits, in hippocampal neurons subj

INTRODUCTION: Study aim was to find out if patients with Lenke type 1 curve exhibit smaller pedicles and specific pedicle width pattern compared with individuals with no scoliosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 4,828 pedicle width measurements (T1-L5) in 61 consecutive patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis of Lenke type 1 curve, 61 control subjects, and 20 patients with Lenke type 5 curve, were

Several mechanisms are involved in the regulation of cellular signaling. Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) of the Tec family contains in the Tec homology (TH) domain a proline-rich region (PRR) capable of interacting with several SH3 domains. The Btk has the SH3 domain adjacent to the TH domain. CD and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to study the binding of two peptides corresponding to segments in

The mechanism behind the positive response to the inhibition of the angiotensin II receptor AT(1) in conjunction with stroke is elusive. Here we demonstrate that cerebrovascular AT(1) receptors show increased expression (upregulation) after cerebral ischemia via enhanced translation. This enhanced expression of AT(1) receptors occurs in the ischemic cerebral arteries and microvessels, and their in

A defective form of the AIRE protein causes autoimmune destruction of target organs by disturbing the immunological tolerance of patients with a rare monogenic disease, autoimmune polyendocrinopathy (APE)-candidiasis (C)-ectodermal dystrophy (ED), APECED. Recently, experiments on knockout mice revealed that AIRE controls autoimmunity by regulating the transcription of peripheral tissue-restricted

Background: Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness, and patients with vascular disease have higher plasma tHcy concentrations than patients without vascular disease. Increasing evidence indicates that vascular risk factors play a role in the development of cognitive impairment. Method: We have investigated the relation between plasma tHcy

Lacunar infarcts--small subcortical infarcts that result from occlusion of a single penetrating artery--account for about one quarter of all ischaemic strokes. However, there are many diagnostic pitfalls, and causes other than penetrating small vessel disease in up to one third of cases. Recent studies have shown that the prognosis after lacunar infarcts is not benign; the risk of recurrent stroke

Seawater desalination constitutes an important source for water supply to the population bordering the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea. The three regions represent about 11.8% of the world land area and the countries hosted approximately 9% of the world population in 1950 and 2008 and are projected to do so again in 2050. Population statistics for a 100-year period has been us

To investigate word recognition in noise in subjects treated in childhood with chemotherapy, study benefits of open-fitting hearing-aids for word recognition, and investigate whether self-reported hearing-handicap corresponded to subjects' word recognition ability. Design: Subjects diagnosed with cancer and treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood underwent audiometric evaluations. St

IL-33 represents a potential link between the airway epithelium and induction of a TH 2 type inflammatory response in asthma. However, the association with markers of eosinophilic airway inflammation has not previously been reported in steroid-free asthma patients.

we hypothesised that chronic widespread pain (CWP), by acting as a potential stressor, may predispose to the development of, or worsening, frailty.

A semiquantitative computerized waveform pattern recognition system for analysis of the fetal descending aortic and umbilical artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms is presented. Based on empirically and manually selected clinical recordings from both vessels, 11 computerized and normalized standard curves for the aorta (type curves A to K), and 10 curves for the umbilical artery (type curves a to

CAPN10, which encodes the cysteine protease calpain 10, was the first type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) susceptibility gene identified through a genome-wide scan followed by positional cloning. A haplotype combination comprising three intronic CAPN10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (UCSNP-43, -19, and -63) was associated with increased risk of T2DM in the population in which linkage was first found.

The role of cannabinoids in fatty liver disease has been increasingly acknowledged in recent years, and it has been suggested that drugs targeting peripheral cannabinoid receptors could have therapeutic use. Development of such drugs would require a good understanding of the mechanisms of fat accumulation caused by cannabinoid receptor activation. This review describes in detail the enzymatic step

The planktonic food chain phytoplankton - zooplankton - young-of-the-year roach (Rutilus rutilus) was studied in 19 lakes in southern Sweden to investigate the bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The Sigma PCB concentrations did not steadily increase with increasing trophic level. The Sigma PCB concentrations in zooplankton (400 ng.g lipid(-1)) were lower than in both phytoplankto

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Enterococcus faecalis is among the most common causes of this disease, and yet little is known about the pathogenesis of E. faecalis IE. We screened 21 E. faecalis isolates from IE and 21 isolates from normal flora for the putative virulence factors ace, asa1, gelE, and esp with PCR. In addition,