Optic disc morphology in open-angle glaucoma compared with anterior ischemic optic neuropathies.

Purpose. To compare optic disc topography performed by confocal laser ophthalmoscopy in eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AAION), and open-angle glaucoma (OAG), adjusting for the amount of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, as measured by nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness and average visual field loss. Methods.

Epilepsy care in general practice.

Epilepsy care in Ireland is shared between primary, secondary and tertiary care services with the General Practitioner (GP) managing the process. Barriers to effective epilepsy care in Irish general practice remain undocumented although sub-optimal and fragmented services are frequently anecdotally reported. This survey of Irish GPs reports on such barriers to epilepsy care and on the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) issues potentially relevant to the use of an epilepsy specific Electronic Patient Record (EPR).

Adult mice generated from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Recent landmark experiments have shown that transient overexpression of a small number of transcription factors can reprogram differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that resemble embryonic stem (ES) cells. These iPS cells hold great promise for medicine because they have the potential to generate patient-specific cell types for cell replacement therapy and produce in vitro models of disease, without requiring embryonic tissues or oocytes. Although current iPS cell lines resemble ES cells, they have not passed the most stringent test of pluripotency by generating full-term or adult mice in tetraploid complementation assays, raising questions as to whether they are sufficiently potent to generate all of the cell types in an organism.

Progesterone-regulated changes in endometrial gene expression contribute to advanced conceptus development in cattle.

The postovulatory rise in circulating progesterone (P4) concentrations is associated with increased pregnancy success in beef and dairy cattle. Our study objective was to determine how elevated P4 alters endometrial gene expression to advance conceptus development. Synchronized heifers were inseminated (Day 0) and randomly assigned to pregnant high P4 or to pregnant normal P4.

Iliac bone histomorphometry in children with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease.

Unlabelled: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) manifest low bone mass; the cause remains unclear. We performed transilial bone biopsies in 20 IBD children at diagnosis and found a mild cortical bone deficit and slow bone turnover. It is possible that low mechanical stimulation due to inadequate muscle mass contributes to the bone deficit.

Delivery of an HIV prevention counseling program in an infectious diseases clinic: implementation process and lessons learned.

Current national guidelines recommend that all HIV care providers routinely counsel their HIV-infected patients about reducing HIV transmission behaviors. In this article we identify the challenges and lessons learned from implementing a provider-delivered HIV transmission risk-reduction intervention for HIV-infected patients (Positive Steps). Based on a multi-site Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative, we integrated the Positive Steps program into an infectious diseases clinic in North Carolina.

Dominant roles of the polybasic proline motif and copper in the PrP23-89-mediated stress protection response.

Beta-cleavage of the neurodegenerative disease-associated prion protein (PrP) protects cells from death induced by oxidative insults. The beta-cleavage event produces two fragments, designated N2 and C2. We investigated the role of the N2 fragment (residues 23-89) in cellular stress response, determining mechanisms involved and regions important for this reaction.

What factors affect the use of electronic patient records by Irish GPs?

Background: The use of electronic patient records (EPR) by Irish GPs has grown substantially over the past decade but a significant number of GPs continue to use manual record systems.

Objectives: This study attempts to determine the factors which affect the uptake of an EPR by Irish GPs.

Methods And Materials: Two national postal surveys of Irish General Practitioners (GPs) were carried out in 2000 and again in 2003.

Self-rated health and quality of life in adults attending regional disability services in Ireland.

Background: There is limited background information on self-rated health in people with disability in Ireland. This paper examines self-rated health scores and dimensions of functioning in people attending disability services and compares scores to the general population in Ireland, which has not been done before.

Methods: Face-to-face interviews were carried out with 247 adults with intellectual disability and 180 with physical or sensory disability attending regional residential, day activity, or training disability centres in the East Coast Area of Ireland.

Acute exercise-induced bilateral thigh compartment syndrome.

Acute compartment syndrome of the thigh is rare due to the space's ability to accommodate large volumes of fluid and, with the exception of the lateral septum, its thin compliant linings. This article describes a case of bilateral exercise-induced severe compartment syndrome treated with anterior and posterior fasciotomies. A 29-year-old man was admitted to intensive care with myoglobinuria.

Heartwatch: a secondary prevention programme in primary care in Ireland.

Background: Heartwatch, a secondary prevention programme in primary care was initiated in 2003, based on the second European Joint Task Force recommendations for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim was to examine the effect of the first 2 years of the Heartwatch programme on cardiovascular risk factors and treatments.

Design: Prospective cohort study of patients with established CHD enrolled into the Heartwatch programme.

The impact of risk calculation on treatment recommendations made by glaucoma specialists in cases of ocular hypertension.

Purpose: To determine whether a risk calculator changes treatment recommendations made by glaucoma specialists in cases of ocular hypertension.

Methods: Two groups of case scenarios were created using the results of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) such that pairs of scenarios had the same risk of developing glaucoma. Glaucoma specialists were asked to review the cases and to make treatment recommendations.

The function of brachioradialis.

Purpose: The function of the brachioradialis muscle is controversial. The objective of this study was to determine primary and secondary functions of the brachioradialis under various loading tasks as measured by EMG.

Methods: Ten healthy individuals (9 men, 1 woman; average age, 34 years +/- 10; average height, 175 cm +/- 7; average weight, 76 kg +/- 13) performed elbow flexion with the forearm in 1 of 3 positions (neutral, pronation, and supination) with 4 different loads (0, 22, 45, and 67 N).

Multivariate analysis.

Unlabelled: One of the goals of Current Protocols is to provide information from the very basic level to the very advanced. This unit is an excellent example of providing explanation and application for a complex area. Building upon several other units on data analysis, it provides a detailed explanation of how multivariate analytical techniques are applied to flow cytometry data.

The in vitro anti-pathogenic activity of immunoglobulin concentrates extracted from ovine blood.

An immunoglobulin-rich fraction has been prepared from ovine blood in our laboratory. We have investigated its antibacterial activity and binding activity to pathogenic whole cell antigens, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B. Ovine immunoglobulin concentrate (OIC) comprised about 73 +/- 2% of IgG and 11 +/- 1% of IgM on a protein basis.

Effect of antimicrobial peptides from Australian tree frogs on anionic phospholipid membranes.

Skin secretions of numerous Australian tree frogs contain antimicrobial peptides that form part of the host defense mechanism against bacterial infection. The mode of action of these antibiotics is thought to be lysis of infectious organisms via cell membrane disruption, on the basis of vesicle-encapsulated dye leakage data [Ambroggio et al. (2005) Biophys.

Adoption and perceptions of electronic health record systems by ophthalmologists: an American Academy of Ophthalmology survey.

Objective: To assess the current state of electronic health record (EHR) use by ophthalmologists, including adoption rate and user satisfaction.

Design: Population-based, cross-sectional study.

Participants: A total of 592 members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) participated.

Characterization of Dnmt3b:thymine-DNA glycosylase interaction and stimulation of thymine glycosylase-mediated repair by DNA methyltransferase(s) and RNA.

Methylation of cytosine residues in CpG dinucleotides plays an important role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and chromatin structure/stability in higher eukaryotes. DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained at CpG dinucleotides by DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b). In mammals and many other eukaryotes, the CpG dinucleotide is underrepresented in the genome.

The effect of feeding propylene glycol to dairy cows during the early postpartum period on follicular dynamics and on metabolic parameters related to fertility.

Postpartum dairy cows (n=35) were used to determine the effects of feeding propylene glycol (PG) on metabolic variables related to ovarian function and on oocyte developmental competence. Starting on Day 7 postpartum, each animal received an oral dose (500 ml) of either PG or water once daily. Blood samples were collected on Days 5, 15, 25 and 35 pp to measure insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and glucose concentrations.

Comparison of optic nerve head topography and visual field in eyes with open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma.

Objective: To compare the optic disc and visual field (VF) alterations in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).

Design: Observational case series.

Participants: A total of 146 persons (217 eyes), 110 with POAG and 36 with PACG, recruited from a university glaucoma service.

The dynamics and orientation of a lipophilic drug within model membranes determined by 13C solid-state NMR.

Methods for determining how a drug interacts with cellular membranes at the molecular level can give valuable insight into the mode of action of the drug and its absorption, distribution and metabolism profile. A procedure is described here to determine the orientation and location of the lipophilic drug trifluoperazine (TFP) intercalated into dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayers, by using a novel combination of high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) methods to observe signals from (13)C within the drug at natural abundance. SSNMR measurements of (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings for TFP and selective broadening of (13)C NMR peaks by paramagnetic Mn(2+) together suggest a model for the location, orientation and dynamics of the drug within lipid bilayers that offers an explanation for the lysoprotective effect of the drug at low concentrations.

[Promoter methylation and mRNA expression of WT1 gene in MCF10 breast cancer model].

Objective: To investigate the role of WT1 gene in breast carcinogenesis by analyses of the promoter methylation status and mRNA expression of WT1 gene in MCF10 model system of breast cancer progression.

Methods: Methylation specific PCR and sodium bisufite genomic sequencing were employed to detect methylation status of WT1 promoter in normal breast tissue, traditional breast cancer cell line MCF7 and MCF10 model series, including MCF10A (breast hyperplastic cell line, non-tumorigenic), MCF10AT (pre-malignant cell line, forming slowly progressing hyper and dysplastic lesions), MCF10DCIS.com (breast ductal carcinoma in situ cell line, forming ductal carcinoma in situ), and three invasive cell lines with metastatic potential (MCF10CA1a, MCF10CA1d, and MCF10CA1h).