Identification and characterization of choline transporter-like protein 2, an inner ear glycoprotein of 68 and 72 kDa that is the target of antibody-induced hearing loss.

The Kresge Hearing Research Institute-3 (KHRI-3) antibody binds to a guinea pig inner ear supporting cell antigen (IESCA) and causes hearing loss. To gain insight into the mechanism of antibody-induced hearing loss, we used antibody immunoaffinity purification to isolate the IESCA, which was then sequenced by mass spectroscopy, revealing 10 guinea pig peptides identical to sequences in human choline transporter-like protein 2 (CTL2). Full-length CTL2 cDNA sequenced from guinea pig inner ear has 85.

Pharmacologic treatment of bronchiolitis in infants and children: a systematic review.

Background: Bronchiolitis is the most common lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Up to 3% of all children in their first year of life are hospitalized with bronchiolitis. Bronchodilators and corticosteroids are commonly used treatments, but little consensus exists about optimal management strategies.

Bariatric surgeries in north Carolina, 1990 to 2001: a gender comparison.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the number of bariatric procedures in obese men and women in a well-defined population and to examine gender differences among bariatric patients.

Research Methods And Procedures: Data on bariatric patients were taken from the North Carolina Hospital Discharge Database, which contains information on all nonfederal hospital discharges in North Carolina from 1990 to 2001. Using North Carolina Hospital Discharge Data, Census North Carolina resident estimates, and North Carolina obesity prevalence estimates, we constructed annual rates for bariatric procedures for the obese male and female population in North Carolina.

J/psi polarization in 800-GeV p-Cu interactions.

We present measurements of the polarization of the J/psi produced in 800-GeV proton interactions with a copper target. Polarization of the J/psi is sensitive to the ccmacr; production and hadronization processes. A longitudinal polarization is observed at large x(F), while at small x(F) the state is produced essentially unpolarized or slightly transversely polarized.

Physician referrals to physical therapy for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with orthopedic surgeons' and primary care physicians' referrals to physical therapy (PT) for musculoskeletal conditions.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data.

Setting: US office-based physician practices.

Epstein-Barr virus detected in a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line derived from an immunocompromised patient.

Background: DNA tumor viruses potentially play a role in the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Human papillomavirus is found in up to 50% of SCCHN specimens, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and other lymphomas. However, the role of EBV in nonnasopharyngeal SCCHN has not been thoroughly investigated.

Antibodies to HSP-70 in normal donors and autoimmune hearing loss patients.

Objective: To evaluate serum antibody to heat shock protein (HSP) 70 as a marker for autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (AISNHL).

Design: Sera from 20 patients with rapidly progressive sensorineural HL and 20 control volunteers without HL were tested for antibody reactivity against multiple HSP 70 substrates. Substrates included recombinant human HSP (rHuHSP) 72, purified bovine brain heat shock cognate (HSC) 73 and HSP 72, as well as heat-shocked and non-heat-shocked protein extracts from bovine kidney (MDBK) cells.

Rap1A and rap1B ras-family proteins are prominently expressed in the nucleus of squamous carcinomas: nuclear translocation of GTP-bound active form.

We recently showed that rap1 regulates growth and proliferation in normal keratinocytes, which provoked us to investigate its expression and regulation in malignant cells. Rap1 is variably expressed in whole cell lysates of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines. Immunoblot analysis of nuclear and cytosolic fractions and immunohistochemistry revealed that in addition to cytoplasmic expression, SCC cells also exhibit prominent punctate rap1 expression in the nucleus.

Racially related health disparities and alcoholism treatment outcomes.

Published studies comparing the outcomes of black and white patients with alcohol dependence have produced mixed results. We hypothesized that among alcoholic outpatients blacks would have worse outcomes than whites. A sample of 38 blacks and 136 whites were assessed prospectively at baseline and 6-12 months using a naturalistic study design.

A critical guide to case series reports.

Objective: Provide guidance to investigators and authors regarding appropriate conduct and reporting of case-series studies.

Summary Of Background Data: Evidence-based practice has provided a substantial contribution to advancing clinical science. Many study designs have been critically examined, and the quality of the research literature has improved.

Rap1, a small GTP-binding protein is upregulated during arrest of proliferation in human keratinocytes.

Rap1 is a small GTP-binding protein (SMG) that exists in two 95% homologous isoforms, rap1A and rap1B. The functions of the rap1 proteins are not well understood. In this report we examined expression and function of rap1 in primary (HOKs) and immortalized (IHOKs) human oral keratinocytes under different growth conditions.

Do osteopathic physicians differ in patient interaction from allopathic physicians? An empirically derived approach.

Colleges of osteopathic medicine teach osteopathic principles, which provide a different approach to and interaction with patients than principles taught in allopathic medical schools. The authors examined whether osteopathic primary care physicians' interactions with patients reflect the principles of osteopathic medicine when compared with allopathic physicians' interactions. The principles of osteopathic medicine were adapted to elements that could be measured from an audio recording.

P53 mutation correlates with cisplatin sensitivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines.

Background: A critical factor for successful organ preservation treatment in head and neck cancer may be selecting tumors that respond to chemotherapy and radiation. Previous results in patients indicated that tumors that overexpressed p53 were more sensitive to chemotherapy than those that did not overexpress p53.

Methods: To determine the relationship of p53 mutations to sensitivity to cisplatin in vitro, 23 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines were analyzed for cisplatin sensitivity, p53 expression, and p53 mutation status.

Delineating genetic pathways of disease progression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To identify altered gene targets that characterize disease progression in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck (HNSCC). Genetic alterations in HNSCC cell lines reflect the tumor in vivo and can serve as valuable tools to study the development and progression of HNSCC. Identification of key molecular events may be useful for more accurate distinction of prognostic groups for selection and targeting of therapy.

Tocolytic treatment for the management of preterm labor: a review of the evidence.

Objective: Preterm labor is often a prelude to early births and the significant attendant burden of infant morbidity and mortality. Treatment consists of bedrest, hydration, pharmacologic interventions, and combinations of these. We systematically reviewed the effectiveness of tocolytics to stop uterine contractions (first-line therapy) or maintain quiescence (maintenance therapy).

A spatial analysis of county-level variation in hospitalization rates for low back problems in North Carolina.

Hospitalization rates for low back problems vary widely. In previous non-spatial analyses, population-level socioeconomic and health resource characteristics have explained little of the variation in rates. This study examines geographic variation in hospitalization rates for low back problems while controlling for spatial dependence in the data.

The gene ratios c-MYC:cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)N2A and CCND1:CDKN2A correlate with poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Purpose: Tumor-Node-Metastasis classification does not fully predict outcome of treatment and prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Different biomarkers have been suggested to yield additional prognostic information, but no single marker has thus far been introduced in the clinic. The objective of the present study was to analyze the copy number of the frequently amplified oncogenes CCND1 and c-MYC in relation to the commonly deleted tumor suppressor gene cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)N2A (p16) to enhance the clinical significance.

Home-based treatment in Monaghan: the first two years.

Objectives: To describe a home-based treatment (HBT) service. To profile the patient population using HBT. To determine why HBT was used and to record disposal.

Lower extremity spasticity as an early marker of ambulatory recovery following traumatic brain injury.

Methods: A consecutive series of 107 children and young persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to a hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation program was assessed to determine whether lower extremity spasticity could be utilized as an early clinical marker for recovery of ambulation. Presence of spasticity was determined by clinical examination at admission, and the ability to ambulate safely indoors (15.24 m) was evaluated at discharge.

The relation of race to outcomes and the use of health care services for acute low back pain.

Study Design: Four strata of randomly selected health care providers in North Carolina (primary care MDs, Doctors of Chiropractic, orthopedic surgeons, and group model HMO primary care providers) enrolled 1633 consecutive patients with low back pain into a cohort study.

Objective: To determine whether race had an independent effect on rate of recovery from low back pain, and whether there was any racial disparity in the treatments provided to patients with low back pain.

Summary Of Background Data: Little research to date has examined the relation between patient race and recovery from an episode of acute low back pain.

Motor skill and mobility recovery outcomes of children and youth with traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability in children. Along with other neurological clinical sequelae, children often exhibit motor skill impairment and limitations in functional mobility following TBI. The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to: (1) familiarize therapists with the literature available regarding motor skill and mobility recovery outcomes for children and adolescents with TBI; (2) assist therapists in the selection of motor skill and mobility outcome assessments for use in clinical practice; and (3) provide therapists with comparisons of outcomes for external benchmarking.

Flow measurements via two-particle azimuthal correlations in Au + Au collisions at sqrt [s(NN)]=130 GeV.

Two-particle azimuthal correlation functions are presented for charged hadrons produced in Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (sqrt [s(NN)]=130 GeV). The measurements permit determination of elliptic flow without event-by-event estimation of the reaction plane. The extracted elliptic flow values (v2) show significant sensitivity to both the collision centrality and the transverse momenta of emitted hadrons, suggesting rapid thermalization and relatively strong velocity fields.

Elevated serum vascular endothelial growth factor and decreased survival in advanced laryngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether serum vascular endothelial growth factor (s-VEGF) levels at the time of diagnosis correlate with any known tumor variables and overall survival in patients with advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Comparisons with a cohort of normal healthy controls were also performed to determine the potential usefulness of s-VEGF as a screening tool.

Experimental Design: Serum from patients enrolled in the VA Laryngeal Cooperative Study #258 (n = 183), as well as normal healthy controls (n = 40) was used in this analysis.

Reliable detection of p53 aberrations in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck requires transcript analysis of the entire coding region.

Background: Aberrations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are common events in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). However, reported frequencies range considerably, and the predictive value of aberrant p53 is continuing to be an issue of controversy. These inconsistencies are possibly caused by methodical limitations.

Human papillomavirus and p53 mutational status as prognostic factors in head and neck carcinoma.

Background: Mutations of the p53 tumor-suppressor gene are common in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and may portend a worse prognosis. Human papillomavirus (HPV) represents another potential prognostic factor for SCCHN. The oncogenic potential of HPV may be due to the ability of its E6 oncoprotein to promote degradation of wild-type p53 protein.