The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey.

Mercury distribution in the oceans is controlled by complex biogeochemical cycles, resulting in retention of trace amounts of this metal in plants and animals. Inter- and intra-specific variations in mercury levels of predatory pelagic fish have been previously linked to size, age, trophic position, physical and chemical environmental parameters, and location of capture; however, considerable variation remains unexplained. In this paper, we focus on differences in ecology, depth of occurrence, and total mercury levels in 9 species of commercially important pelagic fish (Thunnus obesus, T.

Treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia by cryoablation with a 6 mm-tip catheter vs. radiofrequency ablation.

Aims: To compare recurrence rate and other procedural characteristics in patients undergoing atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) treatment with catheter cryoablation (CRYO) delivered by 6 mm-tip catheter or radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

Methods And Results: This is a retrospective case-control study including 80 patients with AVNRT treated with CRYO from March 2002 to June 2008. They were compared with another 80 consecutive patients who underwent RF ablation for AVNRT within the same period.

Loss of p53 and MCT-1 overexpression synergistically promote chromosome instability and tumorigenicity.

MCT-1 oncoprotein accelerates p53 degradation by means of the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Our present data show that induction of MCT-1 increases chromosomal translocations and deregulated G(2)-M checkpoint in response to chemotherapeutic genotoxin. Remarkably, increases in chromosome copy number, multinucleation, and cytokinesis failure are also promoted while MCT-1 is induced in p53-deficient cells.

Do multipurpose solutions damage porcine corneal epithelial cells?

Purpose: To determine and compare the cytotoxic effects on porcine corneal epithelial cells of commercially available multipurpose solutions (MPS) using fluorescein staining and flow cytometry (FCM).

Methods: Effects of exposure time of 10 s to 10 min of MPS containing polyquaternium-1 (MPS-A), polyaminopropyl biguanide (MPS-B), and polyhexanide (MPS-C), on porcine corneal epithelial cells were determined. Cell viability and membrane integrity were assessed by Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD staining and FCM.

A study of bone marrow and subcutaneous fatty acid composition in subjects of varying bone mineral density.

Osteoporosis is associated with an increase in marrow fat. Fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, either in co-cultures or diet, have been shown to significantly influence bone remodeling. Whether the increase in marrow fat seen in osteoporosis is also associated with a change in fatty acid composition is not known.

Drak2 regulates the survival of activated T cells and is required for organ-specific autoimmune disease.

Drak2 is a serine/threonine kinase expressed in T and B cells. The absence of Drak2 renders T cells hypersensitive to suboptimal stimulation, yet Drak2(-/-) mice are enigmatically resistant to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. We show in this study that Drak2(-/-) mice were also completely resistant to type 1 diabetes when bred to the NOD strain of mice that spontaneously develop autoimmune diabetes.

Heme oxygenase-1 mediates the inhibitory actions of brazilin in RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.

Brazilin, the main constituent of Caesalpinia sappan L., is a natural red pigment that has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to identify a novel anti-inflammatory mechanism of brazilin.

Weekly pattern of stroke onset in an Asian country: a nationwide population-based study.

This study used a nationwide population-based dataset to explore the variation among the days of week of stroke onset within population subgroups defined by age, sex, and stroke type. We used ambulatory care data from the 2002 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, focusing on 42,779 emergency room (ER) visits for stroke that year. All analyses were stratified by sex, age (<60 and > or =60 yrs), and type of stroke.

Induction of hepatotoxicity by sanguinarine is associated with oxidation of protein thiols and disturbance of mitochondrial respiration.

Sanguinarine (SANG) has been suggested to be one of the principle constituents responsible for the toxicity of Argemone mexicana seed oil. In this study, we focused on the possible mechanism of SANG-induced hepatotoxicity. The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, hepatic vacuolization, lipid accumulation and lipid peroxidation of the liver were increased, and triglyceride (TG) was decreased in SANG-treated mice (10 mg kg(-1) i.

Critical incident monitoring in anaesthesia.

Purpose Of Review: Updates on developments in critical incident monitoring in anaesthesia, and assesses its role in improving patient safety.

Recent Findings: Critical incident reporting has become more widely accepted as an effective way to improve anaesthetic safety, and has continued to highlight the importance of human errors and system failures. The establishment of an international database also improves critical incident reporting.

Synthesis of amino acid phosphoramidate monoesters via H-phosphonate intermediates.

Diphenyl phosphite and bis(N,N-diisopropylamino)chlorophosphine are used as phosphitylating reagents to generate H-phosphonate monoesters. These H-phosphonate intermediates are subsequently oxidized with iodine to generate the 5'-nucleoside amino acid phosphoramidates.

Keratoacanthoma and infundibulocystic squamous cell carcinoma.

One of the major controversies in dermatopathology is the relationship of keratoacanthoma to squamous cell carcinoma. Leaders in the field remain polarized in their views. Carcinomas with distinct follicular pattern of differentiation have been described in reference to the isthmus as trichilemmal carcinomas, to the follicular bulb as pilomatricomal carcinomas, and to the stem cell or rapidly amplifying cell compartment as basal cell carcinomas (trichoblastic carcinomas).

Dry eye and blink rate simulation with a pig eye model.

Purpose: To simulate medium level "dry eye" and investigate the effect of "blink" rates in "dry eye" condition using a novel porcine dry eye model (pDEM).

Methods: In the first experiment, a 40 s "lacrimation/blink" interval (lacrimation occurring in conjunction with blink) was set in the pDEM to simulate a medium level of "dry eye" condition. In the second experiment, "lacrimation" interval was set at 60 s and three different "inter-blink" intervals of 6, 12, and 20 s were set in groups A, B, and C, respectively.

Application of an empirical transport model to simulate retention of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide in sand columns.

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide was injected into sand columns to simulate subsurface injection for creation of a permeable treatment barrier. Past usage of this material as an ex situ pilot scale treatment filter has shown that it has a high adsorption capacity for a number of heavy metals and therefore would be a good candidate for injection technology. Three suspension concentrations (50, 75 and 100 mg l(-1)) were pumped through packed sand columns at different flow velocities (3.

A class of competitive learning models which avoids neuron underutilization problem.

In this paper, we study a qualitative property of a class of competitive learning (CL) models, which is called the multiplicatively biased competitive learning (MBCL) model, namely that it avoids neuron underutilization with probability one as time goes to infinity. In the MBCL, the competition among neurons is biased by a multiplicative term, while only one weight vector is updated per learning step. This is of practical interest since its instances have computational complexities among the lowest in existing CL models.

Piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of PZT/P(VDF-TrFE) composites with constituent phases poled in parallel or antiparallel directions.

Composites of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) powder dispersed in a vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer [P(VDF-TrFE)] matrix have been prepared by compression molding. Three groups of polarized samples have been prepared by poling: only the ceramic phase, the ceramic and polymer phases in parallel directions, and the two phases in antiparallel directions. The measured permittivities of the unpoled composites are consistent with the predictions of the Bruggeman model.

Lead zirconate titanate/poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) 1-3 composites for ultrasonic transducer applications.

A new procedure for preparing lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) 1-3 composites with both phases piezoelectrically active is described. Sintered PZT rods are inserted into a prepoled copolymer matrix, and the composite is repoled under a lower electric field. Using this new procedure, the dipoles in the two phases are aligned in either the same or opposite directions.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure.

Diabetes mellitus and heart failure are common comorbidities, and their prevalence has increased significantly over the past decade. We examined the relationships between diabetes and heart failure, the effect of commonly prescribed antidiabetic drugs on the development of heart failure, and the benefits and risks of recommended heart failure therapies in patients with diabetes. Compared with patients with heart failure who do not have diabetes, patients with both diabetes and heart failure have a poorer prognosis, including a 1.

Long-term quality-of-life assessment following one-stage immediate breast reconstruction using biodimensional expander implants: the patient's perspective.

Background: Biodimensional devices may provide a superior breast form when an implant is considered for immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer. The authors prospectively report patient perception of outcome using a permanent anatomical expander implant following a planned one-stage procedure.

Methods: The Quality of Life Questionnaire BR-23 was modified to measure body image perception, physical effects, cancer worry, and surgical choice.

Suppression of lipopolysaccharide-induced of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 by Sanguis Draconis, a dragon's blood resin, in RAW 264.7 cells.

Sanguis Draconis (SD) is a kind of dragon's blood resin that is obtained from Daemomorops draco (Palmae). It is used in traditional medicine and has shown anti-inflammatory activity in some diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of Sanguis Dranonis ethanol extract (SDEE) on LPS-induced inflammation using RAW 264.

Comparison of the expectations of residents and rescue providers of community emergency medical response after mudslide disasters.

The integration of community resources is critical for emergency response. A thorough understanding of a community's requirements in advance is essential. This study examines communities that suffered mudslide disasters, and discusses expectations of the emergency medical response provided to the community from the perspectives of residents and rescue groups.

Prevalence of anemia in clinic patients with heart failure and cost analysis of epoetin treatment.

Study Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anemia in an outpatient heart failure clinic, describe the type of anemia in patients treated there, and evaluate the potential costs associated with epoetin therapy in this cohort.

Design: Single-center, retrospective cohort analysis (part 1) and a literature-based economic decision analysis (part 2).

Data Source: Medical records from a multidisciplinary, outpatient, heart failure clinic, and published hospitalization and drug-use data.

MCT-1 oncogene downregulates p53 and destabilizes genome structure in the response to DNA double-strand damage.

Tumor suppressor p53 protein mediates checkpoint controls and the apoptotic program that are critical for maintaining genomic integrity and preventing tumorigenesis. Forced-induction of MCT-1 decreased p53 expression before and after genomic insults. While inhibiting protein synthesis, the levels of ubiquinated-p53 and the phospho-MDMA2 were significantly increased in ectopic MCT-1 cells.

A comparative study of biweekly disposable contact lenses: silicone hydrogel versus hydrogel.

Background: Our aim was to compare the clinical performance of a biweekly (second generation) silicone hydrogel lens and a biweekly hydrogel lens worn for daily wear modality.

Methods: We used a double-masked study, in which non-presbyopic, asymptomatic and adapted soft lens wearers were recruited. Subjects wore a silicone hydrogel lens in one eye and a hydrogel lens in the other (lens types and eyes were randomly assigned) for one month.