Lipoteichoic acid-induced nitric oxide production depends on the activation of platelet-activating factor receptor and Jak2.

NO production by macrophages in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and a synthetic lipopeptide (Pam3CSK4) was investigated. LTA and Pam3CSK4 induced the production of both TNF-alpha and NO. Inhibitors of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) blocked LTA- or Pam3CSK4-induced production of NO but not TNF-alpha.

Comparison of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced dynamic MRI and 16-MDCT for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The objective of our study was to compare the diagnostic performance of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI with that of 16-MDCT for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-one patients with 53 hepatocellular carcinomas underwent gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced dynamic MRI and multiphasic CT using 16-MDCT within a mean interval of 5 days (range, 3-9 days). The dynamic MRI examination was performed using 3D fat-saturated volumetric interpolated imaging and sensitivity encoding on a 1.

Isolated spontaneous dissection of the common iliac artery: percutaneous stent placement in two patients.

Isolated spontaneous dissection of the common iliac artery (CIA) is a rare entity. Two patients with this condition were successfully treated by percutaneous stent placement. We emphasize the feasibility of nonsurgical management by percutaneous stent placement for isolated spontaneous dissection of the CIA.

Five-year update of an expanded phase II study of dose-dense and -intense doxorubicin, paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide (ATC) in high-risk breast cancer.

Objectives: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of dose-dense and -intense sequential doxorubicin (A), paclitaxel (T) and cyclophosphamide (C) as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer (BC) with >or=4 ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes.

Methods: Patients were recruited after BC surgery if >or=4 axillary nodes were involved by metastatic cancer. Planned treatment was A 90 mg/m(2) three times every 14 days (q14d x 3), T 250 mg/m(2) q14d x 3 and C 3 g/m(2) q14d x 3 combined with filgrastim support.

Quercetin, a bioflavonoid, accelerates TNF-alpha-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells.

The bioflavonoid quercetin is believed to play an important role in preventing bone loss by affecting osteoclastogenesis and regulating many systemic and local factors including hormones and cytokines. This study examined how quercetin acts on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells. Tritium uptake assay showed that a quercetin treatment accelerated TNF-alpha-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis in the cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Korean initiative of GHS activities.

To implement a globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS) in Korea, an interminsterial GHS committee involving 6 ministries established an expert working group composed of 7 experts from relevant organizations and one private consultant to prepare an official Korean GHS version by March, 2005. As such, the translation and review of the official Korean GHS version, including annexes, started in October, 2004 and was completed on March 15, 2005. The official Korean GHS version has now been posted on the websites of the relevant ministries and organizations to solicit public opinions.

A simple and rapid approach for screening of SARS-coronavirus genotypes: an evaluation study.

Background: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was a newly emerged infectious disease which caused a global epidemic in 2002-2003. Sequence analysis of SARS-coronavirus isolates revealed that specific genotypes predominated at different periods of the epidemic. This information can be used as a footprint for tracing the epidemiology of infections and monitor viral evolution.

Comparison of renal damage by iodinated contrast or gadolinium in an acute renal failure rat model based on serum creatinine levels and apoptosis degree.

This study was undertaken to compare renal damage, as determined by serum creatinine and degree of apoptosis, caused by iodinated contrast or gadolinium in an acute renal failure (ARF) rat model. Rats were divided into three groups; controls (n=3), a CT contrast medium group (n=9), and an MR contrast medium group (n=9). The CT and MR groups were further subdivided into three groups, namely, low, standard, and high dose subgroups.

Functional heterogeneity of the supplementary motor area.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess supplementary motor area (SMA) activation during motor, sensory, word generation, listening comprehension, and working memory tasks by using functional MR imaging (fMRI). Human supplementary motor area (SMA) has been shown to play roles in motor control and other various functions such as sensory, speech expression, and memory. However, topographical localizations of these functions in the SMA remain unclear.

Spinal epidural hematoma after thrombolysis for deep vein thrombosis with subsequent pulmonary thromboembolism: a case report.

A 38-year-old male was initially admitted for left leg swelling. He was diagnosed as having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the left leg and a pulmonary thromboembolism by contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) with delayed lower extremity CT. The DVT was treated by thrombolysis and a venous stent.

Application of real-time PCR for quantitative detection of Clostridium botulinum type A toxin gene in food.

The TaqMan real-time PCR method for the quantitative detection of C. botulinum type A was developed based on sequence-specific hybridization probes. The validity of this assay was verified by using 10 genera of 20 strains, including reference strains of C.

Stents in common iliac vein obstruction with acute ipsilateral deep venous thrombosis: early and late results.

Purpose: To evaluate, by imaging and clinical follow-up, the effectiveness and long-term results of stent placement in cases of common iliac vein obstruction associated with ipsilateral deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 22 patients (13 women, nine men; median age, 58 years) with common iliac vein obstruction with ipsilateral DVT was performed for this study. All patients presented with leg edema or pain and were treated with catheter-directed thrombolysis (1,000-2,000 U urokinase per kg body weight per hour; n = 19), aspiration thrombectomy (n = 21), or angioplasty (n = 14) followed by stent placement (n = 22) via an ipsilateral popliteal vein approach (right, n = 2; left, n = 20) under ultrasonographic (US) guidance.

Severe irinotecan-induced toxicities in a patient with uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 polymorphism.

Irinotecan is an analogue of camptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, that has an important role in the management of advanced colorectal cancer. It is approved as first-line therapy in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin or as monotherapy in the second-line setting. Its clinical use has been associated with variability in terms of pharmacokinetic behavior and toxicities, especially myelosuppression and diarrhea.

Genetic variations of the dihydrofolate reductase gene of Plasmodium vivax in Mandalay Division, Myanmar.

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR; EC1.5.1.

Differential impact of low temperature on fatty acid unsaturation and lipoxygenase activity in figleaf gourd and cucumber roots.

Previous studies show that low temperature strongly induces suberin layers in the roots of chilling-sensitive cucumber plants, while in contrast, low temperature produces a much weaker induction of suberin layers in the roots of the chilling-tolerant figleaf gourd [S.H. Lee, G.

Absence of association between angiotensin converting enzyme polymorphism and development of adult respiratory distress syndrome in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome: a case control study.

Background: It has been postulated that genetic predisposition may influence the susceptibility to SARS-coronavirus infection and disease outcomes. A recent study has suggested that the deletion allele (D allele) of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with hypoxemia in SARS patients. Moreover, the ACE D allele has been shown to be more prevalent in patients suffering from adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a previous study.

Gating of aquaporins by low temperature in roots of chilling-sensitive cucumber and chilling-tolerant figleaf gourd.

Effects of low temperature (8 degrees C) on the hydraulic conductivity of young roots of a chilling-sensitive (cucumber, Cucumis sativus L.) and a chilling-resistant (figleaf gourd, Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche) crop have been measured at the levels of whole root systems (root hydraulic conductivity, Lp(r)) and of individual cortical cells (cell hydraulic conductivity, Lp). Exposure of roots to low temperature (LRT) for up to 6 d caused a stronger suberization of the endodermis in cucumber compared with figleaf gourd, but no development of exodermal Casparian bands in either species.

Inactivation of polyketide synthase and related genes results in the loss of complex lipids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Aims: Phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM) waxes and other lipids are necessary for successful Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, although the exact role of PDIM in host-pathogen interactions remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the contribution of tesA, drrB, pks6 and pks11 genes in complex lipid biosynthesis in M. tuberculosis.

Feasibility of application of sensitivity encoding to the breath-hold T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence for evaluation of focal hepatic tumors.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of the application of sensitivity encoding (SENSE) to the T2-weighted breath-hold turbo spin-echo (BHTSE) sequence for evaluating focal hepatic lesions.

Materials And Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with 43 focal liver lesions underwent BHTSE, BHTSE using SENSE with the conventional parameters, and BHTSE using SENSE with increased matrix and reduced echo-train length (ETL). There were 23 hepatocellular carcinomas in 21 patients, 10 hemangiomas in six, and 10 metastases in three.

Detection of liver metastases: gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced three-dimensional dynamic phases and one-hour delayed phase MR imaging versus superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MR imaging.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA)-enhanced MR imaging, including dynamic phases and one-hour delayed phase, versus superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced imaging for detection of liver metastases. Twenty-three patients with 59 liver metastases underwent Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MR imaging (unenhanced, arterial, portal, equilibrium and one-hour delayed phase) using three-dimensional volumetric interpolated imaging and SPIO-enhanced T2-weighted turbo spin-echo and T2*-weighted gradient-echo sequences on a 1.5-T unit.