Late-term elective abortion and susceptibility to posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The primary aim of this study was to compare the experience of an early abortion (1st trimester) to a late abortion (2nd and 3rd trimester) relative to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms after controlling for socio-demographic and personal history variables. Online surveys were completed by 374 women who experienced either a 1st trimester abortion (up to 12 weeks gestation) or a 2nd or 3rd trimester abortion (13 weeks gestation or beyond). Most respondents (81%) were U.

Progressive chondrocyte death after impact injury indicates a need for chondroprotective therapy.

Background: Impact injury to articular cartilage can lead to posttraumatic osteoarthritis.

Hypotheses: This study tests the hypotheses that (1) chondrocyte injury occurs after impact at energies insufficient to fracture the cartilage surface, and that (2) cartilage injury patterns vary with impact energy, time after injury, and cartilage thickness.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Optical coherence tomography grading correlates with MRI T2 mapping and extracellular matrix content.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and T2 mapping are emerging clinical imaging technologies with potential to detect subsurface changes in cartilage retaining a macroscopically intact articular surface. This study tests the hypothesis that OCT correlates with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 values, and that OCT signal is sensitive to cartilage matrix degeneration. Forty-five osteochondral cores were harvested from five human tibial plateau explants after MRI T2 mapping.

Do tantalum and titanium cups show similar results in revision hip arthroplasty?

Unlabelled: Porous surfaces are intended to enhance osteointegration of cementless implants. Tantalum has been introduced in an effort to enhance osseointegration potential of uncemented components. We therefore compared the clinical outcome of acetabular components with two different porous surfaces.

Induction of apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells by green tea catechins.

Cell culture and animal studies have demonstrated strong chemopreventative effects of green tea and its associated polyphenols in multiple cancers, though the exact mechanisms of action are not well understood. This in vitro study examined the antiproliferative/pro-apoptotic potential of green tea extract (GTE), polyphenon-60 (PP-60), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in both normal and malignant human bladder cells. Cell growth (proliferation/apoptosis) was measured in UROtsa (normal), SW780 (tumorigenic; low-grade), and TCCSUP (tumorigenic; high-grade) human bladder urothelial cells by cell proliferation (XTT) assay after treatment with 0-80 microg/mL of GTE, PP-60, ECG and EGCG for 72 h.

Diagnosis and treatment of neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis, the infection caused by the larval form of the tapeworm Taenia solium, is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system and the most common cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide. This has primarily been a disease that remains endemic in low-socioeconomic countries, but because of increased migration neurocysticercosis is being diagnosed more frequently in high-income countries. During the past three decades improved diagnostics, imaging, and treatment have led to more accurate diagnosis and improved prognosis for patients.

Development of structure-taste relationships for thiazolyl-, benzothiazolyl-, and thiadiazolylsulfamates.

A total of 28 new five-membered aromatic ring thiazolyl-, benzothiazolyl-, and thiadiazolylsulfamates, as their sodium salts, have been synthesized and combined with 30 known similar heterocyclic sulfamates to create a database for the study of structure-activity (taste) relationships (SARs) in this heterocyclic subgroup, which is known to contain a somewhat disproportionate number of sweet compounds compared to other groups of tastants. A series of nine parameters (descriptors) to describe the properties of the sulfamate anions were calculated in Spartan Pro and HyperChem programs. These are the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), length of the molecule, dipole moment, area, volume, E(solv), sigma (from the literature), and log P.

Lidocaine potentiates the chondrotoxicity of methylprednisolone.

Purpose: This study examined the viability of bovine articular chondrocytes after exposure to methylprednisolone, methylprednisolone with lidocaine, and methylprednisolone in a simulated inflammatory environment.

Methods: Bovine articular chondrocytes were suspended in alginate beads and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F-12 for 1 week before experimentation. Suspended chondrocytes were exposed to 0.

Induced abortion and intimate relationship quality in the Chicago Health and Social Life Survey.

Objectives: To examine associations between abortion and relationship functioning.

Study Design: Independent variables included abortion in a previous relationship and abortion in a current relationship. Perceptions of quality-of-life changes associated with terminating the relationship, conflict, aggressiveness and sexual dysfunction were the outcome measures.

Sustained hypoxia enhances chondrocyte matrix synthesis.

Articular cartilage is an avascular tissue with chondrocytes in the deeper zones existing under conditions of sustained hypoxia. Using a hypoxic chamber to provide controlled hypoxia, this study was performed to determine whether sustained hypoxia enhances the production of cartilage matrix proteins. Freshly isolated primary bovine articular chondrocytes were encapsulated in three-dimensional alginate beads and maintained at 2% oxygen with media changes using media pre-equilibrated to 2% oxygen.

Induced abortion and anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders: isolating the effects of abortion in the national comorbidity survey.

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between abortion history and a wide range of anxiety (panic disorder, panic attacks, PTSD, Agoraphobia), mood (bipolar disorder, mania, major depression), and substance abuse disorders (alcohol and drug abuse and dependence) using a nationally representative US sample, the national comorbidity survey. Abortion was found to be related to an increased risk for a variety of mental health problems (panic attacks, panic disorder, agoraphobia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, major depression with and without hierarchy), and substance abuse disorders after statistical controls were instituted for a wide range of personal, situational, and demographic variables. Calculation of population attributable risks indicated that abortion was implicated in between 4.

Nhlh2: a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor controlling physical activity.

In mice, targeted deletion of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, nescient helix-loop-helix 2 (Nhlh2), leads to adult-onset obesity and reduced physical activity. We propose the novel hypothesis that transcriptional activity by Nhlh2 (NHLH2 in humans) controls either the ability or the motivation for exercise.

Vasoprotective endothelial effects of a standardized grape product in humans.

The pathogenesis of coronary lesion development is a multi-factorial process involving a number of different cell types and covariates, and injury and dysfunction of the vascular endothelium is an important marker and likely participant in the initiation and/or progression of most forms of heart disease. In addition to chronic dysfunction of endothelial responses in patients with established heart disease, there is evidence that 'acute insults' can cause measurable dysfunction in vascular response in humans (drug toxicities, hypoxia, high fat meal). Such repeated acute insults may contribute to disease risk in otherwise healthy individuals or promote disease progression in established patients.

Amebic colitis in an antigenically and serologically negative patient: usefulness of a small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene-based polymerase chain reaction in diagnosis.

Specific identification of Entamoeba histolytica in clinical specimens is an essential confirmatory diagnostic step in the management of amebiasis. Here, we report an unusual case of amebic colitis in a 20-year-old female immigrant from South China. The patient had experienced diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain, and fever for approximately 3 weeks prior to admission to hospital and had treated herself at home with metronidazole.

Herpes simplex virus vector-mediated delivery of neurturin rescues erectile dysfunction of cavernous nerve injury.

Neurturin (NTN), a member of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family, is known as an important neurotrophic factor for penis-projecting neurons. We recently demonstrated significant protection from erectile dysfunction (ED) following a replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) vector-mediated GDNF delivery to the injured cavernous nerve. Herein, we applied HSV vector-mediated delivery of NTN to this ED model.

Reduced activity without hyperphagia contributes to obesity in Tubby mutant mice.

The Tub gene was originally identified as a spontaneous mutation in C57Bl/6J mice, and associated with adult-onset obesity (Tub MUT mice). Although the original Tub MUT mouse was identified over 15 years ago, there have been few reports on the animal's food intake, body fat percentage or energy expenditure. In this study, we report food intake, body weight from 5-20 weeks, body fat, body temperature and three different measures of physical activity behavior.

Antioxidant effects of green tea and its polyphenols on bladder cells.

Genitourinary tract inflammation/ailments affect the quality of life and health of a large segment of society. In recent years, studies have demonstrated strong antioxidant effects of green tea and its associated polyphenols in inflammatory states. This in vitro study examined the antioxidant capabilities (and putative mechanisms of action) of green tea extract (GTE), polyphenon-60 (PP-60, 60% pure polyphenols), (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in normal/malignant human bladder cells following catechin treatment+/-1 mM H2O2 (oxidative agent).

The in vitro effects of bupivacaine on articular chondrocytes.

We have studied the effects of bupivacaine on human and bovine articular chondrocytes in vitro. Time-lapse confocal microscopy of human articular chondrocytes showed > 95% cellular death after exposure to 0.5% bupivacaine for 30 minutes.

Functional and immunohistochemical characterization of CB1 and CB2 receptors in rat bladder.

Objectives: To determined the localization of CB(1) and CB(2) receptors in rat bladder and investigate the effect of a mixed CB(1)/CB(2) receptor agonist, ajulemic acid (AJA), on chemically evoked release of the sensory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

Methods: Whole rat bladders were incubated in a series of tissue baths containing physiologic salt solution to measure baseline CGRP release by enzyme immunoassay. Capsaicin (30 nM) and adenosine triphosphate (10 muM) were used to provoke CGRP release in the presence or absence of AJA.

Birth prevalence of cleft lip and palate in Northern Ireland (1981 to 2000).

Objective: The prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in Northern Ireland (NI) was last reported for 1980 through 1990. This study was undertaken to update the prevalence of CL/P in NI for the 20-year period 1981 to 2000, to determine the pattern of prevalence, and to report the proportion of different cleft types and sex distribution.

Design: Retrospective, population-based analysis.

Association of ergot alkaloids with conidiation in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins that affect the nervous and reproductive systems of exposed individuals through interactions with monoamine receptors. They have been studied more widely in ergot fungi and grass endophytes but also are found in Aspergillus fumigatus, an opportunistic human pathogen that reproduces and disseminates exclusively through conidia. The ergot alkaloids festucla-vine and fumigaclavines A, B and C are present in or on conidia of A.

Optimizing CO2 normalizes pH and enhances chondrocyte viability during cold storage.

Fresh osteochondral allografts are an important treatment option for the repair of full-thickness articular cartilage defects. Viable chondrocytes within the transplanted tissue are considered important to maintaining matrix integrity. The purpose of this study is to determine whether an increase in pH decreases chondrocyte viability during cold storage and whether equilibration of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) in 5% CO(2) normalizes pH and increases chondrocyte survival during storage at 4 degrees C.