Surgery for rheumatic tricuspid valve disease: a 30-year experience.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess factors influencing short- and long-term outcomes of surgery for rheumatic disease of the tricuspid valve.

Methods: Between 1974 and 2005, a total of 328 consecutive patients (mean age 51.3 +/- 13.

Generation of a human IgM monoclonal antibody directed against HLA class II molecules: a potential agent in the treatment of haematological malignancies.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules have been considered as a good target molecule for use in immunotherapy, because of the high expression in some lymphoma and leukaemia cells and, also, because of their restricted expression on human cells (monocytes, dendritic, B lymphocytes, thymic epithelial cells, and some cytokine-activated cells, such as T lymphocytes). We have obtained a human IgM monoclonal antibody directed against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules, using transgenic mice carrying human Ig genes. The antibody BH1 (IgM/kappa isotype) recognises HLA-class II on the surface of tumour cells from patients suffering from haematological malignancies, such as chronic and acute lymphocytic leukaemias, non-Hodgkin lymphomas and myeloid leukaemias.

Cytokine profile in collagen-induced arthritis: differences between syngeneic and allogeneic pregnancy.

Objective: To identify the differences in cytokine profile between allogeneic and syngeneic pregnancy in mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Methods: Mice (strain B10.RIII) were injected with bovine collagen.

[Dietary intake and physical activity in school age children].

Background: The increased infantile obesity rates are related to faulty dietary intake (DI) and physical activity (PA) habits, that are probably related to a prolonged stay at school during the day.

Aim: To investigate DI and PA among elementary and high school students and their association with type of school that they attend.

Material And Methods: Quality of DI and PA was assessed, using specially designed questionnaires, in 1136 elementary school and 1854 high school children attending public schools managed by city halls (ME), subsidized private (SE) and private (PE) of the Metropolitan Region.

A role for the podosome/invadopodia scaffold protein Tks5 in tumor growth in vivo.

Podosomes and invadopodia are electron-dense, actin-rich protrusions located on the ventral side of the cellular membrane. They are detected in various types of normal cells, but also in human cancer cells and in Src-transformed fibroblasts. Previously we have shown that the scaffold protein Tks5 (tyrosine kinase substrate 5) co-localizes to podosomes/invadopodia in different human cancer cells and in Src-transformed NIH-3T3 cells.

[Somatic conditions in patients suffering from anxiety disorders].

Background And Objective: Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of somatic illnesses in patients with anxiety disorders, especially cardiopathy, pneumopathy, digestive diseases and cephalea. The aim of this study was to investigate the comorbidity between anxiety disorders and medical illnesses in a group of patients with anxiety disorders compared with patients without psychiatric disorder attended at a primary care clinic and with psychiatric patients without anxiety pathology.

Patients And Method: Retrospective case-control study comparing 3 groups of patients paired by age and sex.

A simple clinical score for type 2 diabetes mellitus screening in the Canary Islands.

Aim: To develop a straightforward risk score for type 2 diabetes (DM2) screening to use in clinical practice.

Methods: A sample of 6237 adult inhabitants of the Canary Islands (Spain) was randomly divided into two subgroups: one yielded data used to develop the instrument, and the other yielded data used for validation testing. Performance of the instrument was compared in persons with clinically diagnosed DM2 and undiagnosed diabetes.

Influence of induction therapy, immunosuppressive regimen and anti-viral prophylaxis on development of lymphomas after heart transplantation: data from the Spanish Post-Heart Transplant Tumour Registry.

Background: Lymphoma after heart transplantation (HT) has been associated with induction therapy and herpesvirus infection. It is not known whether anti-viral agents administered immediately after HT can reduce the incidence of lymphoma.

Methods: This study was a retrospective review of 3,393 patients who underwent HT in Spain between 1984 and December 2003.

Endocrine regulation of the course of menopause by oral melatonin: first case report.

Objective: The pineal gland, through its hormone melatonin, is involved in the mechanisms that regulate the aging process involved in the onset of menopause. Considering the melatonin changes reported during pre-, peri-, and postmenopause, an influence of melatonin on the hormonal changes associated with menopause transition could be expected.

Design: We report the first longitudinal case study, covering a 7.

Magnetic field dependence of the circular dichroism in EuTe.

The absorption magnetic circular dichroism in EuTe was investigated as a function of the magnetic field at T = 2 K. In order to describe the optical spectra theoretically, we developed a model that takes into account the magnetic order of the lattice as a function of the magnetic field. The model allows us to calculate the absorption spectrum as a continuous function of the magnetic field intensity.

Gastrointestinal complications in heart transplant patients: MITOS study.

Introduction: The most frequent immunosuppressive treatment complications in solid organ transplant recipients are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

Materials And Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study to evaluate the prevalence and management of GI complications in transplanted patients was conducted via a written questionnaire given to doctors at their practice.

Results: This study included 1788 patients; 181 corresponded to heart transplant recipients.

Temperature thresholds and thermal requirements for development of Nasonovia ribisnigri (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

Early detection of Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on lettuce is of primary importance for its effective control. Temperature thresholds for development of this pest were estimated using developmental rates [r(T)] at different constant temperatures (8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 26, and 28 degrees C). Observed developmental rates data and temperature were fitted to two linear (Campbell and Muñiz and Gil) and a nonlinear (Lactin) models.

Src kinase activity and SH2 domain regulate the dynamics of Src association with lipid and protein targets.

Src functions depend on its association with the plasma membrane and with specific membrane-associated assemblies. Many aspects of these interactions are unclear. We investigated the functions of kinase, SH2, and SH3 domains in Src membrane interactions.

Seasonal variations of gonadotropins and prolactin in the laboratory rat. Role of maternal pineal gland.

The laboratory rat, a non-photoperiodic rodent, exhibits seasonal fluctuations of melatonin. Melatonin has been found to be readily transferred from the maternal to the fetal circulation. No data exist on the possible influence of maternal pineal gland upon seasonal variations of the offspring.

[Insulin sensitivity in children aged 6 to 16 years: association with nutritional status and pubertal development].

Background: There is a high prevalence of obesity and hyperinsulinism among Chilean prepuberal children.

Aim: To evaluate insulin sensitivity (IS) using fasting insulin, the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI) in Chilean children.

Material And Methods: Body mass index (BMI), total body fat percentage (%TBF) using the sum of 4 skin folds, abdominal obesity determined through waist circumference (WC), pubertal maturation using five Tanner stages, fasting glucose (Glu) and insulin (Ins), were measured in 354 children aged 6 to 15 years (173 males).

Group V secretory phospholipase A2 amplifies the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 and delayed prostaglandin D2 generation in mouse bone marrow culture-derived mast cells in a strain-dependent manner.

Activation of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) with stem cell factor (SCF) or IgE and antigen elicits exocytosis and an immediate phase of prostaglandin (PG) D(2) and leukotriene (LT) C(4) generation. Activation of BMMC by SCF, IL-1beta and IL-10 elicits a delayed phase of PGD(2) generation dependent on cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 induction. Cytosolic phospholipase A(2) alpha provides arachidonic acid in both phases and amplifies COX-2 induction.

Auto-antibodies in prostate cancer: humoral immune response to antigenic determinants coded by the differentially expressed transcripts FLJ23438 and VAMP3.

Background: Here we evaluate auto-antibody response against two potential antigenic determinants of genes highly expressed in low Gleason Score prostate cancer (PC) tumor samples, namely FLJ23438 and VAMP3.

Methods: RT-PCR assays were used to analyze mRNA expression profiles of FLJ23438 and VAMP3 transcripts. The auto-antibody response against FLJ23438 and VAMP3 recombinant proteins was tested by immunoblot assays using PC, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), healthy donors (HD), and other human cancers plasma samples.

First- and second-language phonological representations in the mental lexicon.

Performance-based studies on the psychological nature of linguistic competence can conceal significant differences in the brain processes that underlie native versus nonnative knowledge of language. Here we report results from the brain activity of very proficient early bilinguals making a lexical decision task that illustrates this point. Two groups of Spanish-Catalan early bilinguals (Spanish-dominant and Catalan-dominant) were asked to decide whether a given form was a Catalan word or not.

Extraperitoneal laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy for lymph node recurrence of fallopian tube carcinoma.

The endoscopic retroperitoneal approach is a minimally invasive method for surgical staging of cervical cancer. A 57-year-old woman had an intraoperative diagnosis of carcinoma of the left fallopian tube and undergone a retroperitoneal pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy with no peritonization during surgical staging. Small suspicious nodes in the serous membrane of the sigmoid colon and peritoneal washings were positive for malignancy.

Microbial survival rates of Escherichia coli and Deinococcus radiodurans under low temperature, low pressure, and UV-Irradiation conditions, and their relevance to possible Martian life.

Viability rates were determined for microbial populations of Escherichia coli and Deinococcus radiodurans under the environmental stresses of low temperature (-35 degrees C), low-pressure conditions (83.3 kPa), and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (37 W/m(2)). During the stress tests the organisms were suspended in saltwater soil and freshwater soil media, at variable burial depths, and in seawater.

Cutting edge: prostaglandin D2 enhances leukotriene C4 synthesis by eosinophils during allergic inflammation: synergistic in vivo role of endogenous eotaxin.

In addition to the well-recognized ability of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) to regulate eosinophil trafficking, we asked whether PGD2 was also able to activate eosinophils and control their leukotriene C4 (LTC4)-synthesizing machinery. PGD2 administration to presensitized mice enhanced in vivo LTC4 production and formation of eosinophil lipid bodies-potential LTC4-synthesizing organelles. Immunolocalization of newly formed LTC4 demonstrated that eosinophil lipid bodies were the sites of LTC4 synthesis during PGD2-induced eosinophilic inflammation.

Implementing a smoking ban in an acute psychiatric admissions unit.

In contrast to general medical hospitals, psychiatric hospitals often allow patients to smoke cigarettes. In addition to obvious health concerns, smoking can also interfere with clinical assessments and therapeutic activities, Implementation of a smoking ban on an acute male admissions unit did not result in any increase in aggressive behaviors. In addition, staff attitudes following the ban improved, and most staff members believed the ban was both ethical and beneficial to patients.

A randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of community-based case management in insuring uninsured Latino children.

Background: Lack of health insurance adversely affects children's health. Eight million US children are uninsured, with Latinos being the racial/ethnic group at greatest risk for being uninsured. A randomized, controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of various public insurance strategies for insuring uninsured children has never been conducted.