Telomerase regulation and stem cell behaviour.

Telomerase expression is restricted to a few cell types of the adult organism, most notably germ cells and stem/progenitor cells. Telomerase activity in germ cells is sufficient to prevent telomere shortening with age. Stem cells, however, do not have sufficient telomerase to prevent telomere shortening associated with continuous tissue renewal with increasing age.

Immunostimulation of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) following dietary administration of Ergosan.

Ergosan an algal product containing 1% alginic acid, developed for use in aquaculture and reported to have immunomodulatory activity, was administered orally to intermoult adult white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) for 15 days. Examination of haemolymph proteins using SDS-PAGE did not reveal any obvious differences between control and Ergosan treated shrimp. Similarly, total haemocyte counts were found to be roughly equivalent for both the control and experimental samples.

Drugs on the web; the Psychonaut 2002 EU project.

Purpose: Only a few formal assessments of websites with drug-related contents have been carried out. We aimed here at fostering collection and analysis of data from web pages related to information on consumption, manufacture and sales of psychoactive substances.

General Methods: An 8-language, two-engine, assessment of the information available in a purposeful sample of 1633 unique websites was carried out.

Role of tumor necrosis factor receptors in an animal model of acute colitis.

TNF-alpha is known to play an important role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, the pathophysiological role of its receptors is still under study. Acute colitis was induced in rats by intracolonic administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Control rats received the ethanol vehicle.

Experimental intestinal endometriosis is characterized by increased levels of soluble TNFRSF1B and downregulation of Tnfrsf1a and Tnfrsf1b gene expression.

Endometriosis is commonly associated with symptoms similar to those of gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), leading to erroneous diagnosis and inappropriate management. The role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) in IBD is well established, but its role in endometriosis--also characterized by the activation of inflammatory mechanisms--is still under study. Furthermore, little is known about the involvement of TNF receptors.

Effects of telomerase and telomere length on epidermal stem cell behavior.

A key process in organ homeostasis is the mobilization of stem cells out of their niches. We show through analysis of mouse models that telomere length, as well as the catalytic component of telomerase, Tert, are critical determinants in the mobilization of epidermal stem cells. Telomere shortening inhibited mobilization of stem cells out of their niche, impaired hair growth, and resulted in suppression of stem cell proliferative capacity in vitro.

[Use and attitudes about drugs among nursing students at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés].

This study presents the results of a research that examined the use and attitudes about alcohol, tobacco, coca leaves, tranquilizers and amphetamines among nursing students at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés who had not used these substances over the last 12 months. Data were collected in August 2002 by means of a self-administered and distributed questionnaire, which guaranteed anonymity. The following results were obtained: Attitudes related to drugs approve of coca leaf and tranquilizer use and disapprove of cocaine.

Defining the temporal requirements for Myc in the progression and maintenance of skin neoplasia.

The homeostatic integrity of skin epidermis is maintained by a balance between keratinocyte proliferation, on one hand, and terminal differentiation combined with outward migration and shedding, on the other. Perturbation of this balance in favor of proliferation can result in hyperplasia and, potentially, tumorigenesis. We have previously described a reversible transgenic mouse model of epidermal neoplasia in which expression of an acutely regulatable form of Myc, MycERTAM, is targeted to epidermis via the involucrin promoter.

Patterns of perceptions of workplace violence in the Portuguese health care sector.

This article characterizes the problem of violence against health professionals in the workplace (VAHPITWP) in selected settings in Portugal. It addresses the questions of what types of violence are most frequent and who are the most affected health professionals.Three methodological approaches were followed: (i) documentary studies, (ii) a questionnaire-based hospital and health centre (HC) complex case study and (iii) semi-structured interviews with stakeholders.

DNA mixtures in forensic casework: a 4-year retrospective study.

Occasionally interpretation guidelines from validation studies are difficult to apply to real forensic casework, especially in the case of mixed samples. Exogenous contamination, an unknown number of contributors or unbalanced proportion of each one in the sample and a varied degree of degradation of the biological materials, contribute to the difficulties in the interpretation of sample profiles. In this paper we have reviewed all the mixed genetic STR profiles encountered in our laboratory over 4 years (1997-2000) and evaluated the problems in the interpretation of the results.

Gene expression analysis in human fetal retinal explants treated with docosahexaenoic acid.

Purpose: To explore the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on gene expression during human fetal retinal maturation.

Methods: Human fetal retinal explants were cultured in serum-free Waymouth's medium supplemented with DHA or oleic acid (OA), using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the vehicle. After 14 days in culture, fatty acid composition was assessed, and the abundance of 2400 cDNAs was examined with a human cDNA microarray system.

[Orthotopic neobladder in a female patient after radiotherapy and anterior exenteration with ileal conduit].

Objective: To demonstrate the viability of a neobladder created after radiotherapy, anterior pelvic exanteration and previous ileal conduit.

Methods: We report the case of a female patient who underwent anterior pelvic exanteration, radiotherapy and ileal conduit as treatment for uterine cervix cancer. A transverse colon neobladder was performed and anastomosed to the urethral stump.

[The prothrombotic state in early stages of chronic chagas' disease].

Objective: This study was designed to explore the presence of a prothrombotic state in the early stages of chronic Chagas' disease by evaluating serum markers of thrombosis and fibrinolysis.

Patients And Method: Forty-two patients with chronic Chagas' disease (12 men and 30 women, 32.5 6.

Cloning and molecular characterization of a cDNA from Blomia tropicalis homologous to dust mite group 3 allergens (trypsin-like proteases).

Background: Exposure to the house dust mite Blomia tropicalis is increasingly being implicated as a major risk factor for asthma exacerbations in sensitized individuals. The objective of this study is to clone and characterize B. Tropicalis allergens in order to better define their role in allergic asthma.

Cloning and expression of Blo t 1, a novel allergen from the dust mite Blomia tropicalis, homologous to cysteine proteases.

Background: House dust mite allergens have been shown to be a very important stimulus in the causation of asthma and triggers for the exacerbation of symptoms. Therefore, characterization of mite-derived allergens at the molecular level is an important step for the development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as well as for epidemiological studies.

Objective: To clone, express and characterize at the molecular level the cysteine protease from Blomia tropicalis (Bt).

Lambda spectra in 11.6A GeV/c Au-Au collisions.

E896 has measured Lambda production in 11.6A GeV/c Au-Au collisions over virtually the whole rapidity phase space. The midrapidity p(t) distributions have been measured for the first time at this energy and appear to indicate that the Lambda hyperons have different freeze-out conditions than protons.

Management of ischemic hemorrhagic cystitis with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

We report a case of a T8 paraplegic woman who experienced necrosis of the bladder due to inadvertent chronic over distention. After bladder repair, the patient suffered from severe ischemic hemorrhagic cystitis. Despite many attempts to control the bleeding with standard treatments, the hematuria continued.

[Clinical heterogeneity of the chromosome 22q11 microdeletion syndrome].

Background: DiGeorge anomaly, velocardiofacial syndrome and conotruncal anomaly face syndrome are part of a group of congenital malformations of the chromosome 22q11 microdeletion syndrome, since they share certain phenotypic features as well as a common genetic abnormality. The malformations include mild facial dysmorphic features, conotruncal heart defects, thymic and parathyroid hypoplasia or aplasia and cleft palate.

Aim: To describe the initial clinical presentation of children with clinical and molecular diagnosis of 22q11 microdeletion.

Inhibitory role of antibodies in the development of Taenia solium and Taenia crassiceps toward reproductive and pathogenic stages.

Untreated Taenia solium cysticerci obtained from different naturally infected pigs vary notably in their capacity to develop into intestinal tapeworms in prednisolone-treated hamsters, whereas cells derived from Taenia crassiceps cysticerci after 2 mo of infection almost always develop to cysticerci in the peritoneal cavity of susceptible BALB/cAnN mice. Preincubation of whole cysticerci or parasite cells with mice immunoglobulins raised against an 18-mer peptide epitope (GK-1) common to both parasites significantly interferes with both transformations. These crippling effects of antiparasite antibodies suggest new forms of immunological interference with parasite biology other than simple killing.

Population data for Southern Spain and Canary Islands of HLADQA1, PM and D1S80 loci.

Allele frequencies for seven polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based DNA genetic markers in two Spanish populations (Southern Spain and Canary Islands), were determined and compared. The loci analysed were HLADQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8,Gc, and D1S80.

Population data of 13 STRS in southern Spain (Andalusia).

Allele frequencies for the 13 STRs included in the AmpFl/STR Profiler Plus and Cofiler kits were determined for an Andalusian population (southern Spain).

Elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions at square root(S)NN = 130 GeV.

Elliptic flow from nuclear collisions is a hadronic observable sensitive to the early stages of system evolution. We report first results on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at square root(S)NN = 130 GeV using the STAR Time Projection Chamber at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The elliptic flow signal, v2, averaged over transverse momentum, reaches values of about 6% for relatively peripheral collisions and decreases for the more central collisions.

Huge acoustic neurinomas presenting in the late stage of pregnancy. Treatment options and review of literature.

Background: Even though vestibular schwannomas rarely present during pregnancy, symptoms may appear or worsen particularly in this period. The clinical picture may include tinnitus, hearing abnormalities, and in large tumors, brain-stem and cerebellar compression with involvement of additional cranial nerves. Large vestibular schwannomas (also known as Acoustic Neurinomas) present a great challenge in peripartum management of both the mother and the fetus.

Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) for Mammography: Preliminary Results.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the CAD system for screening mammograms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mammograms of patients with asymptomatic breast cancerwere examined retrospectively. A total of 260 screening mammograms from 65 patients (bilateral cranio-caudal and medio-lateral-oblique views from each) were tested by using the CAD system (ImageChecker M1000 system, R2 Technology, Los Altos, CA, USA).

Changes in the balance between mitogenic and antimitogenic lipid second messengers during proliferation, cell arrest, and apoptosis in T-lymphocytes.

Control of lymphocyte cell survival and proliferation is critical for both the immune response and for the prevention of autoimmune and infectious diseases. The actions of interleukin-2, the major T-cell regulatory cytokine, are mediated by the complex network of divergent signalling pathways controlled by its high-affinity receptor. Various studies have indicated that the generation of certain lipid second messengers is an important mechanism in the control of proliferation and cell death.