The role of cranial expansion for craniocephalic disproportion.

The appropriate treatment for craniocephalic disproportion, such as caused by slit ventricle syndrome, is uncertain. We have reviewed the treatment and outcomes of 4 children who underwent cranial expansion over a period of 5 years. The ages at cranial expansion were 16 months, 3 years 6 months and 2 at 6 years.

Parathyroid adenoma radiation dose simulator.

Introduction: As the number of radioisotope localization cases increased at our facility, the pathologists expressed concern regarding radiation exposure from parathyroid specimens. The radiation safety officer was consulted to analyze personnel radiation protection issues.

Methods: Analysis of simulated specimens was performed for a range of activities and masses corresponding to the values that have been observed.

Recombinant TSH-stimulated, radioguided differentiated thyroid carcinoma surgery.

A novel approach to locating and surgically resecting occult metastatic foci in a 25-year-old female with a history of total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma was attempted. Two iodine-131 (131I) body scans were performed: one after the patient underwent a 2-3 week thyroxine withdrawal, and another the following week utilizing recombinant TSH-stimulation. Then the patient was treated with 151 mCi of 131I, and 2 weeks later, without further hormonal manipulation, she had radioguided surgery.

Volunteer governance of health services in Canada: redundant or relevant?

With the continued growth in size and complexity of healthcare organizations, trustes/directors are increasingly called upon to provide strategic leadership. In response, new recruitment methods have been adopted in order to meet the need for skilled and knowledgeable trustees. Volunteer governance models need to be carefully evaluated in comparison to government control models in order to determine how relations of accountability and responsibility change with a shift in models.

Recurrent and de novo glomerular immune-complex deposits in renal transplant biopsies.

Context: Recurrent and de novo glomerulonephritis is an important cause of renal allograft failure, but estimates of its prevalence vary widely. One reason for such variability is the inconsistency with which electron microscopy and immunofluorescence are used in assessing renal allograft biopsies.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of immune-complex deposits in all renal allograft biopsies performed during a 1-year period and to correlate their presence with clinical data.

Increased catalytic activity of protein disulfide isomerase using aromatic thiol based redox buffers.

PDI is an enzyme that acts as a chaperone, shufflase, and oxidase during the folding of disulfide-containing proteins. The ability of aromatic thiols to increase the activity of PDI-catalyzed protein folding over that of the standard thiol glutathione (GSH) was measured. 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid (ArSH) increased the activity of PDI by a factor of three.

Effects of redox buffer properties on the folding of a disulfide-containing protein: dependence upon pH, thiol pKa, and thiol concentration.

Aliphatic thiols are effective as redox buffers for folding non-native disulfide-containing proteins into their native state at high pH values (8.0-8.5) but not at neutral pH values (6-7.

InterPro, progress and status in 2005.

InterPro, an integrated documentation resource of protein families, domains and functional sites, was created to integrate the major protein signature databases. Currently, it includes PROSITE, Pfam, PRINTS, ProDom, SMART, TIGRFAMs, PIRSF and SUPERFAMILY. Signatures are manually integrated into InterPro entries that are curated to provide biological and functional information.

Convergent evolution of domain architectures (is rare).

Motivation: In this paper, we shall examine the evolution of domain architectures across 62 genomes of known phylogeny including all kingdoms of life. We look in particular at the possibility of convergent evolution, with a view to determining the extent to which the architectures observed in the genomes are due to functional necessity or evolutionary descent. We used domains of known structure, because from this and other information we know their evolutionary relationships.

Genomic structure and cloning of two transcript isoforms of human Sp8.

Background: The Specificity proteins (Sp) are a family of transcription factors that have three highly conserved zinc-fingers located towards the carboxy-terminal that bind GC-boxes and assist in the initiation of gene transcription. Human Sp1-7 genes have been characterized. Recently, the phenotype of Sp8 null mice has been described, being tailless and having severe truncation of both fore and hind limbs.

Bioactive evaluation of 45S5 bioactive glass fibres and preliminary study of human osteoblast attachment.

Bioactive glass fibres can be used as tissue engineering scaffolds. In this investigation, the bioactive response of 45S5 glass fibres was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF). Preliminary attachment of osteoblasts to the fibre surface was assessed, as were the fibre tensile strength and fracture toughness.

Novel bioresorbable and bioactive composites based on bioactive glass and polylactide foams for bone tissue engineering.

Bioresorbable and bioactive tissue engineering scaffolds based on bioactive glass (45S5 Bioglass(R)) particles and macroporous poly(DL-lactide) (PDLLA) foams were fabricated. A slurry dipping technique in conjunction with pretreatment in ethanol was used to achieve reproducible and well adhering bioactive glass coatings of uniform thickness on the internal and external surfaces of the foams. In vitro studies in simulated body fluid (SBF) demonstrated rapid hydroxyapatite (HA) formation on the surface of the composites, indicating their bioactivity.

The linked conservation of structure and function in a family of high diversity: the monomeric cupredoxins.

The monomeric cupredoxins are a highly divergent family of copper binding electron transport proteins that function in photosynthesis and respiration. To determine how function and structure are conserved in the context of large sequence differences, we have carried out a detailed analysis of the cupredoxins of known structure and their sequence homologs. The common structure of the cupredoxins is formed by a sandwich of two beta sheets which support a copper binding site.

Comparing the function of the upper and lower parts of the serratus anterior muscle using surface electromyography.

Study Design: Prospective single-group repeated-measures design.

Objective: To use electromyographic (EMG) analysis during muscle testing to determine if there is a difference in function of the upper and lower parts of the serratus anterior (SA) muscle.

Background: The SA muscle is a very important scapular protractor and upward rotator.

Osteoblast responses to tape-cast and sintered bioactive glass ceramics.

The advantage of tape-cast bioactive glasses lies in the manufacturing procedure, which allows the build-up of layers and, therefore, the production of complex shapes. This, therefore, has applications to tissue engineering, where specific shapes are required such as repair of craniofacial defects. The bioactivity of tape-cast discs sintered at temperatures ranging from 800 degrees C to 1000 degrees C and for 3 or 6 h was analyzed by FTIR.

Supra-domains: evolutionary units larger than single protein domains.

Domains are the evolutionary units that comprise proteins, and most proteins are built from more than one domain. Domains can be shuffled by recombination to create proteins with new arrangements of domains. Using structural domain assignments, we examined the combinations of domains in the proteins of 131 completely sequenced organisms.

Student nurses' perceptions of alternative and allopathic medicine.

This exploratory study of student nurses is based on the results of the responses to one question on an open-ended questionnaire: How would you define the relationship between alternative medicine and allopathic (conventional) medicine? A specific goal of the study was to find out how the surveyed respondents conceptualized the relationship between allopathic and alternative medicine. Three themes were identified: (a) "They are not at all alike," (b) "The two can or should be used together," and (c) "Those who practice alternative medicine and those who practice allopathic do not get along very well." The discussion suggests some reasons for these perceptions and considers some implications for future health care.

Correlation between Neoral 2 hours post-dose levels and histologic findings on surveillance biopsies.

Use of 2-hour postdose (C2) monitoring has been a major step in optimizing immunosuppression following kidney transplantation, and extensive data has confirmed the superiority of C2 monitoring over the conventional trough monitoring (C0) in reducing the occurrence of acute rejection early after transplantation. In this retrospective study, we explored the relationship between Neoral pharmacokinetic parameters and the presence of subclinical rejections (ScRj). In the absence of acute rejection, lower C2 level was associated with more frequent episodes of ScRj.

Controlled degradation and macrophage responses of a fluoride-treated polycaprolactone.

We have developed a new bone replacement material based on polycaprolactone (PCL), which can act as a suitable matrix for monomer transfer molding of degradable composites. A boron trifluoride catalyst with glycerol additive was used to produce PCL with a degradation rate that can be altered by treatment with fluoride ions. The effect of cations on the degradation of the polymer and macrophage cell responses are discussed.

Osteoblast attachment and mineralized nodule formation on rough and smooth 45S5 bioactive glass monoliths.

Human primary osteoblast responses to smooth and roughened bioactive glass of 45S5 (Bioglass trade mark ) composition (46.1% SiO(2), 26.9% CaO, 2.

Changing practice in residential aged care using participatory methods.

Background: Residential aged care staff play a significant role in the day-to-day lives of residents yet are faced with many barriers to providing care that promotes resident wellbeing.

Approach: Action research is a useful approach for clarifying issues, identifying education and training needs, and identifying, and in some cases overcoming, organizational barriers to change. The Well for Life project aimed to enhance the social and physical health and well being of residents of aged care settings by empowering the staff of facilities to make change.

Nodule formation and mineralisation of human primary osteoblasts cultured on a porous bioactive glass scaffold.

The aim of this study was to analyse human osteoblast responses to a porous bioactive glass scaffold. It was hypothesised that osteoblasts would attach, proliferate and form mineralised nodules in response to culture on the bioactive glass. As dissolution products are a key feature of bioactive glasses, this was measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy to determine effects of both the glass surface and ion release.

The SUPERFAMILY database in 2004: additions and improvements.

The SUPERFAMILY database provides structural assignments to protein sequences and a framework for analysis of the results. At the core of the database is a library of profile Hidden Markov Models that represent all proteins of known structure. The library is based on the SCOP classification of proteins: each model corresponds to a SCOP domain and aims to represent an entire superfamily.

Protein losing enteropathy in critically ill adult patients with burns: a preliminary report.

Objective: Few data have been published regarding protein losing enteropathy in adult patients with burns. This study characterised the presence of protein-losing enteropathy in adults with burns and examined the relationship between the magnitude of burn size and the severity of protein loss.

Methods: Twenty adult patients with burns (BSA 31+/-25%, range 2-80%) were studied.