Electron irradiation effects on optical properties of semiorganic antimony thiourea tetra chloride single crystals.

Antimony thiourea tetra chloride single crystals were grown by solution growth technique at room temperature. The UV-visible, fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectra were recorded and electron irradiation effects on these properties were studied. The optical absorption edge of the UV-visible spectrum slightly shifts towards longer wavelength with the increase of irradiation dose.

High acceptability of a vaginal ring intended as a microbicide delivery method for HIV prevention in African women.

Vaginal rings (VRs) are new methods for continuous delivery of microbicides. This is the first study to quantitatively and qualitatively explore the acceptability of rings in Africa: 157 HIV-negative, sexually active women aged 18-35 used a placebo silicone elastomer ring for 12 weeks. They completed product acceptability questionnaires every 4 weeks.

Effect of time of consumption of preloads on measures of satiety in healthy normal weight women.

Differences in the time interval between preload and test meal may account for the variation in the satiating effects of whey protein found in previous preload studies. The objective was to compare the satiating effects (ad libitum meal intake at a set time after ingestion of preload) of whey protein (including glycomacropeptide) and maltodextrin carbohydrate and to determine whether such effects were influenced by the timing of preloads. On nine separate days, 19 healthy normal weight women consumed mixed composition preloads containing either water, or maltodextrin, or whey protein, 30, 60 or 120 min before an ad libitum test meal.

The accuracy of new wheelchair users' predictions about their future wheelchair use.

Objective: This study examined the accuracy of new wheelchair user predictions about their future wheelchair use.

Design: This was a prospective cohort study of 84 community-dwelling veterans provided a new manual wheelchair.

Results: The association between predicted and actual wheelchair use was strong at 3 mos (ϕ coefficient = 0.

Utility of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold test in diagnosis and management of suspected tubercular uveitis in India.

The tuberculin skin test, used to detect latent systemic tuberculosis (TB), has its limitations. The utility of interferon-gamma assays, found useful in the diagnosis of latent TB, is still unestablished in tubercular uveitis. We present the results of QuantiFERON(®)-TB Gold (QFT-G) test and its relevance in the diagnosis and management of suspected tubercular uveitis in India.

Cataract surgery in uveitis.

Cataract surgery in uveitic eyes is often challenging and can result in intraoperative and postoperative complications. Most uveitic patients enjoy good vision despite potentially sight-threatening complications, including cataract development. In those patients who develop cataracts, successful surgery stems from educated patient selection, careful surgical technique, and aggressive preoperative and postoperative control of inflammation.

Phenotype variations in Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy: possible involvement of genetic modifiers?

Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy, also known as Lafora disease (LD), is the most severe and fatal form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy with its typical onset during the late childhood or early adolescence. LD is characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures and progressive decline in intellectual function. LD can be caused by defects in any of the two known genes and the clinical features of these two genetic groups are almost identical.

Supracondylar femoral extension osteotomy and patellar tendon advancement in the management of persistent crouch gait in cerebral palsy.

Background: Severe crouch gait in adolescent cerebral palsy is a difficult problem to manage. The patients develop loading of patellofemoral joint, leading to pain, gait deviation, excessive energy expenditure and progressive loss of function. Patella alta and avulsion of patella are the other complications.

A meta-analysis and genome-wide association study of platelet count and mean platelet volume in african americans.

Several genetic variants associated with platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) were recently reported in people of European ancestry. In this meta-analysis of 7 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) enrolling African Americans, our aim was to identify novel genetic variants associated with platelet count and MPV. For all cohorts, GWAS analysis was performed using additive models after adjusting for age, sex, and population stratification.

Innovative approach to investigating the microstructure of calcified tissues using specular reflectance Fourier transform-infrared microspectroscopy and discriminant analysis.

Although bone fracture has become a serious global health issue, current clinical assessments of fracture risk based on bone mineral density are unable to accurately predict whether an individual is likely to suffer a fracture. There is increasing recognition that the chemical structure and composition, or microstructure, of mineralized tissues has an important role to play in determining the fracture resistance of bone. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the use of specular reflectance Fourier transform infrared (SR FT-IR) microspectroscopy in conjunction with discriminant analysis as an innovative technique for providing future insights into the origins of orthopedic abnormalities.

Genetic determinants of the ankle-brachial index: a meta-analysis of a cardiovascular candidate gene 50K SNP panel in the candidate gene association resource (CARe) consortium.

Background: Candidate gene association studies for peripheral artery disease (PAD), including subclinical disease assessed with the ankle-brachial index (ABI), have been limited by the modest number of genes examined. We conducted a two stage meta-analysis of ∼50,000 SNPs across ∼2100 candidate genes to identify genetic variants for ABI.

Methods And Results: We studied subjects of European ancestry from 8 studies (n=21,547, 55% women, mean age 44-73 years) and African American ancestry from 5 studies (n=7267, 60% women, mean age 41-73 years) involved in the candidate gene association resource (CARe) consortium.

Autophagy defects in Lafora disease: cause or consequence?

Lafora disease (LD) is an inherited and fatal form of neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of an abnormal form of glycogen inclusions, called Lafora bodies, in neurons and other tissues. While Lafora bodies have been thought to underlie the neuropathology in LD, the specific process by which these inclusions might affect the neuronal functions was not very well understood. Here we review one of our recent studies on the LD animal model, wherein we have shown that the Lafora bodies might contribute to the impairment in the endosomal-lysosomal and autophagy pathways.

Males aging with a spinal cord injury: prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions in male veterans aging with spinal cord injury (SCI) with that of older men comparison groups.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: National community dwelling.

Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in patients suspected of pancreatic cancer with negative helical MDCT scan.

Background: In some patients suspected of pancreatic cancer, no mass can be detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan as the cause of biliary obstruction.

Methods: All patients suspected of pancreatic cancer between January 2007 and 2009 with a negative MDCT were identified from a database.

Results: MDCT was performed for suspected pancreatic cancer in 290 patients, and in 258 a pancreatic mass was found.

New gene functions in megakaryopoiesis and platelet formation.

Platelets are the second most abundant cell type in blood and are essential for maintaining haemostasis. Their count and volume are tightly controlled within narrow physiological ranges, but there is only limited understanding of the molecular processes controlling both traits. Here we carried out a high-powered meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in up to 66,867 individuals of European ancestry, followed by extensive biological and functional assessment.

The laforin-malin complex negatively regulates glycogen synthesis by modulating cellular glucose uptake via glucose transporters.

Lafora disease (LD), an inherited and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by increased cellular glycogen content and the formation of abnormally branched glycogen inclusions, called Lafora bodies, in the affected tissues, including neurons. Therefore, laforin phosphatase and malin ubiquitin E3 ligase, the two proteins that are defective in LD, are thought to regulate glycogen synthesis through an unknown mechanism, the defects in which are likely to underlie some of the symptoms of LD. We show here that laforin's subcellular localization is dependent on the cellular glycogen content and that the stability of laforin is determined by the cellular ATP level, the activity of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase, and the affinity of malin toward laforin.

Identification and characterization of novel splice variants of the human EPM2A gene mutated in Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy.

The EPM2A gene, defective in the fatal neurodegenerative disorder Lafora disease (LD), is known to encode two distinct proteins by differential splicing; a phosphatase active cytoplasmic isoform and a phosphatase inactive nuclear isoform. We report here the identification of three novel EPM2A splice variants with potential to code for five distinct proteins in alternate reading frames. These novel isoforms, when ectopically expressed in cell lines, show distinct subcellular localization, interact with and serve as substrates of malin ubiquitin ligase-the second protein defective in LD.

Dysfunctions in endosomal-lysosomal and autophagy pathways underlie neuropathology in a mouse model for Lafora disease.

Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy (also known as Lafora disease, LD) is an inherited and fatal form of a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of carbohydrate-rich inclusions called Lafora bodies. LD can be caused by defects in the laforin phosphatase or the malin ubiquitin ligase and the clinical symptoms resulting from these two defects are almost similar. In order to understand the molecular basis of LD pathogenesis and the role of Lafora bodies in neuropathology, we have studied the laforin-deficient mice as a model and show here that Lafora bodies recruit proteasomal subunit, endoplasmic reticulum chaperone GRP78/Bip, autophagic protein p62 and endosomal regulators Rab5 and Rab7.

How the human brain goes virtual: distinct cortical regions of the person-processing network are involved in self-identification with virtual agents.

Millions of people worldwide engage in online role-playing with their avatar, a virtual agent that represents the self. Previous behavioral studies have indicated that many gamers identify more strongly with their avatar than with their biological self. Through their avatar, gamers develop social networks and learn new social-cognitive skills.

Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk.

Blood pressure is a heritable trait influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (≥140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure or  ≥90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Genome-wide association study identifies six new loci influencing pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure.

Numerous genetic loci have been associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in Europeans. We now report genome-wide association studies of pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In discovery (N = 74,064) and follow-up studies (N = 48,607), we identified at genome-wide significance (P = 2.

A genome-wide association study identifies a region at chromosome 12 as a potential susceptibility locus for restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become an effective therapy to treat obstructive coronary artery diseases (CAD). However, one of the major drawbacks of PCI is the occurrence of restenosis in 5-25% of all initially treated patients. Restenosis is defined as the re-narrowing of the lumen of the blood vessel, resulting in renewed symptoms and the need for repeated intervention.

Association of ADAM33 gene polymorphisms with adult-onset asthma and its severity in an Indian adult population.

ADAM33, a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) gene family, is an asthma susceptibility gene originally identified by positional cloning. In the present study, we investigated the possible association of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ADAM33 (rs511898, rs528557, rs44707, rs597980 and rs2787094) with adult-onset asthma in an Indian population. The study included 175 patients with mild intermittent (n = 44), mild persistent (n = 108) or moderate persistent (n = 23) subgroups of asthma, and 253 nonasthmatic control individuals.

Increased glucose concentration results in reduced proteasomal activity and the formation of glycogen positive aggresomal structures.

Recent studies indicate that glycogen, besides being a principal storage product, confers protection against cellular stress through an unknown physiological pathway. Abnormal glycogen inclusions have also been considered to underlie pathology in a few neurodegenerative disorders that are caused by proteolytic dysfunctions, although a link between proteolytic pathways and glycogen accumulation is yet to be established. In the present study, we investigated the subcellular localization of glycogen particles and report that their distribution is altered under physiological stress.