Polyphenols have unique cellular effects that are distinct from antioxidant function in Toll-like receptor 4-mediated inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells.

Plant polyphenols are bioactive compounds touted for their antioxidant effects, and this is often the primary attribute used to explain their health benefits. However, we hypothesize that polyphenols have molecular properties independent of antioxidant function. The objective of this study was to investigate whether polyphenols had distinct molecular effects compared to pure antioxidants.

Treatment of chronic axial back pain with 60-day percutaneous medial branch PNS: Primary end point results from a prospective, multicenter study.

Background: The objective of this prospective, multicenter study is to characterize responses to percutaneous medial branch peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) to determine if results from earlier, smaller single-center studies and reports were generalizable when performed at a larger number and wider variety of centers in patients recalcitrant to nonsurgical treatments.

Materials & Methods: Participants with chronic axial low back pain (LBP) were implanted with percutaneous PNS leads targeting the lumbar medial branch nerves for up to 60 days, after which the leads were removed. Participants were followed long-term for 12 months after the 2-month PNS treatment.

Spinal Cord Stimulator Related Infections: Findings From a Multicenter Retrospective Analysis of 2737 Implants.

Introduction: Surgical site infection is a potential complication of spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation. Current understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these infections is based largely on small clinical studies, many of which are outdated. Evidence-based guidelines for management of SCS-related infections thus rely instead on expert opinion, case reports, and case series.

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis biomarkers in a sandwich immunoassay format using a waveguide-based optical biosensor.

Early diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) remains an elusive challenge, especially in individuals with disseminated TB and HIV co-infection. Recent studies have shown a promise for the direct detection of pathogen-specific biomarkers such as lipoarabinomannan (LAM) for the diagnosis of TB in HIV-positive individuals. Currently, traditional immunoassay platforms that suffer from poor sensitivity and high non-specific interactions are used for the detection of such biomarkers.

Quantitative multiplex detection of pathogen biomarkers on multichannel waveguides.

No single biomarker can accurately predict disease. An ideal biodetection technology should be capable of the quantitative, reproducible, and sensitive detection of a limited suite of such molecules. To this end, we have developed a multiplex biomarker assay for protective antigen and lethal factor of the Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin using semiconductor quantum dots as the fluorescence reporters on our waveguide-based biosensor platform.

Optimizing a waveguide-based sandwich immunoassay for tumor biomarkers: evaluating fluorescent labels and functional surfaces.

The sensor team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a waveguide-based optical biosensor for the detection of biomarkers associated with disease. We have previously demonstrated the application of this technology to the sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen in serum and nipple aspirate fluid from breast cancer patients. In this publication, we report improvements to this technology that will facilitate transition to a point-of-care diagnostic system and/or robust research tool.

Waveguide-based biosensors for pathogen detection.

Optical phenomena such as fluorescence, phosphorescence, polarization, interference and non-linearity have been extensively used for biosensing applications. Optical waveguides (both planar and fiber-optic) are comprised of a material with high permittivity/high refractive index surrounded on all sides by materials with lower refractive indices, such as a substrate and the media to be sensed. This arrangement allows coupled light to propagate through the high refractive index waveguide by total internal reflection and generates an electromagnetic wave-the evanescent field-whose amplitude decreases exponentially as the distance from the surface increases.

Functional PEG-modified thin films for biological detection.

We report a general procedure to prepare functional organic thin films for biological assays on oxide surfaces. Silica surfaces were functionalized by self-assembly of an amine-terminated silane film using both vapor- and solution-phase deposition of 3'-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APMDES). We found that vapor-phase deposition of APMDES under reduced pressure produced the highest quality monolayer films with uniform surface coverage, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry, and contact angle measurements.

In vitro determination of prebiotic properties of oligosaccharides derived from an orange juice manufacturing by-product stream.

Fermentation properties of oligosaccharides derived from orange peel pectin were assessed in mixed fecal bacterial culture. The orange peel oligosaccharide fraction contained glucose in addition to rhamnogalacturonan and xylogalacturonan pectic oligosaccharides. Twenty-four-hour, temperature- and pH-controlled, stirred anaerobic fecal batch cultures were used to determine the effects that oligosaccharides derived from orange products had on the composition of the fecal microbiota.

Characteristics of different nucleic acid staining dyes for DNA fragment sizing by flow cytometry.

An efficient and reliable double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) staining protocol for DNA fragment sizing by flow cytometry is presented. The protocol employs 0.8 microM of PicoGreen to label a wide range of DNA concentrations (0.

Embryonic human chorionic gonadotropin secretion and hatching: poor correlation with cleavage rate and morphological assessment during preimplantation development in vitro.

Of 593 bipronucleate eggs allowed to develop in vitro, 275 (46%) achieved the blastocyst stage and beyond, 124 (21%) initiated hatching, but only 49 (8%) fully hatched. About half of the pre-embryos (48%) which developed to these more advanced stages were incapable of secreting significant amounts (> 200 microIU) of cumulative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) up to day 14. HCG production does not appear to begin until the expanded stage and is independent of hatching.

Real-time detection of DNA during gel electrophoresis using a Zeeman refractive index detector.

We have developed a new method for detecting unstained, untagged, unlabeled DNA bands in real-time during gel electrophoresis. This technique is based on the use of a Zeeman refractive index detector with lambda/12,000 resolution and outstanding stability. Current sensitivity in a polyacrylamide gel is 0.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy for palliation of fungating breast cancer. A case report and review of the literature.

The infusion of chemotherapy into arteries that feed locally advanced tumors has theoretical appeal, since the tumor mass may be exposed to high drug concentrations with administration of reduced or conventional doses of chemotherapy. Experience in applying this technique to patients with breast cancer in the United States is limited. Locally advanced, fungating breast cancers pose particularly difficult management problems for which intra-arterial drug delivery may be appropriate in carefully, selected cases.

Predictive value of the fluorescent cytoprint assay (FCA): a retrospective correlation study of in vitro chemosensitivity and individual responses to chemotherapy.

The potential clinical usefulness of the fluorescent cytoprint assay (FCA) was assessed retrospectively in 73 cancer patients by correlating individual tumor chemosensitivity in vitro with responses to chemotherapy. The data show that the FCA has a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 81%, and predictive accuracies of 85% and 97% for positive and negative clinical responses, respectively.

Refractive index detector using Zeeman interferometry.

We discuss the theory and error analysis for an ultrasensitive refractive index detector based on the two frequency Zeeman effect laser. Experimental measurements on gases agree fairly well with predictions. With a 5-cm pathlength, the typical interferometry stability is Deltan = 8 x 10(-9)/h.

Hodgkin's disease after non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Hodgkin's disease (HD) after treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been reported but is extremely rare, and to the authors' knowledge has not been reported in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The authors present a case of an AIDS patient who developed mixed cellularity type HD 2.5 years after chemotherapy and radiotherapy for Stage II NHL.

Dealing with the stress of an HIV-positive diagnosis at an Army medical center.

Following mandatory military-wide testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Army medical facilities have gained extensive experience with HIV-positive persons who undergo special stresses as a result of their affiliation with the military. The consequences of evacuation to medical centers for evaluation of HIV status are presented and the impact of this process on the medical center staff are considered. This paper is a description of one system designed to evaluate, treat, and support HIV-positive soldiers and their families.

Treatment of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma with a combination of interferon-alpha 2b and etoposide.

A prospective clinical trial of concomitant interferon-alpha 2b and etoposide was conducted in 24 previously untreated patients with epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma. Eight of 21 evaluable patients (38%) achieved either a complete response (1 patient) or a partial response (7 patients). None of the responders had a prior history of opportunistic infection.

Strength of handedness as an indicant of delinquent's behavior.

In a sample of incarcerated male delinquents (N = 254), dichotomous and continuous measures of handedness were compared in concurrent prediction of delinquent behavior and correlation with past delinquency. The continuous measures proved to be more sensitive indicants of scores on a rating scale of conduct disorder than was the simple dichotomy of left- vs. right-handed.