Diagnostic Value of Electrocardiographic T Wave Inversion in Lead aVL in Diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Chronic Stable Angina.

Objectives: The clinical value of T wave inversion in lead aVL in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the correlation between aVL T wave inversion and CAD in patients with chronic stable angina.

Methods: Electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 257 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were analyzed.

The role of adjunctive exenatide therapy in pediatric type 1 diabetes.

Objective: Exenatide improves postprandial glycemic excursions in type 2 diabetes. Exenatide could benefit type 1 diabetes as well. We aimed to determine an effective and safe glucose-lowering adjuvant exenatide dose in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Type I interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) rescues B-lymphocytes from apoptosis via PI3Kdelta/Akt, Rho-A, NFkappaB and Bcl-2/Bcl(XL).

Although IFN-alpha was reported to promote the survival of peripheral B-lymphocytes via the PI3-kinase-Akt pathway, the triggered signalling pathways involved in the protection of B cell from apoptosis need to be clarified. Using flow cytometry and western blot analysis, we have found that type 1 IFNs (IFN-alpha/beta) protect human B cells in culture from spontaneous apoptosis and from apoptosis mediated by anti-CD95 agonist, in a dose- and time-dependant manner. IFN-alpha/beta-mediated anti-apoptotic effect on human B cells was totally abrogated by blockade of IFNR1 chain.

Evaluation of pneumonia severity and acute physiology scores to predict ICU admission and mortality in patients hospitalized for influenza.

Background: The demand for inpatient medical services increases during influenza season. A scoring system capable of identifying influenza patients at low risk death or ICU admission could help clinicians make hospital admission decisions.

Methods: Hospitalized patients with laboratory confirmed influenza were identified over 3 influenza seasons at 25 Ontario hospitals.

The growth hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 axis in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease and growth retardation.

Context: There is scarce knowledge about the growth hormone (GH) insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) axis in children & adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and growth retardation.

Objective: To describe the pattern of GH and IGF1 secretion in children & adolescents with IBD.

Design: A retrospective review of 28 patients (23 M) of IBD (25 Crohn's Disease and three Ulcerative Colitis) and growth retardation who had investigation of the GH/IGF-1 axis.

Inactivation of the GacA response regulator in Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 has far-reaching transcriptomic consequences.

The GacS/GacA signal transduction system is a central regulator in Pseudomonas spp., including the biological control strain P. fluorescens Pf-5, in which GacS/GacA controls the production of secondary metabolites and exoenzymes that suppress plant pathogens.

Pathophysiologic mechanisms of acute ischemic stroke: An overview with emphasis on therapeutic significance beyond thrombolysis.

Stroke is a serious neurological disease, and constitutes a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. The pathophysiology of stroke is complex, and involves excitotoxicity mechanisms, inflammatory pathways, oxidative damage, ionic imbalances, apoptosis, angiogenesis and neuroprotection. The ultimate result of ischemic cascade initiated by acute stroke is neuronal death along with an irreversible loss of neuronal function.

β-Thalassemia Mutations among Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Major Patients in Northern Iraq.

Molecular defects responsible for β-thalassemias (thal) were investigated among 254 chromosomes from 127 transfusion-dependent unrelated thalassemic patients from two provinces in Northern Iraq. Among fourteen identified mutations, the seven most common found in 88.2% of the thal chromosomes were: IVS-II-1 (G → A), IVS-I-1 (G → A), codon 8 (-AA), codon 39 (G → T), codon 8/9 (+G), codon 44 (-C), and codon 5 (-CT).

Drug interaction as cause of spontaneously resolving epidural spinal hematoma on warfarin therapy.

We present a case of a 42-year-old male, an old case of deep vein thrombosis on warfarin and other drugs like quetiapine, aspirin, diclofenac sodium, fenofibrate, atorvastatin, propanolol and citalopram for concurrent illnesses, who presented with widespread mucocutaneous bleeding and epidural spinal hematoma. The epidural bleed presented clinically as a nontraumatic, rapidly improving myeloradiculopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine revealed an epidural hematoma at D12-L1 level.

Autogenous bone graft combined with polylactic polyglycolic acid polymer for treatment of dehiscence around immediate dental implants.

The use of composite bone grafts in dehiscence defects around immediate dental implants are aimed at improving the outcome of the regenerative process. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of combinations of autogenous bone graft with a synthetic copolymer polylactic and polyglycolic acid (Fisiograft) on bone healing of buccal dehiscence defects around immediate dental implants. Sixteen adult male patients who each received an immediate implant for a single tooth replacement at a maxillary anterior or premolar site were included in this study.

Disaster preparedness in pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: The goal was to assess emergency preparedness among families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A total of 115 English-speaking families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus who were attending the diabetes clinic at Texas Children's Hospital agreed to a questionnaire study designed to ascertain their level of preparedness for a disaster or emergency. The study was conducted from June through September 2008 and ended just before Hurricane Ike made landfall.

An embryonic stem cell-like signature identifies poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinoma but not squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: An embryonic stem cell (ESC) profile correlates with poorly differentiated breast, bladder, and glioma cancers. In this article, we assess the correlation between the ESC profile and clinical variables in lung cancer.

Experimental Design: Microarray gene expression analysis was done using Affymetrix Human Genome U133A on 443 samples of human lung adenocarcinoma and 130 samples of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Polyostotic form of fibrous dysplasia in a 13 years old Colombian girl showing clinical and biochemical response to neridronate intravenous therapy.

Fibrous dysplasia affects principally the bone, it might also comprise extra skeletal anomalies; whereby the bone is replaced by a dysplastic fibrous tissue. It is classified according to the number of affected bones, and its association to endocrine alterations in: monostotic, polyostotic forms and Albright's disease. A congenital etiology is suggested.

Utility of brain natriuretic peptide as a predictor of atrial fibrillation after cardiac operations.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs frequently after coronary bypass grafting and valve operations. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to predict recurrence of AF in congestive heart failure. It is a potential biomarker for preoperative risk stratification for development of AF in at-risk patients.

Acetabular surgical units: a directory for the United Kingdom.

We present the first directory of the specialist acetabular surgical units throughout the United Kingdom. Previously there has not been any directory of acetabular surgeons in the UK as held by any governmental or healthcare agency. We have established that acetabular fracture fixation cases were performed at 33 NHS hospitals in the UK in 2003-2004.

ICU admissions after actual or planned hospital discharge: incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes in patients with cancer.

Background: Unexpected ICU admissions may result from early or premature discharge from the hospital. We sought to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients admitted to the ICU after actual or planned hospital discharge and to analyze whether the need for ICU admission was related or unrelated to the associated hospitalization.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all adult ICU admissions between January 2004 and December 2006 at a tertiary care cancer center and identified the following two groups of patients: those patients admitted directly to the ICU within 48 h of actual hospital discharge (group A); and those patients admitted to the ICU within 48 h of planned hospital discharge (group B).

Selenium distribution in camel blood and organs after different level of dietary selenium supplementation.

Eight young female camels shared in four groups of two 2 years received a basal diet enriched respectively with 0, 2, 4, and 8 mg selenium under sodium selenite form for 64 days. Feed intake was assessed daily; blood samples were taken on weekly basis. One camel from each group was killed at the end of the experiment.

Genome degradation in Brucella ovis corresponds with narrowing of its host range and tissue tropism.

Brucella ovis is a veterinary pathogen associated with epididymitis in sheep. Despite its genetic similarity to the zoonotic pathogens B. abortus, B.

Use of neural networks to detect minor and major pathogens that cause bovine mastitis.

The objectives of this research were to test the potential of unsupervised (USNN) and supervised neural network (SNN) models for detecting major and minor mastitis pathogens based on changes in milk parameters. A data set of 4,852 quarter milk samples with records for milk parameters and bacteriological status was used to train and validate the models by classifying milk samples into 3 different bacteriological states: not infected, intramammary infection (IMI) by minor pathogens, and IMI by major pathogens. Sensitivity of the USNN model was 97% for detecting noninfected quarters, 89% for minor pathogen IMI, and 80% for major pathogen IMI.

Reducing postprandial hyperglycemia with adjuvant premeal pramlintide and postmeal insulin in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of adjuvant premeal pramlintide with postmeal insulin on postprandial hyperglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Methods: Eight adolescents with T1DM on intensive insulin therapy participated in an open-label, non-randomized, crossover study, comparing postprandial glucose excursions in study A (prescribed insulin regimen and given premeal) vs. study B (pramlintide + insulin).

Straight multimode interference phased array structure using periodic segmented waveguide phase array.

A new design of a multimode interference (MMI) phased array structure is proposed. This design is based on replacing the arrayed delay arms between the first MMI power splitter and the second MMI combiner by periodic segmented waveguides. This allows a straight structure without curved waveguides and thus reduces greatly the size of the structure.

Optimized production and analysis of the staphylococcal multidrug efflux protein QacA.

The plasmid-encoded QacA multidrug transport protein confers high-level resistance to a range of commonly used antimicrobials and is carried by widespread clinical strains of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus making it a potential target for future drug therapies. In order to obtain a sufficient yield of QacA protein for structural and biophysical studies, an optimized strategy for QacA overexpression was developed. QacA expression, directed from several vector systems in Escherichia coli, was tested under various growth and induction conditions and a synthetic qacA gene, codon-optimized for expression in E.

Effect of selenium supplementation on blood status and milk, urine, and fecal excretion in pregnant and lactating camel.

Ten pregnant female camels divided into two groups received, after a 2-week adaptation period, an oral selenium (Se) supplementation (0 and 2 mg, respectively) under sodium selenite form for 6 months from the three last months of gestation up to the three first months of lactation. Feed intake was assessed daily. Blood samples and body weight were taken on a biweekly basis, both in dams and their camel calves after parturition.