"Stages of change, smoking behavior and acceptability of a textmessaging intervention for tobacco cessation among cigarette, dokha and shishasmokers: A qualitative research study.".

Objectives: To explore: (A) the underlying motivators and barriers to smoking cessation among young Arabic speaking smokers and (B) to examine the suitability and preferences for tobacco cessation interventions (specifically text messages) and study the possibility of enrollment methods for a randomised controlled study using text messages as an intervention for tobacco cessation.

Design: Qualitative research using focus group discussions and content analysis.

Settings: Two universities, one of them is the first and foremost comprehensive national university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Proteomic identification of new biomarkers and application in thyroid cytology.

Objective: To validate proteins identified by proteomics as potentially usable markers in thyroid pathology.

Study Design: Frozen sections of thyroid tumors were manually micro-dissected and proteins extracted. Two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and subsequent liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy were performed, and differentially expressed proteins were identified.

Differential expression of S100C in thyroid lesions.

Identification of new potential markers that may help in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions is needed. By comparative 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis of microdissected cells from tumors and normal thyroid tissue, we identified a new protein, S100C, which is highly expressed in papillary carcinomas. In order to validate this finding, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression and the potential role in diagnosis of these markers in 94 specimens representing the spectrum of malignant and benign thyroid lesions.

Regulation of integrin function by CD47 ligands. Differential effects on alpha vbeta 3 and alpha 4beta1 integrin-mediated adhesion.

We examined the regulation of alpha4beta1 integrin function in melanoma cells and T cells by ligands of CD47. A CD47 antibody (B6H12) that inhibited alphavbeta3-mediated adhesion of melanoma cells induced by CD47-binding peptides from thrombospondin-1 directly stimulated alpha4beta1-mediated adhesion of the same cells to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and N-terminal regions of thrombospondin-1 or thrombospondin-2. B6H12 also stimulated alpha4beta1- as well as alpha2beta1- and alpha5beta1-mediated adhesion of CD47-expressing T cells but not of CD47-deficient T cells.

Identification of heat shock protein 60 as a molecular mediator of alpha 3 beta 1 integrin activation.

The alpha 3 beta 1 integrin is involved in the adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells to the lymph nodes and to osteoblasts in the bone. Regulation of the affinity or avidity of integrins for their ligands may result from conformational changes induced by changes in the microenvironment of the integrin. Two surface proteins, 55 and 32 kDa, coimmunoprecipitated with the alpha 3 beta 1 integrin from breast carcinoma cells.

Dopamine effect on the mitochondria potential in B lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients and normal controls.

Brain metabolic abnormalities and aberrant dopamine (DA) metabolism have been reported in patients with schizophrenia. The authors hypothesized that mitochondria is a primary target of damage by increased free radical generation secondary to increased DA metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAO). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B-lymphocytes cell lines derived from patients with schizophrenia and normal controls were incubated in the absence or presence of DA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or rotenone (Rot).