Feasibility study of the application of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to measure oral posture related changes in stiffness of zygomaticus major muscle.

Purpose: Development of a technique for measuring the mechanical properties of zygomaticus major (ZM) may aid advances in clinical treatments for correcting abnormal oral posture. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of ZM using an MR elastography technique that incorporates a custom local driver and a phase-gradient (PG) inversion.

Methods: 2D MRE investigations were performed for 3 healthy subjects using a vibration frequency of 90 Hz to test the prediction that the stiffness of ZM would be greater in the mouth-open compared to the mouth-closed position.

MR elastography-based slip interface imaging (SII) for functional assessment of myofascial interfaces: A feasibility study.

Purpose: Abnormal adherence at functional myofascial interfaces is hypothesized as an important phenomenon in myofascial pain syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of MR elastography (MRE)-based slip interface imaging (SII) to visualize and assess myofascial mobility in healthy volunteers.

Methods: SII was used to assess local shear strain at functional myofascial interfaces in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and thighs.

Measurement of changes in uterine and fibroid volume during treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB).

Study Question: Does application of an unbiased method for analysis of magnetic resonance (MR) images reveal any effect on uterine or fibroid volume from treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) with three 12-week courses of the selective progesterone receptor modulator ulipristal acetate (SPRM-UPA)?

Summary Answer: Application of an unbiased method for analysis of MR images showed that treatment of HMB with SPRM-UPA was not associated with a significant reduction in the volume of the uterus or in the volume of uterine fibroids.

What Is Known Already: SPRM-UPA shows therapeutic efficacy for treating HMB. However, the mechanism of action (MoA) is not well understood and there have been mixed reports, using potentially biased methodology, regarding whether SPRM-UPA has an effect on the volume of the uterus and fibroids.

The benefits of Shuai Shou Gong (SSG) demonstrated in a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) study of older adults in two communities in Thailand.

Introduction: Shuai Shou Gong (SSG) is a type of Arm Swing Exercise (ASE) developed and practiced especially by older people in China for over one thousand years to maintain physical health and well-being. Until now the potential benefits of SSG have not been investigated in a Randomised Control Trial (RCT).

Materials And Methods: Fifty six older women were recruited from each of two urban communities in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography in the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) present a major health burden to society. Changes in brain structure and cognition are generally only observed at the late stage of the disease. Although advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as diffusion imaging may allow identification of biomarkers at earlier stages of neurodegeneration, early diagnosis is still challenging.

Development and evaluation of silver amplification immunochromatography kit for foot-and-mouth disease virus antigen detection.

A silver amplification immunochromatography (SAI) kit for the detection of all seven serotypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)-FMDV-Ag SAI-was developed using the monoclonal antibody 1H5 recognizing the highly conserved N terminus region of VP2. The FMDV-Ag SAI can be used under conditions of high biosecurity containment as it does not require any apparatus. The FMDV-Ag SAI exhibited 10-100 times higher sensitivity against the five serotypes (O, A, Asia1, C, and SAT1) and similar sensitivity against SAT2 and SAT3, compared with the Svanodip® FMDV-Ag kit immunochromatography kit.

Development of a Rapid and Versatile Method of Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay Combined with Immunoaffinity Column for Aflatoxin Analysis.

We combined immunoaffinity column (IAC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods to develop a rapid method to analyze total aflatoxin (AF) in foods, using a large number of samples. Using newly developed monoclonal antibodies, with high cross-reactivity and high organic solvent tolerance, we developed the IAC-ELISA method. Our IAC-ELISA method showed a good correlation with the high-performance liquid chromatography method for corn samples spiked with total AF.

Highly potent and selective aryl-1,2,3-triazolyl benzylpiperidine inhibitors toward butyrylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the key enzyme targeted in Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy, nevertheless butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) has been drawing attention due to its role in the disease progression. Thus, we aimed to synthesize novel cholinesterases inhibitors considering structural differences in their peripheral site, exploiting a moiety replacement approach based on the potent and selective hAChE drug donepezil. Hence, two small series of N-benzylpiperidine based compounds have successfully been synthesized as novel potent and selective hBuChE inhibitors.

Pediatric chronic patients at outpatient clinics: a study in a Latin American University Hospital.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of children and adolescentes with chronic diseases of outpatient clinics at a tertiary university hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 16,237 patients with chronic diseases followed-up in one year. The data were collected through the electronic system, according to the number of physician appointments in 23 pediatric specialties.

Overexpression of an antimicrobial peptide derived from C. elegans using an aggregation-prone protein coexpression system.

Antibacterial factor 2 (ABF-2) is a 67-residue antimicrobial peptide derived from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although it has been reported that ABF-2 exerts in vitro microbicidal activity against a range of bacteria and fungi, the structure of ABF-2 has not yet been solved. To enable structural studies of ABF-2 by NMR spectroscopy, a large amount of isotopically labeled ABF-2 is essential.

Development of a novel multiplex lateral flow assay using an antimicrobial peptide for the detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

The binding capacity of peptides with broad antimicrobial activity, or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), to microbes has recently been applied to the specific detection of bacteria and viruses. We established a novel lateral flow assay (LFA) that combines AMPs labeled with colloidal gold and a target-specific antibody immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane. α-Helical AMPs, especially cecropin P1 (CP1), magainin 2 (MG2), and ceratotoxin A (CtxA), were shown to have optimal properties as probes in LFA.

Changes in the quality of jaboticaba fruit (Myriciaria jaboticaba (Vell) Berg. cv. Sabará) stored under different oxygen concentrations.

Background: Jaboticaba (Myriciaria jaboticaba (Vell) Berg.) is a highly perishable Brazilian berry with a shelf life of only 2 days under ambient conditions. Low temperatures and controlled atmosphere (CA) have been used to extend the shelf life of perishable fruit.

Trypsin-like Hatching Enzyme of Mouse Blastocysts: Evidence for Its Participation in Hatching Process before Zona Shedding of Embryos : (embryo/hatching enzyme/protease/trypsin/strypsin).

Effects of twelve protease inhibitors on hatching of mouse embryos were investigated. Mouse hatching was strongly or moderately inhibited by trypsin inhibitors including p-toluenesulfonyl-Lys-CH Cl (TLCK) and chicken ovomucoid, while inhibitors for chymotrypsin and elastase showed weak or no inhibition. These results indicate the participation of a trypsin-like protease in the hatching of mouse embryos as a hatching enzyme.

Action of oren-gedoku-to on platelet aggregation in vitro.

Oren-gedoku-to is a Chinese medicine with hypotensive activity, hemostatic actions and the ability to augment cerebral blood flow. It is therefore expected to be useful in patients with hypertension and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). These effects of Oren-gedoku-to on platelet aggregation and coagulation-fibrinolysis were evaluated.

Induction of tumors in rats by bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) from Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

1. The possible carcinogenicity of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum, common name: "Broto de Samambaia") which is used as food by the population of Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais, Brazil) and neighboring areas, was studied in rats. 2.