The neuroprotective effects of pregabalin after cerebral ischemia by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats.

Activation of presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels and glutamate release serves a central role in neuronal necrosis after cerebral ischemia. Pregabalin binds to the α2-δ subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels and results in reduced glutamate release. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin on cerebral outcome following cerebral ischemia using an established rat model.

[Development and Effectiveness of Practice Application Program of Intravenous Infusion Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Guideline - for Small and Medium Sized Hospitals].

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop and test the effects of a program for practice application of intravenous infusion evidence based nursing practice (EBP) guidelines in small and medium-sized hospitals.

Methods: A mixed method research design was used, combining non-equivalent control group pre-post test design with qualitative study analysis. The subjects consisted of 55 nurses.

A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells: Blocking the PI3K/Akt Signaling Axis With Caffeic Acid.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a multiple of cancer types and resistant to traditional cancer therapies such as chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, which may destroy bulk tumor cells but not all CSCs, contributing to reformation tumor masses and subsequent relapse. Moreover, it is very difficult to effectively identify and eliminate CSCs because they share some common phenotypic and functional characteristics of normal stem cells. Therefore, finding better therapeutic strategies to selectively target CSCs might be helpful to reduce subsequent malignancies.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell and MicroRNA Therapy of Musculoskeletal Diseases.

The therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) have been verified in many human and animal studies. Although some tissues contain MSCs, the number of cells harvested from those tissues and rate of proliferation are not enough for continuous transplantation. In order to produce and maintain stable MSCs, many attempts are made to induce differentiation from pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into MSCs.

Near-Field to Far-Field RCS Prediction on Arbitrary Scanning Surfaces Based on Spherical Wave Expansion.

Near-field to far-field transformation (NFFFT) is a frequently-used method in antenna and radar cross section (RCS) measurements for various applications. For weapon systems, most measurements are captured in the near-field area in an anechoic chamber, considering the security requirements for the design process and high spatial costs of far-field measurements. As the theoretical RCS value is the power ratio of the scattered wave to the incident wave in the far-field region, a scattered wave measured in the near-field region needs to be converted into field values in the far-field region.

Molecular Characteristics of Light Cycle Oil Hydrodesulfurization over Silica-Alumina-Supported NiMo Catalysts.

A detailed understanding of the catalytic upgrading of light cycle oil (LCO) is important to achieve effective deep hydrodesulfurization (HDS) when LCO is mixed with straight run gas oil in the diesel pool. Herein, HDS of polyaromatic-rich LCO was studied at the molecular level over three NiMo catalysts on silica-alumina supports, which were synthesized on the pilot scale using different silica/alumina mixing procedures. Gas chromatography with atomic emission detection and two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to evaluate the HDS performance through determining the feed and product compositions, respectively, at the molecular level.

Clinical and Microbiological Efficacy of Pyrophosphate Containing Toothpaste: A Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial.

(1) Background: Dental calculus works as a niche wherein pathogenic bacteria proliferate in the oral cavity. Previous studies revealed the anticalculus activity of pyrophosphates, however there was no clinical study that evaluated microbiome changes associated with calculus inhibition. Therefore, the aim of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the calculus inhibition of pyrophosphate-containing toothpaste and its effect on oral microbiome changes.

Comparison of Scleral Buckling and Vitrectomy Using Wide Angle Viewing System for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

: To compare the surgical results of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and scleral buckling (SB) using the same vitreoretinal viewing system for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) : The study was a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 52 eyes (52 patients) with uncomplicated RRD located in superior quadrants. Eyes with pseudophakia or complications were not included. Thirty-one eyes underwent PPV using a wide-angle viewing system (WAVS) and 21 eyes received SB using the same WAVS combined with a chandelier endoilluminator.

Differences in patient and injury characteristics between sports- and non-sports related distal radius fractures.

Introduction: The incidence of distal radius fractures (DRFs) is increasing as the number of people in recreational or sporting activities rises, due to a combination of increased leisure time and greater public awareness of the health-related benefits of sports. Despite the increases in sports-related distal radius fractures (SR-DRFs), there are limited studies regarding the characteristics of treatment and recovery.

Hypothesis: There are characteristics specific to SR-DRF treated with conservative or operative management.

Danio rerio as an alternative vertebrate model for jellyfish venom study: The toxinological aspects of Nemopilema nomurai venom.

Nemopilema nomurai venom (NnV) is severely toxic to many organisms. However, the mechanism of its poisoning has not been properly understood yet. The present work demonstrates that zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an alternative vertebrate model for studying NnV jellyfish venom for the first time.

GSK-3β activation is required for ZIP-induced disruption of learned fear.

The myristoylated zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP), which was originally developed as a protein kinase C/Mζ (PKCζ/PKMζ) inhibitor, is known to produce the loss of different forms of memories. However, ZIP induces memory loss even in the absence of PKMζ, and its mechanism of action, therefore, remains elusive. Here, through a kinome-wide screen, we found that glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β) was robustly activated by ZIP in vitro.

Opposite Polarity Surface Photovoltage of MoS Monolayers on Au Nanodot versus Nanohole Arrays.

We prepared MoS monolayers on Au nanodot (ND) and nanohole (NH) arrays. Both these sample arrays exhibited enhanced photoluminescence intensity compared with that of a bare SiO/Si substrate. The reflectance spectra of MoS/ND and MoS/NH had clear features originating from excitation of localized surface plasmon and propagating surface plasmon polaritons.

Association of Social Behaviors With Community Discharge in Patients with Total Hip and Knee Replacement.

Objectives: Understand the association between social determinants of health and community discharge after elective total joint arthroplasty.

Design: Retrospective cohort design using Optum de-identified electronic health record dataset.

Setting And Participants: A total of 38 hospital networks and 18 non-network hospitals in the United States; 79,725 patients with total hip arthroplasty and 136,070 patients with total knee arthroplasty between 2011 and 2018.

Development of a novel dual reproductive organ on a chip: recapitulating bidirectional endocrine crosstalk between the uterine endometrium and the ovary.

Conventional 2D or even 3Dculture models for human reproductive organs cannot properly recapitulate the bidirectional endocrine crosstalk between the uterine endometrium and the ovary. This crosstalk is essential for maintaining the various physiological features and functions of each tissue. Moreover, mostmodels for the female reproductive tract also fail to mimic its multicellular structure.

An unusual presentation of non-specific cystic degeneration of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia: a case report and review of literature.

Background: Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a rare, sporadic, and benign congenital condition in which normal cancellous bone is replaced by fibro-osseous tissue with immature osteogenesis. FD localized in the cranial and facial bones is called craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (CFD). Cystic degeneration in CFD cases is rare; cystic degeneration appearing in both the maxilla and the mandible FD lesion is even rarer.

An ultrasensitive biosensor for high-resolution kinase activity imaging in awake mice.

Protein kinases control nearly every facet of cellular function. These key signaling nodes integrate diverse pathway inputs to regulate complex physiological processes, and aberrant kinase signaling is linked to numerous pathologies. While fluorescent protein-based biosensors have revolutionized the study of kinase signaling by allowing direct, spatiotemporally precise kinase activity measurements in living cells, powerful new molecular tools capable of robustly tracking kinase activity dynamics across diverse experimental contexts are needed to fully dissect the role of kinase signaling in physiology and disease.

Targeting Liver Cancer Stem Cells: An Alternative Therapeutic Approach for Liver Cancer.

The first report of cancer stem cell (CSC) from Bruce et al. has demonstrated the relatively rare population of stem-like cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The discovery of leukemic CSCs prompted further identification of CSCs in multiple types of solid tumor.

Early Prediction of Tumor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Clinical Outcome in Breast Cancer Using a Novel FDG-PET Parameter for Cancer Stem Cell Metabolism.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to chemoresistance and tumor relapse. By using the distinct metabolic phenotype of CSC, we designed novel PET parameters for CSC metabolism and investigated their clinical values. Patients with breast cancer who underwent F-FDG PET/CT before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) were retrospectively included.

The universal pathway to innovative urban economies.

Is there a universal economic pathway individual cities recapitulate over and over? This evolutionary structure-if any-would inform a reference model for fairer assessment, better maintenance, and improved forecasting of urban development. Using employment data including more than 100 million U.S.

Rashba Effect in Functional Spintronic Devices.

Exploiting spin transport increases the functionality of electronic devices and enables such devices to overcome physical limitations related to speed and power. Utilizing the Rashba effect at the interface of heterostructures provides promising opportunities toward the development of high-performance devices because it enables electrical control of the spin information. Herein, the focus is mainly on progress related to the two most compelling devices that exploit the Rashba effect: spin transistors and spin-orbit torque devices.

Value of serum procalcitonin as an early predictor of antibiotic treatment response in inpatients with pelvic inflammatory disease (VALID).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the value of serum procalcitonin as an early predictor of antibiotic treatment response in the inpatient management of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Materials And Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out at a university hospital. Patients admitted for pelvic inflammatory disease were classified into 2 groups: responders and non-responders.

532-nm second harmonic generation with enhanced efficiency using subharmonic cavity modulation-based quasi-Q-switched-mode-locked pulses.

We report the results of our investigation of the second harmonic generation (SHG) green pulse generation with an active, quasi-Q-switched-mode-locked (QML) fiber laser based on subharmonic cavity modulation. First, we investigate the working principle of the quasi-QML pulse generation technique, based on subharmonic cavity modulation through analytical calculation. We show that the stable QML-like pulse generation by subharmonic cavity modulation is induced by phase-locked interference of a large number of subharmonic modulation-induced frequency components within a cavity.

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in a single tumor in the anterior auricular area.

The concurrence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a single tumor is rarely encountered. We report a case of BCC and SCC in a single tumor in the anterior auricular area. A 70-year-old woman had been diagnosed with BCC by a punch biopsy performed at a dermatology clinic.

Understanding Variation in Postacute Care: Developing Rehabilitation Service Areas Through Geographic Mapping.

Objective: The aims of the study were to demonstrate a method for developing rehabilitation service areas and to compare service areas based on postacute care rehabilitation admissions to service areas based on acute care hospital admissions.

Design: We conducted a secondary analysis of 2013-2014 Medicare records for older patients in Texas (N = 469,172). Our analysis included admission records for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care hospitals, and home health agencies.