FDG-PET in carcinoma of the uterine cervix with endometrial extension.

Background: The authors wished to determine whether pretreatment pathologic evidence of endometrial invasion correlated with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) findings and outcomes in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Methods: Pretreatment whole body FDG-PET was performed in 58 patients with cervical carcinoma who also underwent pathologic evaluation of the endometrium by biopsy or dilation and curettage. FDG-PET lymph node status, disease free survival, and overall survival were evaluated.

Time and temperature effects on body fluid loss during dives with the open hot-water suit.

Background: Bodyweight (BW) losses up to 5 kg have been observed during diving with the open hot-water suit (HWS). The objective of these dives was to study the hormonal, hematological, and renal effects of dehydration during shallow HWS diving.

Methods: In series 1, four divers dove for 3.

Changes in erythropoietin and haemoglobin concentrations in response to saturation diving.

A reduction in haemoglobin concentration is consistently reported after deep saturation dives. This may be due to a downregulation of erythropoietin (EPO) concentration or to a toxic effect of the hyperoxia associated with the dives resulting in an increased destruction rate of erythrocytes. In this study haemoglobin concentration, blood cell counts, serum ferritin, bilirubin, haptoglobin and EPO concentrations were measured before, during and after a 19 day saturation dive to 240 m.

Obesity-related comorbidities in obese African Americans in an outpatient weight loss program.

Objective: To identify, among obese African-American enrollees in an outpatient weight loss program, differences between those with and without obesity-related comorbidities (ORCMs).

Research Methods And Procedures: Data were from 237 obese African Americans (BMI, 30 to 50 kg/m2; 90% women) who enrolled in a 10-week lifestyle weight loss program. Analyses compared subgroups defined by ORCM status (from medical history) on baseline characteristics, program attendance, and postprogram weight change.

Influence of sociodemographic and neighbourhood factors on self rated health and quality of life in rural communities: findings from the Agriproject in the Republic of Ireland.

Objective: To examine the influence of sociodemographic and neighbourhood factors on self rated health, quality of life, and perceived opportunities for change (as one measure of empowerment) in rural Irish communities.

Design: Pooled data from cross sectional surveys two years apart.

Setting: Respondents in four randomly selected rural district electoral divisions with a population size of between 750 and 2000.

Identification and importance of N-glycosylation of the human 5-hydroxytryptamine3A receptor subunit.

We investigated the presence and potential role of N-glycosylation of the human (h) 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3A) receptor subunit expressed in COS-7 cells. Incubation of cells with the N-glycosylation inhibitor, tunicamycin, reduced the molecular weight of the predominant immunoreactive h5-HT3A subunit species (from approximately 59 to 45 kDa) indicating that the h5-HT3A subunit is normally N-glycosylated. Site-directed mutagenesis studies individually substituting four identified N-terminal asparagines (N5, N81, N147, N163) demonstrated that each expressed mutant displayed a reduced molecular weight (by approximately 3 kDa) suggesting that each asparagine residue was subject to N-glycosylation.

Homogeneity analysis in a Korte--Schmidt-type integrating gold sphere.

Homogeneity measurements in a gold-coated integrating sphere at eight wavelengths in the range from 400 to 2000 nm are presented and discussed. The inner sphere wall was scanned with a mirror-based internal sphere scanner at 288 different positions. The spatially resolved measurements show the transition from poor reflectivity, associated with large inhomogeneities at 400 nm, to high reflectivity in the infrared region at 2000 nm, associated with only small deviations.

Alpha-synuclein missense and multiplication mutations in autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease.

Missense mutations and genomic multiplications of the alpha-synuclein gene (SNCA) have been linked to autosomal dominant familial Parkinson's disease. We screened 50 probands of families with autosomal dominant parkinsonism for alpha-synuclein mutations by exon sequencing. No known or novel mutations were found.

Barriers and enablers for implementing general practice training.

Background: The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) curriculum is designed for rural and remote general practice in Australia. We explored the potential for its implementation in the Northern Territory (NT).

Methods: Forty-two doctors who might teach or study the ACRRM curriculum were interviewed on the predicted barriers to the curriculum, strategies to overcome these barriers and a model for curriculum delivery.

Failure in heat-shock protein expression in response to UBB+1 protein in progressive supranuclear palsy in humans.

UBB+1 protein is an aberrant ubiquitin associated with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). It leads to proteasome inhibition, heat-shock protein (HSP) expression and apoptosis in cell cultures. Despite UBB+1 polyubiquitination (an indication of proteasome inhibition), we demonstrate that UBB+1 and HSP40/HSP70 immunoreactivity do not co-localize in the pons of patients with PSP.

The expression of DJ-1 (PARK7) in normal human CNS and idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Two mutations in the DJ-1 gene on chromosome1p36 have been identified recently to cause early-onset, autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease. As no information is available regarding the distribution of DJ-1 protein in the human brain, in this study we used a monoclonal antibody for DJ-1 to map its distribution in frontal cortex and substantia nigra, regions invariably involved in Parkinson's disease. Western blotting of human frontal cortex showed DJ-1 to be an abundant protein in control, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, cases with clinical and pathological phenotypes of Parkinson's disease with R98Q polymorphism for DJ-1, and in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) brains.

Angular distribution of light scattered by single biological cells and oriented particle agglomerates.

We used a flow cytometer together with an intensified CCD camera to record spatially resolved light scattering from micrometer-sized single particles and single oriented particle agglomerates. Experimental differential cross sections of an oriented dumbbell made from two identical polystyrene spheres were compared with theoretical values calculated within the discrete dipole approximation, and good agreement was achieved. Furthermore, characteristic two-dimensional patterns of the scattered-light intensity were recorded for single blood cells, yielding information on the cells' shape and volume.

Strong association of the Saitohin gene Q7 variant with progressive supranuclear palsy.

Recent reports are inconclusive in showing that the Q7R polymorphism of the novel Saitohin gene, nested in intron 9 of the tau gene, is associated with AD. The authors show that this polymorphism is in complete linkage disequilibrium with the extended tau H1/H2 haplotype and that the Q variant and QQ genotype of Q7R are strongly associated with progressive supranuclear palsy, implicating it as a possibly important pathogenic candidate.

Alzheimer's associated variant ubiquitin causes inhibition of the 26S proteasome and chaperone expression.

Intracellular protein inclusions in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy contain UBB+1, a variant ubiquitin. UBB+1 is able block the 26S proteasome in cell lines. Proteasome inhibition by drug action has previously been shown to induce a heat-shock response and render protection against stress.

Increased oxygen before and during decompression reduces bubble formation in rats.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that increased oxygen partial pressure shortly before and during decompression from hyperbaric pressures would decrease venous gas bubble formation. Bubbles were detected by an ultrasound Doppler technique in conscious, freely moving rats. All rats were exposed twice to 6 bar for 2 hours.

Pathological inclusion bodies in tauopathies contain distinct complements of tau with three or four microtubule-binding repeat domains as demonstrated by new specific monoclonal antibodies.

Pathological inclusions containing fibrillar aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein are a characteristic feature in the tauopathies, which include Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and Pick's disease. Tau isoform composition and cellular and regional distribution as well as morphology of these inclusions vary in each disorder. Recently, several pathological missense and exon 10 splice-donor site mutations of the tau gene were identified in FTDP-17.

Virus inactivation by high intensity broad spectrum pulsed light.

The inactivation of a range of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses by treatment with high intensity broad spectrum pulsed light (PureBright) has been investigated. In phosphate buffered saline, a dose of 1.0 J/cm2 was sufficient to effectively inactivate, i.

Clinical Governance and the role of the lecturer/practitioner in education in one British National Health Service (NHS) Trust.

Meeting the Clinical Governance agenda is dependent fundamentally on staff education. When examined within and supported by the role of the Lecturer/Practitioner, a model of education for Clinical Governance begins to emerge. In order to implement this model and to simultaneously embrace the organizational change necessary to create a knowledgeable workforce, it is necessary to examine those factors that generate excellence in education on the ground.

Satellite imagery characterizes local animal reservoir populations of Sin Nombre virus in the southwestern United States.

The relationship between the risk of hantaviral pulmonary syndrome (HPS), as estimated from satellite imagery, and local rodent populations was examined. HPS risk, predicted before rodent sampling, was highly associated with the abundance of Peromyscus maniculatus, the reservoir of Sin Nombre virus (SNV). P.

Thermal insulation properties of argon used as a dry suit inflation gas.

Uncontrolled observations from the "technical" diving community claim superior thermal comfort when replacing air with argon as dry suit inflation gas during diving. The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of argon compared to air during cold water diving. Body weight, urinary output, and rectal and skin temperatures were measured in six naval divers during two dives to approximately 10 m for 60 min.

Gas bubbles in rats after heliox saturation and different decompression steps and rates.

Effects of pressure reduction, decompression rate, and repeated exposure on venous gas bubble formation were determined in five groups (GI, GII, GIII, GIV, and GV) of conscious and freely moving rats in a heliox atmosphere. Bubbles were recorded with a Doppler ultrasound probe implanted around the inferior caval vein. Rats were held for 16 h at 0.

Impact evaluation of an oral health intervention amongst primary school children in Ireland.

A pilot oral health programme was developed which aimed to improve dental health knowledge and behaviour amongst Irish school children aged 7-12 years. The programme comprised two integral components: a television campaign, run over a 6-week period, was incorporated into the children's programme 'Den TV' on national television, with video clips of a member of the music band Boyzone promoting key oral health messages; and a Smile of the Year contest. Concurrently, a dental nurse delivered an interactive talk with pupils, showed a video of the Den TV oral health programme and distributed posters and leaflets.

Lemierre's syndrome as a consequence of acute supraglottitis.

Lemierre's syndrome comprises internal jugular vein thrombosis following oropharyngeal sepsis and is a rare and serious condition. It is most commonly caused by the anaerobe Fusobacterium necrophorum and typically presents as metastatic sepsis to the lungs and joints. Thrombosis is demonstrated by computed tomography (CT) of the neck, and it is routinely treated with intravenous antibiotics and anti-coagulation.

A rapid access husky voice clinic: useful in diagnosing laryngeal pathology.

A new established pilot husky voice clinic with agreed referral protocols for patients at risk of developing laryngeal malignancy was audited. Thirty-four patients were seen, 41.2 per cent having abnormal findings on flexible nasendoscopy, 29.