The emergence of modularity in biological systems.

In this review, we discuss modularity and hierarchy in biological systems. We review examples from protein structure, genetics, and biological networks of modular partitioning of the geometry of biological space. We review theories to explain modular organization of biology, with a focus on explaining how biology may spontaneously organize to a structured form.

The psychosocial burden of essential tremor in an outpatient- and a community-based cohort.

Background And Purpose: To compare psychosocial burden in patients with essential tremor (ET) in an outpatient (OPC)- and a community-based cohort (CBC).

Methods: A sample of outpatients of a tertiary referral center (n = 180) and a community-based sample (n = 100) with ET were asked for study participation. Psychosocial aspects were assessed by a questionnaire on psychosocial aspects of ET, neuropsychological scales, quality of life, personality traits, and coping strategies.

Small molecule AKAP-protein kinase A (PKA) interaction disruptors that activate PKA interfere with compartmentalized cAMP signaling in cardiac myocytes.

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) tether protein kinase A (PKA) and other signaling proteins to defined intracellular sites, thereby establishing compartmentalized cAMP signaling. AKAP-PKA interactions play key roles in various cellular processes, including the regulation of cardiac myocyte contractility. We discovered small molecules, 3,3'-diamino-4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane (FMP-API-1) and its derivatives, which inhibit AKAP-PKA interactions in vitro and in cultured cardiac myocytes.

Periodization: current review and suggested implementation for athletic rehabilitation.

Background: Clinicians are constantly faced with the challenge of designing training programs for injured and noninjured athletes that maximize healing and optimize performance. Periodization is a concept of systematic progression-that is, resistance training programs that follow predictable patterns of change in training variables. The strength training literature is abundant with studies comparing periodization schemes on uninjured, trained, and untrained athletes.

Re-operation outcome in patients referred to a gynecologic oncology center with presumed ovarian cancer FIGO I-IIIA after sub-standard initial surgery.

Background: Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for early ovarian cancer both as therapeutic and comprehensive staging. Only the latter allows appropriate tailoring of systemic treatment. However, the compliance with guidelines for comprehensive staging has been reported to be only moderate and, therefore, re-staging procedures are commonly indicated to avoid undertreatment.

The renin inhibitor aliskiren upregulates pro-angiogenic cells and reduces atherogenesis in mice.

Sca-1 and VEGFR-2 positive pro-angiogenic cells (PAC) predict outcome of patients with vascular disease. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system impairs PAC function. The effects of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren on PAC numbers and function are not known.

Difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol) administered two times daily for managing ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of twice-daily difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol(®)) versus placebo administered before surgery for managing inflammation and pain following cataract extraction.

Methods: Eligible subjects (N = 121) were randomized 2:1 to topical treatment with 1 drop difluprednate or placebo administered twice daily for 16 days, followed by a 14-day tapering period.

Endoscopic closure of postoperative esophageal leaks with a novel over-the-scope clip system.

Management of esophageal anastomotic leaks is associated with high morbidity and mortality and remains an interdisciplinary challenge. We describe the first two cases of endoscopic closure of postoperative leaks following gastrectomy and primary repair after spontaneous acute esophageal perforation, using the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system (Ovesco Endoscopy GmbH, Tübingen, Germany). Both leaks were successfully sealed with one clip.

Randomized trial of fascia lata and polypropylene mesh for abdominal sacrocolpopexy: 5-year follow-up.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the 5-year surgical outcomes of abdominal sacrocolpopexy among subjects randomized to receive polypropylene mesh or cadaveric fascia lata.

Methods: All 100 subjects from the original randomized clinical trial were eligible. Primary outcome was objective anatomic failure: any pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) point ≥ - 1.

Simulated microbe removal around finger rings using different hand sanitation methods.

Aim: It is our opinion that the CDC and the WHO have underestimated cross-contamination under examination gloves in dental clinics while wearing jewelry, such as finger rings. These agencies only "recommend" removing jewelry, and only washing hands for 15 seconds with soap and warm water before donning gloves. This study examined several washing procedures and finger rings using simulated microbes.

Mercury trends in fish from rivers and lakes in the United States, 1969-2005.

A national dataset on concentrations of mercury in fish, compiled mainly from state and federal monitoring programs, was used to evaluate trends in mercury (Hg) in fish from US rivers and lakes. Trends were analyzed on data aggregated by site and by state, using samples of the same fish species and tissue type, and using fish of similar lengths. Site-based trends were evaluated from 1969 to 2005, but focused on a subset of the data from 1969 to 1987.

Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of chronic dermatitis: an open-label study of 16 patients.

Background: Chronic dermatitis that is refractory to topical therapy poses a difficult treatment problem. Many patients are corticosteroid dependent. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a systemic B- and T-cell inhibitor that has some effect on delayed-type hypersensitivity.

LINGO1 is not associated with Parkinson's disease in German patients.

Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common movement disorders and show clinical, genetic, and pathophysiological overlap. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) domain-containing, Nogo receptor-interacting protein gene (LINGO1) are associated with ET. LINGO1 is overexpressed in the substantia nigra (SN) of PD patients and inhibition of LINGO1 confers neuroprotection in a rodent model of PD.

LINGO1 polymorphisms are associated with essential tremor in Europeans.

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders. Former association studies focussing on candidate genes in ET found a number of risk variants but most of them were not replicated. Recently, a genome-wide association study revealed two intronic sequence variants in the LINGO1 gene associated with ET.

Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound in preoperative staging of esophageal cancer: results from a referral center for early esophageal cancer.

Background And Study Aim: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been regarded as the most accurate staging tool in esophageal cancer. Staging results have a strong impact on the decision as to whether a patient should undergo endoscopic treatment, surgery alone, or neoadjuvant therapy. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the accuracy of esophageal cancer staging using EUS.

Charges and complications associated with the medical evaluation of febrile young infants.

Background: Since 1983, no study has evaluated the costs and complications involved in the inpatient evaluation of antibiotic therapy for febrile infants aged 29 to 60 days.

Methods: A prospective quality indicator/quality assurance study of low-risk febrile young infants (FYIs) was conducted during a 16-month period after a retrospective pilot study. One investigator (C.

Trends in concentrations and use of agricultural herbicides for Corn Belt rivers, 1996-2006.

Trends in the concentrations and agricultural use of four herbicides (atrazine, acetochlor, metolachlor, and alachlor) were evaluated for major rivers of the Corn Belt for two partially overlapping time periods: 1996-2002 and 2000-2006. Trends were analyzed for 11 sites on the mainstems and selected tributaries in the Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Missouri River Basins. Concentration trends were determined using a parametric regression model designed for analyzing seasonal variability, flow-related variability, and trends in pesticide concentrations (SEAWAVE-Q).

Bruising characteristics discriminating physical child abuse from accidental trauma.

Objective: Our objective was to conduct a pilot study to identify discriminating bruising characteristics and to model those findings into a decision tool for screening children at high risk for abuse.

Methods: A case-control study of children 0 to 48 months of age who were admitted to a PICU because of trauma was performed. Case subjects (N = 42) were victims of physical abuse, and control subjects (N = 53) were children admitted because of accidental trauma during the same time period.

Inline hologram reconstruction with sparsity constraints.

Inline digital holograms are classically reconstructed using linear operators to model diffraction. It has long been recognized that such reconstruction operators do not invert the hologram formation operator. Classical linear reconstructions yield images with artifacts such as distortions near the field-of-view boundaries or twin images.

Genome-wide association study reveals genetic risk underlying Parkinson's disease.

We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 1,713 individuals of European ancestry with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 3,978 controls. After replication in 3,361 cases and 4,573 controls, we observed two strong association signals, one in the gene encoding alpha-synuclein (SNCA; rs2736990, OR = 1.23, P = 2.

A multivariate examination of temporal changes in Berg Balance Scale items for patients with ASIA Impairment Scale C and D spinal cord injuries.

Objective: To provide a multivariate examination of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) as a first step in developing a balance tool for the SCI population.

Design: Observational cohort.

Setting: The NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), a specialized network of treatment centers providing standardized, activity-based therapy for patients with SCI.

Regional nutrient trends in streams and rivers of the United States, 1993-2003.

Trends in flow-adjusted concentrations (indicators of anthropogenic changes) and observed concentrations (indicators of natural and anthropogenic changes) of total phosphorus and total nitrogen from 1993 to 2003 were evaluated in the eastern, central, and western United States by adapting the Regional Kendall trend test to account for seasonality and spatial correlation. The only significant regional trend was an increase in flow-adjusted concentrations of total phosphorus in the central United States, which corresponded to increases in phosphorus inputs from fertilizer in the region, particularly west of the Mississippi River. A similar upward regional trend in observed total phosphorus concentrations in the central United States was not found, likely because precipitation and runoff decreased during drought conditions in the region, offsetting the increased source loading on the land surface.

Significant differences between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis regarding the impact of body mass index and initial disease activity on responsiveness to azathioprine: results from a European multicenter study in 1,176 patients.

In a survey comprising 1,176 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) we recently showed that azathioprine (AZA) beyond 4 years is beneficial in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and in a subset of Crohn's disease (CD) patients. Here, we show for the first time that azathioprine responsiveness depends on body mass index (BMI). The relationship is reciprocal in UC and CD, with a better outcome in UC patients with a BMI<25 and in CD patients with a BMI>25.

Psychiatric patients in the pediatric emergency department undergoing routine urine toxicology screens for medical clearance: results and use.

Objective: We sought to determine the use and results of urine toxicology screens (UTS) in psychiatric patients undergoing a UTS test for medical clearance in a pediatric emergency department.

Methods: A structured retrospective study was conducted over a 6-month period. All emergency department (ED) charts were reviewed of patients 8 to 17 years who had a UTS.

Genetic architecture of tameness in a rat model of animal domestication.

A common feature of domestic animals is tameness-i.e., they tolerate and are unafraid of human presence and handling.