Satisfactory cross-cultural validity of the ACTG symptom distress module in HIV-1-infected antiretroviral-naive patients.

Background: Multinational clinical trials commonly include different language versions of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments without considering the question of their cross-cultural validity. The inclusion of a PRO instrument, the Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group Symptom Distress Module (SDM), in an multinational clinical trial in HIV-1 antiretroviral-naive patients offered an opportunity to explore the methods to assess cross-cultural validity of PRO instruments in the context of clinical trials.

Purpose: To assess the cross-cultural validity of the SDM across seven cultural groups in the setting of a multinational HIV clinical trial.

Competitive ability not kinship affects growth of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions.

In many organisms, individuals behave more altruistically towards relatives than towards unrelated individuals. Here, we conducted a study to determine if the performance of Arabidopsis thaliana is influenced by whether individuals are in competition with kin or non-kin. We selected seven pairs of genetically distinct accessions that originated from local populations throughout Europe.

Refractive index sensing characteristics of dual resonance long period gratings in bare and metal-coated D-shaped fibers.

We present a theoretical study of the ambient refractive index sensing characteristics of long period gratings in bare and metal-coated D-shaped fibers. An equivalent rectangular core waveguide method based on the first-order perturbation theory has been used to study the modal behavior of the waveguide. Power coupling corresponding to dual resonance in both cases has been investigated, and an optimum metal thickness giving maximum sensitivity has been found to exist.

Sigma-1 receptors regulate Bcl-2 expression by reactive oxygen species-dependent transcriptional regulation of nuclear factor kappaB.

The expression of Bcl-2, the major antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, is under complex controls of several factors, including reactive oxygen species (ROS). The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), which was recently identified as a novel molecular chaperone at the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM), has been shown to exert robust cellular protective actions. However, mechanisms underlying the antiapoptotic action of the Sig-1R remain to be clarified.

Image restoration using functional and anatomical information fusion with application to SPECT-MRI images.

Image restoration is usually viewed as an ill-posed problem in image processing, since there is no unique solution associated with it. The quality of restored image closely depends on the constraints imposed of the characteristics of the solution. In this paper, we propose an original extension of the NAS-RIF restoration technique by using information fusion as prior information with application in SPECT medical imaging.

Overexpression of transcription factor Sp1 leads to gene expression perturbations and cell cycle inhibition.

Background: The ubiquitous transcription factor Sp1 regulates the expression of a vast number of genes involved in many cellular functions ranging from differentiation to proliferation and apoptosis. Sp1 expression levels show a dramatic increase during transformation and this could play a critical role for tumour development or maintenance. Although Sp1 deregulation might be beneficial for tumour cells, its overexpression induces apoptosis of untransformed cells.

The determinants of queen size in a socially polymorphic ant.

In social animals, body size can be shaped by multiple factors, such as direct genetic effects, maternal effects, or the social environment. In ants, the body size of queens correlates with the social structure of the colony: colonies headed by a single queen (monogyne) generally produce larger queens that are able to found colonies independently, whereas colonies headed by multiple queens (polygyne) tend to produce smaller queens that stay in their natal colony or disperse with workers. We performed a cross-fostering experiment to investigate the proximate causes of queen size variation in the socially polymorphic ant Formica selysi.

Bragg grating based biochemical sensor using submicron Si/SiO2 waveguides for lab-on-a-chip applications: a novel design.

A novel biochemical sensor based on a submicrometer size, high core-cladding index difference, silica core Si-SiO(2) waveguide with a Bragg grating written in its cladding region is proposed and analyzed. Waveguide parameters are optimized to obtain maximum sensitivity, and for lower refractive index samples, an optimum core width is found to exist for both the TE and the TM mode configurations. Owing to the high index contrast at the Si-SiO(2) interface, the structure is much more sensitive while operating in the TM mode configuration, showing extremely high sensitivity [200-740 nm refractive index units (RIU)] for the ambient refractive indices between 1.

Long-term stability of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator at -80 C.

Background: Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic widely used clinically in the treatment of acute thrombotic disease such as ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and deep venous thrombosis. This has led to much interest in tPA based lytic therapies leading to laboratory based in-vitro and in-vivo investigations using this drug. However, tPA reconstituted in solution exhibits full activity for only 6-8 hours, according to the manufacturer.

Expression profiles of phases 1 and 2 metabolizing enzymes in human skin and the reconstructed skin models Episkin and full thickness model from Episkin.

Background: Episkin and full thickness model from Episkin (FTM) are human skin models obtained from in vitro growth of keratinocytes into the five typical layers of the epidermis. FTM is a full thickness reconstructed skin model that also contains fibroblasts seeded in a collagen matrix.

Objectives: To assess whether enzymes involved in chemical detoxification are expressed in Episkin and FTM and how their levels compare with the human epidermis, dermis and total skin.

Mutational analysis of the hepatitis C virus E1 glycoprotein in retroviral pseudoparticles and cell-culture-derived H77/JFH1 chimeric infectious virus particles.

Cell entry by enveloped viruses is mediated by viral glycoproteins, and generally involves a short hydrophobic peptide (fusion peptide) that inserts into the cellular membrane. An internal hydrophobic domain within E1 (aa262-290) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) may function as a fusion peptide. Retrovirus-based HCV-pseudotyped viruses (HCVpp; genotype 1a) containing Ala or Pro substitutions at conserved amino acid positions within this putative fusion peptide were generated.

Ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis with tPA-loaded echogenic liposomes.

Background And Purpose: Currently, the only FDA-approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke is the administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Echogenic liposomes (ELIP), phospholipid vesicles filled with gas and fluid, can be manufactured to incorporate tPA. Also, transcranial ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis can increase the recanalization rate in stroke patients.

Fall detection using multiple cameras.

Today, different ways are suggested to help elderly people in case of emergency. Our aim here is to propose a novel method, without any wearable device, to detect falls on the floor with a multiple cameras system. This proposal uses image analysis to localise people and reconstruct their 3D shape and position.

Validation of the preschool and primary school form of a questionnaire assessing parents' childrearing behavior.

This study presents a validation of a scale that assesses parents' childrearing behavior toward young children. The scale was validated on 565 parents of 2- to 7-year-old children. The current results replicated the factor solution of the original scale designed for parents of school-aged children.

Segmentation in ultrasonic B-mode images of healthy carotid arteries using mixtures of Nakagami distributions and stochastic optimization.

The goal of this work is to perform a segmentation of the intimamedia thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries in view of computing various dynamical properties of that tissue, such as the elasticity distribution (elastogram). The echogenicity of a region of interest comprising the intima-media layers, the lumen, and the adventitia in an ultrasonic B-mode image is modeled by a mixture of three Nakagami distributions. In a first step, we compute the maximum a posteriori estimator of the proposed model, using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm.

Prediction of chemical absorption into and through the skin from cosmetic and dermatological formulations.

Background: To date, risk assessment following topical exposure to cosmetic/dermatological formulations cannot be precisely evaluated.

Objectives: To provide a tool for optimization of active permeation into/through skin and for risk assessment.

Methods: A predictive model was developed for estimating the cumulative mass of a chemical absorbed into and across the skin from a cosmetic/dermatological formulation.

Does family cohesiveness and parental alexithymia predict glycaemic control in children and adolescents with diabetes?

Aim: Several studies indicate that family functioning and parental expressiveness can influence children's glycaemic control. However, previous studies have had contradictory findings. Furthermore, no previous work has simultaneously explored the mother's and father's perception of family cohesiveness together with maternal and paternal alexithymia in relation to a child's diabetic control.

A robust 3-D IVUS transducer tracking using single-plane cineangiography.

During an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) intervention, a catheter with an ultrasound transducer is introduced in the body through a blood vessel, and then, pulled back to image a sequence of vessel cross sections. Unfortunately, there is no 3-D information about the position and orientation of these cross-section planes, which makes them less informative. To position the IVUS images in space, some researchers have proposed complex stereoscopic procedures relying on biplane angiography to get two X-ray image sequences of the IVUS transducer trajectory along the catheter.

Description of the low-affinity interaction between nociceptin and the second extracellular loop of its receptor by fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies.

The second extracellular loop (ECL2) of the Noc receptor has been proposed to be involved in ligand binding and selectivity. The interaction of Noc with a constrained cyclic synthetic peptide, mimicking the ECL2, has been studied using fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. Selective binding was shown with a dissociation constant of approximately 10 microM (observed with the constrained cyclic loop and not with the open chain), and residues involved in ligand binding and selectivity have been identified.

Apolipoprotein c1 association with hepatitis C virus.

Accumulating evidence suggests that cellular lipoprotein components are involved in hepatitis C virus (HCV) morphogenesis, but the precise contribution of these components remains unclear. We investigated the involvement of apolipoprotein C1 (ApoC1) in HCV infection in the HCV pseudotyped particle system (HCVpp), in the recently developed cell culture infection model (HCVcc), and in authentic HCV isolated from viremic chimpanzees. Viral genomes associated with HCVcc or authentic HCV were efficiently immunoprecipitated by anti-ApoC1, demonstrating that ApoC1 was a normal component of HCV.

Effect of low frequency ultrasound on combined rt-PA and eptifibatide thrombolysis in human clots.

Introduction: Fibrinolytics such as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) are used to treat thrombotic disease such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and ischemic stroke. Interest in increasing efficacy and reducing side effects has led to the study of adjuncts such as GP IIb-IIIa inhibitors and ultrasound (US) enhanced thrombolysis. Currently, GP IIb-IIIa inhibitor and fibrinolytic treatment are often used in AMI, and are under investigation for stroke treatment.

Specklegram in a grapefruit fiber and its response to external mechanical disturbance in a single-multiple-single mode fiber structure.

Specklegram in multimode fiber has successfully been used as a sensor for detecting mechanical disturbance. Speckles in a multimode pure silica grapefruit fiber are observed and compared to that of a step-index multimode fiber, showing different features between them. The sensitivities to external disturbance of two kinds of fiber were measured, based on single-multiple-single mode (SMS) fiber structure.

Previously infected chimpanzees are not consistently protected against reinfection or persistent infection after reexposure to the identical hepatitis C virus strain.

Protective immunity after resolved hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported. However, the breadth of this immunity has remained controversial, and the role of neutralizing antibodies has not been well-defined. In the present study, two chimpanzees (CH96A008 and CH1494) with resolved monoclonal H77C (genotype 1a) infection were rechallenged with low-dose homologous H77C virus about 12 months after viral clearance; CH96A008 became persistently infected, and CH1494 had transient viremia lasting 2 weeks.

Tissue plasminogen activator concentration dependence of 120 kHz ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis.

It has been known for some time that the application of ultrasound can enhance the efficacy of thrombolytic medications such as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Potential clinical applications of this ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis (UET) include the treatment of myocardial infarction, acute ischemic stroke, deep venous thrombosis and other thrombotic disorders. It may be possible to reduce the dose of rt-PA while maintaining lytic efficacy; however there is little data on the rt-PA concentration dependence of UET.