Influence of body composition on physical activity validation studies using doubly labeled water.

This study investigated the influence of two approaches (mathematical transformation and statistical procedures), used to account for body composition [body mass or fat-free mass (FFM)], on associations between two measures of physical activity and energy expenditure determined by doubly labeled water (DLW). Complete data for these analyses were available for 136 African American (44.1%) and Hispanic (55.

A role for DNA mismatch repair in sensing and responding to fluoropyrimidine damage.

The phenomenon of damage tolerance, whereby cells incur DNA lesions that are nonlethal, largely ignored, but highly mutagenic, appears to play a key role in carcinogenesis. Typically, these lesions are generated by alkylation of DNA or incorporation of base analogues. This tolerance is usually a result of the loss of specific DNA repair processes, most often DNA mismatch repair (MMR).

Autopneumonectomy with compensatory lung growth.

A 23-year-old female immigrant from Ethiopia presented with a history of hemoptysis and an abnormal chest x-ray. A computed tomography scan showed that her left lung was greatly shrunken and her right lung was very large but structurally normal. She had a history of multiple respiratory infections as a young child but had been well since the age of five years.

Effects of adenovirus-mediated sorcin overexpression on excitation-contraction coupling in isolated rabbit cardiomyocytes.

To evaluate the effect of sorcin on cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, adult rabbit ventricular myocytes were transfected with a recombinant adenovirus coding for human sorcin (Ad-sorcin). A beta-galactosidase adenovirus (Ad-LacZ) was used as a control. Fractional shortening in response to 1-Hz field stimulation (at 37 degrees C) was significantly reduced in Ad-sorcin-transfected myocytes compared with control myocytes (2.

Locoregional strategies for colorectal hepatic metastases.

Hepatic colorectal metastases present a challenging problem in patients with recurrent colorectal cancer. Twenty percent of patients with recurrence will have liver metastases as a component of their disease, and only 10% of these patients will have isolated liver metastases that are resectable. Although systemic chemotherapy alone has not proven efficacious in the treatment of liver metastases, a number of options exist in managing these lesions.

Sorcin regulates excitation-contraction coupling in the heart.

Sorcin is a penta-EF hand Ca2+-binding protein that associates with both cardiac ryanodine receptors and L-type Ca2+ channels and has been implicated in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ cycling. To better define the function of sorcin, we characterized transgenic mice in which sorcin was overexpressed in the heart. Transgenic mice developed normally with no evidence of cardiac hypertrophy and no change in expression of other calcium regulatory proteins.

Angiogenesis and hepatic colorectal metastases.

Angiogenesis is a critical step in the metastatic cascade of colorectal cancer. Several angiogenesis inhibitors have been evaluated in animal models and have shown efficacy, but challenges remain in using these drugs effectively in the clinical setting. Although several of these angiogenesis inhibitors are currently being evaluated in clinical trials, alone or in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy, early results suggest that angiogenesis inhibitors alone, when used for advanced disease, have minimal activity.

Radiographic findings of the upper extremity in collegiate rodeo athletes.

Introduction And Purpose: Upper-extremity trauma has been extensively studied in traditional sports to reduce predisposition to injury. Limited attention has been directed toward nontraditional, high-collision sports such as rodeo. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify radiographic changes of the upper extremity in collegiate rodeo athletes after seasonal competition.

The organization of adherens junctions and desmosomes at the cardiac intercalated disc is independent of gap junctions.

Adherens junctions and desmosomes are responsible for mechanically coupling myocytes in the heart and are found closely apposed to gap junction plaques at the intercalated discs of cardiomyocytes. It is not known whether loss of cardiac gap junctions, such as described in cardiac disease states, may influence the expression patterns of other intercalated disc-associated proteins. We investigated whether the major cardiac gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) may be responsible for regulating adherens junctions, desmosomes and their associated catenins, in terms of abundance and localization at the intercalated discs of cardiomyocytes.

HIV transmission risk practices in rural persons living with HIV disease.

Background: Little is known about continued high-risk sexual behavior of persons living with HIV disease in rural areas of the United States. However, as HIV seroprevalence rates increase in rural communities, there is an urgent need to develop interventions to assist HIV-infected rural individuals who have difficulty refraining from high-risk sex.

Goal: To characterize patterns of continued high-risk sex among 216 men and women living with HIV disease in rural areas of 12 states.

Epidemiology and clinical spectrum of blastomycosis diagnosed at Manitoba hospitals.

Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus endemic to Canada and the United States. Few reports regarding blastomycosis in Canada have been published. We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 143 patients with confirmed cases of blastomycosis diagnosed in hospitals in Manitoba, Canada, from 1988 through 1999.

Structural characterization of a subtype-selective ligand reveals a novel mode of estrogen receptor antagonism.

The R,R enantiomer of 5,11-cis-diethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydrochrysene-2,8-diol (THC) exerts opposite effects on the transcriptional activity of the two estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ER alpha and ER beta. THC acts as an ER alpha agonist and as an ER beta antagonist. We have determined the crystal structures of the ER alpha ligand binding domain (LBD) bound to both THC and a fragment of the transcriptional coactivator GRIP1, and the ER beta LBD bound to THC.

Efficacy of stairclimber versus cycle ergometry in postoperative anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation.

Objective: To examine the effective use of stair climbing as an alternative to cycling for knee rehabilitation in an actual injured sport population.

Design: Repeated-measures multivariate analyses with data collected during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation.

Setting: Clinical rehabilitation setting following ACL reconstruction.

Intraoperative detection of a bronchial carcinoid with a radiolabeled somatostatin analog.

Carcinoid tumors of the lung are rare neuroendocrine tumors that make up approximately 1 to 2% of all lung neoplasms. These tumors overexpress somatostatin receptors, and somatostatin analog therapy has become standard in the treatment of carcinoid tumors. In addition, radiolabeled somatostatin analogs have been used to diagnose and treat these lesions.

Postoperative pulmonary function in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients undergoing early tracheal extubation: a comparison between short-term mechanical ventilation and early extubation.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a short period of mechanical ventilation (3 hours) versus immediate extubation (within 1 hour of surgery) on pulmonary function, gas exchange, and pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Child care subsidies and the employment of welfare recipients.

Changing patterns of maternal employment, coupled with stronger work requirements for welfare recipients, are increasing the demand for child care. For many families, the cost of child care creates a financial burden; for mothers with low incomes and those who are former welfare recipients, these costs may be an insurmountable barrier to employment or economic self-sufficiency. Despite increased public spending in this area, the receipt of any child care subsidy appears to be a relatively rare and uncertain event.

Estrogen receptor-beta potency-selective ligands: structure-activity relationship studies of diarylpropionitriles and their acetylene and polar analogues.

Through an effort to develop novel ligands that have subtype selectivity for the estrogen receptors alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta), we have found that 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionitrile (DPN) acts as an agonist on both ER subtypes, but has a 70-fold higher relative binding affinity and 170-fold higher relative potency in transcription assays with ERbeta than with ERalpha. To investigate the ERbeta affinity- and potency-selective character of this DPN further, we prepared a series of DPN analogues in which both the ligand core and the aromatic rings were modified by the repositioning of phenolic hydroxy groups and by the addition of alkyl substituents and nitrile groups. We also prepared other series of DPN analogues in which the nitrile functionality was replaced with acetylene groups or polar functions, to mimic the linear geometry or polarity of the nitrile, respectively.

Role of the hMLH1 DNA mismatch repair protein in fluoropyrimidine-mediated cell death and cell cycle responses.

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is an efficient system for the detection and repair of mismatched and unpaired bases in DNA. Deficiencies in MMR are commonly found in both hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancers, as well as in cancers of other tissues. Because fluorinated thymidine analogues (which through their actions might generate lesions recognizable by MMR) are widely used in the treatment of colorectal cancer, we investigated the role of MMR in cellular responses to 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd).

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and signal transduction modulators: Rationale and current status as chemopreventive agents for prostate cancer.

Cell growth and differentiation are processes intimately associated with carcinogenesis and regulated by tyrosine kinases and other signaling proteins. Identification of drugs that target signaling molecules is hampered by both the large number of targets and the complex nature of signaling cascades. Optimal development of chemopreventive agents must take into account affinity for the target, pharmacology, and safety profile of the agent.

Anomalous elastic response of silicon to uniaxial shock compression on nanosecond time scales.

We have used x-ray diffraction with subnanosecond temporal resolution to measure the lattice parameters of orthogonal planes in shock compressed single crystals of silicon (Si) and copper (Cu). Despite uniaxial compression along the (400) direction of Si reducing the lattice spacing by nearly 11%, no observable changes occur in planes with normals orthogonal to the shock propagation direction. In contrast, shocked Cu shows prompt hydrostaticlike compression.

Fast pitch softball injuries.

The popularity of fast pitch softball in the US and throughout the world is well documented. Along with this popularity, there has been a concomitant increase in the number of injuries. Nearly 52% of cases qualify as major disabling injuries requiring 3 weeks or more of treatment and 2% require surgery.

Laparoscopic splenectomy in children with hematological disorders: preliminary experience at the Children's Hospital of New Orleans.

Minimally invasive surgery has recently gained acceptance as the surgical approach of choice for a variety of surgical disorders in children. Although traditional open surgery is still regarded as the standard approach for a splenectomy in children when necessary for hematologic disorders a few cases of successful laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) have been reported. We present our initial 11 cases of LS in children assessing surgical outcome.