The Utilization of to Design Environmentally Friendly Living Paints with Anti-Mold Properties.

The anti-fungal properties of the probiotic bacterium have been studied extensively in agriculture and ecology, but their applications in the built environment remain to be determined. Our work aims to utilize this biological component to introduce new diverse anti-mold properties into paint. "Mold" refers to the ubiquitous fungal species that generate visible multicellular filaments commonly found in household dust.

Evaluating the Breadth of Neutralizing Antibody Responses Elicited by Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Genogroup A1 Strains Using a Novel Chicken B-Cell Rescue System and Neutralization Assay.

Eight infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) genogroups have been identified based on the sequence of the capsid hypervariable region (HVR) (A1 to A8). Given reported vaccine failures, there is a need to evaluate the ability of vaccines to neutralize the different genogroups. To address this, we used a reverse genetics system and the chicken B-cell line DT40 to rescue a panel of chimeric IBDVs and perform neutralization assays.

Behçet's Disease and Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA)-Associated Vasculitis.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology. Renal involvement in Behçet's disease is not frequent. Pauciimmune necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis is associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) which are believed to activate neutrophils and cause vasculitis, especially if there is a concurrent synergistic inflammatory process.

Prevalence and clinical significance of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in Graves' patients treated with propylthiouracil.

Development of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) during therapy with propylthiouracil (PTU) is not uncommon and PTU-induced ANCA-positive vasculitis is also reported. The aim of this study was to assess the presence and clinical significance of ANCA positivity in Graves' patients treated with PTU. Newly diagnosed Graves' disease patients (prospective group, n = 58) were evaluated before and during therapy with PTU to investigate the development of ANCA positivity.

Thymidylate synthase genotype and serum concentrations of homocysteine and folate in Behçet's disease.

The aim of this study was to assess whether thymidylate synthase (TYMS) genotype, serum homocysteine, and folate concentrations were related to venous thrombosis in Behçet's disease (BD) patients. The study included 104 BD patients fulfilling the International Study Group Criteria for the diagnosis of BD and 121 healthy individuals-controls. Out of 104 patients, 50 (48%) had vascular involvement: 34 had active-history of venous thrombosis, 16 had arterial involvement (aneurysm), and 11 of these patients had both venous and arterial lesions as confirmed by Doppler ultrasound and/or angiography.

Diabetes insipidus presentation before renal and pulmonary features in a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis.

We report a case of a 47-year-old woman with Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by central diabetes insipidus. The patient had initially seronegative polyarthritis which mostly responded well to methotrexate and steroid therapy. Eight months later the patient suffered from polyuria and polydipsia.

Maintenance following a very-low-calorie diet.

The authors posed 2 questions in this randomized study of maintenance procedures in which participants were followed for 15 months after completion of a very-low-calorie diet: Would stimulus narrowing during the reintroduction of solid food, achieved by the use of prepackaged foods, improve weight losses and the maintenance of those losses as compared with the use of regular food? Would reintroduction of foods dependent on progress in losing or maintaining weight be superior to reintroduction on a time-dependent basis? Neither the stimulus narrowing condition nor the reintroduction procedure enhanced either maximum weight loss or maintenance of those losses. The stimulus narrowing condition appeared to be poorly tolerated; compliance and attendance were poorer in this condition than in the regular food condition.

The effects of exogenous neuropeptide Y on feeding and sexual behavior in the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis).

Actively courting adult male red-sided garter snakes were injected with one of two dosages of neuropeptide Y (NPY) or saline into the third cerebral ventricle. Courtship and feeding responses were assessed prior to surgery, 4-5 h and 24 h post-surgery. Feeding behavior was tested by the presentation of a favored food, an earthworm.