Proteasome inhibitors and knockdown of SMG1 cause accumulation of Upf1 and Upf2 in human cells.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is one of the most promising anticancer drug targets of the century. However, the involved molecular mechanisms are still unclear. The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway is a highly conserved pathway which degrades nonsense mutation‑containing mRNA selectively and efficiently.

A prospective study of dyspepsia in primary care.

Dyspepsia is a common complaint, but its course and associated resource utilization have not been well described. In this study, 288 adult, primary care patients with dyspepsia treated at ambulatory clinics were followed prospectively for one year. Medical chart, utilization, and baseline and one-year follow-up survey data were collected.

NSAIDs increase risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in primary care patients with dyspepsia.

Background: A 1-year prospective study of 545 patients with dyspepsia examined the natural history of dyspepsia in a primary care population. Predictors of gastrointestinal bleeding and other related utilization-of-service indicators were identified.

Methods: Subjects were adult primary care patients seen at a southern California county medical center.

Clinical evaluation of pulsatile flow mode of Terumo Capiox centrifugal pump.

The Terumo Capiox centrifugal pump system possesses an automatic priming function in which the motor repeatedly stops and runs intermittently to eliminate air bubbles in the circuit through the micropores of the hollow-fiber membrane oxygenator. By modifying this mechanism, we have developed a pulsatile flow mode. In this mode, maximum and minimum pump rotational speeds can be independently set every 20 rpm in the range of 0 to 3,000 rpm.

Dyspepsia in primary care: perceived causes, reasons for improvement, and satisfaction with care.

Background: While dyspepsia is a common problem in primary care populations, very little is known about patient perceptions of medical care for this disease. The present study of patients with dyspepsia treated by primary care physicians looks at causes, procedures, and reasons for improvement from the patient's viewpoint and relates these factors to patient satisfaction with family physicians' medical care.

Methods: Medical chart and billing data were collected for 545 adult patients who visited five family health centers for digestive complaints during a 6-month period in 1993.

Meta-analysis of risk factors for peptic ulcer. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, Helicobacter pylori, and smoking.

Attributable risk models describe the role of three risk factors for peptic ulcer and related serious upper gastrointestinal (GI) events. The factors-nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Helicobacter pylori, and cigarette smoking-have been identified as major risk factors for peptic ulcer in numerous clinical and epidemiologic studies. Overall risk ratios for each risk factor were based on meta-analyses of English-language studies of risk for peptic ulcer-related GI events.

Can heparin immobilized surfaces maintain nonthrombogenic activity during in vivo long-term implantation?

The authors previously demonstrated that heparin immobilized surfaces showed excellent nonthrombogenic properties for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation experiments as long as 168 hr. The characteristics of the heparin immobilized surfaces include high heparin bioactivity and prevention of platelet adhesion and complement activation. However, it is not known whether the heparin immobilized surfaces would be effective for in vivo long-term implantation.

Clinical application of a newly developed autoflow control system for the Terumo centrifugal pump: from external control to built-in direct control.

We have developed an autoflow control system for the Terumo Capiox centrifugal pump, the SP-101. First, we made an external control system regulated by a personal computer through a serial communications line. Although an in vivo experiment using a goat showed excellent performance in regulating the flow, a communication error that caused an abrupt and instantaneous flow fluctuation was noted occasionally.

Effects of surface roughness on mechanical hemolysis.

Previous in vitro hemolysis test results showed that an inlet taper or a round corner in the leading edge of a stenotic connector played an important role in the reduction of hemolysis. However, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of these results indicated that the shear rate and hemolysis level were not always related to each other. Then, further research was performed, focusing on the effects of surface roughness on hemolysis.

Effects of Surface Roughness on Mechanical Hemolysis.

Previous in vitro hemolysis test results showed that an inlet taper or a round corner in the leading edge of a stenotic connector played an important role in the reduction of hemolysis. However, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of these results indicated that the shear rate and hemolysis level were not always related to each other. Then, further research was performed, focusing on the effects of surface roughness on hemolysis.

Clinical Application of a Newly Developed Autoflow Control System for the Terumo Centrifugal Pump: From External Control to Built-in Direct Control.

We have developed an autoflow control system for the Terumo Capiox centrifugal pump, the SP-101. First, we made an external control system regulated by a personal computer through a serial communications line. Although an in vivo experiment using a goat showed excellent performance in regulating the flow, a communication error that caused an abrupt and instantaneous flow fluctuation was noted occasionally.

Evaluation of a new heparin bonding process in prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

A novel heparin bonding method has been developed for in situ surface modification using ozone oxidation, and evaluated in vitro and in vivo during prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) experiments. The ECMO system consisted of a Capiox hollow fiber membrane oxygenator (MO; Terumo Corp., Tokyo, Japan) with an integral heat exchanger, a Capiox centrifugal pump (CP), and an extracorporeal circuit.

The margin of safety in the use of a straight path centrifugal blood pump.

A new centrifugal blood pump with a rotor that arranges 6 straight paths radially was developed for open heart surgery and temporary circulatory support. We describe comparative studies of the margin of safety in the practical use of the new pump. This pump was evaluated for temperature increase, cavitation, and pressure sensitivity.

Peptic ulcer disease mortality. Comparison of native Japanese, Japanese Americans, and Caucasian Americans.

Peptic ulcer disease mortality patterns of California Japanese are compared with those of their home and host countries for even years from 1960 to 1988, as well as 1989. Data presented are consistent with the hypothesis that Helicobacter pylori is a necessary but not sufficient causal factor in peptide ulcer disease, and that other co-factors including cigarette smoking and salt intake may be important. Deaths due to peptic ulcer numbered 106 among California Japanese, 12,793 for California Caucasians, 107,461 in Japan, and 117,737 for United States Caucasians during the study period.

A straight path centrifugal blood pump concept in the Capiox centrifugal pump.

This article describes comparative studies of a newly developed "straight path" centrifugal pump (Capiox centrifugal pump) targeted for open-heart surgery and circulatory support. A unique straight path design of the rotor was very effective in reducing the pump's rotational speed and prime volume. This pump was evaluated for hydraulics, hemolysis, depriming characteristics, cavitation, and heat generation.

Patient and provider satisfaction with medical care.

Background: This study compares patient and provider satisfaction with medical care and waiting time in a large family medicine residency program. Few published studies have dealt with both patient and provider perceptions.

Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 156 adult, English-speaking patients who were randomly selected from daily appointment schedules.

A prospective study of risk for peptic ulcer disease in Seventh-Day Adventists.

Cross-sectional and prospective data were collected and analyzed to identify risk factors for the development of peptic ulcer disease in a population of 34,198 white, non-Hispanic Seventh-Day Adventists. On a life-style questionnaire administered in 1976, 3853 subjects reported ever having had a physician-diagnosed peptic ulcer for a lifetime prevalence of 13.5% for men and 11.

[Study on the dynamic behavior of mandibular distal-extension removable partial denture utilizing finite element method. 2. Influence of the location of rest and displaceability of residual ridge mucosa].

The purpose of this study is to investigate the denture design and displaceability of residual ridge mucosa and its relation to the load distribution on the remaining oral structures. In this study, the effects of the location of rest and displaceability of the mucosa were demonstrated utilizing the two-dimensional non-linear analysis reported on Part 1. The results were as follows.

[Study on the dynamic behavior of mandibular distal-extension removable partial denture utilizing finite element method. 1. Introduction of two-dimensional non-linear analysis].

Recently there have been a number of studies concerning the dynamic behavior of removable partial denture under the loading, but none of previous studies have dealt with non-linear analysis. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of two-dimensional non-linear analysis. The behavior of abutment teeth and saddle in relation to the distribution of force on the teeth and the supporting tissues are the objects of this analysis.

Comparison of ranitidine and cimetidine ulcer maintenance therapy.

We used published results from clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of ranitidine and cimetidine as maintenance therapy following healing of acute duodenal ulcers. Only studies in which patients were treated with an evening-meal or bedtime dose of ranitidine (150 mg) or cimetidine (400 mg) over a 12-month period were used. The results from the analysis of seven clinical trials where ranitidine was directly compared to cimetidine indicated that 8.

Sex and smoking differences in duodenal ulcer mortality.

Data from the US Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics suggest that differences in male and female smoking habits between 1920 and 1980 may have contributed to changes in duodenal ulcer mortality sex ratios. An attributable risk analysis suggests that between 43 per cent and 63 per cent of duodenal ulcer mortality for males results from smoking; the comparable figures for females being between 25 per cent and 50 per cent.