Glial elements contribute to stress-induced torsinA expression in the CNS and peripheral nervous system.

DYT1 dystonia is caused by a single GAG deletion in exon 5 of TOR1A, the gene encoding torsinA, a putative chaperone protein. In this study, central and peripheral nervous system perturbations (transient forebrain ischemia and sciatic nerve transection, respectively) were used to examine the systems biology of torsinA in rats. After forebrain ischemia, quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction identified increased torsinA transcript levels in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, thalamus, striatum, and cerebellum at 24 h and 7 days.

[Left ventricular thrombus--variability of causes and clinical presentation--four case reports].

Thrombi occurring in heart chambers, particularly in the left ventricle, are very often due to diseases leading to heart dilation. Thrombi could dissolve spontaneously or as a result of pharmacological treatment. They could also be mobilizes and produce emboli.

Investigations of prion and virus safety of a new liquid IVIG product.

A highly purified, liquid, 10% immunoglobulin product stabilized with proline, referred to as IgPro10 has recently been developed. IgG was purified from human plasma by cold ethanol fractionation, octanoic acid precipitation and anion-exchange chromatography. The manufacturing process includes two distinctly different partitioning steps and virus filtration, which were also assessed for the removal of prions.

Consensus recommendations for gastric emptying scintigraphy: a joint report of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine.

This consensus statement from the members of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine recommends a standardized method for measuring gastric emptying (GE) by scintigraphy. A low-fat, egg-white meal with imaging at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h after meal ingestion, as described by a published multicenter protocol, provides standardized information about normal and delayed GE. Adoption of this standardized protocol will resolve the lack of uniformity of testing, add reliability and credibility to the results, and improve the clinical utility of the GE test.

Temporal thresholds for infarction and hypothermic protection in Long-Evans rats: factors affecting apparent 'reperfusion injury' after transient focal ischemia.

Background And Purpose: Some previous studies in Long-Evans rats noted larger infarcts after transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions than after permanent occlusions, interpreted to demonstrate "reperfusion injury." Recent experiments failed to reproduce this phenomenon, prompting an investigation of the sources of variability in this animal model.

Methods: Male Long-Evans rats were subjected to surgical occlusion of the right MCA and ipsilateral common carotid artery.

Pituitary function and the somatotrophic system in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease under chronic dopaminergic therapy.

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease and dopaminergic medication may influence pituitary hormone secretion. The present study aimed to reveal any abnormalities of the somatotrophic system induced by the disease itself and/or the dopaminergic therapy. Investigations of other pituitary hormones under basal and stimulated conditions, as well as an analysis of body composition, were also performed.

Consensus recommendations for gastric emptying scintigraphy: a joint report of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine.

This consensus statement from the members of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine recommends a standardized method for measuring gastric emptying (GE) by scintigraphy. A low-fat, egg-white meal with imaging at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h after meal ingestion, as described by a published multicenter protocol, provides standardized information about normal and delayed GE. Adoption of this standardized protocol will resolve the lack of uniformity of testing, add reliability and credibility to the results, and improve the clinical utility of the GE test.

An integrated approach to fragment-based lead generation: philosophy, strategy and case studies from AstraZeneca's drug discovery programmes.

Fragment-based lead generation (FBLG) has recently emerged as an alternative to traditional high throughput screening (HTS) to identify initial chemistry starting points for drug discovery programs. In comparison to HTS screening libraries, the screening sets for FBLG tend to contain orders of magnitude fewer compounds, and the compounds themselves are less structurally complex and have lower molecular weight. This report summarises the advent of FBLG within the industry and then describes the FBLG experience at AstraZeneca.

Dynamic biomechanical analysis of different olecranon fracture fixation devices--tension band wiring versus two intramedullary nail systems: an in-vitro cadaveric study.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a test-setup with continuous angle alteration to imitate joint motion for the evaluation of 3 different olecranon fracture fixation devices.

Methods: Twenty-one fresh cadaver upper extremities underwent olecranon fracture by the means of transverse osteotomy and received 3 different fixation systems. Group 1: Tension band wiring according to Weber.

Transient cooling during early reperfusion attenuates delayed edema and infarct progression in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat. Distribution and time course of regional brain temperature change in a model of postischemic hypothermic protection.

The temperature threshold for protection by brief postischemic cooling was evaluated in a model of transient focal ischemia in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, using an array of epidural probes to monitor regional brain temperatures. Rats were subjected to 90 mins tandem occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and common carotid artery. Systemic cooling to 32 degrees C was initiated 5 mins before recirculation, with simultaneous brain cooling to temperatures ranging from 28 degrees C to 32 degrees C within the MCA territory by means of a temperature-controlled saline drip.

Detection of methicillin resistance in hospital environmental strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci.

The aim of this study was to evaluate methicillin resistance detection methods currently used when studying coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS). The resistance to oxacillin of 142 strains from seven species of CoNS isolated from the Intensive Care Unit environments was tested. The methods used were: disc diffusion test with cefoxitin (FOX30) and oxacillin (OX1), oxacillin agar screen test with 6 mg/l of oxacillin (MHOXA), latex test for PBP2a (LA) and detection of mecA via PCR.

Acetabular cortical and cancellous bone density and radiolucent lines after cemented total hip arthroplasty: a prospective study using computed tomography and plain radiography.

Introduction: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate load-transfer mechanisms and stress patterns of periacetabular cortical and cancellous bone after cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) in vivo using computed tomography (CT) assisted osteodensitometry. In addition we analyzed the efficacy of CT in detecting radiolucent lines around the acetabular component compared to plain radiography.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two cemented acetabular cups were investigated using conventional sequential axial CT scans (Ø 8 days and 26 months post-OP) and plain radiography (Ø 5 days and 40 months post-OP).

[Influence of testing conditions on the susceptibility results of Staphylococcus cohnii to beta-lactams].

The high occurence of coagulase-negative staphylococci among bacteria responsible for hospital infections is unquestioned. Studies on the poorly-known novobiocin-resistant, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus cohnii were undertaken. The possibilities of optimizing conditions for determination of susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics of this species were researched.

[Analysis of the periprosthetic femoral bone reaction after uncemented total hip arthroplasty with computertomography assisted osteodensitometry in vivo: 6-year follow-up].

Aims: We prospectively analyzed the cancellous and cortical periprosthetic femoral bone reaction after implantation of a cementless total hip arthroplasty with computertomography assisted osteodensitometry after a mean of 1 and 6 years.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-one patients (Ø age at implantation: 52 years) with osteoarthrits of the hip joint received 21 cementless hip prostheses with a three-dimensionally tapered design. All patients were analyzed clinically, with CT-osteodensitometry and plain radiography after a mean of 10 days, at 1 and 6 years postoperatively.

Amplification of hTERT and hTERC genes in leukemic cells with high expression and activity of telomerase.

Reactivation of telomerase plays an important role in carcinogenesis. Malignant cells almost always possess high activity and expression of telomerase. The aim of this study was to see whether there is any relationship between telomerase activity and expression and hTERT and hTERC gene amplification in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) cells.

Structural insights into the mechanism of PEPCK catalysis.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase catalyzes the reversible decarboxylation of oxaloacetic acid with the concomitant transfer of the gamma-phosphate of GTP to form PEP and GDP as the first committed step of gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis. The three structures of the mitochondrial isoform of PEPCK reported are complexed with Mn2+, Mn2+-PEP, or Mn2+-malonate-Mn2+ GDP and provide the first observations of the structure of the mitochondrial isoform and insight into the mechanism of catalysis mediated by this enzyme. The structures show the involvement of the hyper-reactive cysteine (C307) in the coordination of the active site Mn2+.

Periacetabular bone changes after uncemented total hip arthroplasty evaluated by quantitative computed tomography.

Background: There are few dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) studies on periacetabular bone density changes after cup implantation. This study was designed to analyze the load-transfer mechanism and stress pattern of periacetabular cortical and cancellous bone after implantation of a ihemispherical titanium alloy press-fit cup with alumina-alumina pairing in vivo. We introduced a novel method of computed tomography (CT)-assisted osteodensitometry.

Identification of a dynein interacting domain in the papillomavirus minor capsid protein l2.

Papillomaviruses enter cells via endocytosis (H. C. Selinka et al.

Selective, reversible occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats by an intraluminal approach. Optimized filament design and methodology.

These studies optimized design and application of an intraluminal filament method to achieve selective middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats. Silicone plugs of 300 microm diameter and 700-800 microm length were molded onto 6-0 suture. These were introduced into Wistar rats previously fitted with telemetric probes, using established placement procedures, with and without heparinization.

[Chronic mesenteric ischemia with consecutive ischemic colitis. Suggestions for diagnosis and therapy].

The incidence of acute mesenteric ischaemia has decreased over the last few years. However, cases of chronic mesenteric ischaemia have grown in number, as this disease is the most frequent disorder of the large intestine in the elderly. The typical clinical presentation of ischaemic colitis develops gradually and only becomes recognisable in the late stage of the disease.

[Cost comparison of different graft materials in femoropopliteal bypass: experience with G-DRG].

Background: The German DRG classification refrains from medical accuracy of different surgical procedures by concentrating mainly on economic aspects. The process cost calculation of femoropopliteal bypass should as an example illuminate the charge of a surgical procedure under hospital conditions.

Methods: From 07/03 to 03/04 we analysed out of 71 peripheral arterial reconstructions 10 alloplastic grafts (PBP) and 10 autologous vein grafts (VBP) for femoropopliteal above-knee bypass through the process cost calculation.

CBF changes associated with focal ischemic preconditioning in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Experimental stroke models exhibit robust protection after prior preconditioning (PC) insults. This study comprehensively examined cerebral blood flow (CBF) responses to permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in spontaneously hypertensive rats preconditioned by noninjurious transient focal ischemia, using [(14)C]iodoantipyrine autoradiography at varied occlusion intervals. Preconditioning was produced by 10-min occlusion of the MCA and ipsilateral common carotid artery under halothane anesthesia.

A membrane-destabilizing peptide in capsid protein L2 is required for egress of papillomavirus genomes from endosomes.

Papillomaviruses are internalized via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. However, the mechanism by which viral genomes pass endosomal membranes has not been elucidated. In this report we show that the minor capsid protein L2 is required for egress of viral genomes from endosomes but not for initial uptake and uncoating and that a 23-amino-acid peptide at the C terminus of L2 is necessary for this function.

Numerical simulation of reactive processes in an experiment with partially saturated bentonite.

Bentonites are preferred materials for use as engineered barriers for high-level nuclear waste repositories. Simulation of geochemical processes in bentonite is therefore important for long-term safety assessment of those repositories. In this work, the porewater chemistry of a bentonite sample subject to simultaneous heating and hydration, as studied by Cuevas et al.

Cerebral blood flow thresholds for mRNA synthesis after focal ischemia and the effect of MK-801.

Background And Purpose: MK-801 is a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate subtype glutamate receptors with protective efficacy in experimental stroke. This study examined the impact of MK-801 on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its relationship to gene expression changes during focal ischemia.

Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats were subjected to surgical occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and ipsilateral common carotid artery after 30 minutes pretreatment with 5 mg/kg MK-801 or saline vehicle.