The sphericity deviation score: a quantitative radiologic outcome measure of Legg-Calvé Perthes disease applicable at the stage of healing and at skeletal maturity.

Aim: This study aimed to determine if a new measure of sphericity of the femoral head, the Sphericity Deviation Score (SDS), could be estimated reliably at the stage of healing of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) and to determine if the SDS at the healing stage reflects the outcome at skeletal maturity.

Methods: The SDS was measured with image analysis software on radiographs of 120 children with unilateral LCPD at healing of the disease and at skeletal maturity. The reproducibility of measurement was assessed.

Penile necrosis requiring penectomy complicating recto-urethral fistula post prostate cancer external beam radiation and brachytherapy.

Radiation therapy is a well-recognized treatment for unfavourable risk localized prostate cancer. Radiation induced recto-urethral fistulae are known rare complications particularly from brachytherapy. We report a case of a recto-urethral fistula 7 years post-external beam radiation and I-125 brachytherapy, which was complicated by a severe polymicrobial soft tissue infection.

Clinical characteristics predicting early clinical failure after 72 h of antibiotic treatment in women with community-onset acute pyelonephritis: a prospective multicentre study.

In patients with community-onset acute pyelonephritis (CO-APN), assessing the risk factors for poor clinical response after 72 h of antibiotic treatment (early clinical failure) is important. The objectives of this study were to define those risk factors, and to assess whether early clinical failure influences mortality and treatment outcomes. We prospectively collected the clinical and microbiological data of women with CO-APN in South Korea from March 2010 to February 2012.

Meeting the health information needs of prostate cancer patients using personal health records.

Background: There is interest in the use of health information technology in the form of personal health record (phr) systems to support patient needs for health information, care, and decision-making, particularly for patients with distressing, chronic diseases such as prostate cancer (pca). We sought feedback from pca patients who used a phr.

Methods: For 6 months, 22 pca patients in various phases of care at the BC Cancer Agency (bcca) were given access to a secure Web-based phr called provider, which they could use to view their medical records and use a set of support tools.

The association between hyperuricemia and betel nut chewing in Taiwanese men: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Studies have associated betel nut chewing with cancers, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders, chronic kidney disease, and proteinuria. This study investigated whether hyperuricemia is associated with betel nut chewing in men who participated in a health check-up program.

Methods: From hospital records, we identified a total of 11,991 men who participated in the health check-up program from 2003 to 2009.

DER containing two consecutive GTP-binding domains plays an essential role in chloroplast ribosomal RNA processing and ribosome biogenesis in higher plants.

This study investigated protein characteristics and physiological functions of DER (Double Era-like GTPase) of higher plants. Nicotiana benthamiana DER (NbDER) contained two tandemly repeated GTP-binding domains (GD) and a C-terminal domain (CTD) that was similar to the K-homology domain involved in RNA binding. Both GDs possessed GTPase activity and contributed to the maximum GTPase activity of NbDER.

Effect of caring behavior on disposition toward critical thinking of nursing students.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between caring behavior and the disposition toward critical thinking of nursing students in clinical practice. A structural equation model was used to test the hypothesized relationship between caring behavior and critical thinking skills. Caring is the core of nursing practice, and the disposition toward critical thinking is needed for competent nursing care.

Clinical and Microbiologic Characteristics of Clostridium difficile Infection Caused by Binary Toxin Producing Strain in Korea.

Background: Binary toxin-producing Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are known to be more severe and to cause higher case fatality rates than those by binary toxin-negative isolates. There has been few data of binary toxin-producing CDI in Korea. Objective of the study is to characterize clinical and microbiological trait of CDI cause by binary-toxin producing isolates in Korea.

Alcohol consumption is inversely associated with stage 3 chronic kidney disease in middle-aged Taiwanese men.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global public health burden, but there is limited understanding of the relationship of alcohol consumption with CKD.

Methods: In this cross-sectional multivariable study, all participants of a health check-up program in Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital in Taiwan from 2003 to 2009 (15,353 women and 11,900 men) were included for analysis. Estimated glomerular filtration rate was used to define CKD stage and history of alcohol consumption was obtained by self-reporting.

Cell growth defect factor1/chaperone-like protein of POR1 plays a role in stabilization of light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis.

Angiosperms require light for chlorophyll biosynthesis because one reaction in the pathway, the reduction of protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) to chlorophyllide, is catalyzed by the light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR). Here, we report that Cell growth defect factor1 (Cdf1), renamed here as chaperone-like protein of POR1 (CPP1), an essential protein for chloroplast development, plays a role in the regulation of POR stability and function. Cdf1/CPP1 contains a J-like domain and three transmembrane domains, is localized in the thylakoid and envelope membranes, and interacts with POR isoforms in chloroplasts.

In vitro and in vivo anti-tumour effects of MPT0B014, a novel derivative aroylquinoline, and in combination with erlotinib in human non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to assess a novel anti-cancer drug, MPT0B014, which is not a substrate for the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transporter, alone and in combination with erlotinib, against human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Experimental Approach: Cytotoxicity in human NSCLC cell lines was assessed by sulforhodamine B and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. Cell cycle phase distributions were estimated with FACScan flow cytometry.

Electroacupuncture and rosiglitazone combined therapy as a means of treating insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims. To evaluate the efficacy of rosiglitazone (TZD) and electroacupuncture (EA) combined therapy as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients by randomized single-blind placebo controlled clinical trial. Methods.

Pescadillo plays an essential role in plant cell growth and survival by modulating ribosome biogenesis.

Pescadillo (PES) is involved in diverse cellular processes such as embryonic development, ribosomal biogenesis, cell proliferation, and gene transcription in yeast and metazoans. In this study, we characterized cellular functions of plant PES in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis, and tobacco BY-2 cells. A GFP fusion protein of PES is predominantly localized in the nucleolus, where its localization requires the N-terminal domain of PES.

Incontinentia pigmenti.

Incontinentia pigmenti is an X- linked dominant condition characterized by cutaneous lesions associated with developmental defects of the eye, skeletal system and central nervous system. We report a case of incontinentia pigmenti in a 30 day old female infant who presented to us with skin eruptions over bilateral upper limbs, lower limbs and trunk since birth. She had linear verrucous plaques and vesicles distributed along the Blaschko's lines in addition to macular hyperpigmentation in a linear and whorled pattern involving the concerned areas.

Silencing of Nicotiana benthamiana Neuroblastoma-Amplified Gene causes ER stress and cell death.

Background: Neuroblastoma Amplified Gene (NAG) was identified as a gene co-amplified with the N-myc gene, whose genomic amplification correlates with poor prognosis of neuroblastoma. Later it was found that NAG is localized in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is a component of the syntaxin 18 complex that is involved in Golgi-to-ER retrograde transport in human cells. Homologous sequences of NAG are found in plant databases, but its function in plant cells remains unknown.

Clinical characteristics of community-acquired acute pyelonephritis caused by ESBL-producing pathogens in South Korea.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors and clinical characteristics of community-acquired acute pyelonephritis (CA-APN) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms.

Methods: From March 2010 to February 2011, patients with CA-APN were recruited in 11 hospitals in South Korea. Clinical and microbiological data were collected prospectively, and the ESBLs and multilocus sequence types of the ESBL-producing Escherichia coli were characterized.

Testing of the factor structure of the Sexual Health Knowledge Measure with young adolescent Taiwanese girls.

Knowledge of sexual health is an important indicator of the development of healthy adolescent sexuality. An evaluation instrument in nursing school practice, whose results can lead to improved sexual health in adolescents, is needed. We conducted this study to undertake rigorous testing of the Sexual Health Knowledge Scale (SHKS) as a means to ensure a reliable and valid quantitative measure of sexual health knowledge among young adolescent females.

Trajectories of health care service utilization and differences in patient characteristics among adults with specific chronic pain: analysis of health plan member claims.

Introduction: The lack of consistency surrounding the diagnosis of chronic non-cancer pain, treatment approaches, and patient management suggests the need for further research to better characterize the chronic non-cancer pain population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify distinct trajectories of health care service utilization of chronic non-cancer pain patients and describe the characteristic differences between trajectory groups.

Patients And Methods: This study utilized the MarketScan claims databases.

Quantitative measures for evaluating the radiographic outcome of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Background: Large sample sizes are needed if discrete outcome measures are used to perform outcome studies, whereas more practicable sample sizes are sufficient if continuous outcome measures are used. Recognizing the need to devise reliable continuous outcome measures for assessing the outcomes of treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, we evaluated a method of quantifying the shape and size of the femoral head and the femoral-acetabular relationship from computer images of anteroposterior and lateral radiographs with the help of image-analysis software.

Methods: Radiographs of 121 skeletally mature individuals with healed Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease were analyzed, and the sphericity deviation score, femoral head enlargement, femoral neck growth inhibition, and composite femoral congruency arc were calculated.

Population-based 10-year oncologic outcomes after low-dose-rate brachytherapy for low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to report the rates of disease-free survival (DFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival after low-dose-rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy (PB).

Methods: Data from 1006 consecutive patients with prostate cancer who received LDR-PB and underwent implantation on or before October 23, 2003 were extracted from a prospective database on November 11, 2011. The selected patients had low-risk (58%) or intermediate-risk (42%) disease according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria.

Aging-dependent changes in rat heart mitochondrial glutaredoxins--Implications for redox regulation.

Clinical and animal studies have documented that hearts of the elderly are more susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion damage compared to young adults. Recently we found that aging-dependent increase in susceptibility of cardiomyocytes to apoptosis was attributable to decrease in cytosolic glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) and concomitant decrease in NF-κB-mediated expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. Besides primary localization in the cytosol, Grx1 also exists in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS).

The forkhead-associated domain 2 (FHA2) in Arabidopsis plays a role in plant fertility by regulating stamen development.

The forkhead-associated (FHA) domain is involved in protein-protein interaction by recognizing a phosphothreonine epitope on target proteins. In this study, we investigated in planta functions of the Arabidopsis FHA domain 2. AtFHA2 was mainly localized in the nucleus.

Thrombin-induced CCN2 expression in human lung fibroblasts requires the c-Src/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Thrombin is a multifunctional serine protease and an important fibrotic mediator that induces CCN2 expression. We previously showed that thrombin induces CCN2 expression via an ASK1-dependent JNK/AP-1 pathway in human lung fibroblasts. In this study, we further investigated the roles of c-Src, JAK2, and STAT3 in thrombin-induced CCN2 expression.