Modal processing for acoustic communications in shallow water experiment.

Acoustical array data from the Shallow Water Acoustics experiment was processed to show the feasibility of broadband mode decomposition as a preprocessing method to reduce the effective channel delay spread and concentrate received signal energy in a small number of independent channels. The data were collected by a vertical array designed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Phase-shift Keying (PSK) m-sequence modulated signals with different carrier frequencies were transmitted at a distance 19.

Evaluation of the rapid BioStar optical immunoassay for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in adolescent women.

We evaluated the performance of the BioStar Chlamydia OIA (optical immunoassay) in adolescent females (n = 261) from an inner city population. With a reference standard of two different nucleic acid amplification tests, the sensitivity and specificity of the BioStar Chlamydia OIA were 59.4 and 98.

Integrated weighted gene co-expression network analysis with an application to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: Systems biologic approaches such as Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) can effectively integrate gene expression and trait data to identify pathways and candidate biomarkers. Here we show that the additional inclusion of genetic marker data allows one to characterize network relationships as causal or reactive in a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) data set.

Results: We combine WGCNA with genetic marker data to identify a disease-related pathway and its causal drivers, an analysis which we refer to as "Integrated WGCNA" or IWGCNA.

Pancreatic autoantibodies are associated with reactivity to microbial antibodies, penetrating disease behavior, perianal disease, and extraintestinal manifestations, but not with NOD2/CARD15 or TLR4 genotype in a Hungarian IBD cohort.

Background: Pancreatic autoantibodies (PAB) and goblet cell autoantibodies (GAB) are specific for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), but the sensitivity alone is low. Conventional antibodies and carbohydrates (glycans) are associated with disease phenotype and may be of diagnostic importance in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our aim was to determine the accuracy of PAB and GAB autoantibodies as well as to study relevant phenotype-serotype associations.

The influence of Metolose structure on the free volume and the consequent metoprolol tartrate release of patches.

Matrix-type patches containing Metoprolol tartrate were prepared from two types of Metolose and acrylate polymers. Metolose SM 4000 and Metolose 90SH 100.000SR were applied in different proportions in the patches where the total polymer content was kept constant in each sample.

Association of beta-defensin 1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with Crohn's disease.

Objective: It has been suggested that deficient defensin expression is associated with the chronic inflammation of Crohn's disease. The regional localization of Crohn's disease, ileal or colonic disease can be linked to different defensin profiles. As constitutive beta-defensin 1 has a colonic expression, we considered it of interest to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the beta-defensin 1 gene (DEFB1) in Crohn's disease.

Nasal-air conditioning in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis.

Objectives: To compare nasal-air conditioning in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis with healthy control subjects without nasal pathologic conditions, to investigate nasal-air conditioning after endoscopic sinus surgery with and without septoplasty and turbinoplasty 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, to examine the parameters of nasal patency and nasal geometry that possibly influence nasal-air conditioning before and after endonasal surgery, and to determine their relationship to nasal-air conditioning parameters.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Sexually transmissible infections and prostate cancer risk.

Background: Sexually transmissible infections (STI) have been variably associated with increased risks of prostate cancer, largely in case-control studies.

Methods: In the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, we examined risk of prostate cancer in relation to serum antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis, human papillomavirus-16 and -18, herpes simplex virus-2, cytomegalovirus, and human herpesvirus-8 in 868 cases (765 Whites and 103 Blacks) and 1,283 controls matched by race, age, time since initial screening, and year of blood draw; all blood samples were collected at least 1 year before prostate cancer diagnosis, except for 43 Black cases. We also assessed risk associated with self-reported history of syphilis and gonorrhea.

The 3'UTR NFKBIA variant is associated with extensive colitis in Hungarian IBD patients.

Purpose: In previous studies the NFKBIA 3'UTR (untranslated region) AA genotype was associated with Crohn's disease (CD), while the NFKB1-94ins/delATTG mutation increased the risk for ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of our study was to investigate these two polymorphisms and patients' response to medical therapy and/or disease phenotype in Hungarian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.

Methods: NFKBIA 3'UTR- and NFKB1-94ins/delATTG polymorphisms were investigated in 415 unrelated IBD patients (CD: 266 patients, mean age 35.

Merging microsatellite data: enhanced methodology and software to combine genotype data for linkage and association analysis.

Background: Correctly merged data sets that have been independently genotyped can increase statistical power in linkage and association studies. However, alleles from microsatellite data sets genotyped with different experimental protocols or platforms cannot be accurately matched using base-pair size information alone. In a previous publication we introduced a statistical model for merging microsatellite data by matching allele frequencies between data sets.

Increase in sexual risk behavior and prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among adolescents in Northern Thailand.

Background: Monitoring changes in adolescent sexual risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of human immunodeficiency virus and other prevention programs, but population-based data on adolescents in Thailand are limited. We report findings from 2 cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1999 and 2002 among 15-to 21-year-old vocational students.

Methods: In 1999 and 2002, 1725 and 966 students, respectively, were interviewed using computer-assisted self-interview methods.

Double-balloon enteroscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of obscure bleeding, inflammatory bowel diseases and polyposis syndromes: we see more but do we know more?

Background/aims: Our aim was to report our experience with the Fujinon EN-450 T5 therapeutic double-balloon endoscope (DBE) in the diagnosis of small bowel diseases.

Methodology: Between August 2005 and October 2006, 52 DBE procedures were conducted on 47 consecutive patients (M/F: 22/25, age: 51.6 SD 19.

ATG16L1 and IL23 receptor (IL23R) genes are associated with disease susceptibility in Hungarian CD patients.

Background: North American and European genome-wide association scans have identified ATG16L1 and IL23R as novel inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility genes and subsequent reports confirmed these findings in large independent populations. The aims of this study were to investigate the association and examine genotype-phenotype relationships in a Hungarian IBD cohort.

Methods: 415 unrelated IBD patients (CD: 266, age: 35.

Laboratory aspects of screening men for Chlamydia trachomatis in the new millennium.

Objective: To describe and review the methods for laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in men.

Background: Men provide a reservoir for continued transmission of C. trachomatis to women, thus representing a population for potential targeted screening.

Interaction between seroreactivity to microbial antigens and genetics in Crohn's disease: is there a role for defensins?

Antibodies against different microbial epitopes are associated with disease phenotype, may be of diagnostic importance and may reflect a loss of tolerance in Crohn's disease (CD). Recently, an association was reported between the presence of these antibodies and mutations in pattern receptor genes. Our aim was to investigate whether mutations in various genes other than NOD2/CARD15 or TLR4 associated with CD (NOD1/CARD4, DLG5 and DEFB1) may influence the presence of antibodies against bacterial proteins and carbohydrates in a Hungarian cohort of CD patients.

Potassium channels sensitive to combination of charybdotoxin and apamin regulate the tone of diabetic isolated canine coronary arteries.

Aims: Functional roles of calcium-activated potassium channels on the mechanical activity of epicardial coronary arteries obtained from a canine model of diabetes were investigated.

Methods: Coronary arteries were isolated from healthy, alloxan-diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic dogs. Basal tensions, contractions induced by the prostaglandin (PG) analogue, U46619, and endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine (ACh) were modified with charybdotoxin (CHTX) + apamin (APA), inhibitors of calcium-activated potassium channels, as well as with N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine (LNA) + indomethacin (INDO) to suppress the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and PGs.

Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger inhibition exerts a positive inotropic effect in the rat heart, but fails to influence the contractility of the rabbit heart.

Background And Purpose: The Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) may play a key role in myocardial contractility. The operation of the NCX is affected by the action potential (AP) configuration and the intracellular Na(+) concentration. This study examined the effect of selective NCX inhibition by 0.

C-type natriuretic peptide hyperpolarizes and relaxes human penile resistance arteries.

Introduction: In addition to nitric oxide (NO), it is thought that an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) plays an important role in the relaxation of penile arteries. Recently, it has been shown that C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) shows the characteristics of EDHF in systemic small arteries.

Aim: To investigate the mechanism involved in CNP-evoked vasodilatation and to address whether CNP is an EDHF in human penile resistance arteries.

Nasal conditioning after endonasal surgery in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Background: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is a frequently performed operation for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The aim of this study was to investigate nasal conditioning after ESS with/without septoplasty and turbinoplasty in patients with CRS with nasal polyps and to determine its relation to nasal patency and geometry.

Methods: Twenty-one patients were enrolled into this study.

The Na+/Ca2+ exchange blocker SEA0400 fails to enhance cytosolic Ca2+ transient and contractility in canine ventricular cardiomyocytes.

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange (NCX) inhibitor SEA0400 on Ca(2+) handling in isolated canine ventricular myocytes.

Methods And Results: Intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) transients, induced by either field stimulation or caffeine flush, were monitored using Ca(2+) indicator dyes. [Ca(2+)](i)-dependent modulation of the inhibitory effect of SEA0400 on NCX was characterized by the changes in Ni(2+)-sensitive current in voltage-clamped myocytes.

A case-control study of the association of the polymorphisms and haplotypes of DNA ligase I with lung and upper-aerodigestive-tract cancers.

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for lung and upper-aerodigestive-tract (UADT) cancers. One possible mechanism for the associations may be through DNA damage pathways. DNA Ligase I (LIG1) is a DNA repair gene involved in both the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the base excision repair (BER) pathways.

New serological markers for inflammatory bowel disease are associated with earlier age at onset, complicated disease behavior, risk for surgery, and NOD2/CARD15 genotype in a Hungarian IBD cohort.

Background: Antibodies to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) (ASCA) and porin protein-C of Escherichia coli (anti-OmpC) are associated with disease phenotype and may be of diagnostic importance in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Our aim was to determine whether a panel of new antibodies against bacterial proteins and carbohydrates could help differentiate among the various forms of IBD, and whether they were associated with particular clinical manifestations in a Hungarian cohort of IBD patients.

A preschool-age child with first-time seizure and ataxia.

We present a case of a 4-year-old previously healthy child who had a possible first-time seizure at home, and upon a second Emergency Department evaluation was found to have gross cerebellar ataxia suggestive of acute stroke. Initial computed tomography scan and metabolic work-up were unrevealing. Subsequent neuroimaging demonstrated stroke in the left medulla and cerebellum secondary to left vertebral artery dissection.

Role of slow delayed rectifier K+-current in QT prolongation in the alloxan-induced diabetic rabbit heart.

Aim: In diabetes mellitus, several cardiac electrophysiological parameters are known to be affected. In rodent experimental diabetes models, changes in these parameters were reported, but only limited relevant information is available in other species, having cardiac electrophysiological properties more resembling the human, including the rabbit. The present study was designed to analyse the effects of experimental type 1 diabetes on ventricular repolarization and the underlying transmembrane potassium currents in rabbit hearts.