Improvements in reading accuracy as a result of increased interletter spacing are not specific to children with dyslexia.

Recently, increased interletter spacing (LS) has been studied as a way to enhance reading fluency. It is suggested that increased LS improves reading performance, especially in poor readers. Theoretically, these findings are well substantiated as a result of diminished crowding effects.

Pseudo-progression after stereotactic radiotherapy of brain metastases: lesion analysis using MRI cine-loops.

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) of brain metastasis can lead to lesion growth caused by radiation toxicity. The pathophysiology of this so-called pseudo-progression is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MRI cine-loops for describing the consecutive events in this radiation induced lesion growth.

Differential effects of thyroid hormone manipulation and beta adrenoceptor agonist administration on uncoupling protein mRNA abundance in adipose tissue and thermoregulation in neonatal pigs.

We have shown that there is significant disparity in the expression of uncoupling proteins (UCP) 2 and 3 between modern-commercial and ancient-Meishan porcine genotypes, commercial pigs also have higher plasma triiodothyronine (T(3)) in on the first day of life. T(3) and the sympathetic nervous system are both known to regulate UCPs in rodents and humans; their role in regulating these proteins in the pig is unknown. This study examined whether thyroid hormone manipulation or administration of a selective beta3 adrenoceptor agonist (ZD) influenced plasma hormones, colonic temperature and UCP expression in adipose tissue of two breeds of pig.

Maternal nutrient restriction during pregnancy differentially alters the unfolded protein response in adipose and renal tissue of obese juvenile offspring.

Maternal diet during pregnancy can program an offspring's risk of disease in later life. Obesity adversely alters renal and adipose tissue function, resulting in chronic kidney disease and insulin resistance, respectively, the latter associated with dysregulation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). In view of the current obesity epidemic, we explored the combined effects of in utero early- to midgestational nutrient restriction and postnatal obesity on the UPR in ovine juvenile offspring.

Positioning accuracy in stereotactic radiotherapy using a mask system with added vacuum mouth piece and stereoscopic X-ray positioning.

Purpose: For cranial patients receiving stereotactic radiotherapy, we use the Exactrac stereoscopic X-ray system to optimize patient positioning. Patients are immobilized with the BrainLAB Mask System (BrainLAB, Feldkirchen, Germany). We have developed an adapter to this system that accommodates a vacuum mouth piece (VMP).

Trichomonas vaginalis detection using real-time TaqMan PCR.

1978 women and 93 men, all suspected of having a Trichomonas vaginalis infection, were tested for the presence of T. vaginalis by real-time PCR using the T. vaginalis-specific 2-kb repeated sequence, and by direct microscopy and culture.

Comparison of COBAS AMPLICOR Neisseria gonorrhoeae PCR, including confirmation with N. gonorrhoeae-specific 16S rRNA PCR, with traditional culture.

A total of 3,023 clinical specimens were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae by using COBAS AMPLICOR (CA) PCR and confirmation of positives by N. gonorrhoeae-specific 16S rRNA PCR. The sensitivity of CA plus 16S rRNA PCR was 98.