Gene polymorphisms of TNF-238G/A, TNF-308G/A, IL10-1082G/A, TNFAIP3, and MC4R and comorbidity occurrence in a Romanian population with psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease with worldwide distribution affecting approximately 2% of the Caucasian population. There have been many population- and family-based studies that agree on the strong genetic component of this disease. Several studies have investigated the relationship between cytokine gene polymorphisms, psoriasis, and the occurrence of comorbidities but their data are conflicting.

HITS-CLIP in various brain areas reveals new targets and new modalities of RNA binding by fragile X mental retardation protein.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, is due to the functional deficiency of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein involved in translational regulation of many messenger RNAs, playing key roles in synaptic morphology and plasticity. To date, no effective treatment for FXS is available. We searched for FMRP targets by HITS-CLIP during early development of multiple mouse brain regions (hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum) at a time of brain development when FMRP is most highly expressed and synaptogenesis reaches a peak.

Gallium incorporation into phosphate based glasses: Bulk and thin film properties.

The osteogenic ions Ca, P, Mg, and antimicrobial ion Ga were homogenously dispersed into a 1.45 µm thick phosphate glass coating by plasma assisted sputtering onto commercially pure grade titanium. The objective was to deliver therapeutic ions in orthopaedic/dental implants such as cementeless endoprostheses or dental screws.

CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ASSESSMENT IN THE ADULT (AGED 40-79 YEARS) ROMANIAN POPULATION.

Unlabelled: Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk (CVR) categories in the adult population (aged 40-79 years) of Romania.

Design: The present study was part of the epidemiological, cross-sectional PREDATORR study (PREvalence of DiAbeTes mellitus, prediabetes, overweight, Obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease in Romania).

Night shift work and breast cancer: a pooled analysis of population-based case-control studies with complete work history.

Night shift work has been suspected to increase breast cancer risk but epidemiological studies have been inconsistent due to heterogeneous assessment of exposure to night work. To overcome this limitation, we pooled data of five population-based case-control studies from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Spain into a single harmonized dataset using a common definition of night work including 6093 breast cancer cases and 6933 population controls. The odds ratio for breast cancer in women who ever worked at night for at least 3 h between midnight and 5 a.

Update on radionuclide therapy in oncology.

Unstable isotopes and their capacity to emit ionizing radiation have been employed in clinical practice not only for diagnostic, but also for therapeutic purposes, with significant contribution in several fields of medicine and primarily in the management of oncologic patients. Their efficacy is associated with their ability to provide the targeted delivery of ionizing radiation for a determined duration. These compounds can be used for curative or palliative treatment, as well as for a diagnostic-therapeutic (theranostic) approach.

Information and Communication Gaps in Intersectoral Healthcare Processes for Dementia Patients.

In addition to general barriers of information exchange and communication in intersectoral healthcare processes, the healthcare process of dementia patients has unique requirements regarding the communication and information exchange of the various healthcare professionals and non-professional caregivers, such as relatives or their legal caregivers. We conduct a process analysis to determine the status quo of such healthcare processes in the region of Darmstadt, Germany and elicit existing gaps in the information and communication exchange. We identify key processes by performing a document analysis and conducting interviews with seven different healthcare professionals.

Mechanical, Corrosion and Biological Properties of Room-Temperature Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Films with Dissimilar Nanostructure.

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) has been long time being regarded as highly interesting material for developing sensing applications (including biosensors and implantable sensors). AlN, due to its appealing electronic properties, is envisaged lately to serve as a multi-functional biosensing platform. Although generally exploited for its intrinsic piezoelectricity, its surface morphology and mechanical performance (elastic modulus, hardness, wear, scratch and tensile resistance to delamination, adherence to the substrate), corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility are also essential features for high performance sustainable biosensor devices.

The fitness cost of mis-splicing is the main determinant of alternative splicing patterns.

Background: Most eukaryotic genes are subject to alternative splicing (AS), which may contribute to the production of protein variants or to the regulation of gene expression via nonsense-mediated messenger RNA (mRNA) decay (NMD). However, a fraction of splice variants might correspond to spurious transcripts and the question of the relative proportion of splicing errors to functional splice variants remains highly debated.

Results: We propose a test to quantify the fraction of AS events corresponding to errors.

Evaluation of the content of TiO nanoparticles in the coatings of chewing gums.

Titanium dioxide is a metal oxide used as a white pigment in many food categories, including confectionery. Due to differences in the mass fraction of nanoparticles contained in TiO, the estimated intakes of TiO nanoparticles differ by a factor of 10 in the literature. To resolve this problem, a better estimation of the mass of nanoparticles present in food products is needed.

Catechin loaded PLGA submicron-sized fibers reduce levels of reactive oxygen species induced by MWCNT in vitro.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are common products of normal aerobic cellular metabolism, but high levels of ROS lead to oxidative stress and cellular damage. Therefore, effective antioxidant therapies are needed to prevent ROS overproduction. This study reports the development of poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) bicomponent fibers loaded with selected amounts of the natural polyphenolic antioxidant catechin.

A new long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is induced in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and down-regulates several anticancer and cell differentiation genes in mouse.

Keratinocyte-derived cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common metastatic skin cancer. Although some of the early events involved in this pathology have been identified, the subsequent steps leading to tumor development are poorly defined. We demonstrate here that the development of mouse tumors induced by the concomitant application of a carcinogen and a tumor promoter (7,12-dimethylbenz[]anthracene (DMBA) and 12--tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), respectively) is associated with the up-regulation of a previously uncharacterized long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), termed AK144841.

Associations of smoking with cardiometabolic profile and renal function in a Romanian population-based sample from the PREDATORR cross-sectional study.

Background: The impact of smoking on morbidity is well known, but in Romania, limited data are available regarding the smoking prevalence and relationship with cardiometabolic profile and kidney function.

Objectives: To assess the association of smoking with cardiometabolic traits and kidney function, in a Romanian population-based sample from the PREDATORR study.

Methods: PREDATORR was an epidemiological cross-sectional study.

Discovery of a new mutation in the desmin gene in a young patient with cardiomyopathy and muscular weakness.

A 25-year-old woman with a five years history of syncope, mild left ventricular hypertrophy and moderately enlarged atria, was diagnosed with third degree atrioventricular heart block alternating with atrioventricular heart block 2:1, and received a dual chamber pacemaker. After three years of evolution, she developed atrial fibrillation, marked biatrial enlargement, severely depressed longitudinal myocardial velocities, associated with mild girdle weakness and slight increase in creatine kinase level. The diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy with mild skeletal myopathy imposed the screening for a common etiology.

Investigation of a Potential Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Nebivolol and Fluvoxamine in Healthy Volunteers.

Purpose: To investigate whether fluvoxamine coadministration can influence the pharmacokinetic properties of nebivolol and its active hydroxylated metabolite (4-OH-nebivolol) and to assess the consequences of this potential pharmacokinetic interaction upon nebivolol pharmacodynamics.

Methods: This open-label, non-randomized, sequential clinical trial consisted of two periods: Period 1 (Reference), during which each volunteer received a single dose of 5 mg nebivolol and Period 2 (Test), when a combination of 5 mg nebivolol and 100 mg fluvoxamine was given to all subjects, after a 6-days pretreatment regimen with fluvoxamine (50-100 mg/day). Non-compartmental analysis was used to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of nebivolol and its active metabolite.

Characterizing isomiR variants within the microRNA-34/449 family.

miR-34/449 microRNAs are conserved regulators of multiciliated cell differentiation. Here, we evidence and characterize expression of two isomiR variant sequences from the miR-34/449 family in human airway epithelial cells. These isomiRs differ from their canonical counterparts miR-34b and miR-449c by one supplemental uridine at their 5'-end, leading to a one-base shift in their seed region.

Bioglass implant-coating interactions in synthetic physiological fluids with varying degrees of biomimicry.

Synthetic physiological fluids are currently used as a first in vitro bioactivity assessment for bone grafts. Our understanding about the interactions taking place at the fluid-implant interface has evolved remarkably during the last decade, and does not comply with the traditional International Organization for Standardization/final draft International Standard 23317 protocol in purely inorganic simulated body fluid. The advances in our knowledge point to the need of a true paradigm shift toward testing physiological fluids with enhanced biomimicry and a better understanding of the materials' structure-dissolution behavior.

Evaluation of the Potential Pharmacokinetic Interaction between Atomoxetine and Fluvoxamine in Healthy Volunteers.

Background/aims: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently associated with other psychiatric pathologies. Therefore, the present study investigated a possible pharmacokinetic interaction between atomoxetine (ATX), a treatment option for ADHD, and an antidepressant, namely, fluvoxamine (FVX).

Methods: Designed as an open-label, non-randomized clinical trial, the study included 2 periods.

Iron chelation: an adjuvant therapy to target metabolism, growth and survival of murine PTEN-deficient T lymphoma and human T lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.

Iron is an essential nutrient, acting as a catalyst for metabolic reactions that are fundamental to cell survival and proliferation. Iron complexed to transferrin is delivered to the metabolism after endocytosis via the CD71 surface receptor. We found that transformed cells from a murine PTEN-deficient T-cell lymphoma model and from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL/T-LL) cell lines overexpress CD71.

Development of the first polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Roman snail Helix pomatia L., 1758 (Helicidae) and cross-species amplification within the genus Helix.

The terrestrial snail Helix pomatia (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Helicidae) is one of the largest gastropod species in Europe. This species is strictly protected in some European Union countries; however, at the same time, it is also farmed and commercialized for human consumption. Here, we describe 11 microsatellite markers that are very useful in population genetic studies for assessing the status of both wild and farmed populations of this species of community interest.

Potentially inappropriate medications in elderly ambulatory and institutionalized patients: an observational study.

Background: The elderly are frequently exposed to drug related problems causing hospitalizations and increased costs of care. Information about Romanian prescribing practices among the elderly and potential medication associated- risks is lacking. The objective of this study was to identify and compare the most frequent potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) recommended to ambulatory and institutionalized Romanian elderly, through an observational retrospective design.

Evaluation of a Potential Metabolism-Mediated Drug-Drug Interaction Between Atomoxetine and Bupropion in Healthy Volunteers.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of bupropion on the pharmacokinetic profile of atomoxetine and its main active metabolite (glucuronidated form), 4-hydroxyatomoxetine-O-glucuronide, in healthy volunteers.

Methods: An open-label, non-randomized, two-period, sequential clinical trial was conducted as follows: during Period I (Reference), each volunteer received a single oral dose of 25 mg atomoxetine, whilst during Period II (Test), a combination of 25 mg atomoxetine and 300 mg bupropion was administered to all volunteers, after a pretreatment regimen with bupropion for 7 days. Next, after determining atomoxetine and 4-hydroxyatomoxetine-O-glucuronide plasma concentrations, their pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a noncompartmental method and subsequently compared to determine any statistically significant differences between the two periods.

Fatal Evolution in the Pneumonia Caused by Diesel Fuel Aspiration - Case Report.

Aspiration pneumonia in infants emerges as a result of deglutition disorders, congenital malformations and severe gastroesophageal reflux. Hydrocarbon pneumonitis is caused by the accidental ingestion and aspiration of hydrocarbons into the body. In children, it can be seen as a result of both the lack of monitoring and the tendency for the exploration of the environment.

Dietary Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium Intake in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Aim: To estimate specific nutrient intake in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted on a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes. The collected data included: anthropometry, lifestyle, blood measurements, and the mean daily nutrient intake assessed by the EPIC food frequency questionnaire.