Guidelines for surveys of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Pediatric surgery is defined by the rare performance of complex operations in children. As a consequence, pediatric surgeons have difficulty identifying high-level evidence to help guide management decisions. The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) Outcomes and Clinical Trials Committee is dedicated to helping our membership identify best practices and appropriate standards for clinical management of pediatric surgical diseases.

Utility and limitations of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised for detecting mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Background/aims: To evaluate the utility of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI).

Methods: PD patients underwent comprehensive neuropsychological and neurological evaluations and ACE-R assessment.

Results: The ACE-R was superior to the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) in detecting PD-MCI, with a cutoff score of ≤93 offering a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 64%.

A sensory neuronal ion channel essential for airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in asthma.

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder caused by airway exposures to allergens and chemical irritants. Studies focusing on immune, smooth muscle, and airway epithelial function revealed many aspects of the disease mechanism of asthma. However, the limited efficacies of immune-directed therapies suggest the involvement of additional mechanisms in asthmatic airway inflammation.

Kernel energy method applied to vesicular stomatitis virus nucleoprotein.

The kernel energy method (KEM) is applied to the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) nucleoprotein (PDB ID code 2QVJ). The calculations employ atomic coordinates from the crystal structure at 2.8-A resolution, except for the hydrogen atoms, whose positions were modeled by using the computer program HYPERCHEM.

The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale.

Objective. Instruments to assess aggressive behaviors in the psychiatric ward are crucial for monitoring risky behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS).

Amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on immobilization of hemoglobin on a glassy carbon electrode modified with fe(3)o(4)/chitosan core-shell microspheres.

Novel magnetic Fe(3)O(4)/chitosan (CS) microspheres were prepared using magnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles and the natural macromolecule chitosan. Then, using an easy and effective hemoglobin (Hb) immobilization method, an innovative biosensor with a Fe(3)O(4)/CS-Hb-Fe(3)O(4)/CS "sandwich" configuration was constructed. This biosensor had a fast (less than 10 s) response to H(2)O(2) and excellent linear relationships were obtained in the concentration range of 5.

Arsenic trioxide impairs spermatogenesis via reducing gene expression levels in testosterone synthesis pathway.

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has recently received a great deal of attention because of its capacity to cause complete remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). To evaluate possible toxicity on the male reproductive system during arsenic therapy, male mice were used as a model. Outbred mice (ICR/CD1 and S-W, 6 weeks old) were subcutaneously administered As2O3 continuously for 5 days, with a 2-day interval, for a period of 3 weeks.

Sorption of male hormones by soils and sediments.

This paper reports the sorption of two male hormones, testosterone and androstenedione, by four soil and sediment samples at both equilibrium and rate-limiting conditions. Unlike prior studies, androstenedione was studied independently of testosterone. Apparent sorption equilibrium is achieved in one to two weeks when the initial aqueous hormone concentrations (C0) at 10,000 microg/L (approximately 30% of their solubility limits [S(w)]) and two to three weeks when the C(0) is 300 microg/L (less than 1% of S(w)).

Shutter-speed analysis of contrast reagent bolus-tracking data: Preliminary observations in benign and malignant breast disease.

The standard pharmacokinetic model applied to contrast reagent (CR) bolus-tracking (B-T) MRI (dynamic-contrast-enhanced) data makes the intrinsic assumption that equilibrium transcytolemmal water molecule exchange is effectively infinitely fast. Theory and simulation have suggested that this assumption can lead to significant errors. Recent analyses of animal model experimental data have confirmed two predicted signature inadequacies: a specific temporal mismatch with the B-T time-course and a CR dose-dependent underestimation of model parameters.

The effect of surfactants on the distribution of organic compounds in the soil solid/water system.

The efficiency of soil remediation by surfactant washing was evaluated via the measured distribution coefficients of a number of nonpolar compounds in several soil-water mixtures. The studied compounds (contaminants) are BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene) and three chlorinated pesticides (lindane, alpha-BHC, and heptachlor epoxide), which span several orders of magnitude in water solubility (S(w)). A peat, and two natural soils were used that comprise a wide range in soil organic matter (SOM) content.

Characterization of Nef-CXCR4 interactions important for apoptosis induction.

The HIV-1 Nef protein was analyzed for apoptotic structural motifs that interact with the CXCR4 receptor and induce apoptosis in CD4(+) lymphocytes. Two apoptotic motifs were identified. One centered on Nef amino acids (aa) 50 to 60, with the overlapping 20-mer peptides retaining about 82% of the activity of the full Nef protein.

Sorption of steroid estrogens to soils and sediments.

Steroid estrogens at sub-micrograms per liter levels are frequently detected in surface water, and increasingly cause public concern of their potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. Assessing the environmental fate and risks of steroid estrogens requires accurate characterization of various physicochemical and biological processes involving these chemicals in aquatic systems. This paper reports sorption of three estrogens, 17beta-estradiol (estradiol), estrone, and 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), by seven soil and sediment samples at both equilibrium and rate-limiting conditions.

ApoE genotype accounts for the vast majority of AD risk and AD pathology.

In this review, evidence is provided that apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotype accounts for the majority of Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and pathology. The three major human isoforms, apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4, are encoded by different alleles (2, 3, 4) and regulate lipid metabolism and redistribution. ApoE isoforms differ in their effects on AD risk and pathology.

Tensile strength and ultrastructure of a compomer and a composite in aqueous and non-aqueous storage media.

Purpose: To compare the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of a compomer (Dyract AP) and a composite (Spectrum TPH) that were stored in an aqueous or a non-aqueous medium for up to 180 days.

Methods: 156 hourglass-shaped specimens of each material with cylindrical cross-sectional areas along the test regions were prepared. For each material, 12 beams were stressed to failure using a microtensile testing method to obtain the baseline UTS data.

Dynamin 3 is a component of the postsynapse, where it interacts with mGluR5 and Homer.

The dynamins comprise a large family of mechanoenzymes known to participate in membrane modeling events. All three conventional dynamin genes (Dyn1, Dyn2, Dyn3) are expressed in mammalian brain and produce more than 27 different dynamin proteins as a result of alternative splicing. Past studies have suggested that Dyn1 participates in specialized neuronal functions such as rapid synaptic vesicle recycling, while Dyn2 may mediate the conventional clathrin-mediated uptake of surface receptors.

Increased B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level is a strong predictor for cardiac dysfunction in intensive care unit patients.

Patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) frequently have underlying cardiac dysfunction. Early interventions are sometimes difficult to initiate because of diagnostic uncertainty as to whether cardiac failure is present As B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to be increased in cardiac dysfunction, we sought to demonstrate whether BNP can be used as a screening tool for cardiac dysfunction in patients admitted to ICU. All patients admitted to a combined medical and surgical ICU over a four-week period were included in the study.

EPC-K1 Prevents ONOO(-)-induced Apoptosis in Cerebellar Granule Neurons.

The cytotoxic effect of peroxynitrite on cerebellar granule neurons was studied. Exposure of cerebellar granule neurons to 10 &mgr;mol/L peroxynitrite triggered apoptosis in vitro, which was confirmed by both morphological (nuclear morphology observed by fluorescence microscopy) and biochemical evidence (DNA fragmentation detected by ELISA). Using ESR spin labeling technique, the alteration of biophysical characteristics of neuronal cell membrane during the apoptotic process was studied.

Hygroscopic expansion of a compomer and a composite on artificial gap reduction.

Objective: This study compared the effect of water sorption on the extent of marginal gap reduction in a compomer (Dyract AP, Dentsply) and a composite (Spectrum, Dentsply) over a 12-week storage period.

Materials And Methods: Artificial gaps were created in 40 borosilicate glass cylinders, each 5mm deep and with an internal diameter of 5.5mm.

Genomic organization and mutation analysis of p73 in oligodendrogliomas with chromosome 1 p-arm deletions.

p73, a protein having substantial structural and functional similarity to p53, has recently been identified and demonstrated to be a potential tumor suppressor. Its location on human chromosome 1p36.33 implicates p73 as a candidate for neuroblastoma.

Multiple-step melting in two-dimensional hexatic liquid-crystal films.

An unexpected three-stage melting transition has been observed in two-dimensional (2D) free-standing liquid-crystal films by in situ electron-diffraction and optical-reflectivity measurements. These data suggest the existence of two phases between the 2D solid and liquid: a hexatic phase and, at a higher temperature, an intermediate liquid phase with hexatic-like positional correlations ( approximately 40 angstroms) but no long-range orientational order. Previous high-resolution heat-capacity measurements have revealed a divergent-like anomaly at the hexatic-liquid transition that sharply contradicts the predictions of 2D melting theories.

Common fragile sites and cancer (review).

Chromosomal fragile sites are specific loci which are especially susceptible to forming gaps, breaks and rearrangements in metaphase chromosomes when cells are cultured under conditions that inhibit DNA replication. Fragile sites are grouped into two classes the 'rare' and the 'common' fragile sites, based on their frequency of occurrence and means of induction. The common fragile sites are apparently present as a constant feature in all individuals and their clinical significance is that they might predispose chromosomes to breakage and rearrangement during cancer development.

Periplasmic expression of part of the major rotavirus capsid protein VP7 containing all the three antigenic regions in Escherichia coli.

Part of the porcine rotavirus outer capsid protein VP7 containing all the three antigenic regions was expressed as a chimeric protein with bacterial alkaline phosphatase (AP) in E. coli. The construct contains an ompF promoter, the DNA encoding the signal sequence and the first 12 amino acids of mature OmpF, part of vp7 and the DNA encoding mature AP.

A new double modeling approach for dynamic cardiac PET studies using noise and spillover contaminated LV measurements.

A new double modeling approach for dynamic cardiac studies with positron emission tomography (PET) to estimate physiological parameters is proposed. This approach is exemplified by tracer fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) studies and estimation of myocardial metabolic rate of glucose (MMRGlc). A separate input function model characterising the tracer kinetics in plasma is used to account for the measurement noise and spillover problems of the input curve obtained from the left ventricular region on the PET images.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of thiopentone enantiomers in sheep plasma.

An HPLC method was developed to determine the plasma concentrations of R(+)- and S(-)-thiopentone for pharmacokinetic studies in sheep. The method required separation of the thiopentone enantiomers from the corresponding pentobarbitone enantiomers which are usually present as metabolites of thiopentone. Phenylbutazone was used as an internal standard.

Determination of ketorolac enantiomers in plasma using enantioselective liquid chromatography on an alpha 1-acid glycoprotein chiral stationary phase and ultraviolet detection.

A chirally selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay was developed to measure the R(+) and S(-) enantiomers of ketorolac in plasma for pharmacokinetic studies. Naproxen sodium [S(+) enantiomer] (10 micrograms) was used as an internal standard. Plasma samples (0.