Interactive Effects of Immunoglobulin Gamma and Human Leucocyte Antigen Genotypes on Response to Interferon Based Therapy of Hepatitis C Virus.

Aim: We examined the role that immunoglobulin GM 23 and KM allotypes-genetic markers of γ and κ chains, respectively-play in response to treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Egyptian patients.

Material And Methods: A total of 120 persons who had responded to HCV treatment and 125 with persistent HCV infection were genotyped for the presence of GM23 and KM determinants. HLA -C genotyping was also done.

Detection of BCR/ABL Translocation in Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Egyptian CML Patients.

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder of hematopoietic stem cells. It is characterized at the cytogenetic level by Philadelphia (ph) chromosome and at the molecular level by the BCR/ABL gene rearrangement. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells that can differentiate into several mesenchymal tissues.

Endovascular intervention for deep venous thrombosis in patients with inferior vena cava filters.

Patients with inferior vena cava (IVC) filter-associated deep venous thrombosis (DVT) are a challenging subset of patients for endovascular intervention. Given the lack of available data pertaining to this clinical scenario, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the authors' experience with the use of endovascular treatment for DVT in patients with IVC filters. Primary aims included assessing the technical and clinical success, complications, and clinical patency in these patients.

The Effect of Sorafenib, Tadalafil and Macitentan Treatments on Thyroxin-Induced Hemodynamic Changes and Cardiac Abnormalities.

Multikinase inhibitors (e.g. Sorafenib), phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (e.

Doing science: How to submit a successful funding application.

How to submit a successful funding application: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression!" http://ow.ly/XgmbJ.

Colorectal liver metastases: disappearing lesions in the era of Eovist hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Hepatobiliary contrast enhanced MRI is known to be the most sensitive imaging modality for detection of colorectal hepatic metastasis. To date no study has investigated the rate of disappearing lesions with gadoxetic acid MR (Eovist/Primovist), or characterized the pathologic response of lesions which disappear on gadoxetic acid MR.

Methods: Retrospective review of hepatic resections for colorectal metastases between 01/2008 and 01/2014 was performed to evaluated the rate of disappearance of lesions on gadoxetic acid MR and the rate of complete pathologic response in the lesions that disappear.

Experimental evidence for the effects of the Demand-Control model on the cognitive arousal: An EEG based study.

The Demand-Control (DC) model has been extensively researched to find the imbalance of demand and control that cause work-related stress. Past research has been exclusively dedicated to evaluate the impact of this model on employees' well-being and job environment. However, the impact of high demands (strain hypothesis) and the influence of control (buffer hypothesis) on cognitive arousal have yet to be identified.

PET/MRI of Hepatic 90Y Microsphere Deposition Determines Individual Tumor Response.

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to determine if there is a relationship between dose deposition measured by PET/MRI and individual lesion response to yttrium-90 ((90)Y) microsphere radioembolization.

Materials And Methods: 26 patients undergoing lobar treatment with (90)Y microspheres underwent PET/MRI within 66 h of treatment and had follow-up imaging available. Adequate visualization of tumor was available in 24 patients, and contours were drawn on simultaneously acquired PET/MRI data.

Older age is associated with increased early mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Introduction & Aim: The role of age as a predictor of mortality after transjugular intra hepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is controversial. Age has been found to be an important predictor of post-TIPS mortality in some, but not all, studies and is not a component of the MELD score. The purpose of this study was to compare the 90-day survival of subjects with cirrhosis age ≥ 70 years with younger subjects undergoing TIPS.

How to optimise patient and public involvement in your research: Doing science.

This paper considers how best to achieve patient and public involvement in research and how to get the most out of it http://ow.ly/R0hwV.

In Vitro Efficacy of Doripenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii by E-Test.

Objective: To assess the in vitro efficacy of doripenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii using Epsilometer strips.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi and National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, from May 2014 to September 2014.

Doing science: how to get credit for your scientific work.

Everyone deserves to be acknowledged for their efforts and contributions to a shared goal, and getting credit for your scientific work should be part of a natural process and should be fair and straightforward. However, credit cannot be objectively measured despite it having a big influence and, unfortunately, getting appropriate credit can occasionally be both complicated and challenging.

Doing Science: managing colleagues and collaborations in scientific research.

Talent, dedication and organisational skills play a pivotal role in the success of scientific and clinical research. However, your capacity to flourish and succeed is often affected by your professional relationships with your peers and bosses. Throughout your career, you will be faced (if not already) with a variety of awkward interpersonal situations.

Biphenotypic Primary Liver Carcinomas: Assessing Outcomes of Hepatic Directed Therapy.

Background: Primary liver carcinomas with hepatocellular and cholangiocellular differentiation (b[HB]-PLC) are rare. Surgery offers the best prognosis, but there is a paucity of literature to guide therapy for patients with advanced or unresectable disease. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes of hepatic-directed therapy compared with those of systemic chemotherapy and surgery.

A glyS T-box riboswitch with species-specific structural features responding to both proteinogenic and nonproteinogenic tRNAGly isoacceptors.

In Staphylococcus aureus, a T-box riboswitch exists upstream of the glyS gene to regulate transcription of the sole glycyl-tRNA synthetase, which aminoacylates five tRNA(Gly) isoacceptors bearing GCC or UCC anticodons. Subsequently, the glycylated tRNAs serve as substrates for decoding glycine codons during translation, and also as glycine donors for exoribosomal synthesis of pentaglycine peptides during cell wall formation. Probing of the predicted T-box structure revealed a long stem I, lacking features previously described for similar T-boxes.

Distributed clone detection in static wireless sensor networks: random walk with network division.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are vulnerable to clone attacks or node replication attacks as they are deployed in hostile and unattended environments where they are deprived of physical protection, lacking physical tamper-resistance of sensor nodes. As a result, an adversary can easily capture and compromise sensor nodes and after replicating them, he inserts arbitrary number of clones/replicas into the network. If these clones are not efficiently detected, an adversary can be further capable to mount a wide variety of internal attacks which can emasculate the various protocols and sensor applications.

Comparative Efficacy of Ceftaroline with Linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective: To compare the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of ceftaroline with linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Microbiology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from January to December 2013.

Retrospective Study in 40 Patients of Utility of C-arm FDCT as an Adjunctive Modality in Technically Challenging Image-Guided Percutaneous Drainage Procedures.

Purpose: To explore the utility of C-arm flat detector computed tomography (FDCT) as an adjunctive modality in technically challenging image-guided percutaneous drainage procedures.

Methods: Clinical and image data were reviewed on 40 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous drainage of fluid collections in technically challenging anatomic locations that required the use of C-arm FDCT between 2009 and 2013. Percutaneous drainage was performed under ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance with the use of C-arm FDCT as a problem-solving tool to identify appropriate needle/wire placement prior to drainage catheter placement (n = 33) or to confirm catheter positioning within the fluid collection (n = 8).

Differential involvement of various sources of reactive oxygen species in thyroxin-induced hemodynamic changes and contractile dysfunction of the heart and diaphragm muscles.

Thyroid hormones are key regulators of basal metabolic state and oxidative metabolism. Hyperthyroidism has been reported to cause significant alterations in hemodynamics, and in cardiac and diaphragm muscle functions, all of which have been linked to increased oxidative stress. However, the definite source of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in each of these phenotypes is still unknown.

Solving the mystery: the true prevalence of gestational diabetes in indigenous women.

This commentary briefly reviews what is currently known about estimating the prevalence of gestational diabetes in indigenous women. It offers insights into numerous factors likely playing a role in its observed variability. It also highlights important key concepts to consider in the overall evaluation and management of gestational diabetes in this particular population.

Dynamic electronic institutions in agent oriented cloud robotic systems.

The dot-com bubble bursted in the year 2000 followed by a swift movement towards resource virtualization and cloud computing business model. Cloud computing emerged not as new form of computing or network technology but a mere remoulding of existing technologies to suit a new business model. Cloud robotics is understood as adaptation of cloud computing ideas for robotic applications.

Carbon isotope analysis of dissolved organic carbon in fresh and saline (NaCl) water via continuous flow cavity ring-down spectroscopy following wet chemical oxidation.

This work examines the performance and limitations of a wet chemical oxidation carbon analyser interfaced with a cavity ring-down spectrometer (WCO-CRDS) in a continuous flow (CF) configuration for measuring δ(13)C of dissolved organic carbon (δ(13)C-DOC) in natural water samples. Low-chloride matrix (<5 g Cl/L) DOC solutions were analysed with as little as 2.5 mg C/L in a 9 mL aliquot with a precision of 0.

Optimization of aeration and agitation rate for lipid and gamma linolenic acid production by Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 in submerged fermentation using response surface methodology.

The locally isolated filamentous fungus Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 was cultivated in a 5 L bioreactor to produce lipid and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). The optimization was carried out using response surface methodology based on a central composite design. A statistical model, second-order polynomial model, was adjusted to the experimental data to evaluate the effect of key operating variables, including aeration rate and agitation speed on lipid production.

16-hour call duty schedules: the Quebec experience.

Since 1 July 2012, as a result of a labour arbitration ruling in the province of Quebec and the subsequent agreement negotiated by the Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec, all 3,400 medical residents training in Quebec have been on a 16-hour duty schedule for in-house calls. This is a major change within medical teaching sites, as well as a professional and educational challenge for physicians-in-training and their supervisors. The Quebec ruling now raises similar issues for all medical residents in Canada because of its legal basis, namely the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.