Cross activity of orthologous WRKY transcription factors in wheat and Arabidopsis.

WRKY proteins are transcription factors involved in many plant processes including plant responses to pathogens. Here, the cross activity of TaWRKY78 from the monocot wheat and AtWRKY20 from the dicot Arabidopsis on the cognate promoters of the orthologous PR4-type genes wPR4e and AtHEL of wheat and Arabidopsis, respectively, was investigated. In vitro analysis showed the ability of TaWRKY78 to bind a -17/+80 region of the wPR4e promoter, containing one cis-acting W-box.

Red blood cell transfusion thresholds in pediatric patients with sepsis.

Objectives: In children with severe sepsis or septic shock, the optimal red blood cell transfusion threshold is unknown. We analyzed the subgroup of patients with sepsis and transfusion requirements in a pediatric intensive care unit study to determine the impact of a restrictive vs. liberal transfusion strategy on clinical outcome.

Cytokine overproduction, T-cell activation, and defective T-regulatory functions promote nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Lupus nephritis (LN) occurs in more than one-third of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Its pathogenesis is mostly attributable to the glomerular deposition of immune complexes and overproduction of T helper- (Th-) 1 cytokines. In this context, the high glomerular expression of IL-12 and IL-18 exerts a major pathogenetic role.

Assessment of lung inflammation with 18F-FDG PET during acute lung injury.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to describe the current experimental and clinical data regarding the fundamentals and applications of (18)F-FDG PET during acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Conclusion: Lung inflammation is a key feature of ALI. During ALI, FDG PET can be used to monitor lung neutrophils, which are essential cells in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of ALI.

Persistent ex vivo low number and functional in vitro recovery of circulating gammadelta T cells after removal of a cutaneous primary melanoma.

We recently described gammadelta T cells alterations in patients with a cutaneous primary melanoma. To evaluate whether gammadelta T cells alterations persisted after melanoma removal, we performed a follow-up study comparing the number and function of gammadelta T lymphocytes from 19 subjects, 4 years after the removal of a cutaneous primary melanoma, with the data obtained in the same subjects before the surgical intervention and with control donors. The number of circulating gammadelta(+) T cells after melanoma removal was not recovered to the levels found in controls.

Alcohol dependence and glutamate decarboxylase gene polymorphisms in an Italian male population.

Knowledge of alcohol use disorder and of substance-related problems has recently found some initial support in genetic studies. With a view to further understanding of this particular aspect, in the light of the "self-medication hypothesis," we focused our attention on the gamma aminobutyric acid system and, in particular, on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the glutamate decarboxylase 67 or glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) gene region in association with alcohol dependence. The research was structured as a case-control study.

Survey of transfusion policies at US and Canadian children's hospitals in 2008 and 2009.

Background: Previous surveys have reported variation in transfusion practice or policies in specific pediatric populations. Our objective was to determine the current transfusion policies in US and Canadian children's hospitals for both neonatal and pediatric general populations.

Study Design And Methods: US and Canadian blood bank (BB) personnel at children's hospitals that provide blood products between the dates of October 2008 and January 2009 were surveyed.

The time course of transcriptional regulation in anoxic fibroblasts: implications for carpal tunnel syndrome - biomed 2010.

Unlabelled: Hypoxia is the initial cellular insult in carpal tunnel syndrome. While much is known about the gross and histological progression of this prevalent disease, little is currently known about its molecular basis. Additionally, some debate presently exists regarding whether the disease occurs as the result of an inflammatory or a fibrotic pathology.

Sustained delivery of growth factors and prostate tissue response - biomed 2010.

Recently, the use of growth factors to repair tissue has shown promising results in areas of musculoskeletal repair. The use of local administration of growth factors has the potential to become systemic and target growth factor sensitive tissue. Prostatic tissue has been shown to be sensitive to insulin like growth hormone-1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ss).

The effects of egcg and tq on inflammatory mediator production in raw 264.7 cells challenged with LPS - biomed 2010.

Inflammatory processes can occur over short periods in response to pathogens or can be activated by intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The use of antioxidants has been shown to be beneficial in stimulating immune cells to increase phagocytosis and up-regulating the cellular processes to limit acute inflammation. The goal of this study was to determine the preventative effects of water soluble epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and lipophilic thymoquinone (TQ) on RAW 264.

Effects of mannose-6-phosphate on human fibroblast cells - biomed 2010.

Coordinate expression of CTGF and TGF-ss plays an important role in tissue fibrosis. Expression of these factors is increased under hypoxic conditions. Treatment of cells under hypoxic conditions with fructose-1,6-bisphosphate has been previously shown to decrease production of CTGF [1].

Evaluation of cartilage growth following sustained delivery of tgf-? Using a rat degenerated disc model - biomed 2010.

The current modalities of treating symptomatic degenerative disc disease are either conservative non-surgical or surgical modalities. However, none of these modalities is a true cure for the degenerative process. Ideally, the best treatment would be preventing the progression of degeneration.

Sustained delivery of tobramycin via tcpl delivery system to effectively treat osteomyelitis in rats - biomed 2010.

Osteomyelitis is usually treated with systemic antibiotics for prolonged periods of time. These therapies are often unsuccessful with an increase in complication risk to the patient. The development of local antibiotic carriers which are mechanically stable, and can degrade slowly are needed clinically to treat the large number of cases of osteomyelitis seen in a hospital setting.

Terminal digit bias is not an issue for properly trained healthcare personnel using manual or semi-automated devices - biomed 2010.

The objective of this study was to evaluate terminal digit preference in blood pressure (BP) measurements taken from a sample of clinics at a large academic health sciences center. We hypothesized that terminal digit preference would occur more frequently in BP measurements taken with manual mercury sphygmomanometry compared to those obtained with semi-automated instruments. A total of 1,393 BP measures were obtained in 16 ambulatory and inpatient sites by personnel using both mercury (n=1,286) and semi-automated (n=107) devices For the semi-automated devices, a trained observer repeated the patients BP following American Heart Association recommendations using a similar device with a known calibration history.

Inhibition of bacterial attachment to kidney epithelial cells using thymoquinone - biomed 2010.

Unlabelled: Lancefield group A streptococci consists of a Streptococcus pyogens (GAS), which is associated with variety of superlative infections. GAS has the capacity to trigger post infectious syndromes of acute rheumatic fever and post streptococcal glomerulonephritis. GAS is one of the most common human pathogens, and is the most frequent cause of acute pharyngitis (strep throat).

The intracellular signaling pathways of deminerlized bone matrix - biomed 2010.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of structurally related proteins in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family which have been shown to stimulate bone formation in vivo. Since these proteins are concentrated in the organic matrix of bone and would be released after a fracture or during bone resorption, they are likely to have a profound effect on bone healing. There is a lack in the understanding of the intracellular signaling pathways that these proteins and growth factors utilize for healing and remodeling.

Association between length of storage of transfused red blood cells and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in pediatric intensive care patients.

Background: The objective was to determine if there is an association between red blood cell (RBC) storage time and development of new or progressive multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in critically ill children.

Study Design And Methods: This was an analytic cohort analysis of patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, TRIPICU (Transfusion Requirements in Pediatric Intensive Care Units; ISRCTN37246456), in which stable critically ill children were randomly assigned to a restrictive or liberal strategy. Transfused patients were analyzed using three different sliding time cutoffs (7, 14, and 21 days).

Dynamic anterior cervical plating for multi-level spondylosis: Does it help?

Study Design:  Randomized controlled trial.

Objective:  To compare fusion rates, time to fusion, complication rates and subsidence between 1) a static, 2) a dynamic angulation, and 3) a dynamic translation plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for symptomatic degenerative cervical disease.

Methods:  Thirty-six patients with two level, symptomatic cervical degenerative changes requiring surgery were randomized in a blinded fashion to receive a statically locked plate, Cervical Spine Locking Plate (CSLP) (Synthes, Paoli, PN, USA), an Atlantis Vision(®) Anterior Cervical Plate System (Medtronic, Memphis, TN, USA) which allows angular dynamization, or a Premier(®) Anterior Cervical Plate System (Medtronic) which allows translational dynamization.

Novel hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A quinate transferase genes from artichoke are involved in the synthesis of chlorogenic acid.

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus subsp. scolymus) extracts have high antioxidant capacity, due primarily to flavonoids and phenolic acids, particularly chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid [CGA]), dicaffeoylquinic acids, and caffeic acid, which are abundant in flower bracts and bioavailable to humans in the diet. The synthesis of CGA can occur following different routes in plant species, and hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A transferases are important enzymes in these pathways.

Adaptive FIR neural model for centroid learning in self-organizing maps.

In this paper, a training method for the formation of topology preserving maps is introduced. The proposed approach presents a sequential formulation of the self-organizing map (SOM), which is based on a new model of the neuron, or processing unit. Each neuron acts as a finite impulse response (FIR) system, and the coefficients of the filters are adaptively estimated during the sequential learning process, in order to minimize a distortion measure of the map.

The meaning and mental health consequences of long-term immigration detention for people seeking asylum.

The aim of the present research was to examine the experience of extended periods of immigration detention from the perspective of previously detained asylum seekers and to identify the consequences of these experiences for life after release. The study sample comprised seventeen adult refugees (sixteen male and one female; average age 42 years), who had been held in immigration detention funded by the Australian government for on average three years and two months. They were interviewed on average three years and eight months following their release and had been granted permanent visa status or such status was imminent.

Association between length of storage of red blood cell units and outcome of critically ill children: a prospective observational study.

Introduction: Transfusion is a common treatment in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Studies in adults suggest that prolonged storage of red blood cell units is associated with worse clinical outcome. No prospective study has been conducted in children.

Red blood cell transfusion threshold in postsurgical pediatric intensive care patients: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: The optimal transfusion threshold after surgery in children is unknown. We analyzed the general surgery subgroup of the TRIPICU (Transfusion Requirements in Pediatric Intensive Care Units) study to determine the impact of a restrictive versus a liberal transfusion strategy on new or progressive multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

Methods: The TRIPICU study, a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted in 17 centers, enrolled a total of 648 critically ill children with a hemoglobin equal to or below 9.

A preliminary report on the effects of sustained administration of corticosteroid on traumatized disc using the adult male rat model.

Study Design: A novel degenerative disc disease model and sustained delivery method for corticosteroid in male Sprague-Dawley albino rats.

Objectives: To develop a model of degenerative disc disease and to determine the effect of continuous sustained release of corticosteroid on the process of degeneration within the traumatized disc.

Summary Of Background Data: The current modalities of treating symptomatic degenerative disc disease are either conservative or surgical.