Experimentally based structural model of Yih1 provides insight into its function in controlling the key translational regulator Gcn2.

Yeast impact homolog 1 (Yih1), or IMPACT in mammals, is part of a conserved regulatory module controlling the activity of General Control Nonderepressible 2 (Gcn2), a protein kinase that regulates protein synthesis. Yih1/IMPACT is implicated not only in many essential cellular processes, such as neuronal development, immune system regulation and the cell cycle, but also in cancer. Gcn2 must bind to Gcn1 in order to impair the initiation of protein translation.

Efficacy of clarithromycin-naproxen-oseltamivir combination therapy versus oseltamivir alone in hospitalized pediatric influenza patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of clarithromycin-naproxen-oseltamivir combination therapy to that of oseltamivir therapy alone in hospitalized pediatric influenza patients.

Methods: This prospective, single-blind study included children aged 1-18 years hospitalized with influenza, in MacKay Children's Hospital, Taiwan, between December 2017 and December 2019. The primary outcomes were the time to defervescence and decrease of the Pediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRESS) during hospitalization.

Using Deep Learning in Ultrasound Imaging of Bicipital Peritendinous Effusion to Grade Inflammation Severity.

Inflammation of the long head of the biceps tendon is a common cause of shoulder pain. Bicipital peritendinous effusion (BPE) is the most common biceps tendon abnormality and is related to various shoulder injuries. Physicians usually use ultrasound imaging to grade the inflammation severity of the long head of the biceps tendon.

Effects of influenza vaccine and sun exposure time against laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalizations among young children during the 2012-13 to 2015-16 influenza seasons.

Background: Influenza is a major cause of acute respiratory infection burden worldwide, leading to many hospitalizations. An annual influenza vaccine is believed to be the best way to prevent influenza-related illnesses. We focused on the efficacies of other possible preventive measures such as increasing sun exposure time and dietary supplements to prevent these illnesses.

From Block Copolymer Nanotubes to Nanospheres: Nonsolvent-Induced Morphology Transformation Using Porous Templates.

Block copolymer nanostructures have attracted great attention because of the wide range of applications such as sensors and drug delivery. The fabrication of block copolymer nanostructures with controlled morphologies and sizes, however, is still challenging. Here, we study the fabrication of nanotubes and nanospheres of polystyrene- block-polybutadiene (PS- b-PBD) using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates.

Plane-to-plane analysis of mandibular misalignment in patients with facial asymmetry.

Introduction: Little is known regarding how the mandible rotates in facial asymmetry. The purpose of this study was to study mandibular misalignment with a new plane-to-plane analysis method in patients with facial asymmetry.

Methods: Optimal symmetry planes (OSPs) were generated by computing the greatest count of paired voxels on opposing sides of the computerized tomography image of the structure.

Microwave-annealing-induced nanowetting of block copolymers in cylindrical nanopores.

Block copolymers have attracted great attention because of their abilities to self-assemble into well-ordered microphase-separated structures. To generate nanopatterns of block copolymers with long-range ordering and low-defect densities in shorter time scales, microwave annealing has recently been applied. Microwave annealing, however, has so far only been used for block copolymer bulks and thin films.

Effect of Continuity of Care on Quality of Life in Older Adults With Chronic Diseases: A Meta-Analysis.

As the population ages, continuity of care (CoC) has increasingly become a particular important issue. Articles published from 1994 to 2014 were identified from electronic databases. Studies with randomized controlled design and elderly adults with chronic illness were included if Short Form-36 (SF-36) was used as an outcome indicator to evaluate the effect of CoC.

Use of the matching optimal symmetry plane method in planning surgical correction of facial asymmetry--a preliminary report of 20 patients.

Purpose: A voxel-based median plane (optimal symmetry plane [OSP]) was developed to assess facial bone asymmetry. The purpose of the present study was to introduce a new method of planning surgical correction of facial asymmetry using the OSPs as guides and test its effectiveness.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 20 facial asymmetry patients with a mandibular deviation of 4 mm or greater or 4° or more that required surgical correction.

Testing for efficacy in adaptive clinical trials with enrichment.

Adaptive design of clinical trials has attracted considerable interest because of its potential of reducing costs and saving time in the clinical development process. In this paper, we consider the problem of assessing the effectiveness of a test treatment over a control by a two-arm randomized clinical trial in a potentially heterogenous patient population. In particular, we study enrichment designs that use accumulating data from a clinical trial to adaptively determine patient subpopulation in which the treatment effect is eventually assessed.

A note on confidence bounds after fixed-sequence multiple tests.

We are concerned with the problem of estimating the treatment effects at the effective doses in a dose-finding study. Under monotone dose-response, the effective doses can be identified through the estimation of the minimum effective dose, for which there is an extensive set of statistical tools. In particular, when a fixed-sequence multiple testing procedure is used to estimate the minimum effective dose, Hsu and Berger (1999) show that the confidence lower bounds for the treatment effects can be constructed without the need to adjust for multiplicity.

Multiple comparisons of drug efficacy between subgroups defined by genetic polymorphisms.

In contrast to using genome-wide association studies to discover associations between genes or single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome with disease status or outcome, some recent pharmacogenomic studies have focused on whether polymorphisms in genes involved in metabolizing drugs significantly impact their efficacy. Whether a drug starts as an active compound and gets metabolized and eliminated from the body or starts as an inactive compound and gets metabolized to an active form, patients in subgroups separated by polymorphism of a gene needed to metabolize the drug might derive differential benefit from that drug. With the use of the Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events trial for Plavix as an example, this article proposes Multiple Comparisons with Control (Subgroup) and Multiple Comparisons with the Best (Subgroup) as methods to infer whether some subgroups of patients derive more or less benefit than wild-type patients and which subgroup or subgroups of patients derive maximum benefit or practically maximum benefit from the drug.

Acute effects of plyometric jumping and intermittent running on serum bone markers in young males.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether different modes of single-bout exercise would cause different responses in short-term bone metabolism. 24 untrained male college students (19.1 ± 0.

On Two-stage Seamless Adaptive Design in Clinical Trials.

In recent years, the use of adaptive design methods in clinical research and development based on accrued data has become very popular because of its efficiency and flexibility in modifying trial and/or statistical procedures of ongoing clinical trials. One of the most commonly considered adaptive designs is probably a two-stage seamless adaptive trial design that combines two separate studies into one single study. In many cases, study endpoints considered in a two-stage seamless adaptive design may be similar but different (e.

Relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, environmental tobacco smoke, and child development in the World Trade Center cohort.

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are air pollutants released by the World Trade Center (WTC) fires and urban combustion sources. BaP-DNA adducts provide a measure of PAH-specific genetic damage, which has been associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and cancer. We previously reported that levels of BaP-DNA adducts in maternal and umbilical cord blood obtained at delivery were elevated among subjects who had resided within 1 mile of the WTC site during the month after 9/11; and that elevated blood adducts in combination with in utero exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) were significantly associated with decreased fetal growth.

Relation between prenatal lipid-soluble micronutrient status, environmental pollutant exposure, and birth outcomes.

Background: Adverse postnatal health effects have been associated with compromised fetal growth, which makes it essential to understand its determinants. Significant effects of environmental pollutants on birth outcomes have been observed in our study population, and nutritional status may be an additional factor influencing fetal development and effects of environmental toxins.

Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the relations between birth outcomes and lipid-soluble plasma micronutrient concentrations and to explore interactions between micronutrients and environmental pollutant exposure in newborns in Krakow, Poland.

Effect of prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of life among inner-city children.

Our prospective cohort study of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican mothers and children in New York City is evaluating the role of prenatal exposure to urban pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) , environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) , and pesticides, in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders. We used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development to evaluate the effects on child mental and psychomotor development of prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs monitored during pregnancy by personal air sampling. Behavioral development was assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist.

Relationships among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, proximity to the World Trade Center, and effects on fetal growth.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic pollutants released by the World Trade Center (WTC) fires and various urban combustion sources. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a representative member of the class of PAHs. PAH-DNA adducts, or BaP-DNA adducts as their proxy, provide a measure of chemical-specific genetic damage that has been associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and cancer.

Biomarkers in maternal and newborn blood indicate heightened fetal susceptibility to procarcinogenic DNA damage.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are widespread air contaminants released by transportation vehicles, power generation, and other combustion sources. Experimental evidence indicates that the developing fetus is more susceptible than the adult to carcinogenic effects of PAHs, although laboratory studies in rodents suggest that the dose to fetal tissues is an order of magnitude lower than that to maternal tissues. To assess fetal versus adult susceptibility to PAHs and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), we compared carcinogen-DNA adducts (a biomarker associated with increased cancer risk) and cotinine (a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure) in paired blood samples collected from mothers and newborns in New York City.

Molecular evidence of an interaction between prenatal environmental exposures and birth outcomes in a multiethnic population.

Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in urban air. In a sample of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women, we evaluated the effects on birth outcomes of prenatal exposure to ETS, using questionnaire data and plasma cotinine as a biomarker of exposure, and environmental PAHs using BaP-DNA adducts as a molecular dosimeter. We previously reported that among African Americans, high prenatal exposure to PAHs estimated by prenatal personal air monitoring was associated with lower birth weight (p = 0.

Effects of transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants on birth outcomes in a multiethnic population.

Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides. In a sample of 263 nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women, we evaluated the effects on birth outcomes of prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs monitored during pregnancy by personal air sampling, along with ETS estimated by plasma cotinine, and an organophosphate pesticide (OP) estimated by plasma chlorpyrifos (CPF). Plasma CPF was used as a covariate because it was the most often detected in plasma and was highly correlated with other pesticides frequently detected in plasma.