Do cochlear microphonics evoked by narrow-band chirp stimuli affect the objective detection of auditory steady-state responses?

Objective: It has recently been discussed whether hearing screening and hearing threshold assessment can accurately be completed using automated ASSR methods for children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Possible causes for the claimed potential failures were investigated here.

Design: The study is based on the analysis of stored ASSR raw data.

Mast-cell degranulation induced by physical stimuli involves the activation of transient-receptor-potential channel TRPV2.

A characteristic of mast cells is the degranulation in response to various stimuli. Here we have investigated the effects of various physical stimuli in the human mast-cell line HMC-1. We have shown that HMC-1 express the transient receptor potential channels TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPV4.

Complex MLL rearrangements in t(4;11) leukemia patients with absent AF4.MLL fusion allele.

The human mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene is frequently involved in genetic rearrangements with more than 55 different translocation partner genes, all associated with acute leukemia. Reciprocal chromosomal translocations generate two MLL fusion alleles, where 5'- and 3'-portions of MLL are fused to gene segments of given fusion partners. In case of t(4;11) patients, about 80% of all patients exhibit both reciprocal fusion alleles, MLL.

Combined effects of the two reciprocal t(4;11) fusion proteins MLL.AF4 and AF4.MLL confer resistance to apoptosis, cell cycling capacity and growth transformation.

The reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(4;11) is correlated with infant, childhood, adult and therapy-related high-risk acute leukemia. Here, we investigated the biological effects of MLL.AF4, AF4.

Rapid detection of enterovirus infection by automated RNA extraction and real-time fluorescence PCR.

Background: Molecular detection has been shown to be superior to tissue culture for the detection of enteroviruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens.

Objectives: In this study, a qualitative molecular assay based on automated RNA extraction with the MagNA Pure LC and real-time PCR on the LightCycler (LC) instrument was evaluated and compared with an in-house molecular assay.

Study Design: A total of 109 CSF specimens were investigated for the comparative study.

3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine induced deficiency of thymidine kinases 1, 2 and deoxycytidine kinase in H9 T-lymphoid cells.

Continuous cultivation of T-lymphoid H9 cells in the presence of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) resulted in a cell variant cross-resistant to both thymidine and deoxycytidine analogs. Cytotoxic effects of AZT, 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine as well as different deoxycytidine analogs such as 2',3'-dideoxycytidine, 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (dFdC) and 1-ss-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (Ara-C) were strongly reduced in H9 cells continuously exposed to AZT when compared to parental cells (>8.3-, >6.

CD5-positive B cells in healthy elderly humans are a polyclonal B cell population.

B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is a disease of the elderly and is characterized by a malignant clone of CD5+ B cells. In old mice, clonal expansions of CD5+ B cells are a common feature, and these animals frequently develop B-CLL. To investigate whether clonal expansion of CD5+ B cells also occurs in elderly humans, predisposing for the development of B-CLL, we analyzed VH gene rearrangements of CD5+ B cells from blood samples of four healthy, 65-82-years-old volunteers as markers of clonality.

Novel properties of the depolarization-induced endogenous sodium conductance in the Xenopus laevis oocyte.

It has been shown by means of the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique that in membranes of Xenopus laevis oocytes a Na+-selective permeability can be activated by long-lasting or repetitive depolarization (R.T. Kado and C.

New PCR assay for rapid and quantitative detection of human cytomegalovirus in cerebrospinal fluid.

Rapid Chelex extraction combined with an automated hybridization assay for the detection of PCR-amplified human cytomegalovirus DNA from cerebrospinal fluid was established. Quantitation of DNA was performed with a plasmid being used as an external standard. The detection limit was 10 copies per microliter.