Dynamic expression of HOPX in alveolar epithelial cells reflects injury and repair during the progression of pulmonary fibrosis.

Mechanisms of injury and repair in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) are critically involved in the progression of various lung diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Homeobox only protein x (HOPX) contributes to the formation of distal lung during development. In adult lung, alveolar epithelial type (AT) I cells express HOPX and lineage-labeled Hopx+ cells give rise to both ATI and ATII cells after pneumonectomy.

Cognitive remediation for depressed inpatients: Results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Neurocognitive deficits that persist despite antidepressive treatment and affect social and vocational functioning are well documented in major depressive disorder. Cognitive training approaches have proven successful in ameliorating these deficits in other psychiatric groups, but very few studies have been conducted in unipolar depressive patients by now. In contrast to previous studies solely including outpatients, effects of a cognitive remediation intervention on neurocognitive functioning of depressed inpatients were assessed by the present study.

A brief intervention utilising visual feedback reduces pain and enhances tactile acuity in CLBP patients.

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a serious health problem in industrialised countries and the efficacy of current treatment options is unsatisfying.

Objective: The present study examines the effects of a combined intervention that utilizes visual feedback, motion and sensory discrimination training in CLBP patients.

Methods: Thirty patients of an outpatient orthopaedic rehabilitation unit were randomly assigned to either feedback or control group.

Influence of vigilance and learning on prefrontal activation in schizophrenia.

Background: Executive functions, which are neuroanatomically associated with the frontal lobe, are known to be impaired in schizophrenia. It is, however, still unclear whether the underlying functional disturbance is due to a hyper- or a hypoactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or neither.

Methods: To address this question, we examined the brain activation of 21 schizophrenic patients on atypical antipsychotic medication and 21 healthy control subjects during a mental maze task by means of fMRI.

Interactions of peroxynitrite with uric acid in the presence of ascorbate and thiols: implications for uncoupling endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

It has been suggested that uric acid acts as a peroxynitrite scavenger although it may also stimulate lipid peroxidation. To gain insight into how uric acid may act as an antioxidant, we used electron spin resonance to study the reaction of uric acid and plasma antioxidants with ONOO-. Peroxynitrite reacted with typical plasma concentrations of urate 16-fold faster than with ascorbate and 3-fold faster than cysteine.

Postmortem in situ diagnosis of pacemakers and electrodes to detect dysfunction.

Cardiac pacemakers usually are very reliable, but sometimes malfunctions of the system occur. We conceived and developed a method to judge the functionality of pacemaker systems in deceased patients. The idea was to verify the hypothesis that more dysfunctions of implanted pacemaker systems go undetected than are detected and corrected.

Treatment of alcohol withdrawal: tiapride and carbamazepine versus clomethiazole. A pilot study.

In Germany, clomethiazole (CLO) and benzodiazepines are predominantly used as therapeutic agents in the treatment of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). These agents have disadvantages such as sedation, risk of respiratory insufficiency, and cardiovascular complications as well as addictive potential. Alternatively, it could be demonstrated that both tiapride (TIA) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are efficient in the treatment of AWS with less toxicity.