Profilin is an effector for Daam1 in non-canonical Wnt signaling and is required for vertebrate gastrulation.

Non-canonical Wnt signaling plays important roles during vertebrate embryogenesis and is required for cell motility during gastrulation. However, the molecular mechanisms of how Wnt signaling regulates modification of the actin cytoskeleton remain incompletely understood. We had previously identified the Formin homology protein Daam1 as an important link between Dishevelled and the Rho GTPase for cytoskeletal modulation.

Outcomes of vaginal reconstructive surgery with and without graft material.

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcomes of vaginal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, comparing cases implementing graft augmentation to those without graft augmentation.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of 312 patients who underwent vaginal surgery for prolapse from February 1998 to January 2004.

Results: Of the 312 patients, 98 (31.

Functional and biochemical modifications in skeletal muscles from malarial mice.

Although it is well established that patients suffering from malaria experience skeletal muscle problems (contracture, aches, fatigue, weakness), detailed studies have not been performed to investigate changes in the contractile function and biochemical properties of intact and skinned skeletal muscles of mammals infected with malaria. To this end, we investigated such features in the extensor digitorium longus (EDL, fast-twitch, glyocolytic) and in the soleus (SOL, slow-twitch, oxidative) muscles from mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. We first studied maximal tetanic force (T(max)) produced by intact control and malaria-infected muscles before, during and after fatigue.

Social marginalization of overweight children.

Background: Overweight is the most common health problem that faces children and adolescents. Although the correlation among overweight, low self-esteem, and depression is well known, social isolation among overweight children and adolescents has not been studied.

Objective: To investigate social networks of overweight and normal-weight adolescents in a large, nationally representative sample.

Potassium iodide in dermatology: a 19th century drug for the 21st century-uses, pharmacology, adverse effects, and contraindications.

Potassium iodide (KI) is a useful drug in the dermatologic armamentarium. It is successfully used for inflammatory dermatoses, most notably erythema nodosum, subacute nodular migratory panniculitis, nodular vasculitis, erythema multiforme, and Sweet's syndrome. KI is also successfully used for cutaneous and lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis.

Adult functional outcome of those born small for gestational age: twenty-six-year follow-up of the 1970 British Birth Cohort.

Context: Although studies have documented cognitive impairment in children who were born small for gestational age (SGA), other studies have not demonstrated differences in IQ or other cognitive scores. The need exists for long-term studies of such children to assess functional outcomes not measurable with standardized testing.

Objective: To determine the long-term functional outcome of SGA infants.

Self-reported weight status and dieting in a cross-sectional sample of young adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

Objective: To explore the relationship of self-reported weight status and dieting to actual weight and height in a cross-sectional nationally representative sample of young adolescents.

Methods: Weights and heights were obtained on 1932 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Information on adolescents' perception of weight status, desired weight, and weight loss attempts was obtained by questionnaire.

Presacral cysts: transrectal excision in select patients.

Fourteen patients presenting with presacral cystic lesions were managed over a 20-year period. Retrospective review identified 12 females and 2 males. Fifty-seven per cent were symptomatic at diagnosis.

Selective blockade of cholecystokinin type B receptors with L-365,260 does not impair gallbladder contraction in normal humans.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of selective blockade of type B cholecystokinin receptors on gall bladder contraction in normal humans and to compare methods for quantitative analysis of gall bladder contraction.

Methods: L-365,260, a novel, nonpeptide cholecystokinin antagonist shown to be selective for type B cholecystokinin receptors, was administered every 6 h over a 5-7 day period. Plasma levels of L-365,260 were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography.

Use of patient-controlled analgesia with alfentanil for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Study Objective: To compare the efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) to physician-controlled analgesia in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).

Design: Prospective, randomized trial.

Setting: New Jersey Kidney Stone Treatment Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ.

Optociliary shunts and sickle retinopathy in a woman with sickle cell trait.

We report a case of unilateral optociliary shunt vessels and sickle cell retinopathy in a patient with sickle cell trait. Sickle cell retinopathy has rarely been reported in patients with sickle cell trait hemoglobinopathy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the association of sickle cell trait, unilateral sickle cell retinopathy, and ipsilateral optociliary shunt vessels.

Cause and evaluation of chronic dyspnea in a pulmonary disease clinic.

To test whether, in patients with chronic dyspnea, a diagnostic approach based on objective confirmation of suspected diagnoses would be superior to one based on clinical impression alone, we prospectively studied 85 patients with a primary complaint of dyspnea seen in a pulmonary subspecialty clinic. We achieved 100% success in determining the causes of dyspnea compared with only 66% accuracy based on clinical impression alone. Four groups of disorders, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung diseases, and cardiomyopathy accounted for two thirds of the cases.