Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a perspective review.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting 0.5-1% of the worldwide population. Whilst predominantly causing chronic pain and inflammation in synovial joints, it is also associated with significant extra-articular manifestations in a large proportion of patients.

Scared to lose control? General and health locus of control in females with a phobia of vomiting.

The term emetophobia (i.e., a fear of vomiting) exists as rather an elusive predicament, often eluding conventional treatment.

Genotyping for cytochrome P450 polymorphisms.

Protocols for the extraction of DNA from human blood and for genotyping for a number of common cytochrome P450 polymorphisms using either polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism or PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis are described. Rapid high-throughput techniques are also available for analyses of this type, but they require access to specialized equipment and are not considered here. General guidelines for performing amplification using PCR are described together with electrophoresis protocols for analysis of restriction digests of PCR products with agarose and polyacrylamide gels including the use of polyacrylamide-based gels for SSCP analysis.

Microdomains bounded by endoplasmic reticulum segregate cell cycle calcium transients in syncytial Drosophila embryos.

Cell cycle calcium signals are generated by the inositol trisphosphate (InsP3)-mediated release of calcium from internal stores (Ciapa, B., D. Pesando, M.

UK Quality Indicator Project (UK QIP) and the UK independent health care sector: a new development.

Purpose: To describe implementation of the UK Quality Indicator Project (UK QIP) in the independent health care sector, drawing upon 10 years experience in the UK and approaching 20 years experience in the USA. We describe the history of the project, with an emphasis on recent developments, reflecting upon the critical features of the project and its value for participants.

Background: The International Quality Indicator Project is the largest international data set of quality indicators.

A novel DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, NU7026, potentiates the cytotoxicity of topoisomerase II poisons used in the treatment of leukemia.

We report for the first time the use of a selective small-molecule inhibitor of DNA repair to potentiate topoisomerase II (topo II) poisons, identifying DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) as a potential target for leukemia therapy. Topo II poisons form cleavable complexes that are processed to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). DNA-PK mediates nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ).

Is it time to reassess the categorization of disease burdens in low-income countries?

The classification of disease burdens is an important topic that receives little attention or debate. One common classification scheme, the broad cause grouping, is based on etiology and health transition theory and is mainly concerned with distinguishing communicable from noncommunicable diseases. This may be of limited utility to policymakers and planners.

Training improves acoustic pattern perception.

Pitch changes that occur in speech and melodies can be described in terms of contour patterns of rises and falls in pitch and the actual pitches at each point in time. This study investigates whether training can improve the perception of these different features. One group of ten adults trained on a pitch-contour discrimination task, a second group trained on an actual-pitch discrimination task, and a third group trained on a contour comparison task between pitch sequences and their visual analogs.

Are activity promotion interventions based on the transtheoretical model effective? A critical review.

The health benefits of physical activity are well documented yet 70% of adults remain sedentary. It has been suggested that interventions based on the transtheoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) may be useful in promoting physical activity. Published work on the effectiveness of such interventions is therefore critically reviewed.

Pemetrexed disodium, a novel antifolate with multiple targets.

Pemetrexed disodium is a potent new antifolate which inhibits many folate-dependent reactions that are essential for cell proliferation. Its primary target is thymidylate synthase but it also inhibits folate-dependent enzymes involved in purine synthesis. Cells that are resistant to antifolates are generally less resistant to pemetrexed, irrespective of the mechanism of resistance.

Increased lung compliance in response to a moderate hyperoxic exposure.

With deep saturation diving a reduction in vital capacity caused by oxygen toxicity may be opposed by a training effect of respiratory muscles due to increased gas density and work of breathing. We measured lung and chest wall mechanics before and after a 28-day saturation dive to a pressure of 0.25 MPa with the same profile of oxygen exposure as in a deep dive to a pressure of 3.

Tip60 is a co-activator specific for class I nuclear hormone receptors.

The nuclear hormone receptor superfamily is composed of a group of hormone-dependent transcription factors that play prominent roles in homeostatic events in vertebrates. A prerequisite for steroid hormone receptor activity is the binding of co-activator molecules to the activation function-2 domain of the receptor. The LXXLL motif/nuclear receptor box, contained within a number of co-activator molecules, mediates the interaction with nuclear hormone receptors.

Differential effects of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor NU1025 on topoisomerase I and II inhibitor cytotoxicity in L1210 cells in vitro.

The potent novel poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, NU1025, enhances the cytotoxicity of DNA-methylating agents and ionizing radiation by inhibiting DNA repair. We report here an investigation of the role of PARP in the cellular responses to inhibitors of topoisomerase I and II using NU1025. The cytotoxicity of the topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, was increased 2.

Distal radioulnar joint incongruity after shortening of the ulna.

Coronal sections of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) were studied in 13 preserved cadaveric wrists specimens before and after 2 mm of shortening of the ulna. The DRUJs were subclassified on the basis of the DRUJ angle and depth of the sigmoid notch. The changes in extent and location of area of contact and radioulnar separation were noted.

Prevention of thymidine and hypoxanthine rescue from MTA (LY231514) growth inhibition by dipyridamole in human lung cancer cell lines.

The novel multitargeted antifolate, MTA (N-[4[2-(2-amino-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)-ethy l]-benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid; LY23 1514) inhibits thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase. The resultant inhibition of the de novo thymidylate and purine biosynthesis can be circumvented by salvage of extracellular thymidine and hypoxanthine. The first step in the salvage pathway is the transport of nucleosides and bases across the cell membrane.

Recent medical evidence for torture and human rights abuse in Sierra Leone: a report for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.

A study was carried out using the case notes of all Sierra Leoneans referred to the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture between 1996 and 1998 for medical reports. Data were abstracted on the type and extent of torture reported, and the cases were followed up to the present day to ascertain how long the United Kingdom asylum and immigration process had taken to process their claims. In the sample of 36 cases there were 68 reported incidents of torture or human rights abuse.

Hypertension management of medical aid patients attending private practices.

Objectives: The study aimed to describe the treatment status of hypertensive patients and the prescribing patterns of private medical practitioners treating medical aid scheme patients with hypertension.

Method: Data on hypertensive patients belonging to medical aid schemes were provided to the drug utilisation review consultancy, Quality Health Services (QHS), by private medical practitioners. The data were computerised and included the age and gender of the patient, the diastolic and systolic blood pressure (BP), the medication prescribed for the condition and the qualifications of the reporting doctor.

Association of polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 CYP2C9 with warfarin dose requirement and risk of bleeding complications.

Background: The cytochrome P450 CYP2C9 is responsible for the metabolism of S-warfarin. Two known allelic variants CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 differ from the wild type CYP2C9*1 by a single aminoacid substitution in each case. The allelic variants are associated with impaired hydroxylation of S-warfarin in in-vitro expression systems.

MAP kinase activity increases during mitosis in early sea urchin embryos.

A MBP kinase activity increases at mitosis during the first two embryonic cell cycles of the sea urchin embryo. The activity profile of the MBP kinase is the same both in whole cell extracts and after immunoprecipitation with an anti-MAP kinase antibody (2199). An in-gel assay of MBP activity also shows the same activity profile.