Viruses within the Flaviviridae decrease CD4 expression and inhibit HIV replication in human CD4+ cells.

Viral infections alter host cell homeostasis and this may lead to immune evasion and/or interfere with the replication of other microbes in coinfected hosts. Two flaviviruses are associated with a reduction in HIV replication or improved survival in HIV-infected people (dengue virus (DV) and GB virus type C (GBV-C)). GBV-C infection and expression of the GBV-C nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) and the DV NS5 protein in CD4(+) T cells inhibit HIV replication in vitro.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetes: from molecular mechanisms to functional significance and therapeutic opportunities.

Given their essential function in aerobic metabolism, mitochondria are intuitively of interest in regard to the pathophysiology of diabetes. Qualitative, quantitative, and functional perturbations in mitochondria have been identified and affect the cause and complications of diabetes. Moreover, as a consequence of fuel oxidation, mitochondria generate considerable reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Dietary sodium modulates the interaction between efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity and afferent renal nerve activity: role of endothelin.

Increasing efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity (ERSNA) increases afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA), which in turn decreases ERSNA via activation of the renorenal reflexes in the overall goal of maintaining low ERSNA. We now examined whether the ERSNA-induced increases in ARNA are modulated by dietary sodium and the role of endothelin (ET). The ARNA response to reflex increases in ERSNA was enhanced in high (HNa)- vs.

Neuropsychological functioning in children with non-syndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate.

Objective: Evaluate neuropsychological functioning in children with non-syndromic cleft of the lip and/or palate (NSCL/P) through profile variance within type of cleft and comparisons to controls.

Methods: Children ages 7 to 17 years participated; 66 had a diagnosis of NSCL/P and 87 were healthy controls. Neuropsychological tests of language, visual-perceptual, executive functioning, and memory skills were administered.

Ethical issues for the plastic surgeon in a tumultuous health care system: dissecting the anatomy of a decision.

Background: Society anticipates that plastic surgeons will make ethical decisions that are solely in the best interest of their patients. However, a variety of competing factors exert an influence on all decision-making processes.

Methods: Multiple competing factors that commonly influence decision-making by plastic surgeons, on both conscious and subconscious levels, are identified.

Arg-Gly-Asp-containing domains of fibrillins-1 and -2 distinctly regulate lung fibroblast migration.

Development of the extracellular matrix is a critical feature of alveolar formation and actively involves pulmonary interstitial fibroblasts. The elastic fiber network is an interconnected system of load-bearing fibers that also influences the behavior of adjacent cells, particularly the interstitial lung fibroblasts (LF). We hypothesized that discrete domains of fibrillins-1 and -2 interact with LF integrins and direct their migration in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A.

Sexual function in women after rectocele repair with acellular porcine dermis graft vs site-specific rectovaginal fascia repair.

The objective of the study was to compare preoperative and postoperative sexual function between women undergoing rectocele repair with porcine dermis graft and women undergoing site-specific repair of rectovaginal fascia. A standardized, validated questionnaire (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire [PISQ]) was used to collect preoperative sexual function data from 100 patients with rectocele pelvic organ prolapse quantification stage 2 or greater. Fifty women underwent rectocele repair utilizing porcine dermis graft (group 1) and 50 women underwent a site-specific repair of the rectovaginal fascia (group 2).

Targeting and stability of Na/Ca exchanger 1 in cardiomyocytes requires direct interaction with the membrane adaptor ankyrin-B.

Na/Ca exchanger activity is important for calcium extrusion from the cardiomyocyte cytosol during repolarization. Animal models exhibiting altered Na/Ca exchanger expression display abnormal cardiac phenotypes. In humans, elevated Na/Ca exchanger expression/activity is linked with pathophysiological conditions including arrhythmia and heart failure.

Mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species mediate dicumarol-induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells.

Dicumarol is a naturally occurring anticoagulant derived from coumarin that induces cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in human pancreatic cancer cells (Cullen, J. J., Hinkhouse, M.

An 85-aa segment of the GB virus type C NS5A phosphoprotein inhibits HIV-1 replication in CD4+ Jurkat T cells.

GB virus type C (GBV-C) is an apparently nonpathogenic virus that replicates in T and B lymphocytes and is a common cause of persistent human infection. Among HIV-1-infected individuals, persistent coinfection with GBV-C is associated with prolonged survival, and infection of blood mononuclear cells or CD4+ T cells with GBV-C and HIV in vitro results in significantly reduced HIV-1 replication. To date, the viral protein(s) that lead to HIV inhibition have not been identified.

Teaching and assessing surgical competency in ophthalmology training programs.

Background And Objective: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has mandated implementation of six new competencies in resident training in the United States. An implementation strategy is proposed to teach and assess cataract surgical competence.

Patients And Methods: An intradepartmental Task Force for the ACGME competencies reviewed the literature for assessment tools to develop an implementation matrix for assessing surgical competence.

GMF-knockout mice are unable to induce brain-derived neurotrophic factor after exercise.

We earlier reported that overexpression of glia maturation factor (GMF) in cultured astrocytes enhances the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The current study was conducted to find out whether BDNF production is impaired in animals devoid of GMF. To this end GMF-knockout (KO) mice were subjected to exercise and the neurotrophin mRNAs were determined by real-time RT-PCR.

The effect of unrelated donor marrow transplantation on health-related quality of life: a report of the unrelated donor marrow transplantation trial (T-cell depletion trial).

The primary objective of this study was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) in adult patients undergoing either ex vivo T cell-depleted bone marrow transplantation or conventional marrow transplantation. Data on patients' HRQL were gathered as part of a multicenter randomized trial comparing the effect of ex vivo T-cell depletion versus methotrexate and cyclosporine immunosuppression on disease-free survival. HRQL assessments were conducted at baseline, day +100, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years.

Clinical pharmacists and inpatient medical care: a systematic review.

Background: The role of clinical pharmacists in the care of hospitalized patients has evolved over time, with increased emphasis on collaborative care and patient interaction. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the published literature on the effects of interventions by clinical pharmacists on processes and outcomes of care in hospitalized adults.

Methods: Peer-reviewed, English-language articles were identified from January 1, 1985, through April 30, 2005.

Imaging and modelling of digestion in the stomach and the duodenum.

Gastroduodenal physiology is traditionally understood in terms of motor-secretory functions and their electrical, neural and hormonal controls. In contrast, the fluid-mechanical functions that retain and disperse particles, expose substrate to enzymes, or replenish the epithelial boundary with nutrients are little studied. Current ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging allows to visualize processes critical to digestion like mixing, dilution, swelling, dispersion and elution.

Effect of solvent flow rate in mini-column testing of 99mTc-mertiatide.

Objective: The recommended method for radiochemical purity testing of 99mTc-mertiatide involves the use of a C-18 solid-phase mini-column cartridge. The mertiatide package insert states that the solvents should be "pushed through the cartridge slowly," but a flow rate is not specified. The mini-column cartridge instruction sheet recommends flow rates of 5-10 and 2-10 mL/min for conditioning and for elution, respectively, of the cartridge.

Design of the Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC) Aggrenox Prevention Of Access Stenosis Trial.

Background: Surgically created arteriovenous (AV) grafts are the most common type of hemodialysis vascular access in the United States, but fail frequently due to the development of venous stenosis. The Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC) Aggrenox Prevention of Access Stenosis Trial tests the hypothesis that Aggrenox (containing dipyridamole and aspirin) can prevent stenosis and prolong survival of arteriovenous grafts.

Methods: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that will enroll 1056 subjects over four years with one-half year follow-up.

Monthly access flow monitoring with increased prophylactic angioplasty did not improve fistula patency.

Background: Regular access monitoring is recommended to detect and treat access stenosis in order to prevent access thrombosis and failure.

Methods: In 1999, we instituted monthly access blood flow monitoring using the ultrasound dilution technique (UDT). In a sequential observational trial, 222 patients were studied for the impact of UDT monitoring on patency of their first arteriovenous autogenous fistula.

Antimicrobial resistance with Streptococcus pneumoniae in the United States.

Among antimicrobial agents that have consistently been efficacious in treating infections due to specific bacteria over extended periods of time, there are few better examples than Streptococcus pneumoniae and penicillin. Until recently in the United States (U.S.

GB virus type C NS5A sequence polymorphisms: association with interferon susceptibility and inhibition of PKR-mediated eIF2alpha phosphorylation.

GB virus type C (GBV-C) causes persistent infection in humans, although the mechanism by which the virus avoids clearance by the host is unknown. To determine if amino acid polymorphisms in the GB virus type C (GBV-C) NS5A and E2 proteins alter response to interferon (IFN) therapy, we studied the sequence of GBVC NS5A and E2 obtained from people receiving IFN therapy. In addition, we expressed recombinant GBVC NS5A protein to determine if it interferes with RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) function in vitro.

Management of acute cerebellar stroke.

Acute cerebellar infarction or hemorrhage may initially manifest in a clinically indolent manner only to later deteriorate into a life-threatening neurologic catastrophe. At the other end of the spectrum, some patients with cerebellar stroke may present in a moribund comatose state. In both patient groups, it is often unclear at what point surgical intervention should be considered either to prevent further neurologic deterioration or to try to salvage a meaningful neurologic recovery.

An objective method to define outlier optical coherence tomograms and repeatability of retinal nerve fibre layer measurements.

Purpose: To compare the variation in thickness and reflectivity of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), circumferentially and on repeated testing.

Methods: In 24 normal eyes and 38 eyes with different optic neuropathies or retinopathies, third-party optical coherence tomography (OCT) software defined the RNFL border based on the reflectivity pattern across the retina and also provided measurements of the mean reflectivity and total retinal thickness in addition to RNFL thickness. A new Gaussian filtering method was implemented so that the weight of the applied filter was varied for each of five individually repeated scans until an optimum weight filter was determined.

Impaired motor performance and learning in glia maturation factor-knockout mice.

Glia maturation factor (GMF) is a unique brain protein localized in astrocytes and some neuronal populations. Studies with overexpression of GMF using adenovirus vector have uncovered its regulatory role in intracellular signal transduction and downstream induction of biologically active molecules, including the neurotrophins and cytokines. The current paper deals with the behavior of mice devoid of GMF protein (knockout).

Functional expression and cellular distribution of diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST) gene mutations in HEK cells.

Defects in sulfate transport in chondrocytes lead to undersulfation of the cartilage extracellular matrix proteoglycans. Mutations in the diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST) gene have been linked to four chondrodysplasias of varying severity. To characterize disease-causing mutations of DTDST, we expressed DTDST-mediated sulfate transport in mammalian HEK-293 cells and determined that the wild-type protein is glycosylated and localized to the cell plasma membrane.

Activation of EP4 receptors contributes to prostaglandin E2-mediated stimulation of renal sensory nerves.

Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the renal pelvic wall increases prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) leading to stimulation of cAMP production, which results in substance P (SP) release and activation of renal mechanosensory nerves. The subtype of PGE receptors involved, EP2 and/or EP4, was studied by immunohistochemistry and renal pelvic administration of agonists and antagonists of EP2 and EP4 receptors. EP4 receptor-like immunoreactivity (LI) was colocalized with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-LI in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) at Th(9)-L(1) and in nerve terminals in the renal pelvic wall.