[Bilateral Familial Pheochromocytoma]

Zhonghua Wai Ke Za Zhi [Chinese Journal of Surgery]. May, 1961  |  Pubmed ID: 13930408

[Effect of INH on Utuberculous Pulmonary Lesion and the Mechanism of Its Action]

Bulletin of the Chest Disease Research Institute, Kyoto University. Sep, 1969  |  Pubmed ID: 5401222

Bovine Leukaemia Virus Infection in Peru

Tropical Animal Health and Production. Feb, 1983  |  Pubmed ID: 6302960

Increase of Sialyltransferase Activity in the Small Intestine Following Thermal Injury in Rats

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. May, 1988  |  Pubmed ID: 3259879

The acute phase protein response following inflammation is associated with an increased total protein-bound carbohydrate content in plasma in the form of glycoproteins. Glycosyltransferases in liver may serve as a regulator of this increased glycosylation activity in the plasma and may also serve as a marker for the acute phase response. Sialyltransferase is an example of a glycosyltransferases in which sialic acid is transferred to oligosaccharides of glycopeptides in the Golgi prior to glycopeptide secretion. In this study, sialyltransferase activities were determined in plasma, liver, and intestinal mucosa following a standardized 25% body surface area thermal injury in the rat. A statistically significant increase in sialyltransferase activity was found in liver and small intestine which were maximal at 24 hours after the injury. These increased sialyltransferase activities were accompanied by a statistically significant 2 to 4 fold elevation in plasma sialyltransferase activity at 24 hours. The plasma and liver elevations in these activities were similar to elevations seen in other models of acute inflammation using turpentine injections and bacterial infections. The increased sialyltransferase activity within the rat intestine was comparable to increases in intestinal sialyltransferase activity following colchicine treatment and may represent a similar mechanism(s).

The Role of Adhesion Molecules in Gastric Ulcer Healing

World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. Dec, 1998  |  Pubmed ID: 11819347

Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Pollutants in the Presence of Acetone

Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2001  |  Pubmed ID: 11700657

The photodegradation of textile azo dyes in aqueous solution containing acetone (ACE) photosensitizer was investigated at 253.7 nm. In this study, a typical azo reactive dye (C I Reactive Red 2-RR2) is used as the probe compound. ACE is a powerful photosensitizer that possesses high triplet energy, and the presence of ACE significantly enhances the overall photodegradation reaction through simultaneous sensitization. In the UV/ACE system, at the optimum conditions, over 97% of RR2 can be successfully decomposed and decolored within 300 seconds of retention time. The photodegradation mechanisms of RR2 involve both photodechlorination and photoreduction, which follow pseudo first-order decay kinetics. The quantum yield of the photolysis system has been evaluated as a function of ACE concentration and the initial pH. RR2 contains the chlorotriazinyl group, which undergoes hydrolysis and results in the formation of hydrochloric acid, indicating that the photodechlorination process is the dominant reaction mechanism. The photo-product, H+, is likely to retard the quantum yield of dye decay, suggesting that the initial pH is a critical factor in changing the photodecolorization rates of dye. Generally, this system is more favorable at higher pH levels.

Diabetic Alterations in Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase and Phospholamban Protein Expression

Life Sciences. Dec, 2001  |  Pubmed ID: 11798007

Diabetic cardiomyopathy has been suggested to be caused by abnormal intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in the myocardium, which is partly due to a defect in calcium transport by the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In the present study, the underlying mechanism for this functional derangement was investigated with respect to SR Ca2+-ATPase and phospholamban (the inhibitor of SR Ca2+-ATPase). The maximal Ca2+ uptake and the affinity of Ca2+-ATPase for Ca2+ were decreased, and exogenous phosphorylation level of phospholamban was higher in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat SR. Levels of both mRNA and protein of phospholamban were significantly increased in the diabetic hearts, whereas those of SR Ca2+-ATPase were significantly decreased. Consequently, the relative phospholamban/Ca2+-ATPase ratio was 1.88 in the diabetic hearts, and these changes were correlated with changes in the rates of SR Ca2+ uptake. However, phosphatase pretreatment of phospholamban for dephosphorylation of the sites phosphorylated in vivo did not change the levels of subsequent phospholamban phosphorylation in either control or diabetic rat hearts. The above data indicated that the increased phospholamban phosphorylation was not due to autonomic dysfunction but possibly due to increased phospholamban expression. These findings suggest that reduction of the SR Ca2+-ATPase level would contribute to decreased rates of SR Ca2+ uptake and that this function is further impaired by the enhanced inhibition by phospholamban due to its increased expression in the diabetic heart.

Design of Temperature-sensitive Mutants Solely from Amino Acid Sequence

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. May, 2004  |  Pubmed ID: 15148363

Temperature-sensitive (Ts) mutants are a powerful tool with which to study gene function in vivo. Ts mutants are typically generated by random mutagenesis followed by laborious screening procedures. By using the Escherichia coli cytotoxin CcdB as a model system, simple procedures for generating Ts mutants at high frequency through site-directed mutagenesis were developed. Putative buried, hydrophobic residues are selected through analysis of the protein sequence. Residue burial is confirmed by ensuring that substitution of the residue by Asp leads to protein inactivation. At such sites, a Ts phenotype can typically be generated either by (i) substitution of two predicted, buried residues with the 18 remaining amino acids or (ii) introduction of Lys, Ser, Ala, and Trp at three to four predicted buried sites. By using these design strategies, 17 tight Ts mutants of CcdB were isolated at four predicted buried sites. The rules were further verified by making several Ts mutants of yeast Gal4 at residues 68, 69, and 70. No Ts mutants of either protein have been previously reported. Such Ts mutants of Gal4 can be used for conditional expression of a variety of genes by using the well characterized upstream-activating-sequence-Gal4 system.

Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation on Microalbuminuria, Lipid Peroxidation and Blood Prostaglandins in Diabetic Patients

Bratislavské Lekárske Listy. 2004  |  Pubmed ID: 15777070

Oxidative stress is an important pathogenic factor in the development of diabetic vascular complications.

Failure of Chronic Pallidal Stimulation in Dystonic Patients is a Medical Emergency

Neuromodulation : Journal of the International Neuromodulation Society. Jan, 2004  |  Pubmed ID: 22151121

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy is a continually expanding field of functional neurosurgery for the treatment of movement disorders and neuropathic pain. However, occurrence of adverse events related to implanted hardware cannot be ignored, particularly in patients with dystonic conditions. We report on two such patients who required emergency hospital admission and pulse generator re-implantation following sudden and unexpected cessation of DBS effectiveness resulting from battery failure.

Small Bowel Volvulus Leading to Gangrene and Short Bowel Syndrome

Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP. Jan, 2005  |  Pubmed ID: 15670531

A young man was operated for acute abdomen. Laparotomy revealed small bowel diverticulosis with very short mesentery leading to volvulus of near total small bowel. Resection and end to end anastomosis was performed. Patient ended up with short bowel syndrome.

Gas Chromatographic/mass Spectrometric Analysis of the Essential Oil of Houttuynia Cordata Thunb by Using On-column Methylation with Tetramethylammonium Acetate

Journal of AOAC International. Jan-Feb, 2007  |  Pubmed ID: 17373437

This paper describes a simple and novel on-column derivatization procedure used with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the analysis of essential oil of Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT), a traditional Chinese medicine. In the procedure, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation, and the fatty acid components were derivatized with tetramethylammonium acetate (TMAA) at 250 degrees C and identified by GC/MS. Methylation improved the determination of both the fatty acids and the other components in the essential oil of HCT. To obtain optimum methylation conditions, several important factors were investigated with pentadecane as the internal standard and a GC inlet temperature of 250 degres C. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and TMAA were compared as the derivatization agent, and a 2:1 ratio of TMAA to capric acid was evaluated. Fatty acid methyl esters produced good chromatographic peak shapes and did not interfere with the determination of dodecanal and caryophyllene. TMAA is a neutral methylation reagent, and it yielded no side reactions during derivatization. It was found that the fatty acid content of the essential oil was about 81%; among the methylated fatty acids found were capric acid, methyl (43.66%), methyl laurate (16.15%), methyl hexadecanoate (9.27%), undecanoic acid, methyl (5.62%), methyl oleate (1.98%), and methyl linoleate (1.40%). Other major constituents were (-)-beta-pinene (1.02%), beta-myrcene (1.62%), 1-terpinen-4-ol (1.59%), decanal (1.49%), and 2-undecanone (1.47%). The results obtained demonstrated good efficiency for the procedure. Pure chromatograms allowed quantitation, which was obtained by total volume integration. The on-column derivatization procedure was simple to perform, and it improved the sensitivity, the peak resolution, and the selectivity of the GC/MS determination.

[Myxomatous Mitral Valve Degeneration: Biochemical Aspects and Physiopathological Considerations]

Revue Médicale De Liège. Apr, 2008  |  Pubmed ID: 18575073

Mitral valve is a complex structure which is submitted to repeated mechanical constraints. In clinical practice, an increasing incidence of mitral insufficiency resulting from myxomatous degeneration is observed. Since myxomatous degeneration is also observed in defined genetic diseases of connective tissues, we propose the hypothesis that idiopathic mitral insufficiency might result from a minor alteration of the interstitial valvular cells and/or their interactions with their support. After a brief review of the role of the extracellular matrix in the heart, some histopathological and biochemical aspects of myxomatous degeneration are presented. Our data and those of the literature will be summarized and a physiopathological hypothesis proposed for myxomatous mitral valve degeneration.

Two-port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy--a New Technique

Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC. Oct-Dec, 2008  |  Pubmed ID: 19999235

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now the procedure of choice in all the gall bladder diseases and there is increase in the skills of surgeons with newer equipment. Normally the laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed by using four ports or three ports. Two ports laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rarely performed as it demands greater expertise and skills. Also this technique is less expensive and less scar formation than four port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We present a case of a middle aged female who underwent successfully laparoscopic cholecystectomy by using only two ports.

Municipal Solid Waste Management in Lahore City District, Pakistan

Waste Management (New York, N.Y.). Jun, 2009  |  Pubmed ID: 19157840

This study deals with generation, composition, collection, transportation, and disposal, as well as the present cost of the waste management on the basis of 60% collection of the total waste and the cost of proposed improved system of management on the basis of 100% waste collection using the IWM-2 LCI model. A GIS map of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town (DGBT) of Lahore City District showing communal storage facilities is also provided. DGBT has a population of 1,624,169 living in 232,024 dwellings. The total waste generated per year is 500,000 tons, or 0.84/kg/cap/day. Presently 60% of the MSW is collected and disposed in open dumps, while 40% is not collected and lies along roadsides, streets railway lines, depressions, vacant plots, drains, storm drains and open sewers. In DGBT, 129 containers of 5-m(3) capacity, 120 containers of 10-m(3) capacity and 380 skips of 2.5-m(3) capacity are placed for waste collection. The overall collection and disposal cost of the MSW of DGBT is $3,177,900/yr, which is $10.29/ton. Modeling was conducted using the IWM-2 model for improved collection and disposal on the basis of 100% service, compared to the current 60% service. The modelled cost is $8.3/per ton, which is 20% less than the present cost, but the overall cost of 100% collection and disposal increases to $4,155,737/yr.

Epidemiology of Interstitial Lung Diseases in Greece

Respiratory Medicine. Aug, 2009  |  Pubmed ID: 19345567

Few data are available on the epidemiology of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), especially after the current classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. The aim of this study is to provide data on the epidemiology of ILDs in Greece, under the ATS/ERS international consensus.

Antibacterial Activity of Alpinia Galanga (L) Willd Crude Extracts

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. Oct, 2010  |  Pubmed ID: 20387130

Methanol, acetone and diethyl ether extracts of Alpinia galanga have been evaluated against pathogens viz. Bacillus subtilis MTCC 2391, Enterobacter aerogene, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli MTCC 1563, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 6642, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus epidermis using Agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of all the extracts were determined using the macrodilution method. Methanol extracts have shown excellent activity towards all the pathogens with MIC and MBC values ranging from 0.04-1.28 mg/ml and 0.08-2.56 mg/ml, respectively. The GC-MS analysis of methanol extracts have yielded compounds like 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (59.9%), benzyl alcohol (57.6%), 1,8 cineole (15.65%), methylcinnamate (9.4%), 3-phenyl-2-butanone (8.5%) and 1,2 benzenedicarboxylic acid (8.9%), which could be responsible for its broad spectrum activity. So, A. galanga can be quite resourceful for the development of new generation drugs.

Clinical, Electrophysiological Subtypes and Antiganglioside Antibodies in Childhood Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Neurology India. Sep-Oct, 2011  |  Pubmed ID: 22019659

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been the most common cause of flaccid paralysis in children after the decline in the incidence of poliomyelitis. There are not any published data from the Indian subcontinent documenting electrophysiological patterns and antiganglioside antibodies in pediatric GBS.

Women and Minorities Are Less Likely to Receive an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator for Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death

Europace : European Pacing, Arrhythmias, and Cardiac Electrophysiology : Journal of the Working Groups on Cardiac Pacing, Arrhythmias, and Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology. Nov, 2011  |  Pubmed ID: 22071382

IntroductionImplantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) improve survival in patients with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). We investigated whether women and minorities are as likely as white men to receive an ICD for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death.Methods and resultsWe reviewed the electronic medical records of patients with cardiomyopathy by nuclear single-photon emission computed tomography imaging (EF ≤ 35%), who had no prior history of sustained ventricular arrhythmias. Clinical and demographic data were collected and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated for each patient. A total of 233 non-selected patients (age = 68 ± 12 years, 29% women, 21% black, EF 24 ± 6%, CCI 6.62 ± 2.9) were included in this analysis of whom 111 (48%) received an ICD. In univariate analysis, ICD recipients were more likely to be Caucasian men compared with black men or women from all races. After adjusting for race, gender, EF, and the CCI in a multivariate logistic regression model, women were 61% less likely than men [odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20-0.74, P = 0.004] and blacks were 72% less likely than whites (OR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.13-0.59, P = 0.001) to receive an ICD.ConclusionsEven after adjusting for comorbid conditions, gender, and racial discrepancies in the implantation of ICDs for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death exist. Further investigations into the root causes of these discrepancies are needed before any corrective measures can be adopted.

Rhodovulum Bhavnagarense Sp. Nov., a Phototrophic Alphaproteobacterium Isolated from a Pink Pond

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Dec, 2011  |  Pubmed ID: 22180610

An oval to rod shaped, Gram-stain-negative, phototrophic bacterium designated as strain JA738T was isolated from a sediment sample collected from a pink pond. Strain JA738T was non-motile and has vesicular type intracellular photosynthetic membranes. Bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spheroidene series were present as the major photosynthetic pigments. Strain JA738T requires thiamine and pantothenate for growth. C18:1ω7c, C18:1ω5c, C18:0, C18:1ω7c11-methyl are the major cellular fatty acids and contain minor amounts of C10:03OH and C16:0. Q-10 is the major quinone and contain phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and two unidentified sulfolipids (SL1,2) as major polar lipids. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain JA738T clustered with species of the genus Rhodovulum in the class Alphaproteobacteria. Strain JA738T is most closely related to the type strains of Rhodovulum adriaticum Imhoff 6IIT (96.4%) and other members of the genus Rhodovulum (<96.1%). On the basis of phenotypic and molecular genetic evidence, it is proposed that strain JA738T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Rhodovulum with the species name Rhodovulum bhavnagarense sp. nov. The type strain of the species is JA738T (=DSM24766T =KCTC 15110T).