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GST Primary GST Primary Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Im... Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Improvement - Diabetes Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibio... Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-b... Systematic review assessing the effect of ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibiotics Management Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-based Practice Center, 117 Encina Commons, Stanford, CA 94305-6019, Kathy.mcdonald@stanford.edu Systematic review assessing the effect of quality improvement strategies on appropriate prescribing of antibiotics and appropriate choice of antibiotics. Adherence Adherence Assistive Devices Assistive Devices Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan CLSA_9 CLSA_9 Cyberabuse Cyberabuse Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent ... This review included randomized trials abo... Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent Men who Batter Their Partners This review included randomized trials about the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on domestic violence. The intervention included programs based on the Duluth Model. The violence had to be committed by a male toward his female partner. The violence also had to be physical. The primary outcomes were new arrests and convictions, and new reports of violence. CABG vs PCI CABG vs PCI Quality Improvement Strategies for Prevent... Quality Improvement Strategies for Preventing Nosocomial Infections (Created 17-Feb-06) Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma Control Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce S... This review was the first part of a projec... Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the first part of a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of smoking cessation interventions on reducing socio-economic differences. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio... This review was the second part in a proje... Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the second part in a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of interventions on reducing socio-economic differences in diet and physical activity. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the d... Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the data in the published report. We used SRS only for an updated search. The review included randomized trials about the effect of welfare-to-work programs. Participants were welfare recipients. There were basically two types of programs. The educational type tried to build knowledge and skills in order to help the welfare recipients acquire jobs that could support them economically. The "work first" approach was more aimed at getting the participants quickly into a job. Exercise interventions for the management ... The objective of this systematic review wa... Exercise interventions for the management of frailty The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of current exercise interventions on the management of frailty. A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, Psycinfo, Cinahl, Scopus, Ageline, Eric, and SportDiscus databases was conducted and produced 1808 citations. So far we have completed 2 levels of “title and abstract” screening and we ended up with 262 articles. We have just started the full text screening. Eligibility criteria included original studies whose participants were identified as frail or prefrail with specific criteria and in which structured physical activity was included as at least one component of the intervention. Create a free account, build a dictionary with saved terms to re-use later! Public Domestic Violence - Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Workfare Exercise Interventions for the Management of Frailty Search     Simple Advanced Refine (4 coded questions)  Any of these:   Exact Phrase: All of these: None of these: Author: Periodical: Projects: No restrictions   Libraries: Public   Select SRS Projects Show Saved Terms Select Library Show articles that do not have abstracts  Type of Article Clinical Trial Editorial Letter Meta-Analysis Practice Guideline Randomized Controlled Trial Review Addresses Bibliography Biography Case Reports Classical Article Clinical Conference Clinical Trial, Phase I Clinical Trial, Phase II Clinical Trial, Phase III Clinical Trial, Phase IV Comment Comparative Study Consensus Development Conference Consensus Development Conference, NIH Controlled Clinical Trial Corrected and Republished Article Dictionary Directory Duplicate Publication English Abstract Evaluation Studies Festschrift Government Publications Guideline Historical Article Interview In Vitro Journal Article Lectures Legal Cases Legislation Multicenter Study News Newspaper Article Overall Patient Education Handout Periodical Index Published Erratum Retracted Publication Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 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Retraction of Publication Scientific Integrity Review Support of Research Technical Report Twin Study Validation Studies Not a Primary Study or Review Unknown Primary Study Case Series Case Control Cohort Study Observational Study Qualitative Research CBA or ITS Registry Double Blind Controlled before after study Quasi-randomized trial Simple before after study Cluster-RCT Non-Randomized Study Report Book Book chapter Dissertation Conference procedings Secondary Research Not RCT Humans or Animals Humans Animals Language English French German Italian Japanese Russian Spanish Afrikaans Albanian Unknown Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Esperanto Estonian Finnish Georgian Greek, Modern Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Kinyarwanda Korean Latin Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Malayalam Maori Multiple Languages Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Pushto Romanian Sanskrit Scottish gaelic Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Not English Not French Ages All Infant: birth-23 months All Child: 0-18 years All Adult: 19+ years Newborn: birth-1 month Infant: 1-23 months Preschool Child: 2-5 years Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Middle Aged + Aged: 45+ years Aged: 65+ years 80 and over: 80+ years Undetermined Results(1-25 of 895) Sort By: Publication Date Relevance Took: 1.522 seconds to search 17,750,454  Action: Copy Results to new Clipboard Build Search Link Page 1 of 36 1 2 3 4 > Last >> (895 articles found) Pre-hospital delay in the use of intravenous rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke in Japan. Jul 15, 2008 Yuichiro Inatomi,Toshiro Yonehara,Yoichiro Hashimoto,Teruyuki Hirano,Makoto Uchino In this study we investigated the factors associated with pre-hospital delay to treat acute ischemic stroke and transient attack with intravenous recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in Japan. In 625 patients, we investigated the pathways and times of their arrival to our hospital, and ... ( view more )the significant and independent factors in the patients' clinical backgrounds associated with delayed arrival (>2 h after notice). In total, 287 patients arrived at our hospital directly via EMS, 113 came by themselves, and 225 transferred from other institutes. Delayed arrivals occurred in 423 patients (68%). Multivariate analyses showed that staying in another hospital at notice, a worsened course, and referral from other institutes were positively related, and evening onset, having a witness at onset, loss of consciousness, and using EMS were negatively related to delayed arrival; a worsened course was positively related, and staying in other hospital at notice, having a witness at onset, loss of consciousness, and a high NIHSS on admission were negatively related to delayed alert; hypercholesterolemia and onset in a nursing home were positively related, and staying in other hospital at notice, loss of consciousness, and a high NIHSS on admission were negatively related to not using EMS. A lack of knowledge concerning stroke emergency by medical staff as well as the general public may be responsible for some stroke patients losing the chance for rt-PA treatment. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Preparative purification of 4-hydroxy-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt by high-speed counter-current chromatography. Jul 11, 2008 Adrian Weisz,Yoichiro Ito Among the many applications of 4-hydroxy-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt (HNSA, CAS No. 6099-57-6) is its use as a common intermediate in the manufacture of dyes used as color additives. In order to develop an HPLC method to analyze HNSA in such additives, it was necessary to obtain pure HNS... ( view more )A as a reference material. This compound is only commercially available in "technical" or "practical" grade ( approximately 70-85% purity). Unsatisfactory results were encountered during the attempts to eliminate impurities using published preparative purification methods. The current work demonstrates the successful application of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) to the preparative purification of "practical" grade HNSA. The purifications of 0.55g and 1.00g portions were achieved by using a solvent system that consisted of n-butanol/water (1:1), acidified with 0.2% trifluoroacetic acid. In contrast to the procedure involved in previous HSCCC separations of aromatic sulfonates, it was not necessary to add a ligand and a retainer to the solvent system for these separations. The resulting yields were 320mg and 485mg of HNSA, respectively, of over 99% purity. Elemental analysis, HPLC (at 240nm), UV and high-resolution MS analyses confirmed the identity and purity of the HNSA obtained. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Expression of the basal cell markers of taste buds in the anterior tongue and soft palate of the mouse embryo. Jul 10, 2008 Ayumi Nakayama,Hirohito Miura,Yoichiro Shindo,Yuko Kusakabe,Hiroshi Tomonari,Shuitsu Harada Although embryonic expression of Shh in the fungiform papilla placodes has a critical role in fungiform papilla patterning, it remains unclear whether its appearance indicates the differentiation of the basal cells of taste buds. To examine the embryonic development of the basal cells, the expressi... ( view more )on of Shh, Prox1, and Mash1 was determined in the anterior tongue and soft palate in mouse embryos by in situ hybridization. In the anterior tongue, Prox1 was coexpressed with Shh from the beginning of Shh expression in the fungiform papilla placodes at E12.5. Shh was expressed in the soft palate in a band-like pattern in the anteriormost region and in a punctate pattern in the posterior region at E14.5. The number (21.4 +/- 4.3, at E14.5) of locations where Shh was observed (i.e., spots) rapidly increased and reached a peak level (54.8 +/- 4.0 at E15.5). Also in the soft palate, Prox1 was coexpressed with Shh from the beginning of Shh expression. These results suggest that basal cell differentiation occurs synchronously with the patterning of Shh spots both in the anterior tongue and in the soft palate. In contrast, Mash1 expression lagged behind the expression of Shh and Prox1 and began after the number of Shh spots had reached its peak level in the soft palate. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry of PGP9.5 and Shh revealed that epithelial innervation slightly preceded Mash1 expression both in the tongue and in the soft palate. This is the first report describing the time courses of the embryonic expression of basal cell markers of taste buds. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Development of Proteoglycan-Induced Arthritis Is Independent of IL-17. Jul 1, 2008 Paul D Doodes,Yanxia Cao,Keith M Hamel,Yumei Wang,Balint Farkas,Yoichiro Iwakura,Alison Finnegan IL-17 is the hallmark cytokine for the newly identified subset of Th cells, Th17. Th17 cells are important instigators of inflammation in several models of autoimmune disease; in particular, collagen induced arthritis (CIA) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which were previously ... ( view more )characterized as Th1-mediated diseases. Although high levels of IFN-gamma are secreted in CIA and EAE, disease is exacerbated in IFN-gamma- or IFN-gamma receptor-deficient mice due to the ability of IFN-gamma to suppress IL-17 secretion. However, in proteoglycan-induced arthritis (PGIA), severe arthritis is dependent on the production of IFN-gamma. We were therefore interested in determining the role of IL-17 in PGIA. We assessed the progression of arthritis in IL-17-deficient (IL-17(-/-)) mice and found the onset and severity of arthritis were equivalent in wild-type (WT) and IL-17(-/-) mice. Despite evidence that IL-17 is involved in neutrophil recruitment, synovial fluid from arthritic joints showed a comparable proportion of Gr1(+) neutrophils in WT and IL-17(-/-) mice. IL-17 is also implicated in bone destruction in autoimmune arthritis, however, histological analysis of the arthritic joints from WT and IL-17(-/-) mice revealed a similar extent of joint cellularity, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion despite significantly reduced RANKL (receptor activator of NK-kappaB ligand) expression. There were only subtle differences between WT and IL-17(-/-) mice in proinflammatory cytokine expression, T cell proliferation, and autoantibody production. These data demonstrate that IL-17 is not absolutely required for autoimmune arthritis and that the production of other proinflammatory mediators is sufficient to compensate for the loss of IL-17 in PGIA. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles The effects of surfactant on the multiscale structure of bubbly flows. Jun 28, 2008 Shu Takagi,Toshiyuki Ogasawara,Yoichiro Matsumoto It is well known that a bubble in contaminated water rises much slower than one in purified water, and the rising velocity in a contaminated system can be less than half that in a purified system. This phenomenon is explained by the so-called Marangoni effect caused by surfactant adsorption on the ... ( view more )bubble surface. In other words, while a bubble is rising, there exists a surface concentration distribution of surfactant along the bubble surface because the adsorbed surfactant is swept off from the front part and accumulates in the rear part by advection. Owing to this surfactant accumulation in the rear part, a variation of surface tension appears along the surface and this causes a tangential shear stress on the bubble surface. This shear stress results in the decrease in the rising velocity of the bubble in contaminated liquid. More interestingly, this Marangoni effect influences not only the bubble's rising velocity but also its lateral migration in the presence of mean shear. Together, these influences cause a drastic change of the whole bubbly flow structures. In this paper, we discuss some experimental results related to this drastic change in bubbly flow structure. We show that bubble clustering phenomena are observed in an upward bubbly channel flow under certain conditions of surfactant concentrations. This cluster disappears with an increase in the concentration. We explain this phenomenon by reference to the lift force acting on a bubble in aqueous surfactant solutions. It is shown that the shear-induced lift force acting on a contaminated bubble of 1mm size can be much smaller than that on a clean bubble. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Host T Cells Are the Main Producers of IL-17 within the Central Nervous System during Initiation of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Induced by Adoptive Transfer of Th1 Cell Lines. Jun 15, 2008 Jason R Lees,Yoichiro Iwakura,John H Russell Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis, has long been thought to be mediated by Th1 CD4(+) T cells. Using adoptive transfer techniques, transfer of CNS specific Th1 T cells was sufficient to induce EAE in naive mice. However, recent studies found a vi... ( view more )tal role for IL-17 in induction of EAE. These studies suggested that a fraction of IL-17-producing T cells that contaminate Th1 polarized cell lines are largely responsible for initiation of EAE. In this study, we tracked the appearance and cytokine production capacity of adoptively transferred cells within the CNS of mice throughout EAE disease. IL-17-producing, adoptively transferred cells were not enriched over the low percentages present in vitro. Thus, there was no selective recruitment and/or preferential proliferation of adoptively transferred IL-17-producing cells during the induction of EAE. Instead a large number of CNS infiltrating host T cells in mice with EAE were capable of producing IL-17 following ex vivo stimulation. The IL-17-producing T cells contained both alphabeta and gammadelta TCR(+) T cells with a CD4(+)CD8(-) or CD4(-)CD8(-) phenotype. These cells concentrated within the CNS within 3 days of adoptive transfer, and appeared to play a role in EAE induction as adoptive transfer of Th1 lines derived from wild-type mice into IL-17-deficient mice induced reduced EAE clinical outcomes. This study demonstrates that an encephalitogenic Th1 cell line induces recruitment of host IL-17-producing T cells to the CNS during the initiation of EAE and that these cells contribute to the incidence and severity of disease. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Correlation between ventricular enlargement and white matter changes. Jun 15, 2008 Yuichiro Inatomi,Toshiro Yonehara,Yoichiro Hashimoto,Teruyuki Hirano,Makoto Uchino The clinical significance of white matter changes including periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) and deep white matter hyperintensity (DWMH) on MRI in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus is unclear. We investigated the correlation between ventricular size and white matter changes in healthy... ( view more ) individuals. We performed MRI in 683 (mean age 59; 55% men) neurologically normal adults without a history or radiological findings of brain disease or trauma, who were undergoing brain health screening. The correlation between Evans' index and severity of white matter changes was analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the main clinical factors influencing ventricular enlargement and white matter changes. Evans' index was 0.248+/-0.026 (mean+/-SD). Incidence of PVH was 40% and DWMH was 29%. Evans' index was weakly correlated with PVH grading (rho=0.24; P<.01) and DWMH grading (rho=0.24; P<.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age (beta=0.034; SE=0.003) diastolic blood pressure (0.004; 0.002), Evans' index (0.019; 0.009), and a history of hypertension (0.173; 0.053) had a significant impact on PVH grade, whereas age (0.030; 0.003) and history of hypertension (0.224; 0.049) were related to DWMH grade. It was suggested that there is an independent correlation between ventricular enlargement and PVH in normal adults. This finding in a normal population could be due to the presence of preclinical disease, but its bearing on the changes that occur in normal pressure hydrocephalus remain uncertain at the present time. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Interaction of alpha1-adrenoceptor subtypes with different G proteins induces opposite effects on cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel. Jun 6, 2008 Jin O-Uchi,Hiroyuki Sasaki,Satoshi Morimoto,Yoichiro Kusakari,Hitomi Shinji,Toru Obata,Kenichi Hongo,Kimiaki Komukai,Satoshi Kurihara We examined the effect of alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtype-specific stimulation on L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca)) and elucidated the subtype-specific intracellular mechanisms for the regulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. We confirmed the protein expression of alpha(1A)-... ( view more ) and alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor subtypes at the transverse tubules (T-tubules) and found that simultaneous stimulation of these 2 receptor subtypes by nonsubtype selective agonist, phenylephrine, showed 2 opposite effects on I(Ca) (transient decrease followed by sustained increase). However, selective alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor stimulation (> or =0.1 micromol/L A61603) only potentiated I(Ca), and selective alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor stimulation (10 mumol/L phenylephrine with 2 micromol/L WB4101) only decreased I(Ca). The positive effect by alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor stimulation was blocked by the inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase C (PKC), or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). The negative effect by alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor stimulation disappeared after the treatment of pertussis toxin or by the prepulse depolarization, but was not attributable to the inhibition of cAMP-dependent pathway. The translocation of PKCdelta and epsilon to the T-tubules was observed only after alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor stimulation, but not after alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor stimulation. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor was associated with G(q/11), but alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor interacted with one of the pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins, G(o). These findings demonstrated that the interactions of alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes with different G proteins elicit the formation of separate signaling cascades, which produce the opposite effects on I(Ca). The coupling of alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor with G(q/11)-PLC-PKC-CaMKII pathway potentiates I(Ca). In contrast, alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor interacts with G(o), of which the betagamma-complex might directly inhibit the channel activity at T-tubules. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles The essentiality and involvement of Streptococcus intermedius histone-like DNA-binding protein in bacterial viability and normal growth. Jun 2008 Dali Liu,Hiromichi Yumoto,Keiji Murakami,Katsuhiko Hirota,Tsuneko Ono,Hideaki Nagamune,Shizuo Kayama,Takashi Matsuo,Yoichiro Miyake Streptococcus intermedius histone-like DNA-binding protein (Si-HLP) is a homodimeric protein and, conserved with Escherichia coli HU, a well-documented nucleoid-associated protein (NAP). In E. coli, HU plays important roles as both structural and regulatory factors, but it is not essential for E. c... ( view more )oli viability. Streptococcal HLP has been found to bind host cells and induce cytokine production, but its physiological role remains poorly defined. In the present study, using gene insertion knockout and tetracycline-regulated antisense RNA expression techniques, we determined whether Si-HLP is essential for bacterial viability and normal growth in S. intermedius. The Si-HLP-downregulated S. intermedius strain showed alterations in its morphology and surface properties. Downregulation of Si-HLP led to an expanded nucleoid to fill the intracellular space. Transcription levels of several genes, including virulence-associated factors, were found to be activated or repressed in the antisense Si-hlp RNA-expressing strain by real-time PCR and reverse-transcription PCR. Collectively, these data suggest that Si-HLP serves as an essential NAP governing the nucleoid architecture and controlling the gene transcription profile in S. intermedius. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles TRP channel and cardiovascular disease. Jun 2008 Hiroyuki Watanabe,Manabu Murakami,Takayoshi Ohba,Yoichiro Takahashi,Hiroshi Ito The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel superfamily consists of 28 mammalian cation channels and is expressed in almost every tissue, including the heart and vasculature; most TRP channels are permeable to Ca(2+) and are prime molecular candidates for store-operated channels (SOCs), receptor... ( view more )-operated channels (ROCs), ligand-gated channels (LGCs) and stretch-activated channels (SACs). As these channels act as multifunctional cellular sensors and are involved in several fundamental cell functions such as contraction, proliferation and cell death, investigation of their roles in human disease is very important. This review presents an overview of current knowledge about the pathological role of TRP channels in cardiovascular diseases and highlights some TRP channels for which a role in the diseases can be anticipated. Evidences suggest that up-regulation of TRPC channels is involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure; TRPM4 participates in some features of cardiac arrhythmias; increased expression of TRPC channels is associated with vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension; reduced expression or activity of TRPV4 impairs endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation; TRPC3/C4 and TRPM2 act as endothelial redox sensors; and TRPC1, -C4, -C6, -V4, and -M2, have been implicated in endothelial barrier dysfunction. Ultimately, TRP channels will become important novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of human cardiovascular diseases. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Waist circumference correlates with hepatic fat accumulation in male Japanese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but not in females. Jun 2008 Eriko Ishibashi,Yuichiro Eguchi,Takahisa Eguchi,Aki Matsunobu,Noriko Oza,Shunya Nakashita,Yoichiro Kitajima,Shigetaka Kuroki,Iwata Ozaki,Yasunori Kawaguchi,Yasushi Ide,Tsutomu Yasutake,Ryuichi Iwakiri,Toshihiko Mizuta,Naofumi Ono,Kazuma Fujimoto BACKGROUND AND AIM: Abdominal obesity, a component of metabolic syndrome, is a major risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In recent worldwide definitions of metabolic syndrome, waist measurement has been proposed as a simple and useful estimate of abdominal obesity, taking int... ( view more )o account gender differences in waist circumference. The present cross-sectional study investigated the correlation of hepatic fat accumulation and waist circumference in Japanese NAFLD patients to determine if there are gender differences in this relationship. METHODS: Consecutive patients (n = 2111) who had at least one of two criteria for liver disease (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] level >30 IU/mL and aspartate aminotransferase [AST]/ALT ratio <1) underwent abdominal ultrasonography. Patients positive for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus or autoimmune antibodies and whose alcohol intake was >20 g/day were excluded. Patients with NAFLD underwent abdominal computed tomography. Hepatic fat accumulation was estimated by liver/spleen attenuation ratio (L/S ratio) and visceral adipose accumulation was measured as visceral fat area (VFA) at the umbilical level. RESULTS: Of the 221 NAFLD patients, 103 were females. In males, the relationship between L/S ratio and waist circumference was negative (r =-0.356, P < 0.01), and there was no correlation in the female group. The relationship between L/S ratio and VFA was negative in both groups (males: r = -0.269, P < 0.01; females: r = -0.319, P < 0.01). Subcutaneous fat area/total fat area ratio at the umbilical level was larger in females than in males (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In NAFLD patients, waist measurement is more susceptible to gender differences than VFA. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Optical enzyme sensor for determining L-lysine content using L-lysine oxidase from the rockfish Sebastes schlegeli. Jun 2008 Hideaki Endo,Yoshitaka Hayashi,Yoichiro Kitani,Huifeng Ren,Tetsuhito Hayashi,Yuji Nagashima L-lysine (L-Lys) in living bodies is critical for metabolism; therefore, determination of its levels in food is important. Most enzymatic methods for L-Lys analysis are performed using L-lysine oxidase (LyOx), but commercially manufactured LyOx is generally not highly selective for L-Lys among amin... ( view more )o acids. We previously isolated LyOx as an antibacterial protein secreted from the skin of the rockfish Sebastes schlegeli. In the present study, we developed an optical enzyme sensor system for rapid and continuous determination of L-Lys using this LyOx. The system comprised an immobilized LyOx membrane, an optical oxygen probe, a flow system, and a personal computer. The amount of L-Lys was detected as a decrease in the oxygen concentration due to the LyOx reaction. The specificity of the sensor was examined against various amino acids. The sensor response was specific for L-Lys. Good reproducibility was obtained in 58 assays. The response of the sensor using commercially prepared LyOx was unstable compared with the response using LyOx isolated in our laboratory. Our sensor system could be used for 5 weeks without our having to change the enzyme membrane. The calibration curve for a standard L-Lys solution was linear from 0.1 to 3.0 mmol L(-1). One assay could be completed within 2 min. The sensor was applied to determine the L-Lys content in food samples such as bonito cooking water and scallop hepatopancreas. The values obtained using the sensor and conventional high-performance liquid chromatography methods were well correlated. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Topical application of statin affects bone healing around implants. Jun 2008 Yasuko Moriyama,Yasunori Ayukawa,Yoichiro Ogino,Ikiru Atsuta,Kiyoshi Koyano OBJECTIVES: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are widely used for hyperlipidemia. Recent studies demonstrate that statins stimulate bone morphogenetic protein-2 expression and lead to bone formation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the topical applic... ( view more )ation of statin enhances the osteogenesis around a titanium implant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten-week-old female rats received pure titanium rods in both tibiae with or without fluvastatin. Propylene glycol alginate (PGA) was used as a carrier. The rats were divided into five groups: implant-only group, implant with PGA group, low-dose group [implant+PGA containing 3 microg of fluvastatin (FS)], medium-dose group (15 microg of FS), and high-dose group (75 microg of FS). The animals were sacrificed at 1 and 2 weeks after implantation. Peri-implant bone formation was assessed by histomorphometric procedures, i.e., measuring the bone-implant contact (BIC) and peri-implant bone volume (BV). A mechanical push-out test was also performed to evaluate the implant fixation strength. Statistical differences among the groups were determined by ANOVA and P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: At week 1, there was no significant difference in BIC among the groups, however, BV and the push-out strength were significantly higher in the high-dose group than in the implant-only group. At week 2, BIC and BV had significantly increased in the high-dose group in comparison with the non-statin groups. The fluvastatin-treatment group showed a significant increase in push-out strength compared with the non-statin groups. CONCLUSION: Our histomorphometrical and mechanical evaluations revealed the positive effect of topically applied fluvastatin on the bone around the implant. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Identification of a second, non-conserved amino acid that contributes to the unique sugar binding properties of the nematode galectin LEC-1. Jun 2008 Mayumi Tamura,Ken-ichi Kasai,Takashi Itagaki,Takamasa Nonaka,Yoichiro Arata The basic disaccharide structure recognized by galectin family members is the lactosamine-like structure Galbeta1-4(3)Glc(NAc). The 32-kDa galectin LEC-1 of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is composed of two domains, each of which is homologous to vertebrate 14-kDa-type galectins. The N-termina... ( view more )l lectin domain of LEC-1 recognizes blood group A saccharide (GalNAcalpha1-3(Fucalpha1-2)Galbeta1-3GlcNAc), whereas this saccharide is poorly recognized by the C-terminal domain. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and analysis of the sugar-binding profile by frontal affinity chromatography, we previously found that Thr41 in the N-terminal lectin domain of LEC-1 is important for its affinity for A-hexasaccharide. Thr41 is located on beta-strand S3, next to the three beta-strands S4-S6, where the conserved amino acids form the binding site for the basic Galbeta1-4(3)Glc(NAc) structure. Here, we report that a second amino acid, Asp133, in the N-terminal lectin domain of LEC-1, located on the beta-strand S2 adjacent to that containing Thr41, is important for LEC-1-specific recognition of A-hexasaccharide. These results suggest that amino acid residues other than those located on the three beta-strands S4-S6, contribute to the unique sugar binding specificity of individual galectins. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Pulmonary hemorrhage associated with Henoch-Schönlein purpura in a child. Jun 2008 Rie Matsubayashi,Tadashi Matsubayashi,Naoya Fujita,Takuya Yokota,Yoichiro Ohro,Hideo Enoki Swelling of the right ankle and purpura on the bilateral lower extremities of a 6-year-old boy indicated a diagnosis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). The patient was referred to our hospital because of severe abdominal pain that was unresponsive to prednisolone. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary... ( view more ) infiltrates on chest X-ray were absent upon admission. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy gradually improved the abdominal symptoms, but tachypnea developed, and insufficient aeration of the right lung was accompanied by a decline in percutaneous oxygen saturation from 99% to 90% and a rapid decrease in hemoglobin levels from 11.7 to 7.6 g/dL. Chest X-rays and high-resolution computed tomography scans showed widespread consolidation and patchy opacities predominantly in the right lung fields, suggesting acute pulmonary hemorrhage. Intravenous cyclosporin A (CyA) gradually resolved the pulmonary hemorrhage and respiratory insufficiency. Pulmonary hemorrhage, as a complication of HSP, is extremely rare and sometimes fatal. Aggressive steroid and immunosuppressive treatment is required to address severe complications of HSP. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Increased anxiety-like behavior in neuropsin (kallikrein-related peptidase 8) gene-deficient mice. Jun 2008 Yoichiro Horii,Nobuyuki Yamasaki,Tsuyoshi Miyakawa,Sadao Shiosaka Neuropsin (kallikrein-related peptidase 8) is concentrated in the hippocampus, amygdala, olfactory bulb, and prefrontal cortex. Earlier studies showed that protease deficiency causes a significant impairment of early-phase long-term potentiation in the Schaffer collateral pathway and hippocampus-de... ( view more )pendent memory in the Y maze and Morris water maze (Z. Chen et al., 1995; A. Hirata et al., 2001; H. Tamura et al., 2006). In addition to neuropsin's participation in the hippocampal memory, amygdalar and cortical localization of the gene suggests extrahippocampal behavioral function, and the authors therefore examined neuropsin-deficient mice, including tests of sensory motor reflex, open field, light-dark transition, Rota-Rod, elevated plus-maze, hot plate, startle response-prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, Barnes maze, eight-arm radial maze, and contextual and cued fear conditioning tests. Here, the authors found increased anxiety in neuropsin-deficient mice, suggesting the involvement of this protease in emotional responses. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Antagonistic jacalin-related lectins regulate the size of ER body-type beta-glucosidase complexes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Jun 2008 Atsushi J Nagano,Yoichiro Fukao,Masayuki Fujiwara,Mikio Nishimura,Ikuko Hara-Nishimura PYK10/BGLU23 is a beta-glucosidase that is a major protein of ER bodies, which are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived organelles that may be involved in defense systems. PYK10 has active and inactive forms. Active PYK10 molecules form large complexes with diameters ranging from 0.65 microm to > 70 ... ( view more )microm. We identified three beta-glucosidases (PYK10, BGLU21 and BGLU22), five jacalin-related lectins (JALs) and a GDSL lipase-like protein (GLL) in the purified PYK10 complex. Expression levels of JALs and GLLs were lower in the nai1-1 mutant, which has no ER bodies, than in Col-0. The subcellular localization of PYK10 is predicted to be different from the localizations of JALs and GLLs. This suggests that PYK10 interacts with its partners (JALs and GLLs) when the subcellular structure is destroyed by pathogens. The PYK10 complex was found to be larger in the pbp1-1 and jal22-1 mutants than in Col-0, while it was smaller in the jal23-1, jal31-1 and jal31-2 mutants than in Col-0. These results show that two types of JALs having opposite roles regulate the size of the PYK10 complex antagonistically. We define the two types of lectins as a 'polymerizer-type lectin' and an 'inhibitor-type lectin'. Interestingly, the closest homologs of polymerizer-type lectins (JAL31 and JAL23) were inhibitor-type lectins (PBP1/JAL30 and JAL22). The pairs of polymerizer-type and inhibitor-type lectins reported here are good examples of genes that have evolved new functions after gene duplication (neofunctionalization). ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Tocilizumab, a humanized anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody, ameliorates joint swelling in established monkey collagen-induced arthritis. Jun 2008 Yasushi Uchiyama,Keigo Yorozu,Misato Hashizume,Yoichiro Moriya,Masahiko Mihara We examined if tocilizumab, humanized anti-interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) antibody, can ameliorate joint swelling after the onset of arthritis in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). CIA was induced by the immunization of bovine type II collagen in female cynomolgus monkeys. Tocilizumab (30 mg/kg) was... ( view more ) administered weekly for 4 weeks after the onset of arthritis. Swelling of 16 proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of hands and feet was monitored by measuring the longitudinal and transverse axes of PIP joints and the oval area of each PIP was calculated. Serum was collected once a week after tocilizumab injection and blood chemistry, IL-6, soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R), and anti-tocilizumab antibody were measured. At the end of study, histopathological examination of joints was performed. Tocilizumab clearly reduced joint swelling in all animals without anti-tocilizumab antibody. Histopathological study showed significant decrease in the infiltration of neutrophils into inflamed joints was observed in tocilizumab-treated animals. In conclusion, tocilizumab improved established arthritis in monkey and monkey CIA model is useful for the analysis of anti-arthritic effect of tocilizumab. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Occlusive vessel signs on MRI as only findings of hyperacute ischemic stroke. May 15, 2008 Yuichiro Inatomi,Toshiro Yonehara,Yoichiro Hashimoto,Teruyuki Hirano,Makoto Uchino A 64-year-old woman presented with a partial seizure on the left side of her face. Although diffusion weighted images and magnetic resonance angiography 3 h after the onset did not show any signs of ischemic stroke, a susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) on T2*-weighted gradient echo imaging (GRE) and ... ( view more )a hyperintense vessel sign (HVS) on fluid attenuated inversion recovery images at the distal branch of the right middle cerebral artery were revealed. One day later, these GRE SVS and HVS signs disappeared and a new infarct lesion in the right insular cortex was found on magnetic resonance images (MRI). It is suggested that occlusive vessel signs on MRI, including GRE SVS and HVS, are sometimes the only findings of ischemic stroke at the hyperacute phase. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles IL-6-dependent spontaneous proliferation is required for the induction of colitogenic IL-17-producing CD8+ T cells. May 12, 2008 Masaki Tajima,Daiko Wakita,Daisuke Noguchi,Kenji Chamoto,Zhang Yue,Kazunori Fugo,Harumichi Ishigame,Yoichiro Iwakura,Hidemitsu Kitamura,Takashi Nishimura We propose a novel role for interleukin (IL) 6 in inducing rapid spontaneous proliferation (SP) of naive CD8(+) T cells, which is a crucial step in the differentiation of colitogenic CD8(+) T cells. Homeostasis of T cells is regulated by two distinct modes of cell proliferation: major histocompatib... ( view more )ility complex/antigen-driven rapid SP and IL-7/IL-15-dependent slow homeostatic proliferation. Using our novel model of CD8(+) T cell-dependent colitis, we found that SP of naive CD8(+) T cells is essential for inducing pathogenic cytokine-producing effector T cells. The rapid SP was predominantly induced in mesenteric lymph nodes (LNs) but not in peripheral LNs under the influence of intestinal flora and IL-6. Indeed, this SP was markedly inhibited by treatment with anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody (IL-6R mAb) or antibiotic-induced flora depletion, but not by anti-IL-7R mAb and/or in IL-15-deficient conditions. Concomitantly with the inhibition of SP, anti-IL-6R mAb significantly inhibited the induction of CD8(+) T cell-dependent autoimmune colitis. Notably, the transfer of naive CD8(+) T cells derived from IL-17(-/-) mice did not induce autoimmune colitis. Thus, we conclude that IL-6 signaling is crucial for SP under lymphopenic conditions, which subsequently caused severe IL-17-producing CD8(+) T cell-mediated autoimmune colitis. We suggest that anti-IL-6R mAb may become a promising strategy for the therapy of colitis. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Dehydroabietic acid, a phytochemical, acts as ligand for PPARs in macrophages and adipocytes to regulate inflammation. May 2, 2008 Min-Sook Kang,Shizuka Hirai,Tsuyoshi Goto,Kayo Kuroyanagi,Joo-Young Lee,Taku Uemura,Yoichiro Ezaki,Nobuyuki Takahashi,Teruo Kawada Obesity is characterized by an enhanced infiltration of macrophages to adipose tissues, which is closely associated with the low-grade inflammatory state and obesity-related pathologies such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We showed here that dehydroabietic acid (DAA) is a potent PP... ( view more )ARalpha/gamma dual activator. Furthermore, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of DAA in stimulated macrophages and in the coculture of macrophages and adipocytes. DAA significantly suppressed the production of proinflammatory mediators such as MCP-1, TNF-alpha, and NO in stimulated RAW 264 macrophages and in the coculture of RAW 264 macrophages and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results suggest that DAA is a valuable medicinal and food component for improving inflammatory changes associated with obesity-related diabetes. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Wave-pinning and cell polarity from a bistable reaction-diffusion system. May 1, 2008 Yoichiro Mori,Alexandra Jilkine,Leah Edelstein-Keshet Motile eukaryotic cells polarize in response to external signals. Numerous mechanisms have been suggested to account for this symmetry breaking and for the ensuing robust polarization. Implicated in this process are various proteins that are recruited to the plasma membrane and segregate at an emer... ( view more )gent front or back of the polarizing cell. Among these are PI3K, PTEN, and members of the Rho family GTPases such as Cdc42, Rac, and Rho. Many such proteins, including the Rho GTPases, cycle between active membrane-bound forms and inactive cytosolic forms. In previous work, we have shown that this property, together with appropriate crosstalk, endows a biochemical circuit (Cdc42, Rac, and Rho) with the property of inherent polarizability. Here we show that this property is present in an even simpler system comprised of a single active/inactive protein pair with positive feedback to its own activation. The simplicity of this minimal system also allows us to explain the mechanism using insights from mathematical analysis. The basic idea resides in a well-known property of reaction-diffusion systems with bistable kinetics, namely, propagation of fronts. However, it crucially depends on exchange between active and inactive forms of the chemicals with unequal rates of diffusion, and overall conservation to pin the waves into a stable polar distribution. We refer to these dynamics as wave-pinning and we show that this phenomenon is distinct from Turing-instability-generated pattern formation that occurs in reaction-diffusion systems that appear to be very similar. We explain the mathematical basis of the phenomenon, relate it to spatial segregation of Rho GTPases, and show how it can account for spatial amplification and maintenance of polarity, as well as sensitivity to new stimuli typical in polarization of eukaryotic cells. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Decreased serum paraoxonase-1 activity during intestinal nematode (Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) infection in rats. May 2008 Ayman Samir Farid,Keiko Nakahara,Noboru Murakami,Toshiharu Hayashi,Yoichiro Horii Reduced paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity has been observed in a number of pathological conditions; however, little is known about the effects of intestinal nematode infections, such as Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, on paraoxonase activity. We observed a significant reduction in serum paraoxonase and a... ( view more )rylesterase activity after N. brasiliensis infection in Wistar rats from Day 6 until Day 12 post-infection (p.i.) for serum paraoxonase and from Day 3 until Day 24 p.i. for arylesterase. In addition, N. brasiliensis infection increased serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha), with maximum concentrations observed on Day 9 p.i. These cytokines are known to inhibit the synthesis of hepatic PON1 mRNA. Thus, the observed reduction in PON1 activity during N. brasiliensis infection is likely associated with inflammatory reactions mounted against the parasites. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles A possible role of histone-like DNA-binding protein of Streptococcus intermedius in the pathogenesis of bile duct damage in primary biliary cirrhosis. May 2008 Ikuko Haruta,Ken Kikuchi,Etsuko Hashimoto,Hidehito Kato,Katsuhiko Hirota,Makio Kobayashi,Yoichiro Miyake,Takehiko Uchiyama,Junji Yagi,Keiko Shiratori Bacterial infection has become a focus of attention in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). It was reported that anti-histone autoantibody was detected in PBC, suggesting that bacterial histone-like DNA-binding protein (HLP) may be involved in the pathogenesis of PBC. To identify ba... ( view more )cterial species in PBC to confirm this possibility, serum reactivity to bacterial cells was studied by ELISA. The IgM class Streptococcus intermedius titers were significantly higher in PBC than chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus (CH-C) and healthy subjects. Among the streptococci, S. intermedius was selected for further study. The antigenic peptide of S. intermedius of HLP was synthesized to examine the serum reactivity to Si-HLP. IgM class anti-Si-HLP peptide titers were significantly higher in PBC. Immunoreactivity to anti-Si-HLP was detected in the cytoplasm of biliary epithelial cells and inflammatory cells in the portal area in PBC patients' livers. Streptococci, especially S. intermedius, might play a key role in the pathogenesis of PBC, possibly involving HLP. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Sequence analyses of ITS2 and CO1 genes of Paragonimus proliferus obtained in Yunnan province, China and their similarities with those of P. hokuoensis. May 2008 Ben-Jiang Zhou,Bin-Bin Yang,Pham Ngoc Doanh,Zhao-Qing Yang,Zheng Xiang,Cui-Ying Li,Akio Shinohara,Yoichiro Horii,Yukifumi Nawa Among about 50 Paragonimus species, Paragonimus proliferus is a rare species characterized by extremely large metacercariae, most of which are present excysted in the crab hosts. Recently, this species was discovered by us in northern Vietnam as the first record outside of China. DNA sequences of b... ( view more )oth second internal transcribed spacer region (ITS2) and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (CO1) genes of the metacercariae and adult worms of P. proliferus of the Vietnamese isolates were identical with those of Paragonimus hokuoensis in the DNA database of the GenBank. To confirm those observations and to clarify the molecular phylogenetic status of P. proliferus, we determined the ITS2 and CO1 sequences of the metacercariae of P. proliferus obtained in Yunnan province, China where the original specimen was discovered. The results show that both ITS2 and CO1 sequences of P. proliferus of the Chinese isolates are identical with those of P. proliferus of the Vietnamese isolates and are also identical with those of P. hokuoensis that appeared in the DNA database (obtained in Yunnan province), suggesting the synonymy of P. hokuoensis with P. proliferus. By phylogenetic tree analyses, all samples of P. proliferus from China and Vietnam together with P. hokuoensis constructed a distinct group within, or very close to, Paragonimus skrjabini complex in both trees. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Page 1 of 36 1 2 3 4 > Last >> (895 articles found)

      
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