87 research outputs found

    Amplifying control RNA for RT-PCR applications by nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA)

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    Control RNA for RT-PCR applications was amplified by nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) using the NucliSens (R) Basic Kit. This method was used to construct positive control RNA for enterovirus, insulin, and G-protein RT-PCR, and for interferon-alpha real-time RT-PCR. The primers were designed to amplify identical RNA from RNA templates, which differs from the usual NASBA procedure, where opposite strand RNA is amplified from the target. This "inverse NASBA" method is easy to use and it does not require any expensive special equipment. The amplification reaction is done using a water bath and detection of amplified product by agarose gel electrophoresis. Generated RNA fragments were 195-714 bases long, of positive polarity and the amount of RNA was sufficient for thousands of RT-PCR reactions depending on the sensitivity of the RT-PCR. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

    ”Mutta miks tĂ€llĂ€ yhellĂ€ on nĂ€in isot korvat?”:erilaisuus esikouluikĂ€isten lasten kertomissa saduissa

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    TiivistelmÀ. Tutkimuksemme tarkoituksena on selvittÀÀ, kÀsittelevÀtkö esikouluikÀiset lapset erilaisuutta saduissaan ja jos kÀsittelevÀt, millaisena erilaisuus tuodaan esille lasten saduissa. LisÀksi tarkoituksena on selvittÀÀ, soveltuuko sadutusmenetelmÀ aineistonkeruumenetelmÀksi tutkittaessa erilaisuuden teemaa esikouluikÀisten lasten parissa. Tutkimuksemme on kvalitatiivinen lapsinÀkökulmainen tutkimus, jossa kÀytÀmme kerronnallista lÀhestymistapaa. LapsinÀkökulmaisen tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tavoitella lapsen tuottamaa tietoa ja nÀkökulmia kuuntelemalla lasta. Kerronnallisella lÀhestymistavalla viittaamme tutkimusaineiston luonteeseen ja aineiston analyysitapaan. Alle kouluikÀisten lasten kÀsityksiÀ erilaisuudesta on tutkittu hyvin vÀhÀn. Lapset ovat tutkimuksellisesti tÀrkeitÀ tiedontuottajia ja heidÀn nÀkökulmansa ovat tutkimisen arvoisia. SadutusmenetelmÀn avulla lasten sisÀinen tieto tulee esiin ja saa kirjoitetun muodon. Tutkimuksemme keskiössÀ ovat lasten tuottamat ainutlaatuiset sadut, jotka sisÀltÀvÀt olennaista tietoa tutkimusaiheemme kannalta. Tutkimuksestamme selvisi, ettÀ jos lapset toivat erilaisuuden esille tarinoissaan, he tekivÀt sen kolmella eri tavalla; negatiivisesti, neutraalisti tai positiivisesti. Aineistossamme oli muutamia satuja, joissa erilaisuutta ei tuotu lainkaan esiin. Lasten tarinoita lukeutui eniten neutraalin erilaisuuden, eli normaaliuden kategoriaan, mutta myös negatiivisen erilaisuuden kategoriaan kuuluvat tarinat nousivat hyvin vahvasti esiin. SadutusmenetelmÀ soveltui hyvin tutkimuksemme aineistonkeruumenetelmÀksi, koska saimme kerÀttyÀ sen avulla tutkimuksemme kannalta laajan ja monipuolisen tutkimusaineiston. Tutkimusaineistomme koostuu lasten kertomista saduista eikÀ niistÀ voi tehdÀ liian pitkÀlle meneviÀ tulkintoja, koska emme voi olla varmoja niiden todenperÀisyydestÀ. Tutkimustuloksemme ovat ainutkertaisia, eikÀ niitÀ voi suoraan yleistÀÀ muiden lasten satuihin. Lasten sadut sisÀlsivÀt kuitenkin tÀrkeÀÀ tietoa siitÀ, miten lapset kÀsittelevÀt erilaisuutta, mikÀ meidÀn on kasvattajina hyvÀ tiedostaa

    Subtype of atrial fibrillation and the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement: The FinnValve Study

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    Whether the subtype of atrial fibrillation affects outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis is unclear. The nationwide FinnValve registry included 2130 patients who underwent primary after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis during 2008–2017. Altogether, 281 (13.2%) patients had pre-existing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 651 (30.6%) had pre-existing non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 160 (7.5%) were diagnosed with new-onset atrial fibrillation during the index hospitalization. The median follow-up was 2.4 (interquartile range: 1.6–3.8) years. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation did not affect 30-day or overall mortality (p-values >0.05). Non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation demonstrated an increased risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio: 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.35–1.92; p0.05). In conclusion, non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and new-onset atrial fibrillation are associated with increased mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis, whereas paroxysmal atrial fibrillation has no effect on mortality. These findings suggest that non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation rather than paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may be associated with structural cardiac damage which is of prognostic significance in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.Peer reviewe

    Maternal risk factors for gastroschisis: A population‐based case–control study

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    BackgroundGastroschisis is an open abdominal wall defect with low mortality but significant morbidity. The prevalence has been increasing worldwide for the past decades. Several risk factors for gastroschisis have been identified, but no clear reason for increasing prevalence has been found. In our study, we aimed to assess and identify maternal risk factors for gastroschisis.MethodsIn our nationwide register‐based case–control study, we identified all gastroschisis cases in the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations from 2004 to 2014. Information on drug prescriptions and purchases was received from Drugs and Pregnancy database. Five healthy age‐matched controls from the same geographical region were randomly selected for each case. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate different risk factors.ResultsOne‐hundred‐eighty‐eight cases of gastroschisis were identified and compared with 910 matched controls. Nulliparity was a significant risk factor for gastroschisis, aOR 2.00 (95% CI 1.29–3.11) whereas obesity was protective, aOR 0.35 (95% CI 0.15–0.83). Smoking appeared to increase the risk for gastroschisis, aOR 1.32 (95% CI 0.88–1.97). The mean maternal age of newborns with gastroschisis was significantly lower than average (p  ConclusionAs in previous studies, nulliparity and young maternal age were significant risk factors for gastroschisis. Maternal obesity significantly reduced the risk of gastroschisis regardless of maternal age and gestational diabetes.</p

    Omphalocele in Finland from 1993 to 2014: Trends, Prevalence, Mortality, and Associated Malformations-A Population-Based Study

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    Introduction The aim of this study is to assess the changes in prevalence, mortality and termination pregnancy of omphalocele, and to identify associated anomalies.Materials and Methods A population-based nationwide register study. All cases with omphalocele were identified in the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations and the Care Register for Health Care from 1993 to 2014 including live births, stillbirths, and terminations of pregnancy due to fetal anomalies. Associated anomalies were recorded and analyzed, and perinatal and infant mortality and prevalence were calculated.Results There were 600 cases with omphalocele including 229 live births, 39 stillbirths, and 332 (55%) abortions. Birth prevalence in Finland was 1.96 per 10,000 births with no consistent trend over time. However, total prevalence was much higher (4.71/10,000) because more than half of these families chose option for the termination of pregnancy. Omphalocele is often complicated with other anomalies; most commonly chromosomal abnormalities (9.3%), heart defects (6.3%), central nervous system anomalies (3.0%), gastrointestinal, and urogenital malformations (both 2.0%). Proportion of chromosomal and central nervous system abnormalities were even higher in terminated pregnancies. Overall infant mortality was 22%. Total 1-year survival rates for isolated omphalocele, cases with multiple anomalies and neonates with chromosomal defects were 80, 88, and 17%, respectively.Conclusion Omphalocele is a rare congenital anomaly, often associated with other malformations. Our data suggest that isolated cases may be more common than previously thought. In the absence of chromosomal defects, survival is reasonably good. Regardless, more than half of these pregnancies are often terminated.</p

    Co-Morbidity between Early-Onset Leukemia and Type 1 Diabetes – Suggestive of a Shared Viral Etiology?

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    Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are common early-onset malignancies. Their causes are largely unknown but infectious etiology has been implicated. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease for which infectious triggers of disease onset have been sought and increasing pointing to enteroviruses. Based on our previous results on co-morbidity between leukemia and T1D, we updated the Swedish dataset and focused on early onset leukemias in patients who had been hospitalized for T1D, comparing to those not hospitalized for T1D. Methods and Findings: Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for leukemia in 24,052 patients hospitalized for T1D covering years 1964 through 2008. T1D patients were included if hospitalized before age 21 years. Practically all Swedish children and adolescents with T1D are hospitalized at the start of insulin treatment. SIR for ALL was 8.30 (N = 18, 95% confidence interval 4.91-13.14) when diagnosed at age 10 to 20 years after hospitalization for T1D and it was 3.51 (13, 1.86-6.02) before hospitalization for T1D. The SIR for ALL was 19.85 (N = 33, 13.74-27.76) and that for AML was 25.28 (8, 10.80-50.06) when the leukemias were diagnosed within the year of T1D hospitalization. The SIRs increased to 38.97 (26, 25.43-57.18) and 40.11 (8, 17.13-79.42) when T1D was diagnosed between ages 10 to 20 years. No consistent time-dependent changes were found in leukemia risk. Conclusion: A shared infectious etiology could be a plausible explanation to the observed co-morbidity. Other possible contributing factors could be insulin therapy or T1D related metabolic disturbances

    Comparative Analysis of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate and Fresh Frozen Plasma in the Management of Perioperative Bleeding after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

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    Background and Aim: Recent studies suggested that prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) might be more effective than fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to reduce red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirement after cardiac surgery. The benefits and risks associated with the use of PCC over FFP have been investigated in this study including patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) from a prospective, multicenter registry. Methods: This is a comparative analysis of 416 patients who received postoperatively FFP and 119 patients who received PCC with or without FFP after isolated CABG. Results: Mixed-effects regression analyses adjusted for multiple covariates and participating centers showed that PCC significantly decreased RBC transfusion (67.2% vs. 87.5%, adjusted OR 0.319, 95%CI 0.136-0.752) and platelet transfusion requirements (11.8% vs. 45.2%, adjusted OR 0.238, 95%CI 0.097-0.566) compared with FFP. The PCC cohort received a mean of 2.7\ub13.7 (median, 2.0, IQR 4) units of RBC and the FFP cohort received a mean of 4.9\ub16.3 (median, 3.0, IQR 4) units of RBC (adjusted coefficient, -1.926, 95%CI -3.357-0.494). The use of PCC increased the risk of KDIGO acute kidney injury (41.4% vs. 28.2%, adjusted OR 2.300, 1.203-4.400), but not of KDIGO acute kidney injury stage 3 (6.0% vs. 8.0%, OR 0.850, 95%CI 0.258-2.796) when compared with the FFP cohort. Conclusions: These results suggest that the use of PCC compared with FFP may reduce the need of blood transfusion after CABG. In view of the observational nature of this study, these results shoul

    Subtype of atrial fibrillation and the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement: The FinnValve Study

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    Whether the subtype of atrial fibrillation affects outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis is unclear. The nationwide FinnValve registry included 2130 patients who underwent primary after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis during 2008-2017. Altogether, 281 (13.2%) patients had pre-existing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 651 (30.6%) had pre-existing non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 160 (7.5%) were diagnosed with new-onset atrial fibrillation during the index hospitalization. The median follow-up was 2.4 (interquartile range: 1.6-3.8) years. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation did not affect 30-day or overall mortality (p-values >0.05). Non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation demonstrated an increased risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio: 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.35-1.92; p0.05). In conclusion, non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and new-onset atrial fibrillation are associated with increased mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis, whereas paroxysmal atrial fibrillation has no effect on mortality. These findings suggest that non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation rather than paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may be associated with structural cardiac damage which is of prognostic significance in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement

    Palmitoleate Induces Hepatic Steatosis but Suppresses Liver Inflammatory Response in Mice

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    The interaction between fat deposition and inflammation during obesity contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study examined the effects of palmitoleate, a monounsaturated fatty acid (16∶1n7), on liver metabolic and inflammatory responses, and investigated the mechanisms by which palmitoleate increases hepatocyte fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression. Male wild-type C57BL/6J mice were supplemented with palmitoleate and subjected to the assays to analyze hepatic steatosis and liver inflammatory response. Additionally, mouse primary hepatocytes were treated with palmitoleate and used to analyze fat deposition, the inflammatory response, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) activation. Compared with controls, palmitoleate supplementation increased the circulating levels of palmitoleate and improved systemic insulin sensitivity. Locally, hepatic fat deposition and SREBP1c and FAS expression were significantly increased in palmitoleate-supplemented mice. These pro-lipogenic events were accompanied by improvement of liver insulin signaling. In addition, palmitoleate supplementation reduced the numbers of macrophages/Kupffer cells in livers of the treated mice. Consistently, supplementation of palmitoleate decreased the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-ÎșB, p65) and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. These results were recapitulated in primary mouse hepatocytes. In terms of regulating FAS expression, treatment of palmitoleate increased the transcription activity of SREBP1c and enhanced the binding of SREBP1c to FAS promoter. Palmitoleate also decreased the phosphorylation of NF-ÎșB p65 and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in cultured macrophages. Together, these results suggest that palmitoleate acts through dissociating liver inflammatory response from hepatic steatosis to play a unique role in NAFLD

    Are luminescent bacteria suitable for online detection and monitoring of toxic compounds in drinking water and its sources?

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    Biosensors based on luminescent bacteria may be valuable tools to monitor the chemical quality and safety of surface and drinking water. In this review, an overview is presented of the recombinant strains available that harbour the bacterial luciferase genes luxCDABE, and which may be used in an online biosensor for water quality monitoring. Many bacterial strains have been described for the detection of a broad range of toxicity parameters, including DNA damage, protein damage, membrane damage, oxidative stress, organic pollutants, and heavy metals. Most lux strains have sensitivities with detection limits ranging from milligrams per litre to micrograms per litre, usually with higher sensitivities in compound-specific strains. Although the sensitivity of lux strains can be enhanced by various molecular manipulations, most reported detection thresholds are still too high to detect levels of individual contaminants as they occur nowadays in European drinking waters. However, lux strains sensing specific toxic effects have the advantage of being able to respond to mixtures of contaminants inducing the same effect, and thus could be used as a sensor for the sum effect, including the effect of compounds that are as yet not identified by chemical analysis. An evaluation of the suitability of lux strains for monitoring surface and drinking water is therefore provided
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