1,304 research outputs found
Graves\u27 Disease Following the Occurrence of Hypothyroidism
Three patients with hypothyroidism of 15-48 months\u27 duration developed Graves\u27 disease while on thyroid hormone replacement therapy. In one patient, the hyperthyrold phase was preceded by ophthalmopathy and nonsuppresslble 24-hour radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU). Eventually, all had hyperthyrold findings with elevated thyroid hormone levels, high 24-hour RAIU, and a diffuse uniform uptake of RAI by the enlarged thyroid. All subjects had negative antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibody titers. Two had demonstrable long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) in their sera. All three were followed for 5-36 months while on propylthiouracil therapy prior to surgery or RAI administration. Both LATS-positive patients underwent bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy. Classical changes of Graves\u27 disease were found on histopathological examination of resected tissues
Sav1 Loss Induces Senescence and Stat3 Activation Coinciding with Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis
Tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is recognized as a final phenotypic manifestation in the transition from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Here we show that conditional inactivation of Sav1 in the mouse renal epithelium resulted in upregulated expression of profibrotic genes and TIF. Loss of Sav1 induced Stat3 activation and a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that coincided with the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Treatment of mice with the YAP inhibitor verteporfin (VP) inhibited activation of genes associated with senescence, SASPs, and activation of Stat3 as well as impeded the development of fibrosis. Collectively, our studies offer novel insights into molecular events that are linked to fibrosis development from Sav1 loss and implicate VP as a potential pharmacological inhibitor to treat patients at risk for developing CKD and TIF
Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the subjective happiness scale: Evidence from the Hong Kong FAMILY cohort
BACKGROUND: With China's rapid economic growth in the past few decades, there is currently an emerging focus on happiness. Cross-cultural validity studies have indicated that the four-item Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) has high internal consistency and stable reliability. However, the psychometric characteristics of the SHS in broader Chinese community samples are unknown. PURPOSE: We evaluated the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SHS in the Hong Kong general population. METHODS: The Chinese SHS was derived using forward-backward translation. Of the Cantonese-speaking participants aged >/=15 years, 2,635 were randomly selected from the random sample component of the FAMILY Cohort, a territory-wide cohort study in Hong Kong. In addition to the SHS, a single-item overall happiness scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (APGAR) scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item short-form version 2 (SF-12) mental and physical health scales were administered. RESULTS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a single factor with high loadings for the four SHS items. Multiple group analyses indicated factor invariance across sex and age groups. Cronbach's alpha was 0.82, and 2-week test-retest reliability (n = 191) was 0.70. The SHS correlated significantly with single-item overall happiness (Spearman's rho [rho] = 0.57), Family APGAR (rho = 0.26), PHQ-9 (rho = -0.34), and mental health-related quality of life (rho = 0.40) but showed a lower correlation with physical health (rho = 0.15). A regression model that included the PHQ-9 and Family APGAR scores explained 37 % of the variance in SF-12 mental health scores; adding the SHS raised the variance explained to 41 %. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the reliability and validity of the SHS as a relevant component in the measurement battery for mental well-being in a Chinese general population.published_or_final_versio
Somatic Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Diffuse Large B-Cell Ly
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive hematological cancer for which mitochondrial metabolism may play an important role. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes crucial mitochondrial proteins, yet the relationship between mtDNA and DLBCL remains unclear. We analyzed the functional consequences and mutational spectra of mtDNA somatic mutations and private constitutional variants in 40 DLBCL tumour-normal pairs. While private constitutional variants occurred frequently in the D-Loop, somatic mutations were randomly distributed across the mitochondrial genome. Heteroplasmic constitutional variants showed a trend towards loss of heteroplasmy in the corresponding tumour regardless of whether the reference or variant allele was being lost, suggesting that these variants are selectively neutral. The mtDNA mutational spectrum showed minimal support for ROS damage and revealed strand asymmetry with increased C > T and A > G transitions on the heavy strand, consistent with a replication-associated mode of mutagenesis. These heavy strand transitions carried higher proportions of amino acid changes – which were also more pathogenic – than equivalent substitutions on the light strand. Taken together, endogenous replication-associated events underlie mtDNA mutagenesis in DLBCL and preferentially generate functionally consequential mutations. Yet mtDNA somatic mutations remain selectively neutral, suggesting that mtDNA-encoded mitochondrial functions may not play an important role in DLBCL
The Phase Diagram of Compact QED Coupled to a Four-Fermi Interaction
Compact lattice Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) with four species of fermions
is simulated with massless quarks by using the QED scheme of adding a
four-fermi interaction to the action. Simulations directly in the chiral limit
of massless quarks are done with high statistics on , and lattices,
and the phase diagram, parameterized by the gauge and the four-fermi couplings,
is mapped out. The line of monopole condensation transitions is separate from
the line of chiral symmetry restoration. The simulation results indicate that
the monopole condensation transition is first order while the chiral transition
is second order. The challenges in determining the Universality class of the
chiral transition are discussed. If the scaling region for the chiral
transition is sufficiently wide, the simulations predict critical
indices far from mean field values. We discuss a speculative scenario in which
anti-screening provided by double-helix strands of monopole and anti-monopole
loops are the agent that balances the screening of fermion anti-fermion pairs
to produce an ultra-violet fixed point in the electric coupling.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures and 2 table
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Key tea beverage values driving tourists’ memorable experiences: an empirical study in Hong Kong-style café memorable experience
Purpose – Using consumption value theory, this study aims to examine the impact of tourists’ perceived
consumption value dimensions of tea beverages offered by Hong Kong (HK)-style cafe´s, including taste
value, price value, health value and emotional value, on tourists’memorable experience (ME), satisfaction
and revisit intention.
Design/methodology/approach – Using an online survey, this study collected 225 usable data from
tourists who had experience in visiting HK-style cafe´s. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling
was used to examine the importance of tourists’ value dimensions, including taste value, price value,
health value and emotional value, on tourists’ME, satisfaction and revisit intention.
Findings – The results revealed that taste value, price value, health value and emotional value are
significant predictors of tourists’ ME in HK-style cafe´s, which in turn drive their satisfaction and revisit
intention.
Research limitations/implications – This study focusses on a single context: HK-style cafe´s. Future
research may enhance the generalisability of the findings by replicating the model in other countries with
diverse cultures.
Practical implications – Tourism marketers may strengthen tourists’ ME, satisfaction and revisit
intention by promoting tea beverages as well as HK-style cafe´s. Tourism marketers are recommended to
communicate taste value, price value, health value and emotional value of HK-style tea beverages, which
in turn encourages tourists to learn about the features of tea beverages. Subsequently, it drives tourists’
ME and satisfaction, thereby strengthening their intention to revisit.
Originality/value – This study contributes to the tourism marketing literature by providing an
understanding of the role of tea beverage value in driving tourists’ ME, satisfaction and revisit intention.
By empirically testing a research model, this study confirms that specific consumption value elements of
tea beverages, namely, taste value, price value, health value and emotional value, are critical drivers in
driving tourists’ME, satisfaction and revisit intention
Concordance and diagnostic accuracy of vasodilator stress cardiac MRI and 320-detector row coronary CTA
Vasodilator stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) detects ischemia whereas coronary CT angiography (CTA) detects atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to determine concordance and accuracy of vasodilator stress CMR and coronary CTA in the same subjects. We studied 151 consecutive subjects referred to detect or exclude suspected obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients without known disease or recurrent stenosis or ischemia in patients with previously treated CAD. Vasodilator stress CMR was performed on a 1.5 T scanner. CTA was performed on a 320-detector row system. Subjects were followed for cardiovascular events and downstream diagnostic testing. Subjects averaged 56 ± 12 years (60 % male), and 62 % had intermediate pre-test probability for obstructive CAD. Follow-up averaged 450 ± 115 days and was 100 % complete. CMR and CTA agreed in 92 % of cases (κ 0.81, p < 0.001). The event-free survival was 97 % for non-ischemic and 39 % for ischemic CMR (p < 0.0001). The event-free survival was 99 % for non-obstructive and 36 % for obstructive CTA (p < 0.0001). Using a reference standard including quantitative invasive angiography or major cardiovascular events, CMR and CTA had respective sensitivities of 93 and 98 %; specificities of 96 and 96 %; positive predictive values of 91 and 91 %; negative predictive values of 97 and 99 %; and accuracies of 95 and 97 %. Non-ischemic vasodilator stress CMR or non-obstructive coronary CTA were highly concordant and each confer an excellent prognosis. CMR and CTA are both accurate for assessment of obstructive CAD in a predominantly intermediate risk population
A multiwavelength investigation of the massive eclipsing binary Cyg OB2 #5
The properties of the early-type binary Cyg OB2 #5 have been debated for many
years and spectroscopic and photometric investigations yielded conflicting
results. We have attempted to constrain the physical properties of the binary
by collecting new optical and X-ray observations. We find that the orbital
period of the system slowly changes though we are unable to discriminate
between several possible explanations of this trend. The best fit solution of
the continuum light curve reveals a contact configuration with the secondary
star being significantly brighter and hotter on its leading side facing the
primary. The mean temperature of the secondary star turns out to be only
slightly lower than that of the primary, whilst the bolometric luminosity ratio
is found to be 3.1. The solution of the light curve yields a distance of 925
+/- 25 pc much lower than the usually assumed distance of the Cyg OB2
association. Whilst we confirm the existence of episodes of higher X-ray
fluxes, the data reveal no phase-locked modulation with the 6.6 day period of
the eclipsing binary nor any clear relation between the X-ray flux and the 6.7
yr radio cycle. The bright region of the secondary star is probably heated by
energy transfer in a common envelope in this contact binary system as well as
by the collision with the primary's wind. The existence of a common photosphere
probably also explains the odd mass-luminosity relation of the stars in this
system. Most of the X-ray, non-thermal radio, and possibly gamma-ray emission
of Cyg OB2 #5 is likely to arise from the interaction of the combined wind of
the eclipsing binary with at least one additional star of this multiple system
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