1,237 research outputs found
Efficacy of different doses and time intervals of oral vitamin D supplementation with or without calcium in elderly nursing home residents: reply to comment by Vieth
Simulation of actively controlled spacecraft with flexible appendages
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76688/1/AIAA-25388-716.pd
Investigation of Metallized and Nonmetallized Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene/Hydrogen Peroxide Hybrid Rockets
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77070/1/AIAA-22091-612.pd
MEN-2 Syndrome: The Value of Screening and Central Registration; A Study of Six Kindreds in The Netherlands
Since 1975, six families with the MEN-2A syndrome including 66 patients have been identified in The Netherlands. All these patients underwent thyroidectomy for C-cell hyperplasia and/or medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC); eight were symptomatic (Group A), 51 were relatives of patients found to be affected (Group B), and seven had had a negative screening test that became positive (Group C). To assess the effect of screening, we compared these groups with respect to the occurrence of metastatic MTC at thyroidectomy and the results of the postoperative calcitonin (CT) tests. We found that 87% of Group A, 37% of Group B; and none of Group C had metastatic disease at surgery. The cure rates in these three groups with MEN-2A, as determined by stimulated CT measurement, was 0%, 51%, and 100%, respectively. From these results it may be concluded that screening can lead to the detection of MTC at an earlier stage which in turn could permit curative treatment and improvement of both prognosis and life expectancy. The need for supervision of affected families by central registration to guarantee the continuity of screening is stressed
Understanding an empirically optimized contact
The electronic structure of the interface between the boron-doped oxygenated
amorphous silicon “window layer” (a-SiOx:H(B)) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide
(ZnO:Al) was investigated using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and
compared to that of the boron-doped microcrystalline silicon (μc-
Si:H(B))/ZnO:Al interface. The corresponding valence band offsets have been
determined to be (−2.87 ± 0.27) eV and (−3.37 ± 0.27) eV, respectively. A
lower tunnel junction barrier height at the μc-Si:H(B)/ZnO:Al interface
compared to that at the a-SiOx:H(B)/ZnO:Al interface is found and linked to
the higher device performances in cells where a μc-Si:H(B) buffer between the
a-Si:H p-i-n absorber stack and the ZnO:Al contact is employed
Respiratory syncytial virus as a cause of pulmonary hemorrhage in a low birth weight infant - strategies for protection and prevention: a case report
A case study of 39-year old man with persistent wheezing, episodes of haemoptysis and dry cough unsuccessfully treated with inhaled beta2-agonists and steroids for about 10 months. Chest radiograph revealed a disproportion in dimensions between both lungs, with the left one being smaller than the right one. Spirometry demonstrated a restrictive pattern. During bronchoscopy, a polypoid endobronchial tumor, localized in the left main bronchus, completely occluding its lumen, was found. The tumor was diagnosed as carcinoid. In this case, due to the lack of characteristic symptoms, diagnosis of carcinoid was delayed. Patients unsuccessfully treated for bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should undergo bronchoscopic examination
Induction of DNA breaks and apoptosis in crosslink-hypersensitive V79 cells by the cytostatic drug β-D-glucosyl-ifosfamide mustard
To study molecular aspects of cytotoxicity of the anticancer drug β-D-glucose-ifosfamide mustard we investigated the potential of the agent to induce apoptosis and DNA breakage. Since β-D-glucose-ifosfamide mustard generates DNA interstrand crosslinks, we used as an in vitro model system a pair of isogenic Chinese hamster V79 cells differing in their sensitivity to crosslinking agents. CL-V5B cells are dramatically more sensitive (30-fold based on D10 values) to the cytotoxic effects of β-D-glucose-ifosfamide mustard as compared to parental V79B cells. After 48 h of pulse-treatment with the agent, sensitive cells but not the resistant parental line undergo apoptosis and necrosis, with apoptosis being the predominant form of cell death (70 and 20% of apoptosis and necrosis, respectively). Apoptosis increased as a function of dose and was accompanied by induction of DNA double-strand breaks in the hypersensitive cells. Furthermore, a strong decline in the level of Bcl-2 protein and activation of caspases-3, -8 and -9 were observed. The resistant parental cells were refractory to all these parameters. Bcl-2 decline in the sensitive cells preceded apoptosis, and transfection-mediated overexpression of Bcl-2 protected at least in part from apoptosis. From the data we hypothesize that non-repaired crosslinks induced by β-D-glucose-ifosfamide mustard are transformed into double-strand breaks which trigger apoptosis via a Bcl-2 dependent pathway
Impact of prevalent and incident vertebral fractures on utility: results from a patient-based and a population-based sample
Data are scarce on the impact of vertebral fractures (VFX) on utility. The objective of this study was to assess the impact
of prevalent and incident VFX on utility in both a patient-based and population-based sample. Data from the Multiple Outcomes
of Raloxifene Evaluation (MORE) study (n = 550 for prevalent VFX and n = 174 for incident VFX) and the European Prospective Osteoporosis Study (EPOS) (n = 236) were used. Utility was assessed by the index score of the EQ-5D. In the MORE study, highly statistically significant
associations were found between utility and the presence of prevalent VFX (p < 0.001), number of prevalent VFX (p < 0.001), severity of prevalent VFX (p < 0.001), the combination of number and severity of prevalent VFX (p = 0.001) and location of prevalent VFX (p = 0.019). The mean utility was significantly lower among women who suffered an incident VFX (utility = 0.67) than among women
who did not (utility = 0.77) (p = 0.005), although utility loss was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.142). In EPOS, the combination of number and severity of incident VFX was significantly related to utility (p = 0.030). In conclusion, utility is lower among persons with prevalent and incident VFX, especially in a patient-based sample.
Utility loss was not significantly different between women without and with incident VFX
Soft matter science and the COVID-19 pandemic
Much of the science underpinning the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic
lies in the soft matter domain. Coronaviruses are composite particles with a
core of nucleic acids complexed to proteins surrounded by a protein-studded
lipid bilayer shell. A dominant route for transmission is via air-borne
aerosols and droplets. Viral interaction with polymeric body fluids,
particularly mucus, and cell membranes control their infectivity, while their
interaction with skin and artificial surfaces underpins cleaning and
disinfection and the efficacy of masks and other personal protective equipment.
The global response to COVID-19 has highlighted gaps in the soft matter
knowledge base. We survey these gaps, especially as pertaining to the
transmission of the disease, and suggest questions that can (and need to) be
tackled, both in response to COVID-19 and to better prepare for future viral
pandemics.Comment: 15 page
Effect of diet-induced weight loss on lipoprotein(a) levels in obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes
_Aims/hypothesis:_ Elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Although weight loss improves conventional risk factors for CVD in type 2 diabetes, the effects on Lp(a) are unknown and may influence the long-term outcome of CVD after diet-induced weight loss. The aim of this clinical study was to determine the effect of diet-induced weight loss on Lp(a) levels in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes.
_Methods:_ Plasma Lp(a) levels were determined by immunoturbidimetry in plasma obtained before and after 3–4 months of an energy-restricted diet in four independent study cohorts. The primary cohort consisted of 131 predominantly obese patients with type 2 diabetes (cohort 1), all participants of the Preven
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