114 research outputs found
Efficacy of BI 671800, an oral CRTH2 antagonist, in poorly controlled asthma as sole controller and in the presence of inhaled corticosteroid treatment
The prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) receptor, CRTH2, plays a role in allergic airway inflammation. The efficacy of BI 671800, a CRTH2 antagonist, was assessed in 2 separate trials in patients with asthma, in either the absence or the presence of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy. In this study, BI 671800 (50, 200 or 400 mg) and fluticasone propionate (220 mg) all given twice daily (bid) were compared with bid placebo in symptomatic controller-naïve adults with asthma (Trial 1), and BI 671800 400 mg bid compared with montelukast 10 mg once daily (qd), and matching placebo bid, in patients with asthma receiving inhaled fluticasone (88 mg bid) (Trial 2). The primary endpoint in both trials was change from baseline in trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) percent predicted. After 6 weeks' treatment, adjusted mean treatment differences (SE) for the primary endpoint compared with placebo in Trial 1 were 3.08% (1.65%), 3.59% (1.60%) and 3.98% (1.64%) for BI 671800 50, 200 and 400 mg bid, respectively, and 8.62% (1.68%) for fluticasone 220 mg bid (p ¼ 0.0311, p ¼ 0.0126, p ¼ 0.0078 and p < 0.0001, respectively). In Trial 2, adjusted mean FEV1 (SE) treatment differences compared with placebo were 3.87% (1.49%) for BI 671800 400 mg bid and 2.37% (1.57%) for montelukast (p ¼ 0.0050 and p ¼ 0.0657, respectively). These findings suggest that BI 671800 is associated with a small improvement in FEV1 in symptomatic controller-naïve asthma patients, and in patients on ICS
Opera and poison : a secret and enjoyable approach to teaching and learning chemistry
The storyline of operas, with historical or fictional characters, often include potions and poisons. This has prompted a study of the chemistry behind some operatic plots. The results were originally presented as a lecture given at the University of Minho in
Portugal, within the context of the International Year of Chemistry.
The same lecture was subsequently repeated at other universities as an invited lecture for science students and in public theaters for wider audiences. The lecture included a multimedia and interactive
content that allowed the audience to listen to arias and to watch video clips with selected scenes extracted from operas. The present article, based on the lecture, demonstrates how chemistry and opera
can be related and may also serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for chemistry teachers looking for alternative pedagogical approaches. Moreover, the lecture constitutes a vehicle that transports chemistry knowledge to wider audiences through examples of everyday molecules, with particular emphasis on natural products.The author is pleased to express his gratitude to Jorge Calado and Michael John Smith for useful discussions. The author also thanks the reviewers of the manuscript for their helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks are due to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT,Portugal), QREN and FEDER/EU for financial support through the research centers, CQ/UM PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011. Ciencia Viva, Portugal, is also acknowledged for financial support of the activities organized by the University of Minho during the International Year of Chemistry. The author also expresses his gratitude to Ana Paula Ferreira and Andre Cunha Leal from RTP Antena 2 who contributed immensely to the popularization of the lecture on which this paper is based on
Understanding preventive behaviors among mid-Western African-American men: a pilot qualitative study of prostate screening
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jomh.2011.03.00
From Science to Applications: Determinants of Diffusion in the Use of Earth Observations
Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome
The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead
Photoactive Poly(ethylene glycol) Organosilane Films for Site-Specific Protein Immobilization
We describe the synthesis, characterization, and use of a new photoactive organosilane developed for the photoimmobilization of proteins. Thin films of 2-nitro-5-[11-(trimethoxysilyl)undecyl]oxybenzyl methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) propanoate are characterized using atomic force microscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. When this organosilane is used to modify silicon substrates, the solvent used during deposition affects the surface concentration and morphology of the resultant film. Although films deposited from either aqueous buffer or anhydrous toluene can be used to attach proteins to surfaces, films deposited from aqueous buffer display 4−6 times less nonspecific protein adsorption that those deposited from toluene. Modification of surfaces with this type of photoactive and protein “rejecting” film should aid in the development of high-resolution protein microarrays
Surface Fluorescence Quenching of Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles
This presentation was given at the 231st American Chemical Society National Meeting
Study of the Environmental Distribution and Catalyzed Degradation Potential of Brominated Flame Retardants
This presentation was given at the 1st Annual CST Symposium on Excellence in STEM
It\u27s Beautiful, But Is It Real?
This presentation was given at the CST Science and Mathematics Colloquium
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