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The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased dramatically amongst multiethnic population. However, how gestational diabetes mellitus damages the developing embryo is still unknown. In this study, we used yolk sac membrane (YSM) model to investigate angiogenesis in the developing chick embryo. We determined that in the presence of high glucose, it retarded the growth and extension of the embryonic vascular plexus and it also reduced the density of the vasculature in yolk sac membrane model. Using the same strategy, we used the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as a model to investigate the infl uence of high glucose on the vasculature. We established that high glucose inhibited development of the blood vessel plexus and the blood vessels formed had a narrower diameter than control vessels. Concurrent with the abnormal angiogenesis, we also examined how it impacted cardiogenesis. We determined the myocardium in the right ventricle and left atrium were significantly thicker than the control and also there was a reduction in glycogen content in cardiomyocytes. The high glucose also induced excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cardiomyocytes. We postulated that it was the excess reactive oxygen species that damaged the cardiomyocytes resulting in cardiac hyperplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key issue with the current HgCdTe/Si system is the high dislocation density due to the large mismatch between HgCdTe and Si. An alternative system that has superior lattice matching is HgCdSe/GaSb. A buffer layer to mitigate issues with direct nucleation of HgCdSe on GaSb is ZnTeSe. We have performed preliminary studies into the growth of lattice-matched ZnTeSe on both (100) and (211)B GaSb. The effects of substrate orientation, substrate temperature, and growth conditions on the morphology and crystallography of ZnTeSe alloys were investigated. The lattice-matching condition yielded minimum root-mean-square (rms) roughness of 1.1 nm, x-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of ~29 arcsec, and density of nonradiative defects of mid-10 cm as measured by imaging photoluminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relative performance of T2 weighted short tau inversion–recovery (STIR) and fat-suppressed T1 weighted gadolinium contrast-enhanced sequences in depicting active inflammatory lesions in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Whole-spine MRI was performed on 32 patients with AS, who participated in a clinical trial of infliximab treatment, by STIR and contrast-enhanced sequences at baseline and after 30 weeks. The AS spine MRI-activity (ASspiMRI-a) scoring method was used. The images from these two imaging techniques were evaluated separately by two independent readers. Results: For the pre-treatment lesion status, the intraclass correlation coefficients comparing STIR readings and contrast-enhanced readings were 0.69±0.23 for Reader 1 and 0.65±0.21 for Reader 2. At baseline, the mean ASspiMRI-a score was 15.4% and 17.7% higher for contrast-enhanced images than for STIR images for Reader 1 and Reader 2, respectively. After infliximab treatment, Reader 1 rated an ASspiMRI-a score reduction of 50.8±33.6% and 25.3±35.3% for STIR images and contrast-enhanced images, respectively, whereas Reader 2 rated an ASspiMRI-a score reduction of 42.4±50.4% and 32.9±35.6% for STIR images and contrast-enhanced images, respectively. Conclusion: While both contrast-enhanced and STIR sequences showed sensitivity to change over a short period of time after infliximab treatment, these two sequences may reflect different disease mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the results of a nationwide surveillance programme for pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) in the pig population in South Korea. The results suggest that human beings were responsible for transmitting pH1N1 to pigs on nine farms. But the authors contend that other farms provided no epidemiological evidence to establish a route of pH1N1 transmission, making it difficult to rule out the possibility of direct transmission between pigs or indirect transmission via vehicles.

Objective: Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of esomeprazole or rabeprazole in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Hong Kong non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) patients. Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted at the Alice Ho Miu ling Nethersole Hospital outpatient endoscopy center from June 2004 to December 2005. Participants received amoxicillin 1 g, clarithromycin 500 mg, and, esomeprazole 20 mg (EAC) or rabeprazole 20 mg (RAC), all given twice daily for 1 week. The H. pylori status was determined by the [13C] urea breath test at least 4 weeks after completion of the treatment. Mutation status of CYP2C19 in exon 4 and exon 5 associated with the poor metabolizer phenotype was determined. Results: The intention-to-treat eradication rates in patients treated with RAC and EAC were 77% and 84·6% respectively, and per protocol-based eradication rates were 83·7% and 88·9% respectively. The eradication rates did not vary with CYP2C19 phenotype found. For clarithromycin-sensitive strains, the cure rates were statistically significant regardless of CYP2C19 polymorphism ( P < 0·0001). Conclusion: Triple therapy with either EAC or RAC is effective for Hong Kong Chinese NUD patients with H. pylori infection. Success eradication was related to clarithromycin resistance and not CYP2C19 genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Atopic eczema (AE) is characterized by reduced skin hydration (SH) and impaired integrity of the skin. Proper emollient usage is an important facet of AE management and patients are encouraged to use emollients liberally. Aim. To evaluate whether the amount of emollient and skin cleanser used correlates with eczema severity, SH or transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and whether liberal usage alters disease severity, SH and TEWL. Methods. We studied SH and TEWL at three common measurement sites on the forearm (antecubital flexure, 20 mm below the antecubital flexure, mid-forearm) and determined the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score, Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS), Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the amount of emollient and cleanser usage over a 2-week period in consecutive new patients seen at the paediatric skin clinic of a teaching hospital. Results. In total, 48 subjects and 19 controls were recruited. Patients with AE had significantly higher TEWL and lower SH in the studied sites. Emollient and cleanser usage was significantly higher ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.041, respectively) in patients with AE than in controls. The amount of emollient usage was correlated with NESS, SCORAD, CDLQI, TEWL and mid-forearm SH. No such correlation was found with cleanser usage. Regardless of SCORAD, prescribing 130 g/m2/week of emollient met the requirement of 95.8% of patients, and 73 g/m2/week met that of 85.4%; for the cleanser, prescribing 136 g/m2/week met the requirement of 91.7% of patients. Although skin dryness and SH were improved, there was no significant improvement in SCORAD or TEWL after 2 weeks. In terms of global acceptability of treatment, three-quarters of patients with AE and controls rated the combination of cream and cleanser as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Conclusions. Adequate amounts of emollient and bathing cleanser should be prescribed to patients with AE. These amounts can be conveniently estimated based on body surface area instead of the less readily available tools for disease severity, degree of SH or skin integrity. However, liberal usage of emollients and bathing cleanser alone does not seem to alter disease severity or TEWL within 2 weeks, implying that additional treatments are necessary to manage AE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To assess the annual direct, indirect and total societal costs, quality of life (QoL) of AS in a Chinese population in Hong Kong and determine the cost determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective. To examine the short-term efficacy and safety of MTX in combination with infliximab compared with infliximab and placebo in the treatment of AS using MRI to monitor its effect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Thymus-and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is one that selectively controls the migration of type 2-helper T lymphocytes into inflammatory lesions. TARC is a CC chemokine and plays an essential role in recruiting CC chemokine receptor 4-positive Th2 cells to allergic lesions. We cloned TARC cDNA from rat thymus using RT-PCR. The rat TARC clone contained a full-length open reading frame encoding 93 amino acids that showed 83 and 66% homology with mouse and human homologs, respectively. The expression of TARC mRNA was mainly in the lymphoid organs, for example, the thymus, spleen, and lymph node. The recombinant TARC was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified in an active form. In addition, the purified rat TARC with S-tagged specifically binds to human CCR4 in CD4/CCR4-transfected HOS cells by cell-binding assay using flow cytometry. The TARC cDNA clones obtained in this study will be valuable for future studies on allergic diseases in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRE binds to the cytoplasmic domains of tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 and Fas, and in cell lines can attenuate death receptor-initiated apoptosis by inhibiting t-BID-induced activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Overexpression of BRE by transfection can also attenuate intrinsic apoptosis and promote growth of the transfected Lewis lung carcinoma line in mice. There is, however, a complete lack of in vivo data about the protein. Here, we report that by using our BRE-specific monoclonal antibody on the immunohistochemistry of 123 specimens of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), significant differences in BRE expression levels between the paired tumoral and non-tumoral regions (P<2.2e−16) were found. Marked overexpression of BRE was detected in majority of the tumors, whereas most non-tumoral regions expressed the same low level of the protein as in normal livers. To investigate whether BRE overexpression could promote cell survival in vivo, liver-specific transgenic BRE mice were generated and found to be significantly resistant to Fas-mediated lethal hepatic apoptosis. The transgenic model also revealed post-transcriptional regulation of Bre level in the liver, which was not observed in HCC and non-HCC cell lines. Indeed, all cell lines analysed express high levels of BRE. In conclusion, BRE is antiapoptotic in vivo, and may promote tumorigenesis when overexpressed.Oncogene (2008) 27, 1208–1217; doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210733; published online 20 August 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the temporal relationship between cerebrovascular pressure reactivity and brain tissue oxygenation in patients with severe head injury.Methods: In 40 patients, brain tissue oxygenation and intracranial pressure were monitored. Time-averaged values for intracranial pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and brain tissue oxygenation (PtiO2) were computed. The pressure reactivity index (PRx) was calculated. The mean values of the variables were obtained at the 6-h and 72-h post-injury time points, and the difference between the two time points for each of the variables was denoted as delta (delta).Results: Of the 40 patients, 32 were survivors and 8 were non-survivors. Statistically significant differences were present between these two groups with regard to deltaMAP (p = 0.013), ICP at 6 h (p = 0.027), CPP at 72 h (p = 0.018), deltaCPP (p = 0.033), PRx at 6 h (p = 0.029), PRx at 72 h (p = 0.002), PtiO2 at 72 h (p < 0.0005) and deltaPtiO2 (p = 0.023) values, reflecting an improvement with time in survivors and a deterioration with time in non-survivors. In non-survivors, the magnitude of change in PtiO2 and CPP with time correlated in a negative linear fashion (p = 0.042 and 0.029, respectively) with the change in PRx with time, whereas no such relationship was seen in survivors.Conclusion: The severity of brain tissue oxygenation derangement correlates with increasing cerebrovascular dysautoregulation in patients succumbing to severe head injury, supporting the utility of PRx as a monitoring variable and the rationale for a target-driven approach to head injury management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Domenico solution is widely used in several analytical models for simulating ground water contaminant transport scenarios. Unfortunately, many textbook as well as journal article treatments of this approximate solution are full of empirical statements that are developed without mathematical rigor. For this reason, a rigorous analysis of this solution is warranted. In this article, we present a mathematical method to derive the Domenico solution and explore its limits. Our analysis shows that the Domenico solution is a true analytical solution when the value of longitudinal dispersivity is zero. For nonzero longitudinal dispersivity values, the Domenico solution will introduce a finite amount of error. We use an example problem to quantify the nature of this error and suggest some general guidelines for the appropriate use of this solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent randomized clinical trials suggested that eradication of Helicobacter pylori prior to initiation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy would reduce file rate of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Objective: To analyze file cost-effectiveness of H. pylori eradication prior to initiation of long-term NSAID therapy for prevention of NSAID-induced PUD in a cohort of Chinese patients at high risk for PUD. Methods: Clinical and economic data of 100 participants from a previously reported clinical trial conducted in Hong Kong were analyzed. Patients with a history of peptic ulcers were randomized to 1-week omeprazole 20 rag, amoxicillin.1 g and. clarithromycin 500 mg twice dally (eradication group; n = 51) or 1-week omeprazole 20 mg twice daily (omeprazole group; n = 49) before initiation of diclofenac 100 mg daily for 6 months. The rates of PUD and healthcare utilization for routine follow-up as well as for management of symptomatic PUD of the 2 groups were retrieved from medical records. Results: The rate of symptomatic ulcers in eradication group and omeprazole group were 3.9% mid 18%, respectively. The mean direct medical cost of the eradication group was significantly lower than that of the omeprazole group by 30% (US$ 797 (95% CI = 685–909) versus US$ 1,128 (95% CI = 879–1,377)) (p = 0.018). The results were robust to variation of all the cost items. Conclusions: H. pylori eradication prior to initiation of NSAID therapy appeared to reduce the ulcer rate and metal direct medical cost when compared to no eradication for Chinese H. pylori-infected NSAID users at high risk for PUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Qi therapy (external Qigong) in the management of symptoms of advanced cancer in a man. We used a single case study design to evaluate the effectiveness of Qi therapy (external Qigong) in a 35-year-old man with advanced cancer (Stage IV) involving metastases in the stomach, lung and bone (Karnofsky performance scale: KPS, 40: requires special care and assistance, disabled). Treatment involved six days of pre-assessment, eight treatment sessions on alternate days over 16 days, and a two-week follow-up phase. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the patient's self-reported symptoms of cancer over the intervention and follow-up periods. Following treatment, VAS scores’ analysis revealed beneficial effects on pain, vomiting, dyspnoea, fatigue, anorexia, insomnia, daily activity and psychological calmness. These improvements were maintained over the two-week follow-up phase. After the first Qi therapy session, the patient discontinued medication and could sit by himself; after the fourth session, the patient was able to walk and use the toilet without assistance (improvement in KPS: 70: care for self, unable to perform normal activity or to do active work). Although limited by the single case study approach, our results support previous studies on this topic and provide reasons to conduct controlled clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]