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At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

ESPEN Guidelines on Enteral Nutrition: Gastroenterology.

Undernutrition as well as specific nutrient deficiencies have been described in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and short bowel syndrome (SBS). The present guideline gives evidence-based recommendations for the indication, application and type of formula of enteral nutrition (EN) (oral nutritional supplements (ONS) or tube feeding (TF)) in these patients. It was developed in an interdisciplinary consensus-based process in accordance with officially accepted standards and is based on all relevant publications since 1985. ONS and/or TF in addition to normal food is indicated in undernourished patients with CD or CU to improve nutritional status. In active CD EN is the first line therapy in children and should be used as sole therapy in adults mainly when treatment with corticosteroids is not feasible. No significant differences have been shown in the effects of free amino acid, peptide-based and whole protein formulae for TF. In remission ONS is recommended only in steroid dependent patients in CD. In patients with SBS TF should be introduced in the adaptation phase and should be changed with progressing adaptation to ONS in addition to normal food.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMed2006

Plastic abnormalities in experimental Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder that follows an autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance. In human cases of HD and experimental models of the disease, multiple alterations in neurotransmitters and post-receptor machineries have been described. Dopamine, acetylcholine and glutamate signalling, which usually cooperate in the induction of physiological synaptic plasticity, are all disrupted. Impairment of the induction and reversal of the main forms of neuronal synaptic plasticity influences the computational function of complex neural circuits that mediate essential cognitive and motor functions. As long-term potentiation and long-term depression represent the accepted model for neuronal learning processes, their impairment could account for the onset and progression of both motor and cognitive symptoms of HD.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Degradation of xenobiotics originating from the textile preparation, dyeing, and finishing industry using ozonation and advanced oxidation.

Effluents from textile preparation, dyeing, and finishing processes contain high concentrations of biologically difficult-to-degrade or even inert auxiliaries. Under these circumstances, it most often becomes inevitable to apply energy-intense and hence "imperative" treatment technologies (so-called advanced oxidation processes, AOPs) to achieve an acceptable reduction in the organic content of the effluent, thereby improving the biocompatibility of the originally refractory wastewater. The present experimental study focused on three problematic dyehouse effluent streams in order to alleviate the problem of toxicity and recalcitrance arising from the use of certain textile chemicals at source. For that purpose, the textile preparation stage was simulated by a nonionic surfactant (NS), the polyamide dyeing stage by a synthetic tannin (syntan; ST), and an aqueous biocidal finishing (BF) solution was employed to mimic typical textile finishing effluent. Synthetic effluent streams bearing NS, ST, or BF were subjected to treatment with different, well-established AOPs (ozonation at varying pH; advanced oxidation with H(2)O(2)/UV-C at varying H(2)O(2) concentrations) in order to degrade the active ingredients of the auxiliary formulations, thereby eliminating their toxicity and recalcitrance. Baseline experiments were conducted in order to optimize AOP conditions that were consecutively applied to observe changes in the originally poor effluent biodegradability and high toxicity. Obtained experimental findings revealed that (i) the COD content of NS could be reduced by at least 50% after H(2)O(2)/UV-C treatment at pH 9.0 accompanied by a nearly twofold improvement in its already fair biodegradability; (ii) the inhibitory effect of the biochemically reluctant ST on heterotrophic biomass was completely eliminated upon ozonation (dose=900 mg h(-1)) at pH 3.5; and (iii) the microbial toxicity exerted by BF totally disappeared after ozonation (dose=600 mg h(-1)) at pH 7.2. However, the achievement of detoxification and/or biodegradability improvement was accompanied with high electrical energy requirements.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2006

Protein thiol oxidation in health and disease: techniques for measuring disulfides and related modifications in complex protein mixtures.

Oxidant species are known to contribute to disease and dysfunction in biological systems. However, evidence has been progressively accumulating that demonstrates a more fundamental role for many oxidant species in the regulation of everyday function of healthy cells. Redox dependent signaling events involving the post-translational, oxidative modification of proteins has now been accepted as an important regulatory process, although the full extent of such mechanisms is yet to be determined. Some protein cysteinyl thiols are known to be susceptible to a number of redox-dependent modifications, including an interchange between the reduced thiol and several different oxidized disulfide states. Here, the role of oxidants as regulatory entities is reviewed, as are the many different ways protein disulfide formation can be analysed in complex protein mixtures. This includes an overview of many of the Proteomic strategies that can be used to identify proteins that form disulfides when pro-oxidizing conditions arise in cells, as well as related methods for studying intermediates that may precede disulfide formation.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Standard immunostains for melanoma in sentinel lymph node specimens: which ones are most useful?

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in melanoma is an increasingly used procedure. Pathologic evaluation of SLNs using immunohistochemistry improves diagnostic accuracy, yet no universally accepted standard protocol for pathologic processing of SLNs exists. OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate our experience with the sensitivity of the immunostains S-100, HMB-45, and Melan-A for SLN biopsy. METHODS: Ninety-nine positive SLNs from 72 patients were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of microscopic metastatic melanoma on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), S-100, HMB-45, and Melan-A stained sections and sensitivities of each immunohistochemical stain were determined. RESULTS: The sensitivities of S-100, HMB-45, and Melan-A were 97%, 75%, and 96% respectively. CONCLUSION: Given the lower sensitivity of HMB-45, our practice for evaluation of SLN biopsy specimens was modified using combinations of H&E, S-100, and Melan-A without HMB-45. If the H&E sections are negative or equivocal for metastatic melanoma, immunohistochemistry staining with S-100 protein and Melan-A is performed. New and improved protocols will undoubtedly be forthcoming as the field advances.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed2005

Asthma, the ugly duckling of lung disease proteomics?

The human respiratory system represents a vital but vulnerable system. It is a major target for many diseases such as cancer and asthma. The incidence of these diseases has increased dramatically in the last 40-50 years. In the search for possible new therapies, many experimental tools and methods have been developed to study these diseases, ranging from animal models to in vitro studies. In the last decades, genomic and proteomic approaches have gained a lot of attention. After the major scientific breakthroughs in the field of genomics, it is now widely accepted that to understand biological processes, large-scale protein studies through proteomics techniques are required. In the battle against lung cancer, the proteomics approach has already been successfully implemented. Surprisingly, only a few proteomics studies on the ever-increasing global asthma problem have been published so far. And although proteomics also has its limitations and experimental difficulties, in our opinion, proteomics can definitely contribute to the understanding of a complex disease such as asthma. Therefore, the additional values and possibilities of proteomics in asthma research should be thoroughly investigated. A close collaboration between the different scientific disciplines may eventually lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies against asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed2004

Gene expression profiling reveals multiple toxicity endpoints induced by hepatotoxicants.

Microarray technology continues to gain increased acceptance in the drug development process, particularly at the stage of toxicology and safety assessment. In the current study, microarrays were used to investigate gene expression changes associated with hepatotoxicity, the most commonly reported clinical liability with pharmaceutical agents. Acetaminophen, methotrexate, methapyrilene, furan and phenytoin were used as benchmark compounds capable of inducing specific but different types of hepatotoxicity. The goal of the work was to define gene expression profiles capable of distinguishing the different subtypes of hepatotoxicity. Sprague-Dawley rats were orally dosed with acetaminophen (single dose, 4500 mg/kg for 6, 24 and 72 h), methotrexate (1mg/kg per day for 1, 7 and 14 days), methapyrilene (100mg/kg per day for 3 and 7 days), furan (40 mg/kg per day for 1, 3, 7 and 14 days) or phenytoin (300 mg/kg per day for 14 days). Hepatic gene expression was assessed using toxicology-specific gene arrays containing 684 target genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Principal component analysis (PCA) of gene expression data was able to provide a clear distinction of each compound, suggesting that gene expression data can be used to discern different hepatotoxic agents and toxicity endpoints. Gene expression data were applied to the multiplicity-adjusted permutation test and significantly changed genes were categorized and correlated to hepatotoxic endpoints. Repression of enzymes involved in lipid oxidation (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, medium chain, enoyl CoA hydratase, very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase) were associated with microvesicular lipidosis. Likewise, subsets of genes associated with hepatotocellular necrosis, inflammation, hepatitis, bile duct hyperplasia and fibrosis have been identified. The current study illustrates that expression profiling can be used to: (1) distinguish different hepatotoxic endpoints; (2) predict the development of toxic endpoints; and (3) develop hypotheses regarding mechanisms of toxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Portfolio assessment: practice teachers' early experience.

Experience was recognised to be a vital source of learning as long ago as 1762 [Emile, Everyman, London, 1993] and reflection on practice experience may be one way forward in addressing nursing's anxieties concerning the practice theory gap. However, despite the acceptance that subjectivity in the process seems inevitable and potentially important, little is understood of the practitioner's experience of practice assessment. Two questionnaires sought the views of specialist community nursing practitioner (SCNP) programme (United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) 2001) practice teachers (PTs) on the introduction of the portfolio approach to practice assessment. These were distributed to 62 and 76 PTs and the response rates were 32% and 50%, respectively. Responses of those PTs from the three specialisms participating in the piloting of the portfolio approach were compared with those using an existing approach. An action research method was adopted which attempted to use established theory to explain the challenges presented by the introduction of this approach and ultimately to raise the PT group's awareness of assessment issues. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and the findings support the use of the portfolio approach to practice assessment. The PT experience of portfolio use was found to be a largely positive one. PTs reported the utility of the portfolio in prompting student self-evaluation of learning. Concerns were expressed by PTs around the quality of portfolio evidence although many felt that it had promoted students' reflection on practice. Inter-PT reliability in practice assessment was identified as a topic for PT continuing professional development. Many sources of evidence, including patient feedback, were used by PTs in their assessment of students although PTs using the portfolio approach used less first-hand experience of students' practice in their assessments of competence, relying more on written evidence, than those PTs using a traditional approach to practice assessment.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed2004

Immune activation and chronic inflammation as the cause of malignancy in oral lichen planus: is there any evidence ?

The association of chronic inflammation with a variety of epithelial malignancies has been recognised for centuries. Well established examples include, among many others, oesophageal adenocarcinoma associated with chronic oesophagitis and bowel cancer associated with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. By now no data, other than clinical observation, have been available in understanding the pathogenesis of these inflammation-related tumours. However, recent molecular studies on the relationship between solid malignancies and the surrounding stroma have given new insights. There is now enough evidence to accept that the chronic inflammatory process per se is able to provide a cytokine-based microenvironment which is able to influence cell survival, growth, proliferation, differentiation and movement, hence contributing to cancer initiation, progression, invasion and metastasis. Here it is discussed whether also oral lichen planus (OLP), being a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease which has been clinically associated with development of oral squamous cell carcinoma, might be categorised among these disorders. With this aim, we critically reviewed and detailed the presence, in OLP subepithelial infiltrate, of inflammatory cells and cytokine networks that might act to promote squamous tumorigenesis.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2003

Postmortem parenthood and the need for a protocol with posthumous sperm procurement.

OBJECTIVE: Posthumous sperm procurement involves harvesting gametes from a recently deceased man for cryopreservation and future use in ART. This paper discusses the practical and ethical role of posthumous sperm procurement in medical practice and society and submits possible solutions, including the establishment of formal policies and protocols. DESIGN: English-language literature review and bioethical discussion. RESULT(S): In the United States, an increase in requests and protocols has been documented. International requests and regulation are variable. CONCLUSION(S): Posthumous sperm procurement is fraught with ethical dilemmas, including informed consent, privacy, inheritance, and child welfare. To establish appropriate medical practice, it is important to consider all stakeholders in the decision-making process. We believe that an acceptable and ethical resolution can be obtained only through the collaborative input of all involved parties. We have looked to U.S. and international sources for guidance in current practice and to gain insight into the formulation of future policies.

Cadaver↗
PubMed1999

Efficient solid-phase extraction procedures for trace enrichment of priority phenols from industrial effluents with high total organic carbon content.

Polymeric solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and Speedisks were used to extract 17 phenols from HPLC-grade water, tap water, river water and industrial effluents. With SPE cartridges, recoveries between 60 and 120% were obtained for waters with a total organic carbon (TOC) content below 20 mg C/l. However, when extracting industrial effluent waters with higher TOC values (75 mg C/l), only the polar phenols were recovered from the water fraction. Nonpolar compounds (di-, tri- and tetrachlorophenols) remained attached to the particulate matter and were recovered from the 0.45-microm filter membrane disks by Soxhlet extraction. Speedisks offered a high efficiency and permitted one to extract phenols without a prior filtration step. Acceptable recoveries were obtained when processing heavily charged industrial effluents with a TOC of 505 mg C/l. Liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was used for the routine determination of 17 priority phenols.

Carbon↗
PubMed2003

Comprehensive analysis and management of chronic pain.

Given the pervasive effect of chronic pain, a comprehensive approach to nursing care is needed. Addressing the physical effects of persistent pain on multiple systems and bodily functions requires combining (drug and nondrug) interventions to reduce pain and improve functioning. Targeting anxiety, depression and anger effectively can halt or even reverse the escalation of pain attributed to emotions. Recognizing belief patterns associated with distress and disability, while challenging patients to rethink the truthfulness of their perceptions is an important step in helping patients think, feel, and do better. Eliciting self-reflective narratives about the context of pain in their lives taps into the spiritual domain and initiates processes of grieving, forgiveness, and acceptance that are needed to transcend perceived limits and find new meaning in their lives. By attending to social interactions, including therapeutic relationships, chronic pain patients can become more independent and involved in family or socially meaningful activities. Combined, nurses can help patients restore joy, functioning, and a sense of purpose despite the devastating toll persistent pain has taken.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Arsenic removal during conventional aluminium-based drinking-water treatment.

The changing forms and concentrations of arsenic through aluminium-based coagulation treatment processes were tracked for three drinking-water treatment plants. This has provided direct evidence of where and how arsenic is removed. In general, soluble As(V) is converted to particulate As(V) by adsorption during rapid mixing, and is removed along with naturally occurring particulate arsenic predominantly by clarification. Soluble As(III) tracks through the treatment processes and is converted to soluble As(V) during final chlorination. The ability of a water treatment process to achieve the maximum acceptable concentration for arsenic in drinking water is dependent on the concentration of As(III) in the source water.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2002

Uncertainties in the role of land vegetation in the carbon cycle.

Since the late 1950s the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere has been increasing by around 0.5-3 ppm per year. Understanding of carbon sinks is vital to understanding this trend and its future behaviour. Here we examine some of the factors which may affect the proportion of anthropogenic CO2 ending up in the atmosphere in the present and in the future, and variability in the CO2 increase from one year to another. We also examine the evidence for the potential of terrestrial ecosystem carbon sinks to take up or release CO2. In some cases, a careful re-examination of the research methods used to deduce present and future feedbacks may be necessary. The most advanced technology and the most complex models do not necessarily produce reliable results. They should be carefully checked against a general background knowledge of ecological processes before their results are accepted.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Involvement of pro-enkephalin-derived peptides in immunity.

It is widely accepted that all organisms have processes that maintain their state of health. Failure of these processes, such as those involving the naturally occurring antibacterial peptides, may lead to pathological events. Recent results demonstrate that these peptides, such as peptide B, appear in invertebrates and vertebrates (including humans) immediately after tissue trauma, and maintain themselves for long durations (over 4h). Their degradation products lead to other inflammatory peptides, such as Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe. These newly described antibacterial peptides, which are released and not induced, are present on neuropeptide precursors such as proenkephalin. This is a new field of research, in that the same protein contains proposed neuropeptides, antibacterial peptides, and immune stimulatory peptides. The focus of this review is to describe how the pro-enkephalin derived peptides participate in immune processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

An overview of small-scale food fermentation technologies in developing countries with special reference to Thailand: scope for their improvement.

Small-scale food fermentation technologies in developing countries have evolved through years of experience rather than through scientific breakthroughs. Many small-scale manufacturers are, therefore, reluctant to accept change and modify fermentation processes. Upgrading the quality and safety of fermented foods, while reducing their production cost and maintaining their authenticity and uniqueness, is of utmost importance. One strategic approach, which has been successfully implemented for the improvement of small-scale soy sauce fermentation in Thailand, is the consortium approach. This approach has allowed industry to work closely in sharing knowledge and common problems, which in turn has provided scientists with the research direction that would best benefit the industry. This consortium approach has brought about changes in the methodologies used in the production of soy sauce, by shortening processing times, introducing fiberglass tanks as bioreactors instead of the traditionally used small earthenware containers and introducing cost-effective waste management systems. One barrier to the application of starter cultures in the small-scale fermentation industry is the loss of uniqueness of fermented products. However, the advent of molecular biology techniques has allowed science to tailor starter cultures to the specific requirements of the manufacturer. Using the techniques of molecular biology, it has been shown that microflora of a specific product vary according to origin and sensory quality. A cell bank is being developed to serve as a resource base for Thai fermented pork sausage in order to facilitate the application of starter cultures in the manufacture of that product.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1996

The major subunit ClpG of Escherichia coli CS31A fibrillae as an expression vector for different combinations of two TGEV coronavirus epitopes.

Previously, two B-cell epitopes from the entero-pathogenic transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), namely the C epitope (TGEV-C) amino acids (aa) 363-371 and the A epitope (TGEV-A) aa 522-531 of the spike S protein (TGEV-S), have been separately expressed on the CS31A fibrillae at the surface of Escherichia coli following insertion into a same region of ClpG. However, the resulting chimeras induced a marginal TGEV-neutralizing antibody (Ab) response in mice. Here, with the view to improving this response, we introduced TGEV-C alone or in different tandem association with TGEV-A (A::C or C::A) in twelve putatively exposed regions of ClpG. Among the 28 resulting engineered proteins only 15, carrying up to 51 extra aa, had not essentially disturbed the correct CS31A fibrillae formation process. Six partially permissive sites accepting only TGEV-C and three highly permissive sites tolerating A::C or C::A tandem peptide, were identified throughout ClpG. Intact bacteria or extracted CS31A hybrid fibrillae expressing TGEV epitopes at any of the permissive sites, were recognized by Ab directed against the foreign parent protein, providing a direct argument for exposure of the corresponding CIpG region at the cell surface and for antigenicity of the epitopes in the polymeric CS31A fibrillae context. The potential of CS31A fibrillae as carriers of the TGEV peptides indicates that there may be three positions (N terminus, aa 202-204 and 202-218) in ClpG which may turn out to be important fusion sites and therefore be relevant for the eventual design of TGEV vaccines. Unexpectedly, TGEV-A, whatever its position in ClpG, mediated the partial proteolytic degradation of the hybrid proteins, suggesting that it functions as a substrate for a cellular protease, and thereby that its suitability as a vaccine antigen candidate is doubtful.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Stereoselective binding of ketoprofen enantiomers to human serum albumin studied by high-performance liquid affinity chromatography.

A chiral stationary phase based on immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) was used to study the stereoselective binding of ketoprofen enantiomers by means of high-performance liquid affinity chromatography. The technique of zonal elution was applied together with a novel mathematical approach describing attachment to more than one type of binding site. Phenylbutazon (PBZ) and diazepam (DAZ) were used as markers for the major believed binding regions on HSA. Both R- and S-ketoprofen (KTR and KTS) display high affinity to the primary PBZ- and DAZ-binding sites and low-affinity to the secondary DAZ sites. The binding to high-affinity regions is accepted to be a stepwise process initiated by the binding to the primary DAZ sites and followed by the attachment to the primary PBZ sites. The chiral recognition is attributed to the high-affinity PBZ-binding sites and to the low-affinity DAZ-binding sites.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗