1,721,421 research outputs found
The role of computational models of the immune system in designing vaccination strategies
No full textNMR Analysis of Unnatural Amino Acids in Natural Antibiotics
No full textA large number of modified amino acids other than the canonical amino acid residues can be found in natural products, especially antibiotics. The structure of these peptide-based compounds is investigated using modern two-dimensional NMR techniques. The automatic assignment of the 2D NMR proton spectra and consequent determination of the primary and 3D structure of peptides or small size proteins containing natural amino acids is nowadays routine. However, a deficiency in the ability to readily sequence peptides containing unnatural amino acids still remains and a great human effort and time is required. The experimental methods and the protocols of manual analysis of the data are described in the following sections
Penile Length Measurement: Methodological Challenges and Recommendations, a Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Penile length measurement techniques vary widely in published studies leading to inaccurate and nonstandardized measurements. Aim: To review the methodology used to report data in studies evaluating penile length and provide a detailed recommendation in conducting future high-quality research. Methods: The MEDLINE database was searched for randomized clinical trials and open-label prospective or retrospective studies. Outcomes: The panel reviewed the modality of data reporting on these specific areas: patients’ age and assessment, patient position, type of measurement instrument used, penile length technique description, examination conditions, and actual examiner. Results: Overall, 70 studies investigating penile length were selected; among these, 72.85% included at least 50 patients: 16 prospective studies, 5 randomized clinical trials, and 49 retrospective cross-sectional studies. Amongst all studies, 90% reported to measure penile length by health care practitioners in clinical settings. Penile length was assessed in all 70 studies, whereas penile girth was measured in 57.14% of patients. A semi-rigid ruler was the most commonly used measurement aid to assess penile length/girth in 62.86% of studies. Penile measurements were reportedly obtained: (i) stretched state, 60%; (ii) flaccid state only, 52.68%; and (iii) during erection, 27.43%. All studies investigating the penile length in an erect state were simultaneously assessing penile length in the flaccid state. About 90% of studies investigated penile length in adults, whereas 10% were conducted in adolescents. Clinical Implications: The use of shared methodology to assess penile length in both adults and adolescents allows more accurate and standardized measurements. Strength & Limitations: A systematic review of the published literature allowed proper data interpretation in order to provide accurate recommendations. Main limitations of the study relied on a relatively limited number of databases for the identification of potentially eligible studies. Conclusion: The methodology used in studies measuring penile length should be precise and standardized in order to provide accurate data to both clinicians and researchers. Cakir OO, Pozzi E, Castiglione F, et al. Penile Length Measurement: Methodological Challenges and Recommendations, a Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2021;18:433–439
Implementation of a regulatory gene network to simulate the TH1/2 differentiation in an agent-based model of hypersensitivity reactions
No full textTransconjunctival sutureless 25-gauge versus 20-gauge standard vitrectomy: Correlation between corneal topography and ultrasound biomicroscopy measurements of sclerotomy sites
No full textPurpose: To determine the correlation between corneal shape changes and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) findings at the sclerotomy sites in conventional 20-gauge (G) pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and 25-G transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) and to compare the effectiveness of the two surgical methods. Design: Prospective, comparative, observational case series. Methods: Sixty consecutive eyes (60 patients) undergoing primary 3-port PPV. Thirty eyes (30 patients, group 20-G) were treated with 20-G standard PPV and 30 eyes (30 patients, group 25-G) with 25-G TSV. We compared healing of the sclerotomy sites in the two groups. We determined the correlation between corneal shape changes (surgically induced astigmatism) measured by videokeratography and the durations of scleral healing cicatrization by UBM within each group. Results: UBM examination showed that the 20-G sclerotomy sites took about 8 weeks to heal, measured as complete opposition, whereas healing of the 25-G TSV sclerotomy was quite rapid, with complete scleral opposition in about 4 weeks. Corneal topography analysis showed, during the early postoperative period, a surgically induced steepening of the cornea in both groups (20 G, 3.08 ± 0.56 diopters and 25 G, 0.805 ± 0.61 diopters, P < 0.001, Mann-Whitney test), which then decreased gradually, recovering to the preoperative level within two months in group 20 G (P > 0.05) and 1 month in group 25 G (P > 0.05). We found a strong statistical correlation between the mean surgically induced keratometric astigmatism and the mean UBM measures of scleral healing (r = 0.99 for group 20 G and r = 0.97 for group 25 G). Conclusion: After PPV, astigmatic changes are especially significant in the early postoperative period in 20-G group; the 25-G TSV system results in faster reduction of surgically induced keratometric astigmatism because of rapid cicatrization of the sclerotomy sites. © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Antibiotic treatment of Crohn's disease:results of a multicentre double blind randomized placebo controlled trial with Rifamixin
No full text1. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Apr 15;23(8):1117-25.
Antibiotic treatment of Crohn's disease: results of a multicentre, double blind,
randomized, placebo-controlled trial with rifaximin.
Prantera C, Lochs H, Campieri M, Scribano ML, Sturniolo GC, Castiglione F,
Cottone M.
Operative Unit of Gastroenterology, St Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy.
[email protected]
BACKGROUND: Clinicians often employ antibiotics in Crohn's disease. Rifaximin is
active against bacteria frequently found in the intestinal mucosa of Crohn's
disease patients.
AIM: To evaluate the difference in efficacy between once and twice/daily oral
administration of rifaximin and placebo in the treatment of active Crohn's
disease.
METHODS: We enrolled 83 patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease and
randomized to three treatments for 12 weeks: Group A (rifaximin 800 mg o.d. +
placebo), Group B (rifaximin 800 mg b.d.) and Group C (placebo b.d.).
RESULTS: Clinical remission was achieved by 52% of Group B, 32% (A) and 33% (C).
Clinical response was seen in 67% (B), 48% (A) and 41% (C), without reaching a
statistically significant difference. Treatment failures were: 4% (B), 12% (A)
and 33% (C), (P = 0.010). Remission and response rates of rifaximin 800 mg b.d.
were significantly higher than those of placebo and rifaximin 800 mg o.d. in
patients with elevated C reactive protein values (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Rifaximin 800 mg b.d. was superior to placebo in inducing clinical
remission of active Crohn's disease. Although this difference was not
statistically significant, the number of the failures in the placebo group was
significantly higher than those who received rifaximin 800 mg b.d.
PMID: 16611272 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Implementing agent's rules with gene regulatory networks in mesoscopic-level models of cellular interactions
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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