Aims Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality for patients with heart failure and wide QRS complex, but up to 1/3 of patients are "non-responders" to the therapy. This study examines the ability of a simple standard electrocardiogram (ECG)-based scoring system to predict clinical outcome. Methods and results Four hundred and ninety-one consecutive patients with CRT

Click chemistry in combination with ultrafiltration has allowed the quick, efficient, and reliable multivalent conjugation of unprotected alkyne-derived carbohydrates to three generations of azido-terminated gallic acid-triethylene glycol dendrimers under aqueous conditions. The reported procedure allows the atom economical incorporation of up to 27 unprotected fucose, mannose, and lactose residue

It is generally accepted that China will be a great competitor to the Western industrialized countries in the twenty-first century. Is this a reasonable opinion? Is it true that China’s size and growth rate are important in measuring its potential as a competitor? Two questions should be considered. First, is the growth rate of the Chinese economy based on productivity gains? If economic growth is

Despite its importance for placental function, syncytiotrophoblast Na+-K+-ATPase has not been studied in detail. We purified syncytiotrophoblast microvillous (MVM) and basal (BM) membranes from full-term human placenta. Western blotting with isoform-specific antibodies demonstrated the presence of the α1-subunit, but not the α2- or α3-subunits, in MVM and BM. Relative density per unit membrane pro

An emerging concept in the ongoing battle against insect pests is that compounds thatinfluence the behavior of insects by modulating their ability to smell could be developedby targeting their chemoreceptors. This idea was identified by the annual horizon scan ofglobal conservation issues as a topic of concern for their 2015 report. Unfortunately, thepublication could only afford a short discussio

We have developed a straightforward technique for fabricating user-friendly and biomimetic microfluidic devices out of a gelatin/agar gel cross-linked with 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole. The fabrication procedure requires only inexpensive starting materials such as glass capillaries and wires to mold 3D cylindrical channels into the gel with the possibility of achieving channel diameters of 375 μm and

Effects of the fungicide propiconazole on soil microorganisms were tested using [3H] leucine incorporation and [14C] acetate in ergosterol incorporation to measure bacterial and fungal growth inhibition, respectively. Growth was compared to basal respiration (BR) and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in soil microcosms established according to the OECD 217 guideline. Fungal growth was most sensi

The DMSO reductase family is the largest and most diverse family of mononuclear molybdenum oxygen-atom-transfer proteins. Their active sites contain a Mo ion coordinated to two molybdopterin ligands, one oxo group in the oxidised state, and one additional, often protein-derived ligand. We have used density-functional theory to evaluate how the fourth ligand (serine, cysteine, selenocysteine, OH−,

Wild aquatic birds are recognized as the natural reservoir of avian influenza A viruses (AIV), but across high and low pathogenic AIV strains, scientists have yet to rigorously identify most competent hosts for the various subtypes. We examined 11,870 GenBank records to provide a baseline inventory and insight into patterns of global AIV subtype diversity and richness. Further, we conducted an ext

Evacuation models used in fire safety engineering have largely expanded their capabilities over the last decades. They started as simple computational tools in which people movement equations were implemented in discrete spaces, while they now often allow the simulation of complex behaviours and decision making through advanced agent-based simulation techniques in three-dimensional environments. W

PURPOSE: Although many previous studies have indicated that the acute inflammatory response following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is detrimental, inflammation may also positively influence outcome in the more chronic post-injury recovery period. We evaluated the effects of monoclonal antibodies (mAB), neutralizing either IL-6 (IL-6 mAB) or TNF-alpha (TNF mAB), administered intracerebroventricular

Increasing age is associated with a poor prognosis following traumatic brain injury (TBI). CNS axons may recover poorly following TBI due to expression of myelin-derived inhibitors to axonal outgrowth such as Nogo-A. To study the role of Nogo-A/B in the pathophysiological response of the elderly to TBI, 1-year-old mice deficient in Nogo-A/B (Nogo-A/B homozygous(-/-) mice), Nogo-A/B heterozygous(-/

Axonal injury is a hallmark of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is associated with a poor clinical outcome. Following central nervous system injury, axons regenerate poorly, in part due to the presence of molecules associated with myelin that inhibit axonal outgrowth, including myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). The involvement of MAG in neurobehavioral deficits and tissue loss following experi

BACKGROUND: The neurological wake-up test (NWT) is used to monitor the level of consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, it requires interruption of sedation and may elicit a stress response. We evaluated the effects of the NWT using cerebral microdialysis (MD), brain tissue oxygenation (PbtiO2), jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2), and/or arterial-venous differen