BACKGROUND Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a highly potent phospholipid mediator responsible for the life-threatening manifestations of anaphylaxis. PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) inactivates PAF and protects against severe anaphylaxis whereas deficiency of PAF-AH predisposes to severe or fatal anaphylaxis. Determinants of PAF-AH activity have not been studied in patients with peanut allergy....

BACKGROUND It is difficult to determine whether to treat a given girl who has idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) in terms of adult height (AH). The objective was to provide an easy tool for predicting AH and age at first menstruation at initial evaluation to help guide the decision regarding whether to treat. METHODS Data analysis us...

It was recently shown that the persistent Na(+) current (I(NaP)) is generated in the proximal axon in response to somatic depolarization in neocortical pyramidal neurons, although the involvement of I(NaP) in spike initiation is still unclear. Here we show a potential role of I(NaP) in spike initiation of primary sensory neurons in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) that display a backp...

BACKGROUND Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), also denoted as lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, is a lipoprotein-bound enzyme that is possibly involved in inflammation and atherosclerosis. This study investigates the relationship of PAF-AH activity to angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD), the use of cardiovascular drugs, and other established risk factors. METHO...

Normal rat bile contains secretory platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), the enzyme capable of hydrolyzing the inflammatory mediator platelet-activating factor (PAF), and phospholipids containing oxidized truncated fatty acids. Because lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) possesses intrinsic PAF-AH-like activity, it also may represent a potential anti-inflammatory enzyme. ...

INTRODUCTION Models of atmospheric processes simulate only certain spatial and temporal scales. The observations used to test the performance of these models are individual realizations (which can be envisioned as coming from ideal ensembles), and are affected by variations unaccounted for within the simulation model. Given this, it makes sense to ask the models to replicate variations having c...

As the oven temperature is raised at a reproducible rate, analytes are eluted and the areas under the chromatogram are recorded. Boiling points are assigned to the time axis from a calibration curve, known as the boiling-point distribution curve, based on a known mixture of normal paraffin hydrocarbons over a fixed range. These paraffin hydrocarbons serve as markers, which identify the time tha...

Platelet activating factor (PAF) and PAFlike lipids induce inflammatory responses in target cells. These lipid mediators are inactivated by PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAFAH). The PAF signaling system affects the growth of hematopoietic CD34 cells, but roles for PAF-AH in this process are unknown. Here, we investigated PAF-AH function during megakaryopoiesis and found that human CD34 cells accumulate ...

BACKGROUND Low absolute humidity (AH) has been associated with increased influenza virus survival and transmissibility and the onset of seasonal influenza outbreaks. Humidification of indoor environments may mitigate viral transmission and may be an important control strategy, particularly in schools where viral transmission is common and contributes to the spread of influenza in communities. H...

Received: 24 Nov 2014 Accepted: 12 May 2015 Abstract Background and Aim: Some researchers have attempted to enhance the antibacterial properties of sealers by addition of antibiotics while this may affect their physical properties. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the working time and flow of AH Plus sealer alone and in combination with amoxicillin and triple antibiotic paste (...