Long-living Ames dwarf (df/df) mice are homozygous for a mutation of the Prop1(df) gene. As a result, mice are deficient in growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH). In spite of the hormonal deficiencies, df/df mice live significantly longer and healthier lives compared to their wild type siblings. We studied the effects of calorie restriction (CR) on the expression of insulin...

A total of 138 isolates, 118 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates (staphylococcal cassette chromosome type II, 20 isolates, type III, 39 isolates and type IV, 59 isolates) and 20 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates were evaluated by phenotypic methods: cefoxitin and oxacillin disk diffusion (DD), agar dilution (AD), latex agglutination (LA), oxacillin agar screening ...

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Multidimensional Body Image Scale (MBIS), a seven-factor, 62-item scale developed for Malaysian female adolescents. This scale was evaluated among male and female Malaysian university students. METHODS A total of 671 university students (52.2% women and 47.8% men) completed a self-administered questionnaire on MBIS,...

Four rapid latex agglutination assays, StaphAurex (Wellcome Diagnostics, Research Triangle Park, N.C.), Bacto Staph (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.), SeroSTAT (Scott Laboratories, Inc., Fiskeville, R.I.), Veri-Staph (Zeus Technologies, Raritan, N.J.), and two hemagglutination tests, Staphyloslide (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.) and Hemastaph (Remel, Lenexa, Kans.), were compar...

To evaluate the association between the apelin -1860T>C polymorphism and plasma apelin levels in Turkish patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 276 individuals were enrolled in the present study, including 158 patients with CAD and 118 individuals without CAD as controls. The presence of the apelin -1860T>C gene polymorphism and plasma apelin levels were determined using polyme...

In this study, we demonstrate the antioxidant and protective properties of the aqueous extract of two commercial Polydiaceae plants - Drynaria fortunei (DF) and Pseudodrynaria coronans (PC) against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced oxidative damage in B35 neuroblastoma cells. The contents of their phytochemical profiles were determined by spectrophotometric methods and high performance liquid ...

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children's F(-) exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F(-) concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are life-long residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of ...

Dengue fever (DF) is the single most important vector-borne viral disease in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Globally, estimated 390 million dengue virus infection cases and 100 million incidences of DF occur each year (1). According to the WHO (2), southeast and western Pacific areas carry approximately 75% of global DF infections. This is a serious issue because the severity resulti...

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of age, time period, and birth cohorts with dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) in Bangkok, Thailand over the period 1981-2000. The age group at greatest risk for DF/DHF was 5-9 years old. The period effect shows a remittent pattern, with significant increases in 1986-1990 and 1996-2000. The birth cohort group showed a significant decr...