PURPOSE To study tear trypsin inhibitory capacity (T-TIC), serum trypsin inhibitory capacity (S-TIC) and their relationship to matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and -9 in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). METHODS In the first phase of the study, inactivation of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) by MMP-1 and -9 was investigated in vitro. Subsequently, tear samples were collected after c...

BACKGROUND Titanium carbide (TiC) is used for ceramic metal composites in several industries and is regarded as a nanomaterial for catalyst and battery applications. However, there are very few studies in regard to the toxicological potential of TiC nanoparticles (NPs). OBJECTIVE To study the toxicodynamics and toxicokinetics of TiC NPs in Sprague Dawley rats in acute (24 h) and subacute (28 ...

TiC nanofibers reinforced Al matrix composites were produced by High Frequency Induction Heat Sintering (HFIHS).The titanium carbide nanofibers with an average diameter of 90 nm are first prepared by electrospinning technique and high temperature calcination process. A composite solution containing polyacrylonitrile and titanium isopropoxide is first electrospun into the nanofibers, which are s...

BACKGROUND Genetic-epidemiological studies that estimate the contributions of genetic factors to variation in tic symptoms are scarce. We estimated the extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to tics, employing various phenotypic definitions ranging between mild and severe symptomatology, in a large population-based adult twin-family sample. METHOD In an extended twin-...

OBJECTIVE To define the long-term outcome in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) using objective rating measures. BACKGROUND Previous historical studies suggest spontaneous improvement of tic symptoms after adolescence, but objective longitudinal data are limited. METHODS The authors reviewed all videotapes in their database (1978 through 1991) of children with GTS (ages 8 to 14) who were ...

The formation mechanism of TiC particles in a Ni-Ti-C system were revealed by using differential thermal analysis (DTA), XRD, and SEM to identify the reaction products in different temperature ranges. The results indicated that the synthesis mechanism of TiC in Ni-Ti-C system was complex; several reactions were involved in the combustion synthesis of TiC-Ni composite. The Ni-Ti intermediate pha...

Motor tics are involuntary brief muscle contractions that interfere with ongoing behavior and appear as a symptom in several human disorders. While the pathophysiology of tics is still largely unknown, multiple lines of evidence suggest the involvement of the corticobasal ganglia loop in tic disorders. We administered local microinjections of bicuculline into the putamen of Macaca fascicularis ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, and time-intensity curve (TIC) type analysis derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) in differentiating benign from malignant adnexal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS 47 patients with 56 adnexal masses (27 malignant and 29 ...

INTRODUCTION The clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features and long-term outcome of patients with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) have not been well described in the past. METHODS A retrospective study was performed at our institution of patients with a diagnosis of TIC. RESULTS Thirty-three patients with pure TIC and 12 patients with impure TIC were identified....

To investigate the feasibility of a novel recording method for trans-intercostal evoked spinal cord potentials (Tic-ESCPs) and the properties of the waveforms, the potentials were recorded and analyzed in an animal model. In two beagle dogs, Tic-ESCPs were recorded at the left twelfth intercostal to fourth lumbar nerves following stimulation at the left eleventh intercostal nerve, either with o...