The estrogen receptor (ER), like other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, possesses two separate transcriptional activation functions, AF-1 and AF-2. Although a variety of coactivators and corepressors of AF-2 have been identified, less is known of the mechanism of action of AF-1. We have used the yeast two-hybrid system to isolate a cDNA coding for a protein that binds specifically t...

BACKGROUND The risk of stroke imposed by atrial fibrillation (AF) is significantly greater in women than men; however, the mechanism remains elusive. We hypothesized that left atrial (LA) remodeling and poor contractile function of LA appendage (LAA) would be more predominant in women than men among AF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 579 AF patients (216 women vs age-, AF type-, and ...

To determine the relative contributions of ampullofugal (AF) and ampullopetal (AP) stimulation of the horizontal semicircular canal (HSCC) to the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (HVOR), 12 patients were studied 1 year after total unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD). Compensatory eye movement responses to impulses of horizontal head rotation were studied using magnetic search coils. T...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important and independent risk factor for stroke, particularly in elderly people. The efficacy of treatment with warfarin and aspirin in primary and secondary stroke prevention in AF has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials. In a demographic study, we examined the prevalence of AF in patients registered with a general practice in the North East of Engla...

BACKGROUND The establishment, maintenance and rearrangement of junctions between epithelial cells are extremely important in many developmental, physiological and pathological processes. AF-6 is a putative Ras effector; it is also a component of tight and adherens junctions, and has been shown to bind both Ras and the tight-junction protein ZO-1. In the mouse, AF-6 is encoded by the Af6 gene. A...

UNLABELLED Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent clinical arrhythmia. Atrial fibrosis is an important factor in initiating and maintaining AF. However, the collagen turnover and its regulation in AF has not been completely elucidated. We tested the hypothesis that the extracellular matrix changes are more severe in patients with permanent AF in comparison with those in patients in sinus...

BACKGROUND Although the link between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported, a population-based longitudinal cohort study was lacking. The goal of the present study was to investigate the AF risk carried by SDB, using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. METHODS AND RESULTS: From 2000 to 2001, a total of 579,521 patients who had no ...

The occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantial increase in risk of death, stroke, and heart failure. The increasing incidence of the arrhythmia in the general population further underscores its public health relevance. Reasons for the increasing AF incidence include the advancing age of the population and a better survival among individuals with structural heart dis...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most potent common risk factor for ischemic stroke. The number of Americans with nonvalvular AF is expected to increase markedly over the next several decades, making AF-related stroke an important public health concern. Given the individual and societal burden associated with AF-related stroke, efforts to identify and implement efficacious and acceptably safe th...

Background Stroke is the most serious complication of atrial fibrillation (AF). Of the estimated 600,000 ischemic strokes that occur each year in the United States, 15-20 percent are thought to be secondary to AF. Blood stasis is a key factor responsible for thrombus formation in the left atrium (LA). Studies utilizing transesophageal echocardiography have shown that peak left atrial appendage ...