bcl-x is a member of the bcl-2 family of genes and by alternative splicing gives rise to two distinct mRNAs: bcl-xL and bcl-xS. We have previously investigated the expression of Bcl-x in neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines and have shown that Bcl-xL is expressed and functions to inhibit chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. However, none of the NB cell lines expressed Bcl-xS. The aim of the present study w...

Using an expression cloning approach, we identify CUL7, a member of the cullin family, as a functional inhibitor of Mycinduced apoptosis. Deregulated expression of the Myc oncogene drives cellular proliferation yet also sensitizes cells to undergo p53-dependent and p53-independent apoptosis. Here, we report that CUL7 exerts its antiapoptotic function through p53. CUL7 binds directly to p53, and...

BACKGROUND Local anaesthetics are known to induce apoptosis in clinically relevant concentrations. Hitherto, it is unknown what determines the apoptotic potency of local anaesthetics. Therefore, we compared apoptosis induction by local anaesthetics related to their physicochemical properties in human neuronal cells. METHODS Neuroblastoma cells (SHEP) were incubated with eight local anaestheti...

PURPOSE To examine the differences in patient satisfaction with care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and physicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. DATA SOURCE Secondary data was obtained from the VHA's Survey of Healthcare Experience of Patients (SHEP), a monthly survey designed to measure patient satisfaction. Descriptive statistics wer...

The genetic aetiology of sporadic neuroblastoma is still largely unknown. We have identified diverse neuroblastoma susceptibility loci by genomewide association studies (GWASs); however, additional SNPs that likely contribute to neuroblastoma susceptibility prompted this investigation for identification of additional variants that are likely hidden among signals discarded by the multiple testin...

We discuss the significance of the next-to-leading order term in the BFKL equation on the energy dependence of diffractive processes controlled by the perturbative QCD pomeron. It is shown that whereas the large negative corrections do indeed reduce the rate of growth of diffractive amplitudes with increasing energy, this reduction is considerably less than previously expected. SHEP-98/06 April...

The association between BP and decline in kidney function in older persons and the BP component most responsible for kidney disease are unknown. This study investigated the relationship between baseline BP and an incident decline in kidney function among 2181 men and women enrolled in the placebo arm of the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP). A decline in kidney function was de...

The treatment of hypertension with high-dose thiazide diuretics results in potassium depletion and a limited benefit for preventing coronary events. The clinical relevance of hypokalemia associated with low-dose diuretics has not been assessed. To determine whether hypokalemia that occurs with low-dose diuretics is associated with a reduced benefit on cardiovascular events, we analyzed data of ...