Pendrin (Pds; Slc26A4) is a new anion exchanger that is believed to mediate apical Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchange in type B and non-A-non-B intercalated cells of the connecting tubule and cortical collecting duct. Recently, it has been proposed that this transporter may be involved in NaCl balance and blood pressure regulation in addition to its participation in the regulation of acid-base status. Th...

OBJECTIVE This study reports 18 years of experience in prenatal diagnosis (PD) of cystic fibrosis (CF) in a region where CF is frequent and the uptake of PD is common (Brittany, western France). METHOD All PDs made over the period 1989-2006 in women living in Brittany were collected. RESULTS We recorded 268 PDs made in 1 in 4 risk couples, plus 22 PDs directly made following the sonographic...

Local search algorithms are widely adopted in solving large-scale Distributed Constraint Optimization Problems (DCOPs). However, since each agent always makes its value decision based on the values of its neighbors in local search, those algorithms usually suffer from local premature convergence. More concretely, an agent cannot make a wise decision with poor values of its neighbors since its d...

PURPOSE To measure pediatric program directors' (PDs') and trainees' perceptions of and expectations for the balance of service and education in their training programs. METHOD In fall 2011, an electronic survey was sent to PDs and trainees at Boston Children's Hospital. Respondents described perceptions and expectations for service and education and rated the education and service inherent t...

Plants cells are now approved by the FDA for cost-effective production of protein drugs (PDs) in large-scale current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) hydroponic growth facilities. In lyophilized plant cells, PDs are stable at ambient temperature for several years, maintaining their folding and efficacy. Upon oral delivery, PDs bioencapsulated in plant cells are protected in the stomach from a...

PURPOSE To investigate the personality disorders (PDs) diagnosed in patients with depressive disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included a cross-sectional analysis, and was an extension of the Thai Study of Affective Disorder (THAISAD) project. Eighty-five outpatients with depressive disorders were interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory to assess for depre...

BACKGROUND In the mid-1990s, the prevalence rate of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in French hospitals was high and control of MDRB spread then became a major priority in the national infection control programme (ICP). METHODS To evaluate the impact of the ICP, a national coordination of MDRB surveillance was set up in 2002. Data were collected 3 months a year in healthcare facilities (H...

OBJECTIVE Using the gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) model of absence seizures in Long-Evans rats, this study investigated if 2.5-6 Hz paroxysmal discharges (PDs) induced by GBL were synchronized among the thalamocortical system and the hippocampus, and whether inactivation of the hippocampus affected PDs. METHODS Local field potentials were recorded by chronically implanted depth electrodes in the ...