The p.Thr1406Asn (rs1047891) polymorphism of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) gene has been linked to functional consequences affecting the downstream availability of the nitric oxide precursor L-arginine. L-arginine concentrations are decreased in preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). In this multicenter prospective study, we investigated the association of the p.Thr...

This Master thesis presents the design and implementation of AskMe, a new type of service for mobile telephony, within the area of ubiquitous computing. It is a novel approach to collaborative information retrieval, based on using the context of a community to discover and enquire the most qualified experts than can answer the questions of a subscriber. The work is focused on privacy issues, di...

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants. During NEC pathogenesis, bacteria are able to penetrate innate immune defenses and invade the intestinal epithelial layer, causing subsequent inflammation and tissue necrosis. Normally, Paneth cells appear in the intestinal crypts during the first trimester of human pregnancy. Paneth cells consti...

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birth weight (VLBW; weight < 1,501 g) infants in Malaysian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). METHODS This was a retrospective study based on data collected in a standardised format for all VLBW infants born in 2007 (n = 3,601) and admitted to 31 NICUs in Malaysian public...

The nuclear phase of herpesvirus replication is regulated through the formation of regulatory multi-component protein complexes. Viral genomic replication is followed by nuclear capsid assembly, DNA encapsidation and nuclear egress. The latter has been studied intensely pointing to the formation of a viral core nuclear egress complex (NEC) that recruits a multimeric assembly of viral and cellul...

PURPOSE Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) of the prostate are rare, with only a few series hitherto reported. The objective of this study was to assess in a single institution the clinical and morphologic characteristics of neuroendocrine carcinomas diagnosed in needle core biopsies. MATERIALS AND METHODS The current study analyses seven cases diagnosed in needle biopsies at a large tertiary re...

Objective This study aims to examine the relationship between antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) and neonatal death and/or severe necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) among infants < 28 weeks. Methods Secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial of antenatal MgSO4 versus placebo administered to women to prevent death and cerebral palsy. Neonates < 28 weeks were included. The primary outcome...

Intestinal luminal microbiota likely contribute to the etiology of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a common disease in preterm infants. Microbiota development, a cascade of initial colonization events leading to the establishment of a diverse commensal microbiota, can now be studied in preterm infants using powerful molecular tools. Starting with the first stool and continuing until discharge,...

Background  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most frequent surgical emergency in newborns. Intestinal ischemia is considered a factor that precedes the development of NEC lesions. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) can be used to assess tissue microcirculation. We evaluated if LSCI may help to detect intestinal regions with reduced microcirculation in NEC. Case Report  A male patient (...

BACKGROUND Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major cause of death and morbidity in very low birth weight infants. OBJECTIVE To identify biomarker(s) that would predict NEC using buccal swab samples utilizing a proteomic approach. METHODS Cumulative buccal swab samples derived from very low birth weight preterm infants (<32 weeks' gestational age and <1,250 g) at 1, 2 and 3 weeks prior to...