Aim Simultaneous inhibition of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may enhance anti-HCV effects and reduce resistance and side effects. Results/methodology Novel hybrid derivatives were designed and synthesized to exhibit dual activity against HCV and its associated major complication, HCC. The synthesized compounds were screened for their potential activity against HCV...

BACKGROUND Long-term publicly waitlisted bariatric surgery patients typically experience debilitating physical/psychosocial obesity-related comorbidities that profoundly affect their quality of life. OBJECTIVES We sought to measure quality-of-life impacts in a study population of severely obese patients who had multiyear waitlist times and then underwent bariatric surgery. METHODS Participa...

OBJECTIVE Utility values of health states defined by health-related quality of life instruments can be derived from either direct valuation ('valuation-derived') or mapping ('mapping-derived'). This study aimed to compare the utility-based EQ-5D-5L index scores derived from the two approaches as a means to validating the mapping function developed by van Hout et al for the EQ-5D-5L instrument. ...

BACKGROUND An international valuation protocol exists for obtaining societal values for each of the 3125 health states of the five-level EuroQol-five dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. A feedback module (FM) that can be related to theoretical models used in behavioral economics was recently included in this protocol. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to assess the impact of using an FM to estima...

BACKGROUND The 5-level version of the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) was recently developed. A number of preference-based scoring systems are being developed for several countries around the world. OBJECTIVE To develop a value set for the EQ-5D-5L based on societal preferences in Canada. METHODS We used age, sex, and education quota sampling from the general population from 4 cities across Canada. Compos...

The evolution of drug resistance is an important process that affects clinical outcomes. Resistance to fluconazole, the most widely used antifungal, is often associated with acquired aneuploidy. Here we provide a longitudinal study of the prevalence and dynamics of gross chromosomal rearrangements, including aneuploidy, in the presence and absence of fluconazole during a well-controlled in vitr...

A series of 2-(5-(6-Bromo-2-methyl-4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-ylthio)-N-(substituted benzylidene) acetohydrazides (5a-5l) have been synthesized via condensation of 2-(5-(6-Bromo-2-methyl-4-oxaquinazolin-3 (4H)-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-ylthio)acetohydrazide (4) with different aromatic aldehydes. Cycloaddition of thioglycolic acid with 5a-5l yielded 2-[5-(6-Bromo-2-methyl-4-oxoq...

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are susceptible to open-channel block by dizolcipine (MK-801), ketamine and Mg(2+) and are permeable to Ca(2+). It is thought that a tryptophan residue in the second membrane-associated domain (M2) may form part of the binding site for open-channel blockers and contribute to Ca(2+) permeability. We tested this hypothesis using recombinant wild-type and muta...

Dioxins are potent mammalian carcinogens and toxins affecting liver, skin, and immune and reproductive systems. The intracellular Ah receptor, a ligand-dependent transcription factor of the basic region/helix-loop-helix/Per-Ahr/Arnt-Sim homology domain (bHLH-PAS) protein family, mediates responses to dioxins. Target genes of the Ah receptor that mediate dioxin toxicity and carcinogenicity are, ...

BACKGROUND Interest in collecting Patient Reported Outcomes using electronic methods such as mobile phones has increased in recent years. However there is debate about the level of measurement equivalence between the traditional paper and newer electronic modes. Information about the acceptability of the electronic versions to respondents is also required. The aim of this study is to compare th...