Search results for "Variation"
showing 10 items of 2124 documents
Association of a variant in the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor 2 gene (CHRM2 ) with nicotine addiction
2009
Genetic factors contribute to the overall risk of developing nicotine addiction, which is the major cause of preventable deaths in western countries. However, knowledge regarding specific polymorphisms influencing smoking phenotypes remains scarce. In the present study we provide evidence that a common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 5′ untranslated region of CHRM2, the gene coding for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor 2 is associated with nicotine addiction. CHRM2 was defined as a candidate gene for nicotine addiction based on previous evidence that linked variations in CHRM2 to alcohol and drug dependence. A total of more than 5,500 subjects representative of the German po…
The effects of an amine fluoride/stannous fluoride and an antimicrobial host protein mouthrinse on supragingival plaque regrowth.
2004
BACKGROUND: Chlorhexidine (CHX)-containing mouthrinses are recommended as adjuncts to mechanical oral hygiene. The problem associated with side effects, however, has stimulated the search for alternative antiplaque agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the plaque inhibitory effects of two mouthrinses containing amine fluoride/stannous fluoride (ASF) and antimicrobial host proteins (lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and lactoferrin; LLL), respectively. METHODS: The study was an observer-masked, randomized 4x4 Latin square cross-over design balanced for carryover effects, involving 12 healthy volunteers in a 4-day plaque regrowth model. A 0.12% CHX mouthrinse and a saline solution served a…
Reliability of measuring the fat content of the lumbar vertebral marrow and paraspinal muscles using MRI mDIXON-quant sequence
2018
PURPOSE We aimed to assess the reliability of measuring the fat content of the lumbar vertebral marrow and the paraspinal muscles using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mDIXON-Quant sequence. METHODS Thirty-one healthy volunteers were included. All participants underwent liver mDIXON-Quant imaging on a 3.0 T Philips MRI scanner by observer A. Within two weeks, observer B repeated the scan. After the examination, each observer independently measured the fat content of the third lumbar vertebra (L3), and the psoas (PS), erector spinae (ES), and multifidus (MF) muscles on central L3 axial images. After two weeks, each observer repeated the same measurements. They were blinded to their previous…
The Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia: development and interrater reliability of a German version (CDSS-G)
1999
A German version of the Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS-G) approved by the author of the original scale is presented comprising a semi-structured interview for 9 items to sensitively and specifically assess depression in schizophrenia and related disorders. The process of translation is outlined and the finally derived CDSS-G was investigated with respect to interrater reliability in three studies. To keep comparability with the CDSS source version a standard procedure was used. Two trained raters jointly assessed ten schizophrenic patients (study I). In a second study, videotapes with the CDSS-G were presented to clinically inexperienced raters (study II, N = 14/15)…
Standardized rater training for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) in psychiatric novices.
2003
Abstract Background: Despite the long and widespread use of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), standardized reliability studies in inexperienced raters are not available. Methods: Rater training was carried using three videotaped interviews with depressed patients in 21 psychiatric novices who had negligible previous experience with the HAMD. Chance-corrected coefficients of rating agreement with expert standards (weighted κ , ICC) were computed for single items and the total score of the HAMD. Results: The results demonstrate sufficiently high interrater reliability ( κ >0.60) for most of the HAMD items and the total score (ICC=0.57–0.73). Three standardized HAMD training session…
Variation in genomic landscape of clear cell renal cell carcinoma across Europe
2014
The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing worldwide, and its prevalence is particularly high in some parts of Central Europe. Here we undertake whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing of clear cell RCC (ccRCC), the most common form of the disease, in patients from four different European countries with contrasting disease incidence to explore the underlying genomic architecture of RCC. Our findings support previous reports on frequent aberrations in the epigenetic machinery and PI3K/mTOR signalling, and uncover novel pathways and genes affected by recurrent mutations and abnormal transcriptome patterns including focal adhesion, components of extracellular matrix (ECM) and …
Deep pain thresholds in the distal limbs of healthy human subjects.
2003
Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) in distal limbs have been under-investigated despite their potential clinical importance. Therefore, we compared PPTs over nail bed, bony prominences, and muscle in distal parts of upper and lower limbs. We investigated 12 healthy subjects using three handheld devices: a spring-loaded, analogue pressure threshold meter (PTM) with two operating ranges, and an electronic Algometer. PPTs were determined with three series of ascending stimulus intensities with a ramp of about 50 kPa/s. PPTs were normally distributed in logarithmic space. PPTs over different tissues varied significantly (ANOVA, p0.001): mean thresholds and 95% confidence intervals were 615 kPa (26…
Study of microcirculation in oral lichen planus by video-capillaroscopy.
2007
Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate “in vivo” the oral microcirculatory characteristics in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and to discover any differences in microcirculation in comparison with healthy patients. Study design Twenty patients with established diagnosis of OLP and 20 healthy patients were examined in our laboratory by means of contact optical probe videocapillaroscopy. The examined areas for each patient were the right and the left buccal mucosae. Capillary density and total capillary diameter, as well as afferent and efferent loop diameter were studied; the discovery of characteristic (tortuous, branched) loops was also investigated. Results The results wer…
Feasibility, reproducibility, and reliability for the T*2 iron evaluation at 3 T in comparison with 1.5 T
2012
This study aimed to determine the feasibility, reproducibility, and reliability of the multiecho T * 2 Magnetic resonance imaging technique at 3 T for myocardial and liver iron burden quantification and the relationship between T * 2 values at 3 and 1.5 T. Thirty-eight transfusion-dependent patients and 20 healthy subjects were studied. Cardiac segmental and global T * 2 values were calculated after developing a correction map to compensate the artifactual T * 2 variations. The hepatic T * 2 value was determined over a region of interest. The intraoperator and interoperator reproducibility for T * 2 measurements at 3 T was good. A linear relationship was found between patients' R (1000/T * …
One-year persistence of individual gait patterns identified in a follow-up study – A call for individualised diagnose and therapy
2017
Abstract Although a hunch about the individuality of human movements generally exists, differences in gait patterns between individuals are often neglected. To date, only a few studies distinguished individual gait patterns in terms of uniqueness and emphasised the relevance of individualised diagnoses and therapy. However, small sample sizes have been a limitation on identifying subjects based on gait patterns, and little is known about the permanence of subject-specific characteristics over time. The purpose of this study was (1) to prove the uniqueness of individual gait patterns within a larger sample and (2) to prove the long-term permanence of individual gait patterns. A sample of 128…