SUMMARY BackgroundEffects of frequent nocturnal symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD-FNS) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and work productivity are not well documented.

As the only known example of complete organ regeneration in mammals, deer antler in the growing or velvet phase is of major interest in developmental biology. This regeneration event initiates from self-renewing antler stem cells that exhibit pluripotency. At present, it remains unclear how the activation and quiescence of antler stem cells are regulated. Therefore, in the present study proteins that were differentially expressed between the antler stem cells and somatic cells (facial periosteum) were identified by a gel-based proteomic technique, and analysed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Several molecular pathways (PI3K/Akt, ERK/MAPK, p38 MAPK, etc.) were found to be activated during proliferation. Also expressed were the transcription factors POU5F1, SOX2, NANOG and MYC, which are key markers of embryonic stem cells. Expression of these proteins was confirmed in both cultured cells and fresh tissues by Western blot analysis. Therefore, the molecular pathways and transcription factors identified in the current study are common to embryonic and adult stem cells. However, expression of embryonic stem cell transcription factors would suggest that antler stem cells are, potentially, an intermediary stem cell type between embryonic and the more specialized tissue-specific stem cells like those residing in muscle, fat or from a hematopoietic origin. The retention of this embryonic, pluripotent lineage may be of fundamental importance for the subsequent regenerative capacity of antlers.

The objective of the study was to assess factors associated with treatment satisfaction among patients receiving antihypertensive therapy. A weighted crosssectional online survey was conducted with hypertensive patients participating in a chronic disease panel in the US. Patients on monotherapy with medications from the following classes were identified: ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta blockers (BBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics. The control group included patients without treatment. Pairwise comparisons between groups were conducted for factors that may affect patients' satisfaction. The study population had a mean age of 54.7714.2 years and was 56.7% female. Participants with blood pressure (BP) controlled to JNC 7 guidelines were more satisfied with their medication than those with uncontrolled BP (90.3 vs 71.5%, Po0.05). Patients who had not experienced adverse events had higher satisfaction than patients experiencing adverse events (90.9 vs 75.8%, Po0.05). The most frequently self-reported adverse events were frequent urination, sexual dysfunction, and fatigue ranging from 7.0 to 9.6% across classes. The adverse event rates differed by class and were lowest among the ARBs. Patients on ARBs were the most likely to have switched from a previous antihypertensive class as compared to other classes (57.1% ARBs vs 49.8% ACEIs, 38.7% diuretics, 36.3% CCBs, and 31.7% BBs). Physician recommendation was the most common reason for switching. In conclusion, the ability to effectively treat hypertension depends upon a patient's satisfaction with antihypertensive therapy, which may be improved by achieving BP control and minimizing the occurrence of adverse events.

The X-ray crystal structure of d(TGCGCA) 2 has been determined at 120 K to a resolution of 1.3 A Ê . Hexamer duplexes, in the Z-DNA conformation, pack in an arrangement similar to the`pure spermine form' [Egli et al. (1991). Biochemistry, 30, 11388±11402] but with signi®cantly different cell dimensions. The phosphate backbone exists in two equally populated discrete conformations at one nucleotide step, around phosphate 11. The structure contains two ordered cobalt hexammine molecules which have roles in stabilization of both the Z-DNA conformation of the duplex and in crystal packing. A comparison of d(TGCGCA) 2 with other Z-DNA hexamer structures available in the Nucleic Acid Database illustrates the elusive nature of crystal packing. A review of the interactions with the metal cations Na + , Mg 2+ and Co 3+ reveals a relatively small proportion of phosphate binding and that close contacts between metal ions are common. A prediction of the water structure is compared with the observed pattern in the reported structure.

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