Gene duplication may provide a way for poxviruses and other DNA viruses with high-fidelity DNA polymerases to adjust rapidly to changes in the environment.”
“Background: Identifying plaque composition using ultrasound may aid in stratifying patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Calcification is an integral

part of plaque progression and may contribute to plaque vulnerability. We investigated the ability of calcified carotid plaques identified using carotid ultrasound to predict cardiovascular outcomes in older adults. Methods: Participants included 187 hypertensive and 187 normotensive adults undergoing a duplex scan to identify the presence of calcified carotid plaques. Hypertensive participants received either blood pressure treatment or placebo,

click here and all participants were followed for incident HDAC inhibitors cancer cardiovascular events and death for a maximum of 11 years. Results: The untreated hypertensive group was significantly associated with a higher time-to-any CVD event [relative risk (RR) 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.03-4.35, P smaller than 0.0001] and mortality (RR 3.11, 95% CI 1.92-5.04, P smaller than 0.0001) when compared to the normotensive group. Participants with calcified carotid plaques had higher cardiovascular event rates (RR 6.22, 95% CI 1.97-19.6, P = 0.0018) and mortality (RR 6.30, 95% CI 1.55-25.7, P = 0.010) when compared to those without plaque. After controlling for age, S3I-201 male sex,

blood pressure status, glucose, and IMT, the presence of calcified carotid plaques remained predictive of CVD events (RR 2.35, 95% CI 1.5-3.8, P = 0.0005) and mortality (RR 2.72, 95% CI 1.4-5.2, P = 0.0021). Conclusion: Calcified carotid plaques may predict mortality and cardiovascular outcomes independent of traditional CVD risk factors and may serve as an additional CVD risk assessment in the elderly.”
“Although most of the patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) can be cured by the current regimen of high-dose multiagent chemotherapy, the treatment causes high risks of later toxicities including secondary malignancies. Therefore, new rational strategies are needed for HL treatment. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anticancer agent due to its tumor selectivity and its lack of toxicity for normal cells. Unfortunately, many cancers remain resistant to TRAIL including HL. HL is characterized by enhanced expression of cellular caspase-8 (FLICE)-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), which block receptor-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-8 and caspase-3, respectively. We have recently discovered the herbal compound Rocaglamide, which breaks TRAIL-resistance in acute T cell leukemia through inhibition of c-FLIP expression.