Biomedical subjects

Mark Rubin

Publications and source records attributed to Mark Rubin.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of Restylane versus Zyplast for the correction of nasolabial folds.

BACKGROUND: Bovine collagen is extensively used for facial soft tissue augmentation but provides only temporary correction and can cause hypersensitivity reactions. Hyaluronic acid derivatives potentially offer improved longevity of correction and a reduced risk of immunogenicity and hypersensitivity. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of nonanimal stabilized hyaluronic acid gel (Restylane; Q-Med, Uppsala, Sweden) with that of bovine collagen (Zyplast) for treatment of nasolabial folds. METHODS: One hundred thirty-eight patients with prominent nasolabial folds were randomized to treatment with hyaluronic acid gel and bovine collagen on contralateral sides of the face. Treatments were repeated at 2-week intervals, as required, to achieve "optimal cosmetic result" (baseline). Outcomes were evaluated by a blinded investigator at 2, 4, and 6 months after baseline. RESULTS: Less injection volume was required for "optimal cosmetic result" with hyaluronic acid gel than with bovine collagen, and patients and investigators judged hyaluronic acid gel to be more effective in maintaining cosmetic correction. The investigator-based Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale assessments at 6 months after baseline indicated that hyaluronic acid gel was superior in 56.9% and 62.0% of patients, respectively, whereas bovine collagen was superior in 9.5% and 8.0% of patients, respectively. The frequency, intensity, and duration of local injection-site reactions were similar for the two products. CONCLUSION: Nonanimal stabilized hyaluronic acid provides a more durable aesthetic improvement than bovine collagen and is well tolerated.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

PRC17, a novel oncogene encoding a Rab GTPase-activating protein, is amplified in prostate cancer.

We used cDNA-based genomic microarrays to examine DNA copy number changes in a panel of prostate tumors and found a previously undescribed amplicon on chromosome 17 containing a novel overexpressed gene that we termed prostate cancer gene 17 (PRC17). When overexpressed in 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, PRC17 induced growth in low serum, loss of contact inhibition, and tumor formation in nude mice. The PRC17 gene product contains a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) catalytic core motif found in various Rab/Ypt GAPs, including RN-Tre. Similar to RN-Tre, we found that PRC17 protein interacts directly with Rab5 and stimulates its GTP hydrolysis. Point mutations that alter conserved amino acid residues within the PRC17 GAP domain abolished its transforming abilities, suggesting that GAP activity is essential for its oncogenic function. Whereas PRC17 is amplified in 15% of prostate cancers, it is highly overexpressed in approximately one-half of metastatic prostate tumors. The potent oncogenic activity of PRC17 is likely to influence the tumorigenic phenotype of these prostate cancers.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2002

Apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bax in renal cell carcinomas.

There are at present disparate published results with regard to the relevance of the Bcl-2 gene family, levels of apoptosis, and cell proliferation in the development and progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The present study analyses the inter-relationship between the expression of representatives of the anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL) or pro-apoptotic (Bax) Bcl-2 proteins, incidence of apoptosis, and mitosis in a selected small group of 22 graded RCCs that had paired normal renal tissue, or non-neoplastic tissue in the renal biopsy specimen. The cases were chosen to determine the feasibility of measuring these parameters as potential surrogate markers of progression or treatment failure of the cancers. The results showed that in approximately 50% of the RCCs, where Bcl-2 and/or Bcl-XL expression was high, apoptosis was not detected, and when expression of these proteins was low or not found, increased levels of apoptosis were seen. In most of the remaining 50% of samples, high levels of Bcl-XL but not Bcl-2 were negatively correlated with low levels of apoptosis (Bcl-XL: r = -0.437, P = 0.07 and Bcl-2: r = +0.560, P = 0.02). For the same group of samples, high Bax expression was found in association with apoptosis (r = +0.578, P = 0.02). A novel finding was an association between low expression of Bcl-2 and/or Bcl-XL in normal tissue and the level of expression of these proteins in the RCCs, an intrinsic variation that may be an individual patient factor. The results indicate that, in RCCs with increased expression of Bcl-2 and/or Bcl-XL, levels of apoptosis are minimal and these combined factors may assist in progression of the cancers and resistance to treatments.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Intergroup bias.

This chapter reviews the extensive literature on bias in favor of in-groups at the expense of out-groups. We focus on five issues and identify areas for future research: (a) measurement and conceptual issues (especially in-group favoritism vs. out-group derogation, and explicit vs. implicit measures of bias); (b) modern theories of bias highlighting motivational explanations (social identity, optimal distinctiveness, uncertainty reduction, social dominance, terror management); (c) key moderators of bias, especially those that exacerbate bias (identification, group size, status and power, threat, positive-negative asymmetry, personality and individual differences); (d) reduction of bias (individual vs. intergroup approaches, especially models of social categorization); and (e) the link between intergroup bias and more corrosive forms of social hostility.

Conflict, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Fluoridation at fifty: what have we learned?

The question posed by the title of this article encompasses more than just the law and science applied to fluoridation. A review of the history and present status of fluoridation policy development and implementation makes it quickly apparent that the lessons learned are applicable to a wide range of public health policy and that the public health community needs to be very concerned about the status and trends of legal precedent. Indeed, in the context of recent U. S. Supreme Court decisions, the need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort to educate the public, legislators, and jurists about the safety and efficacy of community water fluoridation is clear. Two fundamental issues are at the core of this article: (1) the use of science in formulating and defending public health policy, and (2) how to connect scientific fact with the legal process in connection with the actual circumstances regarding a community's health status. The opening section of this article presents an analysis of fluoridation's great success in preventing dental caries over the past 50 years, along with a discussion of current data scientifically demonstrating that fluoride is safe when properly utilized. A second section provides an overview of one state's legislative experience in mandating fluoridation and the political challenges encountered. A final section discusses the legal issues associated with fluoridation, including the bases of legal challenges to public laws mandating it.

Dental Caries↗