title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
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A comparison between electrical uterine monitor, tocodynamometer and intra uterine pressure catheter for uterine activity in labor. | We aimed to evaluate the performance of a non-invasive EMG electrical uterine monitor (EUM) versus tocodynamometry (TOCO) by comparing both to internal uterine pressure catheter (IUPC). Prospective observational trial. Uterine activity was recorded continuously and simultaneously, in women during active term labor, with TOCO, EUM and IUPC. Uterine activity tracings were analyzed by three blinded physicians. Overall, 385 tracings from 43 women were analyzed. A similar rate of interpretable tracings between physicians was demonstrated for EUM (87%; 95% CI 80.9-92.7%) and IUPC (94.8%; 95% CI 83.4-96.3%), with a significantly lower rate for TOCO (67.5%; 95% CI 59.4-76.8%, p < 0.001). There is a significant difference in the contraction frequency for EUM versus IUPC (0.77 ± 2.3) compared to TOCO versus IUPC (-3.34 ± 4.97). There is a high variability between the timing of TOCO contractions as compared to IUPC (4.74 ± 10.03 seconds), while a gap of 8.46 ± 4.24 seconds was detected for EUM. The sensitivity, positive predictive value and false positive rate for individual contraction identification by TOCO and EUM are 54.0%, 84.4%, 15.6% and 94.2%, 87.6%, 12.4%, respectively. EUM is efficient as IUPC for uterine activity assessment and both techniques are superior in comparison to external tocodynamometry. Our results support the use of non-invasive EMG technology to monitor uterine activity. | 25,123,517 | [
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Brain stem/brain stem occipital bone ratio and the four-line view in nuchal translucency images of fetuses with open spina bifida. | Abstract Objective: Brain stem depth/brain stem occipital bone distance (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view, in images obtained for nuchal translucency (NT) screening in fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB). Methods: Single center, retrospective study based on the assessment of NT screening images of fetuses with OSB. A ratio between the BS depth and the BSOB distance was calculated (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view observed, and the sensitivity for a BS/BSOB ratio superior/equal to 1, and for the lack of detection of the four-line view were calculated. Results: There were 17 cases of prenatal diagnosis OSB. In six cases, the suspicion on OSB was raised during NT screening, in six cases, the diagnosis was made before 20 weeks and in five cases during anomaly scan. The BS/BSOB ratio was superior/equal to 1 in all 17 cases, and three lines, were visualized in 15/17 images of the OSB cases, being the sensitivity 100% (95% CI, 81 to 100%) and 88% (95% CI, 65 to 96%). Conclusion: Assessment of BS/BSOB ratio and four-line view in NT images is feasible detecting affected by OSB with high sensitivity. The presence of associated anomalies or of an enlarged NT enhances the early detection. | 25,123,518 | [
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Use of magnetic resonance imaging in detecting subclinical synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis and correlation of imaging findings with interleukin-18 levels. | We studied the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting subclinical inflammation in patients with asymptomatic RA and tested the hypothesis of interleukin (IL)-18 as a marker of disease activity. Thirteen RA patients with Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS28) < 2.6 were evaluated. The patients underwent clinical evaluation, laboratory tests and MRI assessment. Imaging of bilateral hands and wrists was performed using validated acquisition and scoring techniques. Serum IL-18 levels were concurrently measured. MRI assessments showed that 92.3% and 76.9% of patients had synovitis and bone marrow edema, respectively, despite being in clinical remission. Eight out of 12 patients (66.7%) had erosions on MRI which were not visualised on plain radiographs. Of all the 182 joints studied for synovitis on MRI, only one had clinical evidence of joint swelling. Comparison of the total sum scores of synovitis between the right and left hand and wrist joints of individual patients showed a significant difference between the two sides. Measurements of IL-18 indicated that a large proportion (54%) of the patients had undetectable or very low levels of the cytokine. MRI is more sensitive in detecting erosions compared with X-rays, and is superior in its ability to detect subclinical inflammation in RA patients. Despite being in clinical remission, a large majority of patients had imaging-detected synovitis and bone marrow edema. Our study highlights the usefulness of MRI for the accurate evaluation of disease activity. In the utility of MRI, it may be important to assess bilateral hands and wrists, instead of limiting to the dominant side. | 25,123,522 | [
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Volume assured versus pressure preset non-invasive ventilation for compensated ventilatory failure in COPD. | The addition of domiciliary non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to standard therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with compensated ventilatory failure (CVF) is reported to have beneficial effects. Compliance with NIV is an important factor. Volume assured NIV (va-NIV) may improve compliance and ventilation during sleep by automatically titrating ventilatory pressures. A prospective single centre, randomised, parallel group trial comparing va-NIV and pressure preset NIV (pp-NIV) in COPD patients with CVF naïve to domiciliary NIV was performed (ISCRTN91892415). The primary outcomes were arterial blood gases, mean overnight oximetry (mSpO2) and compliance after three months. Secondary outcomes included pulmonary function, exercise capacity and health-related quality of life assessment. Forty patients were randomised in a 1:1 ratio. The va-NIV median target minute ventilation was 8.4 L/min and pp-NIV median inspiratory pressure was 28 cmH2O. There were no significant differences between groups in primary or secondary outcomes after three months. Mean (SD) PaO2 8.7 (1.7) versus 7.9 (1.7) kPa (p = 0.19), PaCO2 6.7 (0.5) versus 7.3 (1.1) kPa (p = 0.1), mSpO2 89.7 (4.2) versus 89.8 (3.9) % (p = 0.95), compliance 5.0 (3.1) versus 4.7 (3.2) hours (p = 0.8) in va-NIV versus pp-NIV respectively. Patients allocated va-NIV spent fewer days in hospital initiating therapy 3.3 (1.6) versus 5.2 (2.8) (p = 0.02). Both groups showed significant improvements in PaCO2 and mSpO2 after three months treatment. Domiciliary va-NIV and pp-NIV have similar effects on physiological outcomes in COPD patients with CVF and both are well tolerated. | 25,123,526 | [
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Camello, a novel family of Histone Acetyltransferases that acetylate histone H4 and is essential for zebrafish development. | In this study, we have investigated genome-wide occurrence of Histone Acetyltransferases (HATs) in genomes of Mus musculus and Danio rerio on the basis of presence of HAT domain. Our study identified a group of proteins that lacks characteristic features of known HAT families, relatively smaller in size and has no other associated domains. Most of the proteins in this unclassified group are Camello proteins, which are not yet known and classified as functional HATs. Our in vitro and in vivo analysis revealed that Camello family proteins are active HATs and exhibit specificity towards histone H4. Interestingly, Camello proteins are among the first identified HATs showing perinuclear localization. Moreover, Camello proteins are evolutionarily conserved in all chordates and are observed for the first time in cnidarians in phylogeny. Furthermore, knockdown of Camello protein (CMLO3) in zebrafish embryos exhibited defects in axis elongation and head formation. Thus, our study identified a novel family of active HATs that is specific for histone H4 acetylation, exhibits perinuclear localization and is essential for zebrafish development. | 25,123,547 | [
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Bedside ultrasound curriculum for medical students: report of a blended learning curriculum implementation and validation. | Medical students on clinical rotations rarely receive formal bedside ultrasound (BUS) training. We designed, implemented, and evaluated a standardized BUS curriculum for medical students on their Emergency Medicine (EM) rotation. Teaching was aimed toward influencing four cognitive and psychomotor learning domains: BUS instrumentation knowledge, image interpretation, image acquisition, and procedural guidance. Participants viewed three instructional Web-based tutorials on BUS instrumentation, the Focused Assessment for Sonography in Trauma (FAST) examination and ultrasound-guided central venous catheter (CVC) placement. Subsequently, participants attended a 3-hour hands-on training session to discuss the same content area and practice with faculty coaches. A Web-based, multiple-choice questionnaire was administered before and after the session. During the final week of the rotation, students returned for skills assessments on FAST image acquisition and CVC placement. Forty-five medical students on an EM rotation were enrolled. Sonographic knowledge overall mean score improved significantly from 66.6% (SD ±11.2) to 85.7% (SD ±10.0), corresponding to a mean difference of 19.1% (95% CI 15.5-22.7; p < 0.001). There were high pass rates for FAST (89.0%, 40/45) and CVC (96.0%, 43/45) skills assessments. There was no significant difference between medical student posttest and EM resident test scores 85.7% (SD ±10.0) and 88.1% (SD ± 7.6) (p = 0.40), respectively. A formal BUS curriculum for medical students on EM rotation positively influenced performance in several key learning domains. As BUS competency is required for residency in EM and other specialties, medical schools could consider routinely incorporating BUS teaching into their clinical rotation curricula. | 25,123,564 | [
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Isolated III cranial nerve palsies may point to primary histiocytic sarcoma. | Primary histiocytic sarcoma (HS) of the central nervous system (CNS) is a rare haematopoietic neoplasm. The inconsistent terminology and diagnostic criteria currently used for CNS HS have complicated the appreciation of the clinical aspects of the disease. The main differential diagnoses are non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, reactive histiocytic proliferation, dendritic cell neoplasm, undifferentiated carcinoma, inflammatory pseudotumour, Rosai-Dorfman disease and abscess. The true diagnosis of CNS HS requires an extensive immunophenotypic workup using specific histiocytic markers, such as CD163, with the exclusion of markers of other cell lineages. This clinicopathological case report describes an improved approach towards the differential diagnosis of CNS HS. | 25,123,571 | [
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Techniques to measure sorption and migration between small molecules and packaging. A critical review. | The mass transfer parameters diffusion and sorption in food and packaging or between them are the key parameters for assessing a food product's shelf-life in reference to consumer safety. This has become of paramount importance owing to the legislations set by the regulated markets. The technical capabilities that can be exploited for analyzing product-package interactions have been growing rapidly. Different techniques categorized according to the state of the diffusant (gas or liquid) in contact with the packaging material are emphasized in this review. Depending on the diffusant and on the analytical question under review, the different ways to study sorption and/or migration are presented and compared. Some examples have been suggested to reach the best possible choice, consisting of a single technique or a combination of different approaches. | 25,123,587 | [
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Boosting the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells using self-organized polymeric hole extraction layers with high work function. | A self-organized hole extraction layer (SOHEL) with high work function (WF) is designed for energy level alignment with the ionization potential level of CH3 NH3 PbI3 . The SOHEL increases the built-in potential, photocurrent, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CH3 NH3 PbI3 perovskite solar cells. Thus, interface engineering of the positive electrode of solution-processed planar heterojunction solar cells using a high-WF SOHEL is a very effective way to achieve high device efficiency (PCE = 11.7% on glass). | 25,123,592 | [
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A team fares well with a fair coach: Predictors of social loafing in interactive female sport teams. | The present research aimed to develop and test a theoretical model that links players' perceived justice of the coach to a more optimal motivational climate, which in turn increases players' team identification and cohesion, and results in lower levels of social loafing in female sport teams. Belgian elite female basketball, volleyball, and football players (study 1; N = 259; M(age) = 22.6) and Norwegian world-class female handball players (study 2; N = 110; M(age) = 22.8) completed questionnaires assessing players' perceived justice (distributive and procedural), motivational climate, team identification, team cohesion (task and social), and social loafing (perceived and self-reported). In both studies, confirmatory and exploratory path analyses indicated that perceived justice was positively related to a mastery climate (P < 0.05) and negatively to a performance climate (P < 0.05). In turn, a mastery climate was linked to increased levels of team identification (P < 0.05) and task cohesion (P < 0.05). Consequently, players' perceived and self-reported social loafing decreased (P < 0.05). The findings of both independent studies demonstrated the impact of coaches' fairness, and consequently, the motivational climate created by the coach on the optimal functioning of female sport teams. | 25,123,599 | [
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Rural palliative care transitions from home to hospital: carers' experiences. | To document carer perceptions of patients' transitions from community to hospital-based palliative care in a rural setting. A qualitative study using an interview method at two time points. Rural palliative care providers: Kyneton District Health Service and the Macedon Ranges Palliative Care Service, Victoria. Six adult caregivers of six palliative care patients who had cancer were interviewed, three of whom were male and three female. Semistructured interviews were conducted exploring the caregivers' decisions to transition to hospital-based care and their perceptions of the transition to hospital and the hospital-based care these patients received. Thematic analysis revealed that carers made the decision for the patient in their care to transfer from home to hospital care. Carers experienced the transition to hospital care positively, particularly in relation to the communication of the patient's care needs. While communication issues arose while in hospital, they were not related to the transitional aspects of the palliative care service. The findings from this small, exploratory study suggest that these carers benefited from the new model of rural palliative care service provision. A large-scale, mixed-method study would enable more generalisable findings to be established. | 25,123,619 | [
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A comprehensive survey of non-canonical splice sites in the human transcriptome. | We uncovered the diversity of non-canonical splice sites at the human transcriptome using deep transcriptome profiling. We mapped a total of 3.7 billion human RNA-seq reads and developed a set of stringent filters to avoid false non-canonical splice site detections. We identified 184 splice sites with non-canonical dinucleotides and U2/U12-like consensus sequences. We selected 10 of the herein identified U2/U12-like non-canonical splice site events and successfully validated 9 of them via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Analyses of the 184 U2/U12-like non-canonical splice sites indicate that 51% of them are not annotated in GENCODE. In addition, 28% of them are conserved in mouse and 76% are involved in alternative splicing events, some of them with tissue-specific alternative splicing patterns. Interestingly, our analysis identified some U2/U12-like non-canonical splice sites that are converted into canonical splice sites by RNA A-to-I editing. Moreover, the U2/U12-like non-canonical splice sites have a differential distribution of splicing regulatory sequences, which may contribute to their recognition and regulation. Our analysis provides a high-confidence group of U2/U12-like non-canonical splice sites, which exhibit distinctive features among the total human splice sites. | 25,123,659 | [
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Epidemiological characteristics and immune status of children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus. | Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections are the dominant cause of pneumonia in children. In order to determine the epidemiological characteristics and immune status of children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a prospective study was performed among patients with RSV infection. Comparisons between RSV pneumonia group and normal control group, RSV pneumonia group had lower IL-2 (median levels, pg/ml: 3.8 vs. 5.1, P < 0.01), and higher IL-4 (median levels, pg/ml: 3.2 vs. 2.4, P < 0.01), IL-10 (median levels, pg/ml: 12.2 vs. 2.3, P < 0.01), and IFN-γ (median levels, pg/ml: 13.4 vs. 4.6, P < 0.01). The level of IgE among pneumonia patients caused by RSV increased sharply (median levels, mg/L: 48.1 vs. 8.8, P < 0.01). Another amazing finding is that after birth, the degree of IgE of the children infected by RSV increases gradually with age. This effect is at its peak in 0.6 years old. The IgE and eosinophil levels were higher when patients suffered from RSV pneumonia with wheeze (IgE median levels, IU/ml: with wheeze: 72.74 vs. without wheeze: 11.5, P < 0.05; eosinophil median levels, ×10(9) /l: with wheeze: 0.21 vs. without wheeze: 0.05, P < 0.05). The main morbidity crowd is the children under the age of 1 year old. The downregulation of IL2 and the upregulation of IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, and IgE happen after RSV infection. | 25,123,681 | [
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A 4-fold-symmetry hexagonal ruthenium for magnetic heterostructures exhibiting enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance. | A 4-fold-symmetry hexagonal Ru emerging in epitaxial MgO/Ru/Co2 FeAl/MgO heterostructures is reported, in which an approximately Ru(022¯3) growth attributes to the lattice matching between MgO, Ru, and Co2 FeAl. Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the Co2 FeAl/MgO interface is substantially enhanced. The magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) incorporating this structure give rise to the largest tunnel magnetoresistance for perpendicular MTJs using low damping Heusler alloys. | 25,123,705 | [
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Technical challenges for big data in biomedicine and health: data sources, infrastructure, and analytics. | To review technical and methodological challenges for big data research in biomedicine and health. We discuss sources of big datasets, survey infrastructures for big data storage and big data processing, and describe the main challenges that arise when analyzing big data. The life and biomedical sciences are massively contributing to the big data revolution through secondary use of data that were collected during routine care and through new data sources such as social media. Efficient processing of big datasets is typically achieved by distributing computation over a cluster of computers. Data analysts should be aware of pitfalls related to big data such as bias in routine care data and the risk of false-positive findings in high-dimensional datasets. The major challenge for the near future is to transform analytical methods that are used in the biomedical and health domain, to fit the distributed storage and processing model that is required to handle big data, while ensuring confidentiality of the data being analyzed. | 25,123,720 | [
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Big data - smart health strategies. Findings from the yearbook 2014 special theme. | To select best papers published in 2013 in the field of big data and smart health strategies, and summarize outstanding research efforts. A systematic search was performed using two major bibliographic databases for relevant journal papers. The references obtained were reviewed in a two-stage process, starting with a blinded review performed by the two section editors, and followed by a peer review process operated by external reviewers recognized as experts in the field. The complete review process selected four best papers, illustrating various aspects of the special theme, among them: (a) using large volumes of unstructured data and, specifically, clinical notes from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for pharmacovigilance; (b) knowledge discovery via querying large volumes of complex (both structured and unstructured) biological data using big data technologies and relevant tools; (c) methodologies for applying cloud computing and big data technologies in the field of genomics, and (d) system architectures enabling high-performance access to and processing of large datasets extracted from EHRs. The potential of big data in biomedicine has been pinpointed in various viewpoint papers and editorials. The review of current scientific literature illustrated a variety of interesting methods and applications in the field, but still the promises exceed the current outcomes. As we are getting closer towards a solid foundation with respect to common understanding of relevant concepts and technical aspects, and the use of standardized technologies and tools, we can anticipate to reach the potential that big data offer for personalized medicine and smart health strategies in the near future. | 25,123,721 | [
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Reasons (not) to Spend a Few Billions More on EHRs: How Human Factors Research Can Help. | To select best medical informatics research works published in 2013 on electronic health record (EHR) adoption, design, and impact, from the perspective of human factors and organizational issues (HFOI). We selected 2,764 papers by querying PubMed (Mesh and TIAB) as well as using a manual search. Papers were evaluated based on pre-defined exclusion and inclusion criteria from their title, keywords, and abstract to select 15 candidate best papers, finally reviewed by 4 external reviewers using a standard evaluation grid. Five papers were selected as best papers to illustrate how human factors approaches can improve EHR adoption and design. Among other contributions, these works: (i) make use of the observational and analysis methodologies of social and cognitive sciences to understand clinicians' attitudes towards EHRs, EHR use patterns, and impact on care processes, workflows, information exchange, and coordination of care; (ii) take into account macro- (environmental) and meso- (organizational) level factors to analyze EHR adoption or lack thereof; (iii) highlight the need for qualitative studies to analyze the unexpected side effects of EHRs on cognitive and work processes as well as the persistent use of paper. Selected papers tend to demonstrate that HFOI approaches and methodologies are essential to bridge the gap between EHR systems and end users, and to reduce regularly reported adoption failures and unexpected consequences. | 25,123,727 | [
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Big data and smart health strategies: findings from the health information systems perspective. | To summarize excellent current research in the field of Health Information Systems. Creation of a synopsis of the articles selected for the 2014 edition of the IMIA Yearbook. Four papers from international peer reviewed journals were selected and are summarized. Selected articles illustrate current research regarding the impact and the evaluation of health information technology and the latest developments in health information exchange. | 25,123,731 | [
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A Review and Framework for Categorizing Current Research and Development in Health Related Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Studies. | The application of GIS in health science has increased over the last decade and new innovative application areas have emerged. This study reviews the literature and builds a framework to provide a conceptual overview of the domain, and to promote strategic planning for further research of GIS in health. The framework is based on literature from the library databases Scopus and Web of Science. The articles were identified based on keywords and initially selected for further study based on titles and abstracts. A grounded theory-inspired method was applied to categorize the selected articles in main focus areas. Subsequent frequency analysis was performed on the identified articles in areas of infectious and non-infectious diseases and continent of origin. A total of 865 articles were included. Four conceptual domains within GIS in health sciences comprise the framework: spatial analysis of disease, spatial analysis of health service planning, public health, health technologies and tools. Frequency analysis by disease status and location show that malaria and schistosomiasis are the most commonly analyzed infectious diseases where cancer and asthma are the most frequently analyzed non-infectious diseases. Across categories, articles from North America predominate, and in the category of spatial analysis of diseases an equal number of studies concern Asia. Spatial analysis of diseases and health service planning are well-established research areas. The development of future technologies and new application areas for GIS and data-gathering technologies such as GPS, smartphones, remote sensing etc. will be nudging the research in GIS and health. | 25,123,730 | [
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IBM's Health Analytics and Clinical Decision Support. | This survey explores the role of big data and health analytics developed by IBM in supporting the transformation of healthcare by augmenting evidence-based decision-making. Some problems in healthcare and strategies for change are described. It is argued that change requires better decisions, which, in turn, require better use of the many kinds of healthcare information. Analytic resources that address each of the information challenges are described. Examples of the role of each of the resources are given. There are powerful analytic tools that utilize the various kinds of big data in healthcare to help clinicians make more personalized, evidenced-based decisions. Such resources can extract relevant information and provide insights that clinicians can use to make evidence-supported decisions. There are early suggestions that these resources have clinical value. As with all analytic tools, they are limited by the amount and quality of data. Big data is an inevitable part of the future of healthcare. There is a compelling need to manage and use big data to make better decisions to support the transformation of healthcare to the personalized, evidence-supported model of the future. Cognitive computing resources are necessary to manage the challenges in employing big data in healthcare. Such tools have been and are being developed. The analytic resources, themselves, do not drive, but support healthcare transformation. | 25,123,736 | [
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Optimizing multiple-choice tests as tools for learning. | Answering multiple-choice questions with competitive alternatives can enhance performance on a later test, not only on questions about the information previously tested, but also on questions about related information not previously tested-in particular, on questions about information pertaining to the previously incorrect alternatives. In the present research, we assessed a possible explanation for this pattern: When multiple-choice questions contain competitive incorrect alternatives, test-takers are led to retrieve previously studied information pertaining to all of the alternatives in order to discriminate among them and select an answer, with such processing strengthening later access to information associated with both the correct and incorrect alternatives. Supporting this hypothesis, we found enhanced performance on a later cued-recall test for previously nontested questions when their answers had previously appeared as competitive incorrect alternatives in the initial multiple-choice test, but not when they had previously appeared as noncompetitive alternatives. Importantly, however, competitive alternatives were not more likely than noncompetitive alternatives to be intruded as incorrect responses, indicating that a general increased accessibility for previously presented incorrect alternatives could not be the explanation for these results. The present findings, replicated across two experiments (one in which corrective feedback was provided during the initial multiple-choice testing, and one in which it was not), thus strongly suggest that competitive multiple-choice questions can trigger beneficial retrieval processes for both tested and related information, and the results have implications for the effective use of multiple-choice tests as tools for learning. | 25,123,774 | [
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TRAIL expression levels in human hepatocellular carcinoma have implications for tumor growth, recurrence and survival. | The proapoptotic molecule TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has earned attention because of its ability to induce apoptosis in liver cancer cells without damaging normal liver cells. It may play an important role in preventing the development and outgrowth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TRAIL expression was investigated in a large series of human HCCs. We analyzed liver tissue from 108 patients undergoing partial liver resection (PLR) or liver transplantation (LT) because of either HCC or other indications. TRAIL expression was correlated with the cause of liver disease, demographic and clinical variables and pathologic properties. Our analysis found that in 66% of HCCs TRAIL expression was significantly lower than in the surrounding non-cancerous liver tissue (p≤0.012). Separation by cause of disease showed that HCC TRAIL mRNA expression was lower in almost all groups than in non-cancerous tissue but most significantly lower in NASH-associated liver tumors. Interestingly, low HCC TRAIL expression was found to correlate with tumor size (p≤0.007) and stage, as well as with tumor recurrence after resection and poor survival rates. The results of this study suggest that low TRAIL mRNA levels may be both a dominant feature in HCC development and growth and a predictor of tumor recurrence and poorer survival rates. | 25,123,818 | [
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Y-chromosome analysis in a Northwest Iberian population: unraveling the impact of Northern African lineages. | To provide new clues about the genetic origin, composition and structure of the population of the Spanish province of Zamora, with an emphasis on the genetic impact of the period of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula. Polymorphisms in the paternally inherited Y-chromosome, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Short Tandem Repeats, were analyzed in 235 unrelated males born in six different regions in the Zamora province. A relatively homogenous Y-chromosome haplogroup composition was observed in the Zamora province. Haplogroups R1b1-P25 and I-M170, widespread in European populations, accounted for 64.9% of the total sample. Moreover, all of the observed African lineages, accounting for 10.2% of the total variability, belonged to haplogroups having Northwest African origin (E1b1b1b-M81, E1b1b1a-β-M78, and J1-M267). No differences between regions or sub-structure due to geographical boundaries were detected. The specific Northwest African male lineages observed contrast with the mitochondrial DNA data, where the majority of African lineages were found to be sub-Saharan. This work made it possible to study the impact of recent historical events in the male gene pool in the province of Zamora in Spain. | 25,123,837 | [
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Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose suppresses EGF-induced eIF3i expression through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in prostate cancer cells. | Approximately 70% of prostate cancer patients will develop bone metastasis in axial and other regions of the skeleton. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) generated from bone tissue contributes to prostate cancer metastasis. In a previous study, penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) suppressed androgen-independent prostate cancer bone metastasis by transcriptionally repressing EGF-induced MMP-9 expression. This study utilized proteomics to analyze the effects of PGG in EGF-induced prostate cancer bone metastasis. This study showed that PGG suppressed EGF-induced eIF3i expression in PC-3 cells. By transfection of eIF3i shRNA, it was observed that reduced eIF3i expression suppressed the invasion of PC-3 cells in vitro. PGG reduced EGF-induced eIF3i expression through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Therefore, PGG may be able to be used as a potential new therapeutic drug for prostate cancer bone metastasis. | 25,123,845 | [
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The pros and cons of funnel plots as an aid to risk communication and patient decision making. | Funnel plots, which simultaneously display a sample statistic and the corresponding sample size for multiple cases, have a range of applications. In medicine, they are used to display treatment outcome rates and caseload volume by institution, which can inform strategic decisions about health care delivery. We investigated lay people's understanding of such plots and explored their suitability as an aid to individual treatment decisions. In two studies, 172 participants answered objective questions about funnel plots representing the surgical outcomes (survival or mortality rates) of institutions varying in caseload, and indicated their preferred institutions. Accuracy for extracting objective information was high, unless question phrasing was inconsistent with the plot's survival/mortality framing, or participants had low numeracy levels. Participants integrated caseload-volume and outcome-rate data when forming preferences, but were influenced by reference lines on the plot to make inappropriate discriminations between institutions with similar outcome rates. With careful choice of accompanying language, funnel plots can be readily understood and are therefore a useful tool for communicating risk. However, they are less effective as a decision aid for individual patient's treatment decisions, and we recommend refinements to the standard presentation of the plots if they are to be used for that purpose. | 25,123,852 | [
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[Urbanization of Chagas disease in Peru: experiences in prevention and control]. | In Peru, Chagas disease has an epidemiological significance in three macro-regions, one of them is the southern macro-region formed by the departments of Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. In 1965 a successful control was performed by house spraying insecticides, however, the persistence of the vector made it necessary for a second control plan that was implemented in 2000 and followed the guidelines of CONAL Plan, based on the elimination of Triatoma infestans and screening in blood banks.This plan was successful in Tacna and Moquegua, therefore these departments were considered free of vectorial transmission by the Pan American Health Organization. A ssimilar situation has not been achieved in the department of Arequipa because of the presence, among other factors, of rural migration to the city, in this way the urbanization of Chagas disease is a new epidemiological scenario of which we need to know more. | 25,123,876 | [
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[Sporotrichosis and paracoccidioidomycosis in Peru: experiences in prevention and control]. | The epidemiological picture of sporotrichosis and paracoccidioidomycosis in Peru and Latin America is sporadic, fragmented, and geographically limited, mainly due to lack of mandatory reporting and limited diagnostic coverage. However, research contributions related to understanding the interaction of these fungi, the response of the host and the environment, the use of spatial analysis that relates the distribution of these mycoses, population density and climate, contributes to the design of prevention and control strategies of these mycosis and suggest epidemiological risk maps management, based on the habitat of the fungus. This information will be used by doctors, tourists and people living in rural areas where mycoses are endemic. The aim of the paper is to present a review of the topic through research findings that contribute to the prevention and control of these mycosis. | 25,123,878 | [
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[Acute arterial occlusion associated disseminated hydatidosis]. | Hydatidosis or echinococcosis are terms used to denote the zoonotic infestation caused by adult and larval stages (metacestode) of the cestode from the genus Echinococcus (family tenidae). The term hydatidosis should be applied to the infestation caused by the metacestode while echinococcosis for the larval and adult stages. In Peru there is a high prevalence of this infection, liver and lung being the most affected organs. There are factors from the host and from the infectious agent that contribute to this infection, with the immune component of the host as an important infection and dissemination point. A case of acute arterial occlusion associated with disseminated hydatidosis in a 54 years old patient, born and from Huancavelica, with sudden onset of an acute arterial obstruction is reported. The patient did not improve after surgery and died within 48 hours of presentation. | 25,123,882 | [
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READemption-a tool for the computational analysis of deep-sequencing-based transcriptome data. | RNA-Seq has become a potent and widely used method to qualitatively and quantitatively study transcriptomes. To draw biological conclusions based on RNA-Seq data, several steps, some of which are computationally intensive, have to be taken. Our READemption pipeline takes care of these individual tasks and integrates them into an easy-to-use tool with a command line interface. To leverage the full power of modern computers, most subcommands of READemption offer parallel data processing. While READemption was mainly developed for the analysis of bacterial primary transcriptomes, we have successfully applied it to analyze RNA-Seq reads from other sample types, including whole transcriptomes and RNA immunoprecipitated with proteins, not only from bacteria but also from eukaryotes and archaea. READemption is implemented in Python and is published under the ISC open source license. The tool and documentation is hosted at http://pythonhosted.org/READemption (DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.977849). | 25,123,900 | [
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Genetic architecture of ALS in Sardinia. | Conserved populations, such as Sardinians, displaying elevated rates of familial or sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) provide unique information on the genetics of the disease. Our aim was to describe the genetic profile of a consecutive series of ALS patients of Sardinian ancestry. All ALS patients of Sardinian ancestry, identified between 2008 and 2013 through the Italian ALS Genetic Consortium, were eligible to be included in the study. Patients and controls underwent the analysis of TARDBP, C9ORF72, SOD1, and FUS genes. Genetic mutations were identified in 155 out of 375 Sardinian ALS cases (41.3%), more commonly the p.A382T and p.G295S mutations of TARDBP and the GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion of C9ORF72. One patient had both p.G295S and p.A382T mutations of TARDBP and 8 carried both the heterozygous p.A382T mutation of TARDBP and a repeat expansion of C9ORF72. Patients carrying the p.A382T and the p.G295S mutations of TARDBP and the C9ORF72 repeat expansion shared distinct haplotypes across these loci. Patients with cooccurrence of C9ORF72 and TARDBP p.A382T missense mutation had a significantly lower age at onset and shorter survival. More than 40% of all cases on the island of Sardinia carry a mutation of an ALS-related gene, representing the highest percentage of ALS cases genetically explained outside of Scandinavia. Clinical phenotypes associated with different genetic mutations show some distinctive characteristics, but the heterogeneity between and among families carrying the same mutations implies that ALS manifestation is influenced by other genetic and nongenetic factors. | 25,123,918 | [
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Cell responses to metallic nanostructure arrays with complex geometries. | Metallic nanopillar/nanowires are emerging as promising platforms for biological applications, as they allow for the direct characterization and regulation of cell function. Herein we study the response of cells to a versatile nanopillar platform. Nanopillar arrays of various shape, size, and spacing and different nanopillar-substrate interfacial strengths were fabricated and interfaced with fibroblasts and several unique cell-nanopillar interactions were observed using high resolution scanning electron microscopy. Nanopillar penetration, engulfment, tilting, lift off and membrane thinning, were observed by manipulating nanopillar material, size, shape and spacing. These unique cell responses to various nanostructures can be employed for a wide range of applications including the design of highly sensitive nano-electrodes for single-cell probing. | 25,123,921 | [
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Mitotic DNA damages induced by carbon-ion radiation incur additional chromosomal breaks in polyploidy. | Compared with low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, carbon-ion radiation has been proved to induce high frequency of more complex DNA damages, including DNA double strands (DSBs) and non-DSB clustered DNA lesions. Chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin has been reported to elicit additional H2AX phosphorylation in polyploidy. Here, we investigated whether mitotic DNA damage induced by high-LET carbon-ion radiation could play the same role. We demonstrate that impairment of post-mitotic G1 and S arrest and abrogation of post-mitotic G2-M checkpoint failed to prevent mis-replication of damaged DNA and mis-separation of chromosomes. Meanwhile, mitotic slippage only nocodazole-related, cytokinesis failure and cell fusion collectively contributed to the formation of binucleated cells. Chk1 and Cdh1 activation was inhibited when polyploidy emerged in force, both of which are critical components for mitotic exit and cytokinesis. Carbon-ion radiation irrelevant of nocodazole incurred additional DNA breaks in polyploidy, manifesting as structural and numerical karyotype changes. The proliferation of cells given pre-synchronization and radiation was completely inhibited and cells were intensely apoptotic. Since increased chromosomal damage resulted in extensive H2AX phosphorylation during polyploidy, we propose that the additional γ-H2AX during polyploidy incurred by carbon-ion radiation provides a final opportunity for these dangerous and chromosomally unstable cells to be eliminated. | 25,123,929 | [
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Detection of cyanobacterial neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine within shellfish in the diet of an ALS patient in Florida. | Cyanobacteria produce the neurotoxic amino acid β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), which in contaminated marine waters has been found to accumulate in shellfish. Exposure to BMAA has been associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. Analysis of blinded samples found BMAA to be present in neuroproteins of individuals who died from ALS and ALS/PDC, but generally not in the brains of patients who died of causes unrelated to neurodegeneration or Huntington's disease, an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease. We here report support for a link between a patient with ALS and chronic exposure to the cyanobacterial neurotoxin BMAA via shellfish consumption. The patient had frequently eaten lobsters collected in Florida Bay for approximately 30 years. LC-MS/MS analysis of two lobsters which this ALS patient had placed in his freezer revealed BMAA at concentrations of 27 and 4 μg/g, respectively, as well as the presence of 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB), a BMAA isomer. Two additional lobsters recently collected from Florida Bay also contained the neurotoxins BMAA and DAB. These data suggest that invertebrates collected in water where cyanobacterial blooms are present, if consumed, may result in direct human exposure to these neurotoxic amino acids. The data support the assertion that prolonged exposure to BMAA may have played a role in the etiology of ALS in this patient. | 25,123,936 | [
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Determination of trace amount of formaldehyde base on a bromate-Malachite Green system. | A novel catalytic kinetic spectrophotometric method for determination of trace amount of formaldehyde (FA) has been established, based on catalytic effect of trace amount of FA on the oxidation of Malachite Green (MG) by potassium bromate in presence of sulfuric acid medium, and was reported for the first time. The method was monitored by measuring the decrease in absorbance of MG at 617 nm and allowed a precise determination of FA in the range of 0.003-0.08 μg mL(-1), with a limit of detection down to 1 ng mL(-1). The relative standard deviation of 10 replicate measurements was 1.63%. The method developed was approved to be sensitive, selective and accurate, and adopted to determinate free FA in samples directly with good accuracy and reproducibility. | 25,123,939 | [
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Spectroscopic analyses and studies on respective interaction of cyanuric acid and uric acid with bovine serum albumin and melamine. | In this work, the fluorescence quenching was used to study the interaction of cyanuric acid (CYA) and uric acid (UA) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at two different temperatures (283 K and 310 K). The bimolecular quenching constant (Kq), apparent quenching constant (Ksv), effective binding constant (KA) and corresponding dissociation constant (KD), binding site number (n) and binding distance (r) were calculated by adopting Stern-Volmer, Lineweaver-Burk, Double logarithm and overlap integral equations. The results show that CYA and UA are both able to obviously bind to BSA, but the binding strength order is BSA+CYA<BSA+UA. And then, the interactions of CYA and UA with melamine (MEL) under the same conditions were also studied by using similar methods. The results indicates that both CYA and UA can bind together closely with melamine (MEL). It is wished that these research results would facilitate the understanding the formation of kidney stones and gout in the body after ingesting excess MEL. | 25,123,940 | [
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FT-IR and FT-Raman studies of cross-linking processes with Ca(2+) ions, glutaraldehyde and microwave radiation for polymer composition of poly(acrylic acid)/sodium salt of carboxymethyl starch--part I. | FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopic methods allowed to identify the cross-linking process of the aqueous composition of poly(acrylic acid)/sodium salt of carboxymethyl starch (PAA/CMS-Na) applied as a binder for moulding sands. The cross-linking was performed by chemical methods by introducing cross-linking substances with Ca(2+) ions or glutaraldehyde and by physical way, applying the microwave radiation. It was found that Ca(2+) ions cause formation of cross-linking ionic bonds within carboxyl and carboxylate groups. Glutaraldehyde generates formation of cross-linking bonds with hemiacetal and acetal structures. Whereas in the microwave radiation field, due to dehydration, lattices are formed by anhydride bonds. | 25,123,942 | [
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Optimizing Rubisco and its regulation for greater resource use efficiency. | Rubisco catalyses the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), enabling net CO2 assimilation in photosynthesis. The properties and regulation of Rubisco are not optimal for biomass production in current and projected future environments. Rubisco is relatively inefficient, and large amounts of the enzyme are needed to support photosynthesis, requiring large investments in nitrogen. The competing oxygenation of RuBP by Rubisco decreases photosynthetic efficiency. Additionally, Rubisco is inhibited by some sugar phosphates and depends upon interaction with Rubisco activase (Rca) to be reactivated. Rca activity is modulated by the chloroplast redox status and ADP/ATP ratios, thereby mediating Rubisco activation and photosynthetic induction in response to irradiance. The extreme thermal sensitivity of Rca compromises net CO2 assimilation at moderately high temperatures. Given its central role in carbon assimilation, the improvement of Rubisco function and regulation is tightly linked with irradiance, nitrogen and water use efficiencies. Although past attempts have had limited success, novel technologies and an expanding knowledge base make the challenge of improving Rubisco activity in crops an achievable goal. Strategies to optimize Rubisco and its regulation are addressed in relation to their potential to improve crop resource use efficiency and climate resilience of photosynthesis. | 25,123,951 | [
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Co-inoculation of Glomus intraradices and Trichoderma atroviride acts as a biostimulant to promote growth, yield and nutrient uptake of vegetable crops. | The application of beneficial microorganisms at transplanting can promote rapid transplant establishment (starter effect) for achieving early and high yields. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biostimulant effects of Glomus intraradices BEG72 (G) and Trichoderma atroviride MUCL 45632 (T) alone or in combination on plant growth parameters, yield, chlorophyll index (SPAD), chlorophyll fluorescence and mineral composition of several vegetable crops. The T. atroviride strain was capable of producing siderophores and auxin-like compounds under a wide range of substrate pH conditions (5.5-8.0). The highest shoot, root dry weight, SPAD and chlorophyll fluorescence in lettuce, tomato and zucchini was observed in the G + T combination, followed by a single inoculation of G or T, whereas the lowest values were recorded in the uninoculated plants. Under greenhouse conditions, the shoot dry weight was significantly increased by 167%, 56%, 115%, 68% and 58% in lettuce, melon, pepper, tomato and zucchini, respectively, when supplied with both beneficial microorganisms in comparison with the control. This increase in root and shoot weight was associated with an increased level of nutrient uptake (e.g. P, Mg, Fe, Zn and B). Under open field conditions, the lettuce shoot and root dry weight increased by 61% and 57%, respectively, with biostimulant microorganism application in field conditions. For zucchini, early and total yields were significantly increased by 59% and 15%, respectively, when plants were inoculated with both microorganisms. The application of the biostimulant tablet containing both G and T can promote transplant establishment and vegetable crop productivity in a sustainable way. | 25,123,953 | [
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[Argentinean general practitioners' practice and counseling regarding physical activity]. | Investigating general practitioners' (GP) physical activity and to what extent their own physical activity affects counselling their patients in clinical practice. This was a cross-sectional, exploratory study; sample size was 115 (82 women and 33 men). The survey involved using a self-administered questionnaire at the GPs' annual congress in 2011, using a specially-designed, on-line questionnaire. This questionnaire revealed that about 76% of the female GPs did give advice concerning physical activity to their patients while the respective prevalence in men was 33 %. Regarding advice concerning physical activity to patients having non-communicable diseases, 73 % of women GPs always seemed to recommend physical activity for them while the corresponding prevalence in men was 27 %. Around 97 % (n=62) of the female GPs and 93 % (n=25) of male GPs asked their patients about their physical activity pattern; however, this study revealed that only 35 % (n=23) of male and 46 % (n=12) of female GPS were actually familiar with the latest recommendations concerning physical activity. No relationship was found between GPs' physical activity level and their counselling in practice concerning physical activity or their current knowledge of the topic. The study showed that GPs stated that physical activity was important for their patients, although few of them engaged in types of physical activity during their leisure-time. There would thus seem to be an urgent need for training GPs in prescribing physical activity at primary healthcare level to increase their patients' involvement in some form of physical activity. | 25,124,003 | [
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[A glossary for health care promoting universities (an HPU glossary)]. | The health promotion in the university context emerges as an important initiative to facilitate the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors in this environment where students, faculty and university staff spend and share a significant part of their lives. The movement of Health Promoting Universities (HPU) has over 20 years of experience, but still lacks a common language that allows effective communication between those who are interested in its planning and implementation. The purpose of this paper is to develop the most relevant concepts in the context of the international movement of UPS. This document is organized into five anchor dimensions: [1]The university and health promotion, [2] The University and its social responsibility, [3] The University, inequality and inequity, [4] The University and evidence in health promotion, and [5] Strategies to develop a HPU. It is hoped that this glossary for HPU encourages the development of a common language between those who promote this initiative and come from different disciplines, and at the same time serve as a guide for practice. | 25,124,004 | [
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Robot-assisted remote echocardiographic examination and teleconsultation: a randomized comparison of time to diagnosis with standard of care referral approach. | The strategy using cardiological consultation in addition to the robot-assisted remote echocardiography at a distance was tested in a prospective, randomized open-label trial to evaluate its feasibility and to define its clinical value in a rural area. The present study involved 1 primary healthcare center in the north of Sweden, 135 miles from the hospital where the echocardiograms and the cardiology teleconsultation were performed long distance in real time. Nineteen patients were randomized to remote consultation and imaging, and 19 to the standard of care consultation. The total process time was significantly reduced in the former arm (median 114 days vs. 26.5 days; p < 0.001). The time from randomization until attaining a specialist consultation was also significantly reduced (p < 0.001). The patients' satisfaction was reassuring; they considered that the remote consultation strategy offered an increased rapidity of diagnosis and the likelihood of receiving faster management compared with the standard of care at the primary healthcare center. | 25,124,011 | [
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Stochastic population forecasting based on combinations of expert evaluations within the Bayesian paradigm. | This article suggests a procedure to derive stochastic population forecasts adopting an expert-based approach. As in previous work by Billari et al. (2012), experts are required to provide evaluations, in the form of conditional and unconditional scenarios, on summary indicators of the demographic components determining the population evolution: that is, fertility, mortality, and migration. Here, two main purposes are pursued. First, the demographic components are allowed to have some kind of dependence. Second, as a result of the existence of a body of shared information, possible correlations among experts are taken into account. In both cases, the dependence structure is not imposed by the researcher but rather is indirectly derived through the scenarios elicited from the experts. To address these issues, the method is based on a mixture model, within the so-called Supra-Bayesian approach, according to which expert evaluations are treated as data. The derived posterior distribution for the demographic indicators of interest is used as forecasting distribution, and a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is designed to approximate this posterior. This article provides the questionnaire designed by the authors to collect expert opinions. Finally, an application to the forecast of the Italian population from 2010 to 2065 is proposed. | 25,124,024 | [
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Effects of familiar contingencies on infants' vocal behavior in new communicative contexts. | Recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds and human infants. Research has demonstrated how contingent social feedback from social partners to immature vocalizations can play a role during vocal learning in both brown-headed cowbirds and prelinguistic infants. Contingencies in social interactions, particularly familiar contingencies, are important in developing preferences for social partners and shaping social exchanges Bigelow and Birch [1999]. Infant Behavior & Development 22:367-382]; however, little is known about how familiar contingencies that individuals experience during communicative exchanges play a role in new contexts. The current study examined differences in caregiver response patterns to infant vocal behavior and assessed how familiar contingencies influenced infant vocal behavior in novel communicative exchanges with caregivers. Infants were systematically exposed to high and low social feedback schedules during a play session. Results revealed the frequency of caregiver responsiveness to which infants were accustomed to affected infant vocal production during novel communicative situations. Infants with high responding caregivers vocalized with more mature vocalizations and used their vocalizations differently than infants with low responding caregivers during the high, but not low, response period. Specifically, infants with high responding caregivers directed more of their vocalizations at their caregiver and looked more at their caregiver after vocalizing, an indication of anticipating contingent responding. These results suggest that infants with high responding caregivers learned the association between vocalizing and contingent responses during the novel communicative interaction. This study demonstrates the need to understand how infants who experience a variety of contingencies in everyday interactions with caregivers carry over to other interactive situations. | 25,124,029 | [
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The effect of spine postures on the hydrodynamic drag in Epinephelus ongus larvae. | Laboratory behavioural observation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis were conducted to examine whether the movement of the elongated dorsal and pelvic spines changed the hydrodynamic drag in white-streaked grouper Epinephelus ongus larvae. The behavioural observation in the tank revealed that the larvae extended the dorsal and pelvic spines during passive transport and retracted during swimming; the angles of the dorsal and pelvic spines in relation to the anteroposterior axis were larger during the passive transport (mean ± S.D. = 28.84 ± 14.27 and 20.35 ± 15.05°) than those during the swimming (mean ± S.D. = 2.59 ± 5.55 and 0.32 ± 6.49°). The CFD analysis indicated that the relative hydrodynamic drag acting on the larvae was approximately 1.25 times higher when the spines were extended (passive transport) than when the spines were retracted (swimming), suggesting that the E. ongus larvae have an ability to adjust their hydrodynamic drag depending on the behavioural context. | 25,124,030 | [
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Newborn screening for pompe disease? a qualitative study exploring professional views. | Developments in enzyme replacement therapy have kindled discussions on adding Pompe disease, characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting, to neonatal screening. Pompe disease does not fit traditional screening criteria as it is a broad-spectrum phenotype disorder that may occur in lethal form in early infancy or manifest in less severe forms from infancy to late adulthood. Current screening tests cannot differentiate between these forms. Normally, expanding screening is discussed among experts in advisory bodies. While advisory reports usually mention the procedures and outcome of deliberations, little is known of the importance attached to different arguments and the actual weighing processes involved. In this research we aim to explore the views of a wide range of relevant professionals to gain more insight into the process of weighing pros and cons of neonatal screening for Pompe disease, as an example of the dilemmas involved in screening for broad-spectrum phenotype disorders. We conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with medical, lab, insurance and screening professionals, and executive staff of patient organisations. They were asked about their first reaction to neonatal screening for Pompe disease, after which benefits and harms and requirements for screening were explored in more detail. Advantages included health gain by timely intervention, avoiding a diagnostic quest, having a reproductive choice and gaining more knowledge about the natural course and treatment. Being prepared was mentioned as an advantage for the later manifesting cases. Disadvantages included treatment costs and uncertainties about its effect, the timing of treatment in later manifesting cases, the psychological burden for the patient-in-waiting and the family. Also the downsides of having prior knowledge as well as having to consider a reproductive option were mentioned as disadvantages. When weighing pros and cons, interviewees attach different importance to different arguments, based on personal and professional views. Professionals expect benefits from neonatal screening for Pompe disease, especially for early-onset cases. Some interviewees valued screening in later manifesting cases as well, while stressing the need for adequate support of pre-symptomatic patients and their families. Others considered the psychological burden and uncertainties regarding treatment as reasons not to screen. | 25,124,044 | [
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Memories as bifurcations: realization by collective dynamics of spiking neurons under stochastic inputs. | How the neural system proceeds from sensory stimuli to generate appropriate behaviors is a basic question that has not yet been fully answered. In contrast to the conventional viewpoint, in which the external stimulus dominantly drives the response behavior, recent studies have revealed that not only external stimuli, but also intrinsic neural dynamics, contribute to the generation of response behavior. In particular, spontaneous activity, which is neural activity without extensive external stimuli, has been found to exhibit similar patterns to those evoked by external inputs, from time to time. In order to further understand the role of this spontaneous activity on the response, we propose a viewpoint, memories-as-bifurcations, that differs from the traditional memories-as-attractors viewpoint. According to this viewpoint, memory is recalled when spontaneous neural activity is changed to an appropriate output activity upon the application of an input. After reviewing the previous rate-coding model embodying this viewpoint, we employ a model of a spiking neuron network that can embed input/output associations, and study the dynamics of collective neural activity. The organized neural activity, which matched the target pattern, is shown to be generated even under application of stochastic input, while the spontaneous activity, which apparently shows noisy dynamics, is found to exhibit selectively higher similarity with evoked activities corresponding to embedded target patterns. These results suggest that such an intrinsic structure in the spontaneous activity might play a role in generating the higher response. The relevance of these results to biological neural processing is also discussed. | 25,124,069 | [
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Bronchoscopic interventions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. | Over the past decade, several non-surgical and minimally invasive bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) techniques have been developed to treat patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). BLVR can be significantly efficacious, suitable for a broad cohort of patients, and associated with a solid safety profile at a reasonable expense. The introduction of BLVR is also expected to accelerate the further development of interventional pulmonology worldwide. Recently, results from clinical studies on BLVR techniques have been published, providing valuable information about the procedure's indications, contraindications, patient-selection criterion and outcomes. BLVR utilizing one-way endobronchial valves is gaining momentum as an accepted treatment in regular medical practice because of the identification of best responders. Patients with a heterogeneous emphysema distribution and without inter-lobar collateral ventilation show encouraging results. Furthermore, for patients with collateral ventilation, who are not considered candidates for valve treatment, and for patients with homogeneous emphysema, the introduction of lung volume reduction coil treatment is a promising solution. Moreover, with the development of newer treatment modalities, that is, biochemical sealant and thermal water vapor, the potential to treat emphysema irrespective of collateral flow, may be further increased. Nevertheless, patient selection for BLVR treatment will be crucial for the procedure's success and should be performed using a multidisciplinary team approach. Consequently, BLVR needs to be concentrated in high-volume centres that will offer better quality and experience with treatment challenges and adverse events. This review gives a general overview of BLVR from an expert and scientific perspective. | 25,124,070 | [
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Vascular endothelial growth factor A polymorphism and risk of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus viremia in kidney allograft recipients. | Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) causes Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease in immunocompromised patients including allograft recipients. Detection of KSHV DNA in blood, as well as host genetic polymorphisms has been found to be associated with an increased risk for KS. We investigated an association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) gene region and KSHV viremia in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) in Saudi Arabia. In total, 152 KTR who have survived kidney transplantation for at least 6 months were included in the study. KSHV viremia was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping of SNPs in the VEGFA region was performed by PCR and direct sequencing, as well as by restriction fragment length polymorphism. KSHV DNA was detected in 28.9% (n = 44) of the study population. The A-allele at position C172A VEGFA gene promoter region was found to be associated with KSHV viremia (odd ratio [OR] = 4.8, P = 0.005). In addition, the G-allele at position C+405G in the 5'-untranslated region was associated with KSHV viremia in women, but not in men (OR = 3.98, P = 0.004). Our results suggest an association of VEGFA polymorphisms with KSHV viremia among KTR in this study population. A limitation of our study is that the results can only be predicated for patients 6 months after kidney transplantation and should be validated in another cohort with larger sample size. | 25,124,076 | [
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Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity. | Even as obesity rates reach new highs, the social stigmatization of obesity seems to be strengthening and globalizing. This review identifies at least four mechanisms by which a pervasive environment of fat stigma could reinforce high body weights or promote weight gain, ultimately driving population-level obesity. These are direct effects through behavior change because of feeling judged, and indirect effects of social network changes based on stigmatizing actions and decisions by others, psychosocial stress from feeling stigmatized, and the structural effects of discrimination. Importantly, women and children appear especially vulnerable to these mechanisms. The broader model provides an improved basis to investigate the role of stigma in driving the etiology of obesity, and explicates how individual, interpersonal, and structural dimensions of stigma are connected to variation in health outcomes, including across generations. | 25,124,079 | [
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Asymmetric gold-catalyzed lactonizations in water at room temperature. | Asymmetric gold-catalyzed hydrocarboxylations are reported that show broad substrate scope. The hydrophobic effect associated with in situ-formed aqueous nanomicelles gives good to excellent ee's of product lactones. In-flask product isolation, along with the recycling of the catalyst and the reaction medium, are combined to arrive at an especially environmentally friendly process. | 25,124,085 | [
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Identifying optimal biomarker combinations for treatment selection via a robust kernel method. | Treatment-selection markers predict an individual's response to different therapies, thus allowing for the selection of a therapy with the best predicted outcome. A good marker-based treatment-selection rule can significantly impact public health through the reduction of the disease burden in a cost-effective manner. Our goal in this article is to use data from randomized trials to identify optimal linear and nonlinear biomarker combinations for treatment selection that minimize the total burden to the population caused by either the targeted disease or its treatment. We frame this objective into a general problem of minimizing a weighted sum of 0-1 loss and propose a novel penalized minimization method that is based on the difference of convex functions algorithm (DCA). The corresponding estimator of marker combinations has a kernel property that allows flexible modeling of linear and nonlinear marker combinations. We compare the proposed methods with existing methods for optimizing treatment regimens such as the logistic regression model and the weighted support vector machine. Performances of different weight functions are also investigated. The application of the proposed method is illustrated using a real example from an HIV vaccine trial: we search for a combination of Fc receptor genes for recommending vaccination in preventing HIV infection. | 25,124,089 | [
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Norwegian nursing and medical students' perception of interprofessional teamwork: a qualitative study. | Little is known about the ways in which nursing and medical students perceive and understand their roles in interprofessional teamwork. A 2010 report by the World Health Organization highlights the importance of students' understanding of teamwork in healthcare, and their ability to be effective team players. This study aims at describing nursing and medical students' perceptions of interprofessional teamwork, focusing on experiences and recommendations that can be used to guide future educational efforts. The study uses a qualitative research design. Data were collected from four focus group interviews: two homogenous groups (one with medical students, one with nursing students) and two mixed groups (medical and nursing students). The results show that traditional patterns of professional role perception still prevail and strongly influence students' professional attitudes about taking responsibility and sharing responsibility across disciplinary and professional boundaries. It was found that many students had experienced group cultures detrimental to team work. Focusing on clinical training, the study found a substantial variation in perception with regard to the different arenas for interprofessional teamwork, ranging from arenas with collaborative learning to arenas characterized by distrust, confrontation, disrespect and hierarchical structure. This study underlines the importance of a stronger focus on interprofessional teamwork in health care education, particularly in clinical training. The study results suggest that the daily rounds and pre-visit "huddles," or alternatively psychiatric wards, offer arenas suitable for interprofessional training, in keeping with the students' assessments and criteria proposed in previous studies. | 25,124,090 | [
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The advantage of professional organizations as advocates for improved funding of maternal and child health services in Uganda. | The attainment of United Nations Millennium Development Goal 5 has proven elusive for many countries. Efforts to reduce maternal mortality require concerted evidence-based efforts from all key players, including professional organizations. The Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda used the results of maternal and perinatal death review to develop and pilot advocacy programs with parliamentarians, media, and government that aimed to improve maternal and newborn health in Uganda. This work translated to further parliamentary debate on the topic, increased resource allocation by government, and improved media-related public education. | 25,124,100 | [
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Plasmapheresis may be an option in urgent management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the setting of acute intracerebral hemorrhage. | We report a case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) that was complicated by acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. In the setting of worsening thrombocytopenia, the risk of expansion of ICH and additional thrombotic events is concerning; hence, we employed plasmapheresis to reduce thrombotic risk. We followed serial daily heparin antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) optical density measurements as well as heparin-induced platelet aggregation (HIPA) assays on both pre- and post-pheresis samples in order to objectively determine when thrombotic risk was sufficiently decreased. After four cycles of plasmapheresis, both heparin antibody ELISA and HIPA assays became negative. This case helps illustrate the utility of plasmapheresis in management of HIT when anticoagulation is contraindicated. | 25,124,104 | [
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[Air pollution and respiratory illness in children aged less than 5 years-old in Bogotá, 2007]. | Determining the relationship between indoor and outdoor air pollution caused by particulate matter PM10 and respiratory symptoms in children aged younger than 5 years-old in three locations in Bogota. This was a cohort study, involving 315 children in kindergartens located in the area of greatest exposure to PM10, and 304 in kindergartens located in an area of less exposure. The cohort was followed-up for 19 weeks considering respiratory symptoms. Particulate matter was intramurally and extramurally measured in the kindergartens. Prevalence and association between variables were determined. There was a difference regarding average intramural PM between higher and lower exposure (85.6 ug/m³cf 61.8 g/m³; p<0.05); 74.3 % of the children had suffered wheezing during the last year, difference between greater and lesser exposure being 79.6 % cf 69.0 % (p<0.05). Wheezing and coughing were associated with greater exposure to PM10 (RR 1.39 and 1.30). Factors associated with respiratory symptoms concerned passive smoking, having a history of low birth weight, a history of wheezing, a child's kindergarten or home being within 100 meters of (industrial) chimneys, high traffic flow routes, roads in disrepair and bed-sharing. A child aged less than 5 years-old exposed to PM10 had a 1.7 times higher risk of truancy due to acute respiratory illness; a decrease in PM10 reduced such truancy by 41.1 %. | 25,124,123 | [
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Effect of biomass smoke on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural localities of Colombia. | The aim of this study was to assess the differences associated to the change of biofuel used to cook as a way to estimate the proportion of respiratory abnormalities of respiratory function associated to biomass exposure. A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the respiratory function through spirometry in subjects cooking with biomass or natural gas. All patients were evaluated by a general physician and a pulmonologist. We compared the prevalence of spirometry abnormalities across those cooking with natural gas versus those cooking with biofuel. A multivariable logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to adjust differences by potential confounding factors. 203 subjects were studied. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of severe obstructive pattern (OR 5.50; 95 % CI 1.17-25.79) in subjects who cook with biomass compared with natural gas users. Values of forced expired volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were statistically lower among those cooking with biomass. The prevalence of respiratory morbidity and symptoms were not statistically significant between both groups. These findings suggest that replacing biomass fuel by natural gas may be an important public health intervention in Colombia, because it can reduce the prevalence of abnormal patterns of pulmonary function. | 25,124,130 | [
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Pain and inflammation in hidradenitis suppurativa correspond to morphological changes identified by high-frequency ultrasound. | Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory skin disease with a chronic intermittent course. The current classification systems used to categorize disease severity provide limited insight into the degree of inflammation and pain, which are key symptoms of the disease. We sought to investigate the correlation and validity of simple patient- and investigator-assessed items related to inflammation with morphological changes identified by high-frequency ultrasound in HS. Twenty patients with the clinical diagnosis of HS were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent clinical examinations during which one representative inflammatory nodule was selected in each patient based on the anamnestic information, patient experience and clinical presentation. Tenderness and flare activity of the representative nodule were graded by the patients and erythema by the investigator. Subsequently, all patients underwent high-resolution ultrasound scanning of their representative nodule. We found significant associations between the size of the representative nodule (the diameter in the transverse plane) and patient assessments of flare activity and tenderness. Moreover, we found a marked association between the size of the nodules and investigator assessment of erythema. Patient assessments of flare activity and pain, and investigator assessment of erythema are strongly associated with morphological changes identified using ultrasound, suggesting that these patient- and investigator-assessed items might be strong indicators of the degree of present inflammation in HS. | 25,124,135 | [
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Comparison of the microbiological quality of environmentally friendly and conventionally grown vegetables sold at retail markets in Korea. | Fresh produce is usually eaten raw without cooking or heating, which may increase the probability of foodborne infection. The microbiological quality of 11 types of fresh, raw vegetables (romaine lettuce, sesame leaves, crown daisy, garlic chives, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, leek, chili pepper, capsicum, and zucchini) purchased at retail markets in Iksan, Korea as affected by cultivation method (environmentally friendly vegetables [organic, pesticide-free, and low-pesticide vegetables] and conventionally grown vegetables) and harvest season was determined. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were not detected in all samples of vegetables tested. Aerobic mesophiles (>6 log cfu/g) were detected in environmentally friendly romaine lettuce and crown daisy and environmentally friendly and conventionally grown garlic chives, which also contained coliforms (>3 log cfu/g). Sesame leaf and crown daisy (regardless of cultivation method), as well as conventionally grown romaine lettuce and leek, contained >1 log cfu/g of E. coli. The overall microbiological quality of environmentally friendly and conventionally grown vegetables was not significantly different (P > 0.05). However, there were seasonal effects on populations of coliforms and generic E. coli on vegetables. The greatest numbers of microorganisms were isolated from environmentally friendly or conventionally grown vegetables purchased in winter. The vegetables, regardless of cultivation method or season, should be subjected to appropriate antimicrobial treatment to enhance their microbial safety. | 25,124,136 | [
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Optimizing oxygen delivery in the critically ill: the utility of lactate and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) as a roadmap of resuscitation in shock. | Resuscitation of any critically ill patient is aimed at restoration of oxygen delivery to maintain aerobic metabolism. Thus, "endpoints" of resuscitation have been sought after as a measure of evaluating the adequacy of resuscitation. This review article describes the most commonly used endpoints, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and lactate, and provides a clinically useful paradigm for utilizing these endpoints during resuscitation of critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED). This review article will summarize the pathophysiology of cellular shock, describe the available research regarding lactate and ScvO2, and provide an approach to utilizing these endpoints during resuscitation in the ED. ScvO2 and lactate each have been shown to be useful for the assessment of shock, yet each has inherent limitations. When used together, ScvO2 and lactate provide the emergency physician with a glimpse of the underlying pathophysiologic state, allowing targeted therapy to restore oxygen delivery. ScvO2 and lactate are useful endpoints of resuscitation, and when used together, provide a metabolic framework for guiding targeted therapy for critically ill patients in the ED with shock. | 25,124,137 | [
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Entrustable professional activities: making sense of the emergency medicine milestones. | The Next Accreditation System (NAS) is being implemented by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education with seven specialties, including Emergency Medicine (EM), which began in July 2013. The NAS represents a more structured method of accreditation, with dependence on outcomes and less emphasis on educational process. A key component of the NAS is the individual resident semiannual reporting of the Milestone proficiency levels for all sub-competencies, which are more specific areas of domain for the general competencies. All specialties are struggling to some extent with developing assessment mechanisms for the Milestones. At the heart of this struggle is the conceptualization of the Milestones themselves-descriptors of the individual. In practice, faculty assess clinical care provided to the patient by the resident. This creates difficulty for faculty to assign a resident to a specific sub-competency proficiency level when their focus has been on assessment of clinical care. The objectives of this article include the discussion of whether Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) could be defined and linked to milestones in a way that, once implemented, could inform Clinical Competency Committees of the Milestone proficiency reporting. EPAs are units of professional work, or clinical care that may help translate aspects of clinical care into Milestone proficiencies. This article explores EPAs in depth, and discusses how EPAs may be used within EM as one method of assigning proficiency levels to residents. EPAs may be a useful tool to inform Milestone proficiency placement of residents. Because EPAs are based on clinical descriptions rather than individual physician descriptions, there may be less faculty development needed for Milestone sub-competency assessment. | 25,124,138 | [
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Expression of microRNA miR-126 and miR-200c is associated with prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. | MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that exert a critical influence on tumorigenesis through post-transcriptional modification and are considered to be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis or prognosis of various cancers. Although several miRNAs have been proposed as relevant biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), detailed working mechanisms and validated prognostic significance of these miRNAs remain controversial. In this study, we evaluated expression levels of miRNA-126 (miR-126) and miR-200c in 72 NSCLCs and 30 benign lung tissues by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and analyzed the correlation of miRNA expression with a variety of clinicopathological factors and patient survival. Compared with the benign control group, miR-126 expression was significantly downregulated in NSCLCs (p < 0.001), while miR-200c expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLCs (p < 0.001). The expression of miR-126 was significantly higher in NSCLCs with a tumor size of ≤3 cm than in those with a tumor size of >3 cm (p = 0.026). There were no other significant associations between miRNA expression and clinicopathological features. In univariate survival analysis for all NSCLC patients, high miR-200c expression (p = 0.037), large tumor size (p = 0.026), and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.012) were significantly correlated with worse overall survival. High miR-126 expression was significantly associated with favorable prognosis only in patients with adenocarcinoma (p = 0.033). In multivariate analysis, miR-200c and tumor size remained as independent prognostic factors. Our results suggest that miR-126 might play tumor-suppressive and miR-200c an oncogenic role, and these miR's are potential prognostic biomarkers for NSCLC. | 25,124,149 | [
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High users of emergency departments in Quebec among patients with both schizophrenia and a substance use disorder. | The study assessed factors associated over time with high use of emergency departments by patients in Quebec who had schizophrenia and a co-occurring substance use disorder. The cohort study included 2,921 patients who received a diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2006 and had at least one emergency department visit during fiscal year 2006-2007. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate predictors of high use of emergency departments over time. After adjustment for all covariates, predictors of high use over time were as follows: living in either a university medical region (OR=2.10) or a peripheral medical region (OR=2.10), frequent hospitalization (OR=1.16), and greater number of psychiatric (OR=1.64) or physical comorbidities (OR=1.23). Because high use of emergency departments is a strong indicator of poor care continuity, identified associated factors could help develop and offer new programs to be deployed in the community to better support these patients with greater needs. | 25,124,150 | [
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NIR spectroscopic method for the in-line moisture assessment during drying in a six-segmented fluid bed dryer of a continuous tablet production line: Validation of quantifying abilities and uncertainty assessment. | This study focuses on the thorough validation of an in-line NIR based moisture quantification method in the six-segmented fluid bed dryer of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet manufacturing line (ConsiGma™ 25, GEA Pharma Systems nv, Wommelgem, Belgium). The moisture assessment ability of an FT-NIR spectrometer (Matrix™-F Duplex, Bruker Optics Ltd, UK) equipped with a fiber-optic Lighthouse Probe™ (LHP, GEA Pharma Systems nv, Wommelgem, Belgium) was investigated. Although NIR spectroscopy is a widely used technique for in-process moisture determination, a minority of NIR spectroscopy methods is thoroughly validated. A moisture quantification PLS model was developed. Twenty calibration experiments were conducted, during which spectra were collected at-line and then regressed versus the corresponding residual moisture values obtained via Karl Fischer measurements. The developed NIR moisture quantification model was then validated by calculating the accuracy profiles on the basis of the analysis results of independent in-line validation experiments. Furthermore, as the aim of the NIR method is to replace the destructive, time-consuming Karl Fischer titration, it was statistically demonstrated that the new NIR method performs at least as good as the Karl Fischer reference method. | 25,124,155 | [
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Flow cytometric enumeration of bacteria using TO-PRO®-3 iodide as a single-stain viability dye. | Quantification of bacteria using conventional viable plate counting (VPC) is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Flow cytometry (FCM) can be proposed as a faster alternative. This study aimed to develop a flow cytometric, single-stain approach using TO-PRO®-3 iodide (TP3) for the quantification of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis cells. Live or dead bacterial suspensions were stained with TP3 and analyzed using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer. After optimization of staining parameters and instrument settings, an excellent separation of viable and dead cells was achieved for all species. The quantitative performance of the technique was assessed by analyzing serial dilutions of bacterial suspensions using FCM and VPC. A highly linear correlation (r2 > 0.99) was observed between the colony forming units (CFU)/mL as determined by FCM and by VPC over a concentration range of about 104 to 108 CFU/mL. As such, FCM quantification of viable bacteria using TP3 can be considered as an accurate and reliable alternative for VPC. The monostain procedure is easy to apply and cost-effective, and it allows bacterial enumeration in a broad variety of samples. | 25,124,156 | [
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Mental health/illness and prisons as place: frontline clinicians׳ perspectives of mental health work in a penal setting. | This article takes mental health and prisons as its two foci. It explores the links between social and structural aspects of the penal setting, the provision of mental healthcare in prisons, and mental health work in this environment. This analysis utilises qualitative interview data from prison-based fieldwork undertaken in Her Majesty׳s Prison Service, England. Two themes are discussed: (1) the desire and practicalities of doing mental health work and (2) prison staff as mental health work allies. Concepts covered include equivalence, training, ownership, informal communication, mental health knowledge, service gatekeepers, case identification, and unmet need. Implications for practice are (1) the mental health knowledge and understanding of prison wing staff could be appraised and developed to improve mental healthcare and address unmet need. Their role as observers and gatekeepers could be considered. (2) The realities of frontline mental health work for clinicians in the penal environment should be embraced and used to produce and implement improved policy and practice guidance, which is in better accord with the actuality of the context - both socially and structurally. | 25,124,166 | [
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Ocular pterygium--digital keloid dysplasia. | We describe an adolescent Peruvian male with marked, aggressive ingrowth of conjunctiva (pterygium-like) over the cornea associated with keloid formation on his distal limbs. He has in addition camptodactyly of all fingers and to some extent of his toes, and unusual skin pigmentations. He resembles an earlier described family from Norway in which a mother and two children showed a similar combination of signs. We present the follow-up of the Norwegian family. The entity resembles the Penttinen syndrome but can be differentiated due to the early aging in the latter, which is lacking in the presently reported entity. We suggest naming this entity ocular pterygium-digital keloid dysplasia. The condition follows likely an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. | 25,124,224 | [
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Chiral chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry applied to the determination of pro-resolving lipid mediators. | Pro-resolving lipid mediators are a class of endogenously synthesized molecules derived from different fatty acids, such as arachidonic, docosahexaenoic or eicosapentaenoic acid, which are derived into four different product families: lipoxins, resolvins, maresins and protectins. For quantitation of these compounds, a sensitive, selective and robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of lipoxin A4, 6-epi-lipoxin A4, lipoxin B4 and lipoxin A5, the D-series resolvins D1 and D2 as well as aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4 and resolvin D1, maresin and protectin and the pathway markers 17(S)-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid and 17(R)-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid in cell culture supernatants. For this purpose, a chiral column was connected in series with a reversed-phase column to achieve efficient analyte separation and high sensitivity. Sample pre-treatment included a fast and simple liquid-liquid extraction procedure. Limits of quantitation in the range of 0.1-0.5ng/mL cell culture media, absolute recoveries between 90 and 115%, intra- and interday precision of less than 13% and an accuracy of less than 11% were obtained. Stability of the samples after 60 days storage at -80°C, three freeze/thaw cycles and 4h at room temperature has been demonstrated for all analytes. Sample extracts can be stored at 7°C for 24h without degradation of the analytes. Deviations of less than 13% in the accuracy, evaluated in terms of relative error, were obtained. The suitability of the method has been demonstrated in cell culture supernatants of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, stimulated with 15R-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid and in cell culture media of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes co-incubated with human platelets. From all studied analytes, lipoxin A4 and 6-epi-lipoxin A4 were found in cell culture media under both incubation conditions, while 15-epi-lipoxin A4 was additionally detected in cell culture supernatants of polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated with 15R-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid. | 25,124,229 | [
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A study on the mechanism by which MDMA protects against dopaminergic dysfunction after minimal traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in mice. | Driving under methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) influence increases the risk of being involved in a car accident, which in turn can lead to traumatic brain injury. The behavioral deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI) are closely connected to dopamine pathway dysregulation. We have previously demonstrated in mice that low MDMA doses prior to mTBI can lead to better performances in cognitive tests. The purpose of this study was to assess in mice the changes in the dopamine system that occurs after both MDMA and minimal traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Experimental mTBI was induced using a concussive head trauma device. One hour before injury, animals were subjected to MDMA. Administration of MDMA before injury normalized the alterations in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels that were observed in mTBI mice. This normalization was also able to lower the elevated dopamine receptor type 2 (D2) levels observed after mTBI. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels did not change following injury alone, but in mice subjected to MDMA and mTBI, significant elevations were observed. In the behavioral tests, haloperidol reversed the neuroprotection seen when MDMA was administered prior to injury. Altered catecholamine synthesis and high D2 receptor levels contribute to cognitive dysfunction, and strategies to normalize TH signaling and D2 levels may provide relief for the deficits observed after injury. Pretreatment with MDMA kept TH and D2 receptor at normal levels, allowing regular dopamine system activity. While the beneficial effect we observe was due to a dangerous recreational drug, understanding the alterations in dopamine and the mechanism of dysfunction at a cellular level can lead to legal therapies and potential candidates for clinical use. | 25,124,230 | [
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Equivalent input produces different output in the UniFrac significance test. | UniFrac is a well-known tool for comparing microbial communities and assessing statistically significant differences between communities. In this paper we identify a discrepancy in the UniFrac methodology that causes semantically equivalent inputs to produce different outputs in tests of statistical significance. The phylogenetic trees that are input into UniFrac may or may not contain abundance counts. An isomorphic transform can be defined that will convert trees between these two formats without altering the semantic meaning of the trees. UniFrac produces different outputs for these equivalent forms of the same input tree. This is illustrated using metagenomics data from a lake sediment study. Results from the UniFrac tool can vary greatly for the same input depending on the arbitrary choice of input format. Practitioners should be aware of this issue and use the tool with caution to ensure consistency and validity in their analyses. We provide a script to transform inputs between equivalent formats to help researchers achieve this consistency. | 25,124,232 | [
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MOF-derived porous ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄/C octahedra with hollow interiors for high-rate lithium-ion batteries. | Novel porous ZnO/ZnFe2O4/C octahedra with hollow interiors are fabricated by a facile self-sacrificing template method involving the refluxing synthesis of hollow, metal-organic framework octahedra in solution and subsequent thermal annealing in N2 . When evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, these porous hollow ZnO/ZnFe2O4/C octahedra exhibit significantly enhanced electrochemical performances with high rate capability, high capacity, and excellent cycling stability. | 25,124,234 | [
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[Evidence-based public health decision-making tools which can also be used for prioritising disease]. | He use of research-based evidence has been promoted during recent years, due to the increasing development of evidence-based medicine,and it has been reported that transferring the concept of "evidence-based" from clinical to public health practice has not been as straight forward as expected.Much research-based evidence for supporting public health recommendations has come from studies whose evidence has been qualified as being low or very low quality in the medical hierarchy based on classic evidence and the grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE)approach. This paper was aimed at presenting two methods of rating evidence, as well as their limitations and applications as public health decision-making tools. | 25,124,245 | [
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[The background, development and perspectives of modern epidemiology]. | Epidemiology is an ongoing discipline (i.e. still being constructed) and many of the foundations of the theory and methods now in use were mostly developed during the second half of the twentieth century, arising from what is known today as "modern epidemiology". This paper summary the history and main ideas which guided epidemiology at that time, the debates and divisions that characterized such advance and presents a "biased" point of view concerning the perspectives which could help thinking about the disciplinary development of epidemiology. | 25,124,246 | [
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Preparation of thermally stable microcapsules with a chitosan-silica hybrid. | Addition of microcapsules with a high dielectric constant and low specific heat capacity to a battered layer was designed to create a higher temperature in the crust than in the prefried fish nuggets to prevent the water vapor in the fish nuggets from migrating to the crust during microwave heating. Therefore, chitosan-silica hybrids and soybean oil were utilized to prepare the shell and core of the thermally stable microcapsules (MC(CS)), respectively. The MC(CS) were prepared by sol-gel coacervation from an oil-in-water emulsion. The sodium silicate was hydrolyzed and coacervated through polymerization for 24 h at pH 5. The zeta potential analysis indicated that chitosan with a positive charge and silica with a negative charge interacted through electrostatic attraction to form a hybrid shell. The volume mean particle size and encapsulation efficiency of the MC(CS) were 9.6 ± 0.2 μm and 75.6% ± 1.3%, respectively, when oil/chitosan = 0.2 and chitosan/silica = 0.5 (w/w). In addition to H-bonding and electrostatic attraction, Si-O-N bonds were formed between chitosan and silica. Dehydration of the bound water in the MC(CS) was observed in the range of 25 to 250 °C in the differential scanning calorimetry thermal analysis, with the lack of apparent thermal peaks indicating its high thermal stability. The decrease of force to cut the crust observed by texture analysis as well as the increase of hedonic score by consumer acceptance test revealed the addition of 1% MC(CS) significantly improved the crispness of the crust in the microwave-reheated nuggets. | 25,124,256 | [
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A therapeutic workplace for the long-term treatment of drug addiction and unemployment: eight-year outcomes of a social business intervention. | This study evaluated the long-term effects of a therapeutic workplace social business on drug abstinence and employment. Pregnant and postpartum women (N = 40) enrolled in methadone treatment were randomly assigned to a therapeutic workplace or usual care control group. Therapeutic workplace participants could work weekdays in training and then as employees of a social business, but were required to provide drug-free urine samples to work and maintain maximum pay. Three-year outcomes were reported previously. This paper reports 4- to 8-year outcomes. During year 4 when the business was open, therapeutic workplace participants provided significantly more cocaine- and opiate-negative urine samples than controls; reported more days employed, higher employment income, and less money spent on drugs. During the 3 years after the business closed, therapeutic workplace participants only reported higher income than controls. A therapeutic workplace social business can maintain long-term abstinence and employment, but additional intervention may be required to sustain effects. | 25,124,257 | [
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Using electronic health record data to evaluate preventive service utilization among uninsured safety net patients. | This study compared the preventive service utilization of uninsured patients receiving care at Oregon community health centers (CHCs) in 2008 through 2011 with that of continuously insured patients at the same CHCs in the same period, using electronic health record (EHR) data. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis, using logistic mixed effects regression modeling to calculate odds ratios and rates of preventive service utilization for patients without insurance, or with continuous insurance. CHCs provided many preventive services to uninsured patients. Uninsured patients were less likely than continuously insured patients to receive 5 of 11 preventive services, ranging from OR 0.52 (95% CI: 0.35-0.77) for mammogram orders to 0.75 (95% CI: 0.66-0.86) for lipid panels. This disparity persisted even in patients who visited the clinic regularly. Lack of insurance is a barrier to preventive service utilization, even in patients who can access care at a CHC. Policymakers in the United States should continue to address this significant prevention disparity. | 25,124,279 | [
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The cost-effectiveness of installing sidewalks to increase levels of transport-walking and health. | This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of installing sidewalks to increase levels of transport-walking. Secondary analysis using logistic regression established the association of sidewalks with transport-walking using two transport-walking thresholds of 150 and 60 min/week using Western Australian data (n=1394) from 1995 to 2000. Minimum, moderate and maximum interventions were defined, associated respectively with one sidewalk, at least one sidewalk and sidewalks on both sides of the street. Costs, average and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated for each intervention and expressed as 'the cost per person who walks for transport for more than 150 min/week (60 min/week) after the installation of new sidewalks'. A sensitivity analysis examined the robustness of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios to varying model inputs. Costs are in 2012 Australian dollars. A positive relationship was found between the presence of sidewalks and transport-walking for both transport-walking thresholds of 150 and 60 min/week. The minimum intervention was found to be the most cost-effective at $2330/person and $674/person for the 150 and 60 min/week transport-walking thresholds respectively. Increasing the proportion of people transport-walking and increasing population density by 50% improved the cost-effectiveness of installing side-walks to $346/person. To increase levels of transport-walking, retrofitting streets with one sidewalk is most cost-effective. | 25,124,280 | [
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The ability to suppress macrophage-mediated inflammation in orbital fat stem cells is controlled by miR-671-5p. | Our previous works demonstrated that systemic orbital fat-derived stem cell (OFSC) transplantation was effective in ameliorating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced extensive acute lung injury (ALI) in vivo mainly through paracrine regulation of macrophage-mediated cytokine-storm. In this study, we explore the molecular mechanism(s) of OFSCs regulating macrophage activity in a cytokine-inducible fashion. LPS (100 ng/ml)-activated macrophages were treated by conditioned medium from OFSCs (OFSCs-CM) or non-contact cultured with OFSCs for 6 hours. The potency of OFSCs on macrophage proliferation and pro-inflammation ability were determined. Expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophages, inducible immuno-modulatory factors in OFSCs, were investigated. Deep sequencing analysis as well as interaction between microRNA (miRNA) and genes of immuno-modulators in OFSCs induced by activated macrophages was predicted by miRTar. Transfection of miRNA inhibitor into OFSCs was performed. Real-time RT-PCR and transplantation of OFSCs into mice with LPS-induced ALI confirmed the in vitro and in vivo mechanism. The paracrine effect of OFSCs on inhibition of macrophage pro-inflammatory cytokine release was more potent than induction of macrophage G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. OFSCs-CM suppressed LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthetase and the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta expression in macrophages. Under non-contact culture, LPS-activated macrophages effectively triggered the expression of soluble immuno-modulating factors in OFSCs, i.e., IL-10, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 RA), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and soluble TNF receptor type II (sTNF RII). Under miRTar prediction, miR-671-5p was identified as a critical microRNA in regulation of multiple immune-modulating factors in OFSCs response to macrophages. The baseline level of miR-671-5p was high in OFSCs, and down-regulation of miR-671-5p upon co-culture with activated macrophages was observed. MiR-671-5p inhibitor transfection into OFSCs selectively enhanced the IL-1 RA and sTNF RII expressions. In addition, inhibition of miR-671-5p in OFSCs enhanced the anti-inflammatory ability against LPS-induced ALI. The paracrine effect of OFSCs inhibits the pro-inflammatory ability and proliferation of macrophages. The immune-modulation capacity of OFSCs can be triggered by activated macrophages, and down-regulation of miR-671-5p enhances OFSC immuno-modulation ability by up-regulating IL-1 RA and sTNF RII expression. | 25,124,290 | [
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Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: paradigms of surgical management. | Cholangiocarcinoma is a lethal disease with increasing incidence worldwide. Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma represents the most common type of cholangiocarcinoma. Despite major development on surgical strategies over the past 20 years, the 5-year survival rate after surgery has remained below 40%, often in the vicinity of 20%. Most perihilar cholangiocarcinomas, however, are unresectable at the time of the diagnosis. The recent use of aggressive approaches based on better image modality, specific perioperative management, and a multidisciplinary approach have enabled to convert the use of palliative therapies to more radical surgery. This review focuses on the recent advances in surgical treatment for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma including liver transplantation with their respective impact on patient survival. | 25,124,294 | [
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Smoking, MATRICS consensus cognitive battery and P50 sensory gating in a Han Chinese population. | The effects of smoking on cognitive performance have long been studied, with mixed results. P50 sensory gating has been used as endophenotype for studying nicotinic systems genetics, and P50 gating deficits have been reported to be a sensitive biomarker for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. This study examined the inter-relationship between P50 suppression, cognitive function, and smoking in a healthy Han Chinese population, which has not been reported before. We recruited 82 healthy male subjects, including 48 smokers and 34 non-smokers who were matched for age and education. The authors measured P50 sensory gating and administered the Chinese-language version of the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) and Stroop tests. The results showed that the smokers scored lower than nonsmokers on the MCCB brief visuospatial memory test (BVMT) index and the STROOP test. Furthermore, the MCCB total score was negatively associated with number of cigarettes smoked per day in the smoker group. However, P50 sensory gating was not associated with either smoking status or any cognitive performance. Our results show that smoking is associated with cognitive impairment, but not with P50 sensory gating. | 25,124,304 | [
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Oxidative modification, inflammation and amyloid in the normal and diabetic cat pancreas. | The pathogenesis of β-cell dysfunction leading to pancreatic β-cell failure seen in type 2 diabetes mellitus is incompletely understood. Pancreatic tissues were collected from nine control cats and nine diabetic cats and labelled immunohistochemically to examine expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, insulin, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Thioflavin-S was used to stain for amyloid. All control cats showed positive labelling for IL-1β and 4-HNE. Diabetic cats showed varying degrees of inflammation and oxidative modification, owing in large part to the very small amount of islet structure remaining in the typical diabetic cat pancreas. Amyloid deposition was identified in 8/9 diabetic cats and 1/9 control cats. In order to validate these findings, paired biopsy samples taken from an additional group of cats enrolled in a study of obesity and hyperglycaemia (sampling at baseline and after 8-16 weeks of obesity and hyperglycaemia) were labelled for IL-1β and 4-HNE. A similar pattern of labelling was identified in the baseline samples to that seen in control cats. A significant increase in IL-1β and 4-HNE expression was seen after a period of hyperglycaemia and obesity. Taken together, these findings suggest that while present in normal cats, markers of inflammation and oxidative modification increase very early during the development of disease. Future studies focusing on these earlier time points are needed to understand the factors that function in protection of the islet β cell and the development of islet pathology in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the cat. | 25,124,331 | [
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Comparison of the ocular characteristics of anterior uveitis caused by herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus. | To compare the clinical characteristics of anterior uveitis (AU) caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), or cytomegalovirus (CMV). The medical records were reviewed of 46 patients whose diagnoses were based on their clinical characteristics [e.g., unilateral involvement, presence of keratic precipitates (KPs), and elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP)] and on PCR detection of herpes virus DNA in the aqueous humor. The demographics, chief complaints, and clinical characteristics of the three types of herpetic AU were compared. Of the 46 patients with AU, eight had HSV-AU, 20 had VZV-AU, and 18 had CMV-AU. HSV-AU and VZV-AU shared common features, i.e., a relatively acute disease process and the presence of large KPs. Among the three groups of patients, the characteristic features of those with VZV-AU were severe intraocular inflammation, as shown by severe aqueous flare, highest viral load in the aqueous humor, and presence of segmental iris atrophy. In comparison, patients with CMV-AU had the mildest intraocular inflammation, lowest corneal endothelial cell density, and highest IOP. Although the AU caused by each of the three types of herpes viruses has a number of common features, each disease also has distinct features that should facilitate an accurate diagnosis. | 25,124,341 | [
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Occupational exposure to air pollutants: particulate matter and respiratory symptoms affecting traffic-police in Bogotá. | Quantifying personal exposure to particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter (PM10) and determining the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in traffic-police officers working in Bogotá's metropolitan area. This was a cross-sectional study of 574 traffic-police officers divided into two groups (477 traffic-police and 97 police working in an office). They were given a questionnaire inquiring about respiratory symptoms, toxicological medical evaluation, lung function tests and personal PM10 monitoring. The differences between groups were found using stratified analysis (i.e. comparing odds ratios). Multivariate analysis of factors related to symptoms and diagnosis of respiratory alteration was also performed. Respiratory symptoms concerned a higher prevalence of cough, expectoration and rhinosinusitis in the traffic-police group. Medical examination revealed that the traffic-police group had higher nasal irritation prevalence; lung function tests showed no difference. Mean PM10 levels were higher for the traffic-police group (139.4 μg/m³), compared to the office work group (86.03 μg/m³). PM10 values in both groups did not exceed allowable limits for respirable particles in the workplace according to ACGIH standards. Traffic-police exposed to air pollution had an increased risk of developing respiratory symptoms and signs, thereby agreeing with the results of this and other studies. Personal monitoring is a valuable tool when quantifying the concentration of PM10to which an individual has been exposed during a normal workday. This study contributes towards further research in to the effects of PM10 in populations at risk. | 25,124,352 | [
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Improvement of arterial oxygenation in free-ranging moose (Alces alces) immobilized with etorphine-acepromazine-xylazine. | The effect of intranasal oxygen and/or early reversal of xylazine with atipamezole on arterial oxygenation in free-ranging moose (Alces alces) immobilized with etorphine-acepromazine-xylazine with a cross-sectional clinical study on 33 adult moose was evaluated. Before treatment the mean±SD (range) partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) was 62±17 (26-99) mmHg. Twenty-six animals had a PaO2<80 mmHg. Ten had a PaO2 of 40-60 mmHg and three animals had a PaO2<40 mmHg. Intranasal oxygen and intravenous administration of atipamezole significantly increased the mean PaO2, as did the combination of the two. In contrast, atipamezole administered intramuscularly at the evaluated dose had no significant effect on arterial oxygenation. This study shows that intranasal oxygen effectively improved arterial oxygenation in immobilized moose, and that early intravenous reversal of the sedative component, in this case xylazine, in an opioid-based immobilization drug-protocol significantly improves arterial oxygenation. | 25,124,367 | [
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Stress, Drugs, and Alcohol Use Among Health Care Professional Students: A Focus on Prescription Stimulants. | To contrast the characteristics of pharmacy, medicine, and physician assistant (PA) students regarding the prevalence of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and to identify risk factors associated with prescription stimulant use. Five hundred eighty nine students were recruited to complete a 50-item Web-based survey. Demographics, nonmedical prescription medication use, illicit drug and alcohol use, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision; DSM-IV-TR) psychiatric diagnoses, and perceived stress scale (PSS) scores. Medicine and PA students reported greater nonmedical prescription stimulant use than pharmacy students (10.4% vs 14.0% vs 6.1%; P < .05). Medicine and PA students were more likely to report a history of an anxiety disorder (12.1% vs 18.6% vs 5.9%; P < .05), major depressive disorder (9.4% vs 8.1% vs 3.3%; P < .05), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 4.0% vs 9.3% vs 0.7%; P < .001) than pharmacy students. PSS scores for all 3 groups (21.9-22.3) were roughly twice as high as the general adult population. Illicit drug and prescription stimulant use, psychiatric disorders, and elevated stress levels are prevalent among health care professional students. Health care professional programs may wish to use this information to better understand their student population which may lead to a reassessment of student resources and awareness/prevention programs. | 25,124,376 | [
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Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C667T polymorphism is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease in a Chinese population. | Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex disease resulting from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801133 C/T, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) rs755622 G/C and cyclin D1 (CCND1) rs678653 G/C contribute to CAD susceptibility. We examined the association between the five polymorphisms and the risk of CAD in a Chinese population of 435 CAD patients and 480 controls. Genotyping was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF MS). When the MTHFR rs1801133 CC homozygote genotype was used as the reference group, the TT or CT/TT genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk for CAD. The CT heterozygote genotype was not associated with the risk for CAD. Logistic regression analyses revealed that MMP-2 rs243865 C/T, TNF-α rs1800629 A/G, MIF rs755622 G/C and CCND1 rs678653 G/C polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of CAD. These findings suggest that the MTHFR rs1801133 C/T polymorphism is associated with CAD development. Future larger studies with other ethnic populations are required to confirm current findings. | 25,124,382 | [
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Water engineering. Reducing sewer corrosion through integrated urban water management. | Sewer systems are among the most critical infrastructure assets for modern urban societies and provide essential human health protection. Sulfide-induced concrete sewer corrosion costs billions of dollars annually and has been identified as a main cause of global sewer deterioration. We performed a 2-year sampling campaign in South East Queensland (Australia), an extensive industry survey across Australia, and a comprehensive model-based scenario analysis of the various sources of sulfide. Aluminum sulfate addition during drinking water production contributes substantially to the sulfate load in sewage and indirectly serves as the primary source of sulfide. This unintended consequence of urban water management structures could be avoided by switching to sulfate-free coagulants, with no or only marginal additional expenses compared with the large potential savings in sewer corrosion costs. | 25,124,439 | [
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Place cells. Large environments reveal the statistical structure governing hippocampal representations. | The rules governing the formation of spatial maps in the hippocampus have not been determined. We investigated the large-scale structure of place field activity by recording hippocampal neurons in rats exploring a previously unencountered 48-meter-long track. Single-cell and population activities were well described by a two-parameter stochastic model. Individual neurons had their own characteristic propensity for forming fields randomly along the track, with some cells expressing many fields and many exhibiting few or none. Because of the particular distribution of propensities across cells, the number of neurons with fields scaled logarithmically with track length over a wide, ethological range. These features constrain hippocampal memory mechanisms, may allow efficient encoding of environments and experiences of vastly different extents and durations, and could reflect general principles of population coding. | 25,124,440 | [
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Absence of plastin 1 causes abnormal maintenance of hair cell stereocilia and a moderate form of hearing loss in mice. | Hearing relies on the mechanosensory inner and outer hair cells (OHCs) of the organ of Corti, which convert mechanical deflections of their actin-rich stereociliary bundles into electrochemical signals. Several actin-associated proteins are essential for stereocilia formation and maintenance, and their absence leads to deafness. One of the most abundant actin-bundling proteins of stereocilia is plastin 1, but its function has never been directly assessed. Here, we found that plastin 1 knock-out (Pls1 KO) mice have a moderate and progressive form of hearing loss across all frequencies. Auditory hair cells developed normally in Pls1 KO, but in young adult animals, the stereocilia of inner hair cells were reduced in width and length. The stereocilia of OHCs were comparatively less affected; however, they also showed signs of degeneration in ageing mice. The hair bundle stiffness and the acquisition of the electrophysiological properties of hair cells were unaffected by the absence of plastin 1, except for a significant change in the adaptation properties, but not the size of the mechanoelectrical transducer currents. These results show that in contrast to other actin-bundling proteins such as espin, harmonin or Eps8, plastin 1 is dispensable for the initial formation of stereocilia. However, the progressive hearing loss and morphological defects of hair cells in adult Pls1 KO mice point at a specific role for plastin 1 in the preservation of adult stereocilia and optimal hearing. Hence, mutations in the human PLS1 gene may be associated with relatively mild and progressive forms of hearing loss. | 25,124,451 | [
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Randomized controlled trial of Qigong/Tai Chi Easy on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors. | Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue, mood, and sleep disturbances. This study aims to compare a meditative movement practice, Qigong/Tai Chi Easy (QG/TCE) with sham Qigong (SQG), testing effects of meditation/breath aspects of QG/TCE on breast cancer survivors' persistent fatigue and other symptoms. This double-blind, randomized controlled trial tested 12 weeks of QG/TCE versus SQG on fatigue, depression, and sleep among 87 postmenopausal, fatigued breast cancer survivors, stages 0-III, age 40-75. Fatigue decreased significantly in the QG/TCE group compared to control at post-intervention (p = 0.005) and 3 months follow-up (p = 0.024), but not depression and sleep quality. Improvement occurred over time for both interventions in depression and sleep quality (all p < 0.05). QG/TCE showed significant improvement over time compared to SQG for fatigue, but not depression or sleep. Both QG/TCE and SQG showed improvement for two prevalent symptoms among breast cancer survivors, depression and sleep dysfunction. | 25,124,456 | [
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Clinical significance of surgical resection for the recurrence of esophageal cancer after radical esophagectomy. | This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of surgical resection for recurrent lesions after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Recurrence was detected in 113 of 365 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for esophageal cancer, and some treatment was performed for recurrence in 100 of the 113 patients. The treatments were classified into two groups: chemotherapy and/or radiation with surgery (surgery group, n = 14) and chemotherapy and/or radiation without surgery (no surgery group, n = 86). The outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 14 patients in the surgery group, 3 underwent repeated resection. Thus, a total of 22 resections were performed for these patients. The resected organs were the lymph nodes in nine patients, the lungs in six patients, local recurrence in two patients, subcutaneous recurrence in two patients, the liver in one patient, the brain in one patient, and the parotid gland in one patient. Among the 22 recurrent cases, 20 involved solitary lesions or multiple lesions located in a small resectable region. When the two groups were compared, the surgery group showed a more favorable prognosis in terms of both survival after esophagectomy (median survival time, 103.3 vs 23.1 months; p = 0.0060) and survival after initial recurrence (92.1 vs 12.2 months; p = 0.0057). Multimodal treatment provides a significant benefit for patients with recurrence after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Surgical intervention should be aggressively included in the treatment strategy when the recurrent lesion is solitary or localized. | 25,124,469 | [
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Implicit affective evaluation bias in hypochondriasis: findings from the Affect Misattribution Procedure. | Cognitive theories of hypochondriasis (HYP) suggest that catastrophic misinterpretations of benign body sensations are a core feature for the maintenance of the disorder. There is tentative support from an analog sample that the interpretation of illness-related information also involves an implicit affective component. This is the first study to examine this negative affective evaluation bias implicitly in patients with HYP. An adapted version of the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) with illness, symptom and neutral primes was used in 80 patients with HYP, and compared to 83 patients with an anxiety disorder (AD), as well as 90 healthy controls (CG). The HYP group showed significantly more negative affective reactions in illness prime trials, compared to both control groups, as well as more negative implicit evaluations on symptom prime trials, compared to the CG. Significant inverse relationships were observed only between the implicit evaluations of illness words and health anxiety questionnaires. Thus, an implicit negative affective evaluation bias of serious illnesses rather than symptoms is a unique feature of HYP. | 25,124,504 | [
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Peeking into the black box: mechanisms of action for anger management treatment. | We investigated potential mechanisms of action for anger symptom reductions, specifically, the roles of anger regulation skills and therapeutic alliance on changes in anger symptoms, following group anger management treatment (AMT) among combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data were drawn from a published randomized controlled trial of AMT conducted with a racially diverse group of 109 veterans with PTSD and anger symptoms residing in Hawaii. Results of latent growth curve models indicated that gains in calming skills predicted significantly larger reductions in anger symptoms at post-treatment, while the development of cognitive coping and behavioral control skills did not predict greater symptom reductions. Therapeutic alliance had indirect effects on all outcomes mostly via arousal calming skills. Results suggest that generalized symptom reduction may be mediated by development of skills in calming physiological arousal. In addition, arousal reduction skills appeared to enhance one's ability to employ other anger regulation skills. | 25,124,505 | [
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Liver X receptor β activation induces pyroptosis of human and murine colon cancer cells. | Liver X receptors (LXRs) have been proposed to have some anticancer properties, through molecular mechanisms that remain elusive. Here we report for the first time that LXR ligands induce caspase-1-dependent cell death of colon cancer cells. Caspase-1 activation requires Nod-like-receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and ATP-mediated P2 × 7 receptor activation. Surprisingly, LXRβ is mainly located in the cytoplasm and has a non-genomic role by interacting with pannexin 1 leading to ATP secretion. Finally, LXR ligands have an antitumoral effect in a mouse colon cancer model, dependent on the presence of LXRβ, pannexin 1, NLRP3 and caspase-1 within the tumor cells. Our results demonstrate that LXRβ, through pannexin 1 interaction, can specifically induce caspase-1-dependent colon cancer cell death by pyroptosis. | 25,124,554 | [
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Review of the molecular pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. | Treating the osteosarcoma (OSA) remains a challenge. Current strategies focus on the primary tumor and have limited efficacy for metastatic OSA. A better understanding of the OSA pathogenesis may provide a rational basis for innovative treatment strategies especially for metastases. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the molecular mechanisms of OSA tumorigenesis, OSA cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and chemotherapy resistance, and how improved understanding might contribute to designing a better treatment target for OSA. | 25,124,559 | [
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Upregulation of STK15 in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas in a Mongolian population. | The STK15 gene located on chromosome 20q13.2 encodes a centrosome-associated kinase critical for regulated chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Recent studies have demonstrated STK15 to be significantly associated with many tumors, with aberrant expression obseved in many human malignancies. The purpose of this study was to investigate expression of STK15 in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) in a Mongolian population. Two non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding region of STK15, rs2273535 (Phe31Ile) and rs1047972 (Val57Ile) were assessed in 380 ESCC patients and 380 healthy controls. We also detected STK15 mRNA expression in 39 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and corresponding adjacent tissues by real time PCR. rs2273535 showed a significant association with ESCC in our Mongolian population (rs227353, P allele=0.0447, OR (95%CI)=1.259 (1.005~1.578)). Real time PCR analysis of ESCC tissues showed that expression of STK15 mRNA in cancer tissues was higher than in normal tissues (p=0.013). Our study showed that functional SNPs in the STK15 gene are associated with ESCC in a Mongolian population and up-regulation of STK15 mRNAoccurs in ESCC tumors compared adjacent normal tissues. STK15 may thus have an important role in the prognosis of ESCC and be a potential therapeutic target. | 25,124,567 | [
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Impact of prognostic factors on survival rates in patients with ovarian carcinoma. | The aim of the present study was to invesitigate the impact of significant clinico-pathological prognostic factors on survival rates and to identify factors predictive of poor outcome in patients with ovarian carcinoma. A retrospective chart review of 74 women with pathologically proven ovarian carcinoma who were treated between January 2006 and April 2011 was performed. Patients were investigated with respect to survival to find the possible effects of age, gravida, parity, menstruel condition, pre-operative Ca-125, treatment period, cytologic washings, presence of ascites, tumor histology, stage and grade, maximal tumor diameter, adjuvan chemotherapy and cytoreductive success. Also 55 ovarian carcinoma patients were investigated with respect to prognostic factors for early 2-year survival. The two-year survival rate was 69% and the 5-year survival rate was 25.5% for the whole study population. Significant factors for 2-year survival were preoperative CA-125 level, malignant cytology and FIGO clinical stage. Significant factors for 5-year survival were age, preoperative CA-125 level, residual tumor, lymph node metastases, histologic type of tumor, malignant cytology and FIGO clinical stage. Logistic regression revealed that independent prognostic factors of 5-year survival were patient age, lymph node metastasis and malignant cytology. We consider quality registries with prospectively collected data to be one important tool in monitoring treatment effects in population-based cancer research. | 25,124,578 | [
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Elevated serum ferritin levels in patients with hematologic malignancies. | To retrospectively analyze variability and clinical significance of serum ferritin levels in Chinese patients with hematologic malignancies. Serum ferritin were measured by radioimmunoassay, using a kit produced by the Beijing Institute of Atomic Energy. Patients with hematologic malignancies, and treated in the Department of Hematology in Nanjing First Hospital and fulfilled study criteria were recruited. Of 473 patients with hematologic malignancies, 262 patients were diagnosed with acute leukemia, 131 with lymphoma and 80 with multiple myeloma. Serum ferritin levels of newly diagnosed and recurrent patients were significantly higher than those entering complete remission stage or in the control group (p<0.001). Serum ferritin lever in patients with hematologic malignancies at early stage and recurrent stage are significantly increased, so that detection and surveillance of changes of serum ferritin could be helpful in assessing conditions and prognosis of this patient cohort. | 25,124,580 | [
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Combined detection of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in the diagnosis and prognosis of resectable gastric cancer. | Our aim was to investigate the value of combined detection of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in diagnosis and assessment of prognosis in consecutive gastric cancer patients. Clinical data including preoperative serum CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242, and CA 50 values and information on clinical pathological factors were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to explore the relationship between tumor markers and survival. Positive rates of tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in the diagnosis of gastric cancer were 17.7, 17.1, 20.4 and 13.8%, respectively, and the positive rate for all four markers combined was 36.6%. Patients with elevated preoperative serum concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50, had late clinical tumor stage and significantly poorer overall survival. Five-year survival rates in patients with elevated CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 were 28.1, 25.8, 27.0 and 24.1%, respectively, compared with 55.0, 55.4, 56.4 and 54.5% in patients with these markers at normal levels (p<0.01). In multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses, an elevated CA 242 level was determined to be an independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients. Combined detection of four tumor markers increased the positive rate for gastric cancer diagnosis. CA 242 showed higher diagnostic value and CA 50 showed lower diagnostic value. In resectable gastric carcinoma, preoperative CA 242 level was associated with disease stage, and was found to be a significant independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients. | 25,124,614 | [
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Preliminary evaluation of the in vitro efficacy of 1, 2-di (quinazolin-4-yl) diselane against SiHa cervical cancer cells. | Cervical cancer is one the most common malignancies among females. In recent years, its incidence rate has shown a rising trend in some countries so that development of anticancer drugs for cervical cancer is an urgent priority. In our recent anticancer drug discovery screen, 1, 2-di (quinazolin-4-yl)diselane (LG003) was found to possess wide spectrum anticancer efficacy. In the present work, the in vitro anticancer activity of LG003 was evaluated in the SiHa cervical cancer cell line. Compared with commercial anticancer drugs 10-hydroxycamptothecin, epirubicin hydrochloride, taxol and oxaliplatin, LG003 showed better anticancer activity. Furthermore, inhibition effects were time- and dose-dependent. Morphological observation exhibited LG003 treatment results in apoptosis like shrinking and blebbing, and cell membrane damage. Lactate dehydrogenase release assay revealed that LG003 exerts such effects in SiHa cells through a physiology pathway rather than cytotoxicity, which suggests that title compound LG003 can be a potential candidate agent for cervical cancer. | 25,124,615 | [
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Descriptive report on pattern of variation in cancer cases within selected ethnic groups in Kamrup Urban District of Assam, 2009-2011. | The global burden of cancer is continuously increasing. According to recent report of the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) on time trends it is estimated that future burden of cancer cases for India in 2020 will be 1,320,928. It is well known that knowledge of the incidence of cancer is a fundamental requirement of rational planning and monitoring of cancer control programs. It would help health planners to formulate public health policy if relevant ethnic groups were considered. North East-India alone contains over 160 Scheduled Tribes and 400 other sub-tribal communities and groups, whose cancer incidence rates are high compared to mainland India. As since no previous study was done focusing on ethnicity, the present investigation was performed. In this paper PBCR-Guwahati data on all cancer registrations from January 2009 to December 2011 for residents of the Kamrup Urban District, comprising an area of 261.8 sq. km with a total population of 900,518, including individual records with information on sex, age, ethnicity and cancer site are provided. Descriptive statistics including age adjusted rates (AARs) were taken as provided by NCRP. For comparison of proportional incidence ratios (PIR) the Student's t test was used, with p<0.05 considered as statistically significant. Differences in leading sites of Kamrup Urban District since from the beginning of the PBCR-Guwahati were revealed among different ethnic groups by this study. The results should help policy makers to formulate different strategies to control the level of burden as well as for treatment planning. This study also suggests that age is an important factor of cancer among different ethnic populations as well as for overall population of Kamrup District of Assam. | 25,124,629 | [
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