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Retriever1200
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Clinical characteristics of sepsis-induced acute kidney injury in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).
METHODS
From 2011 to 2015, we enrolled 340 patients who were treated with CRRT for sepsis at the Presbyterian Medical Center. In all patients, CRRT was performed using the PRISMA platform. We divided these patients into two groups (survivors and non-survivors) according to the 28-day all-cause mortality. We compared clinical characteristics and analyzed the predictors of mortality.
RESULTS
The 28-day all-cause mortality was 62%. Survivors were younger than non-survivors and had higher platelet counts (178 ± 101 × 103/mL vs. 134 ± 84 × 103/mL, p < .01) and serum creatinine levels (4.2 ± 2.8 vs. 3.3 ± 2.7, p < .01). However, survivors had lower red blood cell distribution width (RDW) scores (14.9 ± 2.1 vs. 16.1 ± 3.3, p < .01) and APACHE II scores (24.5 ± 5.8 vs. 26.9 ± 5.7, p < .01) than non-survivors. Furthermore, survivors were more likely than non-survivors to have a urine output of >0.05 mL/kg/h (66% vs. 86%, p = .001) in the first day. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, platelet count, RDW score, APACHE II score, serum creatinine level, and a urine output of <0.05 mL/kg/h the first day were prognostic factors for the 28-day all-cause mortality.
CONCLUSION
Age, platelet count, APACHE II score, RDW score, serum creatinine level, and urine output the first day are useful predictors for the 28-day all-cause mortality in sepsis patients requiring CRRT.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1201
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17β-Estradiol nongenomically induces vasodilation is enhanced by promoting phosphorylation of endophilin A2.
ObjectiveA previous study found that the tyrosine phosphorylation of endophilin A2 (Endo II) was responsible for increase surface expression of MT1-MMP and ECM degradation; however, there is little information about whether Endo II could influence membrane estrogen receptors (mERs) and its functions.Materials and methodsIn the present study, Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with E2, PPT, DPN, ICI 182780, Endo siRNA or negative control siRNA, and the biological behavior of the treated cells was observed. The mice were randomly divided into AAV-control-shRNA + Ach, AAV-Endo II-shRNA + Ach, AAV-control-shRNA + E2, AAV-Endo II-shRNA + E2 groups and the thoracic aorta were isolated, cut into 2-mm rings, then the wall tension was detected.ResultsWe found that 17β-Estradiol (E2) enhanced mERα protein level, which was further increased after knocking down Endo II, the mechanism maybe involved in E2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Endo II. In addition, we also observed that Endo II blocked the activation of Akt, ERK1/2 and eNOS signaling in HUVECs treated with E2. E2 induced vasodilation was significantly increased by silencing of Endo II expression.ConclusionOur study provided a sound basis to selective modulate Endo II for E2's nongenomic pathway, which can be benefit for cardiovascular system.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1202
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Extraterritorial temperature pain threshold abnormalities in subjects with healed thermal injury.
Approximately 1.25 million individuals sustain burn injuries annually in the United States. Pain is frequent in patients with burn injuries and is often refractory to pharmacotherapy. We report quantitative sensory data from five subjects who sustained external thermal injuries to their limb(s) 8 weeks to 11 years previously, demonstrating reduced thermal pain thresholds in regions outside the burn injury zone, including contralateral limbs. Warm and cold detection thresholds were not significantly different from controls. These results complement data from animal models that demonstrate that allodynia can develop contralateral to a focal burn injury as a result of changes within the spinal cord and suggest that systemic or central mechanisms contribute to pain after burn injury.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1203
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Two Hypercard calculators for molecular biology.
Two calculators built in Macintosh Hypercard are described. GelFragSizer estimates and plots DNA restriction fragment sizes, using the local reciprocal or cubic spline methods. Enzyme Kinetics estimates the Michaelis-Menton rate parameters for enzyme-catalyzed reactions, and plots data versus estimated curve in a variety of formats. These stacks help to demonstrate the ease and sophistication of calculation tools that scientists can develop with Hypercard.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1204
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Drug evaluation is also a clinical activity.
The addition of a fourth year to the hospital pharmacy residency program has allowed trainees to rotate through various inpatient clinical units where they can, under the supervision of a specialist pharmacist, work shoulder to shoulder with other healthcare providers to ensure that patients receive the care they need. In addition to sharing their pharmacotherapeutic and pharmacokinetic knowledge (among others) with their colleagues, hospital pharmacists can and should contribute with their expertise in the areas of drug evaluation, selection and positioning. As no other healthcare professional masters like a pharmacist the intricacies of treatment efficacy or effectiveness, or of therapeutic safety, conveying this knowledge is yet another of the many clinical activities a hospital pharmacist must perform as a member of a multidisciplinary team, while assisting fellow-team members in deciding what medications are best suited to each patient. Both the public authorities and the pharmaceutical profession as a whole should make sure the pharmacist's role is rightfully valued and given the recognition it deserves.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1205
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The Effect of Halloysite Addition on the Material Properties of Chitosan-Halloysite Hydrogel Composites.
Chitosan-based hydrogels are being widely used in biomedical applications due to their eco-friendly, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties, and their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix of many tissues. However, the application of chitosan hydrogels has been limited due to their inherent mechanical weakness. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally occurring aluminosilicate clay minerals and are widely used as a bulk filler to improve the performance characteristics of many polymeric materials. HNTs have also been shown to be a viable nanocontainer able to provide the sustained release of antibiotics, chemicals, and growth factors. This study's objective was to develop a stable drug delivery chitosan/HNT nanocomposite hydrogel that is biocompatible, biodegradable, and provides sustained drug release. In this study, chitosan/HNTs hydrogels containing undoped or gentamicin-doped HNTs were combined in different wt./wt. ratios and cross-linked with tripolyphosphate. The effects of chitosan and HNTs concentration and combination ratios on the hydrogel surface morphology, degradability, and mechanical properties, as well as its drug release capability, were analyzed. The results clearly showed that the addition of HNTs improved chitosan mechanical properties, but only within a narrow range. The nanocomposite hydrogels provided a sustained pattern of drug release and inhibited bacterial growth, and the live/dead assay showed excellent cytocompatibility.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1206
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Nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes for pH-responsive gastric drug delivery.
We report a novel pH-responsive gold nanoparticle-stabilized liposome system for gastric antimicrobial delivery. By adsorbing small chitosan-modified gold nanoparticles (diameter ~10 nm) onto the outer surface of negatively charged phospholipid liposomes (diameter ~75 nm), we show that at gastric pH the liposomes have excellent stability with limited fusion ability and negligible cargo releases. However, when the stabilized liposomes are present in an environment with neutral pH, the gold stabilizers detach from the liposomes, resulting in free liposomes that can actively fuse with bacterial membranes. Using Helicobacter pylori as a model bacterium and doxycycline as a model antibiotic, we demonstrate such pH-responsive fusion activity and drug release profile of the nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes. Particularly, at neutral pH the gold nanoparticles detach, and thus the doxycycline-loaded liposomes rapidly fuse with bacteria and cause superior bactericidal efficacy as compared to the free doxycycline counterpart. Our results suggest that the reported liposome system holds a substantial potential for gastric drug delivery; it remains inactive (stable) in the stomach lumen but actively interacts with bacteria once it reaches the mucus layer of the stomach where the bacteria may reside.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1207
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Pathological laughter and crying in patients with pontine lesions.
Pathological laughter and crying (PLC) has been widely documented in the medical literature in association with various pathological processes in the brainstem, particularly infarction. However, it remains poorly understood. The authors present a case report and analyze all the cases in the literature to try to localize a putative faciorespiratory center. This 13-year-old girl developed a pontine abscess subsequent to sphenoid sinusitis. This increased in size despite antibiotic treatment, and she developed PLC. The abscess was then stereotactically aspirated, with resolution of the symptoms. A PubMed search of the term "pathological laughter and crying" was performed. From these papers all reported cases of PLC were identified. Cases without neuroimaging were excluded. The remaining cases were categorized as small lesions permitting accurate localization within the pons, or large nonlocalizing lesions. All images of localizing lesions were magnified to the same size and placed on a grid. From this an area of maximal overlap was identified. The authors identified 7 cases of small localizing lesions with adequate imaging. The area of maximal overlap was in the region of the anterior paramedian pons. All the lesions involved this region of the pons. There were 28 further reports of large lesions that either resulted in gross compressive distortion of the pons or diffusely infiltrated it, and thus, although implicating involvement of a pontine center, did not allow for localization of a specific region of the pons. The authors report a case of PLC caused by a pontine abscess. Symptoms were reversible with stereotactically assisted aspiration and antibiotic administration. Analysis of the lesions reported in the literature showed a pattern toward a regulatory center in the pons. The most consistently involved region was in the anterior paramedian pons, and this may be the site of a faciorespiratory center.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1208
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Classic features of primary systemic amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) leading to diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma.
The diagnosis of primary systemic amyloidosis, also known as AL (amyloid light-chain) amyloidosis, is often delayed owing to its nonspecific manifestations as well as its rarity. A 64-year-old woman presented with an eight-month history of significant weight loss, anemia, fatigue, and progressive painful cutaneous lesions on her hands, lips, back, perianal, and vulvar area that were originally treated unsuccessfully with antimalarials and systemic corticosteroids. Histopathological examination revealed an amorphous dermis with pale pink material that demonstrated positive birefringence with Congo red staining. Subsequently, the patient underwent a bone marrow biopsy, which uncovered a plasma cell myeloma, the source of her amyloidogenic protein production.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1209
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Fluoxetine: a review on evidence based medicine.
BACKGROUND: Fluoxetine was the first molecule of a new generation of antidepressants, the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). It is recurrently the paradigm for the development of any new therapy in the treatment of depression. Many controlled studies and meta-analyses were performed on Fluoxetine, to improve the understanding of its real impact in the psychiatric area. The main objective of this review is to assess the quality and the results reported in the meta-analyses published on Fluoxetine. METHODS: Published articles on Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases reporting meta-analyses were used as data sources for this review.Articles found in the searches were reviewed by 2 independent authors, to assess if these were original meta-analyses. Only data belonging to the most recent and comprehensive meta-analytic studies were included in this review. RESULTS: Data, based on a group of 9087 patients, who were included in 87 different randomized clinical trials, confirms that fluoxetine is safe and effective in the treatment of depression from the first week of therapy. Fluoxetine's main advantage over previously available antidepressants (TCAs) was its favorable safety profile, that reduced the incidence of early drop-outs and improved patient's compliance, associated with a comparable efficacy on depressive symptoms. In these patients, Fluoxetine has proven to be more effective than placebo from the first week of therapy.Fluoxetine has shown to be safe and effective in the elderly population, as well as during pregnancy. Furthermore, it was not associated with an increased risk of suicide in the overall evaluation of controlled clinical trials.The meta-analysis available on the use of Fluoxetine in the treatment of bulimia nervosa shows that the drug is as effective as other agents with fewer patients dropping out of treatment.Fluoxetine has demonstrated to be as effective as chlomipramine in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder (OCD). CONCLUSION: Fluoxetine can be considered a drug successfully used in several diseases for its favorable safety/efficacy ratio. As the response rate of mentally ill patients is strictly related to each patient's personal characteristics, any new drug in this area, will have to be developed under these considerations.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1210
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Synchronous serrated adenoma of the appendix and high-grade ovarian carcinoma: a case demonstrating different origin of the two neoplasms.
Association of mucinous adenomas of the appendix and mucinous ovarian tumors is well known. The origin of the ovarian tumor (metastasis from the appendix vs independent primary) is still debated. Serrated adenoma is a rare neoplasm of the distal gastrointestinal tract, and its precancerous role in the colorectum was recently postulated. A 74-year-old patient was subjected to hysterectomy with routine appendectomy due to a 17-cm tumor of her right ovary. Histological examination revealed a high-grade ovarian adenocarcinoma with peritoneal involvement. The appendix, grossly unremarkable, harbored a serrated adenoma with no evidence of invasion or malignant transformation. Immunohistochemical examination revealed CD7+, CK20-phenotype of the ovarian and reverse (CK7-, CK20+) phenotype of the appendiceal tumor. Microsatellite analysis demonstrated microsatellite instability (MSI-high) within the serrated adenoma (4/5 markers with positive amplification) and no MSI (0/6 amplified markers) in the samples from the ovarian carcinoma, its metastases and the uninvolved uterine cervix. There were also differences in LOH pattern between the ovarian adenocarcinoma and the serrated adenoma. The findings suggest two independent primaries with profound differences in tumorigenetic pathways of both lesions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of synchronous serrated adenoma of the appendix and ovarian carcinoma.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1211
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Neuromodulation of Right Auditory Cortex Selectively Increases Activation in Speech-Related Brain Areas in Brainstem Auditory Agnosia.
Auditory agnosia is an inability to make sense of sound that cannot be explained by deficits in low-level hearing. In view of recent promising results in the area of neurorehabilitation of language disorders after stroke, we examined the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in a young woman with general auditory agnosia caused by traumatic injury to the left inferior colliculus. Specifically, we studied activations to sound embedded in a block design using functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after application of anodal tDCS to the right auditory cortex. Before tDCS, auditory discrimination deficits were associated with abnormally reduced activations of the auditory cortex and bilateral unresponsiveness of the anterior superior temporal sulci and gyri. This session replicated a previous functional scan with the same paradigm a year before the current experiment. We then applied anodal tDCS over right auditory cortex for 20 min-utes and immediately re-scanned the patient. We found increased activation of bilateral auditory cortices and, for speech sounds, selectively increased activation in Broca's and Wernicke's areas. Future research might consider the long-term behavioral effects after neurostimulation in auditory agnosia and its potential use in the neurorehabilitation of more general auditory disorders.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1212
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Trans fatty acids: a cause for concern?
The recommendation to reduce total and saturated fat is incorporated into the dietary guidelines for the general population in many western countries. In addition, dietary modification to reduce substantially the intake of saturated fats is a cornerstone of treatment in the hyperlipidaemias. Concern has recently been expressed regarding possible deleterious effects of trans isomers of unsaturated fatty acids on the lipoprotein profiles of both normo and hypercholesterolaemic persons. This review seeks to examine recent research in this area with a view to considering possible changes in the present dietary recommendations.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1213
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Current status and future potential of ex vivo lung perfusion in clinical lung transplantation.
Lung transplantation is accepted as a well-established and effective treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease. While the number of candidates added to the waitlist continues to rise, the number of transplants performed remains limited by the number of suitable organ donors. Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) emerged as a method of addressing the organ shortage by allowing the evaluation and potential reconditioning of marginal donor lungs or minimizing risks of prolonged ischemic time due to logistical challenges. The currently available FDA-approved EVLP systems have demonstrated excellent outcomes in clinical trials, and retrospective studies have demonstrated similar post-transplant survival between recipients who received marginal donor lungs perfused using EVLP and recipients who received standard criteria lungs stored using conventional methods. Despite this, widespread utilization has plateaued in the last few years, likely due to the significant costs associated with initiating EVLP programs. Centralized, dedicated EVLP perfusion centers are currently being investigated as a potential method of further expanding utilization of this technology. In the preclinical setting, potential applications of EVLP that are currently being studied include prolongation of organ preservation, reconditioning of unsuitable lungs, and further enhancement of already suitable lungs. As adoption of EVLP technology becomes more widespread, we may begin to see future implementation of these potential applications into the clinical setting.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1214
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Breastfeeding and the risk of respiratory tract infections after infancy: The Generation R Study.
BACKGROUND
The protection of breastfeeding against respiratory tract infections in the first year of life has often been suggested. Few studies examined the effect of breastfeeding on respiratory tract infections after infancy.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between breastfeeding with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) after infancy up to 4 years of age (n = 5322).
METHODS
This study was embedded in The Generation R study, a Dutch population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood. Information on breastfeeding duration (never; <3 months; 3-6 months; ≥6 months) and dose (never; partially until 4 months; predominantly until 4 months) were collected by questionnaire at 2, 6, and 12 months of age. Information on doctor attendance for LRTI and URTI were obtained by questionnaire at 2, 3, and 4 years of age.
RESULTS
Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was significantly associated with a reduced risk of LRTI up to 4 years of age (aOR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51-0.98). Similar ORs for LRTI were found with breastfeeding for less than 3 months and 3-6 months. Although in the same direction, weaker ORs were found for URTI and breastfeeding duration. The same trend was found for partial and predominant breastfeeding until 4 months and LRTI and URTI.
CONCLUSION
Breastfeeding duration for 6 months or longer is associated with a reduced risk of LRTI in pre-school children. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the protective effect of breastfeeding for respiratory tract infections persist after infancy therefore supporting current recommendations for breastfeeding for at least 6 months.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1215
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Effect of the blue filter intraocular lens on the progression of geographic atrophy.
PURPOSE
To clinically evaluate the effect of blue light-filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) on disease progression in patients with geographic atrophy (GA).
METHODS
Clinical data from 66 eyes of 40 patients were investigated, 27 with a blue filter and 39 with a non-blue filter IOL. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography technology and the advanced retinal pigment epithelium analysis software tool were used to measure lesion size and monitor its progression over 1 year.
RESULTS
The mean and median baseline area of GA for the total sample was 5.55 ± 4.72 mm2 and 4.40 mm2, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference of the mean (p = 0.0002) and median (p<0.0001) GA progression in 1 year between the blue filter and non-blue filter IOL group (0.72 ± 0.39 SD mm2 mean and 0.70 mm2 median compared to 1.48 ± 0.88 SD mm2 and 1.30 mm2, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
The clinical data strongly support a photoprotective role of blue light-filtering IOLs on the progression of the atrophic form of dry age-related macular degeneration after cataract surgery.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1216
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Percutaneous Inferior Vena Cava Valve Implantation May Improve Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation and Cardiac Output: Lessons Learned.
Tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) can be associated with poor prognosis. Transcatheter valve technology was adopted to treat the upstream effects of severe TR by placing a transcatheter valve in the inferior vena cava (IVC). In this study, we report off-label transcatheter valve implantation into the stented IVC in patients with severe TR for compassionate use. From September 2018 to February 2020, 6 inoperable patients with severe TR who failed medical treatment underwent percutaneous caval valve implantation (CAVI). Severity of TR was confirmed by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. Z-stents (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, IN, USA) were placed in the proximal IVC, and then a transcatheter valve was deployed in the suprahepatic cava without rapid pacing. Six patients, 2 females and 4 males, with a mean ± SD age of 74.7 ± 8.0 years were included. The procedure was successfully performed in all 6 patients (100%) employing a 29-mm SAPIEN 3 valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) with supranominal volume. No procedural complication was detected. At 30 days, TR improved from severe to trace in 1 patient, to mild-moderate in 3 patients, and 2 patients remained with severe TR. Among patients with improved TR, left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 47.5% ± 18.5% to 55% ± 20.4% (P = 0.014). No patient had readmission at 30 days. Four patients needed rehospitalization within 6 months. Percutaneous CAVI is feasible and can be considered as a short-term palliative measure in patients with severe TR. CAVI can improve TR and potentially improve cardiac output in selected patients.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1217
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Bone marrow activation in response to metabolic syndrome and early atherosclerosis.
AIMS
Experimental studies suggest that increased bone marrow (BM) activity is involved in the association between cardiovascular risk factors and inflammation in atherosclerosis. However, human data to support this association are sparse. The purpose was to study the association between cardiovascular risk factors, BM activation, and subclinical atherosclerosis.
METHODS AND RESULTS
Whole body vascular 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (18F-FDG PET/MRI) was performed in 745 apparently healthy individuals [median age 50.5 (46.8-53.6) years, 83.8% men] from the Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis (PESA) study. Bone marrow activation (defined as BM 18F-FDG uptake above the median maximal standardized uptake value) was assessed in the lumbar vertebrae (L3-L4). Systemic inflammation was indexed from circulating biomarkers. Early atherosclerosis was evaluated by arterial metabolic activity by 18F-FDG uptake in five vascular territories. Late atherosclerosis was evaluated by fully formed plaques on MRI. Subjects with BM activation were more frequently men (87.6 vs. 80.0%, P = 0.005) and more frequently had metabolic syndrome (MetS) (22.2 vs. 6.7%, P < 0.001). Bone marrow activation was significantly associated with all MetS components. Bone marrow activation was also associated with increased haematopoiesis-characterized by significantly elevated leucocyte (mainly neutrophil and monocytes) and erythrocyte counts-and with markers of systemic inflammation including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, ferritin, fibrinogen, P-selectin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. The associations between BM activation and MetS (and its components) and increased erythropoiesis were maintained in the subgroup of participants with no systemic inflammation. Bone marrow activation was significantly associated with high arterial metabolic activity (18F-FDG uptake). The co-occurrence of BM activation and arterial 18F-FDG uptake was associated with more advanced atherosclerosis (i.e. plaque presence and burden).
CONCLUSION
In apparently healthy individuals, BM 18F-FDG uptake is associated with MetS and its components, even in the absence of systemic inflammation, and with elevated counts of circulating leucocytes. Bone marrow activation is associated with early atherosclerosis, characterized by high arterial metabolic activity. Bone marrow activation appears to be an early phenomenon in atherosclerosis development.[Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis (PESA); NCT01410318].
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1218
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32P-postlabelling analysis and micronuclei induction in primary Chinese hamster lung cells exposed to tobacco particulate matter.
The genotoxicity of tobacco particulate matter (TPM) derived from a low-tar, low-nicotine cigarette has been examined by measuring micronucleus induction in a primary pulmonary cell line, both in the absence and presence of an exogenous source of metabolic activation. In an attempt to correlate the cytogenetic damage observed with DNA adduct formation, DNA extracted from TPM-treated cells has been analysed with two different modifications of the 32P-postlabelling assay. The results from the 32P-postlabelling analysis taken together with the pattern of micronucleus induction provide strong evidence that bioreactivated aromatic carcinogens, such as benzo[a]pyrene, are unlikely to be responsible for the TPM-induced cytogenetic damage observed in cultured mammalian cells.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1219
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Lymphokine synthesis is induced in human thymocytes by activation of the CD 2 (T11) pathway.
This study shows that unfractionated thymocytes can be activated to proliferate in response to activation by the CD 2 pathway, to express interleukin 2 receptors, and to synthesize interleukin 2 and interferon-gamma. Less mature, T3- thymocytes, isolated by negative selection are activated to a lesser extent than are unfractionated thymocytes; activation by the CD 2 pathway, induces proliferation, the expression of the interleukin 2 gene and interferon-gamma synthesis. 12-O-Tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate in combination with the anti-CD 2 antibodies T11(2) + T11(3) increases the response of both unfractionated and T3- thymocytes. In addition we demonstrate that tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate in combination with T11(3) can replace the requirement for T11(2) for thymocyte activation and induce the expression of T11(3).
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1220
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Partially correlated thin annular sources: the scalar case.
Thin annular sources, either coherent or completely incoherent from the spatial standpoint, have played a significant role in the synthesis of diffraction-free and J(0)-correlated fields, respectively. Here, we consider thin annular sources with partial correlation. A scalar description is developed under the assumption that the correlation function between two points depends on their angular distance only. We show that for any such source the modal expansion can easily be found. Further, we examine how the correlation properties of the radiated fields change on free propagation. We also give a number of examples and present possible synthesis schemes.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1221
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Nanomolecular singlet oxygen photosensitizers based on hemiquinonoid-resorcinarenes, the fuchsonarenes.
Singlet oxygen sensitization involving a class of hemiquinonoid-substituted resorcinarenes prepared from the corresponding 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl-substituted resorcinarenes is reported. Based on variation in the molecular structures, quantum yields comparable with that of the well-known photosensitizing compound meso-tetraphenylporphyrin were obtained for the octabenzyloxy-substituted double hemiquinonoid resorcinarene reported herein. The following classes of compounds were studied: benzyloxy-substituted resorcinarenes, acetyloxy-substituted resorcinarenes and acetyloxy-substituted pyrogallarenes. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses revealed structural variations in the compounds with conformation (i.e., rctt, rccc, rcct) having some influence on the identity of hemiquinonoid product available. Multiplicity of hemiquinonoid group affects singlet oxygen quantum yield with those doubly substituted being more active than those containing a single hemiquinone. Compounds reported here lacking hemiquinonoid groups are inactive as photosensitizers. The term 'fuchsonarene' (fuchson + arene of resorcinarene) is proposed for use to classify the compounds.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1222
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Removing Disperse red 60 and Reactive blue 19 dyes removal by using Alcea rosea root mucilage as a natural coagulant.
In terms of health, dyes have carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic properties and can have adverse effects on health and the environment. Therefore, sewage containing to dyes must be purified before being discharged into the environment. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Alcea rosea root extract in Disperse red 60 and Reactive blue 19 dyes removal from synthetic sewage. In this study, the effect of different indices including pH (5-11), Alcea rosea concentration (50-300 mg/L) and initial dye concentration (10-80 mg/L) was investigated. During the tests, the coagulant was stirred with rapid mixing at a speed of 250 rpm for 2 min. In the following, the speed (30-60 rpm) and the time (10-25 min) were used for slow mixing and after mixing the effect of settling time (10-60 min) and temperature (20-70) on removal efficiency of Disperse and Reactive dyes was investigated. The results showed that the maximum of removal efficiency of Disperse and Reactive dyes in optimum conditions including (pH = 11, coagulant concentration = 200 and 250 mg/L, dye concentration 40 and 20 mg/L, speed 60 rpm, during 15 min with settling time 60 min and temperature 60 °C obtained 86% and 68%, respectively. According to the result, the Alcea rosea coagulant has the best ability in removing dyes from aqueous solutions and sewage, especially Disperse dyes. Disperse dye is much eliminated in the coagulation process due to its lower solubility, higher suspending materials and less required solved chemical oxygen demand to the total chemical oxygen demand (SCOD/TCOD).
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1223
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Improved solubilization of recombinant human growth hormone inclusion body produced in Escherichia coli.
Recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) overexpressed in Escherichia coli forms inactive and insoluble aggregates as inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm. The efficient solubilization of inclusion bodies is critical for cost-effective production. Contrary to a previous report, in our production system, the solubilization method by alkaline treatment including 2 M urea was ineffective. Hence various buffers containing different concentrations of urea or guanidine hydrochloride (GnHCl) at neutral and alkaline pH were attempted. Efficient solubilization (about 90%) was observed in 100 mM Tris buffer, pH 8.0, with more than 4 M GnHCl, and at pH 12.5 with more than 2 M GnHCl, but not with about 8 M of urea. The r-hGH solubilized at pH 12.5 containing 2 M GnHCl was refolded by simple dilution and purified by DEAE Sepharose anion-exchange chromatography. The biological activity of the resulting r-hGH was comparable with commercially available r-hGH in in vitro cell proliferation assay using the hGH-dependent cell line.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1224
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Risk factors for elevated intraocular pressure after the use of intraocular gases in vitreoretinal surgery.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The authors studied the contribution of multiple factors, including gas type and concentration, to postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation following vitreoretinal surgery with intraocular gas.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred seventy-one eyes of 134 patients were retrospectively investigated after vitreoretinal surgery using air, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) (10%-30%), or perfluoropropane (C3F8) (5%-35%).
RESULTS
IOPs greater than 25 mm Hg occurred in 74 of 171 eyes (43%). Elevated IOP was associated with increasing patient age (P < .001), expansile gas concentrations (P < .001), use of C3F8 (P = .01), and circumferential scleral buckles (P = .04). Most IOP elevations (65 eyes, 88%) occurred within 24 hours and responded to aqueous suppression within 24 to 72 hours.
CONCLUSIONS
Transient IOP elevation is common following vitreoretinal surgery. Although it is responsive to treatment, it may pose a risk to some eyes. Prophylactic treatment should be considered in high-risk eyes.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1225
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Spontaneous Effort During Mechanical Ventilation: Maximal Injury With Less Positive End-Expiratory Pressure.
OBJECTIVES
We recently described how spontaneous effort during mechanical ventilation can cause "pendelluft," that is, displacement of gas from nondependent (more recruited) lung to dependent (less recruited) lung during early inspiration. Such transfer depends on the coexistence of more recruited (source) liquid-like lung regions together with less recruited (target) solid-like lung regions. Pendelluft may improve gas exchange, but because of tidal recruitment, it may also contribute to injury. We hypothesize that higher positive end-expiratory pressure levels decrease the propensity to pendelluft and that with lower positive end-expiratory pressure levels, pendelluft is associated with improved gas exchange but increased tidal recruitment.
DESIGN
Crossover design.
SETTING
University animal research laboratory.
SUBJECTS
Anesthetized landrace pigs.
INTERVENTIONS
Surfactant depletion was achieved by saline lavage in anesthetized pigs, and ventilator-induced lung injury was produced by ventilation with high tidal volume and low positive end-expiratory pressure. Ventilation was continued in each of four conditions: positive end-expiratory pressure (low or optimized positive end-expiratory pressure after recruitment) and spontaneous breathing (present or absent). Tidal recruitment was assessed using dynamic CT and regional ventilation/perfusion using electric impedance tomography. Esophageal pressure was measured using an esophageal balloon manometer.
MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
Among the four conditions, spontaneous breathing at low positive end-expiratory pressure not only caused the largest degree of pendelluft, which was associated with improved ventilation/perfusion matching and oxygenation, but also generated the greatest tidal recruitment. At low positive end-expiratory pressure, paralysis worsened oxygenation but reduced tidal recruitment. Optimized positive end-expiratory pressure decreased the magnitude of spontaneous efforts (measured by esophageal pressure) despite using less sedation, from -5.6 ± 1.3 to -2.0 ± 0.7 cm H2O, while concomitantly reducing pendelluft and tidal recruitment. No pendelluft was observed in the absence of spontaneous effort.
CONCLUSIONS
Spontaneous effort at low positive end-expiratory pressure improved oxygenation but promoted tidal recruitment associated with pendelluft. Optimized positive end-expiratory pressure (set after lung recruitment) may reverse the harmful effects of spontaneous breathing by reducing inspiratory effort, pendelluft, and tidal recruitment.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1226
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Transcription of N- and O-linked mannosyltransferase genes is modulated by the pacC gene in the human dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum.
In fungi, ambient pH sensing involves the activation of the Pal/PacC signalling pathway. In the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum, pH-dependent secretion of keratinases, which are major virulence determinants, is affected by disruption of the pacC gene. Here, the transcription profiling of the genes coding for N- and O-linked mannosyltransferases, enzymes involved in protein glycosylation, was evaluated in T. rubrum in response to disruption of the pacC gene and growth in keratin, glucose, and glucose plus glycine. We show that transcription of these mannosyltransferase genes is affected by nutrients at acidic pH and by PacC.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1227
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Accessory vein obliteration criteria for immature fistulae: a modest proposal for an old paradigm.
Venous stenosis and/or presence of accessory vein (av) are the two most common causes of early fistula failure. While treatment of stenosis is better defined, there are no clear criteria for obliteration of the av. Often, interventionalists rely on visual assessment of flow through the av and its diameter (significant if > 1/3 of the main fistula diameter) for intervention. The purpose of this study was to establish objective criteria for the management of av. Various computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to analyze blood flow in the arteriovenous fistula (AVF). av of different diameters and angles was then added at various locations in the AVF and comparison of simulation results was undertaken. The computational model revealed that when the av was 33% of the diameter of the AVF, flow in av was only 7%. When diameter of the av was increased to 50% and 66% of the diameter of the AVF, flow through the av was 10% and 31% of the flow in main AVF, respectively. Location or angle of take-off of av did not alter flow. This report provides objective information regarding criteria for av obliteration. It needs to be further validated in randomized clinical trials.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1228
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Recent Developments in the Synthesis of Biomacromolecules and their Conjugates by Single Electron Transfer-Living Radical Polymerization.
Single electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) represents a robust and versatile tool for the synthesis of vinyl polymers with well-defined topology and chain end functionality. The crucial step in SET-LRP is the disproportionation of the Cu(I)X generated by activation with Cu(0) wire, powder, or nascent Cu(0) generated in situ into nascent, extremely reactive Cu(0) atoms and nanoparticles and Cu(II)X2. Nascent Cu(0) activates the initiator and dormant chains via a homogeneous or heterogeneous outer-sphere single-electron transfer mechanism (SET-LRP). SET-LRP provides an ultrafast polymerization of a plethora of monomers (e.g., (meth)-acrylates, (meth)-acrylamides, styrene, and vinyl chloride) including hydrophobic and water insoluble to hydrophilic and water soluble. Some advantageous features of SET-LRP are (i) the use of Cu(0) wire or powder as readily available catalysts under mild reaction conditions, (ii) their excellent control over molecular weight evolution and distribution as well as polymer chain ends, (iii) their high functional group tolerance allowing the polymerization of commercial-grade monomers, and (iv) the limited purification required for the resulting polymers. In this Perspective, we highlight the recent advancements of SET-LRP in the synthesis of biomacromolecules and of their conjugates.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1229
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Biallelic Mutations in GNB3 Cause a Unique Form of Autosomal-Recessive Congenital Stationary Night Blindness.
Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a heterogeneous group of non-progressive inherited retinal disorders with characteristic electroretinogram (ERG) abnormalities. Riggs and Schubert-Bornschein are subtypes of CSNB and demonstrate distinct ERG features. Riggs CSNB demonstrates selective rod photoreceptor dysfunction and occurs due to mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in rod phototransduction cascade; night blindness is the only symptom and eye examination is otherwise normal. Schubert-Bornschein CSNB is a consequence of impaired signal transmission between the photoreceptors and bipolar cells. Schubert-Bornschein CSNB is subdivided into complete CSNB with an ON bipolar signaling defect and incomplete CSNB with both ON and OFF pathway involvement. Both subtypes are associated with variable degrees of night blindness or photophobia, reduced visual acuity, high myopia, and nystagmus. Whole-exome sequencing of a family screened negative for mutations in genes associated with CSNB identified biallelic mutations in the guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit beta-3 gene (GNB3). Two siblings were compound heterozygous for a deletion (c.170_172delAGA [p.Lys57del]) and a nonsense mutation (c.1017G>A [p.Trp339(∗)]). The maternal aunt was homozygous for the nonsense mutation (c.1017G>A [p.Trp339(∗)]). Mutational analysis of GNB3 in a cohort of 58 subjects with CSNB identified a sporadic case individual with a homozygous GNB3 mutation (c.200C>T [p.Ser67Phe]). GNB3 encodes the β subunit of G protein heterotrimer (Gαβγ) and is known to modulate ON bipolar cell signaling and cone transducin function in mice. Affected human subjects showed an unusual CSNB phenotype with variable degrees of ON bipolar dysfunction and reduced cone sensitivity. This unique retinal disorder with dual anomaly in visual processing expands our knowledge about retinal signaling.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1230
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Spectral and thermodynamic properties of Ag(I), Au(III), Cd(II), Co(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(IV), and Zn(II) binding by methanobactin from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.
Methanobactin (mb) is a novel chromopeptide that appears to function as the extracellular component of a copper acquisition system in methanotrophic bacteria. To examine this potential physiological role, and to distinguish it from iron binding siderophores, the spectral (UV-visible absorption, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron) and thermodynamic properties of metal binding by mb were examined. In the absence of Cu(II) or Cu(I), mb will bind Ag(I), Au(III), Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(VI), or Zn(II), but not Ba(II), Ca(II), La(II), Mg(II), and Sr(II). The results suggest metals such as Ag(I), Au(III), Hg(II), Pb(II) and possibly U(VI) are bound by a mechanism similar to Cu, whereas the coordination of Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) by mb differs from Cu(II). Consistent with its role as a copper-binding compound or chalkophore, the binding constants of all the metals examined were less than those observed with Cu(II) and copper displaced other metals except Ag(I) and Au(III) bound to mb. However, the binding of different metals by mb suggests that methanotrophic activity also may play a role in either the solubilization or immobilization of many metals in situ.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1231
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Fine needle aspiration cytology of neurothekeoma. A case report.
BACKGROUND
Neurothekeoma (NT) is a rare, benign neoplasm of soft parts with a distinctive histologic appearance. To our knowledge, the cytologic findings have not been described before. We present a case of NT with the cytologic features on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
CASE
A 54-year-old female presented with a circumscribed nodule in the left breast. The lesion was evaluated by FNAC. The smears showed an abundant, metachromatic, myxoid matrix with fusiform and epithelioid cells, some binucleated or multinucleated, loose or in groups and sometimes forming concentric whorls. The lesion was removed, and the diagnosis of NT was made after histopathologic study.
CONCLUSION
NT is an extremely rare neoplasm in the mammary region. Fusiform and epithelioid cells arranged in concentric whorls in a myxoid tumor of soft tissue are a distinctive characteristic of this neoplasm and can suggest the diagnosis.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1232
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[The effects of weight reduction in reversing fatty liver changes in overweight and obese patients].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of weight loss on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese patients.
METHODS
It is a prospective study. Blood biochemical parameters were examined in 220 overweight or obese patients without alcoholic consumption and without detectable HBsAg. Ultrasonographic examination was performed by a fixed doctor. 45 obese patients followed a program of weight loss, including diet restriction, exercise or drug for a trial period of one year. Weight, blood biochemical tests and ultrasonic examination of liver were compared before and after the trial in all the patients.
RESULTS
75.9% of the patients were diagnosed as NASH. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors of NASH were body mass index (BMI, beta = 0.926, P = 0.021), age (beta = 0.973, P = 0.021), 2-hour postprandial glucose (beta = 0.987, P = 0.012), 1-hour postprandial net insulin in serum (beta = 1.027, P = 0.032), waist circumference (beta = 1.091, P = 0.038)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (beta = 0.980, P = 0.041). After the treatment, 65.7% of the patients with NASH improved. The level of ALT in these patients decreased significantly (P = 0.040). The improvement of NASH correlated positively with the reduction of BMI (beta = 3.032, P = 0.010), triglycerides (TG, beta = 1.041, P = 0.025) and waist circumference (beta = 1.115, P = 0.029). The decrease of ALT level correlated with the decrease of BMI (beta = 1.165, P = 0.002), TG (beta = 0.986, P = 0.005), waist circumference (beta = 0.736, P = 0.041), and the increase of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (beta = -0.772, P = 0.016).
CONCLUSION
NASH is one of the most important complications of obesity. Weight loss is the mainstay of treatment for obese patients.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1233
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Sequential melting of two hydrophobic clusters within the green fluorescent protein GFP-cycle3.
The analysis of the three-dimensional structure of green fluorescent protein (GFP-cycle3) revealed the presence of two well-defined hydrophobic clusters located on the opposite sides of the GFP β-can that might contribute to the formation of partially folded intermediate(s) during GFP unfolding. The microcalorimetric analysis of the nonequilibrium melting of GFP-cycle3 and its two mutants, I14A and I161A, revealed that due to the sequential melting of the mentioned hydrophobic clusters, the temperature-induced denaturation of this protein most likely occurs in three stages. The first and second stages involve melting of a smaller hydrophobic cluster formed around the residue I161, whereas a larger hydrophobic cluster (formed around the residues I14) is melted only at the last GFP-cycle3 denaturation step or remains rather structured even in the denatured state.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1234
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Lasting effect of NO on glutamate release in rat striatum revealed by continuous brain dialysis.
The effect of nitric oxide (NO) on glutamate release in the brain of freely moving rats was investigated using a new, high time-resolution microdialysis system. Coperfusion with veratridine (VER) and NO donors increased glutamate release above than that obtained with VER alone. When steady-state levels were regained after co-perfusion, perfusion of VER alone further potentiated glutamate release. The effect depended on the initial level of VER-induced glutamate release, and was maximum for intermediate glutamate levels. These results suggest that NO influences the glutamate release system by affecting the level of neural activity and that its effect lasts and increases when steady-state levels are regained in rat striatum.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1235
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Quenched random disorder and x-ray scattering in smectic elastomers.
In this work we examine layer fluctuations in a smectic elastomer with quenched random disorder induced by crosslinks. The system is analyzed in a continuum model and crosslinks are introduced as a random field in a macroscopic picture. In the case of small deformations and replica symmetry the intensity profile for x-ray scattering along the layer normal was determined for layer displacements smaller than the layer separation. In this regime it is predicted that for large enough crosslink densities the first-order diffraction pattern of the solid assumes a characteristic squared-Lorentzian form, showing a decay of short-range order over a length scale of 20 nm. Crosslinks are observed to disorder the system by decreasing the correlation length, which we show not to be a consequence of the random field. The coupling to random crosslinks is predicted to retard the decrease in the correlation length and hence found to stabilize the one-dimensional periodic layer structure against thermal fluctuations. The dependence of the correlation length on the crosslink density leads us to propose an estimate for the percolation limit of a smectic elastomer network.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1236
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Pinta: Latin America's Forgotten Disease?
Pinta is a neglected, chronic skin disease that was first described in the sixteenth century in Mexico. The World Health Organization lists 15 countries in Latin America where pinta was previously endemic. However, the current prevalence of pinta is unknown due to the lack of surveillance data. The etiological agent of pinta, Treponema carateum, cannot be distinguished morphologically or serologically from the not-yet-cultivable Treponema pallidum subspecies that cause venereal syphilis, yaws, and bejel. Although genomic sequencing has enabled the development of molecular techniques to differentiate the T. pallidum subspecies, comparable information is not available for T. carateum. Because of the influx of migrants and refugees from Latin America, U.S. physicians should consider pinta in the differential diagnosis of skin diseases in children and adolescents who come from areas where pinta was previously endemic and have a positive reaction in serological tests for syphilis. All stages of pinta are treatable with a single intramuscular injection of penicillin.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1237
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Technical Note: ROdiomiX: A validated software for radiomics analysis of medical images in radiation oncology.
PURPOSE
This study introduces an in-house-designed software platform (ROdiomiX) for the radiomics analysis of medical images in radiation oncology. ROdiomiX is a MATLAB-based framework for the computation of radiomic features and feature aggregation techniques in compliance with the Image-Biomarker-Standardization-Initiative (IBSI) guidelines, which includes preprocessing protocols and quantitative benchmark results for analysis of computational phantom images.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
The ROdiomiX software system consists of a series of computation cores implemented on the basis of the guidelines proposed by the IBSI. It is capable of quantitative computation of the following 11 different feature categories: Local-Intensity, Intensity-Histogram, Intensity-Based-Statistical, Intensity-Volume-Histogram, Gray-Level-Co-occurrence, Gray-Level-Run-Length, Gray-Level-Size-Zone, Gray-Level-Distance-Zone, Neighborhood-Grey-Tone-Difference, Neighboring-Grey-Level-Dependence, and Morphological feature. ROdiomiX was validated against benchmark values for the IBSI 3D digital phantom, as well as one designed in-house (HFH). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for estimating the degree of absolute agreement between ROdiomiX computation and benchmark values for different features at the 95% confidence level (CL) was used for comparison.
RESULTS
Among the 11 feature categories with 149 total features including 10 different feature aggregation methods (following the IBSI guidelines), the percent difference between absolute feature values computed by the ROdiomiX software and benchmark values reported for IBSI and HFH digital phantoms were 0.14% + 0.43% and 0.11% + 0.27%, respectively. The ICC values were >0.997 for all ten feature categories for both the IBSI and HFH digital phantoms.
CONCLUSION
The authors successfully developed a platform for computation of quantitative radiomic features. The image preprocessing and computational software cores were designed following the procedures specified by the IBSI. Benchmarking testing was in excellent agreement against the IBSI- and HFH-designed computational phantoms.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1238
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Cholinergic signaling in myelination.
There is a long history of research on acetylcholine (ACh) function in myelinating glia, but a resurgence of interest recently as a result of the therapeutic potential of manipulating ACh signaling to promote remyelination, and the broader interest in neurotransmitter signaling in activity-dependent myelination. Myelinating glia express all the major types of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors at different stages of development, and acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase are highly expressed in white matter. This review traces the history of research on ACh signaling in Schwann cells, oligodendrocytes, and in the myelin sheath, and summarizes current knowledge on the intracellular signaling and functional consequences of ACh signaling in myelinating glia. Implications of ACh in diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and white matter toxicity caused by pesticides are considered, together with an outline of major questions for future research. GLIA 2017;65:687-698.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1239
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Wavelength-tunable sources of entangled photons interfaced with atomic vapours.
The prospect of using the quantum nature of light for secure communication keeps spurring the search and investigation of suitable sources of entangled photons. A single semiconductor quantum dot is one of the most attractive, as it can generate indistinguishable entangled photons deterministically and is compatible with current photonic-integration technologies. However, the lack of control over the energy of the entangled photons is hampering the exploitation of dissimilar quantum dots in protocols requiring the teleportation of quantum entanglement over remote locations. Here we introduce quantum dot-based sources of polarization-entangled photons whose energy can be tuned via three-directional strain engineering without degrading the degree of entanglement of the photon pairs. As a test-bench for quantum communication, we interface quantum dots with clouds of atomic vapours, and we demonstrate slow-entangled photons from a single quantum emitter. These results pave the way towards the implementation of hybrid quantum networks where entanglement is distributed among distant parties using optoelectronic devices.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1240
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Combined transcatheter aortic valve replacement and left atrial appendage occlusion in patients ineligible for oral anticoagulation: A case series.
Patients presenting with aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are commonly at increased risk for stroke and bleeding complications. Concomitant left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) after TAVR may be an alternative to oral anticoagulation (OAC).Between 2018 and 2022, 7 consecutive patients who were ineligible for OAC underwent simultaneous TAVR and LAAO. The mean age was 84.9 ± 4.9 years. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc, HAS-BLED, and STS predicted risk of mortality scores were 5.9 ± 0.7, 3.9 ± 1.1, and 8.8 ± 3.4%, respectively. The median follow-up time was 23 (1 to 27) months. All procedures achieved technical success and no adverse events were observed during follow-up. This case series shows that concomitant TAVR and LAAO is feasible and safe among patients with severe aortic stenosis and AF who are deemed ineligible for OAC.
Learning objectives
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) population. In those who experience major or life-threatening bleeding, mortality is doubled. We report a case series of 7 concomitant left atrial appendage occlusions (LAAO) after TAVR in patients ineligible for oral anticoagulation. All procedures achieved technical success and no adverse events were observed. The simultaneous approach with TAVR and LAAO was feasible and safe in this case series.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1241
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Application of antimicrobial pharmacodynamic concepts into clinical practice: focus on beta-lactam antibiotics: insights from the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
In recent years there have been tremendous strides in understanding the relationship between the pharmacodynamics of beta-lactams and microbiologic response. For beta-lactams, in vitro and animal studies suggest that the amount of time in which free or non-protein-bound antimicrobial concentration exceeds the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the organism (fT>MIC) is the best predictor of bacterial killing and microbiologic response. Using population pharmacokinetic modeling and Monte Carlo simulation, it is possible to integrate pharmacokinetics, a pharmacodynamic target, and microbiologic surveillance data to generate empiric beta-lactam dosing strategies that maximize the likelihood of achieving fT>MIC associated with near maximal bactericidal effect against the range of pathogens encountered in clinical practice. At Albany Medical Center Hospital, these mathematical modeling techniques were used to devise alternative dosing schemes for piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, and cefepime. These alternative schemes optimized fT>MIC at a lower total daily dose than would be employed with traditional dosing methods. Moreover, they achieved the targeted fT>MIC with less administration time/day than would be needed for continuous infusion.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1242
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Influence of Waxy (High Amylopectin) and High Protein Digestibility Traits in Sorghum on Injera Sourdough-Type Flatbread Sensory Characteristics.
Injera, an East African leavened sourdough fermented pancake has remarkable textural properties despite being made from non-wheat flours. However, teff flour, which produces the best quality injera, is expensive and limited in availability. The effects of waxy (high amylopectin) and high protein digestibility (HD) traits in sorghum on injera quality were studied. Eight white tan-plant sorghum lines expressing these traits in various combinations and three normal sorghum types were studied, with teff flour as reference. Descriptive sensory profiling of fresh and stored injera revealed that injera from waxy sorghums were softer, spongier, more flexible and rollable compared to injera from normal sorghum and much closer in these important textural attributes to teff injera. Instrumental texture analysis of injera similarly showed that waxy sorghum injera had lower stress and higher strain than injera from normal sorghum. The improved injera textural quality was probably due to the slower retrogradation and better water-holding of amylopectin starch. The HD trait, however, did not clearly affect injera quality, probably because the lines had only moderately higher protein digestibility. In conclusion, waxy sorghum flour has considerable potential for the production of gluten-free sourdough fermented flatbread-type products with good textural functionality.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1243
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Oxygen mass transfer and hydrodynamic behaviour in wastewater: determination of local impact of surfactants by visualization techniques.
Powerful techniques, based on the Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique, are deployed to locally visualize and quantify the impact of surfactants in wastewaters on hydrodynamics and oxygen mass transfer. Bubble diameter, aspect ratio, rise velocity, contamination angle, as well as flux, flux density, liquid side mass transfer and diffusion coefficients of transferred oxygen are determined based on these techniques applied in the wake of rising bubbles of diameter 1 mm and through planar gas/liquid interfaces. The initial experiments were performed in demineralized water containing small amounts of surfactant. Different concentrations of surfactant were added to finally reach the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC). Bubbles have classically been found to be more spherical with a reduced rise velocity in the presence of surfactants up to the CMC. Above the CMC, these hydrodynamic characteristics were found to be almost constant, although the oxygen mass transfer decreased due to the presence of surfactants. Experimental results were markedly lower than predicted by the well-known Frössling equation with rigid surfaces. This is believed to be caused by a barrier of surfactants hindering the oxygen mass transfer at the interface. Similar hindrance of oxygen mass transfer applies to waters from sewage plants (filtered raw water and treated water), making accurate design of aeration tanks difficult.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1244
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Roughness and Near-Surface Porosity of Unsupported Overhangs Produced by High-Speed Laser Powder Bed Fusion.
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a promising technology that requires further work to improve productivity to be adopted more widely. One possible approach is to increase the laser power and scan speed. A customized high-speed and high-power LPBF system has been developed for this purpose. The current study investigated the surface roughness and near-surface porosity as a result of unsupported overhangs at varying inclination angles and orientations during the manufacturing of Ti6Al4V parts with this custom high-speed and high-power LPBF system. It is known that surface roughness and porosity are among the main drawbacks for parts manufactured by LPBF, and that supports are required for overhang regions with low inclination angles relative to the powder bed, typically in commercial LPBF systems requiring supports for regions with inclination angles less than 45°. However, the appropriate inclination angles for this custom system with high power and speed requires investigation. In this article, a simple benchmark test artefact with different inclination angles was manufactured in different orientations on the build platform and characterized by X-ray tomography, touch probe roughness meter, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The analysis of surface roughness and near-surface porosity at upskin and downskin regions was performed as a function of inclination angle. The results indicate that the high-speed LPBF process produces relatively high roughness in all cases, with different porosity distributions at upskin and downskin areas. Both roughness and porosity vary as a function of inclination angle. Significant warping was observed, depending on build orientation relative to laser scanning direction. These are the first reported results of the detailed surface roughness and porosity characterization of part quality from such a high-speed, high-power LPBF process.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1245
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Angiographic assessment of renal artery pathology: how reliable?
The accuracy of the angiographic interpretation of the histologic type of renal artery stenosis was assessed using a renal pathologist's diagnosis as the "gold standard." The angiograms of 42 renal artery stenoses were interpreted without other information, except age and gender, independently by six angiographers. This assessment indicated that angiography is not an accurate means by which to distinguish between the individual types of fibromuscular disease of the renal artery. However, it is a fairly accurate means by which to distinguish fibromuscular disease in general from atherosclerosis of the renal artery, 207 (82%) correct interpretations of 252. In addition, in the presence of renal artery stenosis, the absence of abdominal aortic atherosclerosis on angiography is an excellent predictor of fibromuscular renal artery disease, 17 (94%) of 18 specimens. Likewise, in the presence of a renal artery stenosis, angiographically demonstrable abdominal aortic atherosclerosis is a fair predictor of atherosclerotic renal artery disease, 16 (76%) of 21 specimens.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1246
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Influence of Caudovirales Phages on Humoral Immunity in Mice.
Bacteriophages are promising antibacterial agents. Although they have been recognized as bacterial viruses and are considered to be non-interacting with eukaryotic cells, there is growing evidence that phages may have a significant impact on the immune system via interactions with macrophages, neutrophils, and T-cell polarization. In this study, the influence of phages of podovirus, siphovirus, and myovirus morphotypes on humoral immunity of CD-1 mice was investigated. In addition, tissue distribution of the phages was tested in these mice. No common patterns were found either in the distribution of phages in mice or in changes in the levels of cytokines in the sera of mice once injected with phages. Importantly, pre-existing IgM-class antibodies directed against capsid proteins of phages with myovirus and siphovirus morphotypes were identified in mice before immunization. After triple immunization of CD1-mice with phages without any adjuvant, levels of anti-phage serum polyclonal IgG antibodies increased. Immunogenic phage proteins recognized by IgM and/or IgG antibodies were identified using Western blot analysis and mass spectrometry. In addition, mice serum collected after immunization demonstrated neutralizing properties, leading to a substantial decrease in infectivity of investigated phages with myovirus and siphovirus morphotypes. Moreover, serum samples collected before administration of these phages exhibited some ability to reduce the phage infectivity. Furthermore, Proteus phage PM16 with podovirus morphotype did not elicit IgM or IgG antibodies in immunized mice, and no neutralizing activities against PM16 were revealed in mouse serum samples before and after immunization.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1247
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Maternal investment in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus: support for the differential allocation hypothesis.
The differential allocation hypothesis predicts that reproductive investment will be influenced by mate attractiveness, given a cost to reproduction and a tradeoff between current and future reproduction. We tested the differential allocation hypothesis in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus, where males have genetically influenced (patroclinous inheritance) alternative mating tactics (ARTs) maintained by a tradeoff between being more attractive to females (mature later as larger courting males) and a higher probability of reaching sexual maturity (mature earlier as smaller sneaker males). Males in X. multilineatus do not provide parental care or other resources to the offspring. Allelic variation and copy number of the Mc4R gene on the Y-chromosome influences the size differences between males, however there is no variation in this gene on the X-chromosome. Therefore, to determine if mothers invested more in offspring of the larger courter males, we examined age to sexual maturity for daughters. We confirmed a tradeoff between number of offspring and female offspring's age to sexual maturity, corroborating that there is a cost to reproduction. In addition, the ART of their fathers significantly influenced the age at which daughters reached sexual maturity, suggesting increased maternal investment to daughters of courter males. The differential allocation we detected was influenced by how long the wild-caught mother had been in the laboratory, as there was a brood order by father genotype (ART) interaction. These results suggest that females can adjust their reproductive investment strategy, and that differential allocation is context specific. We hypothesize that one of two aspects of laboratory conditions produced this shift: increased female condition due to higher quality diet, and/or assessment of future mating opportunities due to isolation from males.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1248
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Validity and reliability of measures of television viewing time and other non-occupational sedentary behaviour of adults: a review.
Time spent in non-occupational sedentary behaviours (particularly television viewing time) is associated with excess adiposity and an increased risk of metabolic disorders among adults; however, there are no reviews of the validity and reliability of assessing these behaviours. This paper aims to document measures used to assess adults' time spent in leisure-time sedentary behaviours and to review the evidence on their reliability and validity. Medline, CINAHL and Psych INFO databases and reference lists from published papers were searched to identify studies in which leisure-time sedentary behaviours had been measured in adults. Sixty papers reporting measurement of at least one type of leisure-time sedentary behaviour were identified. Television viewing time was the most commonly measured sedentary behaviour. The main method of data collection was by questionnaire. Nine studies examined reliability and three examined validity for the questionnaire method of data collection. Test-retest reliabilities were predominantly moderate to high, but the validity studies reported large differences in correlations of self-completion questionnaire data with the various referent measures used. To strengthen future epidemiological and health behaviour studies, the development of reliable and valid self-report instruments that cover the full range of leisure-time sedentary behaviour is a priority.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1249
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Anomalous temperature dependence of magnetic anisotropy in gradient-composition sputterred thin films.
An abnormal behavior of increasing magnetic anisotropy with temperature in magnetic thin films fabricated by a gradient-composition sputtering technique is observed and consistently confirmed by two independent measurements of static magnetic hysteresis loops and dynamic magnetic permeability spectra. This peculiar behavior is suggested to be due to the physical origin of stress-induced magnetic anisotropy.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1250
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Increased Ghrelin but Low Ghrelin-Reactive Immunoglobulins in a Rat Model of Methotrexate Chemotherapy-Induced Anorexia.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Cancer chemotherapy is commonly accompanied by mucositis, anorexia, weight loss, and anxiety independently from cancer-induced anorexia-cachexia, further aggravating clinical outcome. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone produced in gastric mucosa that reaches the brain to stimulate appetite. In plasma, ghrelin is protected from degradation by ghrelin-reactive immunoglobulins (Ig). To analyze possible involvement of ghrelin in the chemotherapy-induced anorexia and anxiety, gastric ghrelin expression, plasma levels of ghrelin, and ghrelin-reactive IgG were studied in rats treated with methotrexate (MTX).
METHODS
Rats received MTX (2.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously) for three consecutive days and were killed 3 days later, at the peak of anorexia and weight loss. Control rats received phosphate-buffered saline. Preproghrelin mRNA expression in the stomach was analyzed by in situ hybridization. Plasma levels of ghrelin and ghrelin-reactive IgG were measured by immunoenzymatic assays and IgG affinity kinetics by surface plasmon resonance. Anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in MTX-treated anorectic and in control rats were evaluated in the elevated plus-maze and the forced-swim test, respectively.
RESULTS
In MTX-treated anorectic rats, the number of preproghrelin mRNA-producing cells was found increased (by 51.3%, p < 0.001) as well were plasma concentrations of both ghrelin and des-acyl-ghrelin (by 70.4%, p < 0.05 and 98.3%, p < 0.01, respectively). In contrast, plasma levels of total IgG reactive with ghrelin and des-acyl-ghrelin were drastically decreased (by 87.2 and 88.4%, respectively, both p < 0.001), and affinity kinetics of these IgG were characterized by increased small and big Kd, respectively. MTX-treated rats displayed increased anxiety- but not depression-like behavior.
CONCLUSION
MTX-induced anorexia, weight loss, and anxiety are accompanied by increased ghrelin production and by a decrease of ghrelin-reactive IgG levels and affinity binding properties. Such changes of ghrelin-reactive IgG may underlie their decreased ghrelin-transporting capacities compromising ghrelin orexigenic and anxiolytic effects and contributing to chemotherapy-induced loss of appetite.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1251
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Effects of auxosporulation on distributions of C(25) and C(30) isoprenoid alkenes in Rhizosolenia setigera.
The effect of life cycle on the distributions of C(25) and C(30) highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) alkene lipids has been investigated for the marine diatom Rhizosolenia setigera. The concentrations of the C(30) compounds are largely independent of the cell volume, though the ratios of the individual isomers possessing five and six double bonds show a dependence on the position of the cell during its life cycle, especially during auxosporulation. In contrast to the C(30) pseudo-homologues, the C(25) isomers are not always detected in cultures of R. setigera. The biosynthesis of the C(25) HBIs would appear to result from the onset of auxosporulation, with further changes to their distributions taking place after this phase, including the formation of more unsaturated isomers. The results of this investigation may be used in part to explain the large variations in these lipids reported previously.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1252
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Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: Identifying risk and preventing mortality.
Premature death among individuals with epilepsy is higher than in the general population, and sudden unexpected death is the most common cause of this mortality. A new multisite collaborative research consortium, the Center for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) Research (CSR), has received major funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine the possible biologic mechanisms underlying this potentially preventable comorbidity and develop predictive biomarkers for interventions that could lower SUDEP incidence. This inaugural report describes the structure of the CSR, its priorities for human and experimental research, and the strategic collaborations and advanced tools under development to reduce this catastrophic outcome of epilepsy. The CSR Partners Program will work closely with committed volunteer agencies, industry, and academic institutions to accelerate and communicate these advances to the professional and lay community.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1253
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Effects of various modes of mechanical ventilation in normal rats.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies in healthy mice and rats have reported that positive pressure ventilation delivered with physiological tidal volumes at normal end-expiratory volume worsens lung mechanics and induces cytokine release, thus suggesting that detrimental effects are due to positive pressure ventilation per se. The aim of this study in healthy animals is to assess whether these adverse outcomes depend on the mode of mechanical ventilation.
METHODS
Rats were subjected to 4 h of spontaneous, positive pressure, and whole-body or thorax-only negative pressure ventilation (N = 8 per group). In all instances the ventilatory pattern was that of spontaneous breathing. Lung mechanics, cytokines concentration in serum and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, lung wet-to-dry ratio, and histology were assessed. Values from eight animals euthanized shortly after anesthesia served as control.
RESULTS
No evidence of mechanical ventilation-dependent lung injury was found in terms of lung mechanics, histology, or wet-to-dry ratio. Relative to control, cytokine levels and recruitment of polymorphonuclear leucocytes increased slightly, and to the same extent with spontaneous, positive pressure, and whole-body negative pressure ventilation. Thorax-only negative pressure ventilation caused marked chest and lung distortion, reversible increase of lung elastance, and higher polymorphonuclear leucocyte count and cytokine levels.
CONCLUSION
Both positive and negative pressure ventilation performed with tidal volumes and timing of spontaneous, quiet breathing neither elicit an inflammatory response nor cause morpho-functional alterations in normal animals, thus supporting the notion of the presence of a critical volume threshold above which acute lung injury ensues. Distortion of lung parenchyma can induce an inflammatory response, even in the absence of volotrauma.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1254
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Natural 6-hydroxy-chromanols and -chromenols: structural diversity, biosynthetic pathways and health implications.
We present the first comprehensive and systematic review on the structurally diverse toco-chromanols and -chromenols found in photosynthetic organisms, including marine organisms, and as metabolic intermediates in animals. The focus of this work is on the structural diversity of chromanols and chromenols that result from various side chain modifications. We describe more than 230 structures that derive from a 6-hydroxy-chromanol- and 6-hydroxy-chromenol core, respectively, and comprise di-, sesqui-, mono- and hemiterpenes. We assort the compounds into a structure-activity relationship with special emphasis on anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities of the congeners. This review covers the literature published from 1970 to 2017.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1255
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[Incomplete resection for primary non-small cell lung cancer].
A superior outcome is observed for cases of complete resection compared with that of incomplete resection. The reason and the countermeasure of the incomplete resection for lung cancer were analyzed. During 12 years, 274 patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer were surgically treated. Two hundred and forty-eight patients underwent complete resection and 26 incomplete resection. Three-year survival was 62% for patients with complete resection and 17% for patients with incomplete resection. Survival rates were not different between the paroative reduction surgery and the exploratory thoracotomy. Tiny but multiple pleural dissemination or small amount of the malignant pleurfal effusion was not able to detect preoperatively. In these cases, preoperative thoracoscopic observation may useful for avoiding the meaningless thoracotomy. Postoperative radiochemotherapy may improve the prognosis if the therapy is effective. Chemotherapy on the basis of the sensitivity assay is warranted.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1256
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High-Throughput Screening of Gas Sensor Materials for Decomposition Products of Eco-Friendly Insulation Medium by Machine Learning.
Nowadays, trifluoromethyl sulfonyl fluoride (CF3SO2F) has shown great potential to replace SF6 as an eco-friendly insulation medium in the power industry. In this work, an effective and low-cost design strategy toward ideal gas sensors for the decomposed gas products of CF3SO2F was proposed. The strategy achieved high-throughput screening from a large candidate space based on first-principle calculation and machine learning (ML). The candidate space is made up of different transition metal-embedded graphic carbon nitrides (TM/g-C3N4) owing to their high surface area and subtle electronic structure. Four main noteworthy decomposition gases of CF3SO2F, namely, CF4, SO2, SO2F2, and HF, as well as their initial stable structure on TM/g-C3N4 were determined. The best-performing ML model was established and implemented to predict the interaction strength between gas products and TM/g-C3N4, thus determining the promising gas-sensing materials for target gases with the requirements of interaction strength, recovery time, sensitivity, and selectivity. Further analysis guarantees their stability and reveals the origin of excellent properties as a gas sensor. The high-throughput strategy opens a new avenue of rational and low-cost design principles of desirable gas-sensing materials in an interdisciplinary view.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1257
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What 1357 hospital inpatients think about aspects of their stay in British acute hospitals.
Following on a long series of interviews and pilot studies a substantial questionnaire was devised for soliciting the reactions of patients to their stay in hospital. With the cooperation of health authorities it was distributed to ex-patients in seven acute hospitals. A total of 1357 respondents returned a completed questionnaire. In this paper the responses to some 17% of the questions are presented. Most of these particular questions have been selected because they are concerned with nursing issues but a few others are included on account of their relevance. What comes across very clearly from the pattern of responses are the wide disparities between hospitals. Given that the questions were deliberately intended to be very specific a comparison of the results obtained in one institution with the overall averages does enable attention to be focused on areas where improvements are called for. In fact a number of health authorities, recognizing this feature, have since commissioned studies.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1258
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The role of A[Formula: see text] and Tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease: a mathematical model on graphs.
In this Note we study a mathematical model for the progression of Alzheimer's Disease in the human brain. The novelty of our approach consists in the representation of the brain as two superposed graphs where toxic proteins diffuse, the connectivity graph which represents the neural network, and the proximity graph which takes into account the extracellular space. Toxic proteins such as [Formula: see text] amyloid and Tau play in fact a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and, separately, have been targets of medical treatments. Recent biomedical literature stresses the potential impact of the synergetic action of these proteins. We numerically test various modelling hypotheses which confirm the relevance of this synergy.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1259
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"Single Arm-Double Access" for CTO Intervention.
To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a dual-access approach for CTO intervention using transradial and ipsilateral transulnar access. Although retrograde CTO intervention is a challenging procedure, a single arm-double access approach seems to be a feasible alternative that may be useful in patients with limited access-site availability.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1260
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The reliability and validity of the Care Planning Assessment Tool.
OBJECTIVE
The development of a simple, comprehensive, valid and reliable tool to assist aged care services staff develops and monitors care plans.
METHOD
An assessment with proven utility in a psychogeriatric setting was modified to improve its relevance to aged care services. Reliability was assessed from the scores obtained from two independent raters assessing 48 randomly selected residents in a large aged care facility. Validity was assessed by comparison with well-validated measures of cognition and function.
RESULTS
The Care Planning Assessment Tool has very high interrater reliability and good internal consistency. The validity of the subscales compared with well-validated assessments was very high.
CONCLUSION
The psychometric properties of the Care Planning Assessment Tool are sufficiently good to allow it to be used with confidence in the care planning process. This is supported by a similar evaluation carried out on the Japanese version.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1261
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Portal vein tumor thrombus from gastric cancer.
A 53-year-old woman presented with left-sided abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting for the past 3 months with associated loss of appetite and weight. On physical examination, there was a large, ill-defined, firm mass at the epigastrium. Ultrasonography showed heterogeneously hypoechoic filling defect within the dilated main portal vein. The filling defect showed florid signals on Doppler mode and it appeared to be an extension of a larger periportal mass. Contrast enhanced abdominal computed tomography confirmed a large distal gastric mass infiltrating into the periportal structures, including the main portal vein and the splenic vein. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy performed 2 days later showed an irregular, exophytic mass extending from the antrum into the first part of duodenum. The mass was deemed inoperable. Histopathological examination showed gastric adenocarcinoma. She was started on anticoagulant, chemotherapy and pain management. Follow-up computed tomography 4 months later showed liver metastases and formation of collateral blood vessels.
A 53-year-old woman presented with left-sided abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting for the past 3 months with associated loss of appetite and weight. On physical examination, there was a large, ill-defined, firm mass at the epigastrium. Ultrasonography showed heterogeneously hypoechoic filling defect within the dilated main portal vein. The filling defect showed florid signals on Doppler mode and it appeared to be an extension of a larger periportal mass. Contrast enhanced abdominal computed tomography confirmed a large distal gastric mass infiltrating into the periportal structures, including the main portal vein and the splenic vein. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy performed 2 days later showed an irregular, exophytic mass extending from the antrum into the first part of duodenum. The mass was deemed inoperable. Histopathological examination showed gastric adenocarcinoma. She was started on anticoagulant, chemotherapy and pain management. Follow-up computed tomography 4 months later showed liver metastases and formation of collateral blood vessels.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1262
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Homogeneously staining regions and tumorigenicity.
A homogeneously staining region (HSR), a chromosome abnormality associated with gene amplification, was found to increase in length coincident with an enhancement in tumorigenicity when cells from a human retinoblastoma cell line were serially passaged in athymic (nu/nu) mice.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1263
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Effect of laser irradiation on functional activity of human neutrophils: activation of myeloperoxidase in the presence of hematoporphyrin.
Laser irradiation (lambda=540 nm) of the blood increased myeloperoxidase activity in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. We revealed photoinduced activation of myeloperoxidase in irradiated neutrophils in the presence of hematoporphyrin. The photodynamic effect was most pronounced, when the modifier was incorporated into the cell membrane or sorbed on it.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1264
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Contribution of plasminogen activators and their inhibitors to the survival prognosis of patients with Dukes' stage B and C colorectal cancer.
Despite the advances in pre-, peri- and post-operative medical care of colorectal carcinoma patients, the prognosis has improved only marginally over recent decades. Thus, additional prognostic indicators would be of great clinical value to select patients for adjuvant therapy. In previous studies we found that colorectal carcinomas have a marked increase of the urokinase-type of plasminogen activator (u-PA), and the inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2, whereas the tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is found to be decreased in comparison with adjacent normal mucosa. In the present study we evaluated the prognostic value of several plasminogen activation parameters, determined in both normal and carcinomatous tissue from colorectal resection specimens, for overall survival of 136 Dukes' stage B and C colorectal cancer patients, in relation to major clinicopathological parameters. Uni- and multivariate analyses indicated that a high PAI-2 antigen level in carcinoma, a low t-PA activity and antigen level and a high u-PA/t-PA antigen ratio in adjacent normal mucosa are significantly associated with a poor overall survival. A high ratio of u-PA antigen in the carcinomas and t-PA antigen in normal mucosa, i.e. u-PA(C)/t-PA(N), was found to be predictive of a poor overall survival as well. All these parameters were found to be prognostically independent of the clinicopathological parameters. Multivariate analysis of combinations of these prognostically significant plasminogen activation parameters revealed that they are important independent prognostic indicators and have in fact a better prognostic value than their separate components. Based on these combined parameters, subgroups of patients with Dukes' stage B and C colorectal cancer could be identified as having either a high or a low risk regarding overall survival. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the relevance of the intestinal plasminogen activation system for survival prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer and, in the future, might constitute a patient selection criterion for adjuvant therapy.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1265
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Influence of different dose calculation algorithms on the estimate of NTCP for lung complications.
Due to limitations and uncertainties in dose calculation algorithms, different algorithms can predict different dose distributions and dose-volume histograms for the same treatment. This can be a problem when estimating the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for patient-specific dose distributions. Published NTCP model parameters are often derived for a different dose calculation algorithm than the one used to calculate the actual dose distribution. The use of algorithm-specific NTCP model parameters can prevent errors caused by differences in dose calculation algorithms. The objective of this work was to determine how to change the NTCP model parameters for lung complications derived for a simple correction-based pencil beam dose calculation algorithm, in order to make them valid for three other common dose calculation algorithms. NTCP was calculated with the relative seriality (RS) and Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) models. The four dose calculation algorithms used were the pencil beam (PB) and collapsed cone (CC) algorithms employed by Oncentra, and the pencil beam convolution (PBC) and anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) employed by Eclipse. Original model parameters for lung complications were taken from four published studies on different grades of pneumonitis, and new algorithm-specific NTCP model parameters were determined. The difference between original and new model parameters was presented in relation to the reported model parameter uncertainties. Three different types of treatments were considered in the study: tangential and locoregional breast cancer treatment and lung cancer treatment. Changing the algorithm without the derivation of new model parameters caused changes in the NTCP value of up to 10 percentage points for the cases studied. Furthermore, the error introduced could be of the same magnitude as the confidence intervals of the calculated NTCP values. The new NTCP model parameters were tabulated as the algorithm was varied from PB to PBC, AAA, or CC. Moving from the PB to the PBC algorithm did not require new model parameters; however, moving from PB to AAA or CC did require a change in the NTCP model parameters, with CC requiring the largest change. It was shown that the new model parameters for a given algorithm are different for the different treatment types.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1266
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Beneficial and harmful effects of nonselective beta blockade on acute kidney injury in liver transplant candidates.
Nonselective beta-blockers (NSBBs) have played an important role in the prevention of portal hypertensive bleeding in patients with cirrhosis. However, recent studies have suggested that NSBBs may be harmful in some patients with end-stage liver disease. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the association between use of NSBB and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). We conducted a nested case-control study in a cohort of liver transplant wait-list registrants. Each patient with AKI was matched to a control by the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Na score, age, serum creatinine, and follow-up duration. Out of a total of 2361 wait-list registrants, 205 patients developed AKI after a median follow-up duration of 18.2 months. When compared with matched controls, ascites (79.0% versus 51.7%) and non-Caucasian race (16.6% versus 7.8%) were more common among the cases. The frequency of NSBB use was higher among the cases than controls, albeit insignificantly (45.9% versus 37.1%; P = 0.08). In multivariate analyses, the impact of nonselective beta blockade on the development of AKI was dependent on the presence of ascites: nonselective beta blockade in patients with ascites significantly increased the risk of AKI (hazard ratio [HR], 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-6.95), whereas in patients without ascites, NSBB use reduced it (HR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06-0.60). Potential benefits and harms of a NSBB in terms of AKI depend on the presence of ascites in liver transplant candidates. NSBB therapy in patients with cirrhosis may need to be individualized. Liver Transplantation 23 733-740 2017 AASLD.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1267
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Early repolarization on scalar electrocardiogram.
Sixty thousand electrocardiograms were analyzed for 5 years. Six hundred (1%) revealed early repolarization (ER). Features of ER were compared with race-, age-, and sex-matched controls (93.5% were Caucasians, 77% were males, 78.3% were younger than 50 years, and only 3.5% were older than 70). Those with ER had elevated, concave, ST segments in all electrocardiograms (1-5 mv), which were located most commonly in precordial leads (73%), with reciprocal ST depression (50%) in a VR, and notch and slur on R wave (56%). Other results included sinus bradycardia in 22%, shorter and depressed PR interval in 38%, slightly asymmetrical T waves in 96.7%, and U waves in 50%. Sixty patients exercised normalized ST segment and shortened QT interval (83%). In another 60 patients, serial studies for 10 years showed disappearance of ER in 18%, and was seen intermittently in the rest of the patients. The authors conclude that in these patients with ER: 1) male preponderance was found; 2) incidence in Caucasians was as common as in blacks; 3) patients often were younger than 50 years; 4) sinus bradycardia was the most common arrhythmia; 5) the PR interval was short and depressed; 6) the T wave was slightly asymmetrical; 7) exercise normalized ST segment; 8) incidence and degree of ST elevation reduced as age advanced; 9) possible mechanisms of ER are vagotonia, sympathetic stimulation, early repolarization of sub-epicardium, and difference in monophasic action potential observed on the endocardium and epicardium.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1268
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Adherence to statin or aspirin or both in patients with established cardiovascular disease: exploring healthy behaviour vs. drug effects and 10-year follow-up of outcome.
AIMS
To characterize adherence in patients with established cardiovascular disease taking statins and aspirin and to estimate the effects of adherence due to health behaviour, a lack of beneficial drug effect, or both on recurrence of cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality over 10 years.
METHODS
A population-based cohort study using a record-linkage database in Tayside, Scotland. Subjects with cardiovascular disease (n = 7657; 4185 aspirin-alone cohort, 671 statin-alone cohort and 2801 combination use cohort) were studied between 1993 and 2003. The effects of adherence on recurrence of cardiovascular disease or mortality were assessed using Poisson regression model.
RESULTS
In subjects taking both aspirin and statins, those adherent to statins but not aspirin had a lower risk of recurrence [adjusted risk ratio (RR) 0.64; 95% confidence interval 0.49, 0.82], but those adherent to aspirin but not statins has no such effect (adjusted RR 0.91; 0.72, 1.15), suggesting that adherence behaviour alone was not responsible for the beneficial effect. Within the group adherent to aspirin, > or =80% adherence to statins was associated with reduced recurrence compared with those poorly adherent (adjusted RR 0.76; 0.62, 0.94), but no such effect of aspirin was seen in those adherent to statins. Similar results were found for all-cause mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Poor health behaviour is not a sufficient explanation of adverse outcome in poorly adherent patients. Adverse outcome is more likely to be driven by foregone drug benefits.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1269
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Streptococcus group G septic polyarthritis.
A case of streptococcus group G polyarthritis has been identified from blood and synovial fluid cultures and was sensitive to penicillin G. The clinical tendency to polyarticular infection by this organism and its discordant response to the antibiotics indicated by in vitro studies are discussed.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1270
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Intracellular signals trigger ultrastructural events characteristic of meiotic maturation in oocytes of Xenopus laevis.
Oocytes of Xenopus laevis were treated with agents which induce individual intracellular signals normally evoked during the process of meiotic maturation. Ultrastructural analysis of these oocytes allowed identification of specific second messengers that individually trigger single ultrastructural changes characteristic of the meiotic maturation process: Manipulation of intracellular cAMP levels induced changes in cortical granule position. Cytoplasmic alkalinization triggered a disruption of the annulate lamellae, a specialized organelle in the periphery of oocytes. Activation of protein kinase C caused rapid formation of a cortical endoplasmic reticulum and subsequent disruption of cortical granules. Manipulation of transmembrane calcium flux had varied results dependent upon the agent employed. Two of the treatments, Verapamil and zero external calcium, induced a reorganization in the oocyte periphery. The results indicate that these ultrastructural events are under the control of specific intracellular signals known to be elicited during meiotic maturation.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1271
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Wound morbidity with staples compared with suture for cesarean skin closure by diabetic status.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the risk of post-cesarean wound morbidity in patients undergoing staple versus suture closure is modified by diabetic status.
METHODS
Secondary analysis of a randomized trial of skin closure with subcuticular 4-0 monocryl suture or surgical staples after cesarean delivery. The primary outcome was a composite of wound disruption or infection within 4-6 weeks. We compared the association between this outcome and skin closure method by diabetic status (also stratified by gestational or pregestational) using the Breslow-Day test for interaction.
RESULTS
Of 350 patients, 179 were randomized to staples and 171 to suture. Of the 67 (19.1%) diabetic patients, 35 were gestational and 32 pregestational. The incidence of composite wound morbidity in non-diabetics was 16.7% for staples and 3.6% for suture (p ≤ 0.001, RR: 4.6, 95% CI: 1.8-11.8); it was 5.7% for staples and 15.6% for sutures in diabetics (p = 0.25, RR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.1-1.7). The corresponding Breslow-Day p value indicated a significant difference between diabetics and non-diabetics (p = 0.002). Stratified further by gestational and pregestational diabetes, the RRs were 0.3 (95% CI: 0.03-2.4) and 0.5 (95% CI: 0.05-5.0) compared to non-diabetics, respectively. Each diabetic sub-group was significantly different from non-diabetics (Breslow-Day p values for homogeneity p = 0.005 and p = 0.045, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
The use of staples compared with subcuticular suture for cesarean skin closure is associated with increased wound morbidity. While this is true for non-diabetics, further studies of diabetics are needed to evaluate for a null or opposite effect of closure type.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1272
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Late Results of Cox Maze III Procedure in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Associated with Structural Heart Disease.
Background
Cox-Maze III procedure is one of the surgical techniques used in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Objectives
To determine late results of Cox-Maze III in terms of maintenance of sinus rhythm, and mortality and stroke rates.
Methods
Between January 2006 and January 2013, 93 patients were submitted to the cut-and-sew Cox-Maze III procedure in combination with structural heart disease repair. Heart rhythm was determined by 24-hour Holter monitoring. Procedural success rates were determined by longitudinal methods and recurrence predictors by multivariate Cox regression models.
Results
Thirteen patients that obtained hospital discharge alive were excluded due to lost follow-up. The remaining 80 patients were aged 49.9 ± 12 years and 47 (58.7%) of them were female. Involvement of mitral valve and rheumatic heart disease were found in 67 (83.7%) and 63 (78.7%) patients, respectively. Seventy patients (87.5%) had persistent or long-standing persistent AF. Mean follow-up with Holter monitoring was 27.5 months. There were no hospital deaths. Sinus rhythm maintenance rates were 88%, 85.1% and 80.6% at 6 months, 24 months and 36 months, respectively. Predictors of late recurrence of AF were female gender (HR 3.52; 95% CI 1.21-10.25; p = 0.02), coronary artery disease (HR 4.73 95% CI 1.37-16.36; p = 0.01) and greater left atrium diameter (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09; p = 0.02). Actuarial survival was 98.5% at 12, 24 and 48 months and actuarial freedom from stroke was 100%, 100% and 97.5% in the same time frames.
Conclusions
The Cox-Maze III procedure, in our experience, is efficacious for sinus rhythm maintenance, with very low late mortality and stroke rates.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1273
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Histopathologic condition of fascia lata implant 42 years after ptosis repair.
Fascia lata implants have been employed since the early part of this century in the repair of blepharoptosis. Although much has been written concerning surgical techniques and results of implanting different preparations of fascia lata, there are relatively few reports of long-term histopathologic follow-up of recovered tissue. In the case described herein, autogenous fascia lata was recovered at the time of repeated surgery and examined 42 years later. On microscopic examination the tissue was viable but demonstrated significantly more vascularization, fibroblastic infiltration, and incorporation with surrounding structures than previously reported implants.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1274
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Processing of physiological signals in automotive research.
The development of innovative driver assistance systems requires the evaluation of the predisposed hypotheses such as acceptance and driving safety. For this purpose, the conduction of experiments with end-users as subjects is necessary. Analysis and evaluation are based on the recording of numerous sensor values and system variables. Video, gaze and physiological data are recorded for the analysis of gaze distraction and emotional reactions of subjects to system behaviour. In this paper, a modular data streaming and processing architecture is suggested and a concept for this architecture is defined for consistent data evaluation, which integrates off-the-shelf products for data analysis and evaluation.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1275
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Willingness to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine and its associated determinants in Iran.
Introduction
Understanding the individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for the COVID-19 vaccine could help design policy interventions to control the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for a COVID-19 vaccine and to identify its associated determinants.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 526 Iranian adults using a web-based questionnaire. A double-bounded contingent valuation approach was used to estimate WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. The parameters of the model were estimated based on the maximum likelihood method.
Results
A considerable proportion of participants (90.87%) were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine. Based on our discrete choice model, the estimated mean WTP for a COVID-19 vaccine was US$ 60.13 (CI: 56.80-63.46; p < 0.01). Having a higher perceived risk of being contaminated with COVID-19, higher average monthly income, higher education level, pre-existence of chronic diseases, previous experience of vaccination, and belonging to higher age groups were significant determinants associated with WTP for COVID-19 vaccination.
Conclusion
The present study indicates a relatively high WTP and acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine among the Iranian population. Average monthly income, risk perception, education level, the preexistence of chronic disease, and previous vaccination experience increased the likelihood of WTP for a vaccine. Subsidizing the COVID-19 vaccine for the low-income population and raising risk perception among the population should be considered in formulating vaccine-related interventions.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1276
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Analysis of the flow cytometer stain Hoechst 33342 on human spermatozoa.
Several procedures exist for processing sperm cells for sex preselection. Flow cytometric separation using the fluorochrome stain Hoechst 33342, chemically known as bisbenzimide, is the most promising. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bisbenzimide on spermatozoa assessed by means of the sperm survival test and to analyse the beta-globin gene in sperm DNA after exposure to increasing concentrations of bisbenzimide. Donor (n = 16) sperm specimens were pooled and washed in a discontinuous Percoll gradient 95:47%, divided and incubated in tubes containing bisbenzimide at concentrations 0 (control), 0.9, 9, 90, 900 and 9000 microM at 25 degrees C and scanned on a computer-aided sperm motility analyser at 0, 1, 4 and 24 h. Spermatozoa were also incubated in a known mutagen, ethidium bromide, as positive control. After 24 h of incubation, the treated sperm cells were processed through DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) performed with primers targeting the beta-globin gene. The amplified DNA products were analysed for evidence of mutation in 5% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 20:80 denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and further confirmed in 30:40 DGGE. The results showed complete cessation of motility in sperm incubated in the presence of 900 microM or higher concentrations of bisbenzimide. The beat cross frequency sperm parameter was significantly different at the 90 microM or higher concentration of bisbenzimide compared with the control. At concentrations < 900 microM bisbenzimide, there were no differences in the remaining sperm kinematic parameters (percentage rapid progressive, percentage total progressive, sperm velocities, linearity, straightness, amplitude of lateral head displacement and percentage hyperactive motility). PCR and DGGE analyses of spermatozoa treated with bisbenzimide showed no evidence of mutation in the representative region of the beta-globin gene at concentrations < 900 microM. The data suggest an inhibitory effect of bisbenzimide on human sperm motility at 900 microM or higher concentrations of bisbenzimide. The decrease in sperm motility and rapid progression were not due to changes in pH. Point mutation in the representative region of the beta-globin gene in human spermatozoa was detected only at high concentrations (> or = 900 microM) of bisbenzimide. The data suggest that incubating sperm in low concentrations of bisbenzimide (< 90 microM) for up to 24 h does not significantly affect all the sperm kinematic parameters including the beat cross frequency parameter when compared with the control.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1277
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Oral health disparities in Appalachia: orthodontic treatment need and demand.
BACKGROUND
Significant oral health disparities affect people in West Virginia and elsewhere in Appalachia. Although oral diseases such as caries are a major problem, little is known about the occlusal status of this under-served group.
METHODS
Fifty-eight adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and 78 of their parents underwent an orthodontic examination as part of a larger study on oral health in two rural West Virginia counties. Two orthodontists used a standardized index to rate their need for orthodontic care. Participants were interviewed regarding their demand for and history of orthodontic care.
RESULTS
The study results show that parents had a high rate of complete or partial edentulism, an infrequent history of orthodontic treatment, great unmet orthodontic need and less demand for orthodontic care than was suggested by their clinically determined need. The adolescents were similar to national norms with regard to orthodontic treatment history and need, but lower with regard to demand.
CONCLUSIONS
The adolescents' similarity to general population norms with regard to previous orthodontic care and level of occlusal status is promising. Nevertheless, their lower recognition of a need for treatment suggests possible future oral health problems and a lower oral health quality of life. Their parents, however, were considerably worse off, in comparison with their adolescent children and adult comparison samples, with regard to orthodontic care and other oral health status measures.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Culturally sensitive psychoeducational methods to promote recognition of oral health needs may be required among adolescents in Appalachia to have an impact on oral health values and to prevent oral health problems. Issues of orthodontic care utilization and, perhaps, access to care need to be addressed among adults in Appalachia.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1278
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Crystal Structure Analysis of 4-Oxo, 4-hydroxy- and 4-alkyl-7-bromopyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines.
The crystal structures of 8-R1-7-bromo-3-tert-butyl-1-R2-pyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazin-4(1H)-ones 1a-c, 2a,c (R1 = CN, CO2Et, NO2, R2 = H, 1:1 and 3:1 solvates with DMSO; R1 = CN, CO2Et, R2 = CH2Boc), 8-R1-7-bromo-3-tert-butyl-1-R2-1,4-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazin-4-ols 3a,b (R1 = CN, R2 = n-Bu; R1 = Br, R2 = CH2Boc), 1,4-dihydro- and aromatic 7-R3-3-tert-butyl-4-R4-8-methylpyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines 5a,b, 6 (R3 = H, R4 = n-Pr; R3 = Br, R4 = n-Bu) were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The structural preferences and different packing modes based on the intermolecular interactions were analyzed by the Hirshfeld surface and energy framework analysis.
Graphical Abstract
The crystal structures of ten 3-tert-butyl-4-oxo, 4-hydroxy- and 4-alkyl-7-bromopyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines including non-solvated, 1:1 and 3:1 solvates with DMSO were investigated by single crystal X-ray diffraction, Hirshfeld surface and energy framework analyses.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10870-022-00973-x.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1279
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Rewarding stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus induces a dopamine-dependent suppression of synaptic responses in the entorhinal cortex.
The entorhinal cortex receives inputs from sensory and associational cortices, as well as a substantial input from midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine is likely to modulate the responsiveness of entorhinal cortex neurons to sensory inputs, and excitatory synaptic responses in layers I/II of the entorhinal cortex in vitro can be either facilitated or suppressed by dopamine depending upon the concentration applied. Rewarding stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus leads to activation of dopamine neurons, and the present study evaluated the effect of rewarding stimulation on synaptic responses in the lateral entorhinal cortex evoked by stimulation of the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex in behaving rats. Rewarding brain stimulation reduced the amplitude of synaptic responses in the entorhinal cortex evoked by single pulses delivered to the piriform cortex at intervals of 100-500 ms following the train. Synaptic responses were suppressed when stimulation trains were delivered at a fixed interval, or when trains were initiated by the animal pressing a bar. The suppression depended on the strength of stimulation trains; delivery of higher frequency trains that were sufficient to induce maximal, or 50% of maximal, rates of bar-pressing resulted in significant suppression effects, but lower frequency trains did not. Systemic administration of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride, but not the D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 or the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine, blocked the suppression of synaptic responses. Results suggest that rewarding brain stimulation leads to a phasic increase in dopamine in the entorhinal cortex resulting in a D2 receptor-dependent suppression of excitatory synaptic responses, and that a similar synaptic modulation may be induced by stimuli associated with appetitive motivation and reward.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1280
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Role of Trace Elements, Oxidative Stress and Immune System: a Triad in Premature Ovarian Failure.
The risk of premature ovarian failure (POF) increases in association with alteration in immunological parameters and oxidative stress (OS). Adequate intake of trace elements is required for antioxidant property and immune defense mechanism. The aim of this study was to explore the involvement of trace elements, OS, and immunological parameters in POF. This was a cross-sectional, case-control study, involving 65 participants divided into the POF (n = 35) and control (n = 30) groups. Serum levels of Se, Zn, and Cu were determined along with hormonal, OS, and immunological markers. POF group had significantly lower levels of Zn, Cu, Se, and Zn:Cu ratio. However, Se:Cu ratio was not significant between the groups. FSH and LH levels were negatively correlated with Zn and Cu levels and positively correlated with Se levels. Estrogen levels were negatively correlated with all the studied trace elements. Inter-element association between Zn and Se was significant in POF (r = - 0.39, p = 0.02) compared to control group (r = - 0.078, p = 0.65). In all the POF patients, SOD and GPx activities were significantly (p < 0.05) lower and MDA level was higher (p > 0.05) than control group. B cell marker CD19 was significantly (p < 0.0001) high in POF group. There are involvement of trace elements in hormonal regulation and antioxidant defense mechanism, which once gets altered leads to high ROS generation and affect functions of the immune system. Exaggereative immune system causing higher expression of B cell associated markers (CD19) leading to autoimmune condition in POF.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1281
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Adaptive health technology assessment: a scoping review of methods.
BACKGROUND
Health technology assessment (HTA) is an established mechanism for explicit priority setting to support universal health coverage. However, full HTA requires significant time, data, and capacity for each intervention which limits the number of decisions it can inform. Another approach systematically adapts full HTA methods by leveraging HTA evidence from other settings. We call this 'adaptive' HTA (aHTA), although in settings where time is the main constraint, it is also called 'rapid HTA'.
METHODS
The objectives of this scoping review were to identify and map existing aHTA methods, and to assess their triggers, strengths, and weaknesses. This was done by searching HTA agencies' and networks' websites, and the published literature. Findings have been narratively synthesized.
RESULTS
This review identified 20 countries and one HTA network with aHTA methods in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and South-East Asia. These methods have been characterized into five types: rapid reviews, rapid cost-effectiveness analyses, rapid manufacturer submissions, transfers, and de facto HTA. Three characteristics 'trigger' the use of aHTA instead of full HTA: urgency, certainty, and low budget impact. Sometimes, an iterative approach to selecting methods guides whether to do aHTA or full HTA. aHTA was found to be faster and more efficient, useful for decision makers, and to reduce duplication. However, there is limited standardization, transparency, and measurement of uncertainty.
CONCLUSION
aHTA is used in many settings. It has potential to improve the efficiency of any priority-setting system, but needs to be better formalized to improve uptake, particularly for nascent HTA systems.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1282
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Shortened Radiation Time Promotes Recovery From Radiation-induced Lymphopenia in Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.
Background: To evaluate the potential impact of radiation time on radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) and subsequently recovery after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and to examine the associations between radiation time and with patient outcomes in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Clinical and laboratory records of subjects consisted of 115 patients who had received SBRT for early-stage NSCLC. Clinical and laboratory records were retrospective reviewed to assess the changes in total lymphocyte counts (TLCs) following SBRT. Associations of TLCs kinetics with the clinical and treatment features, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Most patients (100/115, 86.96%) experienced significantly decreased median TLCs following SBRT (1700 vs 1100 cells/µL; P < .001), and 52 patients (45.21%) met the criteria for lymphopenia. Six months after SBRT, 44 patients (38.26%) had recovered. A negative correlation between TLCs reduction and radiation time was observed (r = -0.381, P < .001). According to the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value for radiation time to was 3950 s to predict lymphocyte count recovery (LR) following RIL was 3950 s (P < .001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that radiation time was significantly associated with LR (odds ratio [OR], 0.113; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.029-0.432; P = .001) but not TLCs reduction (P = .575). LR within 6 months after SBRT was associated with improved progression-free survival in patients without non-lymphopenia (P = .034), but had little effect in patients with lymphopenia (P = .405). Conclusion: A longer radiation time was associated with a lower rate of LR within 6 months after SBRT in patients with early-stage NSCLC. Given the association of severe and persistent RIL with survival in NSCLC, further study of the effect of radiation time on immune status is warranted.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1283
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ASCL2 expression contributes to gastric tumor migration and invasion by downregulating miR223 and inducing EMT.
Achaete‑scute homolog 2 (ASCL2), a basic helix‑loop‑helix transcription factor, serves an essential role in the maintenance of adult intestinal stem cells and the growth of gastric cancer (GC). However, the function of ASCL2 in the metastasis of GC is poorly understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of ASCL2 expression on gastric tumor metastasis. ASCL2 protein expression was detected in 32 cases of gastric metastasis and its relevant primary tumors using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The data suggested that the expression of ASCL2 was highest in metastatic tumors, among adjacent normal tissues, primary gastric tumors and gastric metastatic tumors. Furthermore, ASCL2‑overexpressing GC cell lines MKN1‑ASCL2 and SNU16‑ASCL2 were established. An in vitro assay suggested that microRNA 223 (miR223) expression was downregulated following ASCL2 overexpression, and that the expression of the epithelium‑associated protein E‑cadherin was significantly decreased, while a series of mesenchyme‑associated proteins, including zinc finger E‑box‑binding homeobox 1 (Zeb‑1), twist‑related protein 1, integrin, vimentin, 72 kDa type IV collagenase and matrix metalloproteinase‑9 were upregulated in ASCL2‑overexpressing cells. Overexpression of miR223 attenuated the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT)‑promoting effect induced by ASCL2 expression. In addition, the results of the chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter gene assays indicated that ASCL2 was able to interact with the promoter of pre‑miR223, and to inhibit the maturation of miR223, which may interact with the 3' untranslated region of Zeb‑1 and inhibit EMT in tumor cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that ASCL2 was able to downregulate the expression level of miR223, contribute to EMT and promote gastric tumor metastasis, which indicated that ASCL2 may serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of GC.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1284
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Optimizing Fingernail Imaging Calibration for 3D Force Magnitude Prediction.
This paper discusses the optimization of a fingernail imaging system for predicting fingerpad force. The effects of lighting coloration, calibration grid, and force prediction model on the registration process and force prediction accuracy of fingernail imaging are investigated. White and green LEDs are found to produce statistically similar effects on registration error and force prediction results across all three directions of force. Two calibration grids are implemented, with no statistically significant difference in either registration or force prediction between the Cartesian and cylindrical grid designs. Of the five force prediction models investigated, a principal component regression model based on the pixel intensity eigenvectors estimates the force with the greatest accuracy. This EigenNail Magnitude Model simultaneously estimates force in all three directions with RMS error with 95 percent confidence interval of 0.55 ± 0.02 N (7.6 percent of the full force range). These results indicate a set of optimal parameter choices for the calibration of a fingernail imaging system.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1285
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Swiss decide on assisted procreation.
For several years, assisted procreation in Switzerland has been conducted in accordance with a series of guidelines produced between 1981 and 1990 by the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. The most recent of these is reproduced below. Whether Swiss doctors can continue to work according to its guidance has, however, been put in doubt by the result of a national referendum on 17 May, 1992. This rejected, by a large majority, storage of embryos: it it becomes part of Swiss statute law, in vitro fertilisation will become much more difficult. Its effect is discussed after the guidelines.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1286
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Prognostic utility of quantitative offline 2D-echocardiography in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 disease.
PURPOSE
To assess the prognostic utility of quantitative 2D-echocardiography, including strain, in patients with COVID-19 disease.
METHODS
COVID-19-infected patients admitted to the San Paolo University Hospital of Milan that underwent a clinically indicated echocardiographic examination were included in the study. To limit contamination, all measurements were performed offline. Quantitative measurements were obtained by an operator blinded to the clinical data.
RESULTS
Among the 49 patients, nonsurvivors (33%) had worse respiratory parameters, index of multiorgan failure, and worse markers of lung involvement. Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (as assessed by conventional and 2-dimensional speckle tracking) was a common finding and a powerful independent predictor of mortality. At the ROC curve analyses, RV free wall longitudinal strain (LS) showed an AUC 0.77 ± 0.08 in predicting death, P = .008, and global RV LS (RV-GLS) showed an AUC 0.79 ± 0.04, P = .004. This association remained significant after correction for age (OR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.01-1.34, P = .029 for RV free wall LS and OR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.01-1.42, P = .033 for RV-GLS), for oxygen partial pressure at arterial gas analysis/fraction of inspired oxygen (OR = 1.28, 95%CI 1.04-1.57, P = .021 for RV free wall-LS and OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.04-1.62, P = .020 for RV-GLS) and for the severity of pulmonary involvement measured by a computed tomography lung score (OR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.02-1.19, P = .034 for RV free wall LS and OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.04-1.63, P = .022 for RV-GLS).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients hospitalized with COVID-19, offline quantitative 2D-echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function is feasible. Parameters of RV function are frequently abnormal and have an independent prognostic value over markers of lung involvement.
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No pos
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Retriever1287
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Accelerated nursing programs: What do we know?
Accelerated nursing programs, also referred to as second-degree programs, are targeted to students who enter with a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field other than nursing. While these programs are rapidly increasing across the United States, a sparse amount of literature pertains to them. This article provides a review of the current literature related to accelerated programs in nursing and suggests areas of inquiry that could be developed to address the need for research in this area.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1288
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[Measurement of Coronary Artery Angle in DSA Image].
OBJECTIVE
The digital subtraction angiography (DSA) image is processed to obtain central line and bifurcation point of coronary artery, and angle between blood vessels.
METHODS
The image is processed on the platform of Matlab. The central line of coronary artery is extracted by Hessian matrix. The coordinates of the bifurcation point and two other points on branch vessels are obtained by central line matrix of DSA image. Then average angle of coronary artery vessels is calculated by the three points.
RESULTS
For randomly selected DSA images, high accuracy values of coronary artery central line and angle may be obtained.
CONCLUSIONS
Accurate measurement of coronary artery vessel angel may help operators of DSA in setting body position and help researchers in image processing.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1289
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Binding of the coenzyme and formation of the transketolase active center.
Transketolase (TK) is a homodimer, the simplest representative of thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes. It was first ThDP-dependent enzymes the crystal structure of which has been solved and revealed the general fold for this class of enzymes and the interactions of the non-covalently bound coenzyme ThDP with the protein component. Transketolase is a convenient model to study the structure(s) of the active center and the mechanism of action of ThDP-dependent enzymes. This review summarizes the results of studies on the kinetics of the interaction of ThDP with TK from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as the generation of the catalytically active form of the coenzyme within the holoenzyme and formation of the enzyme's active center.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1290
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Novel BRAF gene fusions and activating point mutations in spindle cell sarcomas with histologic overlap with infantile fibrosarcoma.
Infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS)/cellular congenital mesoblastic nephroma (cCMN) commonly harbors the classic ETV6-NTRK3 translocation. However, there are recent reports of mesenchymal tumors with IFS-like morphology harboring fusions of other receptor tyrosine kinases or downstream effectors, including NTRK1/2/3, MET, RET, and RAF1 fusions as well as one prior series with BRAF fusions. Discovery of these additional molecular drivers contributes to a more integrated diagnostic approach and presents important targets for therapy. Here we report the clinicopathologic and molecular features of 14 BRAF-altered tumors, of which 5 had BRAF point mutations and 10 harbored one or more BRAF fusions. Of the BRAF fusion-positive tumors, one harbored two BRAF fusions (FOXN3-BRAF, TRIP11-BRAF) and another harbored three unique alternative splice variants of EPB41L2-BRAF. Tumors occurred in ten males and four females, aged from birth to 32 years (median 6 months). Twelve were soft tissue based; two were visceral including one located in the kidney (cCMN). All neoplasms demonstrated ovoid to short spindle cells most frequently arranged haphazardly or in intersecting fascicles, often with collagenized stroma and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate. No specific immunophenotype was observed; expression of CD34, S100, and SMA was variable. To date, this is the largest cohort of BRAF-altered spindle cell neoplasms with IFS-like morphology, including not only seven novel BRAF fusion partners but also the first description of oncogenic BRAF point mutations in these tumors.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1291
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Utilisation of health management information and its determinant factors among health professionals working at public health facilities in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to assess health management information utilisation and associated factors among health professionals working at public health facilities in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia.
SETTING
The study was conducted at public health facilities in the North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 664 (56.3% male and 43.7% female) health professionals participated in the study. All health professionals permanently working in North Wollo Zone were included in this study. However, health professionals who were not present during the data collection period by any means and who had less than 6 months of experience were not included in this study.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES
The main outcome measure was health management information utilisation.
RESULT
About 58.4% (n=388) (95% CI: 54.4% to 62.0%) of the study participants use health management information. The multivariable logistic regression model indicated that participants who had managerial positions are more likely to use health management information with an adjusted OR (AOR) of 3.11 and 95% CI 1.84 to 5.24. Similarly, having a good motivation level (AOR=4.42 (95% CI: 2.82 to 6.93)), perceived good culture of health information (AOR=6.17 (95% CI: 3.35 to 11.36)), a standard set of indicators (AOR=4.11 (95% CI: 2.65 to 6.38)), having good governance of health information system (AOR=1.75 (95% CI:1.13 to 2.72)) and health management information system (HMIS) training (AOR=3.10 (95% CI: 1.89 to 5.07)) were the predictors positively associated with higher utilisation of health management information.
CONCLUSION
This study revealed that utilisation of health management information was still inadequate. Enhancing motivation, building a culture of information use, having standardised indicators, strengthening the governance of health information systems and comprehensive HMIS training were measures to be taken to improve utilisation of health management information in this study setting.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1292
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Optical diffraction analysis of crystalline inclusions in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of islet parenchymal cells of the hagfish, Myxine glutinosa.
Optical diffraction analysis was carried out on crystalline inclusions in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of the insulin and somatostatin cells in the islet organ of the hagfish. A striking difference in crystalline arrangement was observed between the inclusions of the insulin and somatostatin cells. The crystallographic arrangement of the inclusions observed in situ in the insulin cells differed from that previously found by means of X-ray diffraction analyses of hagfish insulin crystals formed in vitro.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1293
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Evaluation of a serum-free transport medium supplemented with cyanobacterial extract, for the optimal survival of Helicobacter pylori from biopsy samples and strains.
The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of an alternative transport medium supplemented with a cyanobacterial extract (CE), free of animal derivatives, to preserve the viability of Helicobacter pylori strains during long-term transportation and allow its recovery from biopsy samples. The transport media evaluated were Mueller-Hinton broth 0.3% agar (MH) and 0.3% of CE (MH-CE). MH broth 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as the reference medium (MH-FCS). Biopsy samples from 134 patients, H. pylori NCTC 11638 and six clinical isolates were studied. A higher recovery (p ≤ 0.001) at 4°C was obtained in MH-CE than in MH-FCS after 96 h of storage. Only MH-CE allowed recovery after 120 h. The H. pylori recovery at room temperature after 96 h was higher (p ≤ 0.005) in MH-CE than in MH-FCS. Similar survival rates were observed in biopsy samples conserved in MH-CE and MH-FCS at 4°C. The recovery after 48 h at room temperature in MH-CE was higher (p ≤ 0.05) than MH-FCS and was the only medium allowing recovery after 72 h. The MH-CE medium is a simple, inexpensive and animal derivatives-free transport medium that can be used to preserve H. pylori viability and its recovery from biopsy samples.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1294
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Stridor in neonates.
Stridor in neonates and infants is a symptom that indicates partial obstruction of the large diameter airways. Its presence should prompt a thorough examination and workup. Steps in evaluating stridor include a careful history and physical examination and rapid assessment of the severity of the clinical situation. Infants with respiratory distress and severe stridor should be safely and urgently transported to a tertiary care center, and colleagues from the departments of otolaryngology and anesthesia-critical care should be alerted. An essential component of the physical examination is auscultation. The phase of respiration in which the stridor is heard best provides important clues to help localize its cause. Radiographs, including plain films, dynamic fluoroscopic airway films, contrast esophagography, CT, and MR imaging are useful in specific clinical situations, based on the likely differential diagnosis. The anatomic causes for stridor in infants and neonates are vast. Successful management depends on expert consultation, proper equipment, and a staff that is experienced in the management of pediatric airway problems. The trend over the past decade has been to significantly decrease morbidity and mortality and also to decrease the number of tracheotomies necessary to stabilize pediatric airways. The best treatment outcomes result when there is good cooperation and communication among pediatricians, otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, and anesthesiologists.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1295
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Role of gamma knife radiosurgery in the management of intracranial gliomas.
Gamma knife for gliomas is a relatively obscure treatment modality with few reports and small series available on the same. An extensive search of English Language literature yields no comprehensive reviews of the same. We here, attempt to review the available literature on gamma knife for all types of gliomas: Low grade, High grade, recurrent, and also for pediatric populations. We used keywords such as "Gamma Knife Glioma," "Stereotactic Radiosurgery Glioma," "Gamma Knife," "Adjuvant therapy Glioma" "Recurrent Glioma" on PubMed search engine, and articles were selected with respect to their use of gamma Knife for Gliomas and outcome for the same. These were then analyzed and salient findings were elucidated. This was combined with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for the same and also included our own initial experience with these tumors. Gamma-knife improved long term survival and quality of life in patients with low grade gliomas. In pediatric low grade gliomas, it may be considered as a treatment modality with a marginal dose of 12-14 Gy, especially in eloquent structures such as brain stem glioma, anterior optic pathway hypothalamic glioma. However, in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is not recommended because of a lack of definitive evidence in tumor control and quality of life. GKRS may find its role in palliative care of recurrent gliomas irrespective of type and grade. Inspite of growing experience with GKRS for gliomas, there is no Level I evidence in support of GKRS, hence better designed randomized controlled trials with long term outcomes are warranted. Although this modality is not a "one size fits all' therapy, it has its moments when chosen correctly and applied wisely. Gliomas being the most common tumors operated in any neurosurgical setting, knowledge about this modality and its application is essential and useful.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1296
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Detection of pancreatic cancer with two- and three-dimensional radiomic analysis in a nationwide population-based real-world dataset.
BACKGROUND
CT is the major detection tool for pancreatic cancer (PC). However, approximately 40% of PCs < 2 cm are missed on CT, underscoring a pressing need for tools to supplement radiologist interpretation.
METHODS
Contrast-enhanced CT studies of 546 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma diagnosed by histology/cytology between January 2005 and December 2019 and 733 CT studies of controls with normal pancreas obtained between the same period in a tertiary referral center were retrospectively collected for developing an automatic end-to-end computer-aided detection (CAD) tool for PC using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) radiomic analysis with machine learning. The CAD tool was tested in a nationwide dataset comprising 1,477 CT studies (671 PCs, 806 controls) obtained from institutions throughout Taiwan.
RESULTS
The CAD tool achieved 0.918 (95% CI, 0.895-0.938) sensitivity and 0.822 (95% CI, 0.794-0.848) specificity in differentiating between studies with and without PC (area under curve 0.947, 95% CI, 0.936-0.958), with 0.707 (95% CI, 0.602-0.797) sensitivity for tumors < 2 cm. The positive and negative likelihood ratios of PC were 5.17 (95% CI, 4.45-6.01) and 0.10 (95% CI, 0.08-0.13), respectively. Where high specificity is needed, using 2D and 3D analyses in series yielded 0.952 (95% CI, 0.934-0.965) specificity with a sensitivity of 0.742 (95% CI, 0.707-0.775), whereas using 2D and 3D analyses in parallel to maximize sensitivity yielded 0.915 (95% CI, 0.891-0.935) sensitivity at a specificity of 0.791 (95% CI, 0.762-0.819).
CONCLUSIONS
The high accuracy and robustness of the CAD tool supported its potential for enhancing the detection of PC.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1297
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[Long-term survival in malignant atrophic papulosis: a case report and review of the Japanese literature].
Malignant atrophic papulosis (MAP) is characterized by skin lesion and high mortality rate caused by perforation of the GI tract or involvement of the central nervous system. Approximately 100 cases have been reported in the world literatures, but etiology is unknown. A 44-year-old female patient was admitted for chest and abdominal pain with characteristic papuloses, which had been noted by the patient seven years ago. Because of positive peritoneal irritation and intraabdominal free air, exploratory laparotomy was done. Multiple red inflammatory or yellow atrophic maculae on the entire intestine with no obvious perforation but with air-leak were found. Those perforations were closed with seromuscular sutures. The patient is doing well sixteen months after surgery. Fourteen MAP cases have been reported in the Japanese literature. As is found in the world literature, the mortality rate is extremely high. All of reported cases were initially diagnosed because of the particular skin lesions. Abdominal symptoms developed in 10 cases and six of these died. Three cases died within three weeks after bowel resection. There are three surviving cases. One was treated conservatively even though intraabdominal free air was present. Two had three operations, including one simple closure and two intraabdominal explorations. According to this result, a bowel resection should not be performed on MAP patients because of this high mortality. Administration of anticoagulants, i.e., heparin, prostaglandin E1 and ticlopidine seems to be effective in alleviating symptoms and might prevent further deterioration.
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No pos
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No neg
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Retriever1298
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[Daycare centers in a medium-sized Brazilian city: operations, child-care practices, infrastructure, and safety].
Ninety-two daycare centers (23 public, 10 charitable, and 59 private) were identified in the municipality of Pelotas, RS, Southern Brazil. These centers were studied in relation to their organization, services, child-care practices, and infrastructure. All public centers worked full-time, while most private centers operated in the afternoon and received a smaller proportion of children under the age of two. The child-to-attendant ratio was similar in both types of centers, and the nurseries were the classes most frequently above the recommended maximum. Group and center sizes were larger in the public centers. Attendant schooling was higher in the private centers, but task specificity was lower. The infrastructure deficiencies most commonly observed in the public centers were lack of an internal recreational area and playground equipment. Private centers lacked adequate diapering facilities and exclusive toilets for the children. A small proportion of centers had staff trained to handle fire emergencies and administer first aid, revealing insufficient concern over safety issues.
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Retriever1299
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Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture: Cross-cultural Validation Data From Spanish Nursing Homes.
OBJECTIVES
Developing an adequate patient safety culture is a relevant objective for all health care levels. The Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture (NHSOPS) is a 12-dimension tool assessing safety culture in nursing homes (NH) for elder people. The psychometric properties of its Spanish adaptation are evaluated in this study.
METHODS
Nursing homes with 15 beds or more, located in the Basque Country (North Spain), were invited in the study. All staff types were allowed to participate. Internal consistency was tested with Cronbach's α. Convergent and divergent validity with Spearman's correlations. Two-sample t test was used for known-groups validity. The NHSOPS dimensionality was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and its stability in consecutive administrations (test-retest) was explored.
RESULTS
Five hundred fifty-three valid baseline and 83 retest replies were received. The data suggest that the NHSOPS can be represented by a 10-factor model. Two items (A6 and A10) had loadings of less than 0.12. The rest survey items obtained loadings of greater than 0.40. Estimated correlations supported the convergent and divergent validity of the survey. Managers and administrators, as well as staff considering their NH to be a safe place for residents, obtained higher NHSOPS scores, suggesting acceptable known-groups validity. On the other hand, test-retest variation was considerable.
CONCLUSIONS
The current data support a simpler model, similar to that of the Norwegian NHSOPS validation. The stability of the scale should be further assessed in a bigger sample. Test-retest reliability and developing an adequate scoring scheme are issues worth of further study.
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