Muscle-tendon unit scaling methods of Hill-type musculoskeletal models: An overview

This article gives an overview of the state of the art in scaling methods of generic Hill-type muscle model parameters in view of different applications and implementation of experimental data. This article establishes the requirements used to alter a generic model toward subject-specific musculoskeletal models. This article aims to improve model transparency by a structured description of scaling methods and the associated limitations in musculoskeletal models and highlight the importance of selecting a scaling method supporting the purpose of the model.

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DZQE activates AMPK pathway and regulates lipid metabolism in a rat model of perimenopausal hyperlipidemia

Background: Menopause is an important event in a female's life. During perimenopause, together with osteoporosis and dyslipidemia, ovary function gradually declines. Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorder, cerebrovascular disease and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. All of these contribute to impairment of liver function, particularly fatty liver disease. Since liver dysfunction is associated with ovary dysfunction and hyperlipidemia.Thus, this study aims to define a therapeutic approach to improve ovary function and attenuate lipid accumulation in order to prevent perimenopause-induced ovary dysfunction and hyperlipidemia. Methods: Four-week-old female Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with 4-VCD and fed with high fat diet (HFD) that served as the model of perimenopause complicated with hyperlipidemia. 4-VCD induced perimenopause whiles HFD caused hyperlipidemia. Five days after administration, the 4-VCD + HFD-treated rats were assessed daily for estrous cycle stage by vaginal cytology. Rats were then assigned into cohorts of groups where 2.5 g kg⁻¹, 5.0 g kg⁻¹, and 10.0 g kg⁻¹ DZQE and EV were administered intragastrically for 8 weeks. Expression levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen (E2) and testosterone (T) by ELISA served as biomarkers for perimenopause and ovary dysfunction. AMPK and ACC expression levels were determined with western blot in the liver whiles AST and ALT were analyzed by automatic biochemical analyzer to examine the liver function. Results: DZQE improved ovary function by up-regulating E2 and T levels in serum and down-regulating FSH and LH serum levels. Moreover, DZQE reduced serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) in a dose-dependent manner to regulate lipid level during perimenopause. Furthermore, DZQE increased AMPK in both transcriptional level and translational levels and decreased the expression of SREBP-1c gene as well as its downstream target genes, FAS. DZQE improves dyslipidemia during menopause and further determined its effect on liver function. Conclusion: DZQE is an effective Chinese herbal compound which improves ovary function and lipid metabolism in perimenopause complicated with hyperlipidemia at least in part through AMPK pathway.

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Extracellular K+ rapidly controls NCC phosphorylation in native DCT by Cl−-dependent and -independent mechanisms

A high dietary potassium (K⁺) intake causes a rapid dephosphorylation, and hence inactivation, of the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC) in the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Based on experiments in heterologous expression systems, it was proposed that changes in extracellular K⁺ concentration ([K⁺]_ex) modulate NCC phosphorylation via a Cl⁻ dependent modulation of the WNK-SPAK/OSR1 kinase pathway. We used the isolated perfused mouse kidney technique and ex vivo preparations of mouse kidney slices to test the physiological relevance of this model on native DCT. We demonstrate that NCC phosphorylation inversely correlates with [K⁺]_ex with the most prominent effects occurring around physiological plasma [K⁺]. Cellular Cl⁻ conductances and the kinases SPAK/OSR1 are involved in the phosphorylation of NCC under low [K⁺]_ex. However, NCC dephosphorylation triggered by high [K⁺]_ex is neither blocked by removing extracellular Cl⁻, nor by the Cl⁻ channel blocker DIDS. The response to [K⁺]_ex on low [Cl⁻]_ex is also independent from significant changes in SPAK/OSR1 phosphorylation. Thus, in the native DCT, [K⁺]_ex directly and rapidly controls NCC phosphorylation by Cl⁻ dependent and independent pathways that involve the kinases SPAK/OSR1 and yet unidentified additional signalling mechanism.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis among preschool children in 2003 and 2013 in Xinxiang city, Henan province, Central China

Authors: Shuai Wang, Zhijun Yao, Yichen Hou, Dong Wang, Haizhu Zhang, Jingbo Ma, Luwen Zhang and Shiguo Liu.<br />Parasite Vol. 23 , page 30<br />Published online: 26/07/2016<br /> Keywords: Enterobius vermicularis ; Enterobiasis ; Prevalence ; Preschool children ; Central China.<img src="http://ift.tt/2apG5rz" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Adventures in education

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Eight sages over five centuries share oxygen's discovery

During the last century, historians have discovered that between the 13th and 18th centuries, at least six sages discovered that the air we breathe contains something that we need and use. Ibn al-Nafis (1213–1288) in Cairo and Michael Servetus (1511–1553) in France accurately described the pulmonary circulation and its effect on blood color. Michael Sendivogius (1566–1636) in Poland called a part of air "the food of life" and identified it as the gas made by heating saltpetre. John Mayow (1641–1679) in Oxford found that one-fifth of air was a special gas he called "spiritus nitro aereus." Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786) in Uppsala generated a gas he named "fire air" by heating several metal calcs. He asked Lavoisier how it fit the phlogiston theory. Lavoisier never answered. In 1744, Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) in England discovered how to make part of air by heating red calc of mercury. He found it brightened a flame and supported life in a mouse in a sealed bottle. He called it "dephlogisticated air." He published and personally told Lavoisier and other chemists about it. Lavoisier never thanked him. After 9 years of generating and studying its chemistry, he couldn't understand whether it was a new element. He still named it "principe oxigene." He was still not able to disprove phlogiston. Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) made an inflammable gas in 1766. He and Priestley noted that its flame made a dew. Cavendish proved the dew was pure water and published this in 1778, but all scientists called it impossible to make water, an element. In 1783, on June 24th, Lavoisier was urged to try it, and, when water appeared, he realized that water was not an element but a compound of two gases, proving that oxygen was an element. He then demolished phlogiston and began the new chemistry revolution.

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Making physiology learning memorable: a mobile phone-assisted case-based instructional strategy

The goal of the present study was to determine whether an active learning/teaching strategy facilitated with mobile technologies can improve students' levels of memory retention of key physiological concepts. We used a quasiexperimental pretest/posttest nonequivalent group design to compare the test performances of second-year medical students (n = 311) taught by conventional didactic methods (traditional group) with those involved in a case-based problem-solving learning approach facilitated with mobile phones as web-based "clickers" (experimental group). Using their cell phones, students answered the same questions about the key physiological concepts three times. A pretest to determine their baseline knowledge was followed by two followup tests after 1 wk and 2 mo, respectively. The experimental group scored a mean of 93.2% correct items after 1 wk and 84.8% correct items after 2 mo [95% confidence intervals: (89.4, 97.0) and (79.4, 90.3), respectively]. Compared with their colleagues in the traditional group who scored 33.3% [95% confidence interval: (18.9, 47.8)] and 38.5% [95% confidence interval: (23.6, 53.4)] correct items, respectively, this was a significant increase of ~50% (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, for the experimental group, Cohen's effect size (d) values of d = 1.67 (1-wk posttest) and d = 1.38 (2-mo posttest) suggested a very high practical significance. In contrast, in the traditional group, Cohen's d values of d = 0.04 (1-wk posttest) and d = 0.15 (2-mo posttest) assumed a very low practical significance.

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Prevalence of overweight and obesity and some associated factors among adult residents of northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and determine potential influencing factors among adults in northeast China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jilin Province, northeast China, in 2012. A total of 9873 men and 10 966 women aged 18–79 years from the general population were included using a multistage stratified random cluster sampling design. Data were obtained from face-to-face interview and physical examination. After being weighted according to a complex sampling scheme, the sample was used to estimate the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) 24–27.9 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI >28 kg/m²) in Jilin Province, and analyse influencing factors through corresponding statistical methods based on complex sampling design behaviours.

Results

The overall prevalence of overweight was 32.3% (male 34.3%; female 30.2%), and the prevalence of obesity was 14.6% (male 16.3%; female 12.8%) in Jilin Province. The prevalence of both overweight and obesity were higher in men than women (p<0.001). Influencing factors included sex, age, marriage status, occupation, smoking, drinking, diet and hours of sleep (p<0.05).

Conclusions

This study estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult residents of Jilin Province, northeast China, were high. The results of this study will be submitted to the Health Department of Jilin Province and other relevant departments as a reference, which should inform policy makers in developing education and publicity to prevent and control the occurrence of overweight and obesity.

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Effectiveness and safety of treatments used for the management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Introduction

Management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants is one of the most controversial topics in neonatal medicine. The availability of different pharmacotherapeutic options often poses a practical challenge to the practising neonatologist as to which one to choose as a therapeutic option. Our objectives are to determine the relative merits of the available pharmacotherapeutic options for the management of PDA.

Methods and Analysis

We will conduct a systematic review of all randomised controlled trials evaluating the use of intravenous or oral: indomethacin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the treatment of PDA in preterm infants. The primary outcome is failure of closure of the PDA. Secondary outcomes are neonatal mortality, need for surgical closure, duration of ventilator support, chronic lung disease, intraventricular haemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, necrotising enterocolitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, time to full enteral feeds and oliguria. We will search Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) as well as grey literature resources. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts, review full texts, extract information, and assess the risk of bias (ROB) and the confidence in the estimate (with Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach). Subgroup analysis according to gestational age, birth weight, different doses of interventions, time of administration of the first dose of the intervention, and echocardiographic definition of haemodynamically significant PDA and ROB are planned. We will perform a Bayesian network meta-analysis to combine the pooled direct and indirect treatment effect estimates for each outcome, if adequate data are available.

Ethics and Dissemination

The results will help to reduce the uncertainty about the safety and effectiveness of the interventions, will identify knowledge gaps or will encourage further research for other therapeutic options. Therefore, its results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. On the basis of the nature of its design, no ethics approval is necessary for this study.

Trial registration number

CRD42015015797.

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Description of an incidence-based model for Assessing comorbidity patterns in disease natural history

Background

Patients with a chronic disease often suffer from other diseases called comorbidities, which can be important factors in the assessment of risks associated with the disease and its management. However, comorbidities can pose important methodological issues because factors such as time, age, duration and the disease can influence their impact on the risk of interest.

Methods

To identify comorbidities of a chronic disease, it is common practice to construct 2 separate cohorts of patients—a set with the disease and another as a random sample of patients free of the disease—and compare the event rates for each candidate's comorbidity over a specific period between the 2, while accounting for factors which may confound the results. We describe an incidence-based alternative approach that exploits the longitudinal properties of observational databases to track incident event rates along the natural history of the chronic disease. We illustrate it in a retrospective cohort of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aged 50 and above—each patient with COPD was matched with another without COPD on certain confounding factors.

Results

We obtained 24 079 matched pairs. We found that chronic conditions such as lung cancer, asthma, fracture and osteoporosis were more common in patients with COPD. We also found evidence of time-varying associations.

Conclusions

Our findings in COPD suggest that time is an important factor and comorbidity studies which are based on information in a single fixed period (such as first year postdiagnosis of COPD) are more likely to report spurious associations.

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Pilot study to test the feasibility of a trial design and complex intervention on PRIoritising MUltimedication in Multimorbidity in general practices (PRIMUMpilot)

Objective

To improve medication appropriateness and adherence in elderly patients with multimorbidity, we developed a complex intervention involving general practitioners (GPs) and their healthcare assistants (HCA). In accordance with the Medical Research Council guidance on developing and evaluating complex interventions, we prepared for the main study by testing the feasibility of the intervention and study design in a cluster randomised pilot study.

Setting

20 general practices in Hesse, Germany.

Participants

100 cognitively intact patients ≥65 years with ≥3 chronic conditions, ≥5 chronic prescriptions and capable of participating in telephone interviews; 94 patients completed the study.

Intervention

The HCA conducted a checklist-based interview with patients on medication-related problems and reconciled their medications. Assisted by a computerised decision-support system (CDSS), the GPs discussed medication intake with patients and adjusted their medication regimens. The control group continued with usual care.

Outcome measures

Feasibility of the intervention and required time were assessed for GPs, HCAs and patients using mixed methods (questionnaires, interviews and case vignettes after completion of the study). The feasibility of the study was assessed concerning success of achieving recruitment targets, balancing cluster sizes and minimising drop-out rates. Exploratory outcomes included the medication appropriateness index (MAI), quality of life, functional status and adherence-related measures. MAI was evaluated blinded to group assignment, and intra-rater/inter-rater reliability was assessed for a subsample of prescriptions.

Results

10 practices were randomised and analysed per group. GPs/HCAs were satisfied with the interventions despite the time required (35/45 min/patient). In case vignettes, GPs/HCAs needed help using the CDSS. The study made no patients feel uneasy. Intra-rater/inter-rater reliability for MAI was excellent. Inclusion criteria were challenging and potentially inadequate, and should therefore be adjusted. Outcome measures on pain, functionality and self-reported adherence were unfeasible due to frequent missing values, an incorrect manual or potentially invalid results.

Conclusions

Intervention and trial design were feasible. The pilot study revealed important limitations that influenced the design and conduct of the main study, thus highlighting the value of piloting complex interventions.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN99691973; Results.

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Referrals to integrative medicine in a tertiary hospital: findings from electronic health record data and qualitative interviews

Objective

To examine patterns of, and decision-making processes, informing referrals for inpatient access to integrative medicine (IM) services at a large, acute care hospital.

Design

Retrospective electronic health record review and structured qualitative interviews.

Setting

A 630-bed tertiary care hospital with an IM service available to inpatients.

Participants

IM referrals of all inpatients aged ≥18 years between July 2012 and December 2014 were identified using the hospital's electronic health record. Fifteen physicians, 15 nurses and 7 administrators were interviewed to better understand roles and perspectives in referring patients for IM services.

Results

In the study hospital, primary sources of referrals for IM services were the orthopaedic and neuroscience/spine service lines. While the largest absolute number of IM referrals was made for patients with lengths of stay of 3 days or fewer, a disproportionate number of total IM referrals was made for patients with long lengths of stay (≥10 days), compared with a smaller percentage of patients in the hospital with lengths of stay ≥10 days. Physicians and nurses were more likely to refer patients who displayed strong symptoms (eg, pain and anxiety) and/or did not respond to conventional therapies. IM referrals were predominantly nurse-initiated. A built-in delay in the time from referral initiation to service delivery discouraged referrals of some patients.

Conclusions

Conventional providers refer patients for IM services when these services are available in a tertiary hospital. Referral patterns are influenced by patient characteristics, operational features and provider perspectives. Nurses play a key role in the referral process. Overcoming cultural and knowledge differences between conventional and IM providers is likely to be a continuing challenge to providing IM in inpatient settings.

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Catastrophic health expenditure according to employment status in South Korea: a population-based panel study

Objectives

Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) means that the medical spending of a household exceeds a certain level of capacity to pay. Previous studies of CHE have focused on benefits supported by the public sector or high medical cost incurred by treating diseases in South Korea. This study examines variance of CHE in these households according to changes in employment status. We also determine whether a relationship exists according to income level.

Design

A longitudinal study.

Setting

We used the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) conducted by the Korea Institute.

Participants

The data came from 5335 households during 2009–2012.

Outcome measure

CHE, defined as health expenditures that were 40% greater than the ability of the household to pay.

Results

Households with people who experienced changes in job status from employed to unemployed (OR 2.79, 95% CI 2.06 to 3.78) or were unemployed with no status change (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.92) were more likely to incur CHE than those containing people who were consistently employed. In addition, low-income families with members who had either lost a job (OR 3.52, 95% CI 2.44 to 5.10) or were already unemployed (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.16) were more likely to incur CHE than those with family members with a consistent job.

Conclusions

Given the insecure employment status of people with low income, they are more likely to face barriers in obtaining needed health services. Meeting their healthcare needs is an important consideration.

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Impact of physical function impairment and multimorbidity on mortality among community-living older persons with sarcopaenia: results from the ilSIRENTE prospective cohort study

Objective

Sarcopaenia and physical function impairment may have a greater effect on survival than other clinical characteristics, including multimorbidity. In this study, we evaluated the impact of sarcopaenia on all-cause mortality and the interaction among muscle loss, physical function impairment and multimorbidity on mortality risk over 10 years in older community-dwellers.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Population-based study.

Participants

All persons aged 80+ years living in the community in the Sirente geographic area (L'Aquila, Italy) (n=364). Participants were categorised in the sarcopaenic or non-sarcopaenic group based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

(1) All-cause mortality over 10 years according to the presence of sarcopaenia and (2) impact of physical function impairment, assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and multimorbidity on 10-year mortality risk in persons with sarcopaenia.

Results

Sarcopaenia was identified in 103 participants (29.1%). A total of 253 deaths were recorded over 10 years: 90 among sarcopaenic participants (87.4%) and 162 among non-sarcopaenic persons (65.1%; p<0.001). Participants with sarcopaenia had a higher risk of death than those without sarcopaenia (HR=2.15; 95% CI 1.02 to 4.54). When examining the effect of sarcopaenia and physical function impairment on mortality, participants with low physical performance levels showed greater mortality. Conversely, the mortality risk was unaffected by multimorbidity.

Conclusions

Our findings show that physical function impairment, but not multimorbidity, is predictive of mortality in older community-dwellers with sarcopaenia. Hence, in sarcopaenic older persons, interventions against functional decline may be more effective at preventing or postponing negative health outcomes than those targeting multimorbidity.

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An investigation of routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 international jurisdictions, as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: survey development and implementation

Objectives

This paper describes the methods used in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 4 Survey (ICBPM4) which examines time intervals and routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 jurisdictions. We present the study design with defining and measuring time intervals, identifying patients with cancer, questionnaire development, data management and analyses.

Design and setting

Recruitment of participants to the ICBPM4 survey is based on cancer registries in each jurisdiction. Questionnaires draw on previous instruments and have been through a process of cognitive testing and piloting in three jurisdictions followed by standardised translation and adaptation. Data analysis focuses on comparing differences in time intervals and routes to diagnosis in the jurisdictions.

Participants

Our target is 200 patients with symptomatic breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer in each jurisdiction. Patients are approached directly or via their primary care physician (PCP). Patients' PCPs and cancer treatment specialists (CTSs) are surveyed, and 'data rules' are applied to combine and reconcile conflicting information. Where CTS information is unavailable, audit information is sought from treatment records and databases.

Main outcomes

Reliability testing of the patient questionnaire showed that agreement was complete (=1) in four items and substantial (=0.8, 95% CI 0.333 to 1) in one item. The identification of eligible patients is sufficient to meet the targets for breast, lung and colorectal cancer. Initial patient and PCP survey response rates from the UK and Sweden are comparable with similar published surveys. Data collection was completed in early 2016 for all cancer types.

Conclusion

An international questionnaire-based survey of patients with cancer, PCPs and CTSs has been developed and launched in 10 jurisdictions. ICBPM4 will help to further understand international differences in cancer survival by comparing time intervals and routes to cancer diagnosis.

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Examination of patient flow in a rural health center in Malawi

Malawi, like many low-income countries, is facing a severe health worker shortage. A potential stop-gap solution to this crisis is improving the efficiency of health center operations. Given the lack of resear...

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Modulation of endoglin expression in islets of langerhans by VEGF reveals a novel regulator of islet endothelial cell function

Endoglin/CD105 is an auxiliary receptor for transforming growth factor-β with established roles in vascular remodelling. It has recently been shown that heterozygous endoglin deficiency in mice decreases insul...

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Gracilis Muscle Anatomy - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil Ebraheim

Educational video describing the anatomy of the Gracilis muscle.

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High-Speed Microdialysis–Capillary Electrophoresis Assays for Measuring Branched Chain Amino Acid Uptake in 3T3-L1 cells

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01846

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Nanoporous Membranes for Microfluidic Concentration Prior to Electrophoretic Separation of Proteins in Urine

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b02096

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Editorial Board

Publication date: August 2016
Source:Journal of Human Evolution, Volume 97





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Trial outcomes and information for clinical decision-making: a comparative study of opinions of health professionals

Trials are robust sources of data for clinical practice; however, trial outcomes may not reflect what is important to communicate for decision-making. The study compared clinicians' views of outcomes to includ...

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The combination effects of body acupuncture and auricular acupressure compared to sham acupuncture for body weight control: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent chronic condition that is associated with serious morbidity and mortality. Excess body weight is a risk factor contributing to diseases such as hypertension, heart disease,...

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Subcutaneous immunoglobulin for maintenance treatment in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (The PATH Study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Subcutaneous administration of Ig (SCIg) has gained popularity as an alternative route of administration but has never been rigorously examined in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

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Aspergillus fumigatus spore proteomics and genetics reveal that VeA represses DefA-mediated DNA damage response

Publication date: Available online 25 July 2016
Source:Journal of Proteomics
Author(s): Kwang-Soo Shin, Hee-Soo Park, Young Kim, In-Beom Heo, Young Hwan Kim, Jae-Hyuk Yu
Aspergillus fumigatus reproduces and infects host by forming a high number of small asexual spores (conidia). The velvet proteins are global transcriptional regulators governing the complex process of conidiogenesis in this fungus. Here, to further understand the velvet-mediated regulation, we carried out comparative proteomic analyses of conidia of wild type (WT) and three velvet mutants (ΔveA, ΔvelB and ΔvosA). Cluster analysis of 184 protein spots showing at least 1.5-fold differential accumulation between WT and mutants reveal the clustering of WT- ΔveA and ΔvelB-ΔvosA. Among 43 proteins identified by Nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS, 23 including several heat shock proteins showed more than two-fold reduction in both the ∆velB and ∆vosA conidia. On the contrary, three proteins exhibited more than five-fold increase in ∆veA only, including the putative RNA polymerase II degradation factor DefA. The deletion of defA resulted in a reduced number of conidia and restricted colony growth. In addition, the defA deletion mutant conidia showed hypersensitivity against the DNA damaging agents NQO and MMS, while the ΔveA mutant conidia were more resistant against to NQO. Taken together, we propose that VeA controls protein level of DefA in conidia, which are dormant and equipped with multiple layers of protection against environmental cues.

Graphical abstract

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Frontal-posterior coherence and cognitive function in older adults

Publication date: Available online 25 July 2016
Source:International Journal of Psychophysiology
Author(s): Jessica I. Fleck, Julia Kuti, Jessica Brown, Jessica R. Mahon, Christine Gayda-Chelder
The reliable measurement of brain health and cognitive function is essential in mitigating the negative effects associated with cognitive decline through early and accurate diagnosis of change. The present research explored the relationship between EEG coherence for electrodes within frontal and posterior regions, as well as coherence between frontal and posterior electrodes and performance on standard neuropsychological measures of memory and executive function. EEG coherence for eyes-closed resting-state EEG activity was calculated for delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands. Participants (N=66; mean age=67.15years) had their resting-state EEGs recorded and completed a neuropsychological battery that assessed memory and executive function, two cognitive domains that are significantly affected during aging. A positive relationship was observed between coherence within the frontal region and performance on measures of memory and executive function for delta and beta frequency bands. In addition, an inverse relationship was observed for coherence between frontal and posterior electrode pairs, particularly within the theta frequency band, and performance on Digit Span Sequencing, a measure of working memory. The present research supports a more substantial link between EEG coherence, rather than spectral power, and cognitive function. Continued study in this area may enable EEG to be applied broadly as a diagnostic measure of cognitive ability.



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Editorial Board

Publication date: 20 July 2016
Source:Journal of Proteomics, Volume 144





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Identification of plum and peach seed proteins by nLC-MS/MS via combinatorial peptide ligand libraries

Publication date: Available online 25 July 2016
Source:Journal of Proteomics
Author(s): Estefanía González-García, María Luisa Marina, María Concepción García, Pier Giorgio Righetti, Elisa Fasoli
Plum (Prunus domestica L.) and peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) seed proteins are a source of bioactive peptides. These seeds, though, are usual residues produced during canning and beverage preparation that, in most cases, are irreversibly lost. The recovery and identification of these proteins might be of importance in human nutrition. This work employs the combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (CPLLs) technology as a tool to reduce the proteins dynamic concentration range. The most suitable extraction and CPLL capture conditions have been obtained and applied for the comprehensive identification of seed proteins. The analysis of recovered species by nLC-MS/MS has allowed the identification of 141 and 97 unique gene products from plum and peach seeds, respectively. It was possible to identify 16 proteins belonging to the Prunus genus. Moreover, a high number of histones and seed storage proteins were identified. Additionally, 21 and 14 bioactive peptides previously identified were found within protein sequences in plum and peach seeds, respectively.SignificancePlums and peaches seeds are cheap sources of proteins that are irretrievably lost after canning and beverage production. Although this kind of residues have been used in animal feed or production of biofuel, they are usually incinerated or sent to landfills, wasting their huge potential. In order to exploit this potential, it is important to comprehensively study proteins present in plum and peach seeds. Nevertheless, since proteomics analysis is in most cases handicapped by the presence of high-abundance proteins masking the detection of the low-abundance ones, it is important to overcome this challenge. In this sense, combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (CPLLs) have been used in this work to reduce the dynamic protein concentration range to enable the identification of a higher amount of proteins than employing conventional methods. In this work, the better extracting conditions have been optimized and up to 141 and 97 unique gene products from plum and peach seeds have been found, respectively. Moreover, 21 and 14 peptides previously identified as bioactive peptides were ascertained within protein sequences in plum and peach seeds, respectively. For that reason, this research takes the first step in the recovery of these valuable proteins and in the extraction of bioactive peptides, which could be successfully adopted in human nutrition.

Graphical abstract

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Medical Improv: A Novel Approach to Teaching Communication and Professionalism Skills

Effective communication in clinical care requires more than just understanding words. In this essay, the authors describe the potential of "medical improv" to help teach us to listen and communicate better.

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Predicting the Prognosis of Acute Pancreatitis

In this issue, Lau and colleagues report a systematic review revealing that prognostic scoring systems for acute pancreatitis are of limited accuracy and value in predicting mortality. The editorialists discuss how simpler measures, such as hematocrit or blood urea nitrogen level, are as predictive as more complex scoring systems. They call for future research to determine better methods for identifying high-risk patients soon after or before they develop pancreatic injury, as well as therapies to mitigate disease severity.

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Prediction Models of Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis in Adults A Systematic Review

Background:

Acute pancreatitis (AP) varies in severity, prompting development of systems aimed at predicting prognosis to help guide therapy. Although several prediction approaches are available, their test characteristics and clinical utility are not completely understood.

Purpose:

To evaluate the test characteristics (prognostic accuracy, incremental predictive value) and clinical utility (effect on patient outcomes) of severity scores for predicting mortality in AP.

Data Sources:

Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE (inception to 3 May 2016).

Study Selection:

Longitudinal studies, in any language, that evaluated the prognostic value of at least 1 clinical severity score in AP.

Data Extraction:

Dual data extraction and quality assessment.

Data Synthesis:

Of 4039 citations screened, 94 unique studies evaluating 18 scores in 53 547 patients met the inclusion criteria. All studies provided data on prognostic accuracy, whereas 6 provided data on incremental predictive values. Most scores demonstrated low prognostic accuracy. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and the Ranson criteria were studied most extensively. The median sensitivity and specificity of APACHE II at a threshold of 7 were 100% (range, 68% to 100%) and 63% (range, 21% to 96%), respectively, and those of the Ranson criteria at a threshold of 2 were 90% (range, 0% to 100%) and 67% (range, 14% to 97%), respectively. Estimates of sensitivity were based on relatively few patients. Evidence was limited regarding the incremental predictive value of the scoring systems or their effect on patient outcomes.

Limitation:

Substantial clinical heterogeneity and inadequate methodological and reporting quality precluded a meta-analysis.

Conclusion:

The test characteristics and clinical utility of AP severity scores remain uncertain. Additional studies with improved methodological rigor are needed, and the development of new scoring systems may be justified.

Primary Funding Source:

Global Scholarship Programme for Research Excellence for 2014 to 2015, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

http://ift.tt/2a943Da

Low Risk for International Zika Virus Spread due to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil

Concerns have been raised over possible expansion of the Zika virus epidemic by infected travelers returning from the Brazil Olympic games. A modeling study was performed to assess this risk.

http://ift.tt/2aoIoep

Public Opinion Regarding Whether Speaking With Patients About Firearms Is Appropriate Results of a National Survey

Background:

Health care providers have been encouraged to discuss firearms with patients; whether patients view these discussions as appropriate is unclear.

Objective:

To estimate, in a national sample, the perceived appropriateness of provider discussions about firearms.

Design:

Probability-based online survey conducted in April 2015. Analyses used survey weights to generate nationally representative estimates.

Setting:

U.S. adults.

Participants:

3914 English-speaking adults (55% participation rate).

Measurements:

Participants were asked, "In general, would you think it is never, sometimes, usually, or always appropriate for physicians and other health professionals to talk to their patients about firearms?"

Results:

A majority (66% [95% CI, 63% to 69%]) of participants said that it is at least sometimes appropriate for providers to talk to patients about firearms. Specifically, 23% (CI, 20% to 25%) said that provider discussions about firearms were always appropriate, 14% (CI, 11% to 16%) said that they were usually appropriate, and 30% (CI, 27% to 33%) thought they were sometimes appropriate; 34% (CI, 31% to 37%) felt that such discussions were never appropriate. Views varied by firearm ownership: 54% (CI, 52% to 57%) of gun owners said that provider discussions are at least sometimes appropriate, compared with 67% (CI, 62% to 71%) of nonowners living with an owner and 70% (CI, 66% to 74%) of nonowners not living with an owner. Firearm owners who were more likely to think that firearm discussions are at least sometimes appropriate included those with children at home (62% [CI, 57% to 67%]), those who thought that having a gun at home increases suicide risk (75% [CI, 67% to 83%), and those who thought that provider discussions of seat belts are at least sometimes appropriate (73% [CI, 70% to 75%]).

Limitations:

The provider discussion question did not specify clinical context.

Conclusion:

Two thirds of non–firearm owners and over one half of firearm owners in the United States believe that health care provider discussions about firearms are at least sometimes appropriate. The observed heterogeneity underscores the need to better understand assumptions that may underlie these views, particularly among firearm owners.

Primary Funding Source:

Fund for a Safer Future and Joyce Foundation.

http://ift.tt/2aa1y6R

Mitigating Prenatal Zika Virus Infection in the Americas

Background:

Because of the risk for Zika virus infection in the Americas and the links between infection and microcephaly, other serious neurologic conditions, and fetal death, health ministries across the region have advised women to delay pregnancy. However, the effectiveness of this policy in reducing prenatal Zika virus infection has yet to be quantified.

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of pregnancy-delay policies on the incidence and prevalence of prenatal Zika virus infection.

Design:

Vector-borne Zika virus transmission model fitted to epidemiologic data from 2015 to 2016 on Zika virus infection in Colombia.

Setting:

Colombia, August 2015 to July 2017.

Patients:

Population of Colombia, stratified by sex, age, and pregnancy status.

Intervention:

Recommendations to delay pregnancy by 3, 6, 9, 12, or 24 months, at different levels of adherence.

Measurements:

Weekly and cumulative incidence of prenatal infections and microcephaly cases.

Results:

With 50% adherence to recommendations to delay pregnancy by 9 to 24 months, the cumulative incidence of prenatal Zika virus infections is likely to decrease by 17% to 44%, whereas recommendations to delay pregnancy by 6 or fewer months are likely to increase prenatal infections by 2% to 7%. This paradoxical exacerbation of prenatal Zika virus exposure is due to an elevated risk for pregnancies to shift toward the peak of the outbreak.

Limitation:

Sexual transmission was not explicitly accounted for in the model because of limited data but was implicitly subsumed within the overall transmission rate, which was calibrated to observed incidence.

Conclusion:

Pregnancy delays can have a substantial effect on reducing cases of microcephaly but risks exacerbating the Zika virus outbreak if the duration is not sufficient. Duration of the delay, population adherence, and the timing of initiation of the intervention must be carefully considered.

Primary Funding Source:

National Institutes of Health.

http://ift.tt/2a8YV1T

A comparison of the clinical effect of two fixation methods on Hoffa fractures

Hoffa fractures are rare and difficult to treat for orthopaedic surgeons. The mechanism of injury of Hoffa fracture is still unknown and the operation approch and fixation method are still controversial. The a...

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A retrospective evaluation of preoperative anemia in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive urothelial urinary bladder cancer, with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can be associated with anemia, which can lead to more perioperative blood transfusions (PBT). Usage of PBT is associated with worse oncological outcomes. We evaluated the prevale...

http://ift.tt/2aoNIym

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance evaluation of left ventricular peak filling rate using steady-state free precession and phase contrast sequences

We investigated a practical method to measure peak filling rate (PFR) as an indicator of diastolic function of the left ventricle. Ten adult volunteers underwent cine MR imaging using steady-state free precess...

http://ift.tt/2abSPi1

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Numbers of clinical and experimental investigations have provided increasing evidences to demonstrate that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is a qualified predictor for many cancers. However, no consensus has bee...

http://ift.tt/2aoNUh5

Anti-lipoapoptotic effects of Alisma orientalis extract on non-esterified fatty acid-induced HepG2 cells

Liver steatosis was caused by lipid accumulation in the liver. Alisma orientale (AO) is recognized as a promising candidate with therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)....

http://ift.tt/2aszmyi

The Effect of Traditional Chinese Formula Danchaiheji on the Differentiation of Regulatory Dendritic Cells

Recently, regulatory dendritic cells (DCregs), a newly described dendritic cell subset with potent immunomodulatory function, have attracted increased attention for their utility in treating immune response-related diseases, such as graft-versus-host disease, hypersensitivity, and autoimmune diseases. Danchaiheji (DCHJ) is a traditional Chinese formula that has been used for many years in the clinic. However, whether DCHJ can program dendritic cells towards a regulatory phenotype and the underlying mechanism behind this process remain unknown. Herein, we investigate the effects of traditional Chinese DCHJ on DCregs differentiation and a mouse model of skin transplantation. The current study demonstrates that DCHJ can induce dendritic cells to differentiate into DCregs, which are represented by high CD11b and low CD86 and HLA-DR expression as well as the secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β. In addition, DCHJ inhibited DC migration and T cell proliferation, which correlated with increased IDO expression. Furthermore, DCHJ significantly prolonged skin graft survival time in a mouse model of skin transplantation without any liver or kidney toxicity. The traditional Chinese formula DCHJ has the potential to be a potent immunosuppressive agent with high efficiency and nontoxicity.

http://ift.tt/2abf5su

Comparison of Postoperative Events between Spinal Anesthesia and General Anesthesia in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually carried out under general anesthesia. There were a few studies which have found spinal anesthesia as a safe alternative. We aimed to evaluate the postoperative events between spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library (from inception to January 2016) for eligible studies. The primary outcome was the visual analogue scale score. Secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea and vomiting and urine retention 24 hours postoperatively. We calculated pooled risk ratios and 95% confidence interval using random- or fixed-effects models. Results. Eight trials involving 723 patients were listed. Meta-analysis showed that patients in spinal anesthesia groups have lower visual analogue scale score 24 hours postoperatively. There were significant decreases in the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in spinal anesthesia group when compared with general anesthesia group (odds ratios: 0.38, 95% confidence interval: 0.19–0.76; ) with heterogeneity accepted (; ), while urine retention rate was increased in patients with spinal anesthesia (odds ratios: 4.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.24–19.71; ) without any heterogeneity (; ). Conclusions. Spinal anesthesia may be associated with less postoperative pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with general anesthesia.

http://ift.tt/2aocwqk

Development of a Multicellular Three-dimensional Organotypic Model of the Human Intestinal Mucosa Grown Under Microgravity

Cells growing in a three-dimensional (3-D) environment represent a marked improvement over cell cultivation in 2-D environments (e.g., flasks or dishes). Here we describe the development of a multicellular 3-D organotypic model of the human intestinal mucosa cultured under microgravity provided by rotating-wall-vessel (RWV) bioreactors.

http://ift.tt/2asbJ91

Comparing plasma, serum and whole blood indium concentrations from workers at an indium-tin oxide (ITO) production facility

Objective

Occupational exposure to indium compounds including indium-tin oxide (ITO) can result in potentially fatal indium lung disease. We compared plasma, serum and whole blood indium concentrations (In_P, In_S and In_B) from workers at a single ITO production facility to assess the comparability of these matrices used for biological monitoring of indium exposure.

Method

In_P, In_S and In_B were measured using inductively coupled mass spectrometry from consenting workers at an ITO production facility with specimen collection occurring during June–July 2014. Matched pairs from workers were assessed to determine the matrix relationships using the Pearson correlation, paired t-tests, per cent difference, linear regression and statistics.

Results

Indium matrices were collected from 80 workers. Mean (SD) In_P, In_S and In_B were 3.48 (3.84), 3.90 (4.15) and 4.66 (5.32) mcg/L, respectively. The In_S–In_P difference was 14%; In_S was higher in all but two workers. In_P and In_S were highly correlated (r=>0.99). The In_B–In_S difference was 19%; In_B was higher in 85% of workers. The In_B–In_P difference was 34%; In_B was higher in 66% of workers. In_B was highly correlated with both In_P and In_S (r=0.97 and 0.96, respectively). Statistics were 0.84, 0.83 and 0.82 for In_P, In_S and In_B, respectively, for individuals with each matrix ≥1 mcg/L (p<0.01).

Conclusions

While all matrices were highly correlated, we encourage the use of In_P and In_S to reliably compare studies across different populations using different matrices. The higher per cent difference and increased variability of In_B may limit its utility in comparisons with In_P and In_S in different populations.

http://ift.tt/2asblaN

Cognitive function and pre-retirement psychosocial work characteristics

Given the centrality of work and employment for material and psychosocial well-being in adult life it is not surprising to learn that adverse working conditions can contribute to significant reductions in health and well-being. However, what is striking is the broad range of health outcomes affected by poor quality of work and employment. In addition to self-reported health and a variety of symptoms, this range includes distinct stress-related physical and mental disorders and, as more recently disclosed, cognitive impairment and risk of dementia. Although the paper of Sabbath et al1 published in this issue is not the first to demonstrate such an association it extends the current state of knowledge in three important ways.

First, by building on one of the leading theoretical models of psychosocial stress at work, demand-control, it links data on the model's single components and its different constellations, as assessed in late midlife, to postretirement...

http://ift.tt/2a4S1ww

Mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of male paid Australian firefighters

Objectives

To investigate mortality and cancer incidence of paid male Australian firefighters and of subgroups of firefighters by era of first employment, duration of employment and number and type of incidents attended.

Methods

Participating fire agencies supplied records of individual firefighters including their job histories and incidents attended. The cohort was linked to the Australian National Death Index and Australian Cancer Database. SMRs and SIRs were calculated. Firefighters were grouped into tertiles by duration of employment and by number of incidents attended and relative mortality ratios and relative incidence ratios calculated. Analyses were carried out separately for full-time and part-time male firefighters.

Results

Compared to the Australian population, there were significant increases in overall risk of cancer, for all paid firefighters SIR 1.09 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.14), in prostate cancer, full-time firefighters 1.23 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.37), part-time 1.51 (1.28 to 1.77), and melanoma full-time 1.45 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.66), part-time firefighters 1.43 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.76). Kidney cancer was associated with longer service in internal analyses for paid firefighters. Prostate cancer was associated with longer service and increased attendance at fires, particularly structural fires for full-time firefighters.The overall risk of mortality was significantly decreased and almost all major causes of death were significantly reduced for paid firefighters.

Conclusions

Male paid firefighters have an increased risk of cancer. They have reduced mortality compared with the general population, which is likely to be a result of a strong healthy worker effect and likely lower smoking rates among firefighters compared with the Australian population.

http://ift.tt/2asbsTu

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on Liquid Interfacial Nanoparticle Arrays for Multiplex Detecting Drugs in Urine

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01884

http://ift.tt/29VgSWl

Suprachoroidal haemorrhage following intravitreal injection

Introduction

Suprachoroidal haemorrhage (SCH) describes bleeding into the suprachoroidal space, a potential space between the choroid and the sclera of the eye. Although rare and estimated to occur in 0.2%–0.9% of cataract surgery cases,1 it can result in loss of vision.

We describe a case of SCH following an intravitreal injection (IVI).

Case report

An 80-year-old man presented with a 1-day history of pain and loss of vision in his left eye following an IVI for macular degeneration. He had previously undergone retinal detachment surgery in the same eye with a vitrectomy.

Examination revealed 360° SCH (figure 1) associated with a low intraocular pressure (IOP). An ocular ultrasound scan (B-scan) performed at presentation demonstrated the suprachoroidal space as hyperechoic, which was consistent with SCH. Review, over 3 weeks, demonstrated partial, spontaneous resolution of the SCH (figure 2), an increase in the IOP and subsidence of pain. Of note,...

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Variation in blood pressure among adolescent schoolchildren in an urban slum of Kolkata, West Bengal

Background

High blood pressure in childhood is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The roots of essential hypertension in adults may be initiated in childhood. This study was conducted to investigate blood pressure profiles of adolescent schoolchildren in the practice field area of the Urban Health Centre, Chetla, Kolkata.

Objectives

This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of hypertension in adolescent schoolchildren, to compare the blood pressure between boys and girls, and to study the association between selected variables and blood pressure.

Materials and methods

The study was conducted among adolescent schoolchildren aged 10–19 years in two randomly selected secondary schools situated in the practice field area of the Urban Health Centre, Chetla, Kolkata. All students aged 10–19 years present on the day of the visit were included in the study; the sample was 129. A predesigned questionnaire was used to carry out the study. Measurements of height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were made using standardised physical instruments following standard operative guidelines. The data were collected and analysed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results

The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 10.1% (11.1% in boys and 8.8% in girls). The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 20.2% (16.7% in boys and 24.6% in girls). Hypertension was found to be significantly associated with physical exercise (p<0.05) and salt intake (p<0.05); BMI was also significantly associated with both systolic blood pressure (p<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05). There was a significant (p<0.05) positive correlation of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure with BMI (r=0.303, p<0.05; r=0.262, p<0.05), age (r=0.326, p<0.05; r=0.267, p<0.05) and height (r=0.322, p<0.05; r=0.174, p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between hypertension and physical exercise (r=–0.313, p<0.05) and a positive correlation between hypertension and salt intake (r=0.298, p<0.05).

Conclusions

The prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension together in adolescents was 30.3%. To avoid the consequences and sequelae of hypertension, prevention should start from childhood by encouraging physical exercise, promoting low salt intake, advising on maintaining normal body weight, and checking up on blood pressure at regular intervals.

http://ift.tt/29VhknC

Evaluation of MTBDRplus and MTBDRsl in Detecting Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in a Chinese Population

Background. This study aims to evaluate GenoType MTBDRplus and GenoType MTBDRsl for their ability to detect drug-resistant tuberculosis in a Chinese population. Methods. We collected 112 Mycobacteria tuberculosis strains from Jiangsu province, China. The conventional DST and line probe assay were used to detect drug resistance to rifampicin (RFP), isoniazid (INH), ofloxacin (OFX), kanamycin (Km), and ethambutol (EMB). Results. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 50% for RFP and 86.11% and 47.06% for INH, respectively. The most common mutations observed in MTBDRplus were rpoBWT8 omission + MUT3 presence, katGWT omission + MUT1 presence, and inhAWT1 omission + MUT1 presence. For drug resistance to OFX, Km, and EMB, the sensitivity of MTBDRsl was 94.74%, 62.50%, and 58.82%, respectively, while the specificity was 92.59%, 98.81%, and 91.67%, respectively. The most common mutations were gyrAWT3 omission + MUT3C presence, rrsMUT1 presence, embBWT omission + MUT1B presence, and embBWT omission + MUT1A presence. Sequencing analysis found several uncommon mutations. Conclusion. In combination with DST, application of the GenoType MTBDRplus and GenoType MTBDRsl assays might be a useful additional tool to allow for the rapid and safe diagnosis of drug resistance to RFP and OFX.

http://ift.tt/2a6a4qu

Phosphorylated and Nonphosphorylated PfMAP2 Are Localized in the Nucleus, Dependent on the Stage of Plasmodium falciparum Asexual Maturation

Plasmodium falciparum mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, a family of enzymes central to signal transduction processes including inflammatory responses, are a promising target for antimalarial drug development. Our study shows for the first time that the P. falciparum specific MAP kinase 2 (PfMAP2) is colocalized in the nucleus of all of the asexual erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum and is particularly elevated in its phosphorylated form. It was also discovered that PfMAP2 is expressed in its highest quantity during the early trophozoite (ring form) stage and significantly reduced in the mature trophozoite and schizont stages. Although the phosphorylated form of the kinase is always more prevalent, its ratio relative to the nonphosphorylated form remained constant irrespective of the parasites' developmental stage. We have also shown that the TSH motif specifically renders PfMAP2 genetically divergent from the other plasmodial MAP kinase activation sites using Neighbour Joining analysis. Furthermore, TSH motif-specific designed antibody is crucial in determining the location of the expression of the PfMAP2 protein. However, by using immunoelectron microscopy, PPfMAP2 were detected ubiquitously in the parasitized erythrocytes. In summary, PfMAP2 may play a far more important role than previously thought and is a worthy candidate for research as an antimalarial.

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Συστηματικές θεραπείες για τη διαπυητική ιδρωταδενίτιδα.Η νόσος συχνά μπορεί να είναι ανθεκτική σε πολλαπλές φαρμακευτικές και χειρουργικές θεραπείες και πάντα υπάρχει η πιθανότητα υποτροπής. Στο συγκεκριμέ- νο άρθρο, παρουσιάζουμε μια ανασκόπηση των συστηματικών φαρμακευτικών θεραπειών για τη ΔΙ, όπως τα αντιβιοτικά, τα ρετινοειδή, η ορμονική θεραπεία, η δαψόνη, η κολχικίνη, ο ψευδάργυρος και οι βιολογικοί παράγοντες. : Α΄ Παν/κή Δερματολογική Κλινική, Νοσοκομείο Αφροδισίων και Δερματικών Νόσων “Α. Συγγρός”

Συστηματικές θεραπείες για τη διαπυητική ιδρωταδενίτιδα.pdf Α΄ Παν/κή Δερματολογική Κλινική, Νοσοκομείο Αφροδισίων και Δερματικών Νόσων “Α. Συγγρός”

UVM clinical trials lead to first FDA approved cholera vaccine in U.S.

University of Vermont Health & Medicine News

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Preoperative FOLFIRINOX for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer: Is radiation necessary in the modern era of chemotherapy?

Journal of Surgical Oncology

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The current status of emergent laparoscopic colectomy: A population-based study of clinical and financial outcomes

Surgical Endoscopy

http://ift.tt/2a88Vvq

Long-term follow-up results of endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease with the MUSE endoscopic stapling device

Surgical Endoscopy

http://ift.tt/2a7ccIl

Routine extra-hepatic bile duct resection in gallbladder cancer patients without bile duct infiltration: A systematic review

The Surgeon

http://ift.tt/2a886mx

Hepatic encephalopathy in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: Description, prevalence and risk factors

Digestive and Liver Diseases

http://ift.tt/2a7bESI

Adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage colon cancer may improve survival

University of Illinois at Chicago Health News

http://ift.tt/2a88wcC

Changes in metabolic hormones after bariatric surgery and their predictive impact on weight loss

Clinical Endocrinology

http://ift.tt/2a7cFKr

CNIO researchers describe inflammatory mechanisms linked to liver cancer

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas News

http://ift.tt/2a88MbH

Item Reduction, Scoring, and First Validation of the ACCEPTance by the Patients of their Treatment (ACCEPT©) Questionnaire

Abstract

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to finalize, develop the scoring, and explore the psychometric properties of the ACCEPTance by the Patients of their Treatment (ACCEPT©) questionnaire, as well as to provide the first elements for its interpretation and guidance for its future use.

Methods

ACCEPT© was finalized according to reference methods including testing in a pilot study, i.e., a multi-center, observational, longitudinal study conducted in France, in collaboration with a network of pharmacists. Principal component analysis using Varimax rotation was performed. The loadings of items on components in the principal component analysis were used to inform item selection. Validity of the measurement model of ACCEPT© was confirmed using Multi-trait/Multi-item Analysis based on item-scale Spearman correlations. Internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by determining the Cronbach's α coefficient. Linear and logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of general acceptance, and to study predictors of persistence.

Results

A total of 189 patients were included. The final version of ACCEPT© is composed of 25 items, distributed in seven dimensions providing a comprehensive appraisal of acceptance of long-term medication, with six scores measuring acceptance of treatment specific attributes and one score measuring general treatment acceptance. The measurement properties of ACCEPT© were overall fairly satisfactory. Regressions showed that Acceptance/Effectiveness is a predictor of general acceptance. However, no predictor of persistence could be identified.

Conclusion

The self-administered ACCEPT© questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of patients' acceptance of long-term medication. Disease-specific and large prospective studies are needed to assess the ability of ACCEPT© to predict persistence with treatment.

http://ift.tt/2a7c2AC

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Depressive-Like Symptoms and Modulates BDNF Signaling in 6-Hydroxydopamine Rats

Previous studies have identified the beneficial effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on motor behaviors in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the role and potential mechanisms of EA in PD-associated depression remain unclear. In the present study, a rat model of PD with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions in the medial forebrain bundle was treated using EA for 4 weeks. We found that 100 Hz EA improved several motor phenotypes. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemical analysis showed that EA had a minimal impact on the TH-positive profiles of the ipsilateral ventral tegmental area. Compared with the 6-OHDA group, long-term EA stimulation significantly increased sucrose solution consumption and decreased immobility time in the forced swim test. EA treatment did not alter dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels in the striatum and hippocampus. Noticeably, EA treatment reversed the 6-OHDA-induced abnormal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) in the midbrain and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that EA at 100-Hz possesses the ability to improve depressive-like symptoms in PD rats, which is, at least in part, due to the distinct effect of EA on the mesostriatal and mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathways. Moreover, BDNF seems to participate in the effect of EA in PD.

http://ift.tt/2a7ZnRk

Regulation of Neurospora Catalase-3 by global heterochromatin formation and its proximal heterochromatin region

Publication date: Available online 22 July 2016
Source:Free Radical Biology and Medicine
Author(s): Yajun Wang, Qing Dong, Zhaolan Ding, Kexin Gai, Xiaoyun Han, Farah Naz Kaleri, Qun He, Ying Wang
Catalase-3 (CAT-3) constitutes the main catalase activity in growing hyphae of Neurospora crassa, and its activity increases during exponential growth or is induced under different stress conditions. Although extensive progress has been made to identify catalase regulators, the regulation mechanism of CAT-3 at the chromatin level still remains unclear. Here, we aim at investigating the molecular regulation mechanisms of cat-3 at the chromatin level. We found that CAT-3 protein levels increased in mutants defective in proper global heterochromatin formation. Bioinformatics analysis identified a 5-kb AT-rich sequence adjacent to the cat-3 promoter as a heterochromatin region because of its enrichment of H3K9me3 and HP1. Expression of CAT-3 was induced by H2O2 treatment in wild-type and such change occurred along with the accumulation of histone H3 acetylation at 5-kb heterochromatin boundaries and cat-3 locus, but without alteration of its H3K9me3 repressive modification. Moreover, disruption of 5-kb heterochromatin region results in elevated cat-3 expression, and higher levels of cat-3 expression were promoted by the combination with global heterochromatin defective mutants. Interestingly, the molecular weight and activity bands of CAT-3 protein are different in heterochromatin defective mutants compared with those in wild-type, suggesting that its N-terminal processing and modification may be altered. Our study indicates that the local chromatin structure creates a heterochromatin repressive environment to repress nearby gene expression.



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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1154: A Network Coverage Information-Based Sensor Registry System for IoT Environments

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to provide better services through the interaction of physical objects via the Internet. However, its limitations cause an interoperability problem when the sensed data are exchanged between the sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which constitute the core infrastructure of the IoT. To address this problem, a Sensor Registry System (SRS) is used. By using a SRS, the information of the heterogeneous sensed data remains pure. If users move along a road, their mobile devices predict their next positions and obtain the sensed data for that position from the SRS. If the WSNs in the location in which the users move are unstable, the sensed data will be lost. Consider a situation where the user passes through dangerous areas. If the user's mobile device cannot receive information, they cannot be warned about the dangerous situation. To avoid this, two novel SRSs that use network coverage information have been proposed: one uses OpenSignal and the other uses the probabilistic distribution of the users accessing SRS. The empirical study showed that the proposed method can seamlessly provide services related to sensing data under any abnormal circumstance.

http://ift.tt/2aka7eY

Isolation-induced vocalization in the infant rat depends on the nucleus accumbens

Abstract

Mammalian infants vocalize when socially isolated. Vocalization guides the return of the caregiver and thereby maintains an environment critical to the infant's survival. Although the role of the periaqueductal gray area (PAG) in these vocalizations is established, other aspects of the relevant neural circuitry remain under-studied. Here we report that output from the nucleus accumbens (Acb) is necessary for isolation-induced vocalizations of infant rats aged postnatal days (PND) 11–13. Local inhibition via infusion of the GABA_A agonist muscimol (.8 μg/side) of the Acb, but not the dorsolateral striatum, blocked isolation-induced vocalizations, independent of whether the isolation was at room temperature, followed a brief reunion with the dam, or occurred in a cool (10 °C) environment. These findings highlight a possible anatomical area mediating the mammalian infant response to social separation and, more generally, to the development of social attachment.

http://ift.tt/2a83blq

Functional brain imaging of episodic memory decline in ageing

Abstract

The episodic long-term memory system supports remembering of events. It is considered to be the most age-sensitive system, with an average onset of decline around 60 years of age. However, there is marked interindividual variability, such that some individuals show faster than average change and others show no or very little change. This variability may be related to the risk of developing dementia, with elevated risk for individuals with accelerated episodic memory decline. Brain imaging with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signalling or positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to reveal the brain bases of declining episodic memory in ageing. Several studies have demonstrated a link between age-related episodic memory decline and the hippocampus during active mnemonic processing, which is further supported by studies of hippocampal functional connectivity in the resting state. The hippocampus interacts with anterior and posterior neocortical regions to support episodic memory, and alterations in hippocampus–neocortex connectivity have been shown to contribute to impaired episodic memory. Multimodal MRI studies and more recently hybrid MRI/PET studies allow consideration of various factors that can influence the association between the hippocampal BOLD signal and memory performance. These include neurovascular factors, grey and white matter structural alterations, dopaminergic neurotransmission, amyloid-Β and glucose metabolism. Knowledge about the brain bases of episodic memory decline can guide interventions to strengthen memory in older adults, particularly in those with an elevated risk of developing dementia, with promising results for combinations of cognitive and physical stimulation.

http://ift.tt/2a58bdw

Applied Sciences, Vol. 6, Pages 208: A Birefringent-Refraction Transducer for Measuring Angular Displacement Based on Heterodyne Interferometry

In this paper, an optical angle sensor with a birefringent transducer for measuring angular displacement based on a heterodyne interferometry is proposed. The achievable repeatability and linearity provide sufficient evidence for the practical use. As a result, a resolution of 5.8 × 10−6 with a dynamic range of 5° has been achieved by utilizing a KTP (potassium titanyl phosphate) plate immersed in a high refractive index oil with refractive index of 1.7.

http://ift.tt/2ak6QfQ

Genotypes-Independent Optimization of Nitrogen Supply for Isolated Microspore Cultures in Barley

To establish a high-efficiency system of isolated microspore culture for different barley genotypes, we investigated the effects of nitrogen sources and concentrations on callus induction and plant regeneration in different barley genotypes. The results showed that the organic nitrogen sources greatly increased the callus induction, and the great reduction of total nitrogen sources would significantly decrease the callus induction. And the further optimization experiments revealed that the increasing of organic nitrogen sources was much important in callus induction while it seemed different in plant regeneration. Based on the great effects of organic nitrogen on callus induction, the medium of N6-ANO1/4-2000 might be the best choice for the microspore culture system. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that there were clear differences of genetic backgrounds among these barley genotypes, and it also suggested that this medium for microspore culture had widespread utilization in different barley genotypes.

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CBCT-Aided Microscopic and Ultrasonic Treatment for Upper or Middle Thirds Calcified Root Canals

Root canal calcification is considered a great challenge during root canal treatment. Although the application of ultrasonic instruments and dental operating microscope (DOM) has advantages, dealing with calcified root canals still suffers a great risk of failure because of limited information about the location, length, and direction of obliteration on periapical radiographs. In this work, a cone-beam computed tomography- (CBCT-) aided method aimed at solving complicated calcified root canals in which conventional approaches could not work was proposed. Thirteen teeth with sixteen calcified canals (12 calcified in the upper third, 4 calcified in the middle third), which cannot be negotiated with conventional methods, were treated with the aid of CBCT. The location of calcification and depth of instrumentation and operating direction were calculated and assessed in three dimensions with ultrasonic instruments under DOM. In all thirteen teeth, canals with upper and middle thirds calcification were treated successfully. Finally, a guideline was proposed to help achieve consistent apical patency in calcified canals.

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Toxins, Vol. 8, Pages 217: Protection of the Furin Cleavage Site in Low-Toxicity Immunotoxins Based on Pseudomonas Exotoxin A

Recombinant immunotoxins (RITs) are fusions of an Fv-based targeting moiety and a toxin. Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) has been used to make several immunotoxins that have been evaluated in clinical trials. Immunogenicity of the bacterial toxin and off-target toxicity have limited the efficacy of these immunotoxins. To address these issues, we have previously made RITs in which the Fv is connected to domain III (PE24) by a furin cleavage site (FCS), thereby removing unneeded sequences of domain II. However, the PE24 containing RITs do not contain the naturally occurring disulfide bond around the furin cleavage sequence, because it was removed when domain II was deleted. This could potentially allow PE24 containing immunotoxins to be cleaved and inactivated before internalization by cell surface furin or other proteases in the blood stream or tumor microenvironment. Here, we describe five new RITs in which a disulfide bond is engineered to protect the FCS. The most active of these, SS1-Fab-DS3-PE24, shows a longer serum half-life than an RIT without the disulfide bond and has the same anti-tumor activity, despite being less cytotoxic in vitro. These results have significance for the production of de-immunized, low toxicity, PE24-based immunotoxins with a longer serum half-life.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 576: Analysis and Performance Improvement of WPT Systems in the Environment of Single Non-Ferromagnetic Metal Plates

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is greatly affected when the transmission channel is surrounded by non-ferromagnetic metallic objects and the alternating magnetic field interacts with the metal conductor, which is more of an issue in wirelessly charged electric vehicle (EV) applications. This paper analyses the performances of a WPT system in an environment with a non-ferromagnetic metal plate. The impedance model of the WPT system in the metal environment is established. Moreover the variation law of a coil's equivalent inductance and resistance is deduced when the coil is surrounded by the non-ferromagnetic metal plate. Meanwhile, simulations, theory and experiments all confirm that the model is correct. Finally, since the system performance of a wireless charging system is influenced by non-ferromagnetic metals, this paper puts forward a method to improve the performance, that is, to place ferrite cores between the receiving coil and a metal plate. Experiments are carried out to verify the method, and the desired results are achieved.

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Water, Vol. 8, Pages 313: Future of Water Supply and Demand in the Middle Drâa Valley, Morocco, under Climate and Land Use Change

Regions of scarce fresh water resources, such as the Middle East and North Africa, are facing great challenges already today, and even more in the future, due to climatic and socioeconomic changes. The Middle Drâa valley in Morocco is one of many semi-arid to arid mountainous areas struggling with increasing water scarcity threatening self-sufficient husbandry. In order to maintain people's livelihoods water management needs to be adapted. The Water Evaluation And Planning System (WEAP) software has been widely used to examine complex water systems in the water resource planning sector all around the world and proved to be a helpful asset to show the various interactions of water supply and demand. This paper presents the application of WEAP on the Middle Draâ valley's water demand and supply, including several socioeconomic and land use scenarios under one basic climate change scenario. The climate scenario shows a significant decrease in available water resources up to 2029 while all socioeconomic scenarios show an increase in water demand. In years of droughts groundwater is used for irrigation, leading to increasingly depleted aquifers. The aquifers are recharged by percolation losses from irrigation and by river bed infiltration the latter of which is stronger in the northern oases than in the southern oases due to water withdrawal rules. A drastic reduction of irrigated agricultural area is the only solution to guarantee sustainable water use.

http://ift.tt/2a6ZM38

Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 667: A Social Wellbeing in Fisheries Tool (SWIFT) to Help Improve Fisheries Performance

We report on a rapid and practical method to assess social dimensions of performance in small-scale and industrial fisheries globally (Social Wellbeing in Fisheries Tool (SWIFT)). SWIFT incorporates aspects of security (fairness and stability of earnings, benefits of employment to local fishing communities, worker protection, and personal safety and health in communities associated with fisheries); flexibility (including opportunity for economic advancement); and the fishery's social viability (including whether the fishery is recruiting new harvesters and diverse age classes of workers, whether women's participation and leadership in global production networks are on an upward trajectory.). We build on resilience research by conceptualizing wellbeing in terms of security, flexibility, and viability, and assessing wellbeing at individual, community, and system levels. SWIFT makes social performance measures more broadly accessible to global production networks, incorporates an everyday understanding of wellbeing for people involved in the seafood industry, and helps put social sustainability into measurable terms that are relevant for businesses.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1158: System Description and First Application of an FPGA-Based Simultaneous Multi-Frequency Electrical Impedance Tomography

A new prototype of a multi-frequency electrical impedance tomography system is presented. The system uses a field-programmable gate array as a main controller and is configured to measure at different frequencies simultaneously through a composite waveform. Both real and imaginary components of the data are computed for each frequency and sent to the personal computer over an ethernet connection, where both time-difference imaging and frequency-difference imaging are reconstructed and visualized. The system has been tested for both time-difference and frequency-difference imaging for diverse sets of frequency pairs in a resistive/capacitive test unit and in self-experiments. To our knowledge, this is the first work that shows preliminary frequency-difference images of in-vivo experiments. Results of time-difference imaging were compared with simulation results and shown that the new prototype performs well at all frequencies in the tested range of 60 kHz–960 kHz. For frequency-difference images, further development of algorithms and an improved normalization process is required to correctly reconstruct and interpreted the resulting images.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 573: Optimal Cooling Load Sharing Strategies for Different Types of Absorption Chillers in Trigeneration Plants

Trigeneration plants can use different types of chillers in the same plant, typically single effect and double effect absorption chillers, vapour compression chillers and also cooling storage systems. The highly variable cooling demand of the buildings connected to a district heating and cooling (DHC) network has to be distributed among these chillers to achieve lower operating costs and higher energy efficiencies. This problem is difficult to solve due to the different partial load behaviour of each chiller and the different chiller combinations that can cover a certain cooling demand using an appropriate sizing of the cooling storage. The objective of this paper is to optimize the daily plant operation of an existing trigeneration plant based on cogeneration engines and to study the optimal cooling load sharing between different types of absorption chillers using a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model. Real data from a trigeneration plant connected to a DHC close to Barcelona (Spain) is used for the development of this model. The cooling load distribution among the different units is heavily influenced by the price of the electricity sold to the grid which rules the duration of the operation time of the engines. The main parameter to compare load distribution configurations is the primary energy saving indicator. Cooling load distribution among the different chillers changes also with the load of the whole plant because the chiller performance changes with load.

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Nanomaterials, Vol. 6, Pages 137: Green Synthesis of Hierarchically Structured Silver-Polymer Nanocomposites with Antibacterial Activity

The in situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) aided by chondroitin sulfate and the preparation of a hierarchically structured silver-polymer nanocomposite with antimicrobial activity is shown. Green synthesis of AgNPs is carried out by thermal treatment (80 and 90 °C) or UV irradiation of a chondroitin sulfate solution containing AgNO3 without using any further reducing agents or stabilizers. Best control of the AgNPs size and polydispersity was achieved by UV irradiation. The ice-segregation-induced self-assembly (ISISA) process, in which the polymer solution containing the AgNPs is frozen unidirectionally, and successively freeze-drying were employed to produce the chondroitin sulfate 3D scaffolds. The scaffolds were further crosslinked with hexamethylene diisocyanate vapors to avoid water solubility of the 3D structures in aqueous environments. The antimicrobial activity of the scaffolds was tested against Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) found for AgNPs-CS (chondroitin sulfate) scaffolds was ca. 6 ppm.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 577: Energy Simulation of a Holographic PVT Concentrating System for Building Integration Applications

A building integrated holographic concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system has been optically and energetically simulated. The system has been designed to be superimposed into a solar shading louvre; in this way the concentrating unit takes profit of the solar altitude tracking, which the shading blinds already have, to increase system performance. A dynamic energy simulation has been conducted in two different locations—Sde Boker (Israel) and Avignon (France)—both with adequate annual irradiances for solar applications, but with different weather and energy demand characteristics. The simulation engine utilized has been TRNSYS, coupled with MATLAB (where the ray-tracing algorithm to simulate the holographic optical performance has been implemented). The concentrator achieves annual mean optical efficiencies of 30.3% for Sde Boker and 43.0% for the case of Avignon. Regarding the energy production, in both locations the thermal energy produced meets almost 100% of the domestic hot water demand as this has been considered a priority in the system control. On the other hand, the space heating demands are covered by a percentage ranging from 15% (Avignon) to 20% (Sde Boker). Finally, the electricity produced in both places covers 7.4% of the electrical demand profile for Sde Boker and 9.1% for Avignon.

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