This was an open-label study involving @ patients who had not received HCV treatment and @ previously treated patients , all of whom were coinfected with HIV-@ .


Previously untreated patients were randomly assigned in a @:@ ratio to receive either @ weeks or @ weeks of daclatasvir at a standard dose of @ mg daily ( with dose adjustment for concomitant antiretroviral medications ) plus @ mg of sofosbuvir daily .


Previously treated patients were assigned to undergo @ weeks of therapy at the same doses .


The primary end point was a sustained virologic response at week @ after the end of therapy among previously untreated patients with HCV genotype @ who were treated for @ weeks .


Patients had HCV genotypes @ through @ ( @ % with genotype @ ) , and @ % had compensated cirrhosis ; @ % were receiving antiretroviral therapy .


Among patients with genotype @ , a sustained virologic response was reported in @ % ( @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , @ to @ ) who were treated for @ weeks and in @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ ) who were treated for @ weeks among previously untreated patients and in @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ ) who were treated for @ weeks among previously treated patients .


Rates of sustained virologic response across all genotypes were @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ ) , @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ ) , and @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ ) , respectively .


The most common adverse events were fatigue , nausea , and headache .


There were no study-drug discontinuations because of adverse events .


HIV-@ suppression was not compromised .


Among previously untreated HIV-HCV coinfected patients receiving daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir for HCV infection , the rate of sustained virologic response across all genotypes was @ % after @ weeks of treatment and @ % after @ weeks .


( Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb ; ALLY-@ ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


Data on chemotherapy regimens in elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer ( MBC ) are limited .


The aim of this retrospective pooled analysis was to determine efficacy and safety of ixabepilone plus capecitabine versus capecitabine alone in patients with MBC aged @ years .


A total of @ patients with MBC previously treated with or resistant to anthracyclines and taxanes were randomized in two open-label , multinational , phase @ studies ( study @ and study @ ) .


Patients received ixabepilone ( @ mg/m ( @ ) as a @-hour intravenous infusion every @ weeks ) plus oral capecitabine ( @ mg/m ( @ ) administered twice each day ) , or capecitabine alone ( @ mg/m ( @ ) twice each day ) .


In total , @ randomized patients were aged @ years ( ixabepilone plus capecitabine , n = @ ; capecitabine monotherapy , n = @ ) .


Efficacy results were consistent in patients aged < @ and @ years with respect to the observed improvement in progression-free survival and objective response rate with ixabepilone plus capecitabine compared with capecitabine alone .


No significant differences in overall survival between arms were observed for either subgroup .


In the ixabepilone plus capecitabine arm , grade @/@ hematologic adverse events ( AEs ) were similar in both subgroups except leukopenia and febrile neutropenia , which had a higher incidence in patients aged @ years .


The majority of grade @/@ nonhematologic AEs were similar in the two subgroups , including fatigue , peripheral sensory neuropathy , and hand-foot syndrome .


The combination of ixabepilone plus capecitabine maintains its efficacy in elderly patients with anthracycline and taxane pretreated MBC , with a similar safety profile to patients aged < @ years .


Excessive shortening of the telomeric ends of chromosomes is a marker of accelerated aging .


Oxidative stress and nutritional deficiency may influence this process .


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of -@ polyunsaturated fatty acid ( -@ PUFA ) supplementation on telomeric shortening in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment ( MCI ) .


Thirty-three adults ages > @ y with MCI were randomized to receive a supplement rich in the long-chain -@ PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ; @ g EPA + @ g docosahexaenoic acid DHA/d ; n = @ ) or DHA ( @ g DHA + @ g EPA/d ; n = @ ) , versus -@ PUFA linoleic acid ( LA ; @ g/d ; n = @ ) for @ mo. .


The intervention did not show an increase in telomere length with treatment and there was a trend toward telomere shortening during the intervention period .


Linear mixed modeling produced a robust model although statistically underpowered .


Telomere shortening was greatest in the LA group ( d = @ ) than in the DHA ( d = @ ) and EPA groups ( d = @ ) .


Increased erythrocyte DHA levels were associated with reduced telomere shortening ( r = -@ ; P = @ ) in the DHA group .


Telomeric shortening may be attenuated by -@ PUFA supplementation , requiring further investigation in larger samples .


The relationship between inadequate sleep and mood has been well-established in adults and is supported primarily by correlational data in younger populations .


Given that adolescents often experience shortened sleep on school nights , we sought to better understand the effect of experimentally induced chronic sleep restriction on adolescents ' mood and mood regulation .


Fifty healthy adolescents , ages @-@ , completed a @-week sleep manipulation protocol involving a baseline week , followed by a sleep restriction ( SR ) condition ( @ hr in bed per night for five nights ) and healthy sleep duration ( HS ) condition ( @ hr in bed per night for five nights ) .


The study used a randomized , counterbalanced , crossover experimental design .


Participants ' sleep was monitored at home via self-report and actigraphy .


At the end of each condition , participants and their parents completed questionnaires of mood and mood regulation .


To assess for expectancy effects , we also analyzed parent and teen ratings of hyperactivity/impulsivity , which prior research suggests is not sensitive to SR in adolescents .


Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests compared questionnaire outcomes across the two conditions .


Participants averaged @ more hours of sleep per night during HS relative to SR. .


Compared with HS , adolescents rated themselves as significantly more tense/anxious , angry/hostile , confused , and fatigued , and as less vigorous ( p = @ -@ ) during SR. .


Parents and adolescents also reported greater oppositionality/irritability and poorer emotional regulation during SR compared with HS ( p < @ ) .


There were no cross-condition differences in depression or hyperactivity/impulsivity ( p > @ ) .


Findings complement prior correlational study results to show that after only a few days of shortened sleep , at a level of severity that is experienced regularly by millions of adolescents on school nights , adolescents have worsened mood and decreased ability to regulate negative emotions .


This study aims ( @ ) to develop an automated and fast approach for detecting visual evoked potentials ( VEPs ) in single trials and ( @ ) to apply the single-trial VEP detection approach in designing a real-time and high-performance brain-computer interface ( BCI ) system .


The single-trial VEP detection approach uses common spatial pattern ( CSP ) as a spatial filter and wavelet filtering ( WF ) a temporal-spectral filter to jointly enhance the signal-to-noise ratio ( SNR ) of single-trial VEPs .


The performance of the joint spatial-temporal-spectral filtering approach was assessed in a four-command VEP-based BCI system .


The offline classification accuracy of the BCI system was significantly improved from @ % ( raw data ) to @ % ( data filtered by CSP and WF ) .


The proposed approach was successfully implemented in an online BCI system , where subjects could make @ decisions in one minute with classification accuracy of @ % .


The proposed single-trial detection approach is able to obtain robust and reliable VEP waveform in an automatic and fast way and it is applicable in VEP based online BCI systems .


This approach provides a real-time and automated solution for single-trial detection of evoked potentials or event-related potentials ( EPs/ERPs ) in various paradigms , which could benefit many applications such as BCI and intraoperative monitoring .


To evaluate the changes occurring in the subgingival microbial profile of subjects with generalized chronic periodontitis ( ChP ) treated by scaling and root planing ( SRP ) alone or with metronidazole ( MTZ ) or MTZ + amoxicillin ( AMX ) .


A secondary aim was to examine a possible added effect of chlorhexidine ( CHX ) to these therapies .


One hundred and eighteen subjects were randomly assigned to receive SRP-only or with MTZ -LSB- @ mg/thrice a day ( TID ) -RSB- or MTZ + AMX ( @ mg/TID ) for @ days .


Half of the subjects in each group rinsed with @ % CHX twice a day ( BID ) for @ months .


Nine subgingival plaque samples/subject were analysed by checkerboard DNADNA hybridization for @ bacterial species at baseline , @ , @ and @ months post-therapy .


At @ months , the antibiotic-treated groups harboured lower mean counts and proportions of key periodontal pathogens than the SRP group ( p < @ ) .


These benefits were observed at initially deep and shallow sites .


Initial reductions in periodontal pathogens obtained with SRP partially rebound after @ months .


CHX rinsing enhanced the microbiological effects of the MTZ + AMX treatment in shallow sites .


The adjunctive use of MTZ and MTZ + AMX results in a greater reduction in the levels of periodontal pathogens in generalized ChP subjects compared to SRP alone .


Assessment of feasibility and effects of an exercise training programme in patients following cystectomy due to urinary bladder cancer .


Single-blind , pilot , randomized controlled trial .


University hospital , Sweden .


Eighteen patients ( @-@ years ) , of @ suitable , cystectomized due to urinary bladder cancer , were randomized after hospital discharge to intervention or control .


The @-week exercise programme included group exercise training twice a week and daily walks .


The control group received only standardized information at discharge .


Trial eligibility and compliance to inclusion were registered .


Assessments of functional capacity , balance , lower body strength and health-related quality of life ( HRQoL ) with SF-@ .


Out of @ patients @ were eligible , but @ did not want to participate/were not invited .


Twenty-five patients were included , but @ dropped out before randomization .


Eighteen patients were randomized to intervention or control .


Thirteen patients completed the training period .


The intervention group increased walking distance more than the control group , @ m ( @-@ ) compared to @ m ( @-@ ) ( P = @ ) , and role physical domain in SF-@ more than the control group ( P = @ ) .


Ten patients were evaluated one year postoperatively .


The intervention group had continued increasing walking distance , @ m ( @-@ ) , whereas the control group had shortened the distance -@ m ( -@ to -@ ) ( P = @ ) .


A @-week group exercise training programme was not feasible for most cystectomy patients .


However , functional capacity and the role-physical domain in HRQoL increased in the short and long term for patients in the intervention group compared with controls .


Using three separate models that included total body mass , total lean and total fat mass , and abdominal and thigh fat as independent measures , we determined their association with knee joint loads in older overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) .


Fat depots were quantified using computed tomography , and total lean and fat mass were determined with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in @ adults ( age , @ yr ; body mass index , @ kgm ) with radiographic knee OA .


Knee moments and joint bone-on-bone forces were calculated using gait analysis and musculoskeletal modeling .


Higher total body mass was significantly associated ( P @ ) with greater knee compressive and shear forces , compressive and shear impulses ( P < @ ) , patellofemoral forces ( P < @ ) , and knee extensor moments ( P = @ ) .


Regression analysis with total lean and total fat mass as independent variables revealed significant positive associations of total fat mass with knee compressive ( P = @ ) , shear ( P < @ ) , and patellofemoral forces ( P = @ ) and knee extension moment ( P = @ ) .


Gastrocnemius and quadriceps forces were positively associated with total fat mass .


Total lean mass was associated with knee compressive force ( P = @ ) .


A regression model that included total thigh and total abdominal fat found that both were significantly associated with knee compressive and shear forces ( P @ ) .


Thigh fat was associated with knee abduction ( P = @ ) and knee extension moment ( P = @ ) .


Thigh fat , consisting predominately of subcutaneous fat , had similar significant associations with knee joint forces as abdominal fat despite its much smaller volume and could be an important therapeutic target for people with knee OA .


Serelaxin is effective in relieving dyspnoea and improving multiple outcomes in acute heart failure ( AHF ) .


Many AHF patients have preserved ejection fraction ( HFpEF ) .


Given the lack of evidence-based therapies in this population , we evaluated the effects of serelaxin according to EF in RELAX-AHF trial .


RELAX-AHF randomized @ AHF patients to @-h serelaxin ( @ g/kg/day ) or placebo within @ h from presentation .


We compared the effects of serelaxin on efficacy endpoints , safety endpoints , and biomarkers of organ damage between preserved ( @ % ) and reduced ( < @ % , HFrEF ) EF .


HFpEF was present in @ % of patients .


Serelaxin induced a similar dyspnoea relief in HFpEF vs. HFrEF patients by visual analogue scale-area under the curve ( VAS-AUC ) through Day @ -LSB- mean change , @ ( -@ , @ ) vs. @ ( @ , @ ) mm h , P = @ -RSB- , but had possibly different effects on the proportion of patients with moderately or markedly dyspnoea improvement by Likert scale at @ , @ , and @ h -LSB- odds ratio for favourable response , @ ( @ , @ ) vs. @ ( @ , @ ) , interaction P = @ -RSB- .


No differences were encountered in the effect of serelaxin on short - or long-term outcome between HFpEF and HFrEF patients including cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart/renal failure through Day @ , cardiovascular death through Day @ , and all-cause death through Day @ .


Similar safety and changes in biomarkers ( high-sensitivity troponin T , cystatin-C , and alanine/aspartate aminotransferases ) were found in both groups .


In AHF patients with HFpEF compared with those with HFrEF , serelaxin was well tolerated and effective in relieving dyspnoea and had a similar effect on short - and long-term outcome , including survival improvement .


To compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on post-stroke insomnia between the low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints and the conventional western medication .


One hundred and twenty patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a low-frequency electric stimulation group , a medication group and a placebo group , @ cases in each one .


In the low-frequency electric stimulation group , the low-frequency electric-pulsing apparatus was used at Dazhui ( GV @ ) and Shenshu ( BL @ ) , once a day ; the treatment of @ days made one session and @ sessions were required .


In the medication group , estazolam was taken orally , @ mg each time .


In the placebo group , starch capsules were taken orally , @ capsule each time .


All the drugs were taken before sleep every night , continuously for @ days as one session , and @ sessions were required .


PSQI changes and clinical efficacy were observed before and after treatment in each group .


Pitlsburgh sleep quality index ( PSQI ) score was reduced in every group after treatment ( all P < @ ) .


In the low-frequency electric stimulation group and medication group , the score was reduced much more significantly as compared with the placebo group ( both P < @ ) .


In the placebo group , @ case was rejected .


The total effective rates were @ % ( @/@ ) , @ % ( @/@ ) and @ % ( @/@ ) in the low-frequency electric stimulation group , medication group and placebo group separately .


The efficacy in the low-frequency electric stimulation group and medication group was better apparently than that in the placebo group ( both P < @ ) .


The low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints effectively and safely treats post-stroke insomnia and the efficacy of it is similar to that of estazolam .


Individuals with chronic stroke often have long-lasting upper extremity impairments that impede function during activities of daily living .


Rehabilitation robotics have shown promise in improving arm function , but current systems do not allow realistic training of activities of daily living .


We have incorporated the ARMin III and HandSOME device into a novel robotic therapy modality that provides functional training of reach and grasp tasks .


To compare the effects of equal doses of robotic and conventional therapy in individuals with chronic stroke .


Subjects were randomized to @ hours of robotic or conventional therapy and then crossed over to the other therapy type after a @-month washout period .


Twelve moderate to severely impaired individuals with chronic stroke were enrolled , and @ completed the study .


Across the @-month study period , subjects showed significant improvements in the Fugl-Meyer ( P = @ ) and Box and Blocks tests ( P = @ ) .


The robotic intervention produced significantly greater improvements in the Action Research Arm Test than conventional therapy ( P = @ ) .


Gains in the Box and Blocks test from conventional therapy were larger than from robotic therapy in subjects who received conventional therapy after robotic therapy ( P = @ ) .


Data suggest that robotic therapy can elicit improvements in arm function that are distinct from conventional therapy and supplements conventional methods to improve outcomes .


Results from this pilot study should be confirmed in a larger study .


To examine and compare systemic arterial stiffness responses in humans to acute continuous and interval low-intensity exercise .


Fifteen healthy young men ( @ years ) underwent non-exercise control ( CON ) , continuous exercise ( CE ) , and interval exercise trial ( IE ) in a randomized balanced self-control crossover design .


Systemic arterial stiffness ( Cardio-ankle vascular index , CAVI ) was measured at baseline ( BL ) , immediately after ( @min ) and @min after exercise in CE and IE trials , and at corresponding time points in CON trial .


Subjects cycled continuously for @min at @ % heart rate reserve after BL measurement in CE trial , whereas in IE trial , subjects cycled two bouts of @-min separated by a @-min rest at the same intensity .


There were no significant CAVI changes with time in CON trial ( @ , @ , @ at BL , @ and @min , respectively ) .


In CE trial , CAVI decreased immediately after exercise ( @min ) and returned to baseline after @min of recovery ( @ , @ , @ at BL , @ and @min , respectively ) .


IE elicited similar CAVI reduction from @ at baseline to @ at @min : however , CAVI at @min remained significantly low compared to that of CON trial at corresponding time point ( @ vs. @ , P < @ ) .


Both acute continuous and interval low-intensity exercise elicits transient improvement in systemic arterial stiffness in humans .


Despite equivalent exercise intensity and duration , interval exercise resulted in improved arterial stiffness for longer duration .


Ablative @,@-nm carbon dioxide ( CO@ ) fractional laser treatments have shown favorable outcomes for atrophic acne scars .


To compare the efficacy and complications of fractional CO@ laser treatments with different fluences and densities for acne scars .


Twenty patients were treated using a single session of fractional CO@ laser in Deep FX mode .


In Group A ( n = @ ) , half of the face was treated with @mJ , density @ % and the other half with @mJ , density @ % .


In Group B ( n = @ ) , half of the face was treated with @mJ , density @ % and the other half with @mJ , density @ % .


Patients were evaluated at baseline and @days , @week , @month , and @months after the procedure .


There was no significant difference in efficacy between different laser settings within the groups , although adverse effects were more evident in patients treated with higher densities or fluences .


Factional CO@ laser treatment using the Deep FX mode may provide a significant efficacy with lower fluence and density with fewer complications than with higher energies for acne scars .


This randomized phase II study assessed the efficacy and safety of obatoclax mesylate , a small-molecule Bcl-@ inhibitor , added to carboplatin/etoposide chemotherapy as initial treatment for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer ( ES-SCLC ) .


Chemotherapy-nave subjects with ES-SCLC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ( ECOG PS ) @-@ received carboplatin/etoposide with ( CbEOb ) or without ( CbE ) obatoclax for up to six cycles .


Responders to CbEOb could receive maintenance obatoclax until disease progression .


The primary endpoint was objective response rate ( ORR ) .


@ subjects ( median age @ , @ % male , @ % ECOG PS @ ) were treated with CbEOb ( n = @ ) or CbE ( n = @ ) ; @ % and @ % of subjects , respectively , completed six cycles .


ORR was @ % with CbEOb versus @ % with CbE ( @-sided p = @ ) .


Clinical benefit ( ORR + stable disease ) trended better with CbEOb ( @ % versus @ % ; p = @ ) .


Median progression-free survival ( PFS ) and overall survival ( OS ) were @ months ( @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- : @-@ @ ) and @ months ( @-@ @ ) with CbEOb and @ months ( @ % CI : @-@ @ ) and @ months ( @-@ @ ) with CbE .


Median OS was @ months ( @ % CI : @-@ @ ) and @ months ( @-@ @ ) with a nonsignificant hazard ratio for OS , @ ; @-sided p = @ .


Grade @/@ adverse events ( AEs ) were primarily hematologic and similar in frequency between treatment arms .


Obatoclax-related somnolence and euphoria were grade @/@ , transient , and did not require treatment discontinuation .


Obatoclax was well tolerated when added to carboplatin/etoposide in first-line treatment of ES-SCLC , but failed to significantly improve ORR , PFS , or OS .


Hyperhidrosis is a common disease , and thoracoscopic sympathectomy improves its symptoms in up to @ % of cases .


Unfortunately , after surgery , plantar hyperhidrosis may remain in @ % of patients , and compensatory sweating may be observed in @ % .


This clinical scenario remains a challenge .


Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of oxybutynin in the treatment of persistent plantar hyperhidrosis and compensatory sweating and its effects on quality of life in women after thoracoscopic sympathectomy .


We conducted a prospective , randomized study to compare the effects of oxybutynin at @ mg daily and placebo in women with persistent plantar hyperhidrosis .


The assessment was performed using a quality-of-life questionnaire for hyperhidrosis and sweating measurement with a device for quantifying transepidermal water loss .


Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT@ .


Sixteen patients were included in each group ( placebo and oxybutynin ) .


There were no significant differences between the groups prior to treatment .


After oxybutynin treatment , there was a decrease in symptoms and clinical improvement based on the quality-of-life questionnaire ( before treatment , @ vs. after treatment , @ ; p = @ ) .


The placebo group showed modest improvement ( p = @ ) .


The outcomes of the transepidermal water loss measurements in the placebo group showed no differences ( p = @ ) , whereas the oxybutynin group revealed a significant decrease ( p = @ ) .


The most common side effect was dry mouth ( @ % in the oxybutynin group vs. @ % in the placebo group ; p = @ ) .


Oxybutynin was effective in the treatment of persistent plantar hyperhidrosis , resulting in a better quality of life in women who had undergone thoracoscopic sympathectomy .


The erythrocyte membrane content of eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) , which constitutes the omega-@ index ( O@I ) , predicts cardiovascular disease mortality .


The amount of EPA+DHA needed to achieve a target O@I is poorly defined , as are the determinants of the O@I response to a change in EPA+DHA intake .


The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model of the O@I response to EPA+DHA supplementation in healthy adults , specifically identifying factors that determine the response .


A randomized , placebo-controlled , double-blind , parallel-group study was conducted in @ healthy men and women .


One of @ doses ( @ , @ , @ , @ , @ mg ) of EPA+DHA was given daily as placebo or fish oil supplements for @ months .


The O@I was measured at baseline and at the end of the study .


There were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics between the groups at baseline .


The O@I increased in a dose-dependent manner ( P < @ ) , with the dose of EPA+DHA alone accounting for @ % ( quadratic , P < @ ) of the variability in the O@I response .


Dose adjusted per unit body weight ( g/kg ) accounted for @ % ( linear , P < @ ) .


Additional factors that improved prediction of treatment response were baseline O@I , age , sex , and physical activity .


Collectively , these explained @ % of the response variability ( P < @ ) .


Our findings validate the O@I as a biomarker of EPA+DHA consumption and identify additional factors , particularly body weight , that can be used to tailor EPA+DHA recommendations to achieve a target O@I .


In metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer , cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard .


The JCOG@ randomized phase III trial evaluated the clinical benefits of carboplatin-based regimen .


Eligible patients had metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer and had one platinum-containing treatment and no prior taxane .


Patients were randomly assigned either to conventional paclitaxel plus cisplatin ( TP ; paclitaxel @ mg/m ( @ ) over @ hours on day @ and cisplatin @ mg/m ( @ ) on day @ , repeated every @ weeks ) or paclitaxel plus carboplatin ( TC ; paclitaxel @ mg/m ( @ ) over @ hours and carboplatin area under curve @ mg/mL/min on day @ , repeated every @ weeks ) .


Primary end point was overall survival ( OS ) .


Planned sample size was @ patients to confirm the noninferiority of TC versus TP with the threshold hazard ratio ( HR ) of @ .


Between February @ and November @ , @ patients were enrolled .


The HR of OS was @ ( @ % CI , @ to @ ; noninferiority P = @ by stratified Cox regression ) .


Median OS was @ months with TP versus @ months with TC .


Among patients who had not received prior cisplatin , OS was shorter with TC ( @ v @ months ; HR , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ) .


One treatment-related death occurred with TC .


Proportion of nonhospitalization periods was significantly longer with TC ( P < @ ) .


TC was noninferior to TP and should be a standard treatment option for metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer .


However , cisplatin is still the key drug for patients who have not received platinum agents .


To assess the efficacy and safety of lersivirine versus etravirine in patients with HIV-@ and prior non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor ( NNRTI ) use and evidence of NNRTI resistance .


In this @-week , phase @b study , @ patients were randomized and treated with lersivirine @ mg qd ( n = @ ) , lersivirine @,@ mg qd ( n = @ ) , and etravirine @ mg bid ( n = @ ) , plus one optimized nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and darunavir/ritonavir @/@ mg bid .


The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with HIV-@ RNA < @ copies/mL at week @ .


At week @ , HIV-@ RNA < @ copies/mL was achieved by fewer patients receiving lersivirine @ mg ( @ % ) and @,@ mg ( @ % ) qd compared with etravirine @ mg qd ( @ % ) ( intention to treat -LSB- ITT -RSB- , missing/switch/discontinuation equals failure -LSB- MSDF -RSB- ) .


At week @ , HIV-@ RNA < @ copies/mL and < @ copies/mL were also achieved by fewer patients receiving lersivirine @ mg ( @ % and @ % , respectively ) and @,@ mg ( @ % and @ % , respectively ) qd compared with etravirine @ mg bid ( @ % and @ % , respectively ) ( ITT , MSDF ) .


Least squares means ( SE ) change from baseline in log transformed HIV-@ RNA at week @ was -@ ( @ ) and -@ ( @ ) copies/mL for lersivirine @ mg and @,@ mg qd , respectively , versus -@ ( @ ) copies/mL for etravirine @ mg bid ( ITT ) .


Lersivirine and etravirine were generally safe and well-tolerated .


Lersivirine @ mg and @,@ mg qd was associated with lower rates of viral suppression at week @ and week @ versus etravirine in patients with prior NNRTI use and evidence of NNRTI resistance .


No new safety signals were detected .


A double-blinded randomized clinical trial .


The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect of omega-@ fatty acids have been shown so far , but still its influence on clinical measures in spinal cord-injured human models were not known .


We tried to investigate changes in disability and dependency scores in chronic traumatic spinal cord-injured patients after @ months of -@ fatty-acid consumption .


Main inclusion criteria were : traumatic spinal cord injury ( SCI ) and post injury duration longer than @ year .


Disability and dependency was assessed using U.K Functional Independence Measure and Functional Assessment Measure ( FIM+FAM ) scale .


MorDHA capsules ( @mg of docosahexaenoic acid and @mg of eicosapentaenoic acid ) were administered in treatment group , whereas control group received placebo capsules for @ months .


U.K. FIM+FAM scale were estimated before intervention and at the end of the trial .


Fifty-four patients in treatment group and @ patients in placebo group completed the trial .


Highest scores were detected in cognitive domain in both groups before and after intervention .


Most dependency was observed in locomotion subscale and secondly in sphincter control .


Scores of none of these components were changed by -@ fatty-acid consumption .


Although omega-@ fatty acids have been shown to have neuroprotective effect in acute phase of SCI , it seems that they have no significant influence in chronic inflammatory state of SCI .


The positive effect of -@ fatty acid in chronic neurorecovery process , if exists , is weaker to exert any significant improvement in UK FIM+FAM scores in spinal cord-injured individuals .


WHO guidelines recommend early initiation of antiretroviral therapy ( ART ) irrespective of CD@ cell count for all patients with tuberculosis who also have HIV , but evidence supporting this approach is poor quality .


We assessed the effect of timing of ART initiation on tuberculosis treatment outcomes for HIV-positive patients with CD@ counts of @ cells per L or more .


We did this randomised , placebo-controlled trial between Jan @ , @ , and April @ , @ at @ treatment centres in South Africa , Tanzania , Uganda , and Zambia .


We enrolled HIV-positive patients with culture-confirmed tuberculosis who had tolerated @ weeks of tuberculosis short course chemotherapy .


Participants were randomly allocated ( @:@ ) to early ART ( starting after @ weeks of tuberculosis treatment ) or delayed ART ( placebo , then starting ART at the end of @ months of tuberculosis treatment ) .


Randomisation was computer generated , with permuted blocks of size eight , and stratified by CD@ count ( @-@ cells per L vs @ cells per L ) .


Patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation until completion of @-months ' tuberculosis treatment , after which the study was open label .


The primary endpoint was a composite of failure of tuberculosis treatment , tuberculosis recurrence , and death within @ months of starting tuberculosis treatment in the modified intention-to-treat population .


Secondary endpoints included mortality .


The study is registered with controlled-trials .


com ( ISRCTN@ ) .


We screened @,@ patients and enrolled @ : @ assigned early ART , @ delayed ART .


The primary endpoint was reached by @ ( @ % ) of @ patients in the early ART group versus @ ( @ % ) of @ in the delayed ART group ( relative risk -LSB- RR -RSB- @ , @ % CI @-@ ; p = @ ) .


Of patients with a CD@ cell count of @-@ cells per L , @ ( @ % ) of @ patients versus @ ( @ % ) of @ reached the primary endpoint ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; p = @ ) .


For those with @ cells per L or more , @ ( @ % ) of @ versus @ ( @ % ) of @ reached the primary endpoint ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; p = @ ) .


Mortality did not differ significantly between treatment groups ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; p = @ ) .


Grade @ and @ adverse events occurred in @ ( @ % ) of @ patients assigned early ART versus @ ( @ % ) of @ assigned delayed ART ( p = @ ) .


@ ( @ % ) of @ versus @ ( @ % ) of @ had immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome ( p = @ ) .


ART can be delayed until after completion of @ months of tuberculosis treatment for HIV-positive patients with tuberculosis who have CD@ cell counts greater than @ cells per L.


WHO guidelines should be updated accordingly .


Neurofeedback aims to reduce symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) , mainly attention problems .


However , the additional influence of neurofeedback over treatment as usual ( TAU ) on neurocognitive functioning for adolescents with ADHD remains unclear .


By using a multicenter parallel randomized controlled trial ( RCT ) design , male adolescents with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of ADHD ( mean age = @ years ; range , @-@ ) were randomized to receive either a combination of TAU and neurofeedback ( n = @ ) or TAU ( n = @ ) .


Randomization was computer generated and stratified by age group ( ages @ through @ , @ through @ , and @ through @ years ) .


The neurofeedback intervention consisted of approximately @ sessions over a period of @ weeks of theta/sensorimotor rhythm training on the vertex ( Cz ) .


Primary neurocognitive outcomes included performance parameters derived from the D@ Test of Attention , the Digit Span backward , the Stroop Color-Word Test and the Tower of London , all assessed preintervention and postintervention .


Data were collected between December @ and July @ .


At postintervention , outcomes of attention and/or motor speed were improved , with faster processing times for both intervention conditions and with medium to large effect sizes ( range , p@ = @ -@ ; P values < @ ) .


In both groups , no improvements for higher executive functions were observed .


Results might partly resemble practice effects .


Although neurocognitive outcomes improved in all adolescents receiving treatment for ADHD , no additional value for neurofeedback over TAU was observed .


Hence , this study does not provide evidence for using theta/sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback to enhance neurocognitive performance as additional intervention to TAU for adolescents with ADHD symptoms .


High blood pressure is a prognostic factor for acute stroke , but blood pressure variability might also independently predict outcome .


We assessed the prognostic value of blood pressure variability in participants of INTERACT@ , an open-label randomised controlled trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT@ ) .


INTERACT@ enrolled @ adults with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage ( ICH ) and high systolic blood pressure ( @-@ mm Hg ) without a definite indication or contraindication to early intensive treatment to reduce blood pressure .


Participants were randomly assigned to intensive treatment ( target systolic blood pressure < @ mm Hg within @ h using locally available intravenous drugs ) or guideline-recommended treatment ( target systolic blood pressure < @ mm Hg ) within @ h of onset of ICH .


The primary outcome was death or major disability at @ days ( modified Rankin Scale score @ ) and the secondary outcome was an ordinal shift in modified Rankin Scale scores at @ days , assessed by investigators masked to treatment allocation .


Blood pressure variability was defined according to standard criteria : five measurements were taken in the first @ h ( hyperacute phase ) and @ over days @-@ ( acute phase ) .


We estimated associations between blood pressure variability and outcomes with logistic and proportional odds regression models .


The key parameter for blood pressure variability was standard deviation ( SD ) of systolic blood pressure , categorised into quintiles .


We studied @ ( @ % ) participants in the hyperacute phase and @ ( @ % ) in the acute phase .


In both treatment cohorts combined , SD of systolic blood pressure had a significant linear association with the primary outcome for both the hyperacute phase ( highest quintile adjusted OR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; ptrend = @ ) and the acute phase ( highest quintile adjusted OR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; ptrend = @ ) .


The strongest predictors of outcome were maximum systolic blood pressure in the hyperacute phase and SD of systolic blood pressure in the acute phase .


Associations were similar for the secondary outcome ( for the hyperacute phase , highest quintile adjusted OR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; ptrend = @ ; for the acute phase OR @ , @ % CI @-@ ; ptrend = @ ) .


Systolic blood pressure variability seems to predict a poor outcome in patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage .


The benefits of early treatment to reduce systolic blood pressure to @ mm Hg might be enhanced by smooth and sustained control , and particularly by avoiding peaks in systolic blood pressure .


To investigate the ideal digestive tract reconstruction methods among three different surgical methods after radical gastrectomy of gastric cancer patients .


A total of @ patients who received elective radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer from February @ to August @ were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into radical proximal gastrectomy and jejunal interposition group , radical proximal gastrectomy and esophageal with the posterior of residual-stomach group , and radical total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy group .


Patients were followed up for @ months .


Symptoms of reflux esophagitis were observed , gastric emptying tests were done , liver and kidney function was also monitored .


The quality of life was documented before operation , and one and twelve months after operation .


No significant differences were found among these three groups in the pH value of lower part of esophagus , the blood regular test results and the functional parameters of kidney and liver before and after operation ( all P > @ ) .


Symptoms of reflux esophagitis was reported in @ ( @ % ) patients in the jejunal interposition group , @ ( @ % ) in esophageal with the posterial of residual-stomach group , and @ ( @ % ) in the Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy group ( P = @ ) .


There was @ ( @ % ) , @ ( @ % ) , and @ ( @ % ) patients presented reflux of barium meal in these three groups , respectively ( P = @ ) .


There were no statistically significant difference in PH at the distal esophagus ( @ vs. @ vs. @ , P = @ ) .


The quality of life was significantly improved one year after surgery in terms of general status , physical function , emotional function , fatigue , nausea/vomiting , pain , constipation , and diarrhea ( all P < @ ) , with the jejunal interposition superior than the other two methods .


Three methods of digestive tract reconstruction in radical gastrectomy of gastric cancer patients can improve the health status and the quality of life in gastric cancer patients .


Radical proximal gastrectomy and jejunal interposition is the preferred method .


To evaluate the effectiveness , safety and tolerability of a probiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-@ and Bifidobacterium BB-@ in the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea ( AAD ) .


A double-blind randomised placebo controlled multicentric trial was conducted in adults who were prescribed a seven-day course of oral antibiotic ( either cefadroxil or amoxycillin ) for a documented indication .


The effectiveness of a @-day therapy ( concomitant with antibiotic course and seven days thereafter ) of the probiotic formulation in preventing AAD was evaluated .


Safety profile was assessed by monitoring of all treatment emergent adverse events and tolerability on a global well being scale .


The incidence of AAD in the probiotic group was @ % compared to @ % in the placebo group , the difference being statistically non-significant ( p = @ ) .


The relative risk for AAD was @ with the @ % CI being @ to @ .


The diarrhoea duration in the probiotic group was two days with an interquartile range of @ - @ days and was significantly less ( p = @ ) than the placebo group which was four days with an interquartile range of @ - @ days .


Subgroup analysis of subjects with AAD showed that the incidence of severe diarrhoea ( watery stools ) was @ % in the placebo group ( @ out of @ ) compared to @ % ( @ out of @ ) in the probiotic group and this difference was significant statistically ( p < @ ) .


Four mild , non-serious , adverse events were detected ( @ % ) in the probiotic group but there were none in the placebo group .


This randomised controlled trial shows that prophylactic administration of the probiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-@ and Bifidobacterium BB-@ , did not effectively lower the incidence of AAD in adults .


However , compared to placebo the duration of diarrhoea in the probiotic group was significantly reduced .


Its tolerability and safety profile were good .


To compare clinical and hemodynamic outcome in patients undergoing treatment of common femoral artery ( CFA ) atherosclerotic lesions by bioabsorbable stent implantation ( BASI group ) or by common femoral artery endarterectomy ( CFE group ) .


A randomized , controlled , single-center , open-label trial was initiated to compare outcomes of BASI or CFE in patients with chronic atherosclerotic occlusive lesions in the CFA .


From May @ to April @ , @ consecutive patients were recruited ; after excluding @ patients , @ patients ( @ men ; mean age @ years ) were enrolled @:@ and are the subject of this intention-to-treat interim analysis ( @ patients in each group ) .


The primary endpoint was surgical site infections ; secondary outcome measures were technical success , hemodynamic improvement , clinical improvement , patency , limb salvage , and survival .


There was no statistically significant difference between both groups regarding demographic data , cardiovascular risk factors , or CFA occlusions .


The CFE patients presented with @ surgical site infections ( all minor ) vs. none in the BASI group ( p = @ ) and a longer mean postoperative hospital stay of @ vs. @ days for BASI patients ( p < @ ) .


Technical success rates were @ % and @ % for the BASI and CFE groups , respectively .


Postoperative ankle-brachial index means were comparable ( p = @ ) .


The @-day primary patency rates were @ % and @ % for the BASI and CFE groups , respectively ( p = @ ) .


There were @ reconstruction failures in CFE patients vs. none in the BASI group ( p = @ ) ; @ failures involved initial CFA occlusions .


At @ year , the primary and secondary patency rates were @ % vs. @ % ( p = @ ) and @ % vs. @ % ( p = @ ) for BASI and CFE patients , respectively .


Limb salvage was equivalent , and survival rates were @ % and @ % for BASI vs. CFE patients ( p = @ ) at @ year .


This interim analysis suggests that BASI is not an option for CFA occlusion and is only a limited option for CFA stenosis .


Clinical and hemodynamic results are comparable for BASI and CFE .


An increased rate of redo procedures in the BASI patients outweighs lower surgical site infection rates compared to CFE .


Short-term patency rates are significantly worse in patients undergoing CFA stenting with BASI .


To assess the interest of specifically targeting Brodmann Areas ( BA ) @ or @ for rTMS treatment of depression .


Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression were randomly assigned to two treatment groups to receive either rTMS on BA @ or on BA @ .


Each patient underwent @ sessions of @Hz-rTMS for @weeks .


The Hamilton and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scales ( HDRS , MADRS ) were used under blind conditions to assess the therapeutic response ( @ % improvement ) .


A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the depression rating scales scores obtained before and after the @ rTMS sessions for each of the two groups .


The therapeutic results in the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test .


We also reported the effect sizes using Hedges 's g.


Fifteen patients were included .


Stimulation of both BA @ ( n = @ ) and BA @ ( n = @ ) led to similar therapeutic responses in the two groups ( with moderate effect size ) , such as the mean decrease in HDRS ( BA @ : p = @ ; BA @ : p = @ ) and MADRS ( BA @ : p = @ ; BA @ : p = @ ) scores .


Our results do not come out in favor of one or the other BA .


Stimulation of BA @ and BA @ appears to be equally effective in the treatment of depression .


Gastric cancer is a major contributor to cancer deaths in Zambia but , as elsewhere , no preventive strategies have been identified .


We set out to investigate the possibility of reducing gastric atrophy , a premalignant lesion , using micronutrient-antioxidant supplementation .


We analysed @ archival samples from a randomised controlled trial of micronutrient-antioxidant supplementation carried out from @ to @ .


Participants were randomised to receive either the supplement or placebo and had been taking the allocated intervention for a mean of @ ( range @-@ ) months when the samples used in this study were taken .


We used low pepsinogen @ to @ ( PEP@ :@ ) ratio as a surrogate marker of gastric atrophy .


A PEP @:@ ratio of less than three was considered low .


HIV serology , age , nutritional status , smoking , alcohol intake and gastric pH were also analysed .


Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Zambia Biomedical Research Ethics Committee ( @-@-@ ) .


The randomized trial was registered ( ISRCTN@ ) .


The overall prevalence of low PEP @:@ ratio was @/@ ( @ % ) and it did not differ between the placebo ( @/@ , @ % ) and micronutrient groups ( @/@ , @ % ; HR @ ; @ % CI @-@ @ ; P = @ ) .


The presence of low PEP @:@ ratio was not influenced by HIV infection ( HR @ ; @ % CI @-@ @ ; P = @ ) or nutritional status but it inversely correlated with gastric pH ( Spearman 's rho = -@ ; P = @ ) .


Age above @ years was associated with atrophy , but neither alcohol nor smoking had any influence .


Short term micronutrient supplementation does not have any impact on PEP @:@ ratio , a serological marker of gastric atrophy .


PEP @:@ ratio inversely correlates with gastric pH.


Patients with acute coronary syndrome and certain co-morbidities may receive ticagrelor , a reversibly binding P@Y ( @ ) receptor antagonist , and cyclosporine , a commonly used immunosuppressant drug .


This study assessed the potential pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction between ticagrelor and cyclosporine .


In this single-centre , open-label , three-treatment , three-period crossover study ( NCT@ ) , healthy volunteers ( n = @ ) randomly received each of three treatments : cyclosporine ( @ mg single oral dose ) plus ticagrelor ( @ mg single oral dose ) ; cyclosporine alone ; ticagrelor alone .


Treatments were separated by a washout period of @ days .


Plasma concentrations of ticagrelor and its active metabolite ( AR-C@XX ) and blood concentrations of cyclosporine were analyzed , and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated .


Safety and tolerability were assessed .


Compared with ticagrelor alone , the geometric least squares mean ( LSM ) ratio ( @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- ) for the ticagrelor area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity ( AUC ( ) ) was @ ( @-@ @ ) , and the maximum plasma concentration ( C ( max ) ) was @ ( @-@ @ ) , in the presence of cyclosporine .


Co-administration of cyclosporine with ticagrelor significantly increased AR-C@XX AUC ( ) ( @ -LSB- @-@ @ -RSB- ) and decreased C ( max ) ( @ -LSB- @-@ @ -RSB- ) .


Ticagrelor had no effect on cyclosporine pharmacokinetic parameters , as the @ % CIs of the LSM ratios were all within the @-@ @ no-effect range .


Co-administration of ticagrelor and cyclosporine was generally well tolerated .


Co-administration of cyclosporine with ticagrelor increased exposure to ticagrelor and its active metabolite and had no effect on cyclosporine pharmacokinetic parameters .


The magnitude of cyclosporine 's effect on ticagrelor pharmacokinetics does not warrant dose adjustment of ticagrelor .


Human T cell lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis ( HAM/TSP ) can impact the independence and motricity of patients .


The aims of this study were to estimate the effects of physiotherapy on the functionality of patients with HAM/TSP during the stable phase of the disease using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation ( PNF ) and to compare two methods of treatment delivery .


Fourteen patients with human T cell lymphotropic virus type I ( HTLV-I ) were randomly allocated into two groups .


In group I ( seven patients ) , PNF was applied by the therapist , facilitating the functional activities of rolling , sitting and standing , walking and climbing and descending stairs .


In group II ( seven patients ) , PNF was self-administered using an elastic tube , and the same activities were facilitated .


Experiments were conducted for @h twice per week for @ weeks .


Low-back pain , a modified Ashworth scale , the functional independence measure ( FIM ) and the timed up and go test ( TUG ) were assessed before and after the interventions .


In the within-group evaluation , low-back pain was significantly reduced in both groups , the FIM improved in group II , and the results of the TUG improved in group I.


In the inter-group analysis , only the tone was lower in group II than in group I.


Both PNF protocols were effective in treating patients with HAM/TSP .


To observe treatment effects and safety of fluvoxamine combined with oxycodone prolonged-release tablets in treating patients with moderate to severe cancer pain .


Patients confirmed pathologically with cancer and complicated with moderate to severe pain , were divided into control and experimental groups .


Oxycodone prolonged-release tablets , with or without fluvoxamine , were administrated to all study patients until pain relief .


Degree of pain relief , dose of oxycodone prolonged-release tablets , side effects and quality of life were compared before and after treatment .


In total , @ patients were recruited .


No statistically significant difference was detected regarding age , gender , types of cancer , KPS between two groups of patients ( P > @ ) .


Baseline pain score of patients with moderate pain in treatment and control group was @ and @ , respectively ; and decreased to @ and @ after treatment , respectively .


Pain intensity was significantly reduced in the treatment group ( P = @ ) .


Average daily consumption of oxycodone prolonged - release tablets was ( @ ) mg and ( @ @ ) mg respectively , which is lower in treatment grpup than in control group , but the difference was not statistically significant ( P = @ ) .


Baseline pain score of patients with severe pain in treatment and control groups were @ and @ , respectively ; and pain intensity after treatment decreased to @ and @ .


Pain intensity was significantly reduced in the treatment group , with statistical significance ( P = @ ) .


Average daily consumption of oxycodone prolonged-release tablets was ( @ ) mg and ( @ ) mg , respectively , which is lower in treatment group than in control group , and the difference was statistically significant ( P = @ ) .


In terms of quality of life , patients in treatment group had better performance status , daily activity , mood , and sleep than that in control group ( P < @ ) .


Patients in two groups had similar side effects , eg. , constipation , nausea/vomiting , lethargy , dizziness , itchy skin , dysuria , and ataxia .


Lower incidence of nausea/vomiting , lethargy , was obtained from patients in treatment than in control group , while significant low constipation was observed in treatment than in control group ( @ % vs @ % , P = @ ) .


Fluvoxamine combined with oxycodone prolonged-release tablets could be more effective in treating patients with cancer pain , and could reduce the dosage of oxycodone prolonged-release tablets and thus be associated with lower side effects , and improved quality of life .


We hypothesized that the optimization of renal haemodynamics by maintaining a high level of mean arterial blood pressure ( MAP ) during cardiopulmonary bypass ( CPB ) could reduce the rate of acute kidney injury ( AKI ) in high-risk patients .


In this randomized , controlled study , we enrolled @ patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass .


All had known risk factors of AKI : serum creatinine clearance between @ and @ ml/min for @ m ( @ ) or two factors among the following : age > @ years , diabetes mellitus , diffuse atherosclerosis .


After a standardized fluid loading , the MAP was maintained between @-@ mmHg during CPB with norepinephrine ( High Pressure , n = @ ) versus @-@ mmHg in the Control ( n = @ ) .


AKI was defined by a @ % increased of serum creatinine ( sCr ) .


We further tested others definitions for AKI : RIFLE classification , @ % rise of sCr and the need for haemodialysis .


The pressure endpoints were achieved in both the High Pressure ( @ @ mmHg ) and the Control groups ( @ @ mmHg ; p < @ ) .


The rate of AKI did not differ by group ( @ % vs. @ % ; p = @ ) , whatever the criteria used for AKI .


The length of stay in hospital ( @ days -LSB- @-@ @ -RSB- vs. @ -LSB- @-@ @ -RSB- ) and the rate of death at day @ ( @ % vs. @ % ) and at six months ( @ % vs. @ % ) did not differ between the groups .


Maintaining a high level of MAP ( on average ) during normothermic CPB does not reduce the risk of postoperative AKI .


It does not alter the length of hospital stay or the mortality rate .


The composition of fatty acids in a diet may differentially affect metabolism , thus playing a role in the development of obesity .


Our purpose was to study the effects of three high-fat ( HF ) meals with different dietary fatty acid compositions on the thermic effect of meal ( TEM ) and substrate oxidation in obese premenopausal women .


@ healthy obese women , aged @-@ years , participated in a single-blinded randomized cross-over study , in which they consumed isocaloric HF meals ( @ % of energy from fat ) rich in either saturated fat ( SFA ) , monounsaturated fat ( MUFA ) or polyunsaturated fat ( PUFA ) .


Indirect calorimetry was used to measure respiratory gases for a @-hour postprandial period .


Data collected was used to determine respiratory exchange ratio ( RER ) for assessing substrate oxidation , and energy expenditure for the determination of TEM .


There was a significant time effect on both substrate oxidation and TEM ( p < @ ) .


With and without using RMR as a covariate , there were no significant differences in TEM between test meals ( TEM of @ vs @ kcal @ h for high-MUFA vs. high-SFA meals , respectively , p = @ ) .


No treatment difference was found for postprandial substrate utilization ( @ , @ and @ g of fat oxidation following SFA , MUFA , and PUFA-rich HF meals , respectively ; @ , @ and @ g of carbohydrate oxidation following SFA , MUFA , and PUFA-rich HF meals , respectively ) .


In premenopausal obese women , HF meals rich in either MUFAs , PUFAs , or SFAs did not differentially affect TEM or postprandial substrate oxidation .


Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors improve cognition in patients with stroke and increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ) in the rat hippocampus .


However , the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on cognition and serum BDNF levels in patients with vascular dementia are largely unknown .


We performed an open-label study to investigate the effects of fluoxetine , a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor , on cognition and serum BDNF levels in patients with vascular dementia .


Fifty patients with vascular dementia were randomly allocated to receive fluoxetine ( @ mg/day ; n = @ ) or no fluoxetine ( control group ; n = @ ) for @ weeks .


Both groups received secondary prevention of stroke .


Serum BDNF level , Mini-Mental State Examination ( MMSE ) score , Ten-Point Clock Drawing score , and Digit Span Test and Verbal Fluency Test scores were measured at baseline and at week @ in the both groups .


The baseline serum BDNF level correlated significantly with the MMSE score .


MMSE score , Ten-Point Clock Drawing score , and serum BDNF level increased significantly in the fluoxetine group but not in the control group .


The increase in serum BDNF level correlated with the increase in MMSE score in the fluoxetine group .


Fluoxetine may potentially improve cognition in patients with vascular dementia and requires further investigation .


BDNF may play an important role in cognitive recovery .


Bile acid malabsorption ( BAM ) - associated diarrhea is an important clinical issue in patients with Crohn 's disease ( CD ) .


We analyzed the efficacy and safety of the bile acid sequestrant colesevelam for treatment of BAM-associated diarrhea in CD patients in a randomized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study .


The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with > @ % reduction of liquid stools/day from baseline to termination visit at week @ .


Secondary endpoints were reduction of the number of liquid stools/day , improvement of stool consistency and quality of life .


@ patients were analyzed in the intention-to-treat ( ITT ) analysis .


The primary endpoint was reached by @ patients ( @ % ) in the colesevelam group compared to @ patients ( @ % ) in the placebo group ( risk difference RD = @ , @ % CI :[ -@ ; @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


In the per-protocol analysis ( n = @ ) , the risk difference was statistically significant ( RD = @ , @ % CI : -LSB- @ ; @ -RSB- , P ( H@ : RD = @ ) = @ ; @ % CI : -LSB- @ ; @ -RSB- ) .


Regarding secondary endpoints , in the ITT population colesevelam-treated patients had a significant reduction of liquid stools/day at week @ ( median @ to @ ; P = @ ) , while patients treated with placebo had no significant reduction ( median @ to @ ; P = @ ) .


Significantly more patients in the colesevelam group had improvement of stool consistency of at least one level in the Bristol stool chart , as compared to the placebo group ( P = @ ) .


We found significant differences in favor for colesevelam treatment compared to placebo treatment for CD patients with BAM regarding the reduction of the number of liquid stools/day and stool consistency .


ClinicalTrials.gov number : NCT@ .


To estimate whether women who underwent mnemonic counseling had better recall of fecal incontinence therapies at @ months and if mnemonic counseling resulted in greater satisfaction with physician counseling and improvement in quality of life when compared with a group who underwent standard counseling .


Counseling-naive women with fecal incontinence were recruited from an academic urogynecology clinic .


Women underwent physical examinations , completed the Quality of the Physician-Patient Interaction , recorded fecal incontinence treatment options they recalled , and completed the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index and Manchester Health Questionnaire immediately after counseling and again at @ months .


Ninety women consented to participate , were randomized , and completed baseline questionnaires .


At baseline , women did not differ in age , ethnicity , education , Fecal Incontinence Severity Index , or Manchester Health Questionnaire scores .


After counseling , the mnemonic group reported higher satisfaction on Quality of the Physician-Patient Interaction ( @ compared with @ , P = @ ) .


Ninety percent ( @/@ ) of women followed up at @ months .


Our primary endpoint , @-month recall of fecal incontinence treatments , was not different between groups ( @ mnemonic counseling compared with @ standard counseling ; P = @ ) .


Secondary endpoints for the mnemonic group reported greater improvement on total Manchester Health Questionnaire ( P = @ ) , emotional ( P = @ ) , sleep ( @ ) , role limitations ( P < @ ) , and physical limitations ( P = @ ) when compared with the standard group .


Fecal incontinence counseling with a mnemonic aid did not improve recall at @ months but improved patient satisfaction and quality of life at @ months .


Hyaluronic acid ( HA ) fillers are FDA approved for improving the appearance of the nasolabial folds .


Previous reports on the use of HA for this treatment have focused on injections directly into the location of the desired correction .


To our knowledge , a study has not been done evaluating the efficacy of injecting a low volume of HA into the adjacent area of volume loss to correct both volume loss and adjacent lines .


The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of three HA injection protocols including deep dermal cheek injection , mid - to deep dermal local nasolabial fold injection , and both injections for the correction of nasolabial folds .


This was a split-face , randomized study evaluating the use of three injection techniques - ( i ) deep bolus injection into the mid - to lateral cheek , ( ii ) local mid - to deep dermal injection into the nasolabial fold , and ( iii ) both deep injection into the mid - to lateral cheek and local mid - to deep dermal injection into the nasolabial fold - for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds .


Wrinkle severity and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scales were measured before and @-@weeks after treatment as assessed by a blinded investigator .


Patient and physician observations showed improvement both globally and in wrinkle severity score with each technique used with no statistical difference between techniques .


Patients showed a slight preference for injection to both the mid - to lateral cheek and nasolabial fold , which was associated with the greatest amount of filler product administered .


No serious adverse events were reported .


Injection of a dermal filler , at low volumes , into either the nasolabial fold or mid - to lateral cheek results in similar improvement to the correction of the nasolabial folds .


To determine whether vibratory stimulation would decrease pain experienced by patients during corticosteroid injection for trigger finger .


A total of @ trigger finger injections were randomized to @ of @ cohorts .


With the injection , patients received no vibration ( control group ) , ultrasound vibration ( sham control group ) , or vibration ( experimental group ) .


We used a commercial handheld massaging device to provide a vibratory stimulus for the experimental group .


We obtained visual analog scale ( VAS ) pain scores before and after injection to assess anticipated pain and actual pain experienced .


Anticipated pain and actual pain did not differ significantly among groups .


Anticipated VAS pain scores were @ , @ , and @ and actual VAS pain scores were @ , @ , and @ for the vibration , control , and sham control groups , respectively .


When normalized using anchoring VAS pain scores for `` stubbing a toe '' or `` paper cut , '' no between-group differences remained in injection pain scores .


Concomitant vibratory stimulation does not reduce pain experienced during corticosteroid injections for trigger finger .


Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and , although efficacious treatments are available , their efficacy is suboptimal and recurrence of symptoms is common .


Effective preventive strategies could reduce disability and the long term social and health complications associated with the disorder , but current options are limited .


Cognitive bias modification ( CBM ) is a novel , simple , and safe intervention that addresses attentional and interpretive biases associated with anxiety , dysphoria , and depression .


The primary aim of this trial is to determine if CBM decreases the one-year onset of a major depressive episode among adults with subsyndromal depression .


This randomised controlled trial will recruit @ adults with subsyndromal symptoms of depression living in the Australian community ( parallel design , @:@ allocation ratio ) .


Participants will be free of clinically significant symptoms of depression and of psychotic disorders , sensory and cognitive impairment , and risky alcohol use .


The CBM intervention will target attentional and interpretive biases associated with depressive symptoms .


The sessions will be delivered via the internet over a period of @ weeks .


The primary outcome of interest is the onset of a major depressive episode according the DSM-IV-TR criteria over a @-month period .


Secondary outcomes of interest include change in the severity of depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire ( PHQ-@ ) , use of antidepressants or benzodiazepines , and changes in attention and interpretive biases .


The assessment of outcomes will take place @ , @ , @ , and @ months after randomisation and will occur via the internet .


We propose to test the efficacy of an innovative intervention that is well grounded in theory and for which increasing empirical evidence for an effect on mood is available .


The intervention is simple , inexpensive , easy to access , and could be easily rolled out into practice if our findings confirm a role for CBM in the prevention of depression .


To observe the clinical effectiveness of Qilin Pills combined with sertraline in the treatment of secondary non-consolidated kidney qi premature ejaculation ( PE ) .


A total of @ patients with secondary non-consolidated kidney qi PE were randomly assigned to groups A ( aged -LSB- @ @ -RSB- yr ) , B ( aged -LSB- @ @ -RSB- yr ) , and C ( aged -LSB- @ @ -RSB- yr ) in the ratio of @:@:@ to receive Qilin Pills ( once @ g , bid ) , sertraline ( once @ mg , qd ) , and Qilin Pills plus sertraline , respectively , all for @ weeks .


The intravaginal ejaculatory latency time ( IELT ) and PE diagnostic tool ( PEDT ) scores were obtained before and after medication and at @ month after drug withdrawal , and comparative analyses were made among the three groups of patients .


The IELT was dramatically prolonged in groups A , B , and C after treatment ( -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , and -LSB- @ @ -RSB- min ) and at @ month after drug withdrawal ( -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , and -LSB- @ @ -RSB- min ) as compared with the baseline ( -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , -LSB- @ @ -RSB- , and -LSB- @ @ -RSB- min ) ( P < @ ) , even longer in group C than in A and B ( P < @ ) .


The PEDT scores of the three groups were @ @ , @ @ , and @ @ after treatment and @ @ , @ @ , and @ @ at @ month after drug withdrawal , significantly improved in comparison with @ @ , @ @ , and @ @ before treatment ( P < @ ) , even more significantly in group C than in A and B ( P < @ ) .


Qilin Pills combined with sertraline has a definite efficacy in the treatment of secondary non-consolidated kidney qi PE and therefore deserves wide clinical application .


Tinnitus affects more than @ million people in the Unites States , and cognitive difficulties are among the most commonly associated symptoms .


To test the feasibility and preliminarily the effectiveness of using a putative neuroplasticity-enhancing drug , D-cycloserine , to facilitate a computer-assisted CT program for improving tinnitus bother and related cognitive difficulties .


Double-blind , randomized clinical trial at an outpatient academic medical center of @ participants aged @ to @ years with subjective , unilateral or bilateral , nonpulsatile tinnitus of at least @ months ' duration .


Five weeks of twice-weekly computer-based CT with either @ mg D-cycloserine or placebo orally prior to computer CT sessions .


Difference in the change in Tinnitus Functional Index ( TFI ) score between the @ groups .


After excluding @ participant lost to follow-up , @ who withdrew , @ who did not complete @ % of sessions , and @ outlier , @ participants were included in the analysis .


The D-cycloserine plus CT group showed a significant improvement in median TFI score ( -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to -@ -RSB- ) and self-reported cognitive deficits ( -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to -@ -RSB- ) , but the placebo group did not ( -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to @ -RSB- and -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to @ -RSB- , respectively ) .


After controlling for age and duration of tinnitus , there was no significant difference in TFI score change between the @ groups ( P = @ ) .


After confounders were controlled for , the D-cycloserine group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in self-reported cognitive deficits as compared with the placebo group ( P = @ ) .


No serious adverse events were reported .


Use of a computer-based CT program with a putative neuroplasticity-sensitizing drug , D-cycloserine , was feasible and well tolerated .


With the limited sample size , the adjuvant use of D-cycloserine was no more effective than placebo at improving tinnitus bother .


The finding that D-cycloserine use was more effective than placebo at improving self-reported cognitive difficulties could be important given the high rate of concern for cognitive deficits in patients with tinnitus .


D-cycloserine and other putative neuroplasticity-facilitating agents could be investigated in the future as a strategy to enhance neuroplasticity-based tinnitus treatments .


Tracheal intubation results in an alteration of the laryngeal mucosa which can lead to undesirable effects at emergence from anaesthesia .


Local anesthetics , when administered topically , may represent an interesting alternative to reduce these side effects .


In this trial , we aimed to evaluate the effect of lidocaine in preventing tracheal intubation related side effects at emergence from anaesthesia , when instilled onto the glottis before intubation or used to inflate the endotracheal tube cuff .


Eighty patients scheduled to elective surgery of less than @ minutes under general anaesthesia were enrolled in this prospective , randomized , controlled , double blind study .


As they receive instillation of @ % lidocaine or saline onto the glottis before intubation , and as they have their endotracheal tube cuff filled with @ % lidocaine or saline , the patients were randomized in four groups .


S-S ( Saline instillation and saline in the cuff ) ; S-Lido ( saline instillation and lidocaine in the cuff ) ; Lido-S ( lidocaine instillation and saline in the cuff ) ; Lido-Lido ( lidocaine instillation and lidocaine in the cuff ) .


The primary outcome was the incidence of coughing before extubation .


The secondary outcomes were sore throat scores at H@ and H@ postoperatively and incidence of dysphagia , dysphonia and laryngeal dyspnea during the first @ hours .


Coughing occurred in @ % , @ % , @ % and @ % of patients in S-S , S-Lido , Lido-S and Lido-Lido groups respectively .


When compared to S-S group , the incidence of coughing was significantly reduced in Lido-S and Lido-Lido groups but not in S-Lido group ( p@ = @ ; p@ = @ ; p@ = @ respectively ) .


Sore throat scores at H@ and H@ were significantly lower in Lido-S and Lido-Lido groups ( p@ = @ and p@ = @ ) .


There was no significant difference between groups regarding the incidence of dysphagia , dysphonia and laryngeal dyspnea .


When instilled onto the glottis before intubation , lidocaine reduced both the incidence of coughing and the severity of postoperative sore throat in surgery of less than @ minutes .


Intracuff lidocaine was not effective to reduce neither coughing nor sore throat severity .


To verify the effect of bloodletting therapy at Jing-well points and semen coicis on patients with traumatic cerebral infarction .


Ninety patients were randomized into a bloodletting therapy at Jing-well points group ( bloodletting group ) , a semen coicis group and a comprehensive therapy group , @ cases in each one .


The conventional basic medication was applied in all of the three groups .


In the bloodletting group , the bloodletting therapy was done at twelve Jing-well points with three-edged needle , @ drops of blood required at each one , three times a day .


In the semen coicis group , the semen coicis preparation was applied via nasal feeding or oral administration , @ g each day , three times a day .


In the comprehensive therapy group , the bloodletting therapy at twelve Jing-well points and semen coicis preparation were used in combination and the methods were same as the above two groups .


After @ weeks of treatment , the efficacy was assessed with nerve function defectscale ( NDS ) .


Fugl-Meyer scale of the upper and lower limb function was used to evaluate the motor function of the affected limbs of the patients before and after treatment .


The scores of Fugl-Meyer scale of the upper and lower limb function were increased apparently after treatment in the patients of every group ( P < @ , P < @ ) .


The score increase was much more obvious in the bloodletting group and the comprehensive therapy group as compared with the semen coicis group ( all P < @ ) .


The result in the comprehensive therapy group was superior to the bloodletting group ( all P < @ ) .


The total effective rates of NDS in the comprehensive therapy group , bloodletting group and semen coicis group were @ % ( @/@ ) , @ % ( @/@ ) and @ % ( @/@ ) separately .


The result in the comprehensive therapy group was higher apparently than those in the bloodletting group and semen coicis group separately ( both P < @ ) .


The result in the bloodletting group was better than that in the semen coicis group ( P < @ ) .


The bloodletting therapy at Jing-well points and semen coicis alleviate apparently nerve function defect , improve the motor function of the affected limbs and achieve the better efficacy .


To evaluate the effect of radiofrequency surgery of the soft palate on daytime sleepiness in snoring men with mild or no sleep apnea .


Randomized controlled trial .


Thirty-five men were recruited from consecutive patients referred to the Ear , Nose , and Throat Clinic due to snoring and complaints of daytime sleepiness .


The inclusion criteria were an apnea-hypopnea index ( AHI ) of@ , male gender , and age @ to @ years .


Patients were randomized to either radiofrequency or sham surgery of the soft palate .


All but one chose and received the option of three treatments .


All patients participated in a follow-up , including an overnight sleep apnea recording and questionnaires @ months after the last treatment .


The primary outcome was daytime sleepiness measured with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale ( ESS ) and other questionnaires .


Secondary outcomes were effects on the AHI and subjective snoring .


Thirty-two of @ patients-@ of @ patients in the radiofrequency surgery group and @ of @ patients in the sham surgery group-completed the study .


No differences between the two groups in relation to the ESS or AHI were found at follow-up .


Radiofrequency surgery of the soft palate has no effect on daytime sleepiness , snoring , or apnea frequency in snoring men with mild or no sleep apnea @ year after surgery .


@b .


Laryngoscope @:@ -@ , @ .


To determine the relationship between inflammation and glucocorticoid metabolism in vivo , in a clinical study of patients with inflammatory arthritis treated with anti-TNF therapy .


Urine samples were collected from patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) and psoriatic arthritis ( PsA ) as part of a multicentre study assessing responses to infliximab and etanercept .


Systemic measures of glucocorticoid metabolism were assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at weeks @ ( baseline ) , @ and @ after anti-TNF therapy .


Clinical data including DAS@ and C-reactive protein were also collected .


Systemic measures of @-HSD@ activity in patients with inflammatory arthritis decreased significantly following anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA and PsA .


Additionally , the activity of the glucocorticoid inactivating enzyme @-reductase appeared to increase significantly .


This study demonstrates , for the first time , that the increased @-HSD@ activity seen in patients with inflammatory arthritis is mediated through TNF .


Furthermore , the changes in related glucocorticoid metabolising enzymes suggest that there is a coordinated change in glucocorticoid metabolism which promotes higher tissue glucocorticoid levels .


The use of the anthropometric indices of adiposity , especially body mass index and waist circumference in the prediction of diabetes mellitus has been widely explored .


Recently , a new body composition index , the body adiposity index was proposed .


The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of body mass index , waist circumference , and body adiposity index in the risk assessment for type @ diabetes mellitus .


A total of @,@ individuals from the general population of Vitoria City , Brazil and @ Amerindians from the Aracruz Indian Reserve , Brazil were randomly selected .


BMI , waist circumference , and BAI were determined according to a standard protocol .


Type @ diabetes mellitus was diagnosed by the presence of fasting glucose @ mg/dL or by the use of antidiabetic drugs .


The area under the curve was similar for all anthropometric indices tested in the Amerindian population , but with very different sensitivities or specificities .


In women from the general population , the area under the curve of waist circumference was significantly higher than that of the body adiposity index .


Regarding risk assessment for type @ diabetes mellitus , the body adiposity index was a better risk predictor than body mass index and waist circumference in the Amerindian population and was the index with highest odds ratio for type @ diabetes mellitus in men from the general population , while in women from the general population waist circumference was the best risk predictor .


Body adiposity index was the best risk predictor for type @ diabetes mellitus in the Amerindian population and men from the general population .


Our data suggest that the body adiposity index is a useful tool for the risk assessment of type @ diabetes mellitus in admixture populations .


This study tried to determine the efficacy and safety of low-dose intracoronary unfractionated heparin ( UFH ) in elective percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI ) .


Two-hundred patients who underwent elective PCI of an uncomplicated lesion were included into the study .


The patients were assigned to either a control group ( @-@ IU/kg intravenous UFH ) or a low-dose intracoronary UFH ( @,@ IU intracoronary UFH ) group .


At @ days , the primary end point ( composite of death , myocardial infarction , or urgent target vessel revascularization ) was similar in both groups -LSB- intracoronary UFH group , @ % ; control group , @ % ; odds ratio ; @ ( @ % CI : @ - @ ) , P = @ -RSB- .


Post-procedural myocardial injury ( according to CK-MB , P = @ ; according to Tn I , P = @ ) and bleeding events ( based on TIMI criteria , P = @ ; based on STEEPLE criteria , P = @ ) were similar in the control and intracoronary groups .


The primary end point at @ months was also similar between the two groups ( P = @ ) .


Moreover , the health care cost at @ days of follow-up was lower in the intracoronary group than in the control group ( @,@ @ $ / patient vs @,@ @ $ / patient , P < @ ) .


This pilot study suggests that elective PCI could be safely performed with low-dose intracoronary UFH in the treatment of uncomplicated lesions and at a lower cost as compared to standard systemic anticoagulation.These results should be confirmed by further studies .


Varus deformity increases the risk of progression of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis .


The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiographic mid-term results of closing-wedge and opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy when used to treat this condition .


From January @ to April @ , ninety-two patients were randomized to receive either a closing-wedge or an opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy .


The clinical outcome and radiographic results were examined preoperatively ; at one year ; and , for the present study , at six years postoperatively .


The outcomes that we reviewed included maintenance of the achieved correction , progression of osteoarthritis ( based on the Kellgren and Lawrence classification ) , severity of pain ( as assessed on a visual analog scale -LSB- VAS -RSB- ) , knee function ( as measured with the Hospital for Special Surgery -LSB- HSS -RSB- score and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score -LSB- KOOS -RSB- ) , walking distance , complications , and survival with conversion to a total knee arthroplasty as the end point .


The results were analyzed on the basis of the intention-to-treat principle .


Six years postoperatively , the mean hip-knee-ankle ( HKA ) angle ( and standard deviation ) was @ @ of valgus after a closing-wedge high tibial osteotomy and @ @ of valgus after an opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy ( p = @ ) .


In both groups , the six-year postoperative HKA angles did not differ from the respective one-year postoperative angles .


No difference in the severity of pain or in knee function was found between the two groups .


Four complications ( @ % ) occurred in the closing-wedge group and seventeen ( @ % ) , in the opening-wedge group .


Ten ( @ % ) of the patients in the closing-wedge group and three ( @ % ) in the opening-wedge group needed conversion to a total knee arthroplasty within the six-year period ( p = @ ) .


The difference in the percentage of cases with conversion to total knee arthroplasty was @ % ( @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- = @ to @ ) .


In the group of patients without conversion to a total knee arthroplasty , there was no difference between the high tibial closing-wedge and opening-wedge osteotomies in terms of clinical outcomes or radiographic alignment at six years postoperatively .


Opening-wedge osteotomy was associated with more complications , but closing-wedge osteotomy was associated with more early conversions to total knee arthroplasty .


Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence .


Concussion is a common injury in sport .


Most individuals recover in @-@days but some have persistent symptoms .


The objective of this study was to determine if a combination of vestibular rehabilitation and cervical spine physiotherapy decreased the time until medical clearance in individuals with prolonged postconcussion symptoms .


This study was a randomised controlled trial .


Consecutive patients with persistent symptoms of dizziness , neck pain and/or headaches following a sport-related concussion ( @-@years , @ male and @ female ) were randomised to the control or intervention group .


Both groups received weekly sessions with a physiotherapist for @weeks or until the time of medical clearance .


Both groups received postural education , range of motion exercises and cognitive and physical rest until asymptomatic followed by a protocol of graded exertion .


The intervention group also received cervical spine and vestibular rehabilitation .


The primary outcome of interest was medical clearance to return to sport , which was evaluated by a study sport medicine physician who was blinded to the treatment group .


In the treatment group , @ % ( @/@ ) of the participants were medically cleared within @weeks of initiation of treatment , compared with @ % ( @/@ ) in the control group .


Using an intention to treat analysis , individuals in the treatment group were @ ( @ % CI @ to @ ) times more likely to be medically cleared by @weeks .


A combination of cervical and vestibular physiotherapy decreased time to medical clearance to return to sport in youth and young adults with persistent symptoms of dizziness , neck pain and/or headaches following a sport-related concussion .


Mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy ( mini-PCNL ) and retrograde intrarenal surgery ( RIRS ) are well-established techniques with little morbidity .


The combined use of standard PCNL and the mini-PCNL or the RIRS technique was evaluated and compared to investigate their own role in the management of staghorn calculi in solitary kidney .


@ patients received combined standard PCNL and mini-PCNL ( group @ ) , and @ patients received combined standard PCNL and RIRS ( group @ ) .


The treatment results and complications were evaluated and compared .


The mean operation time was @ @ min in group @ and @ @ min in group @ ( p < @ ) .


The decrease in hemoglobin level in group @ was significantly higher than that in group @ ( @ @ vs. @ @ g/dl , p < @ ) .


The final stone-free rate was significantly higher ( p = @ ) in group @ ( @ % ) than in group @ ( @ % ) .


Combined standard PCNL and RIRS technique can extract the majority of staghorn calculi quickly by PCNL with EMS Lithoclast , and RIRS used simultaneously can reduce the need for multiple tracts and therefore reduce blood loss and potential morbidity related to multiple tracts , shorten the operation time and achieve a high stone-free rate .


Hyperhidrosis is a chronic disease characterized by increased sweat production .


Local injections of botulinum toxin A ( BTX-A ) have been extensively used for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis ( idiopathic ) .


The current treatment for this condition involves several intradermal injections , resulting in poor patient compliance due to injection-related pain .


Therefore , new protocols , including an improved anesthetic regimen , are required .


We designed the present study to determine whether JetPeel-@ , a medical device used for transdermal delivery of drugs by jet nebulization , could be used to deliver lidocaine prior to the standard multiple BTX-A injections or deliver lidocaine together with BTX-A in order to determine the protocol giving better results in terms of procedure-related pain , sweating , and patient satisfaction in subjects affected by primary axillary , palmar or plantar hyperhidrosis .


Twenty patients with a visual analog scale ( VAS ) sweating score @ cm were randomized to receive lidocaine @ % ( @ mL ) delivered by JetPeel-@ followed by multiple injections of BTX-A ( @ units ) or lidocaine @ % ( @ mL ) and BTX-A ( @ units ) delivered together by JetPeel-@ .


Effect of treatment on sweating was measured by VAS ( @ = minimum sweating ; @ = maximum sweating ) at @-month follow-up .


Pain induced by the procedure was assessed by VAS ( @ = minimum pain ; @ = maximum pain ) immediately after the procedure .


Patient satisfaction was assessed at @-month follow-up using a @-point scale ( @ = not at all satisfied ; @ = not satisfied ; @ = partially satisfied ; @ = satisfied ; @ = highly satisfied ) .


Both treatment modalities reduced sweating at @-month follow-up , if compared with baseline ( all P < @ ) .


Delivery of lidocaine and BTX-A by JetPeel-@ resulted in lower procedure-related pain and reduced sweating , if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel-@ followed by multiple BTX-A injections ( all P < @ ) .


Patient satisfaction with the procedure was higher in the group receiving lidocaine and BTX-A treatment by JetPeel-@ , if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel-@ followed by multiple BTX-A injections ( P < @ ) .


No side effects were observed in both groups .


Lidocaine and BTX-A can be safely delivered together by JetPeel-@ to treat primary palmar , plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis , resulting in lower procedure-related pain , improved sweating and higher patient satisfaction , if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel-@ followed by standard BTX-A injection therapy .


Our protocol delivering lidocaine and BTX-A together by JetPeel-@ requires a reduced quantity of BTX-A , further supporting the use of the transdermal drug delivery by jet nebulization over standard injection therapy for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis .


There is increasing emphasis on the importance of intraocular pressure peaks and fluctuations as risk factors for glaucoma progression .


It is well recognized that the water drinking test raises intraocular pressure and there is reasonable evidence that caffeine can also raise intraocular pressure .


The aim of this study is to directly compare the effect of a caffeine test to that of the water drinking test on intraocular pressure , in patients with glaucoma .


Prospective , observer-masked , cross-over study .


Fourteen eyes of @ patients with primary open-angle glaucoma .


Patients were initially randomized to either caffeine test or water drinking test .


Intraocular pressure was measured in both eyes with a Goldmann applanation tonometer at baseline and every @min for @h , by a masked examiner .


This was repeated the following week at the same time of day for the other test ( the cross-over ) .


Peak intraocular pressure and maximum fluctuation from baseline were compared between groups using paired t-tests .


Peak and fluctuation of intraocular pressure , time of maximum frequency of peak intraocular pressure .


The maximum intraocular pressure from the water drinking test ( @ ) was greater than the caffeine test ( @ ) and showed greater fluctuation in intraocular pressure ( @ mmHg -LSB- @ % -RSB- ; P < @ ) compared with the caffeine test ( @ mmHg -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) ; P = @ ) .


The rise in intraocular pressure was greater with water drinking test than the caffeine test .


Caffeine does not appear to provide an alternative for patients unable to tolerate the water drinking test .


Patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis ( OA ) are less physically active than the general population , while the benefits of physical activity ( PA ) have been well documented .


Based on the behavioral graded activity treatment , we developed a Web-based intervention to improve PA levels in patients with knee and/or hip OA , entitled `` Join@move '' .


The Join@move intervention is a self-paced @-week PA program in which the patient 's favorite recreational activity is gradually increased in a time-contingent way .


The aim of the study was to investigate whether a fully automated Web-based PA intervention in patients with knee and/or hip OA would result in improved levels of PA , physical function , and self-perceived effect compared with a waiting list control group .


The study design was a two-armed randomized controlled trial which was not blinded .


Volunteers were recruited via articles in newspapers and health-related websites .


Eligibility criteria for participants were : ( @ ) aged @-@ years , ( @ ) self-reported knee and/or hip OA , ( @ ) self-reported inactivity ( @ minutes of moderate PA , @ times or less per week ) , ( @ ) no face-to-face consultation with a health care provider other than general practitioners , for OA in the last @ months , ( @ ) ability to access the Internet weekly , and ( @ ) no contra-indications to exercise without supervision .


Baseline , @-month , and @-month follow-up data were collected through online questionnaires .


Primary outcomes were PA , physical function , and self-perceived effect .


In a subgroup of participants , PA was measured objectively using accelerometers .


Secondary outcomes were pain , fatigue , anxiety , depression , symptoms , quality of life , self-efficacy , pain coping , and locus of control .


Of the @ interested respondents , @ eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n = @ ) or waiting list control group ( n = @ ) .


Response rates of questionnaires were @ % ( @/@ ) after @ months and @ % ( @/@ ) after @ months .


In this study , @ % ( @/@ ) of participants actually started the program , and @ % ( @/@ ) reached the adherence threshold of @ out of @ modules completed .


At @ months , participants in the intervention group reported a significantly improved physical function status ( difference = @ points , @ % CI @-@ @ ) and a positive self-perceived effect ( OR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) compared with the control group .


No effect was found for self-reported PA. .


After @ months , the intervention group showed higher levels of subjective ( difference = @ points , @ % CI @-@ @ ) and objective PA ( difference = @ minutes , @ % CI @-@ @ ) compared with the control group .


After @ months , no effect was found for physical function ( difference = @ points , @ % CI -@ to @ ) and self-perceived effect ( OR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) .


For several secondary endpoints , the intervention group demonstrated improvements in favor of the intervention group .


Join@move resulted in changes in the desired direction for several primary and secondary outcomes .


Given the benefits and its self-help format , Join@move could be a component in the effort to enhance PA in sedentary patients with knee and/or hip OA .


The pathophysiological role of iron in Parkinson 's disease ( PD ) was assessed by a chelation strategy aimed at reducing oxidative damage associated with regional iron deposition without affecting circulating metals .


Translational cell and animal models provided concept proofs and a delayed-start ( DS ) treatment paradigm , the basis for preliminary clinical assessments .


For translational studies , we assessed the effect of oxidative insults in mice systemically prechelated with deferiprone ( DFP ) by following motor functions , striatal dopamine ( HPLC and MRI-PET ) , and brain iron deposition ( relaxation-R@ * - MRI ) aided by spectroscopic measurements of neuronal labile iron ( with fluorescence-sensitive iron sensors ) and oxidative damage by markers of protein , lipid , and DNA modification .


DFP significantly reduced labile iron and biological damage in oxidation-stressed cells and animals , improving motor functions while raising striatal dopamine .


For a pilot , double-blind , placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial , early-stage Parkinson 's patients on stabilized dopamine regimens enrolled in a @-month single-center study with DFP ( @ mg/kg/day ) .


Based on a @-month DS paradigm , early-start patients ( n = @ ) compared to DS patients ( n = @ ) ( @/@ completed ) responded significantly earlier and sustainably to treatment in both substantia nigra iron deposits ( R@ * MRI ) and Unified Parkinson 's Disease Rating Scale motor indicators of disease progression ( p < @ and p < @ , respectively ) .


Apart from three rapidly resolved neutropenia cases , safety was maintained throughout the trial .


A moderate iron chelation regimen that avoids changes in systemic iron levels may constitute a novel therapeutic modality for PD .


The therapeutic features of a chelation modality established in translational models and in pilot clinical trials warrant comprehensive evaluation of symptomatic and/or disease-modifying potential of chelation in PD .


To compare the efficacy and toxicity of the chemotherapeutic regimen containing pirarubicin and mitoxantrone on the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia ( AML ) in adults .


In this open prospective multicentre study , we randomly assigned patients with relapsed or refractory AML to receive TAE regimen ( pirarubicin + cytarabine + etoposide ) versus MAE regimen ( mitoxantrone + cytarabine + etoposide ) .


The efficacy and toxicity were compared between the two groups .


@ patients entered this clinical trial .


The complete remission ( CR ) rate on TAE arm was @ % versus @ % on MAE arm with the overall response ( OR ) rates of @ % versus @ % , respectively .


The CR was higher on TAE arm ( P = @ ) but with no significant difference between the two groups regarding the overall response ( OR ) rate .


The regimens were well tolerated in both groups .


Hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity were similar except relatively lower the mean dosage of G-CSF , red blood cells and platelets transfusion on TAE arm .


No significant differences were seen between the two groups regarding the overall survival and relapse free survival rates .


TAE regimen might be an effective salvage therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory AML .


Tuberculous pericarditis is associated with high morbidity and mortality even if antituberculosis therapy is administered .


We evaluated the effects of adjunctive glucocorticoid therapy and Mycobacterium indicus pranii immunotherapy in patients with tuberculous pericarditis .


Using a @-by-@ factorial design , we randomly assigned @ adults with definite or probable tuberculous pericarditis to either prednisolone or placebo for @ weeks and to either M. indicus pranii or placebo , administered in five injections over the course of @ months .


Two thirds of the participants had concomitant human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) infection .


The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of death , cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis , or constrictive pericarditis .


There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between patients who received prednisolone and those who received placebo ( @ % and @ % , respectively ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , @ to @ ; P = @ ) or between those who received M. indicus pranii immunotherapy and those who received placebo ( @ % and @ % , respectively ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P = @ ) .


Prednisolone therapy , as compared with placebo , was associated with significant reductions in the incidence of constrictive pericarditis ( @ % vs. @ % ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P = @ ) and hospitalization ( @ % vs. @ % ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P = @ ) .


Both prednisolone and M. indicus pranii , each as compared with placebo , were associated with a significant increase in the incidence of cancer ( @ % vs. @ % ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P = @ , and @ % vs. @ % ; hazard ratio , @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P = @ , respectively ) , owing mainly to an increase in HIV-associated cancer .


In patients with tuberculous pericarditis , neither prednisolone nor M. indicus pranii had a significant effect on the composite of death , cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis , or constrictive pericarditis .


( Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others ; IMPI ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease may share common biological pathways , with inflammation playing a role in the development of both .


Although observational studies have suggested that statin use is associated with a lower risk of fractures , randomized trial data addressing this issue are scant .