Seventy cases were randomized into an acupuncture group ( @ cases ) and a western medication group ( @ cases ) .


In the acupuncture group , Zusanli ( ST @ ) and Neiguan ( PC @ ) were selected .


Taichong ( LR @ ) and Neiting ( ST @ ) were added for excess syndrome while Gongsun ( SP @ ) and Yinlingquan ( SP @ ) were added for deficiency syndrome .


A pair of electrodes was attached to one acupoint and an assistant point ( @ mm next to the acupoint centripetally ) and stimulated with disperse-dense wave at @ Hz/@ Hz , once a day .


In the western medication group , domperidone was prescribed for oral administration , @ mg each time , three times a day .


In the two groups , the treatment of @ days made one session and @ sessions were required totally .


Nepean dyspepsia index ( NDI ) was compared after treatment , @ , @ , @ , @ and @ months after treatment between the two groups respectively .


The score of symptom and score of life quality in NDI after treatment and at each follow-up time point were improved obviously in the acupuncture group as compared with those before treatment ( all P < @ ) .


In the western mediation group , the score of symptom and the score of life quality in NDI after treatment and in follow-up of @ , @ and @ months were improved obviously as compared with those before treatment ( all P < @ ) , but the differences were not significant in follow-up of @ and @ months ( both P > @ ) .


Compared with the western medication group , the symptom score of NDI was reduced obviously after treatment and in each time point of follow-up in the acupuncture group ( P < @ , P < @ ) , and the score of life quality was increased obviously ( P < @ , P < @ ) .


Acupuncture at the acupoints selected by pattern/syndrome differentiation and domperidone are effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia .


Domperidone is unsatisfactory in the long-term effect , but acupuncture achieves the positive short-term and long-term effects on functional dyspepsia .


We compared the efficacy and safety of ozenoxacin ( a new nonfluorinated quinolone ) @ % cream with placebo in the treatment of impetigo .


In a randomized , double-blind , multicenter study , patients received ozenoxacin cream or placebo cream twice daily for @ days ( a third group received retapamulin @ % ointment as a control ) .


Clinical , microbiological and laboratory evaluations were performed during follow-up ( over @ weeks ) .


Ozenoxacin was superior to placebo ( success rate @ vs @ % ; p = @ ) .


Microbiological success was @ % for ozenoxacin and @ % for placebo after @-@ days and @ % versus @ % after @-@ days .


Ozenoxacin produced more rapid microbiological clearance than retapamulin .


All treatments were well tolerated .


Ozenoxacin @ % cream was effective and safe in the treatment of impetigo .


Anemia is the most common adverse event in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) treated with telaprevir ( TVR ) combined triple therapy .


We examined the effects of drug dose adjustment on anemia and a sustained viral response ( SVR ) during combination therapy .


This study enrolled @ patients treated with TVR ( @,@ mg ) for @ weeks plus pegylated interferon-alpha-@b and ribavirin for @ weeks .


The patients were assigned randomly to the TVR-standard or - reduced groups before treatment .


At the occurrence of anemia ( hemoglobin < @ g/dL ) , the TVR-reduced group received @ mg TVR plus the standard dose of ribavirin , whereas the TVR-standard group received the standard TVR dose ( @,@ mg ) and a reduced dose of ribavirin ( @ mg lower than prescribed originally ) .


The safety and SVR at @ weeks were compared between the TVR-standard ( n = @ ) and TVR-reduced ( n = @ ) groups .


No differences in the proportion of patients who became HCV RNA-negative were detected between the TVR-standard and - reduced groups ( @ and @ % at week @ , @ and @ % at the end of treatment , and @ and @ % at SVR@ , respectively ) .


Two groups had comparable numbers of adverse events , which led to the discontinuation of TVR in @ patients of TVR-standard group and in @ of TVR-reduced group .


A lower incidence of renal impairment was observed in the TVR-reduced group ( @ % ) than the TVR-standard group ( @ % , not statistically significant ) .


TVR dose adjustment could prevent anemia progression without weakening the anti-viral effect during triple therapy in HCV-patients .


To compare the temporomandibular joint changes in adolescent Class II division @ malocclusion patients with mandibular retrusion treated with Twin - block and Class II elastics .


Sixty Class II division @ malocclusion patients with mandibular retrusion were divided into @ groups ( Twin - block group , Class II elastic group and control group , @ patients in each group ) randomly .


Differences of condylar process morphology were compared using cone - beam CT ( CBCT ) before and after treatment .


Condylar largest anteroposterior diameter and upper condylar height increased after treatment in both Twin-block group and Class II elastic group .


The condylar largest anteroposterior diameter and upper condylar height were longer in both Twin - block group -LSB- ( @ @ ) and ( @ @ ) mm -RSB- and Class II elastic group -LSB- ( @ @ ) and ( @ @ ) mm -RSB- than those in the control group -LSB- ( @ @ ) and ( @ @ ) mm -RSB- ( P < @ ) .


No significant difference was found in other measurements ( P > @ ) .


Condylar largest anteroposterior diameter and upper condylar height in Class II division @ malocclusion patients increased after treatment using Twin - block and Class II elastics .


There was no significant difference between two groups .


During total knee arthroplasty ( TKA ) blood loss can be significant and in spite of all techniques for reducing blood loss there is still a significant possibility for blood transfusions .


For blood loss management during TKA , pre-operative autologous blood donation ( PABD ) is still a standard of care .


In this prospective randomised study we have evaluated the efficacy of PABD in patients undergoing TKA to answer the question whether there is any need for autologous blood donations during TKA and , if yes , for which group of patients .


Patients were randomised to three groups .


In group @ patients did not donate autologous blood , in group @ patients donated @ dose @hours prior to TKA and in group @ patients donated autologous blood @days prior to TKA .


In all patients haemoglobin , haematocrit , thrombocyte and reticulocyte values , iron concentrations ( Fe , unsaturated iron binding capacity , total iron binding capacity ) , activated partial thromboplastin time , prothrombin time , and intra-operative and post-operative blood loss were measured and compared .


With PABD there was no reduction in allogeneic blood transfusions and a large number of taken doses of autologous blood was discarded , which significantly increased the cost of treatment for these patients .


For patients undergoing TKA , PABD can provoke iatrogenic anaemia and thereby increase the likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusion .


Results of our study showed that PABD in non-anaemic patients is not justified and is not economically feasible .


Randomized clinical trial .


Objectives To compare the blood pressure ( BP ) and heart rate ( HR ) response of healthy volunteers to posteriorly directed ( anterior-to-posterior -LSB- AP -RSB- ) pressure applied to the cervical spine versus placebo .


Manual therapists employ cervical spine AP mobilizations for various cervical-shoulder pain conditions .


However , there is a paucity of literature describing the procedure , cardiovascular response , and safety profile .


Thirty-nine ( @ female ) healthy participants ( mean SD age , @ @ years ) were randomly assigned to @ of @ groups .


Group @ received a placebo , consisting of light touch applied to the right C@ costal process .


Group @ received AP pressure at the same location .


Blood pressure and HR were measured prior to , during , and after the application of AP pressure .


One-way analysis of variance and paired-difference statistics were used for data analysis .


There was no statistically significant difference between groups for mean systolic BP , mean diastolic BP , and mean HR ( P > @ ) for all time points .


Within-group comparisons indicated statistically significant differences between baseline and post-AP pressure HR ( -@ bpm ; @ % confidence interval : -@ , -@ ) and between baseline and post-AP pressure systolic BP ( -@ mmHg ; @ % confidence interval : -@ , -@ ) in the AP group , and between baseline and postplacebo systolic BP ( -@ mmHg ; @ % confidence interval : -@ , -@ ) in the placebo group .


No participants reported any adverse reactions or side effects within @ hours of testing .


AP pressure caused a statistically significant physiologic response that resulted in a minor drop in HR ( without causing asystole or vasodepression ) after the procedure , whereas this cardiovascular change did not occur for those in the placebo group .


Within both groups , there was a small but statistically significant reduction in systolic BP following the procedure .


To examine whether improvements in health behaviors are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) in individuals with newly diagnosed type @ diabetes .


Population-based prospective cohort study of @ newly diagnosed diabetic patients aged between @ and @ years from the treatment phase of the ADDITION-Cambridge study .


Because the results for all analyses were similar by trial arm , data were pooled , and results were presented for the whole cohort .


Participants were identified via population-based stepwise screening between @ and @ , and underwent assessment of physical activity ( European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk Physical Activity Questionnaire ) , diet ( plasma vitamin C and self-report ) , and alcohol consumption ( self-report ) at baseline and @ year .


A composite primary CVD outcome was examined , comprised of cardiovascular mortality , nonfatal myocardial infarction , nonfatal stroke , and revascularization .


After a median ( interquartile range ) follow-up period of @ years ( @ years ) , @ % of the cohort experienced a CVD event ( @ per @,@ person-years ; @ % CI @-@ @ ) .


CVD risk was inversely related to the number of positive health behaviors changed in the year after diabetes diagnosis .


The relative risk for primary CVD event in individuals who did not change any health behavior compared with those who adopted three/four healthy behaviors was @ ( @ % CI @-@ @ ) , adjusting for age , sex , study group , social class , occupation , and prescription of cardioprotective medication ( P for trend = @ ) .


CVD risk was inversely associated with the number of healthy behavior changes adopted in the year after the diagnosis of diabetes .


Interventions that promote early achievement of these goals in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes could help reduce the burden of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality .


Several studies have found that brief interventions ( BIs ) for drug misuse have superior effectiveness to no-treatment controls .


However , many health centers do not provide BIs for drug use consistently due to insufficient behavioral health staff capacity .


Computerized BIs for drug use are a promising approach , but their effectiveness compared with in-person BIs has not been established .


This study compared the effectiveness of a computerized brief intervention ( CBI ) to an in-person brief intervention ( IBI ) delivered by a behavioral health counselor .


Two-arm randomized clinical trial , conducted in two health centers in New Mexico , United States .


Participants were @ adult primary care patients with moderate-risk drug scores on the Alcohol , Smoking , and Substance Involvement Screening Test ( ASSIST ) who were randomly assigned on a @:@ basis to a computerized brief intervention ( CBI ) or to an in-person brief intervention ( IBI ) delivered by a behavioral health counselor .


Assessments were conducted at baseline and @-month follow-up , and included the ASSIST and drug testing on hair samples .


The IBI and CBI conditions did not differ at @ months on global ASSIST drug scores -LSB- b = -@ ; @ % confidence interval ( CI ) = -@ , @ -RSB- or drug-positive hair tests -LSB- odds ratio ( OR ) = @ ; @ % CI = @ , @ -RSB- .


There was a statistically significant advantage of CBI over IBI in substance-specific ASSIST scores for marijuana ( b = -@ ; @ % CI = -@ , -@ ; Cohen 's d = @ ; P = @ ) and cocaine ( b = -@ ; @ % CI = -@ , -@ ; Cohen 's d = @ ; P = @ ) at @ months .


Computerized brief intervention can be an effective alternative to in-person brief intervention for addressing moderate drug use in primary care .


To examine the relationship between inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers and cardiac autonomic function ( CAF ) as measured by heart rate variability in persons with HIV .


This analysis included @ HIV-infected persons from the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy study .


We examined the association between IL-@ , high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hsCRP ) and D-dimer with heart rate variability measures ( SDNN and rMSSD ) , both cross-sectionally and longitudinally .


Cross-sectional analysis revealed significant inverse associations between IL-@ , hsCRP and d-dimer with SDNN and rMSSD ( p < @ for all comparisons ) .


However , longitudinal analysis failed to show a significant association between baseline IL-@ , hsCRP and d-dimer with change in CAF over time .


Cross-sectionally , higher levels of inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers were associated with lower levels of CAF in the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy trial .


Although deterioration in CAF was observed during followup , baseline levels of inflammatory and coagulation markers were not predictive of the decline in CAF over time .


To compare the difference in the efficacy on low back pain of cold-damp pattern between electric-thermal Bian-stone therapy and moxibustion box therapy .


Forty-one cases of low back pain of cold-damp pattern were randomized into an electric-thermal Bian-stone therapy group ( group A , @ cases ) and a box moxibustion therapy group ( group B , @ cases ) .


In the group A , the electric-thermal Bian-stone was placed over Shenshu ( BL @ ) and Weizhong ( BL @ ) .


The temperature of stone was adjusted in accordance with patient 's comfort .


In the group B , moxibustion box was used over Shenshu ( BL @ ) and Weizhong ( BL @ ) .


The treatment was given once every day or every two days .


Ten treatments made one session .


The symptom and physical signs score of low back pain and the score of cold-damp syndrome were observed before and after treatment in the patients .


The symptom and physical signs score of low back pain and the score of cold-damp syndrome were all improved in the two groups ( all P < @ ) .


The changing rate of symptom and physical signs and syndrome were ( @ + / - @ ) % and ( @ + / - @ ) % in the group A , and were ( @ + / - @ ) % and ( @ + / - @ ) % in the group B , respectively , without significant difference in comparison between the two groups ( all P > @ ) .


The efficacy on low back pain of cold-damp pattern treated with the electric-thermal Bian-stone therapy is similar to that of moxibustion box therapy .


This therapy is characterized as more convenient , safer operation and less pollution .


Omega-@ fatty acids confer beneficial health effects , but North Americans are lacking in their dietary omega-@-rich intake .


Supplementation is an alternative to consumption of fish ; however , not all omega-@ products are created equal .


The trial objective was to compare the increases in blood levels of omega-@ fatty acids after consumption of four different omega-@ supplements , and to assess potential changes in cardiovascular disease risk following supplementation .


This was an open-label , randomized , cross-over study involving thirty-five healthy subjects .


Supplements and daily doses ( as recommended on product labels ) were : Concentrated Triglyceride ( rTG ) fish oil : EPA of @mg , DHA of @mgEthyl Ester ( EE ) fish oil : EPA of @mg , DHA of @mgPhospholipid ( PL ) krill oil : EPA of @mg , DHA of @mgTriglyceride ( TG ) salmon oil : EPA of @mg , DHA of @mg .


Subjects were randomly assigned to consume one of four products , in random order , for a @-day period , followed by a @-week washout period .


Subsequent testing of the remaining three products , followed by @-week washout periods , continued until each subject had consumed each of the products .


Blood samples before and after supplementation were quantified for fatty acid analysis using gas chromatography , and statistically analysed using ANOVA for repeated measures .


At the prescribed dosage , the statistical ranking of the four products in terms of increase in whole blood omega-@ fatty acid levels was concentrated rTG fish oil > EE fish oil > triglyceride TG salmon oil > PL krill oil .


Whole blood EPA percentage increase in subjects consuming concentrated rTG fish oil was more than four times that of krill and salmon oil .


Risk reduction in several elements of cardiovascular disease was achieved to a greater extent by the concentrated rTG fish oil than by any other supplement .


Krill oil and ( unconcentrated ) triglyceride oil were relatively unsuccessful in this aspect of the study .


For the general population , the form and dose of omega-@ supplements may be immaterial .


However , given these results , the form and dose may be important for those interested in reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease .


The purpose of this study was to compare cosmesis at @ to @ months and infection in simple lacerations irrigated with normal saline ( NS ) versus activated chlorine dioxide ( CD ) .


This was a prospective , randomized trial of a convenience sample of patients .


This study was approved by the institutional review board and Food and Drug Administration as a physician-sponsored trial ( FDA investigational new drug no. @ ) .


The study was conducted in a large urban , academic emergency department .


Patients aged @ to @ with simple , uncomplicated lacerations requiring repair that were less than @ hours old were enrolled .


Patients were randomized to receive either NS or CD wound irrigation .


Demographics , infection , and cosmesis were analyzed and assessed .


Cosmetic outcome was assessed at @ to @ months using a visual analog scale ( VAS ) , wound evaluation score ( WES ) , patient VAS ( VASPt ) , and digital imaging VAS by @ plastic surgeons ( VASPlast ) .


One hundred ninety-three patients were enrolled .


Data analysis was available for @ cases ( @ NS and @ CD ) .


Wound infection follow-up was obtained in @ % of the patients .


The @ - to @-month cosmesis follow-up was @ % for VAS/WES , @ % for VASPt , and @ % for VASPlast .


There were no significant differences in demographics , key wound characteristics , infection , adverse reactions , and cosmesis .


The authors report the use of a novel antimicrobial irrigation solution .


Chlorine dioxide appears to be a safe biologically acceptable antiseptic wound irrigant that does not appear to interfere with cosmetic outcomes .


A reduced exercise capacity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ) .


Therapeutic exercise can be beneficial and neuromuscular electrical stimulation ( NMES ) of the quadriceps muscles may represent a practical approach .


The primary aim of this study was to determine the acceptability of NMES of the quadriceps to patients with NSCLC used alongside palliative chemotherapy .


Secondary aims explored aspects of safety and efficacy of NMES in this setting .


Patients with advanced NSCLC due to receive first-line palliative chemotherapy were randomized to usual care with or without NMES .


They were asked to undertake @ minute sessions of NMES , ideally daily , but as a minimum , three times weekly .


For NMES to be considered acceptable , it was predetermined that @ % of patients should achieve this minimum level of adherence .


Qualitative interviews were held with a subset of patients to explore factors influencing adherence .


Safety was assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events .


Quadriceps muscle strength , thigh lean mass , and physical activity level were assessed at baseline and after three cycles of chemotherapy .


@ patients ( @ male , median ( IQR ) age @ ( @-@ ) years ) participated .


Of @ randomized to NMES , @ were eligible for the primary endpoint , of whom @ ( @ % -LSB- @ % CI , @ to @ -RSB- ) met the minimum level of adherence .


Adherence was enhanced by incorporating sessions into a daily routine and hindered by undesirable effects of chemotherapy .


There were no serious adverse events related to NMES , nor significant differences in quadriceps muscle strength , thigh lean mass or physical activity level between groups .


NMES is not acceptable in this setting , nor was there a suggestion of benefit .


The need remains to explore NMES in patients with cancer in other settings .


To compare the effectiveness of virtual reality-based balance exercises to conventional balance exercises during vestibular rehabilitation in patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular loss ( UVL ) .


Assessor-blind , randomized controlled trial .


Two acute care university teaching hospitals .


Patients with UVL ( N = @ ) who had dizziness/vertigo , and gait and balance impairment .


Patients with UVL were randomly assigned to receive @ weeks of either conventional ( n = @ ) or virtual reality-based ( n = @ ) balance exercises during vestibular rehabilitation .


The virtual reality-based group received an off-the-shelf virtual reality gaming system for home exercise , and the conventional group received a foam balance mat .


Treatment comprised weekly visits to a physiotherapist and a daily home exercise program .


The primary outcome was self-preferred gait speed .


Secondary outcomes included other gait parameters and tasks , Sensory Organization Test ( SOT ) , dynamic visual acuity , Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale , Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefits Questionnaire , and Activities Balance Confidence Questionnaire .


The subjective experience of vestibular rehabilitation was measured with a questionnaire .


Both groups improved , but there were no significant differences in gait speed between the groups postintervention ( mean difference , -@ m/s ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , -@ to @ m/s ) .


There were also no significant differences between the groups in SOT scores ( mean difference , @ % ; @ % CI , -@ % to @ % ) or on any of the other secondary outcomes ( P > @ ) .


In both groups , adherence to exercise was high ( @ % ) , but the virtual reality-based group reported significantly more enjoyment ( P = @ ) , less difficulty with ( P = @ ) and less tiredness after ( P = @ ) balance exercises .


At @ months , there were no significant between-group differences in physical outcomes .


Virtual reality-based balance exercises performed during vestibular rehabilitation were not superior to conventional balance exercises during vestibular rehabilitation but may provide a more enjoyable method of retraining balance after unilateral peripheral vestibular loss .


Feedback is a critical component of any educational intervention .


When it comes to feedback associated with inhaler technique education , there is a lack of knowledge on its role or its potential to solve the major issue of poor inhaler technique .


This study aims to explore the role of feedback in inhaler technique education and its impact on the inhaler technique of patients over time .


A parallel-group , repeated-measures study was conducted in the community pharmacy in which the effectiveness of current best practice inhaler technique education utilising qualitative visual feedback ( Group @ ) was compared with a combination of qualitative and quantitative visual feedback ( Group @ ) .


The impact of these two interventions on inhaler technique maintenance was evaluated .


Community pharmacists were randomly allocated to recruit people with asthma who were using a dry powder inhaler .


At Visit @ their inhaler technique was evaluated and education delivered and they were followed up at Visit @ ( @ month later ) .


Both educational interventions resulted in an increase in the proportion of patients with correct inhaler technique : from @ % to @ % in Group @ and from @ % to @ % in Group @ ( Pearson 's Chi-Squared , P = @ , n = @ , and Pearson 's Chi-Squared , P = @ , n = @ , respectively ) .


The magnitude of improvement was statistically significantly higher for Group @ compared with Group @ ( n = @ , P = @ , Pearson 's Chi-Square test ) .


The nature of feedback has an impact on the effectiveness of inhaler technique education with regard to correct inhaler technique maintenance over time .


Viability seems to be important in preventing ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction ( AMI ) .


We investigated the influence of viability , as demonstrated with low-dose dobutamine echocardiography , and the role of early revascularization on the process of left ventricular ( LV ) remodeling after AMI .


We retrospectively investigated @ patients who were initially included in the viability-guided angioplasty after acute myocardial infarction-trial ( VIAMI-trial ) .


Patients in the VIAMI-trial did not undergo a primary or rescue percutaneous coronary intervention and were stable in the early in-hospital phase .


Patients underwent viability testing within @hours after AMI .


Patients with viability were randomized to an invasive strategy or an ischemia-guided strategy .


Follow-up echocardiography was performed at a mean of @days .


In this echocardiographic substudy , patients were divided into three new groups : group @ , viable and revascularized before follow-up echocardiogram ; group @ , viable , but medically treated ; and group @ , non-viable patients .


Group @ showed preservation of LV volume indices .


The ejection fraction ( EF ) increased significantly from @ % to @ % ( P = @ ) .


Group @ showed a significant increase in LV volume indices with no improvement in EF ( @ % versus @ % , P = @ ) .


Group @ showed a significant increase in LV volume indices , with a decrease in EF from @ % to @ % ( P = @ ) .


Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated the number of viable segments and revascularization during follow-up as independent predictors for EF improvement , especially in patients with lower EF at baseline .


Viability early after AMI is associated with improvement in LV function after revascularization .


When viable myocardium is not revascularized , the LV tends to remodel with increased LV volumes , without improvement of EF .


Absence of viability results in ventricular dilatation and deterioration of EF , irrespective of revascularization status .


To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an established programme of occupational therapy in maintaining functional activity and reducing further health risks from inactivity in care home residents living with stroke sequelae .


Pragmatic , parallel group , cluster randomised controlled trial .


@ care homes ( > @ beds each ) , both with and without the provision of nursing care , local to @ trial administrative centres across the United Kingdom .


@ care home residents with a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack , including those with language and cognitive impairments , not receiving end of life care .


@ homes ( n = @ residents , @ % from homes providing nursing care ) were allocated to the intervention arm and @ homes ( n = @ residents , @ % from homes providing nursing care ) to standard care ( control arm ) .


Participating care homes were randomised between May @ and March @ .


Targeted three month programme of occupational therapy , delivered by qualified occupational therapists and assistants , involving patient centred goal setting , education of care home staff , and adaptations to the environment .


Primary outcome at the participant level : scores on the Barthel index of activities of daily living at three months post-randomisation .


Secondary outcome measures at the participant level : Barthel index scores at six and @ months post-randomisation , and scores on the Rivermead mobility index , geriatric depression scale-@ , and EuroQol EQ-@D-@L questionnaire , at all time points .


@ % of the participants were women and @ % were white , with a mean age of @ years .


Baseline characteristics were similar between groups for all measures , personal characteristics , and diagnostic tests .


Overall , @ occupational therapy visits were made to @ participants in the intervention arm ( mean @ visits per participant ) .


No adverse events attributable to the intervention were recorded .


@ ( @ % ) died before the primary outcome time point , and @ ( @ % ) died over the @ months of the trial .


The primary outcome measure did not differ significantly between the treatment arms .


The adjusted mean difference in Barthel index score at three months was @ points higher in the intervention arm ( @ % confidence interval -@ to @ , P = @ ) .


Secondary outcome measures also showed no significant differences at all time points .


This large phase III study provided no evidence of benefit for the provision of a routine occupational therapy service , including staff training , for care home residents living with stroke related disabilities .


The established three month individualised course of occupational therapy targeting stroke related disabilities did not have an impact on measures of functional activity , mobility , mood , or health related quality of life , at all observational time points .


Providing and targeting ameliorative care in this clinically complex population requires alternative strategies.Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN@ .


To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of specialized multidisciplinary tinnitus treatment based on cognitive behavioral therapy , compared with care as usual .


Randomized controlled trial including an economic evaluation from a health-care and societal perspective , using a one-year time horizon .


Audiologic center .


A referred sample of @ patients with tinnitus were eligible for participation .


Approximately @ patients were included in the study .


Eighty-six ( @ % ) of @ patients in the usual care group , and @ ( @ % ) of @ patients in the specialized care group were lost to follow-up by month @ .


Quality adjusted life years ( QALYs ) as measured with the Health Utilities Index Mark III and cost in US dollars .


Compared with patients receiving usual care , patients who received specialized care gained on average @ QALYs ( @ % bootstrapped confidence interval -LSB- BCI -RSB- , -@ to @ ) .


The incremental costs from a societal perspective are $ @ ( @ % BCI , - $ @,@ to $ @,@ ) .


The incremental cost per QALY from a societal perspective amounted to $ @,@ .


The probability that SC is cost-effective from a societal perspective is @ % for a willingness to pay for a QALY of $ @,@ .


Specialized multidisciplinary tinnitus treatment based on cognitive behavioral therapy is cost-effective as compared with usual care .


Although uncertainty surrounding the incremental costs and effects is considerable , sensitivity analysis indicated that cost-effectiveness results were robust .


The brain serotonin level is decreased in individuals with autism .


Buspirone is a @-HT ( @A ) receptor agonist with antiaggressive effects increasing prosocial behaviors .


We conducted an @-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial .


Participants included @ outpatient children and adolescents with autism .


The patients took buspirone plus risperidone or risperidone plus placebo during @ weeks .


The patients were assessed at baseline , week @ , and week @ using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Rating Scale .


Eighteen patients in the placebo group and @ patients in the buspirone group completed this trial .


The mean dose of buspirone was @ ( SD @ ) mg/day .


Irritability subscale score significantly decreased during this trial in both groups ( buspirone group : declined from @ -LSB- SD @ -RSB- to @ -LSB- SD @ -RSB- ; placebo group : declined from @ -LSB- SD @ -RSB- to @ -LSB- SD @ -RSB- ) .


The Cohen d effect size was @ .


Thirteen ( @ % ) of @ patients in the buspirone group and @ ( @ % ) of @ patients in the placebo group showed a @ % decline in irritability score .


The relative risk for treatment was @ .


There were no serious adverse effects .


The most common adverse effects in the buspirone group were increased appetite , drowsiness , and fatigue .


This clinical trial supports that low dose buspirone plus risperidone is more effective than risperidone plus placebo for treating irritability in individuals with autism .


To identify which training approach , if any , is most effective for improving perception of frequency-compressed speech .


A between-subject design using repeated measures .


Forty young adults with normal hearing were randomly allocated to one of four groups : a training group ( sentence or consonant ) or a control group ( passive exposure or test-only ) .


Test and training material differed in terms of material and speaker .


On average , sentence training and passive exposure led to significantly improved sentence recognition ( @ % and @ % , respectively ) compared with the consonant training group ( @ % ) and test-only group ( @ % ) , whilst , consonant training led to significantly improved consonant recognition ( @ % ) compared with the sentence training group ( @ % ) , passive exposure group ( @ % ) , and test-only group ( @ % ) .


Sentence training led to improved sentence recognition , whilst consonant training led to improved consonant recognition .


This suggests learning transferred between speakers and material but not stimuli .


Passive exposure to sentence material led to an improvement in sentence recognition that was equivalent to gains from active training .


This suggests that it may be possible to adapt passively to frequency-compressed speech .


Clinical practice guidelines ( CPGs ) are not readily implemented in clinical practice .


One of the impeding factors is that physical therapists do not hold realistic perceptions of their adherence to CPGs .


Peer assessment ( PA ) is an implementation strategy that aims at improving guideline adherence by enhancing reflective practice , awareness of professional performance , and attainment of personal goals .


The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of PA with the usual case discussion ( CD ) strategy on adherence to CPGs for physical therapist management of upper extremity complaints .


A single-masked , cluster-randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest design was conducted .


Twenty communities of practice ( n = @ physical therapists ) were randomly assigned to groups receiving PA or CD , with both interventions consisting of @ sessions over @ months .


Both PA and CD groups worked on identical clinical cases relevant to the guidelines .


Peer assessment focused on individual performance observed and evaluated by peers ; CD focused on discussion .


Guideline adherence was measured with clinical vignettes , reflective practice was measured with the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale ( SRIS ) , awareness of performance was measured via the correlation between perceived and assessed improvement , and attainment of personal goals was measured with written commitments to change .


The PA groups improved more on guideline adherence compared with the CD groups ( effect = @ ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- @ % CI -RSB- = @ , @ ; P = @ ) .


The SRIS scores did not differ between PA and CD groups .


Awareness of performance was greater for the PA groups ( r = @ ) than for the CD groups ( r = @ ) ( effect = @ ; @ % CI = @ , @ ; P = @ ) .


The PA strategy was more effective than the CD strategy in attaining personal goals ( effect = @ ; @ % CI = @ , @ ; P = @ ) .


Limited validity of clinical vignettes as a proxy measure of clinical practice was a limitation of the study .


Peer assessment was more effective than CD in improving adherence to CPGs .


Personal feedback may have contributed to its effectiveness .


Future research should address the role of the group coach .


To examine the relationship between performance on executive function measures and subsequent mobility outcomes in community-dwelling older adults .


Randomized controlled clinical trial .


Champaign-Urbana , Illinois .


Community-dwelling older adults ( N = @ ; mean age @ ) .


A @-month exercise trial with two arms : an aerobic exercise group and a stretching and strengthening group .


Established cognitive tests of executive function ( flanker task , task switching , and a dual-task paradigm ) and the Wisconsin card sort test .


Mobility was assessed using the timed @-foot up and go test and times to climb up and down a flight of stairs .


Participants completed the cognitive tests at baseline and the mobility measures at baseline and after @ months of the intervention .


Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether baseline executive function predicted postintervention functional performance after controlling for age , sex , education , cardiorespiratory fitness , and baseline mobility levels .


Selective baseline executive function measurements , particularly performance on the flanker task ( = @-@ @ ) and the Wisconsin card sort test ( = @-@ @ ) consistently predicted mobility outcomes at @ months .


The estimates were in the expected direction , such that better baseline performance on the executive function measures predicted better performance on the timed mobility tests independent of intervention .


Executive functions of inhibitory control , mental set shifting , and attentional flexibility were predictive of functional mobility .


Given the literature associating mobility limitations with disability , morbidity , and mortality , these results are important for understanding the antecedents to poor mobility function that well-designed interventions to improve cognitive performance can attenuate .


Despite the growing penetration of the Internet , little is known about the usage and browsing patterns of those in poverty .


We report on a randomized controlled trial that sheds light on the Internet use and browsing patterns among the urban poor .


The data come from @ participants in Boston , Massachusetts , from Click to Connect , a study that examined the impact of an intervention that provided computers , Internet , and training to people from lower socioeconomic position ( SEP ) .


Data were gathered through pre - and posttest surveys and Internet use tracking software that generated approximately @ million network activity files and more than @ million records .


Internet use increased among intervention participants , with most of their time spent on social and participatory media sites or Internet portals .


Differential patterns of use by gender and race/ethnicity were observed .


Purposive searching for health information was low among all participants .


Most of the visits to health-related sites were to local hospitals ' sites suggesting the influence of possible preexisting relationships and trust .


Social networking sites were frequently visited , with three sites enjoying similar popularity among all groups .


Our data show that the availability of Internet can lead to significant increase in its use among low SEP groups .


Low SEP members used the Internet for participation and engagement , but the sites visited differed by group .


Harnessing the power of social networking sites and shareware sites may be a way to increase access to health information .


The role of human chorionic gonadotropin ( hCG ) supplementation on the intrafollicular steroid milieu has been studied .


The objective of the study was to assess the impact on steroid levels in follicular fluids ( FFs ) after different doses of hCG supplementation to recombinant FSH for controlled ovarian stimulation .


This was a prospective randomized dose-response study conducted at Copenhagen University Hospital , Rigshospitalet , Denmark .


From @ in vitro fertilization patients , @ FFs were selected for analyses .


Patients were treated using a GnRH agonist protocol with recombinant FSH @ IU/d and randomized from stimulation day @ to supplementation with hCG : D@ , @ IU/d ; D@ , @ IU/d ; D@ , @ IU/d ; and D@ , @ IU/d .


Intrafollicular hormone concentrations in relation to treatment groups , follicular sizes , and embryo quality were measured .


In large follicles , hCG supplementation induced a nearly @-fold increase of estradiol ( nanomoles per liter ) -LSB- D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ( P < @ ) -RSB- , a significant @-fold increase of androstenedione , and a @-fold increase of T ( nanomoles per liter ) -LSB- D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ; D@ : @ ( P < @ ) -RSB- .


The estradiol to T ratio decreased significantly , with the lowest ratio in D@ and the highest in D@ .


Large follicles giving rise to good-quality embryos had significantly higher estradiol and progesterone levels and estradiol to T , estradiol to androstenedione , and progesterone to estradiol ratios , compared with small follicles , leading to poor-quality embryos .


Increasing doses of hCG supplementation markedly stimulated the intrafollicular concentration of both estradiol and androgens , with a shift toward a more androgenic milieu .


In large follicles with oocytes giving rise to good-quality embryos , the FFs were significantly more estrogenic than in small follicles with oocytes developing into poor quality embryos .


The aim of this study was to describe dose regimens , dose escalation and clinical outcomes in TNF - inhibitor ( TNFi ) - naive patients with PsA treated with infliximab in routine rheumatology care .


We conducted an observational cohort study based on the nationwide Danish Rheumatologic Database ( DANBIO ) and Center for Rheumatology Research ( ICEBIO ) registries .


Stratified by country , characteristics of patients treated with @ mg infliximab/kg body weight , @-@ mg/kg or @ mg/kg every @ weeks were described .


Outcomes were evaluated by ACR @ % , @ % and @ % ( ACR@/@/@ ) responses and European League Against Rheumatism good response after @ months , disease activity after @ months , Kaplan-Meier plots and regression analyses .


Four hundred and sixty-two patients ( @ Danish , @ Icelandic ) received treatment with infliximab .


In Danish patients , the starting dose was @ mg/kg in @ patients ( @ % ) , @-@ mg/kg in @ ( @ % ) , @ mg/kg in @ ( @ % ) and unregistered in @ ( @ % ) .


In Icelandic patients , corresponding numbers were @ ( @ % ) , @ ( @ % ) , @ ( @ % ) and @ ( @ % ) .


Patients with a higher body weight received lower doses per kilogram .


Danish patients received higher doses than Icelandic patients at baseline -LSB- median @ ( interquartile range @-@ @ ) vs @ ( @-@ @ ) mg/kg , P < @ -RSB- and after @ months -LSB- @ ( @-@ @ ) vs @ ( @-@ @ ) mg/kg , P < @ -RSB- .


After @ months , @ % of Danish and @ % of Icelandic patients maintained treatment .


Danish patients had shorter drug survival than Icelandic patients ( @ vs @ days ) .


In univariate analyses stratified by country , time until dose escalation , response rates , drug survival and @-year 's disease activity were independent of starting dose .


Drug survival was shorter among patients not receiving concomitant MTX .


In clinical practice , > @ % of Icelandic and Danish PsA patients treated with infliximab received sustained doses below the @ mg/kg every @ weeks recommended in international guidelines .


Lower starting doses did not affect drug survival or response .


Many studies comparing different intravenous fluid types usually do not use equipotent volumes of @:@ crystalloid : colloid ratio in such comparisons .


Conflicting results emanate from such studies .


This study was designed to compare the efficacy of equipotent volumes of crystalloid , colloid and combination of crystalloid/colloid in spinal anaesthesia-induced hypotension prophylaxis .


Pregnant women scheduled for elective Caesarean section were prospectively randomized to three groups to each received either @ @ ml of Ringers lactate , or @ ml of @ % pentastarch or a combination of @ ml of @ % pentastarch and @ ml of Ringers lactate intravenous fluid preload , before spinal anaesthesia .


Hemodynamic variables were monitored .


First @ minutes , crystalloid showed better efficacy in hypotension prophylaxis over the other regimen .


In the next @ minutes however , there were no significant differences between the groups .


Crystalloids proved more effective than colloid or their combination in hypotension prophylaxis in the first @ minutes after spinal anaesthesia .


Current U.S. guidelines suggest that pregnant women should exercise regularly during pregnancy , and we examined the neurodevelopment of the children whose mothers had taken that advice .


This Norwegian study included @ children whose mothers had followed a structured exercise protocol and @ control children whose mothers had not .


Their cognitive , language and motor skills were assessed at @ months of age by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III and daily life functioning with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire .


No significant differences were found between the two groups .


Subgroup analyses revealed that the children whose mothers had exercised had a slightly lower motor composite score ( mean : @ , @ % CI : @-@ @ ) than the control group ( mean : @ , @ % CI : @-@ @ ) ( p = @ ) .


Boys in the intervention group had lower fine motor scores ( mean : @ , @ % CI : @-@ @ ) than boys in the control group ( mean : @ , @ % CI : @-@ @ ) ( p = @ ) .


Our main finding was that regular moderate exercise during pregnancy does not adversely affect neurodevelopment in children .


The lower motor scores in the subgroup analyses are probably clinically insignificant , but the lower fine motor scores for boys in the intervention group warrant further research .


Intimate Partner Violence ( IPV ) is prevalent among recent mothers and negatively impacts their physical and emotional health .


Furthermore , the negative influence of IPV on parenting capacity and children 's development is well described .


However , it is unclear whether there is any relationship between IPV and method of infant feeding .


Little is known about how women who are subjected to IPV make decisions about infant feeding or whether living in this context impacts on their experience of breastfeeding .


With what is known about the importance of breastfeeding , particularly for vulnerable populations , research is essential to inform clinical practice and to develop appropriate community support strategies .


This paper describes an analysis of data from a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial : Improving maternal and child health nurse care for vulnerable mothers ( MOVE ) .


The MOVE trial was conducted in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne , Australia from April @-April @ and involved @ maternal and child health centres , @ nurses and @ women who completed a survey .


Intimate partner violence was measured using the Composite Abuse Scale .


Ninety-six per cent ( n = @ ) of participating women initiated breastfeeding , with @ % ( n = @ ) and @ % ( n = @ ) indicating ` any ' breastfeeding at @ and @ months respectively .


Respondents tended to be older , well-educated with a household income > $ @,@ per annum compared to the general population .


The characteristics of women from the IPV and non-IPV groups were similar and together were comparable to all women who gave birth in north-west Melbourne .


The reported prevalence of IPV in this survey was @ % ( n = @ ) , which may be an underestimate .


Breastfeeding rates did not significantly differ between IPV and non-IPV groups .


Our findings suggest that women who experience IPV are just as likely to breastfeed as the broader population of women .


While this analysis provide 's a snapshot of breastfeeding rates for this group of women , it does not capture women 's experience of IPV as it relates to feeding a baby .


In order to better identify infant feeding in the context of IPV , qualitative research is also necessary to investigate in a way that fully engages victims/survivors , giving them the opportunity to give voice to their experiences .


To evaluate efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injection ( IAI ) in subjects who were previously treated with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab for active exudative age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) .


Patients ( n = @ ) were enrolled in a @-month prospective , interventional , single arm , investigator-initiated study with planned @-month interim analysis .


Patients with active exudative AMD , previously treated with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab , were treated with @mg IAI every month for the first @months , followed by a fixed dosing schedule of @mg IAI every @months .


The primary study endpoint was the mean absolute change from baseline central subfield thickness ( CST ) at month @ as measured by SDOCT .


Secondary outcomes included mean change from baseline best-corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) score , percentage of subjects who gained or lost greater than or equal to @ letters of vision , percentage of subjects who are @/@ or better , percentage of subjects who are @/@ or worse , and the incidence of adverse events ( AE ) and serious AEs .


Planned @-month interim analysis demonstrated a mean decrease in CST of @ m ( p < @ ) and a mean increase in ETDRS BCVA of +@ letters ( p < @ ) .


Fifteen percent of subjects experienced a greater than @-letter improvement in visual acuity , @ % of patients gained visual acuity , and no patient lost @ lines of vision from baseline .


Forty-two percent of subjects were @/@ or better , and @ % of subjects were @/@ or worse at month @ .


No serious ocular or systemic AEs were encountered .


IAI-treated eyes demonstrated improved short-term functional and anatomic endpoints in subjects with active exudative AMD switching from previous anti-VEGF treatment when given in a fixed dosing scheme for @months .


In the immediate postoperative period surgical breast cancer patients can face many problems including functional limitation of the shoulder , edema , pain and depression .


Although those symptoms can alleviate during the stages of the therapeutic route , most of the time concur significantly to the everyday life discomforts decreasing sharply the quality of life .


Therefore , is essential to pay attention to the functional problems of breast cancer patients in order to ensure a quick and complete physical and psychosocial recovery .


Aim of this study , comparing @ groups of patients , one that underwent to early physical rehabilitation program ( EPRP ) and one as a control group , is to evaluate : functional improvements of the glenohumeral joint mobility , antalgic effect of EPRP , improvements and/or worsening of quality of life .


Randomized controlled study .


Inpatient and outpatient clinic , Breast Unit , `` San Giuseppe Moscati '' Hospital , Avellino , Italy .


Seventy women planned for Madden 's modified radical mastectomy or for segmental mastectomy with axillary dissection in the period from March @ to February @ .


Patients were randomly assigned to treated and control group .


All participants were evaluated before surgery and postoperatively at fifth day , first , sixth and twelfth month .


Patients of the treated group , underwent first , to assisted cautious mobilization of hand , wrist and elbow and after drainage removal , to twenty physiotherapy sessions under the guide of a physiotherapist .


Within group statistical analysis evidenced that TG regained normal function at @ year after surgery while CG was unable to do so for flexion , abduction and internal rotation movements .


TG manifested general and statistically significative improvements in QoL .


Improvements in the grade of pain perceived were observed starting from the first postoperative month .


Postoperative early physical rehabilitation programme in surgical breast cancer patients surgically treated significantly improves glenohumeral joint mobility , reduces pain and widely improves the quality of life .


Early rehabilitation plays a key role in the physical and psycho-social recovery for breast cancer patients surgically treated with axillary dissection .


To evaluate the effect of sibutramine on weight loss in obese adolescents .


A double-blind controlled study lasting @ months .


The study included @ obese adolescents of both sexes aged between @ and @ years .


Laboratory tests and imaging studies were performed before , during wash-out , and at the end of @ months .


The percentage of patients who lost @ % of their initial weight in the placebo group was @ % , and in the sibutramine group was @ % .


When placebo was used , average weight rose by @ kg , and BMI decreased by @ kg/m ( @ ) whereas with the use of sibutramine , weight decreased by @ kg , and average BMI decreased , @ kg/m ( @ ) , with p < @ .


Sibutramine induced significantly more weight loss in obese adolescents compared with placebo , without significant side effects .


The weight loss curve was different depending on the moment sibutramine was introduced .


This finding indicates that the best time to start sibutramine is when adhesion begins to fail .


To determine if recommending strict rest improved concussion recovery and outcome after discharge from the pediatric emergency department ( ED ) .


Patients aged @ to @ years presenting to a pediatric ED within @ hours of concussion were recruited .


Participants underwent neurocognitive , balance , and symptom assessment in the ED and were randomized to strict rest for @ days versus usual care ( @-@ days rest , followed by stepwise return to activity ) .


Patients completed a diary used to record physical and mental activity level , calculate energy exertion , and record daily postconcussive symptoms .


Neurocognitive and balance assessments were performed at @ and @ days postinjury .


Sample size calculations were powered to detect clinically meaningful differences in postconcussive symptom , neurocognitive , and balance scores between treatment groups .


Linear mixed modeling was used to detect contributions of group assignment to individual recovery trajectory .


Ninety-nine patients were enrolled ; @ completed all study procedures ( @ intervention , @ control ) .


Postdischarge , both groups reported a @ % decrease in energy exertion and physical activity levels .


As expected , the intervention group reported less school and after-school attendance for days @ to @ postconcussion ( @ vs @ hours total , P < @ ) .


There was no clinically significant difference in neurocognitive or balance outcomes .


However , the intervention group reported more daily postconcussive symptoms ( total symptom score over @ days , @ vs @ , P < @ ) and slower symptom resolution .


Recommending strict rest for adolescents immediately after concussion offered no added benefit over the usual care .


Adolescents ' symptom reporting was influenced by recommending strict rest .


Data on the efficacy of Peg-interferon/ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C are mostly derived from treatment of selected patients enrolled in clinical trials .


This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Peg-interferon/ribavirin therapy in `` real world '' chronic hepatitis C patients in Italy .


Independent observational multicentre study including consecutive patients receiving Peg-interferon/ribavirin in the @ months before ( retrospective phase ) and after ( prospective phase ) the start of the study .


@ patients were eligible .


The final study population consisted of @ patients in the retrospective and @ in the prospective phase .


Sustained virological response was achieved by @ patients ( @ % ) during the retrospective phase : @ were genotypes @/@ ( @ % ) and @ were genotypes @/@ ( @ % ) and by @ patients ( @ % ) during the prospective phase : @ were genotypes @/@ ( @ % ) and @ were genotypes @/@ ( @ % ) .


During multivariate analysis genotypes @/@ were significantly associated with higher sustained virological response rates ; cirrhosis and - glutamil-transpeptidase > @ times the normal limit were associated with poorer response .


The response to Peg-interferon/ribavirin therapy in `` real world '' clinical practice is distinctly lower than in registration trials .


The difference in response rates was more pronounced among easy-to-treat than among difficult-to-treat hepatitis C virus genotypes .


Alzheimer 's disease is characterized by amyloid-beta plaques , neurofibrillary tangles , gliosis , and neuronal loss .


Solanezumab , a humanized monoclonal antibody , preferentially binds soluble forms of amyloid and in preclinical studies promoted its clearance from the brain .


In two phase @ , double-blind trials ( EXPEDITION @ and EXPEDITION @ ) , we randomly assigned @ and @ patients , respectively , with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer 's disease to receive placebo or solanezumab ( administered intravenously at a dose of @ mg ) every @ weeks for @ months .


The primary outcomes were the changes from baseline to week @ in scores on the @-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer 's Disease Assessment Scale ( ADAS-cog@ ; range , @ to @ , with higher scores indicating greater cognitive impairment ) and the Alzheimer 's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living scale ( ADCS-ADL ; range , @ to @ , with lower scores indicating worse functioning ) .


After analysis of data from EXPEDITION @ , the primary outcome for EXPEDITION @ was revised to the change in scores on the @-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer 's Disease Assessment Scale ( ADAS-cog@ ; range , @ to @ , with higher scores indicating greater impairment ) , in patients with mild Alzheimer 's disease .


Neither study showed significant improvement in the primary outcomes .


The modeled difference between groups ( solanezumab group minus placebo group ) in the change from baseline was -@ points for the ADAS-cog@ score ( @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) and -@ points for the ADCS-ADL score ( @ % CI , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) in EXPEDITION @ and -@ points ( @ % CI , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) and @ points ( @ % CI , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) , respectively , in EXPEDITION @ .


Between-group differences in the changes in the ADAS-cog@ score were -@ points in patients with mild Alzheimer 's disease ( @ % CI , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) and -@ in patients with moderate Alzheimer 's disease ( @ % CI , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) .


In the combined safety data set , the incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema or hemorrhage was @ % with solanezumab and @ % with placebo for edema ( P = @ ) and @ % and @ % , respectively , for hemorrhage ( P = @ ) .


Solanezumab , a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds amyloid , failed to improve cognition or functional ability .


( Funded by Eli Lilly ; EXPEDITION @ and @ ClinicalTrials.gov numbers , NCT@ and NCT@ . )


To explore the effect of caffeine on voice , as evidenced by acoustic and aerodynamic measures , based on the fact that caffeine is considered to be a systemic dehydrating agent .


The participants in this investigation were @ females ranging in age from @ to @ years , who self-reported normal vocal production .


The participants abstained from caffeine ingestion for @ hours and from ingesting foods and liquids for @ hours prior to the test .


They were randomly assigned to one of two groups , control and experimental , and were individually tested .


After the preliminary phase , participants in the experimental group ingested a @ mg caffeine tablet ; participants in the control group ingested placebo , and followed the same protocol as the experimental group .


All participants were retested @ minutes after ingesting caffeine or placebo .


Differences were not identified in any of the acoustic or aerodynamic measures across both groups .


These results suggest that a conservative ( @ mg ) dosage of caffeine may not have an impact on vocal acoustics and aerodynamics .


To evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbamazepine , pregabalin , and venlafaxine in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy ( PDN ) .


Our study was performed as a randomized , double-blind , parallel-group clinical trial between December @ and December @ at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah , Iran .


Two hundred and fifty-seven patients with clinically definite PDN were randomized to receive , carbamazepine , venlafaxine , or pregabalin .


The primary outcome was subjective pain as assessed by the visual analogue scale ( VAS ) .


Secondary outcomes consisted of sleep , mood , and work interference assessments , and a percentage of patients achieving at least @ % reduction in pain intensity .


Means of VAS scores for carbamazepine , pregabalin , and venlafaxine treatment groups at the baseline ( @ , @ , and @ ) and endpoint ( @ , @ , and @ ) revealed significant reduction , although pregabalin was more efficacious than carbamazepine , and venlafaxine .


Improvements in means scores of sleep , mood , and work interferences were identified in all treatment groups .


This study showed the efficacy of venlafaxine , pregabalin , and carbamazepine in pain reduction in patients with diabetic neuropathy , although pregabalin was shown to be superior to carbamazepine , and venlafaxine in relieving pain , no significant superiority was shown between carbamazepine , and venlafaxine .


To compare outcomes of thoracoscopic clipping ( TC ) versus transcatheter occlusion ( TO ) for patent ductus arteriosus ( PDA ) .


One hundred patients were enrolled in the study from May @ to December @ .


Those patients were randomized into @ groups : group one received TC , group two received TO .


There were no significant differences concerning width or length of the ductus ( P > @ ) .


However the median age and median weight of patients in the TO group were greater than in the TC group ( P < @ ) .


Mean operative time was @ @ min in the TC group versus @ @ min in the TO group ( P < @ ) .


There were no deaths in either group .


There were no complications in the TC group whereas three patients in the TO group had complications and required subsequent operation .


Median postoperative stay was @ days ( IQR : @-@ @ ) in the TC group versus @ days ( IQR : @-@ @ ) in the TO group ( P < @ ) .


There was no residual shunting in either group .


Average cost for one patient was $ @ @ in the TC group versus $ @,@ @ in the TO group ( P < @ ) .


Thoracoscopic clipping is safer than transcatheter occlusion for PDA repair , with the same effectiveness and lower cost .


Acute effects of physical exercise on the deformational behavior of knee articular cartilage and changes in cartilage volume are definite .


However , conclusive effects of different exercises on the loss of articular cartilage volume have not been proved .


In this parallel-group randomized controlled trial , we tested whether @ weeks of swimming , powerstriding , cycling , and running exercises would decrease the cartilage volume significantly and whether there would be a difference in the loss of cartilage volume after different types of exercises .


From October @ to January @ we evaluated @ healthy volunteer students in Biomechanics Laboratory of Tongji University .


Body mass index ( BMI ) , right lower limb strength , and right knee cartilage magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) were obtained before exercise .


MRI were conducted in East Hospital .


The study was approved by Tongji University Ethical Committee , all subjects were randomly assigned to the running , powerstriding , cycling , swimming , and control groups by a drawing of lots .


Each group contained @ samples .


At the end of @ weeks of regular exercises , the same measurement procedures were applied .


Cartilage volume was calculated with OSIRIS software based on the quantitative-MRI .


Pre - and post-exercise comparisons were carried out using paired t-tests and one-way analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) was used to compare differences of cartilage volume loss between groups with Student-Newman-Keuls procedure for multiple comparisons .


Running , cycling , and swimming groups resulted in a significant decrease in BMI .


The quadriceps peak torque increased significantly in the swimming and cycling groups .


Total cartilage volume significantly decreased in the running and cycling groups after @ weeks of training , without any significant change in the nonimpact swimming , low-impact powerstriding , and control groups .


Loss of total cartilage volume in the running and cycling groups were @ % ( @ ) and @ % ( @ ) .


Twelve weeks of regular physical exercises ( i.e. , running and cycling ) decrease the total knee cartilage volume .


Swimming and powerstriding are recommended for the healthy youth .


This finding suggests that articular cartilage has the functional adaptation for exercises , and some sports could be the risk factors for the initiation of osteoarthritis ( OA ) in young healthy adults .


Sleep disruption and fatigue are ubiquitous among cancer patients and are sources of stress that may compromise treatment outcomes .


Previously , we showed that a cognitive behavioral stress management ( CBSM ) intervention reduced anxiety and other stress-related processes in women undergoing primary treatment for breast cancer .


This study examined secondary outcomes from a CBSM intervention trial for women with early-stage breast cancer to test if CBSM would improve sleep quality and fatigue among these patients at a single site in southern Florida .


CBSM-related effects have already been demonstrated for indicators of psychosocial adaptation ( e.g. , general and cancer-related anxiety ) .


Patients were randomized to CBSM ( n = @ ) or a @-day psychoeducation control group ( n = @ ) .


The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ( PSQI ) and Fatigue Symptom Inventory were completed prior to randomization and @ and @months after the baseline assignment .


In latent growth analyses , women in CBSM reported greater improvements in PSQI sleep quality scores than controls , although there were no significant differences between conditions on PSQI total scores .


Women in CBSM also reported greater reductions in fatigue-related daytime interference than controls , though there were no significant differences in changes in fatigue intensity .


Changes in sleep quality were associated with changes in fatigue .


Future work may consider integrating sleep and fatigue content into stress management interventions for women with early-stage breast cancer .


Glycemic control in the perioperative period decreases mortality and morbidity , but data are scarce with regard to the effects of glucose control approaches on survival .


We assessed long-term survival in patients treated with @ strategies of glucose control after first-time isolated coronary artery bypass graft .


In a previously published trial , patients were prospectively randomized to strict ( @-@ mg/dL ) or liberal ( @-@ mg/dL ) glucose control protocols .


The aim of this study was to assess long-term data on survival and health-related quality of life based on the original prospective randomized study population .


No differences were found in cumulative survival between the strict ( @ % ) and liberal ( @ % ) target range groups ( log-rank = @ , p = @ ) over a mean follow-up of @ @ months .


Physical health-related quality of life significantly improved in all patients from baseline to @ months after surgery ( F = @ , p < @ ) , and there were no differences in improvement of health-related quality of life between the @ target range groups ( F = @ , p = @ ) .


These results support our previous findings and indicate that a liberal glycemic control strategy after coronary artery bypass leads to survival rates and improvements in health-related quality of life that are similar to those achieved with a strict target range .


In addition , the liberal strategy is superior in glucose control and target range management .


Asthma is often poorly controlled .


Home visitation by community health workers ( CHWs ) to improve control among adults has not been adequately evaluated .


To test the hypothesis that CHW home visits for adults with uncontrolled asthma improve outcomes relative to usual care .


Randomized parallel group study with @-year follow-up , conducted @ through @ at homes of low-income adults aged @ to @ years with uncontrolled asthma living in King County , Washington .


The CHWs provided a mean of @ home visits during a @-year period to assess asthma control , self-management , and home environment and to support asthma self-management practices .


Primary prespecified outcomes were symptom-free days ( number of @-hour periods in prior @ weeks without asthma symptoms ) , asthma-related quality of life ( Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire ) , and asthma-related unscheduled health care use .


Of @ individuals who completed eligibility screening , @ were eligible , @ participated ( @ in intervention and @ in control groups ) , and @ completed the study ( @ % ) .


The intervention group had significantly greater increases in mean symptom-free days per @ weeks ( @ -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- ; P < @ ) and quality of life ( @ -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- points ; P < @ ) relative to the control group , adjusted for age , sex , race/ethnicity , and education level .


The number needed to treat to increase symptom-free days by @ days per @ weeks was @ and to improve quality of life by @ points was @ .


Mean urgent health care use episodes in the past @ months decreased significantly and similarly in both groups , from a mean of @ to @ episodes in the intervention group ( mean change , -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to -@ -RSB- ; P < @ ) and from a mean of @ to @ episodes in the control group ( mean change , -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to -@ -RSB- ; P < @ ) ( P = @ comparing groups ) .


The provision of in-home asthma self-management support by CHWs to low-income adults with uncontrolled asthma improves asthma control and quality of life but not unscheduled health care use .


Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the value of wider implementation of this approach .


Maternal smoking during pregnancy adversely affects offspring lung development , with lifelong decreases in pulmonary function and increased asthma risk .


In a primate model , vitamin C blocked some of the in-utero effects of nicotine on lung development and offspring pulmonary function .


To determine if newborns of pregnant smokers randomized to receive daily vitamin C would have improved results of pulmonary function tests ( PFTs ) and decreased wheezing compared with those randomized to placebo .


Randomized , double-blind trial conducted in @ sites in the Pacific Northwest between March @ and January @ .


One hundred fifty-nine newborns of randomized pregnant smokers ( @ vitamin C treated and @ placebo treated ) and @ newborns of pregnant nonsmokers were studied with newborn PFTs .


Follow-up assessment including wheezing was assessed through age @ year , and PFTs were performed at age @ year .


Pregnant women were randomized to receive vitamin C ( @ mg/d ) ( n = @ ) or placebo ( n = @ ) .


The primary outcome was measurement of newborn pulmonary function ( ratio of the time to peak tidal expiratory flow to expiratory time -LSB- TPTEF : TE -RSB- and passive respiratory compliance per kilogram -LSB- Crs/kg -RSB- ) within @ hours of age .


Secondary outcomes included incidence of wheezing through age @ year and PFT results at age @ year .


A subgroup of pregnant smokers and nonsmokers had genotyping performed .


Newborns of women randomized to vitamin C ( n = @ ) , compared with those randomized to placebo ( n = @ ) , had improved pulmonary function as measured by TPTEF : TE ( @ vs @ -LSB- adjusted @ % CI for difference , @-@ @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) and Crs/kg ( @ vs @ mL/cm H@O/kg -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


Offspring of women randomized to vitamin C had significantly decreased wheezing through age @ year ( @/@ -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs @/@ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ; relative risk , @ -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


There were no significant differences in the @-year PFT results between the vitamin C and placebo groups .


The effect of maternal smoking on newborn lung function was associated with maternal genotype for the @ nicotinic receptor ( rs@ ) ( P < @ for interaction ) .


Supplemental vitamin C taken by pregnant smokers improved newborn PFT results and decreased wheezing through @ year in the offspring .


Vitamin C in pregnant smokers may be an inexpensive and simple approach to decrease the effects of smoking in pregnancy on newborn pulmonary function and respiratory morbidities .


Researchers face myriad challenges in the design and implementation of randomized , controlled trials .


Apart from summaries on limitations , these challenges are rarely documented in detail to inform future research projects .


To describe methodological challenges encountered during randomized , controlled trials ( WinFood Study ) designed to assess the efficacy of locally produced complementary foods based on traditional animal-source foods ( edible termites and spiders ) to support growth and nutritional status in Kenyan and Cambodian infants .


In a randomized , controlled design , infants received WinFood or corn-soy blend ( CSB ) for @ months from @ to @ months of age .


Lean mass accrual and blood nutrition indicators ( lipid profile , iron and zinc status ) were measured cross-sectionally at @ and @ months of age , respectively .


Lean mass was determined by measuring deuterium oxide enrichment in saliva samples following a standard dose of deuterium solution ( @ g/kg body weight ) to infants .


Blood nutrition indicators were determined following the drawing of @ mL of blood by venipuncture .


Challenges included rapid depletion of food rations , high rate of loss to follow-up , delayed ethical approval , lack of local food-processing capacity , low capacity among staff to draw blood , and lack of laboratory capacity to perform both deuterium oxide and micronutrient status measurements .


Spillage of deuterium oxide solution during dosing was a major challenge in the Kenya context .


A high rate of morbidity among infants made some assessments very difficult , especially drawing of blood and saliva samples .


The challenges were largely contextual .


Improvement of local laboratory capacity , training of staff and sensitization of the communities and the Ethics Review Committee are highly recommended .


To identify novel metabolic markers for diabetes development in American Indians .


Using an untargeted high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry , we conducted metabolomics analysis of study participants who developed incident diabetes ( n = @ ) and those who did not ( n = @ ) from @,@ normoglycemic American Indians followed for an average of @ years in the Strong Heart Family Study .


Relative abundances of metabolites were quantified in baseline fasting plasma of all @ participants .


Prospective association of each metabolite with risk of developing type @ diabetes ( T@D ) was examined using logistic regression adjusting for established diabetes risk factors .


Seven metabolites ( five known and two unknown ) significantly predict the risk of T@D .


Notably , one metabolite matching @-hydroxybiphenyl was significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes , whereas four metabolites matching PC ( @:@ / @:@ ) , ( @S ) -@ - hydroxy-@ ' ,@ ' ,@ ' ,@ ' ,@ - pentamethoxyisoflavan , or tetrapeptides were significantly associated with decreased risk of diabetes .


A multimarker score comprising all seven metabolites significantly improved risk prediction beyond established diabetes risk factors including BMI , fasting glucose , and insulin resistance .


The findings suggest that these newly detected metabolites may represent novel prognostic markers of T@D in American Indians , a group suffering from a disproportionately high rate of T@D .


Cervical radicular syndrome ( CRS ) due to a herniated disc can be safely treated by surgical decompression of the spinal root .


In the vast majority of cases this relieves pain in the arm and restores function .


However , conservative treatment also has a high chance on relieving symptoms .


The objective of the present study is to evaluate the ( cost - ) effectiveness of surgery versus prolonged conservative care during one year of follow-up , and to evaluate the timing of surgery .


Predisposing factors in favour of one of the two treatments will be evaluated .


Patients with disabling radicular arm pain , suffering for at least @ months , and an MRI-proven herniated cervical disc will be randomised to receive either surgery or prolonged conservative care with surgery if needed .


The surgical intervention will be an anterior discectomy or a posterior foraminotomy that is carried out according to usual care .


Surgery will take place within @-@ weeks after randomisation .


Conservative care starts immediately after randomisation .


The primary outcome measure is the VAS for pain or tingling sensations in the arm one year after randomisation .


In addition , timing of surgery will be studied by correlating the primary outcome to the duration of symptoms .


Secondary outcome measures encompass quality of life , costs and perceived recovery .


Predefined prognostic factors will be evaluated .


The total follow-up period will cover two years .


A sample size of @ patients is needed .


Statistical analysis will be performed using a linear mixed model which will be based on the ` intention to treat ' principle .


In addition , a new CRS questionnaire for patients will be developed , the Leiden Cervical Radicular Syndrome Functioning ( LCRSF ) scale .


The outcome will contribute to better decision making for the treatment of cervical radicular syndrome .


There are no direct comparisons of paliperidone extended-release ( ER ) , aripiprazole and ziprasidone in efficacy and metabolic influence in patients with first-episode schizophrenia .


The present study examined the efficacy and metabolic influence of paliperidone ER , aripiprazole and ziprasidone in patients with first-episode schizophrenia in China .


Subjects were recruited from outpatient and @ patients entered the trial .


These patients received treatment randomly with paliperidone ER , aripiprazole and ziprasidone and were assessed at baseline , @ , @ and @ weeks , respectively with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ( PANSS ) , @-item Clinical Global Impressions-Severity ( CGI-S ) , anthropometric ( weight , body mass index and waist circumference ) and metabolic ( fasting blood glucose , HbA@c , cholesterol , high density lipoproteins ( HDL ) , low density lipoproteins and triglycerides ) measures .


A total of @ patients completed the trial .


Paliperidone group had significant greater reduction in PANSS than aripiprazole group and ziprasidone group from @ weeks , although the a reduction in PANSS of each group was more than @ % .


There was no difference in CGI-S among the three groups , and all three groups had a significant reduction from baseline in CGI-S .


Aripiprazole group increased in weight and body mass index despite no statistical change in waist circumference .


Other two groups showed no changes in anthropometric measure .


At the end of the study , two glucose metabolic indices ( fasting blood glucose and HbA@c ) of aripiprazole group were significantly higher than that of baseline .


In lipid metabolism , aripiprazole group reduced triglycerides significantly and had no changes in other indices .


Paliperidone group reduced HDL and increased triglycerides despite no changes in glucose metabolism .


Ziprasidone group also had no significant changes in glucose metabolism , but reduced cholesterol , low density lipoproteins and increased HDL .


Furthermore , @ subjects in three groups reached the diagnostic criteria of metabolic syndrome .


Paliperidone ER , aripiprazole and ziprasidone are effective in treating first-episode schizophrenia , and the ranking of efficacy from high to low is paliperidone ER > aripiprazole > ziprasidone .


Paliperidone ER can impair lipid metabolism potentially but had no influence on glucose metabolism .


Aripiprazole can damage glucose metabolism and has little influence on lipid metabolism .


Ziprasidone is considered an atypical antipsychotic with no evidence of harm to glucose and lipid metabolism .


Several studies have indicated that a restrictive erythrocyte transfusion strategy is as safe as a liberal one in critically ill patients , but there is no clear evidence to support the superiority of any perioperative transfusion strategy in patients with cancer .


In a randomized , controlled , parallel-group , double-blind ( patients and outcome assessors ) superiority trial in the intensive care unit of a tertiary oncology hospital , the authors evaluated whether a restrictive strategy of erythrocyte transfusion ( transfusion when hemoglobin concentration < @ g/dl ) was superior to a liberal one ( transfusion when hemoglobin concentration < @ g/dl ) for reducing mortality and severe clinical complications among patients having major cancer surgery .


All adult patients with cancer having major abdominal surgery who required postoperative intensive care were included and randomly allocated to treatment with the liberal or the restrictive erythrocyte transfusion strategy .


The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of mortality and morbidity .


A total of @ patients were included as follows : @ in the restrictive group and @ in the liberal group .


The primary composite endpoint occurred in @ % ( @ % CI , @ to @ % ) of patients in the liberal-strategy group and in @ % ( @ to @ % ) of patients in the restrictive-strategy group ( P = @ ) .


Compared with the restrictive strategy , the liberal transfusion strategy was associated with an absolute risk reduction for the composite outcome of @ % ( @ to @ % ) and a number needed to treat of @ ( @ to @ ) .


A liberal erythrocyte transfusion strategy with a hemoglobin trigger of @ g/dl was associated with fewer major postoperative complications in patients having major cancer surgery compared with a restrictive strategy .


Opioid substitution treatment ( OST ) has multiple benefits for heroin injectors and is an evidence-based major component of international treatment .


The current qualitative study sought to explore participants ' attitudes to and reasons for participating in a feasibility randomised trial in primary care offering ` same day ' OST ( methadone ) for injecting heroin users compared to usual care .


Twenty injecting heroin users ( @ intervention and @ controls ; @ males and @ females ) were interviewed ; purposive sampling was used to select a maximum variation sample from those who agreed ; and analysis used thematic methods .


Motivation to join the trial included the need to secure treatment set against some ambivalence due to previous negative experiences of trying to obtain OST .


Positive effects of securing methadone via the trial , included self-reported improvements in health and self-care ; reduction in crime , stress and drug use .


Completing the baseline questionnaires at recruitment appeared to enhance motivation for treatment for all participants .


For some control participants , this motivation seemed to increase a sense of self-efficacy and cognitive dissonance generated was resolved by seeking treatment from their GP .


Self-determination theory suggests that behaviour change may have been initiated during the recruitment appointment , resulting in an increased determination to seek treatment amongst control participants .


Taking part in the ` script in a day ' trial enabled participants in the intervention arm to gain same-day access to methadone and reduce their drug use .


For those in the control arm , completing the baseline questionnaires at recruitment appeared to create cognitive dissonance between their current health state and own aspirations , so increasing motivation for treatment .


Over @ % obtained and were still in receipt of OST ( methadone or buprenorphine ) at the @month follow-up .


We suggest that a regular ` health evaluation ' for injecting heroin users not in treatment , paired with low-barrier access to treatment , may be a way of exploring this and encouraging more into obtaining OST more quickly and at the best time for them .


This intervention should be delivered without pressure for change .


A variety of sensory stimuli relieve restless legs syndrome symptoms .


Because systematic evaluations of sensory stimulation in restless legs syndrome are largely lacking , we performed a randomized crossover study to evaluate the effect of external sensory stimulation on restless legs syndrome symptoms .


Eighteen patients underwent @ consecutive suggestive immobilization tests with the order of the following @ conditions randomly assigned : no electrical stimulation ( condition @ ) , tactile and proprioceptive sensory stimulation ( condition @ ) , and tactile sensory stimulation only ( condition @ ) .


Restless legs syndrome symptoms were quantified by visual analog scales , and periodic leg movements during wake were measured .


Baseline visual analogue scale score was @ ( range @-@ ) in condition @ , @ ( range @-@ ) in condition @ , and @ in condition @ ( p = @ ) .


There was a tendency towards a higher maximum visual analogue scale score and visual analogue scale score at the end of the suggested immobilization test in the conditions with tactile sensory stimulation , though not significant ( p = @ and p = @ , respectively ) .


Fifteen patients suffered from periodic leg movements during wake .


Median indices were @ ( range @-@ ) in condition @ , @ ( range @-@ ) in condition @ , and @ ( range @-@ ) in condition @ ( p = @ ) .


We found a tendency towards less leg discomfort in the conditions in which an external sensory input was applied .


This potential benefit of sensory stimuli on restless legs syndrome severity merits further investigation as this could open new ways towards a better pathophysiological understanding and non-pharmacological treatments .


It is unclear whether an intensive program of weight loss combined with exercise prevents the onset of knee pain among those at high risk .


We examined whether an intensive lifestyle intervention ( ILI ) prevents incident knee pain compared with a diabetes mellitus support and education ( DSE ) comparison group among overweight adults with diabetes mellitus .


We conducted a secondary analysis of the Action for Health in Diabetes ( Look AHEAD ) study , which is a randomized intervention trial of adults who were obese and had type @ diabetes mellitus starting in @ .


We studied a subcohort of @,@ subjects who reported no knee pain at baseline but were at high risk due to obesity .


Risk ratios ( RRs ) were calculated to examine the association of ILI versus DSE with incident knee pain at year @ and year @ .


All analyses were adjusted for potential confounders .


Age , sex , and body mass index were similar among ILI and DSE participants with no knee pain at baseline .


At year @ , ILI participants were @ % less likely to develop knee pain compared with DSE participants ( RR @ , @ % confidence interval @-@ @ ) .


At year @ , this difference decreased to @ % and was no longer statistically significant .


An ILI of diet and exercise may prevent the development of knee pain among those at high risk in the short term .


Health care providers may consider recommending diet and exercise as a means to prevent the development of knee pain among those at high risk .


The effect of maraviroc on the maintenance and the function of HIV-@-specific T cell responses remains unknown .


Subjects recently infected with HIV-@ were randomized to receive anti-retroviral treatment with or without maraviroc intensification for @ weeks , and were monitored up to week @ .


PBMC and in vitro-expanded T cells were tested for responses to the entire HIV proteome by ELISpot analyses .


Intracellular cytokine staining assays were conducted to monitor the ( poly ) - functionality of HIV-@-specific T cells .


Analyses were performed at baseline and week @ after treatment start , and at week @ ( @ months after maraviroc discontinuation ) .


Maraviroc intensification was associated with a slower decay of virus-specific T cell responses over time compared to the non-intensified regimen in both direct ex-vivo as well as in in-vitro expanded cells .


The effector function profiles of virus-specific CD@ T cells were indistinguishable between the two arms and did not change over time between the groups .


Maraviroc did not negatively impact any of the measured parameters , but was rather associated with a prolonged maintenance of HIV-@-specific T cell responses .


Maraviroc , in addition to its original effect as viral entry inhibitor , may provide an additional benefit on the maintenance of virus-specific T cells which may be especially important for future viral eradication strategies .


Low level laser ( light ) therapy ( LLLT ) has been demonstrated to promote hair growth in males .


A double-blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken to define the safety and physiologic effects of LLLT on females with androgenic alopecia .


Forty-seven females ( @-@ years old , Fitzpatrick I-IV , and Ludwig-Savin Baldness Scale I-@ , I-@ , I-@ , II-@ , II-@ baldness patterns ) were recruited .


A transition zone scalp site was selected ; hairs were trimmed to @mm height ; the area was tattooed and photographed .


The active group received a `` TOPHAT@ '' unit containing @ , @mW diode lasers ( @nm ) and @ LEDS ( @nm ) , in a bicycle-helmet like apparatus .


The placebo group unit appeared identical , containing incandescent red lights .


Patients treated at home every other day@ weeks ( @ treatments , @J/cm ( @ ) irradiance/@minute treatment , @ J dose ) , with follow up and photography at @ weeks .


A masked @ cm ( @ ) photographic area was evaluated by another blinded investigator .


The primary endpoint was the percent increase in hair counts from baseline .


Forty-two patients completed the study ( @ active , @ sham ) .


No adverse events or side effects were reported .


Baseline hair counts were @ ( N = @ ) in the sham and @ ( N = @ ) in the active group ( P = @ ) .


Post Treatment hair counts were @ ( N = @ ) in the sham group and @ ( N = @ ) in the active group ( P = @ ) .


The change in hair counts over baseline was @ ( N = @ ) in the sham group and @ ( N = @ ) in the active group ( P < @ ) .


The percent hair increase over the duration of the study was @ ( N = @ ) for the sham group and @ ( N = @ ) for the active group ( P < @ ) .


This demonstrates a @ % increase in hair growth in the active treatment group as compared to the placebo group .


LLLT of the scalp at @nm significantly improved hair counts in women with androgenetic alopecia at a rate similar to that observed in males using the same parameters .


Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia are irreversible progressive pulmonary diseases that often have fatal outcomes .


Although the etiology of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias is not yet fully understood , anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory agents have shown limited therapeutic effectiveness .


Reactive oxygen species and their cytotoxic effects on the lung epithelial cells have been reported to participate in the pathophysiology of the disease .


Because superoxide dismutase catalyzes the detoxification of reactive oxygen species , we developed lecithinized superoxide dismutase for the treatment of patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias .


A multicenter , randomized , placebo-controlled trial was conducted as a pilot study to investigate the safety and effectiveness of @ or @ mg lecithinized superoxide dismutase in patients with progressive idiopathic interstitial pneumonias who presented with either idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or corticosteroid-resistant fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia and showed arterial oxygen tension compatible with stage III or IV on the Japanese severity grading scale for idiopathic interstitial pneumonias .


Before and following infusion of lecithinized superoxide dismutase for @ days , the primary endpoint of forced vital capacity and the secondary endpoints of lactate dehydrogenase , surfactant protein-A , surfactant protein-D and Krebs von den Lungen-@ levels were measured in the serum .


The primary endpoint of forced vital capacity did not improve significantly in the lecithinized superoxide dismutase groups in comparison with the placebo group .


The secondary endpoints of lactate dehydrogenase and surfactant protein-A levels were significantly attenuated by @ days in the higher-dose ( @ mg ) group .


However , these changes returned to the baseline levels by @ days after the cessation of lecithinized superoxide dismutase .


Adverse events and mortality in the drug-treated groups did not differ from those in the placebo group .


Treatment with lecithinized superoxide dismutase is safe and improves the levels of serum markers such as lactate dehydrogenase and surfactant protein-A in patients with advanced idiopathic interstitial pneumonias with severe respiratory dysfunction .


Considering the results of the current study , further investigations into the effects and treatment potential of long-term administration of lecithinized superoxide dismutase may be warranted .


To evaluate the desensitizing efficacy of @ % sodium fluoride solution ( NaF ) , diode laser ( DL ) , a DL and NaF association and a solution of hydroxyl-ethyl-methacrylate and glutaraldehyde ( HEMA-G : Gluma desensitizer ) in cervical dentin hypersensitivity ( CDH ) .


@ teeth of @ subjects ( @ females and eight males ; age @ to @ years , mean @ years ) , each having at least two CHD teeth for each quadrant , were included in this prospective , split mouth , clinical study .


Teeth of each oral quadrant were randomized in four groups ( SG ) to study the effectiveness of NaF ( SG-@ ) , of DL ( SG-@ ) NaF-DL combination ( SG-@ ) and HEMA-G ( SG-@ ) .


The subjects were asked to rate the sensitivity experienced during air stimulation by placing a mark on a visual analogue scale ( VAS ) before treatment ( baseline ) , immediately after treatment , and after @ , and @ months .


The outcomes showed a significant reduction of discomfort compared to baseline values for teeth of SG-@ immediately post treatment ( @ % ) ( P < @ ) , after @ month ( @ % ) ( P < @ ) and after @ months ( @ % ) ( P < @ ) , respectively , compared with the reduction scores of @ % ( P < @ ) , @ % ( P < @ ) and @ % ( P > @ ) , recorded for SG-@ ; @ % , ( P < @ ) , @ % ( P < @ ) , and @ % ( P < @ ) , recorded for SG-@ ; @ % ( P < @ ) , @ % ( P < @ ) , and @ % ( P < @ ) , recorded for SG-@ .


NIMH Project Accept ( HPTN @ ) is a community - randomized trial to test the safety and efficacy of a community-level intervention designed to increase testing and lower HIV incidence in Tanzania , Zimbabwe , South Africa and Thailand .


The evaluation design included a longitudinal study with community members to assess attitudinal and behavioral changes in study outcomes including HIV testing norms , HIV-related discussions , and HIV-related stigma .


A cohort of @ individuals across all sites was selected to participate in a qualitative study that involved @ interviews during the study period .


Baseline and @-month data were summarized according to each outcome , and a qualitative assessment of changes was made at the community level over time .


Members from intervention communities described fewer barriers and greater motivation for testing than those from comparison communities .


HIV-related discussions in intervention communities were more grounded in personal testing experiences .


A change in HIV-related stigma over time was most pronounced in Tanzania and Zimbabwe .


Participants in the intervention communities from these two sites attributed community-level changes in attitudes to project specific activities .


The Project Accept intervention was associated with more favorable social norms regarding HIV testing , more personal content in HIV discussions in all study sites , and qualitative changes in HIV-related stigma in two of five sites .


To evaluate the efficacy of autologous cytokine-induced killer ( CIK ) cells in patients with renal cell carcinoma ( RCC ) .


@ patients diagnosed with TNM stage I or II RCC were randomly divided into two groups , a CIK cell treatment group and a control group .


The endpoint was progression-free survival ( PFS ) evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analyses .


CD@ ( + ) , CD@ ( + ) / CD@ ( + ) , CD@ ( + ) / CD@ ( + ) , and CD@ ( + ) / CD@ ( + ) levels increased after CIK cell culture ( P < @ ) .


The median PFS in CIK cell treatment group was significantly longer than that in control group ( PFS , @ months versus @ months ; log-rank , P = @ ) , all patients were alive during the course of followup , and there are no statistically significant differences between two groups in OS ( log-rank , P = @ ) .


Grade III or greater adverse events were not observed .


CIK cells treatment could prolong survival in patients with RCC after radical nephrectomy and showed acceptable curative effect with potential enhancement of cellular immune function .


This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov NCT@ .


At the end of @ previous trials , an excess of stroke and bleeding was observed in patients with AF randomized to a new oral anticoagulant ( NOAC ) who transitioned to a vitamin K antagonist ( VKA ) .


The ENGAGE AF-TIMI @ ( Effective Anticoagulation with Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction @ ) trial compared once-daily edoxaban to warfarin for stroke prevention in patients with AF .


An end-of-trial transition plan was developed to minimize the risks of stroke due to inadequate anticoagulation and bleeding from excessive anticoagulation during this critical period .


All patients on the blinded study drug at the trial 's conclusion were included in this analysis .