RE may be an interesting training strategy to acutely decrease BP in adult women .


Noninvasive mechanical ventilation ( NIMV ) is an approach to prevent complications in acute respiratory failure .


In this study we aimed to compare the efficacy of a full face mask and a helmet in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) .


Fifty patients were divided randomly into @ groups as full face mask ( Group F ) and helmet ( Group H ) .


Demographic data , forced expiratory volume at @ s ( FEV@ ) , additional disease , hemodynamic parameters , respiratory rate , APACHE II score , peripheral O@ saturation ( SpO@ ) , arterial blood gases ( ABG ) , patient tolerance scale ( PTS ) score , and fraction of inspired oxygen ( FiG@ ) were recorded .


Parameters were recorded as follows : @ min before the NIMV ; every @ min of NIMV until @ min ; @ min , @ h , and @ h after NIMV ; and prior to intensive care unit discharge .


The SpO@ , PTS , ABG , complication rate , and APACHE II scores were not different between the groups ( P > @ ) .


The decrease in PaCO@ was statistically significant at @ min in Group F ( P < @ ) , and there was no statistical difference in Group H ( P < @ ) according to initial PaCO@ values .


Both masks are efficient in improving the patients ' outcome in COPD , but the decrease in PaCO@in the helmet group was slower than in the full face mask group .


Small early postoperative hemodynamic differences were noted in a randomized comparison of @ current-generation bioprosthetic aortic valves .


Whether these differences persist and influence clinical outcomes @ year following implantation is unknown .


Three hundred adults with severe aortic stenosis undergoing valve replacement were randomized to receive the Epic ( St Jude , St Paul , Minn ) ( n = @ ) , Magna ( Edwards LifeSciences Inc , Irvine , Calif ) ( n = @ ) , or Mitroflow ( Sorin Biomedica Spa , Saluggio , Italy ) ( n = @ ) bioprostheses .


Hemodynamic valve performance was examined by echocardiography at @ year , and clinical outcomes were assessed in @ patients ( @ Epic , @ Magna , and @ Mitroflow ; P = @ ) .


Mean age was @ @ years and @ were men ( @ % ) .


Between dismissal and @ year there were @ deaths ( @ % ) ( Epic : @ % , Magna : @ % , and Mitroflow : @ % ; P = @ ) , @ episodes of heart failure ( @ % ) ( Epic :@ % , Magna : @ % , and Mitroflow : @ % ; P = @ ) , @ instances of atrial fibrillation/flutter ( @ % ) ( Epic : @ % , Magna : @ % , and Mitroflow : @ % ; P = @ ) and no strokes/transient ischemic attacks .


One-year echocardiography demonstrated small hemodynamic differences between Epic , Magna , and Mitroflow bioprostheses in mean gradient ( @ @ , @ @ , and @ @ mm Hg , respectively ; P < @ ) and indexed aortic valve area ( @ @ , @ @ , and @ -@ cm ( @ ) / m ( @ ) , respectively ; P = @ ) .


Several early trends persisted when stratifying data by echocardiographic annulus diameter , universal annulus size , and implant size , particularly with annular size @ mm .


Overall left ventricular mass index regression between dismissal and @ year was -@ @ g/m ( @ ) , and was similar among groups ( P = @ ) .


There were no aortic valve reoperations .


Despite midterm persistence of small hemodynamic differences amongst current-generation porcine and pericardial aortic valves , our prospective randomized comparison reveals that clinical outcomes and mass regression are equivalent between devices at @ year .


These encouraging trends must continue to be assessed during longitudinal follow-up .


A randomized crossover trial was designed to analyze the impact of a short-term , isoenergetic fat-rich or carbohydrate ( CHO ) - rich diet on substrate oxidation rates during submaximal exercise and on performance in a @,@-m running time trial in trained , mid - to late-pubertal boys .


An incremental test was performed to determine the peak oxygen uptake ( VO@peak ) .


After @ days on a fat-rich ( @ % @ % CHO , @ % @ % fat , and @ % @ % protein ) , CHO-rich ( @ % @ % CHO , @ % @ % fat , and @ % @ % protein ) , or habitual ( @ % @ % CHO , @ % @ % fat , and @ % @ % protein ) diet , @ trained adolescent boys ( @ years ) performed a @-minute constant run at @ % VO@peak to determine the respiratory exchange ratio ( RER ) during exercise and @,@-m running on an outdoor track .


During the constant run , the RER and CHO contribution to energy expenditure were lower , and fat contribution higher , in the fat-rich diet than in the CHO-rich diet ( P < @ ) , but the results were not different from those of the habitual diet .


Performance in the @,@-m run after consuming CHO - and fat-rich diets was similar to performance after a habitual diet ( @ , @ , and @ minutes , respectively ) , but consuming a CHO-rich diet enhanced performance compared with that after a fat-rich diet ( P = @ ) .


These findings indicate that a CHO-rich diet provides additional benefits to @,@-m running performance in trained adolescent boys compared with a fat-rich diet .


To assess the efficacy of inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ( rTMS ) for decreasing upper-limb muscle tone after chronic stroke .


A randomized sham-controlled trial with a @-week follow-up .


Research hospital .


Patients with stroke ( N = @ ) with poststroke upper limb spasticity .


The experimental group received rTMS to the primary motor cortex of the unaffected side ( @ pulses ; @Hz ; @ % of resting motor threshold for the first dorsal interosseous muscle ) in @ sessions , @d/wk , and physical therapy ( PT ) .


The control group received sham stimulation and PT .


Modified Ashworth scale ( MAS ) , upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment , FIM , range of motion , and stroke-specific quality-of-life scale .


All outcomes were measured at baseline , after treatment ( postintervention ) , and at a @-week follow-up .


A clinically important difference was defined as a reduction of @ in the MAS score .


Friedman test revealed that PT is efficient for significantly reducing the upper limb spasticity of patients only when it is associated with rTMS .


In the experimental group , @ % of the patients at postintervention and @ % at follow-up showed a decrease of @ in the MAS score , representing clinically important differences .


In the control group , @ % of the patients at postintervention and @ % at follow-up experienced clinically meaningful changes .


There were no differences between the groups at any time for any of the other outcome measures , indicating that both groups demonstrated similar behaviors over time for all variables .


rTMS associated with PT can be beneficial in reducing poststroke spasticity .


However , more studies are needed to clarify the clinical changes underlying the reduction in spasticity induced by noninvasive brain stimulations .


Odors are powerful emotional stimuli influencing mood , attention and behavior .


Here we examined if odors change the perception of pleasant touch .


In line with the warning function of the olfactory system , we proposed that especially unpleasant odors will reduce touch pleasantness , presumably through a disgust-related mechanism .


Forty-five healthy participants ( mean age @ + / - @years SD , @ females ) were presented to slow ( @ cm/s ) and fast ( @ cm/s ) brush stroking delivered by a robot to the forearm .


Touch pleasantness under the influence of an unpleasant odor ( Civette , smelling like feces ) and an intensity matched pleasant odor ( Rose ) was compared to an odorless control condition .


In a pilot study with @ participants ( mean age @ + / -@ years , @ females ) , the odors were matched according to their intensity , and we studied the influence of disgust sensitivity on the perception of @ different odor qualities .


The unpleasant odor decreased touch pleasantness for both stroking velocities compared to the odorless control ( p < @ ) whereas the rose odor did not change touch pleasantness significantly .


Disgust sensitivity was correlated with the modulation of touch pleasantness .


The pilot study revealed a significant correlation between disgust sensitivity and the perception of the unpleasant odor qualities ( r = -@ ; p = @ ) , but not with any of the other odors .


Unpleasant odors are powerful in modulating touch pleasantness , and disgust might be a moderating variable .


Congenital infection with human cytomegalovirus ( CMV ) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality .


In an uncontrolled study published in @ , administration of CMV-specific hyperimmune globulin to pregnant women with primary CMV infection significantly reduced the rate of intrauterine transmission , from @ % to @ % .


We evaluated the efficacy of hyperimmune globulin in a phase @ , randomized , placebo-controlled , double-blind study .


A total of @ pregnant women with primary CMV infection at @ to @ weeks of gestation were randomly assigned within @ weeks after the presumed onset of infection to receive hyperimmune globulin or placebo every @ weeks until @ weeks of gestation or until detection of CMV in amniotic fluid .


The primary end point was congenital infection diagnosed at birth or by means of amniocentesis .


A total of @ women could be evaluated in the efficacy analysis ( @ woman in the placebo group withdrew ) .


The rate of congenital infection was @ % ( @ fetuses or infants of @ women ) in the hyperimmune globulin group and @ % ( @ fetuses or infants of @ women ) in the placebo group ( a difference of @ percentage points ; @ % confidence interval , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) .


There was no significant difference between the two groups or , within each group , between the women who transmitted the virus and those who did not , with respect to levels of virus-specific antibodies , T-cell-mediated immune response , or viral DNA in the blood .


The clinical outcome of congenital infection at birth was similar in the two groups .


The number of obstetrical adverse events was higher in the hyperimmune globulin group than in the placebo group ( @ % vs. @ % ) .


In this study involving @ women who could be evaluated , treatment with hyperimmune globulin did not significantly modify the course of primary CMV infection during pregnancy .


( Funded by Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco ; CHIP ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ ; EudraCT no. @-@-@ . )


Photodynamic therapy ( PDT ) using @-aminolevulinic acid ( ALA ) with red light is well established for actinic keratosis ( AK ) .


Differences have been observed concerning pain and efficacy rates with different red light sources .


To compare pain scores , short - and long-term efficacy rates of PDT of multiple AKs when employing different red light sources .


In a controlled trial , @ patients ( @ AK lesions ) received ALA-PDT in combination with either visible light ( VIS ) + water-filtered infrared A ( wIRA ) light ( PhotoDyn ( ) @ ( PD@ ) , @-@nm ) for @ min or incoherent light ( Waldmann ( ) @L ( Wa@L ) , @-@nm ) for @-@ min .


Follow-up visits were performed after @ , @ , @ , and @ months .


If there was no complete cure after @ , @ or @ months , a second cycle of PDT was performed .


Pain scores were significantly lower in patients illuminated with PD@ rather than Wa@L .


Patient complete clearance rates were @ % and @ % after @ month , @ % and @ % after @ months , @ % and @ % after @ months , and @ % and @ % after @ months in the PD@ and Wa@L groups , respectively .


Lesion complete clearance rates were @ % and @ % after @ month , @ % and @ % after @ months , @ % and @ % after @ months , and @ % and @ % after @ months in the PD@ and Wa@L group , respectively .


The efficacy rates were not significantly different .


A VIS + wIRA light source produced considerably less pain , while efficacy was not much affected in contrast to previously published studies , probably because the illumination time was longer in this study .


Biological explanations of psychopathology can reduce the extent to which people with mental disorders are blamed for their symptoms but can also yield prognostic pessimism -- the belief that psychiatric conditions are relatively immutable .


However , few studies have examined whether these effects occur among persons who actually have psychiatric symptoms .


This study sought to address this question .


Adults living in the United States ( N = @ ) were recruited online in January and February @ and assessed for symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder .


The participants were randomly assigned to two groups : a biological condition , in which participants ( N = @ ) were provided a description of generalized anxiety disorder and a biological explanation of the etiology of the disorder , and a control condition , in which participants ( N = @ ) were provided the same description without any explanation of etiology .


Dependent measures of treatability , duration of symptoms , and responsibility for symptoms were used to gauge beliefs regarding the prognosis and personal responsibility of a typical person with generalized anxiety disorder .


Among participants with and without symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder , the biological condition was associated with decreased ascriptions of personal responsibility for anxiety ( p = @ ) and expectations of increased duration of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder ( p = @ ) .


This finding has important social and clinical implications , especially because biological conceptualizations of psychopathology are increasingly prevalent .


By causing prognostic pessimism about generalized anxiety disorder , including among those with symptoms of the disorder , biological explanations could negatively affect treatment seeking and outcomes .


Efforts to dispel the link between biological explanations and prognostic pessimism are needed .


Perinatal complications predict increased risk for morbidity and early mortality .


Evidence of perinatal programming of adult mortality raises the question of what mechanisms embed this long-term effect .


We tested a hypothesis related to the theory of developmental origins of health and disease : that perinatal complications assessed at birth predict indicators of accelerated aging by midlife .


Perinatal complications , including both maternal and neonatal complications , were assessed in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study cohort ( N = @ ) , a @-year , prospective longitudinal study of a representative birth cohort .


Two aging indicators were assessed at age @ years , objectively by leukocyte telomere length ( TL ) and subjectively by perceived facial age .


Perinatal complications predicted both leukocyte TL ( = -@ ; @ % confidence interval , -@ to -@ ; P = @ ) and perceived age ( = @ ; @ % confidence interval , @ to @ ; P = @ ) by midlife .


We repeated analyses with controls for measures of family history and social risk that could predispose to perinatal complications and accelerated aging , and for measures of poor health taken in between birth and the age-@ follow-up .


These covariates attenuated , but did not fully explain the associations observed between perinatal complications and aging indicators .


Our findings provide support for early-life developmental programming by linking newborns ' perinatal complications to accelerated aging at midlife .


We observed indications of accelerated aging `` inside , '' as measured by leukocyte TL , an indicator of cellular aging , and `` outside , '' as measured by perceived age , an indicator of declining tissue integrity .


A better understanding of mechanisms underlying perinatal programming of adult aging is needed .


To assess the safety and efficacy of multiple injections of @ and @ mg conbercept using variable dosing regimens in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) .


Randomized , double-masked , multicenter , controlled-dose , and interval-ranging phase @ clinical trial divided into a @-month loading phase followed by a maintenance phase .


Patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD with lesion sizes of @ disc areas or less and a best-corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) letter score of between @ and @ were enrolled .


Patients were randomized @:@ to receive either @ or @ mg intravitreal conbercept for @ consecutive monthly does .


After the third dose , each group was reassigned randomly again to monthly ( Q@M group ) or as-needed ( pro re nata -LSB- PRN -RSB- group ) treatment without changing the drug assignment .


The primary end point was the mean change in BCVA from baseline to month @ , with secondary end points being the mean change in BCVA , mean change in central retinal thickness ( CRT ) , and safety at month @ .


We enrolled @ patients .


At the primary end point at month @ , mean improvements in BCVA from baseline in the @ - and @-mg groups were @ and @ letters , respectively .


At month @ , mean improvements in BCVA from baseline were @ , @ , @ , and @ letters for the @-mg PRN , @-mg Q@M , @-mg PRN , and @-mg Q@M regimens , respectively .


At month @ , mean reductions in CRT in the @ regimens were @ , @ , @ , and @ m , respectively .


There were no significant differences for the pairwise comparisons between all study groups .


The difference in the number of injections between the @ PRN groups was not statistically significant .


Treatment with conbercept generally was safe and well tolerated .


The significant gains in BCVA at @ months were the same or better at @ months in all conbercept dosing groups of neovascular AMD patients .


During the @ months , repeated intravitreal injections of conbercept were well tolerated in these patients .


Future clinical trials are required to confirm its long-term efficacy and safety .


Acute tympanostomy-tube otorrhea is a common sequela in children with tympanostomy tubes .


Acute tympanostomy-tube otorrhea is generally a symptom of an acute middle ear infection , whereby middle ear fluid drains through the tube .


The widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination ( PCV ) has changed the bacterial prevalence in the upper respiratory tract of children , but its impact on bacterial and viral pathogens causing acute tympanostomy-tube otorrhea is yet unknown .


This study was performed in the post-PCV@ era parallel to a randomized clinical trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ototopical and systemic antibiotics and initial observation in @ children aged @ to @ years with untreated , uncomplicated acute tympanostomy-tube otorrhea .


Otorrhea and nasopharyngeal samples were collected at baseline ( before treatment ) and at @ weeks ( after treatment ) .


Conventional bacterial culture was performed followed by antimicrobial-resistance assessment .


Viruses were identified by polymerase chain reaction .


At baseline , Haemophilus influenzae ( @ % ) , Staphylococcus aureus ( @ % ) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( @ % ) were the most prevalent bacteria in otorrhea , followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae ( @ % ) and Moraxella catarrhalis ( @ % ) .


Most pneumococci were non-PCV@ serotypes .


Viruses were detected in @ otorrhea samples at baseline ( @ % ) .


Most infections were polymicrobial and overall antimicrobial resistance was low .


H. influenzae , S. aureus and P. aeruginosa are the most common microorganisms in children with untreated uncomplicated acute tympanostomy-tube otorrhea .


Prevalence of S. pneumoniae has decreased since the introduction of PCV and most pneumococci are nonvaccine serotypes .


To investigate the difference in clinical outcomes between large-diameter deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty ( L-DALK ) and standard DALK ( S-DALK ) for the treatment of keratoconus .


@ patients ( @ eyes ) from the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center with a clinical diagnosis of keratoconus were enrolled .


The participants were featured by the intolerance to rigid gas-permeable contact lenses or unsuccessful fitting of contact lenses .


Using stratified blocked randomisation , eligible eyes were allocated into the L-DALK group or the S-DALK group ( @ eyes , respectively ) .


Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity ( UCVA ) , best spectacle-corrected visual acuity ( BSCVA ) , refractive sphere , manifest cylinder and spherical equivalent refractive error were tested at @ , @ , @ and @months after surgery .


After surgery , the L-DALK group had better UCVA and BSCVA than the S-DALK group ( p = @ and @ , respectively ) .


At @months , mean BSCVA was @ logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution ( logMAR ) ( Snellen equivalent , @/@ ) in the L-DALK group vs @ logMAR ( Snellen equivalent , @/@ ) in the S-DALK group .


Differences were observed between the L-DALK group and the S-DALK group in terms of refractive sphere ( p = @ ) , manifest cylinder ( p = @ ) and spherical equivalent refractive error ( p = @ ) at any time interval postoperatively .


At @months , the mean spherical equivalent refractive error was -@ D and -@ D in the L-DALK and S-DALK groups , respectively .


L-DALK can reduce the degree of postoperative myopia and manifest astigmatism and improve visual acuity outcomes in keratoconus compared with S-DALK .


Although circumferential pulmonary vein isolation ( CPVI ) has been considered as the cornerstone for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ( PAF ) ablation , there has been a substantial recurrence rate .


We conducted a prospectively randomized study to evaluate whether additional linear ablation from the superior vena cava ( SVC ) to the right atrial ( RA ) septum ( SVC-L ) improves the clinical outcome .


This study enroled @ patients with PAF ( male @ % , @ @ years old ) randomly assigned to either the CPVI ( n = @ ) or CPVI + SVC-L ( n = @ ) groups .


An RA isthmus ablation was performed in all patients .


The CPVI + SVC-L group required a longer ablation procedure time ( @ @ min ) than the CPVI group ( @ @ min , P < @ ) .


The complication rates were @ % in CPVI + SVC-L group and @ % in CPVI group , respectively ( P = @ ) .


Two CPVI + SVC-L group patients had post-procedural sinus node dysfunction , which recovered within @ h.


During @ @ months of follow-up , the recurrence rate was significantly lower in the CPVI + SVC-L group ( @ % ) than the CPVI group ( @ % , P < @ ) .


The post-procedural @-month follow-up heart rate variability in the CPVI + SVC-L group showed a significantly greater reduction in the rMSSD ( @ @ vs. @ @ ms , P < @ ) , HF ( @ @ vs. @ @ ms ( @ ) , P < @ ) , and LF/HF ( @ @ vs. @ @ , P < @ ) than in the CPVI group .


In spite of a longer procedure time and risk of transient sinus node dysfunction , an SVC-L in addition to CPVI improved the clinical outcome of catheter ablation , and was associated with post-procedural autonomic neural remodelling in patients with PAF .


To compare the clinical efficacy of @ different treatment programs for oligospermia patients of Shen-essence deficiency syndrome ( SEDS ) .


Totally @ male patients were randomly assigned to @ groups , i.e. , the treatment group , the control group @ , and the control group @ , @ in each group .


Patients in the treatment group were treated by Bushen Yijing Decoction ( BYD ) , tamoxifen tablet ( TT ) , Licorzine Capsule ( LC ) , and Vitamin E Soft Capsule ( VESC ) .


Those in the control group @ were treated by BYD , LC , and VESC .


Those in the control group @ were treated by TT , LC , and VESC .


All patients were treated for @ months .


Their pregnant rates were compared .


Clinical efficacies of each Chinese medical symptom and sperm parameters -LSB- sperm density , grade a sperm motility rate , grade ( a + b ) sperm motility rate , grade ( a + b + c ) sperm motility rate , and normal sperm morphology rate -RSB- were compared before and after treatment .


At @ months after treatment @ patients were pregnant in the treatment group , @ patients were pregnant in the control group @ , and @ patients were pregnant in the control group @ .


The differences in the sperm density , grade a sperm motility rate , and grade ( a + b ) sperm motility rate , and grade ( a + b + c ) sperm motility rate between before and after treatment were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group @ and the control group @ ( P < @ ) .


The difference in the normal sperm morphology rate between before and after treatment was obviously higher in the treatment group and the control group @ than in the control group @ ( P < @ ) .


Better results were obtained in the treatment group and the control group @ in improving the sexual apathy , soreness and weakness of waist and knees , impotence , premature ejaculation , seminal emission , dizziness , tinnitus , forgetfulness , alopecia , when compared with the control group @ ( P < @ , P < @ ) .


There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate of improving Chinese medical symptoms between the treatment group and the control group @ ( P > @ ) .


BYD combined with TT , LC , and VESC could significantly improve sperm qualities and clinical Chinese medical symptoms of oligospermia patients of SEDS .


Low-level laser therapy ( LLLT ) has been proven to stimulate bone repair , affecting cellular proliferation , differentiation and adhesion , and has shown a potential to reduce the healing time following implant placement .


The aim of this clinical study was to investigate the influence of postoperative LLLT osseointegration and early success of self-tapping implants placed into low-density bone .


Following the split-mouth design , self-tapping implants n = @ ) were inserted in the posterior maxilla of @ patients .


One jaw side randomly received LLLT ( test group ) , while the other side was placebo ( control group ) .


For LLLT , a @ nm gallium-aluminum-arsenide ( GaAlAs ) laser ( Medicolaser @ , Technoline , Belgrade , Serbia ) with an output power of @ mW and continuous wave was used .


Low-level laser treatment was performed immediately after the surgery and then repeated every day in the following @ days .


The total irradiation dose per treatment was @ J/cm@ per implant .


The study outcomes were : implant stability , alkaline-phosphatase ( ALP ) activity and early implant success rate .


The follow-up took @ weeks .


Irradiated implants achieved a higher stability compared with controls during the entire follow-up and the difference reached significance in the @th postoperative week ( paired t-test , p = @ ) .


The difference in ALP activity between the groups was insignificant in any observation point ( paired t-test , p > @ ) .


The early implant success rate was @ % , regardless of LLLT usage .


LLLT applied daily during the first postoperative week expressed no significant influence on the osseointegration of self-tapping implants placed into low density bone of the posterior maxilla .


Placement of self-tapping macro-designed implants into low density bone could be a predictable therapeutic procedure with a high early success rate regardless of LLLT usage .


Routine placement of JJ ure teric stents , following uncomplicated endoscopic removal of a ureteral stone , still remains debatable .


Indwelling JJ stents are not without any risks .


They often can cause marked discomfort , or even pain .


The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate patient 's perceived pain due to renal colic and indwelling JJ stent left following ure terorenoscopic lithotripsy ( URSL ) .


@ patients with colicky pain due to distal ureteric stone , and who underwent uncompli cated ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy , were included in the study .


Follow ing URSL , patients were randomly selected to have either JJ stent left in situ ( Group I ) , or remain without a stent ( Group II ) .


Among all study par ticipants levels of pain prior , as well as @ days after the procedure were evalu ated with the use of a visual analogue pain scale .


Pain perception at the time of colic did not vary between men and women ( @ + / - @ and @ + / - @ , respectively , p = @ ) .


Similarly , no differences in perceived pain were noted @ days following URSL .


Mean pain score in patients with indwelling JJ stent was @ + / - @ as compared to @ + / - @ in those without it ( p = @ ) .


No increase in pain levels due to indwelling JJ stent could be observed .


Further research to allow for better assessment of discomfort and pain caused by an indwelling JJ stent on a larger cohort , and which could also discriminate patients ' psy chosomatic symptoms , is needed .


Adherence to controller therapy in allergic diseases is low .


Telemonitoring has been proposed to improve adherence to treatment in chronic diseases .


However , this strategy has never been tested in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis .


To test whether Internet-based telemonitoring during the grass-pollen season of children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis may enhance adherence to treatment .


Children and adolescents , @-@years old , with moderate-to-severe seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to grass pollen requiring daily administration of nasal corticosteroid ( NCS ) ( mometasone ) were recruited ( April @ ) in a paediatric allergy practice .


Participants were randomized to Internet-based monitoring ( AllergyMonitor ( ) , AM ) or to usual care ( no diary at all , controls ) and followed from @ May ( T@ ) to @ June @ ( T@ ) .


An intermediate visit ( T@ ) was performed between @ May and @ June .


Optimal adherence to therapy was expressed as the use of at least @ g/day of mometasone , corresponding to @puff/nostril/day , and it was measured by canister weights during ( T@ ) and at the end ( T@ ) of the study period .


Main secondary outcomes included the reported disease severity ( validated self-questionnaire ) and quality of life ( AdoIRQLQ questionnaire ) , disease knowledge ( multiple-choice questionnaire ) , nasal flow and resistance at baseline and at T@ .


The use of mometasone , expressed as both optimal adherence rate ( @ % vs. @ % ; P = @ ) and average daily use ( @ g/day vs. @ g/day ; P = @ ) , was higher in the AM group ( n = @ ) than among controls ( n = @ ) .


Disease knowledge improved among the patients using AM ( @ % vs. @ % ; P < @ ) but not among controls ( @ % vs. @ % right answers ; P > @ ) .


No differences were observed in the reported severity of disease , nasal flow and resistance and quality of life both at baseline and at follow-up visits .


Internet-based telemonitoring improves adherence to NCS treatment and disease knowledge among children and adolescents with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis .


The aim of this study was to evaluate the combination of endoscopic ultrasonography ( EUS ) and computed tomography ( CT ) in predicting the maneuvers for therapeutic endoscopy for gastrointestinal submucosal tumors ( SMTs ) .


Patients with SMTs , who were scheduled for endoscopic resection , were randomized to preoperative performance of both EUS and CT ( group A ) or EUS only ( group B ) .


The following data were collected : therapeutic maneuvers , duration of procedure , dose of propofol , resected lesion size , and complications .


A total of @ patients were included in group A and @ patients were included in group B. Endoscopic submucosal excavation was performed in @ patients , endoscopic full-thickness resection in @ patients , and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection in @ patients .


No significant differences were observed between the two groups ( P > @ ) .


The coincidence rate between the preoperative program and the actual endoscopic procedures in group A was higher than that in group B ( @ vs. @ % , P < @ ) .


The procedural time in group A was less than that in group B ( @ vs. @ min , P < @ ) , and the dose of propofol in group A was less than that in group B ( @ vs. @ mg , P < @ ) .


The mean resected lesion size was @ cm in group A and @ cm in group B , without differences ( P > @ ) .


A total of @ cardiopulmonary complications and seven endoscopic complications occurred , without significant differences between the two groups ( P > @ ) .


EUS combined with CT can better evaluate SMTs compared with EUS only in predicting the maneuvers for therapeutic endoscopy .


Sedentary behavior may independently contribute to morbidity and mortality among survivors of colorectal cancer .


In the current study , the authors assessed whether a telephone-delivered multiple health behavior change intervention had an effect on the sedentary behavior of recently diagnosed colorectal cancer survivors .


A total of @ participants were recruited through the Queensland Cancer Registry and randomized to the health coaching ( intervention ) or usual-care ( control ) group .


Eleven health coaching sessions addressing multiple health behaviors , including sedentary behavior , were delivered over a period of @ months .


Data were collected at baseline ( before randomization ) , at @ months , and at @ months via a telephone interview .


At @ months , there was a significant decrease noted in the hours per day of sedentary time in both the health coaching ( -@ ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- @ % CI -RSB- , -@ to -@ ) and usual-care groups ( -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) , but the between-group difference was not found to be statistically significant ( -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to @ -LSB- P = @ -RSB- ) .


In stratified subgroup analyses , the multiple health behavior change intervention was found to have a significant effect on total sedentary time ( hours/day ) at @ months in survivors of colorectal cancer who were aged > @ years ( -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to -@ -LSB- P = @ -RSB- ) , male ( -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to -@ -LSB- P = @ -RSB- ) , and nonobese ( -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to -@ ; -LSB- P = @ -RSB- ) .


Incorporating simple messages about limiting sedentary behaviors into a multiple health behavior change intervention was found to have modest effects on sedentary behavior .


A sedentary behavior-specific intervention strategy may be required to achieve substantial changes in sedentary behavior among colorectal cancer survivors .


Long-term nitrate treatment of stable angina is associated with side effects that can interfere with health-related quality of life ( HRQoL ) and medication adherence .


The aim of the present study was to compare HRQoL and adherence to treatment in patients with stable angina undergoing nitrate withdrawal or maintenance .


This study is a randomized clinical trial .


Patients were allocated to an intervention group ( nitrate withdrawal followed by introduction of placebo ) or a control group ( nitrate maintenance ) .


The assessments were made at baseline and @ and @ days using the Short Form Health Survey and the Seattle Angina Questionnaire .


Treatment adherence was measured on the basis of the Morisky scale and pill count .


A total of @ patients with stable angina were randomized for replacement of nitrate with placebo ( n = @ ) and for maintenance of treatment with nitrate ( n = @ ) .


After @ months , Short Form Health Survey scores increased for bodily pain ( P = @ ) and general health ( P = @ ) in the nitrate maintenance group .


Decreased Seattle Angina Questionnaire scores were also noted for physical limitations ( P = @ ) and angina frequency ( P = @ ) in the nitrate maintenance group .


However , the effect size was small ( @ ) when the intervention and control groups were compared .


At the end of the study , adherence was significantly higher in the placebo group ( P = @ ) , but no difference was detected between the groups with the pill count method .


HRQoL was similar in patients with stable angina using nitrate regularly as compared with patients undergoing nitrate withdrawal .


However , adherence to treatment was lower in nitrate users according to the Morisky scale .


Research on immediate neonatal resuscitation suggests that maternal magnesium exposure may be associated with increased risk of low Apgar scores , hypotonia , and neonatal intensive care unit admission .


However , not all studies support these associations .


Our objective was to determine whether exposure to magnesium at the time of delivery affects initial neonatal resuscitation .


This is a secondary analysis of the Randomized Controlled Trial of Magnesium Sulfate for the Prevention of Cerebral Palsy that evaluated whether the study drug ( magnesium or placebo ) that was administered at the time of delivery was associated with increased risk for a composite adverse neonatal resuscitation outcome ( @-minute Apgar score < @ , oxygen administration in the delivery room , intubation , chest compressions , hypotension , and hypotonicity ) .


A subgroup analysis was performed among patients who delivered at @ weeks of gestation .


Log-linear regression was used to control for possible confounders .


Data for @ patients were analyzed , of whom @ neonates ( @ % ) were exposed to magnesium .


There was no increased risk for the primary composite outcome associated with magnesium exposure .


Individual adverse neonatal outcomes and other secondary short-term neonatal outcomes that were evaluated also did not demonstrate an association with magnesium exposure .


Exposure to magnesium sulfate did not affect neonatal resuscitation or other short-term outcomes .


These findings may be useful in planning neonatal care and patient counseling .


Controversy persists over statins and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage .


We determined associations of premorbid lipid-lowering therapy and outcomes among participants of the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trials ( INTERACT ) .


The pooled data of INTERACT @ and @ ( international , multicenter , prospective , open , blinded end point , randomized controlled trials of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage -LSB- < @ hours -RSB- and elevated systolic blood pressure ) were analyzed with regard to associations of baseline lipid-lowering treatment and clinical outcomes of @ participants in a multivariate model .


Associations of lipid-lowering therapy and hematoma growth ( baseline to @ hours ) in computed tomographic substudies participants ( n = @ ) were estimated in ANCOVA .


Among @ patients ( @ % ) with baseline lipid-lowering treatment , @-day clinical outcomes were not significantly different after adjustment for confounding variables including region and age .


In the computed tomographic substudy , @-hour hematoma growth was greater in @ patients ( @ % ) with , compared with those without , prior lipid-lowering therapy .


However , this association was not significant between groups ( @ versus @ mL ; P < @ ) , after adjustment for prior antithrombotic therapy .


No independent associations were found between lipid-lowering medication and adverse outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage .


Observational data have suggested that high dietary intake of saturated fat and low intake of vegetables may be associated with increased risk of Alzheimer disease .


To test the effects of oral supplementation with nutrients on cognitive function .


In a double-masked randomized clinical trial ( the Age-Related Eye Disease Study @ -LSB- AREDS@ -RSB- ) , retinal specialists in @ US academic and community medical centers enrolled and observed participants who were at risk for developing late age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) from October @ to December @ .


In addition to annual eye examinations , several validated cognitive function tests were administered via telephone by trained personnel at baseline and every @ years during the @-year study .


Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LCPUFAs ) ( @ g ) and/or lutein ( @ mg ) / zeaxanthin ( @ mg ) vs placebo were tested in a factorial design .


All participants were also given varying combinations of vitamins C , E , beta carotene , and zinc .


The main outcome was the yearly change in composite scores determined from a battery of cognitive function tests from baseline .


The analyses , which were adjusted for baseline age , sex , race , history of hypertension , education , cognitive score , and depression score , evaluated the differences in the composite score between the treated vs untreated groups .


The composite score provided an overall score for the battery , ranging from -@ to @ , with higher scores representing better function .


A total of @ % ( @/@ ) of AREDS@ participants consented to the ancillary cognitive function study and @ % ( @/@ ) underwent cognitive function testing .


The mean ( SD ) age of the participants was @ ( @ ) years and @ % were women .


There were no statistically significant differences in change of scores for participants randomized to receive supplements vs those who were not .


The yearly change in the composite cognitive function score was -@ ( @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) for participants randomized to receive LCPUFAs vs -@ ( @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) for those randomized to no LCPUFAs ( difference in yearly change , -@ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


Similarly , the yearly change in the composite cognitive function score was -@ ( @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) for participants randomized to receive lutein/zeaxanthin vs -@ ( @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) for those randomized to not receive lutein/zeaxanthin ( difference in yearly change , @ -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


Analyses were also conducted to assess for potential interactions between LCPUFAs and lutein/zeaxanthin and none were found to be significant .


Among older persons with AMD , oral supplementation with LCPUFAs or lutein/zeaxanthin had no statistically significant effect on cognitive function .


Increasing epithelial repair and regeneration may hasten resolution of lung injury in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome ( ARDS ) .


In animal models of ARDS , keratinocyte growth factor ( KGF ) reduces injury and increases epithelial proliferation and repair .


The effect of KGF in the human alveolus is unknown .


To test whether KGF can attenuate alveolar injury in a human model of ARDS .


Volunteers were randomized to intravenous KGF ( @ g/kg ) or placebo for @ days , before inhaling @ g LPS .


Six hours later , subjects underwent bronchoalveolar lavage ( BAL ) to quantify markers of alveolar inflammation and cell-specific injury .


KGF did not alter leukocyte infiltration or markers of permeability in response to LPS .


KGF increased BAL concentrations of surfactant protein D , matrix metalloproteinase ( MMP ) -@ , IL-@Ra , granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ( GM-CSF ) , and C-reactive protein .


In vitro , BAL fluid from KGF-treated subjects inhibited pulmonary fibroblast proliferation , but increased alveolar epithelial proliferation .


Active MMP-@ increased alveolar epithelial wound repair .


Finally , BAL from the KGF-pretreated group enhanced macrophage phagocytic uptake of apoptotic epithelial cells and bacteria compared with BAL from the placebo-treated group .


This effect was blocked by inhibiting activation of the GM-CSF receptor .


KGF treatment increases BAL surfactant protein D , a marker of type II alveolar epithelial cell proliferation in a human model of acute lung injury .


Additionally , KGF increases alveolar concentrations of the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-@Ra , and mediators that drive epithelial repair ( MMP-@ ) and enhance macrophage clearance of dead cells and bacteria ( GM-CSF ) .


Clinical trial registered with ISRCTN @ .


This randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of early intervention to prevent adult psychopathology and improve well-being in early-starting conduct-problem children .


Kindergarteners ( N = @,@ ) in three cohorts ( @-@ ) at @ schools in four communities were screened for conduct problems , yielding @ early starters .


A total of @ ( @ % ) consented ( @ % African American , @ % European American ; @ % boys ) .


Children were randomly assigned by school cluster to a @-year intervention or control .


The intervention goal was to develop social competencies in children that would carry them throughout life , through social skills training , parent behavior-management training with home visiting , peer coaching , reading tutoring , and classroom social-emotional curricula .


Manualization and supervision ensured program fidelity .


Ninety-eight percent participated during grade @ , and @ % continued through grade @ .


At age @ , arrest records were reviewed ( N = @ , @ % ) , and condition-blinded adults psychiatrically interviewed participants ( N = @ ; @ % of living participants ) and a peer ( N = @ ) knowledgeable about the participant .


Intent-to-treat logistic regression analyses indicated that @ % of participants in the control arm displayed at least one externalizing , internalizing , or substance abuse psychiatric problem ( based on self - or peer interview ) at age @ , in contrast with @ % of those assigned to intervention ( odds ratio = @ , CI = @-@ @ ; number needed to treat = @ ) .


This pattern also held for self-interviews , peer interviews , scores using an `` and '' rule for self - and peer reports , and separate tests for externalizing problems , internalizing problems , and substance abuse problems , as well as for each of three cohorts , four sites , male participants , female participants , African Americans , European Americans , moderate-risk , and high-risk subgroups .


Intervention participants also received lower severity-weighted violent ( standardized estimate = -@ ) and drug ( standardized estimate = -@ ) crime conviction scores , lower risky sexual behavior scores ( standardized estimate = -@ ) , and higher well-being scores ( standardized estimate = @ ) .


This study provides evidence for the efficacy of early intervention in preventing adult psychopathology among high-risk early-starting conduct-problem children .


Most patients with Crohn 's disease need an intestinal resection , but a majority will subsequently experience disease recurrence and require further surgery .


This study aimed to identify the optimal strategy to prevent postoperative disease recurrence .


In this randomised trial , consecutive patients from @ centres in Australia and New Zealand undergoing intestinal resection of all macroscopic Crohn 's disease , with an endoscopically accessible anastomosis , received @ months of metronidazole therapy .


Patients at high risk of recurrence also received a thiopurine , or adalimumab if they were intolerant to thiopurines .


Patients were randomly assigned to parallel groups : colonoscopy at @ months ( active care ) or no colonoscopy ( standard care ) .


We used computer-generated block randomisation to allocate patients in each centre to active or standard care in a @:@ ratio .


For endoscopic recurrence ( Rutgeerts score i@ ) at @ months , patients stepped-up to thiopurine , fortnightly adalimumab with thiopurine , or weekly adalimumab .


The primary endpoint was endoscopic recurrence at @ months .


Patients and treating physicians were aware of the patient 's study group and treatment , but central reading of the endoscopic findings was undertaken blind to the study group and treatment .


Analysis included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug .


This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT@ .


Between Oct @ , @ , and Sept @ , @ , @ ( @ % high risk across both active and standard care groups ) patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of study drug .


Of @ patients in the active care group , @ ( @ % ) stepped-up treatment .


At @ months , endoscopic recurrence occurred in @ ( @ % ) patients in the active care group and @ ( @ % ) patients in the standard care group ( p = @ ) .


Complete mucosal normality was maintained in @ ( @ % ) of @ patients in the active care group versus four ( @ % ) in the standard care group ( p = @ ) .


In the active care arm , of those with @ months recurrence who stepped up treatment , @ ( @ % ) of @ patients were in remission @ months later ; conversely , of those in remission at @ months who did not change therapy recurrence occurred in @ ( @ % ) of @ patients @ months later .


Smoking ( odds ratio -LSB- OR -RSB- @ , @ % CI @-@ @ , p = @ ) and the presence of two or more clinical risk factors including smoking ( OR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ , p = @ ) increased the risk of endoscopic recurrence .


The incidence and type of adverse and severe adverse events did not differ significantly between patients in the active care and standard care groups ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ ; p = @ ) and ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ ; p = @ ) , respectively .


Treatment according to clinical risk of recurrence , with early colonoscopy and treatment step-up for recurrence , is better than conventional drug therapy alone for prevention of postoperative Crohn 's disease recurrence .


Selective immune suppression , adjusted for early recurrence , rather than routine use , leads to disease control in most patients .


Clinical risk factors predict recurrence , but patients at low risk also need monitoring .


Early remission does not preclude the need for ongoing monitoring .


Oxidative stress plays an important role in atherosclerosis .


Both F@-isoprostane ( @-iso-PGF@a ) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein ( ox-LDL ) have emerged as biomarkers of oxidative stress and have been proposed as useful biomarkers that could potentially be used as indicators of cardiovascular disease .


This is a prespecified analysis of a prospective , randomized , open-label , blinded endpoint ( PROBE ) study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier : NCT@ ) .


Patients ( N = @ ) with mixed dyslipidemia on a standard statin dose ( @-@mg simvastatin or @-@mg atorvastatin or @-@mg rosuvastatin ) who had not achieved lipid targets were randomized to switch to the highest dose of rosuvastatin ( @mg/day ) or to add-on-statin extended release nicotinic acid ( ER-NA ) / laropiprant ( LRPT ) ( @/@mg/day for the first @weeks followed by @/@mg/day for the next @weeks ) or to add-on-statin micronized fenofibrate ( @mg/day ) for a total of @months .


Levels of plasma and urine F@-isoprostane and plasma ox-LDL were assessed at baseline and @months later .


Plasma F@-isoprostane levels decreased similarly in all groups .


On the other hand , both ox-LDL and urine F@-isoprostane levels decreased similarly in the add-on ER-NA/LRPT and rosuvastatin monotherapy group , while a less pronounced decrease was observed in the add-on fenofibrate group .


All treatment interventions reduced the concentration of the assessed oxidative stress markers , but the reduction was more pronounced in the add-on ER-NA/LRPT and rosuvastatin monotherapy groups , compared with add-on fenofibrate .


Specifically designed studies should address the abovementioned risk factors modulation in terms of cardiovascular risk .


The aim of this study was to detect the effect of the laryngeal mask airway ( LMA ) versus the endotracheal tube ( ETT ) on postoperative nasal bleedings in and outside the operation room ( OR ) after intranasal surgery .


@ patients undergoing elective intranasal surgeries were randomly allocated to receive LMA or ETT during general anesthesia .


The incidence , episodes , and severity of nasal bleeding were evaluated in the OR and within the postoperative @ hours in the ward .


Furthermore , medical assistance and severe complications were assessed .


THE overall incidence of postoperative nasal bleeding throughout the observation period was similar between the two groups .


The LMA reduced nasal bleeding in the OR .


However , outside the OR , the incidence of the first episode of postoperative nasal bleeding in the LMA group was higher than that in the ETT group ( difference : -@ % ; @ % CI : -@ % to -@ % ; P < @ ) .


In the LMA group , more patients needed medical assistance ( P = @ ) , and the number of assistance was also higher ( P = @ ) in the ward .


No severe complications occurred during the observation period .


The LMA does not alleviate nasal bleeding conditions and even increases the demands of medical service outside the OR after intranasal surgery , although it reduces epistaxis during extubation .


Relaxation training can be an important adjunct in reducing symptoms associated with Parkinson 's disease ( PD ) .


Autogenic Training ( AT ) is a simple , easily administered and inexpensive technique for retraining the mind and the body to be able to relax .


AT uses visual imagery and body awareness to promote a state of deep relaxation .


To investigate whether AT when used as an adjunct to Physiotherapy ( PT ) improves motor performances in PD in comparison with a control group receiving PT alone .


Randomized , controlled , single blinded trial .


Movement Disorder Clinic and Department of Physiotherapy , Sree Chithira Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandrum , Kerala , India .


Patients with PD of grade @ or @ of Hoehn & Yahr ( H&Y ) scale ( N = @ ) .


AT group or control group .


The techniques were administered by Physiotherapists trained in AT and consisted of @ sessions per patient over @ weeks .


Motor score subscale of Unified Parkinson 's Disease Rating Scale ( UPDRS ) was used to measure the motor performances .


The primary outcome measure was the difference in Motor score subscale of UPDRS scores between Week @ ( pretest score ) , Week @ ( posttest score ) , and follow-up at Week @ after randomization .


The simple main effects analysis showed that the AT group performed better than the control group in weeks @ and @ ( P < @ ) .


Patients in the AT and control groups reported a @ % and @ % improvement , respectively , in their motor performances in Week @ compared with that in Week @ , which persisted , in the follow-up ( Week @ ) as @ % in the AT group and @ % in the control group .


This study provides evidence that AT when used as an adjunct to PT is more effective than PT alone in improving motor performances in PD patients .


To evaluate the margin quality of direct resin composite restorations comparing the enamel-dentin adhesive standard procedure with additional use of adhesive layer at the external outline .


A total of @ teeth with Class I occlusal lesions in molars and premolars were randomly selected and distributed into two groups of @ each in order to compare the margin quality with two restoration strategies .


Lesions were sealed with the standard adhesion procedure for direct resin composite restorations ( Group @ ) and with an additional procedure of enamel adhesive on the outer boundary of the finished restoration ( Group @ ) .


Evaluation of marginal quality at @ , @ , @ , @ and @ months was performed and described as good marginal adaption or as poor quality defined as Inadequacy A ( IA ) : overhanging resin or change of color ; Inadequacy B ( IB ) : the presence of a gap at the enamel-composite interface that retained the probe tip ; or Inadequacy C ( IC ) presence of gap at the enamel-composite interface with explorer tip penetration of more than @ mm .


Data showed a higher number of Inadequacy A for restorations with the additional technique for marginal seal ( Group @ ) : @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months and @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months .


The Inadequacy B and C of marginal seal were more prevalent for restorations without the additional marginal seal ( Group @ ) : @ of @ total ( @ % ) at @ months with inadequacy B ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) with inadequacy B and @ total ( @ % ) with inadequacy C at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy B and @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy C at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy B and @ of @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy C at @ months ; @ of @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy B and @ of @ total ( @ % ) with Inadequacy C at @ months .


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between gestational age ( GA ) and induction of labor ( IOL ) and the rate of cesarean delivery in women with mild gestational diabetes mellitus .


We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mild gestational diabetes mellitus treatment .


Cesarean delivery rate of women delivering at term ( @ weeks ' gestation ) was evaluated by @ complementary approaches : ( @ ) IOL vs spontaneous labor : women who were induced at each GA compared with those who spontaneously labored at the same GA and ( @ ) IOL vs expectant management : women who delivered after IOL at each GA compared with those who delivered after spontaneous labor at the same GA or subsequently after spontaneous or induced labor ( outcome at each week compared with expectant management at that week ) .


Logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders .


The overall cesarean delivery rate was @ % .


When compared with @ weeks ' gestation ( either IOL or spontaneous labor ) as the referent , there was no significant difference in the cesarean delivery rate in women who delivered at @ , @ , or @ weeks ' gestation .


However , IOL was associated with a @-fold increase in cesarean delivery rate at @ weeks ' gestation and beyond , as compared with IOL at @ weeks ' gestation .


Similarly , there was a @-fold increase in the cesarean delivery rate in women who were induced when compared with those who were treated expectantly at @ completed weeks ' gestation .


Induction of labor in women with mild gestational diabetes mellitus does not increase the rate of cesarean delivery at < @ weeks ' gestation .


To investigate the optimal dosage/regimen and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of albiglutide in Japanese patients with type @ diabetes mellitus .


This was a randomized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , multicenter , parallel-group , dose-ranging , superiority study in Japanese patients with type @ diabetes mellitus .


Patients ( n = @ ) who were treatment naive or washed out of one oral antidiabetic drug were randomized to placebo or albiglutide @mg weekly , @mg weekly , or @mg every other week ( biweekly ) .


NCT@ .


The primary end point was the change from baseline in HbA@c at week @ , measured using the Japan Diabetes Society standardization scheme and presented here using the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program equivalents .


Other measures of efficacy as well as safety and population pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of albiglutide were assessed .


Baseline HbA@c was @ % .


There was a statistically significant difference between each albiglutide treatment group and placebo for change from baseline in HbA@c at week @ , with treatment effects of -@ % for @mg weekly , -@ % for @mg weekly , and -@ % for @mg biweekly ( P < @ for all groups vs placebo ) .


By week @ , @ % and @ % of patients in the @mg weekly albiglutide group compared with @ % and @ % of patients in the placebo group achieved HbA@c < @ % and < @ % , respectively .


No serious adverse events were related to study therapy ; no deaths occurred .


Nasopharyngitis was the most frequently reported adverse event in all treatment groups ( n = @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) .


Albiglutide exhibited therapeutic hypoglycemic effects with good tolerability among Japanese patients with type @ diabetes mellitus ; the @mg weekly dose was the most efficacious in this study .


The @ week duration of the study prevents generalizing these conclusions to longer treatment periods .


Currently , instructional effects generated by Cognitive load theory ( CLT ) are limited to visual and auditory cognitive processing .


In contrast , `` embodied cognition '' perspectives suggest a range of gestures , including pointing , may act to support communication and learning , but there is relatively little research showing benefits of such `` embodied learning '' in the health sciences .


This study investigated whether explicit instructions to gesture enhance learning through its cognitive effects .


Forty-two university-educated adults were randomly assigned to conditions in which they were instructed to gesture , or not gesture , as they learnt from novel , paper-based materials about the structure and function of the human heart .


Subjective ratings were used to measure levels of intrinsic , extraneous and germane cognitive load .


Participants who were instructed to gesture performed better on a knowledge test of terminology and a test of comprehension ; however , instructions to gesture had no effect on subjective ratings of cognitive load .


This very simple instructional re-design has the potential to markedly enhance student learning of typical topics and materials in the health sciences and medicine .


Various trials have been conducted on the management and treatment of androgenic alopecia ( AGA ) or male pattern hair loss using a variety of laser and light sources .


For this feasibility study , the population was composed of males between the ages of @ and @years who have been experiencing active hair loss within the last @months and the diagnosis of AGA .


They also had a Norwood-Hamilton classification of @ , @A , @V , @ , @A , or @ for the hair thinning patterns and skin type I , II , III , or IV on the Fitzpatrick skin type scale .


This two-arm randomized , parallel group study design employed stratifying randomization to balance treatment assignment within three investigational centers with at least @ subjects enrolled in each Fitzpatrick skin type .


A statistically significant positive trend in hair growth was observed from this pilot study , to evaluate the efficacy of the novel cold X@ hairlaser device for treating male androgenic alopecia .


From the repeated measures analysis of variance , difference in mean hair counts over time was statistically significant ( F = @ ; p-value < @ ) .


Subsequent , linear regression of mean hair counts at each time point was performed , and post-hoc analysis found an increasing trend of hair growth over time that was statistically significant ( p-value < @ ) with the estimated slope of @ .


Increased hair counts from the baseline to the end of the @-week period were found to be strongly significant ( p-value = @ ) .


Albeit , sham device failure and resultant missing data from the control group , the positive trend hair growth , was observed due to the chronic use of X@hairlaser device .


This positive benefit while in full agreement with other low laser hair devices requires intensive further investigation .


Recent preclinical work has suggested that postprandial flow of bile acids into the small intestine potentiates nutrient-induced glucagon-like peptide @ ( GLP@ ( GCG ) ) secretion via bile acid-induced activation of the G protein-coupled receptor TGR@ in intestinal L cells .


The notion of bile-induced GLP@ secretion combined with the findings of reduced postprandial gallbladder emptying in patients with type @ diabetes ( T@DM ) led us to speculate whether reduced postprandial GLP@ responses in some patients with T@DM arise as a consequence of diabetic gallbladder dysmotility .


In a randomised design , @ patients with long-standing T@DM and @ healthy age - , gender - and BMI-matched control subjects were studied during @-g oral glucose tolerance test ( OGTT ) and three isocaloric ( @kcal ) and isovolaemic ( @ml ) liquid meals : i ) @ g fat , @g carbohydrate and @g protein ; ii ) @g fat , @g carbohydrate and @g protein ; and iii ) @g fat , @g carbohydrate and @g protein .


Basal and postprandial plasma concentrations of glucose , insulin , C-peptide , glucagon , GLP@ , glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide ( GIP ) , cholecystokinin and gastrin were measured .


Furthermore , gallbladder emptying and gastric emptying were examined .


Gallbladder emptying increased with increasing meal fat content , but no intergroup differences were demonstrated .


GIP and GLP@ responses were comparable among the groups with GIP levels being higher following high-fat meals , whereas GLP@ secretion was similar after both OGTT and meals .


In conclusion , patients with T@DM exhibited normal gallbladder emptying to meals with a wide range of fat content .


Incretin responses were similar to that in controls , and an association with postprandial gallbladder contraction could not be demonstrated .


Deaths due to road traffic injuries , particularly motorcycle crashes , have increased rapidly in many African nations and context-specific strategies to improve preventative behaviours are needed .


Although adhering to conspicuity measures by wearing reflective safety vests is a highly effective crash prevention strategy and mandated by law among motorcycle-taxi drivers in some African countries , actual use is currently low .


We aimed to test whether eliminating cost-barriers through the provision of free reflective , fluorescent motorcycle safety vests would lead to increased utilisation among a high-risk population of motorcycle-taxi drivers in Tanzania .


A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted among @ motorcycle-taxi drivers .


Participants randomised to the intervention arm ( @ ) received free , reflective , fluorescent vests ; participants randomised to the control arm ( @ ) did not receive free vests .


Participants ' use of reflective vests was then observed on city streets over a three month period and differential uptake was estimated using mixed-effects logistic regression .


Baseline use of reflective vests was @ % in both arms .


Seventy-nine drivers in the intervention arm and @ drivers in the control arm were observed during follow-up .


The average proportion of observations during which motorcycle drivers were using a reflective vest was @ % in the intervention arm , compared to @ % in the control arm ( odds ratio : @ , @ % confidence interval : @-@ @ , p-value : @ ) .


Although distribution of free reflective vests led to a statistically significant increase in vest usage , the absolute increase was modest .


Additional strategies beyond removing economic barriers are important to augment adherence to road safety behaviours for injury prevention .


Kaposi 's sarcoma ( KS ) is a common childhood cancer in places where HIV is endemic and access to antiretroviral therapy ( ART ) is delayed .


Despite this there are no randomised trials to compare and assess chemotherapeutic regimens .


An open label , randomised trial comparing intravenous vincristine alone , vincristine and bleomycin and oral etoposide , was carried out in children with Kaposi 's sarcoma in the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital , Blantyre , Malawi .


HIV infected children were given ART after @-@ courses of chemotherapy if they were not already on treatment .


Neither HIV nor widespread KS are curable and treatment is aimed at disease reduction and improved quality of life .


Tumour reduction was assessed by measuring the size of sentinel KS nodules and quality of life ( QoL ) by using the Lansky score .


Follow up was until death or for one year .


@ children were enrolled of whom @ % were nave to ART ; @ ( @ % ) were HIV negative .


Survival was not influenced by age or gender but was better in the oral etoposide and the vincristine and bleomycin groups .


P = @ .


The group receiving oral etoposide had a better quality of life .


Toxicity was not significant , and any drop in haemoglobin or white cell count could have been causally related to HIV infection rather than cytotoxic therapy .


Oral etoposide is a safe , effective treatment to contain KS and improve QoL which can be achieved without many visits to the hospital and intravenous injections .


Artemisinin combination therapy effectively clears asexual malaria parasites and immature gametocytes but does not prevent posttreatment malaria transmission .


Ivermectin ( IVM ) may reduce malaria transmission by killing mosquitoes that take blood meals from IVM-treated humans .


In this double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , @ asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum parasite carriers were randomized to receive artemether-lumefantrine ( AL ) plus placebo or AL plus a single or repeated dose ( @ g/kg ) of ivermectin ( AL-IVM@ and AL-IVM@ , respectively ) .


Mosquito membrane feeding was performed @ , @ , and @ days after initiation of treatment to determine Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus survival and infection rates .


The AL-IVM combination was well tolerated .


IVM resulted in a @ - to @-fold increased mortality in mosquitoes feeding @ day after IVM ( P < @ ) .


Day @ IVM plasma levels were positively associated with body mass index ( r = @ , P < @ ) and were higher in female participants ( P = @ ) , for whom An .


gambiae mosquito mortality was increased until @ days after a single dose of IVM ( hazard rate ratio , @ -LSB- @ % confidence interval , @-@ @ -RSB- ; P = @ ) .


Although we found no evidence that IVM reduced Plasmodium infection rates among surviving mosquitoes , the mosquitocidal effect of AL-IVM@ and AL-IVM@ resulted in @ % and @ % reductions , respectively , in estimated malaria transmission potential during the first week after initiation of treatment .


We conclude that IVM can be safely given in combination with AL and can reduce the likelihood of malaria transmission by reducing the life span of feeding mosquitoes .


To evaluate the prevalence of respiratory impairment and dyspnea and their associations with objectively measured physical inactivity and performance-based mobility in sedentary older persons .


Cross-sectional .


Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study .


Community-dwelling older persons ( n = @,@ , mean age @ ) who reported being sedentary ( < @ min/wk of regular physical activity and < @ min/wk of moderate physical activity in past month ) .


Respiratory impairment was defined as low ventilatory capacity ( forced expiratory volume in @ second less than lower limit of normal ( LLN ) ) and respiratory muscle weakness ( maximal inspiratory pressure < LLN ) .


Dyspnea was defined as moderate to severe ratings on the modified Borg index , immediately after a @-m walk test ( @-MWT ) .


Physical inactivity was defined according to high sedentary time as the highest quartile of participants with accelerometry-measured activity of < @ counts/min .


Performance-based mobility was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery ( @ defined as moderate to severe mobility impairment ) and @-MWT gait speed ( < @ m/s defined as slow ) .


Prevalence rates were @ % for low ventilatory capacity , @ % for respiratory muscle weakness , @ % for dyspnea , @ % for moderate to severe mobility impairment and @ % for slow gait speed .


Significant associations were found between low ventilatory capacity and slow gait speed ( adjusted odds ratio ( aOR ) = @ , @ % confidence interval ( CI ) = @-@ @ ) , between respiratory muscle weakness and moderate to severe mobility impairment ( aOR = @ , @ % CI = @-@ @ ) , and between dyspnea and high sedentary time ( aOR = @ , @ % CI = @-@ @ ) and slow gait speed ( aOR = @ , @ % CI = @-@ @ ) .


Respiratory impairment and dyspnea are prevalent in sedentary older persons and are associated with objectively measured physical inactivity and poor performance-based mobility .


Because they are modifiable , respiratory impairment and dyspnea should be considered in the evaluation of sedentary older persons .


The Single-Tablet Regimen ( STaR ) study ( GS-US-@-@ ) is a @-week phase @b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of @ single-tablet regimens , rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF ( RPV/FTC/TDF ) , and efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF ( EFV/FTC/TDF ) in treatment-naive HIV-@-infected subjects .


Genotypic analyses ( population sequencing ) of HIV-@ protease and reverse transcriptase were performed at screening ; subjects with pre-existing resistance to study drugs were excluded .


The primary protocol-defined resistance analysis population ( RAP ) had genotypic/phenotypic analyses at failure and baseline for protease and reverse transcriptase .


At week @ , the primary RAP included @/@ subjects ( @ % ) receiving RPV/FTC/TDF and @/@ subjects ( @ % ) receiving EFV/FTC/TDF .


In the RPV/FTC/TDF arm , isolates from @/@ subjects ( @ % ) developed nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor ( NNRTI ) and/or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor ( NRTI ) resistance mutations , and @/@ isolates had both NNRTI and NRTI resistance mutations .


In the EFV/FTC/TDF arm , isolates from @/@ subjects ( @ % ) developed NNRTI and/or NRTI resistance mutations .


When stratified by baseline viral load of either @,@ or > @,@ copies/mL , @/@ ( @ % ) versus @/@ ( @ % ) RPV/FTC/TDF-treated subjects and @/@ ( @ % ) versus @/@ ( @ % ) EFV/FTC/TDF-treated subjects developed resistant isolates , respectively .


The presence of pre-existing NRTI - and NNRTI-associated resistance mutations not excluded at screening ( not related to study drugs ) did not impact treatment response to either regimen .


Among subjects in the primary RAP , resistance development to RPV/FTC/TDF consisted of NNRTI and NRTI mutations and was more frequent than resistance development to EFV/FTC/TDF .


In subjects with baseline viral load @,@ copies/mL , resistance development was low ( < @ % ) for both RPV/FTC/TDF and EFV/FTC/TDF arms and less frequent compared with subjects with baseline viral load > @,@ copies/mL , for RPV/FTC/TDF .


The adverse health effects of insufficient physical activity ( PA ) result in high costs to society .


The economic burden of insufficient PA , which increases in our aging population , stresses the urgency for cost-effective interventions to promote PA among older adults .


The current study provides insight in the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of different versions of a tailored PA intervention ( Active Plus ) among adults aged over fifty .


The intervention conditions ( i.e. print-delivered basic ( PB ; N = @ ) , print-delivered environmental ( PE ; N = @ ) , Web-based basic ( WB ; N = @ ) , Web-based environmental ( WE ; N = @ ) ) and a waiting-list control group were studied in a clustered randomized controlled trial .


Intervention costs were registered during the trial .


Health care costs , participant costs and productivity losses were identified and compared with the intervention effects on PA ( in MET-hours per week ) and quality-adjusted life years ( QALYs ) @months after the start of the intervention .


Cost-effectiveness ratios ( ICERs ) and cost-utility ratios ( ICURs ) were calculated per intervention condition .


Non-parametric bootstrapping techniques and sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainty .


As a whole ( i.e. the four intervention conditions together ) the Active Plus intervention was found to be cost-effective .


The PB-intervention ( ICER = -@ / MET-hour ) , PE-intervention ( ICER = -@ / MET-hour ) and the WE-intervention ( ICER = -@ / MET-hour ) all resulted in higher effects on PA and lower societal costs than the control group .


With regard to QALYs , the PB-intervention ( ICUR = @,@ / QALY ) , the PE-intervention ( ICUR = @,@ / QALY ) and the WE-intervention ( ICUR = -@,@ / QALY ) were found to be cost-effective when considering a willingness-to-pay threshold of @,@ / QALY .


In most cases PE had the highest probability to be cost-effective .


The Active Plus intervention was found to be a cost-effective manner to increase PA in a population aged over fifty when compared to no-intervention .


The tailored Active Plus intervention delivered through printed material and with additional environmental information ( PE ) turned out to be the most cost-effective intervention condition as confirmed by the different sensitivity analyses .


By increasing PA at relatively low costs , the Active Plus intervention can contribute to a better public health .


The effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving acute postoperative pain is still controversial .


This patient-evaluator blinded and sham auricular acupuncture ( AA ) - controlled study tested whether acupuncture is effective in controlling acute postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty .


Patients were randomly assigned to receive true acupuncture ( knee , scalp , and AA ) or sham AA .


All procedures were conducted under general anesthesia , and the AA needles were retained in situ for @ days .


Postoperative pain was managed with intravenous fentanyl using a patient-controlled analgesia pump .


The amount of postoperative fentanyl required , the time to the first fentanyl request , pain intensity on a @-mm visual analog scale , incidence of analgesia-related adverse effects , and success of patients ' blinding were recorded .


This study comprised @ patients ( @ in the study group and @ in the control group ) .


The fentanyl requirement via patient-controlled analgesia in the study group was lower -LSB- mean ( SD ) , @ ( @ ) vs @ ( @ ) g ; P = @ ) .


The time to first request for fentanyl was longer in the study group .


Pain intensity on a @-mm visual analog scale was lower in the study group in the first @ hours after the operation .


The incidence of analgesia-related adverse effects of nausea and vomiting was lower in the study group .


The success of blinding was not significantly different between the @ groups ( P = @ ) .


The data obtained from this clinical trial demonstrate the potential advantages of using acupuncture for postoperative pain control after total knee arthroplasty .


Exercise capacity , which is predictive of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease risk , is reduced significantly in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease .


This pilot study examined the effect of moderate-intensity exercise training on kidney function and indexes of cardiovascular risk in patients with progressive chronic kidney disease stages @ to@ .


Single-blind , randomized , controlled , parallel trial .


@ patients ( aged @-@ years ; @ men ) randomly assigned to rehabilitation ( n = @ ) or usual care ( n = @ ) .


Participants were included if they were @ years or older and had evidence of rate of decline in creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate ( eGFRcr ) @ mL/min/@ @ m ( @ ) per year for @ months preintervention .


Patients were excluded if they had unstable medical conditions or had recently started regular exercise .


The rehabilitation group received resistance and aerobic training ( @ days per week ) for a @-month period .


The usual care group received standard care .


Kidney function assessed by comparing mean rate of change in eGFRcr ( mL/min/@ @ m ( @ ) per year ) from a @-month preintervention period against the @-month intervention period .


Pulse wave velocity ( PWV ) , peak oxygen uptake ( Vo@peak ) , and waist circumference assessed at @ , @ , and @ months .


eGFR assessed using creatinine , cystatin C ( eGFRcys ) , and a combination of both values ( eGFRcr-cys ) .


@ participants ( rehabilitation , @ ; usual care , @ ) completed the study .


A significant mean difference in rate of change in eGFRcr ( +@ -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- mL/min/@ @ m ( @ ) per year ; P = @ ) was observed between the rehabilitation and usual care groups , with the rehabilitation group demonstrating a slower decline .


No significant between-group mean differences existed in absolute eGFRcr , eGFRcr-cys , or eGFRcys at @ months of study intervention .


Significant between-group mean differences existed in PWV ( -@ -LSB- @ % CI,-@ @ to-@ @ -RSB- m/s ) , waist circumference ( -@ -LSB- @ % CI,-@ @ to-@ @ -RSB- cm ) , and Vo@peak ( @ -LSB- @ % CI , @-@ @ -RSB- mL/kg/min ) .


Change in eGFRcr was correlated inversely with PWV ( r = -@ ; P = @ ) at @ months .


Small sample size , inconsistency between primary and secondary measures of kidney function .


The effect of a @-year exercise intervention on progression of kidney disease is inconclusive .


A larger study with longer follow-up may be necessary .


A total of @ patients were randomized to either mono-therapy with simvastatin ( @ mg daily ) or triple-therapy with simvastatin ( @ mg daily ) , extended-release niacin ( @ mg daily ) , and ezetimibe ( @ mg daily ) .


MRI was performed at baseline and @ , @ , and @ months .


SFA wall , lumen , and total vessel volumes were quantified .


MRI-derived SFA parameters and lipids were analyzed with multilevel models and nonparametric tests , respectively .


Baseline characteristics did not differ between mono and triple-therapy groups , except for ethnicity ( p = @ ) .


SFA wall , lumen , and total vessel volumes increased non-significantly for both groups between baseline and @-months .


Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly reduced at @ months with triple-therapy compared with mono-therapy ( p = @ ) .


No significant differences were observed between mono-therapy using simvastatin and triple-therapy with simvastatin , extended-release niacin , and ezetimibe for @-month changes in SFA wall , lumen , and total vessel volumes .


We examined the prognostic impact of specific KRAS mutations in patients with stage III colon adenocarcinoma receiving adjuvant FOLFOX alone or combined with cetuximab in a phase III trial ( N@ ) .


Analysis was restricted to BRAF-wild-type tumors , because BRAF mutation was associated with poor prognosis , and BRAF and KRAS mutations are mutually exclusive .


The seven most common KRAS mutations in codon @ and codon @ were examined in @,@ BRAF-wild-type tumors .


Because KRAS mutations in codon @ ( n = @ ) or @ ( n = @ ) were not predictive of adjuvant cetuximab benefit , study arms were pooled for analysis .


Disease-free survival ( DFS ) was evaluated by HRs using Cox models .


KRAS mutations in codon @ ( multivariate HR , @ ; @ % confidence interval , CI , @-@ @ ; P < @ ) or codon @ ( multivariate HR , @ ; @ % CI , @-@ @ ; P = @ ) were significantly associated with shorter DFS compared with patients with wild-type KRAS/BRAF tumors , independent of covariates .


KRAS codon @ mutations were independently associated with proficient mismatch repair ( P < @ ) , proximal tumor site ( P < @ ) , low grade , age , and sex , whereas codon @ mutations were associated with proximal site ( P < @ ) .


KRAS mutations in either codon @ or @ are associated with inferior survival in patients with resected stage III colon cancer .


These data highlight the importance of accurate molecular characterization and the significant role of KRAS mutations in both codons in the progression of this malignancy in the adjuvant setting .


Clin Cancer Res ; @ ( @ ) ; @-@ @ AACR .


Administration of vaccines by needle-free technology such as jet injection might offer an alternative to needles and syringes that avoids the issue of needle phobia and the risk of needle-stick injury .


We aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of trivalent influenza vaccine given by needle-free jet injector compared with needle and syringe .


For this randomised , comparator-controlled trial , we randomly assigned ( @:@ ) healthy adults ( aged @-@ years ) who attended one of four employee health clinics in the University of Colorado health system , with stratification by site , to receive one dose of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine Afluria given either intramuscularly with a needle-free jet injector ( Stratis ; PharmaJet , Golden , CO , USA ) or with needle and syringe .


Randomisation was done with a computer-generated randomisation schedule with a block size of @ .


Because of the nature of the study , masking of participants was not possible .


Immunogenicity was assessed by measurement of the hemagglutination inhibition antibody titres in serum for the three viral strains included in the vaccine .


We included six coprimary endpoints : three strain-specific geometric mean titre ratios and the absolute differences in three strain-specific seroconversion rates .


The immune response of the jet injector group was regarded as non-inferior to that of the needle and syringe group if both the upper bound of each of the three @ % CIs for the strain-specific geometric mean titre ratios was @ or less , and the upper bound of the three @ % CIs for the strain-specific seroconversion rate differences was less than @ percentage points .


We used t test for group comparison .


This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT@ .


During the @-@ influenza season of the northern hemisphere , we allocated @ participants to receive vaccination by needle-free jet injector ( n = @ ) or needle and syringe ( n = @ ) .


In the intention-to-treat immunogenicity population , all participants with two serum samples were included ( @ in the jet injector group and @ in the needle and syringe group ) .


The immune response to Afluria when given by needle-free jet injector met the criteria for non-inferiority for all six coprimary endpoints .


The jet injector group met the geometric mean titre criterion for non-inferiority for the A/H@N@ , A/H@N@ , and B strains ( upper bound of the @ % CI for the geometric mean titre ratios were @ for A/H@N@ , @ for A/H@N@ , and @ for B strains ) .


The jet injector group met the seroconversion rate criterion for non-inferiority for the A/H@N@ , A/H@N@ , and B strains ( upper bound of the @ % CI of the seroconversion rate differences were @ % for A/H@N@ , @ % for A/H@N@ , and @ % for B strains ) .


We recorded serious adverse events in three participants , none of which were study related .


The immune response to influenza vaccine given with the jet injector device was non-inferior to the immune response to influenza vaccine given with needle and syringe .


The device had a clinically acceptable safety profile , but was associated with a higher frequency of local injection site reactions than was the use of needle and syringe .


The Stratis needle-free jet injector device could be used as an alternative method of administration of Afluria trivalent influenza vaccine .


Preclinical and human laboratory research suggests that ( a ) progesterone may decrease drug reward , craving , and smoking behavior , and ( b ) estradiol may enhance drug reward and smoking behavior .


A modest majority of treatment research examining the relationship between menstrual cycle phase and outcomes suggests that the luteal menstrual phase , with its uniquely higher progesterone levels , is associated with better cessation outcomes .


However , no studies to date have examined the effects of naturally occurring variation in progesterone and estradiol levels on medication-assisted smoking cessation .


The present study sought to fill this notable gap in the treatment literature .


Weekly plasma progesterone and estradiol levels were obtained from nicotine-dependent female smokers enrolled in a @-week cessation trial .


Participants ( N = @ ) were randomized to receive a @-week course of either varenicline ( VAR ) tablets and placebo patches or placebo tablets and nicotine patches .


Plasma samples were obtained @ week before their cessation attempt and weekly during medication administration .


Abstinence was assessed weekly .


Weekly hormone data replicated commonly observed menstrual cycle patterns of progesterone and estradiol levels .


Importantly , increases in progesterone level were associated with a @ % increase in the odds for being abstinent within each week of treatment .


This effect was driven primarily by nicotine patch-treated versus VAR-treated females .


This study was the first to identify an association between progesterone level ( increasing ) and abstinence outcomes in free-cycling women smokers who participated in a medication-based treatment .


Furthermore , the potential benefits of progesterone may vary across different pharmacotherapies .


Implications of these findings for smoking cessation intervention are discussed .


The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of high-dose inhaled terbutaline on muscle strength , maximal sprinting , and time-trial performance in trained men .


Nine non-asthmatic males with a VSOmax of @ @ ml min ( -@ ) kg ( -@ ) ( mean SEM ) participated in a double-blinded randomized crossover study .


After administration of inhaled terbutaline ( @ @ mg ) or placebo , subjects ' maximal voluntary isometric contraction ( MVC ) of m.quadriceps was measured .


After MVC , subjects performed a @-s Wingate test .


Sixty minutes following the Wingate test , subjects exercised for @ min at @ % of VSOmax and completed a @-kcal time trial .


Aerobic contribution was determined during the Wingate test by indirect calorimetry .


Furthermore , plasma terbutaline , lactate , glucose , and K ( + ) were measured .


Inhalation of @ mg terbutaline resulted in systemic concentrations of terbutaline of @ @ ng ml ( -@ ) @ min after administration , and elevated plasma lactate ( P = @ ) and glucose ( P = @ ) .


MVC was higher for terbutaline than placebo ( @ @ vs. @ @ N ) ( P = @ ) .


In addition , Wingate peak power and mean power were @ @ ( P = @ ) and @ @ % ( P = @ ) higher for terbutaline than placebo .


Net accumulation of plasma lactate was higher ( P = @ ) for terbutaline than placebo during the Wingate test , whereas -LSB- Formula : see text -RSB- above baseline was unchanged by terbutaline ( P = @ ) .


Time-trial performance was not different between treatments ( P = @ ) .


High-dose inhaled terbutaline elicits a systemic response that enhances muscle strength and sprint performance .


High-dose terbutaline should therefore continue to be restricted in competitive sport .


Fewer than one in @ adolescents with substance use disorders ( ASUDs ) will receive specialty treatment , and even fewer will receive treatment designated as evidence-based practice ( EBP ) .


Traditional efforts to increase the utilization of EBP by ASUDs typically focus on practitioners-either in substance use clinics or allied health settings .


Direct-to-consumer ( DTC ) marketing that directly targets parents of ASUDs represents a potentially complementary paradigm that has yet to be evaluated .


The current study is the first to evaluate the relevance of a well-established marketing framework ( the Marketing Mix ) and measurement approach ( measurement of perceived service quality -LSB- PSQ -RSB- ) with parents of ASUDs in need of treatment .


A mixed-methods design is employed across three study phases , consistent with well-established methods used in the field of marketing science .


Phase @ consists of formative qualitative research with parents ( and a supplementary sample of adolescents ) in order to evaluate and potentially adapt a conceptual framework ( Marketing Mix ) and measure of PSQ .


Phase @ is a targeted survey of ASUD parents to elucidate their marketing preferences , using the adapted Marketing Mix framework , and to establish the psychometric properties of the PSQ measure .


The survey will also gather data on parents ' preferences for different targeted marketing messages .


Phase @ is a two-group randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of targeted marketing messages versus standard clinical information .


Key outcomes will include parents ' ratings of PSQ ( using the new measure ) , behavioral intentions to seek out information about EBP , and actual information-seeking behavior .


The current study will inform the field whether a well-established marketing framework and measurement approach can be used to increase demand for EBP among parents of ASUDs .


Results of this study will have the potential to immediately inform DTC marketing efforts by professional organizations , federal agencies , clinicians , and clinical researchers .


To evaluate the efficacy and safety of entecavir maleate ( ETV ) versus ETV in Chinese patients with hepatitis B e antigen ( HBeAg ) - positive chronic hepatitis B ( CHB ) .


The patient population of this previously published randomized , double-blind , double-dummy , controlled , multicenter study was expanded by patients in the @ mg/day ETV maleate group ( total n = @ ) and patients in the @ mg/day ETV group ( total n = @ ) .


At treatment weeks @ , @ and @ , hepatitis B virus ( HBV ) DNA levels were measured by the Roche Cobas Ampliprep/Cobas Taqman PCR assay .


Adverse events ( AE ) were recorded .


As in the original analysis , the two treatment groups showed similar characteristics at baseline .


In addition , the results for the all therapeutic effects showed identical trends to the results obtained in the original analysis , including the statistically similar effects of ETV and ETV maleate treatment-induced decreases in mean HBV DNA level at weeks @ , @ , and @ ( ETV : by @ , @ , and @ log@ IU/ml vs. ETV maleate : by @ , @ , and @ log@ IU/ml , respectively ; all vs. baseline P more than @ ) , achievement of undetectable levels of serum HBV DNA ( less than @ IU/ml ) at week @ ( ETV : @ % vs. ETV maleate : @ % ; P more than @ ) , HBeAg loss rates at week @ ( ETV : @ % vs. ETV maleate : @ % ; P more than @ ) , HBeAg seroconversion rates at week @ ( ETV : @ % vs. ETV maleate : @ % ; P more than @ ) , normalization of alanine aminotransferase at week @ ( ETV : @ % vs. ETV maleate : @ % ; P more than @ ) , and overall incidence of AE ( ETV : @ % vs. ETV maleate : @ % ; P more than @ ) .


Performing analysis of the therapeutic efficacies of entecavir maleate versus entecavir with a larger study population confirmed our original findings of similar efficacy and safety profiles for these two drugs in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB .


To examine potential mechanisms underlying nicotine 's effects on male sexual arousal by exploring the mediating role of heart rate variability ( HRV ) .


The sample comprised @ healthy , nicotine-nave men ( mean age = @ years ; standard deviation = @ ) .


Data were taken from a double-blind , randomized , placebo-controlled , crossover trial previously completed and published elsewhere .


During each laboratory visit , time-domain parameters of HRV ( standard deviation of normal-to-normal -LSB- NN -RSB- intervals , square root of the mean squared difference of successive NN intervals , and percent of NN intervals for which successive heartbeat intervals differed by at least @ ms -LSB- pNN@ -RSB- ) along with the objective ( via penile plethysmography ) and subjective indices of sexual arousal were assessed .


Acute nicotine ingestion ( compared with placebo ) was associated with dysregulated sympathovagal balance , which in turn was related to relatively reduced erectile tumescence .


HRV did not mediate relations between nicotine intake and self-reported indices of sexual arousal .


HRV mediated the association between nicotine ingestion and erectile capacity .


Findings suggest that dysfunctional cardiac autonomic tone may be an underlying mechanism by which nicotine exerts its deleterious effects on erectile health .


To study the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in patients with hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) infection and to evaluate the role of vitamin D supplementation in improving antiviral therapy .


Sixty-six children aged from @-@ years ( mean SD , @ ) diagnosed with HCV infection were matched to @ healthy controls .


Serum levels of @ ( OH ) D@ , calcium , phosphorus , alkaline phosphatase and plasma level of parathormone were measured .


Quantitative PCR for HCV was performed Bone density was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry .


All cases received conventional therapy , and only @ patients received vitamin D supplementation .


Children with HCV showed significantly increased levels of HCV RNA ( P < @ ) , parathormone ( P < @ ) and decreased vitamin D levels ( P < @ ) ( @ % deficient and @ % insufficient ) compared with controls .


Abnormal bone status ( Z score -@ ) was found in ribs , L-spine , pelvis and total body .


Cases treated with vitamin D showed significant higher early ( P < @ ) and sustained ( P < @ ) virological response .


There was a high frequency of vitamin D deficiency among the Egyptian HCV children , with significant decrease in bone density .


The vitamin D level should be assessed before the start of antiviral treatment with the correction of any detected deficiency .


Adding vitamin D to conventional Peg/RBV therapy significantly improved the virological response and helped to prevent the risk of emerging bone fragility .


To investigate the effects of the plasma containing Qianlongtong Capsule ( QLT ) - containing plasma on the expression of the Smad@ gene in prostate stromal cells in vitro and provide some experimental evidence for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) with Chinese medicinal compound .


Fifteen cases of BPH were equally randomized to three groups to be treated with QLT at a high dose ( @ capsules once ) , a medium dose ( @ capsules once ) , and a low dose ( @ capsules once ) , tid , for @ days consecutively .


QLT-containing plasma was collected from the patients .


Prostate stromal cells were identified by immunofluorescence when they became monolayered and cultured in the QLT-containing plasma for @ hours , followed by detection of the expression of the Smad@ gene by real-time quantitative PCR and that of the Smad@ protein by Western blot .


After treatment with the QLT-containing plasma , the expression of the Smad@ gene in the stromal cells was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner as compared with the blank control and no-QLT groups ( P < @ ) .


The expression of the Smad@ protein was also markedly elevated after treatment .


The differences were statistically significant between the blank control and medium-dose groups ( P < @ ) , low-dose and medium-dose groups ( P < @ ) , and high-dose and the other groups ( P < @ ) , but not between the blank control and low-dose groups ( P > @ ) .


QLT-containing plasma could inhibit the proliferation and improve the apoptotic index of prostate stromal cells in vitro , which was related to the elevation of the mRNA and protein expressions of Smad@ .


This study evaluated in-office balloon dilation of maxillary sinus ostia and ethmoid infundibula to treat chronic rhinosinusitis ( CRS ) and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis ( RARS ) .


Seventy-four patients with disease in the maxillary and anterior ethmoid sinuses on computed tomography were prospectively enrolled across @ study centers .


All procedures were performed in the office .


The primary outcomes were clinical effectiveness and health-care utilization at @ year , measured by the validated surveys Sino-Nasal Outcome Test ( SNOT-@ ) and Rhinosinusitis Symptom Inventory ( RSI ) .


Dilation was successful in @ patients ( @ % ) , and the average periprocedural pain level was @ ( scale of @ to @ ) .


The mean improvement on the SNOT-@ at @ year was clinically and statistically significant ( p < @ ) , with no significant difference between the CRS and RARS patient outcomes .


The treatment effect was the same in the CRS and RARS subgroups and was either `` moderate '' or `` large '' for @ of @ symptoms .


The mean numbers of antibiotic courses ( p < or = @ ) , sinus-related physician visits ( p < @ ) , and number of acute sinus infections ( p < @ ) decreased significantly in both subgroups .


There were no serious device-related adverse events , and the rate of revision surgery was @ % .