The affinity of antibody and breadth of cross-clade neutralization was also enhanced in influenza A ( H@N@ ) pLAIV-primed subjects .


ISIV administration unmasked long-lasting immunity in influenza A ( H@N@ ) pLAIV recipients , with a rapid , high-titer , high-quality antibody response that was broadly cross-reactive across several influenza A ( H@N@ ) clades .


The aim of this prospective clinical study was to derive the absolute and relative costs of cone beam CT ( CBCT ) and panoramic imaging before removal of an impacted mandibular third molar .


Furthermore , the study aimed to analyse the influence of different cost-setting scenarios on the outcome of the absolute and relative costs and the incremental costs related to surgery .


A randomized clinical trial compared complications following surgical removal of a mandibular third molar , where the pre-operative diagnostic method had been panoramic imaging or CBCT .


The resources implied in the two methods were measured with health economic tools .


The primary outcome was total costs defined as the sum of absolute imaging costs and incremental surgery-related costs .


The basic variables were capital costs , operational costs , radiological costs , radiographic costs , overheads and patient resource utilization .


Differences in resources used for surgical and post-surgical management were calculated for each patient .


Converted to monetary units , the total costs for panoramic imaging equalized @ and for CBCT examination @ .


Modifying effects on this outcome such as differences in surgery time , treatment time for complications , pre - and post-surgical medication , sickness absence , specialist treatment and hospitalization were not statistically significant between the two diagnostic method groups .


Costs for a CBCT examination were approximately four times the costs for panoramic imaging when used prior to removal of a mandibular third molar .


The use of CBCT did not change the resources used for surgery , post-surgical treatment and patient complication management .


Conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) , and compared the relative effectiveness of individual ( ICBT ) and group ( GCBT ) treatment approaches for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents .


Referred youth ( N = @ , M age = @ years , range @-@ years , @ % girls ) with separation anxiety , social phobia , or generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to ICBT , GCBT or a waitlist control ( WLC ) in community clinics .


Pre - , post - , and one year follow-up assessments included youth and parent completed diagnostic interview and symptom measures .


After comparing CBT ( ICBT and GCBT combined ) to WLC , ICBT and GCBT were compared along diagnostic recovery rates , clinically significant improvement , and symptom measures scores using traditional hypothesis tests , as well as statistical equivalence tests .


Significantly more youth lost all anxiety disorders after CBT compared to WLC .


Full diagnostic recovery rate was @ % for ICBT and @ % in GCBT , which was not significantly different .


There was continued lack of significant differences between ICBT and GCBT at one year follow-up .


However , equivalence between GCBT and ICBT could only be demonstrated for clinical severity rating of the principal anxiety disorder and child reported anxiety symptoms post-treatment .


Findings support the effectiveness of CBT compared to no intervention for youth with anxiety disorders , with no significant differences between ICBT and GCBT .


However , the relatively low recovery rates highlight the need for further improvement of CBT programs and their transportability from university to community settings .


To evaluate visual function and disease progression in the retinal structural abnormalities of three patients from two unrelated families with macular telangiectasia ( MacTel ) type @ .


Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy ( AOSLO ) and AOSLO microperimetry ( AOMP ) were used to evaluate the structure and function of macular cones in three eyes with MacTel type @ .


Cone spacing was estimated using histogram analysis of intercone distances , and registered spectral-domain optical coherence tomography ( SD-OCT ) scans were used to evaluate retinal anatomy .


AOMP was used to assess visual sensitivity in and around areas of apparent cone loss .


Although overall lesion surface area increased , some initially affected regions subsequently showed clear , contiguous , and normally spaced cone mosaics with recovered photoreceptor inner/outer segment ( IS/OS ) reflectivity ( two of two eyes ) .


The AOMP test sites fell within three categories : normal-appearing cones ( N ) , dimly reflecting cones ( D ) , and RPE cell mosaics ( R ) .


At N sites , AOMP threshold values ( arbitrary units -LSB- au -RSB- ) increased with increasing eccentricity ( slope = @ au/degree , r ( @ ) = @ ) .


The N thresholds ranged from @ to @ au , D thresholds from @ to @ au , and R thresholds from @ to @ au .


There was measurable visual sensitivity everywhere except areas without intact external limiting membrane ( ELM ) and with diffuse scattering in the IS/OS and posterior tips of the outer segments ( PTOS ) regions on OCT. .


Visual sensitivity and recovery of cone visibility in areas of apparent focal cone loss suggests that MacTel type @ lesions with a preserved ELM may contain functioning cones with abnormal scattering and/or waveguiding characteristics .


( ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


Cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) performed by bystanders is associated with increased survival rates among persons with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest .


We investigated whether rates of bystander-initiated CPR could be increased with the use of a mobile-phone positioning system that could instantly locate mobile-phone users and dispatch lay volunteers who were trained in CPR to a patient nearby with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest .


We conducted a blinded , randomized , controlled trial in Stockholm from April @ through December @ .


A mobile-phone positioning system that was activated when ambulance , fire , and police services were dispatched was used to locate trained volunteers who were within @ m of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest ; volunteers were then dispatched to the patients ( the intervention group ) or not dispatched to them ( the control group ) .


The primary outcome was bystander-initiated CPR before the arrival of ambulance , fire , and police services .


A total of @ lay volunteers who were trained in CPR were recruited initially , and overall @ were recruited during the study .


The mobile-phone positioning system was activated in @ out-of-hospital cardiac arrests : @ % ( @ patients ) in the intervention group and @ % ( @ patients ) in the control group .


The rate of bystander-initiated CPR was @ % ( @ of @ patients ) in the intervention group and @ % ( @ of @ patients ) in the control group ( absolute difference for intervention vs. control , @ percentage points ; @ % confidence interval , @ to @ ; P < @ ) .


A mobile-phone positioning system to dispatch lay volunteers who were trained in CPR was associated with significantly increased rates of bystander-initiated CPR among persons with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest .


( Funded by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and Stockholm County ; ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


To evaluate the in vivo effect of chewing gum containing allyl isothiocyanate alone , and in combination with zinc salts on reduction of the level of volatile sulfur compounds responsible for oral malodor .


@ healthy volunteers between the ages of @-@ chewed either an experimental gum or a placebo gum for @ minutes .


Their mouth air was analyzed for volatile sulfur compounds by a gas chromatograph at baseline , immediately after chewing , and at @ , @ and @ minutes after treatment .


The study revealed that allyl isothiocyanate , a constituent of mustard seed extract , can effectively reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in mouth air .


Chewing gum containing @ % zinc lactate and @ % of allyl isothiocyanate eliminated @ % , @ % , @ % and @ % of the total VSC concentration immediately after chewing and at @ , @ , and @ hours after chewing , respectively .


Recently , Marczinski and colleagues ( @ ) showed that energy drinks combined with alcohol augment a person 's desire to drink more alcohol relative to drinking alcohol alone .


The current study replicates the findings of Marczinski and colleagues ( @ ) using a robust measure of alcohol craving .


Seventy-five participants aged @ to @years were assigned to an alcohol only or alcohol + energy drink condition in a double-blind randomized pre - versus posttest experiment .


Participants received a cocktail containing either @ml of vodka and a Red Bull ( ) Silver Edition energy drink ( alcohol + energy drink condition ) or @ml of vodka with a soda water vehicle ( alcohol-only condition ) ; both cocktails contained @ml of fruit drink .


The primary outcome measure was the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire taken at pretest and at @minutes ( posttest ) .


Other measures taken at posttest were the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Questionnaire , the Drug Effects Questionnaire , and breath alcohol concentration ( BAC ) .


The alcohol + energy drink condition showed a greater pre - versus posttest increase in urge to drink alcohol compared with the alcohol-only condition ( B = @ , p = @ , d = @ ) .


Participants in the alcohol + energy drink condition had significantly higher ratings on liking the cocktail and wanting to drink more of the cocktail , and lower BACs , than the alcohol-only condition .


When examined at specific BACs , the effect of the energy drink on the pre - to posttest increase in urge to drink was largest and only significant at BACs of @-@ @ ( cf. < @ g/dl ) .


There were no significant differences in stimulation , sedation , feeling the effects of the cocktail , or feeling high .


Combining energy drinks with alcohol increased the urge to drink alcohol relative to drinking alcohol alone .


More research is needed to understand what factors mediate this effect and whether it increases subsequent alcohol consumption .


A significant correlation exists between coronary artery diseases and depression .


The aim of this trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of saffron versus fluoxetine in improving depressive symptoms of patients who were suffering from depression after performing percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI ) .


In this randomized double-blind parallel-group study , @ patients with a diagnosis of mild to moderate depression who had undergone PCI in the last six months were randomized to receive either fluoexetine ( @mg/day ) or saffron ( @mg/day ) capsule for six weeks .


Participants were evaluated by Hamilton depression rating scale ( HDRS ) at weeks @ and @ and the adverse events were systemically recorded .


By the study endpoint , no significant difference was detected between two groups in reduction of HDRS scores ( P = @ ) .


Remission and response rates were not significantly different as well ( P = @ and P = @ ; respectively ) .


There was no significant difference between two groups in the frequency of adverse events during this trial .


Relatively small sample size and short observational period were the major limitations of this study .


Short-term therapy with saffron capsules showed the same antidepressant efficacy compared with fluoxetine in patients with a prior history of PCI who were suffering from depression .


Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures , yet rigorous evidence of its efficacy is lacking .


We conducted a multicenter , randomized , double-blind , sham-controlled trial in @ patients @ to @ years of age who had knee symptoms consistent with a degenerative medial meniscus tear and no knee osteoarthritis .


Patients were randomly assigned to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or sham surgery .


The primary outcomes were changes in the Lysholm and Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool ( WOMET ) scores ( each ranging from @ to @ , with lower scores indicating more severe symptoms ) and in knee pain after exercise ( rated on a scale from @ to @ , with @ denoting no pain ) at @ months after the procedure .


In the intention-to-treat analysis , there were no significant between-group differences in the change from baseline to @ months in any primary outcome .


The mean changes ( improvements ) in the primary outcome measures were as follows : Lysholm score , @ points in the partial-meniscectomy group as compared with @ points in the sham-surgery group ( between-group difference , -@ points ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , -@ to @ ) ; WOMET score , @ and @ points , respectively ( between-group difference , -@ points ; @ % CI , -@ to @ ) ; and score for knee pain after exercise , @ and @ points , respectively ( between-group difference , -@ ; @ % CI , -@ to @ ) .


There were no significant differences between groups in the number of patients who required subsequent knee surgery ( two in the partial-meniscectomy group and five in the sham-surgery group ) or serious adverse events ( one and zero , respectively ) .


In this trial involving patients without knee osteoarthritis but with symptoms of a degenerative medial meniscus tear , the outcomes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy were no better than those after a sham surgical procedure .


( Funded by the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and others ; ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


Placebo effects have been reported in type I allergic reactions .


However the neuropsychological mechanisms steering placebo responses in allergies are largely unknown .


The study analyzed whether and to what extend a conditioned placebo response is affecting type I allergic reactions and whether this response can be reproduced at multiple occasions .


@ patients with house dust mite allergy were randomly allocated to either a conditioned ( n = @ ) , sham-conditioned ( n = @ ) or natural history ( n = @ ) group .


During the learning phase ( acquisition ) , patients in the conditioned group received the H@-receptor antagonist desloratadine ( @mg ) ( unconditioned stimulus/US ) together with a novel tasting gustatory stimulus ( conditioned stimulus/CS ) .


Patients in the sham-conditioned control group received the CS together with a placebo pill .


After a wash out time of @ days patients in the conditioned and sham-conditioned group received placebo pills together with the CS during evocation .


Allergic responses documented by wheal size after skin prick test and symptom scores after nasal provocation were analyzed at baseline , after last desloratadine treatment and after the @ ( st ) and @ ( th ) CS re-exposure .


Both conditioned and sham-conditioned patients showed significantly decreased wheal sizes after the @ ( st ) CS-evocation and significantly decreased symptom scores after the @ ( st ) as well as after the @ ( th ) evocation compared to the natural history control group .


These results indicate that placebo responses in type I allergy are not primarily mediated by learning processes , but seemed to be induced by cognitive factors such as patients ' expectation , with these effects not restricted to a single evocation .


Frequent skin cleaning fulfils the definition of occupational ` wet work ' .


Standardized methods are required to assess the irritation potential of workplace cleansers .


To develop a standardized procedure for testing the irritation potential of occupational skin cleansers .


In this single-blind , single-centre trial in @ healthy volunteers , the irritation potential of five generic reference cleansers was tested by three-times-daily washing with an automated skin cleaning device for @days , and quantification of cumulative skin barrier damage was performed by visual scoring , chromametry , transepidermal water loss TEWL , and corneometry .


For two cleansers , reproducibility of the irritancy assessment was assessed .


Furthermore , the irritation induced by four commercial workplace skin cleansers was studied .


Whereas no significant changes were observed for any of the tested cleansers by either visual scoring or chromametry , significant increases in TEWL and significant decreases in stratum corneum hydration were found for all cleansers .


Cleansers differed significantly in their irritation potential .


On retesting of two cleansers , the first results were confirmed .


Among the four commercial cleansers , one that was claimed to be mild was found to be disproportionally irritant .


The presented model for testing cleansing preparations allows a highly controlled , practically relevant and reproducible irritancy assessment of occupational skin cleansers .


The effects of brimonidine on daytime and nighttime intraocular pressure ( IOP ) and aqueous humor dynamics were evaluated in volunteers with ocular hypertension ( OHT ) .


Thirty participants with OHT ( @ years old , meanSEM ) were enrolled into this randomized , double-masked , cross-over study .


For @ weeks , participants self-administered @ % brimonidine or placebo @ times daily .


During daytime and nighttime visits , measurements included aqueous flow ( Fa ) by fluorophotometry , outflow facility ( C ) by tonography , episcleral venous pressure ( Pev ) by venomanometry , and seated and supine IOP by pneumatonometry .


Uveoscleral outflow ( U ) was calculated mathematically .


When treated with placebo , nighttime supine Pev ( @ mm Hg ) was higher ( P < @ ) compared with daytime seated Pev ( @ mm Hg ) , and Fa and U were significantly reduced at night .


Brimonidine significantly lowered seated IOP at @:@ AM and @:@ AM , @:@ PM and @:@ PM and supine IOP at @:@ AM and @:@ AM .


Brimonidine increased U at @ AM and @ AM ( P < @ ) and had no effect on daytime and nighttime Fa , C , or Pev .


In subjects with OHT , brimonidine treatment for @ weeks significantly reduces seated IOP during the day by increasing uveoscleral outflow .


The lack of IOP effect at night can be explained by failure to overcome a normal nighttime reduction of uveoscleral outflow .


Pain is a negative factor in the recovery process of postoperative patients .


It causes pulmonary alterations and complications , and it also affects functional capacity .


Several studies have investigated the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ( TENS ) during the postoperative period .


However , no studies have assessed the effects of TENS on kidney donors .


Thus , the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of TENS on pain , walking function , respiratory muscle strength and vital capacity in kidney donors .


Seventy-four patients were randomly allocated into two groups : active TENS or placebo TENS .


All patients were assessed for pain intensity , respiratory muscle strength , vital capacity and walking function before and after the TENS application on the first day of the postoperative period .


The use of active TENS significantly reduced pain at rest ( p = @ ) , during the measurement of maximal inspiratory pressure ( p = @ ) , during maximal expiratory pressure ( p = @ ) and during vital capacity ( p = @ ) .


Active TENS also produced a significant increase in maximal expiratory pressure when compared with the placebo TENS group ( p = @ ) .


Maximal inspiratory pressure , vital capacity and walking function were not significantly different between the two treatment groups .


These results suggest that TENS decreases pain intensity at rest and during respiratory manoeuvres and increases maximal expiratory pressure during the postoperative period in kidney donors after open nephrectomy .


To investigate the effect of systematic screening for risk factors for ischaemic heart disease followed by repeated lifestyle counselling on the @ year development of ischaemic heart disease at a population level .


Randomised controlled community based trial .


Suburbs of Copenhagen , Denmark .


@,@ people aged @-@ years randomised with different age and sex randomisation ratios to an intervention group ( n = @,@ ) and a control group ( n = @,@ ) .


The intervention group was invited for screening , risk assessment , and lifestyle counselling up to four times over a five year period .


All participants with an unhealthy lifestyle had individually tailored lifestyle counselling at all visits ( at baseline and after one and three years ) ; those at high risk of ischaemic heart disease , according to predefined criteria , were furthermore offered six sessions of group based lifestyle counselling on smoking cessation , diet , and physical activity .


After five years all were invited for a final counselling session .


Participants were referred to their general practitioner for medical treatment , if relevant .


The control group was not invited for screening .


The primary outcome measure was incidence of ischaemic heart disease in the intervention group compared with the control group .


Secondary outcome measures were stroke , combined events ( ischaemic heart disease , stroke , or both ) , and mortality .


@ ( @ % ) people in the intervention group participated at baseline .


Among @ people eligible at five year follow-up ( @ died and @ emigrated ) , @ ( @ % ) attended .


A total of @ people died in the @ year follow-up period .


Among @,@ without a history of ischaemic heart disease at baseline , @ developed ischaemic heart disease .


Among @,@ without a history of stroke at baseline , @ developed stroke .


No significant difference was seen between the intervention and control groups in the primary end point ( hazard ratio for ischaemic heart disease @ , @ % confidence interval @ to @ ) or in the secondary endpoints ( stroke @ , @ to @ ; combined endpoint @ , @ to @ ; total mortality @ , @ to @ ) .


A community based , individually tailored intervention programme with screening for risk of ischaemic heart disease and repeated lifestyle intervention over five years had no effect on ischaemic heart disease , stroke , or mortality at the population level after @ years.Trial registration Clinical trials NCT@ .


Even small design modifications of uncemented hip stems may alter the postoperative @-D migration pattern .


The Furlong Active is an uncemented femoral stem which , in terms of design , is based on its precursor-the well-proven Furlong HAC-but has undergone several design changes .


The collar has been removed on the Active stem along with the lateral fin ; it is shorter and has more rounded edges in the proximal part .


We compared the migration patterns of the uncemented Furlong HAC stem and the modified Furlong Active stem in a randomized , controlled trial over @ years using radiostereometry ( RSA ) .


@ patients with primary osteoarthritis were randomized to receive either the HAC stem or the Active stem .


The patients underwent repeated RSA examinations ( postoperatively , at @ months , and after @ , @ , and @ years ) and conventional radiography , and they also filled out hip-specific questionnaires .


During the first @ months , the collarless Active stem subsided to a greater extent than the collar-fitted HAC stem ( @ mm vs. @ mm , p = @ ) .


There were , however , no other differences in movement measured by RSA or in clinical outcome between the @ stems .


After @ months , both stem types had stabilized and almost no further migration was seen .


The Active stem showed no signs of unfavorable migration .


Our results suggest that the osseointegration is not compromised by the new design features .


The prone maximal restraint ( PMR ) position has been used by law enforcement and emergency care personnel to restrain acutely combative or agitated individual .


The position places the subject prone with wrists handcuffed behind the back and secured to the ankles .


Prior work has indicated a reduction in inferior vena cava ( IVC ) diameter associated with this position when weight force is applied to the back .


It is therefore possible that this position can negatively impact hemodynamic stability .


We sought to measure the impact of PMR with and without weight force on measures of cardiac function including vital signs , oxygenation , stroke volume ( SV ) , IVC diameter , cardiac output ( CO ) and cardiac index ( CI ) .


We conducted a randomized prospective cross-over experimental study of @ healthy male volunteers ( @-@ years of age ) placed in @ different body positions : supine ( SU ) , prone ( PR ) , prone maximal restraint with no weight force ( PMR-@ ) , prone maximal restraint with @lbs added to the subject 's back ( PMR-@ ) , and prone maximal restraint with @lbs added to the subject 's back ( PMR-@ ) for @min .


Heart rate ( HR ) , blood pressure ( BP ) , and oxygenation saturation ( O@ sat ) were monitored .


In addition , echocardiography was performed to measure left ventricular outflow tract diameter ( LVOTD ) , and SV , CO , and CI were then calculated .


Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with pair-wise comparisons when appropriate to evaluate changes with each variable with respective positioning .


Despite a small decrease in SV between SU and PMR positions , there were no statistically significant differences in CO between the @ different positions .


There were also no differences in CI between positions other than a small decrease when comparing SU and PMR-@ only ( mean difference-@ @ L/stroke , p = @ ) .


There was no evidence of hemodynamic compromise in any of the PMR positions when evaluating HR , MAP or O@ sat .


PMR with and without weight force did not result in any changes in CO or other evidence of cardiovascular or hemodynamic compromise .


Platelet factor @/heparin ( PF@/H ) antibody detection is widely used to evaluate the risk of thrombosis in patients undergoing hemodialysis ( HD ) .


Most patients who are PF@/H-antibody-positive can survive thrombosis , but the reason has not been clarified .


In addition , no valid preventive methods for thrombosis in patients undergoing HD have been confirmed .


A single-center , semi-randomized controlled study was designed .


In total , @ patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and participated .


Patients were first divided according to PF@/H antibody detection and then subdivided randomly according to different anti-platelet agent descriptions .


( @ ) PF@/H antibody-positive patients suffered a significantly higher incidence of thrombosis than those who were antibody-negative ; ( @ ) PF@/H antibody-positive patients who survived a thrombosis manifested a significantly longer bleeding time and decreased maximum percentage of platelet aggregation inhibition ; ( @ ) aspirin and clopidogrel decreased the incidence of thrombosis in PF@/H antibody-positive patients by inhibiting platelet activation .


The PF@/H antibody was effective for prediction of the risk of thrombosis , except in patients with dysfunctional platelets ; aspirin manifested effects similar to clopidogrel in terms of prevention of thromboses in PF@/H antibody-positive patients , but costs much less and is therefore recommended .


Women with gestational diabetes are at high risk for developing diabetes ; post-partum weight loss may reduce the risk of diabetes .


We evaluated the association of post-partum weight change with changes in glucose , insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance in a subsample ( n = @ ) of participants from Diet Exercise and Breastfeeding Intervention ( DEBI ) , a randomized pilot trial of lifestyle intervention for women with gestational diabetes .


Glucose and insulin were measured fasting and @h after an oral glucose tolerance test at @weeks and @months post-partum .


Women were categorized by weight change ( lost > @kg vs. maintained/gained ) between @weeks and @months post-partum .


Compared with women who maintained or gained weight , women who lost > @kg experienced significantly lower increases in fasting glucose -LSB- age-adjusted means : @ mmol/l ( @ % CI -@ to @ ) vs. @ mmol/l ( @ % CI @-@ @ ) ; P < @ -RSB- and @-h insulin -LSB- @ pmol/l ( @ % CI -@ to @ ) vs. @ pmol/l ( @ % CI @-@ @ ) ; P < @ -RSB- and a significant reduction in @-h glucose -LSB- -@ mmol/l ( @ % CI -@ to -@ ) vs. @ mmol/l ( @ % CI -@ to @ ) ; P < @ -RSB- .


In multiple linear regression models adjusted for age , Hispanic ethnicity , medication use , meeting the Institute of Medicine 's recommendations for gestational weight gain , breastfeeding and randomized group , a @-kg increase in weight was significantly associated with increases in fasting and @-h glucose ( P < @ ) , but was not associated with insulin or homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance .


In women with gestational diabetes , modest post-partum weight loss may be associated with improvements in glucose metabolism .


Because of the increasing resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole , new therapeutic alternatives are needed .


The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of @ - and @-day triple therapy including omeprazole , levofloxacin and amoxicilline for Helicobacter pylori eradication as a first-line therapy .


One hundred and five patients with peptic ulcer disease and with non-ulcer dyspepsia infected with Helicobacter pylori were included in this study .


Patients were randomized to receive either @-day or @-day therapy with omeprazole ( @ mg b.i.d. ) , plus levofloxacin ( @ mg o.i.d. ) and amoxicilline ( @ mg b.i.d. ) .


Eradication was assessed by negative histological analyses , negative H. pylori stool antigen or rapid urease test .


In Group @ , the eradication rate was @ , @ % , while in group @ , eradication rate was @,@ % .


There was no difference between groups ( p = @ ) .


Adverse effects were reported in @ , @ % of the patients , including nausea and diarrhea .


The levofloxacin-based regimen can be one effective therapy for the first-line anti-H .


pylori treatment .


However , a levofloxacin-based triple therapy is not generally recommended as first-line therapy at the moment due to concerns about the rising prevalence of quinolone-resistant strains in the first-line and second-line anti-H .


pylori therapies .


Aerosolized vaccine can be used as a needle-free method of immunization against measles , a disease that remains a major cause of illness and death .


Data on the immunogenicity of aerosolized vaccine against measles in children are inconsistent .


We conducted an open-label noninferiority trial involving children @ to @ months of age in India who were eligible to receive a first dose of measles vaccine .


Children were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of vaccine by means of either aerosol inhalation or a subcutaneous injection .


The primary end points were seropositivity for antibodies against measles and adverse events @ days after vaccination .


The noninferiority margin was @ percentage points .


A total of @ children were assigned to receive aerosolized vaccine , and @ children were assigned to receive subcutaneous vaccine ; @ of all the children ( @ % ) were followed to day @ , but outcome data were missing for @ children because of thawed specimens .


In the per-protocol population , data on @ of @ children ( @ % ) could be evaluated .


At day @ , a total of @ of @ children ( @ % ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- , @ to @ ) in the aerosol group , as compared with @ of @ children ( @ % ; @ % CI , @ to @ ) in the subcutaneous group , were seropositive , a difference of -@ percentage points ( @ % CI , -@ to -@ ) .


Findings were similar in the full-analysis set ( @ of @ children in the aerosol group -LSB- @ % -RSB- and @ of @ children in the subcutaneous group -LSB- @ % -RSB- were seropositive at day @ , a difference of -@ percentage points -LSB- @ % CI , -@ to -@ -RSB- ) and after multiple imputation of missing results .


No serious adverse events were attributable to measles vaccination .


Adverse-event profiles were similar in the two groups .


Aerosolized vaccine against measles was immunogenic , but , at the prespecified margin , the aerosolized vaccine was inferior to the subcutaneous vaccine with respect to the rate of seropositivity .


( Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ; Measles Aerosol Vaccine Project Clinical Trials Registry-India number , CTRI/@/@ / @ . )


To compare clinical and process outcomes of cognitive processing therapy-cognitive only version ( CPT-C ) delivered via videoteleconferencing ( VTC ) to in-person in a rural , ethnically diverse sample of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) .


A randomized clinical trial with a noninferiority design was used to determine if providing CPT-C via VTC is effective and `` as good as '' in-person delivery .


The study took place between March @ and June @ .


PTSD was diagnosed per DSM-IV .


Participants received @ sessions of CPT-C via VTC ( n = @ ) or in-person ( n = @ ) .


Assessments were administered at baseline , midtreatment , immediately posttreatment , and @ and @ months posttreatment .


The primary clinical outcome was posttreatment PTSD severity , as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale .


Clinical and process outcomes found VTC to be noninferior to in-person treatment .


Significant reductions in PTSD symptoms were identified at posttreatment ( Cohen d = @ , P < @ ) and maintained at @ - and @-month follow-up ( d = @ , P < @ and d = @ , P < @ , respectively ) .


High levels of therapeutic alliance , treatment compliance , and satisfaction and moderate levels of treatment expectancies were reported , with no differences between groups ( for all comparisons , F < @ , P > @ ) .


Providing CPT-C to rural residents with PTSD via VTC produced outcomes that were `` as good as '' in-person treatment .


All participants demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD symptoms posttreatment and at follow-up .


Results indicate that VTC can offer increased access to specialty mental health care for residents of rural or remote areas .


New antituberculosis regimens are urgently needed to shorten tuberculosis treatment .


Following on from favourable assessment in a @ week study , we investigated a novel regimen for efficacy and safety in drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant ( MDR ) tuberculosis during the first @ weeks of treatment .


We did this phase @b study of bactericidal activity -- defined as the decrease in colony forming units ( CFUs ) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sputum of patients with microscopy smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis-at eight sites in South Africa and Tanzania .


We enrolled treatment-naive patients with drug-susceptible , pulmonary tuberculosis , who were randomly assigned by computer-generated sequences to receive either @ weeks of moxifloxacin , @ mg pretomanid ( formerly known as PA-@ ) , and pyrazinamide ( MPa@Z regimen ) ; moxifloxacin , @ mg pretomanid , and pyrazinamide ( MPa@Z regimen ) ; or the current standard care for drug-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis , isoniazid , rifampicin , PZA , and ethambutol ( HRZE regimen ) .


A group of patients with MDR tuberculosis received MPa@Z ( DRMPa@Z group ) .


The primary outcome was bactericidal activity measured by the mean daily rate of reduction in M tuberculosis CFUs per mL overnight sputum collected once a week , with joint Bayesian non-linear mixed-effects regression modelling .


We also assessed safety and tolerability by monitoring adverse events .


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


Between March @ , @ , and July @ , @ we enrolled @ patients and randomly assigned them to treatment groups ; we assigned @ patients to the MPa@Z regimen , @ to the MPa@Z regimen , and @ to the HRZE regimen .


We non-randomly assigned @ patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis to the DRMPa@Z regimen .


In patients with drug-susceptible tuberculosis , the bactericidal activity of MPa@Z ( n = @ ) on days @-@ ( @ , @ % Bayesian credibility interval @-@ ) was significantly greater than for HRZE ( n = @ , @ , @-@ ) .


DRMPa@Z ( n = @ ) had bactericidal activity of @ ( @-@ ) .


The bactericidal activity on days @-@ was strongly associated with bactericidal activity on days @-@ .


Frequencies of adverse events were similar to standard treatment in all groups .


The most common adverse event was hyperuricaemia in @ ( @ % ) patients ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients .


in HRZE group , and @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in DRMPa@Z group ) .


Other common adverse events were nausea in ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in HRZE group , and @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in DRMPa@Z group ) and vomiting ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in MPa@Z group , @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in HRZE group , and @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in DRMPa@Z group ) .


No on-treatment electrocardiogram occurrences of corrected QT interval more than @ ms ( an indicator of potential of ventricular tachyarrhythmia ) were reported .


No phenotypic resistance developed to any of the drugs in the regimen .


The combination of moxifloxacin , pretomanid , and pyrazinamide , was safe , well tolerated , and showed superior bactericidal activity in drug-susceptible tuberculosis during @ weeks of treatment .


Results were consistent between drug-susceptible and MDR tuberculosis .


This new regimen is ready to enter phase @ trials in patients with drug-susceptible tuberculosis and MDR-tuberculosis , with the goal of shortening and simplifying treatment .


Little is known about the factors that influence acceptability of and adherence to online psychological interventions .


Evidence is needed to guide further development of promising programs .


Our goal was to investigate users ' views of two online approaches to self-help for depression : computerized cognitive behavior therapy ( cCBT ) and informational websites , in a workplace context .


Computerized CBT offers an inexpensive and accessible alternative to face-to-face therapy , and employers have an interest in reducing the working time lost to depression or stress .


Yet little is known about how employees , who have actual experience of using online approaches , judge the intervention as a process .


The qualitative data reported here were collected within an online randomized controlled trial whose participants had diagnosable depression .


The experimental intervention was a @-week cCBT program called MoodGYM , and the control condition was five informational websites about mental health .


Data were collected via online questionnaires .


There was no evidence of the superiority of either in terms of treatment outcomes .


In parallel , using brief rating scales and open-ended questions designed for this purpose , we examined the relative acceptability of each approach over time , including perceptions of cCBT compared to seeing a health care professional .


At least @ % of participants held online therapy to be at least as acceptable as seeing a professional about mental health issues , and they were more likely to retain this opinion over time if they used the interactive program , MoodGYM , rather than informational websites alone .


Barriers to cCBT use fell into four categories : intrinsic , intrapersonal problems ; extrinsic technical problems ; generic issues mostly pertaining to perceptions of cCBT ; and specific issues about the intervention or control condition .


These indicate strategies for improving engagement .


As first-aid for mild to moderate mental health problems , evidence-based computerized approaches have broad acceptability .


This could be increased by attending to the barriers noted here and by proactively managing users ' expectations at individual and organizational levels .


The findings have implications for occupational health providers and others addressing the needs of working-age adults with depression .


They also raise methodological issues for online research .


Opioid pharmacotherapy is now the leading treatment for chronic pain , a problem that affects nearly one third of the U.S. population .


Given the dramatic rise in prescription opioid misuse and opioid-related mortality , novel behavioral interventions are needed .


The purpose of this study was to conduct an early-stage randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement ( MORE ) , a multimodal intervention designed to simultaneously target mechanisms underpinning chronic pain and opioid misuse .


Chronic pain patients ( N = @ ; mean age = @ @ years ; @ % female ) were randomized to @ weeks of MORE or a support group ( SG ) .


Outcomes were measured at pre - and posttreatment , and at @-month follow-up .


The Brief Pain Inventory was used to assess changes in pain severity and interference .


Changes in opioid use disorder status were measured by the Current Opioid Misuse Measure .


Desire for opioids , stress , nonreactivity , reinterpretation of pain sensations , and reappraisal were also evaluated .


MORE participants reported significantly greater reductions in pain severity ( p = @ ) and interference ( p = @ ) than SG participants , which were maintained by @-month follow-up and mediated by increased nonreactivity and reinterpretation of pain sensations .


Compared with SG participants , participants in MORE evidenced significantly less stress arousal ( p = @ ) and desire for opioids ( p = @ ) , and were significantly more likely to no longer meet criteria for opioid use disorder immediately following treatment ( p = @ ) ; however , these effects were not sustained at follow-up .


Findings demonstrate preliminary feasibility and efficacy of MORE as a treatment for co-occurring prescription opioid misuse and chronic pain .


( PsycINFO Database Record ( c ) @ APA , all rights reserved ) .


Glycemic control improves with physical activity , but the optimal exercise mode is unknown .


The objective of the study was to determine whether interval-based exercise improves postprandial glucose tolerance and free-living glycemia more than oxygen consumption - and time duration-matched continuous exercise .


This was a crossover , controlled study with trials performed in randomized order .


The study was conducted in hospitalized and ambulatory care .


PATIENTS diagnosed with type @ diabetes mellitus ( n = @ , no withdrawals ) participated in the study .


Subjects performed three @-hour interventions : @ ) interval walking ( IW ; repeated cycles of @ min of slow and fast walking ) ; @ ) continuous walking ( CW ) ; and @ ) control ( CON ) .


Oxygen consumption ( VO@ ) was measured continuously to match mean VO@ between exercise sessions ( @ % VO@peak ) .


A mixed-meal tolerance test ( MMTT ; @ kcal , @ % carbohydrate ) with stable glucose isotopic tracers was provided after each intervention , and glucose kinetics were measured during the following @ hours .


Free-living glycemic control was assessed for approximately @ hours after the MMTT using continuous glucose monitoring .


VO@ was well matched between the exercise interventions .


IW decreased the mean and maximal incremental plasma glucose during the MMTT when compared with the CON ( mean @ @ vs @ @ mmol/L , P < @ ; maximal @ @ vs @ @ mmol/L , P = @ ) and mean when compared with CW ( @ @ mmol/L , P = @ ) .


No differences in the mean or maximal incremental plasma glucose values were seen between the CW and CON .


The metabolic clearance rate of glucose during the MMTT was increased in the IW compared with CW ( P = @ ) and CON ( P < @ ) .


Continuous glucose monitoring mean glucose was reduced in IW compared with CW for the rest of the intervention day ( @ @ vs @ @ mmol/L , P = @ ) , whereas no differences were found between IW and CW the following day .


One interval-based exercise session improves glycemic control in type @ diabetes mellitus subjects when compared with an oxygen consumption - and time duration-matched continuous exercise session .


To determine if a computer-based simulation with haptic technology can help surgical trainees improve tactile discrimination using surgical instruments .


Twenty junior medical students participated in the study and were randomized into two groups .


Subjects in Group A participated in virtual simulation training using the ImmersiveTouch simulator ( ImmersiveTouch , Inc. , Chicago , IL , USA ) that required differentiating the firmness of virtual spheres using tactile and kinesthetic sensation via haptic technology .


Subjects in Group B did not undergo any training .


With their visual fields obscured , subjects in both groups were then evaluated on their ability to use the suction and bipolar instruments to find six elastothane objects with areas ranging from @ to @ cm@ embedded in a urethane foam brain cavity model while relying on tactile and kinesthetic sensation only .


A total of @ % of the subjects in Group A ( simulation training ) were able to find the brain cavity objects in comparison to @ % of the subjects in Group B ( no training ) ( P = @ ) .


There was a statistically significant difference in the total number of Group A subjects able to find smaller brain cavity objects ( size @ cm@ ) compared to that in Group B ( @ vs. @ % , P = @ ) .


On the other hand , no significant difference in the number of subjects able to detect larger objects ( size @ cm@ ) was found between Groups A and B ( @ vs. @ % , P = @ ) .


Virtual computer-based simulators with integrated haptic technology may improve tactile discrimination required for microsurgical technique .


Inhaled corticosteroids ( ICS ) reduce exacerbation rates and improve health status but can increase the risk of pneumonia in COPD .


The GLUCOLD study , investigating patients with mild-to-moderate COPD , has shown that long-term ( @-year ) ICS therapy induces anti-inflammatory effects .


The literature suggests that cigarette smoking causes ICS insensitivity .


The aim of this study is to compare anti-inflammatory effects of ICS in persistent smokers and persistent ex-smokers in a post-hoc analysis of the GLUCOLD study .


Persistent smokers ( n = @ ) and persistent ex-smokers ( n = @ ) from the GLUCOLD cohort were investigated .


Effects of ICS treatment compared with placebo were estimated by analysing changes in lung function , hyperresponsiveness , and inflammatory cells in sputum and bronchial biopsies during short-term ( @-@ months ) and long-term ( @-@ months ) treatment using multiple regression analyses .


Bronchial mast cells were reduced by short-term and long-term ICS treatment in both smokers and ex-smokers .


In contrast , CD@ , CD@ , and CD@ cells were reduced by short-term ICS treatment in smokers only .


In addition , sputum neutrophils and lymphocytes , and bronchial CD@ cells were reduced after long-term treatment in ex-smokers only .


No significant interactions existed between smoking and ICS treatment .


Even in the presence of smoking , long-term ICS treatment may lead to anti-inflammatory effects in the lung .


Some anti-inflammatory ICS effects are comparable in smokers and ex-smokers with COPD , other effects are cell-specific .


The clinical relevance of these findings , however , are uncertain .


Inadequate skin care may increase morbidity in preterm infants .


Skin care practices that support skin maturation have barely been investigated .


To investigate the effect of sunflower seed oil ( SSO ) on skin barrier development in low-birth-weight premature infants .


@ preterm infants ( < @ h after birth , @,@-@ ,@ g ) were randomized into group C ( control ) and group SSO , receiving daily SSO application during the first @ postnatal days , followed by no intervention .


Transepidermal water loss ( TEWL ) , stratum corneum hydration ( SCH ) , skin pH and sebum were measured < @ h after birth and on postnatal days @ , @ and @ on the forehead , abdomen , thigh and buttock .


Skin pH decreased , while sebum remained stable in both groups .


In group C , TEWL remained stable ; in group SSO , TEWL increased significantly on the abdomen , leg and buttock until day @ , followed by a decrease after SSO application had been stopped .


Abdomen SCH remained stable in group C , but continuously decreased in group SSO until day @ .


SSO application may retard postnatal skin barrier maturation in preterm infants .


It is common in public health and epidemiology that the outcome of interest is counts of events occurrence .


Analysing these data using classical linear models is mostly inappropriate , even after transformation of outcome variables due to overdispersion .


Zero-adjusted mixture count models such as zero-inflated and hurdle count models are applied to count data when over-dispersion and excess zeros exist .


Main objective of the current paper is to apply such models to analyse risk factors associated with human helminths ( S. haematobium ) particularly in a case where there 's a high proportion of zero counts .


The data were collected during a community-based randomised control trial assessing the impact of mass drug administration ( MDA ) with praziquantel in Malawi , and a school-based cross sectional epidemiology survey in Zambia .


Count data models including traditional ( Poisson and negative binomial ) models , zero modified models ( zero inflated Poisson and zero inflated negative binomial ) and hurdle models ( Poisson logit hurdle and negative binomial logit hurdle ) were fitted and compared .


Using Akaike information criteria ( AIC ) , the negative binomial logit hurdle ( NBLH ) and zero inflated negative binomial ( ZINB ) showed best performance in both datasets .


With regards to zero count capturing , these models performed better than other models .


This paper showed that zero modified NBLH and ZINB models are more appropriate methods for the analysis of data with excess zeros .


The choice between the hurdle and zero-inflated models should be based on the aim and endpoints of the study .


To investigate the effect of cryotherapy after elbow arthrolysis on elbow pain , blood loss , analgesic consumption , range of motion , and long-term elbow function .


Prospective , single-blinded , randomized controlled study .


University hospital .


Patients ( N = @ ; @ women , @ men ) who received elbow arthrolysis .


Patients were randomly assigned into a cryotherapy group ( n = @ , cryotherapy plus standard care ) or a control group ( n = @ , standard care ) .


Elbow pain at rest and in motion were measured using a visual analog scale ( VAS ) on postoperative day ( POD ) @ to POD @ and at @ weeks and @ months after surgery .


Blood loss and analgesic consumption were recorded postoperatively .


Elbow range of motion ( ROM ) was measured before surgery and on POD @ , POD @ , and @ months after surgery .


The Mayo Elbow Performance Score ( MEPS ) was evaluated preoperatively and @ months postoperatively .


VAS scores were significantly lower in the cryotherapy group during the first @ PODs , both at rest and in motion ( P < @ ) .


There were no significant differences between the @ groups in VAS scores at @ weeks and @ months after surgery .


Less sufentanil was consumed by the cryotherapy group than the control group for pain relief ( P < @ ) .


No significant differences were found in blood loss , ROM , and MEPS between the @ groups ( P > @ ) .


Cryotherapy is effective in relieving pain and reducing analgesic consumption for patients received elbow arthrolysis .


The application of cryotherapy will not affect blood loss , ROM , or elbow function .


To assess the effectiveness of brief motivational intervention for alcohol and drug use in young adult primary care patients in a low-income population and country .


A randomized controlled trial in a public-sector clinic in Delft , a township in the Western Cape , South Africa recruited @ patients who were randomized to either single-session , nurse practitioner-delivered Brief Motivational Intervention plus referral list or usual care plus referral list , and followed up at @ months .


Although rates of at-risk alcohol use and drug use did not differ by treatment arm at follow-up , patients assigned to the Brief Motivational Intervention had significantly reduced scores on ASSIST ( Alcohol , Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test ) for alcohol-the most prevalent substance .


Brief Motivational Intervention may be effective at reducing at-risk alcohol use in the short term among low-income young adult primary care patients ; additional research is needed to examine long-term outcomes .


Prior studies have provided evidence that lifestyle change prevents or delays the occurrence of type @ diabetes mellitus .


The challenge is to translate research evidence for type @ diabetes mellitus prevention into health care settings .


We investigated the effect of medical nutrition therapy ( MNT ) compared with usual care on fasting plasma glucose values , glycated hemoglobin ( HbA@c ) , serum lipid levels , and Diabetes Risk Score , from baseline to the end of a @-week intervention in overweight or obese adults with prediabetes .


Prospective , randomized , parallel group study of @ adults with impaired fasting plasma glucose or an HbA@c of @ % to @ % , recruited between April @ and May @ who completed a @-week intervention period .


The primary outcome measure was fasting plasma glucose .


Secondary outcome measures were HbA@c , serum lipid levels , and Diabetes Risk Score .


A factorial repeated measures analysis of variance was used to make comparisons between the two groups ( the MNT and usual care groups ) and two measures of time ( baseline and @ weeks postintervention ) .


Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ( release @ , @ , SPSS Inc ) .


There was a significant interaction for group assignment and HbA@c ( P = @ ) , with the MNT group experiencing significantly lower HbA@c levels than the usual care group ( @ % vs @ % ) after the @-week intervention .


There was a significant interaction for group assignment and Diabetes Risk Score ( P = @ ) .


Diabetes Risk Score for the MNT group decreased from @ to @ compared with the usual care group score , which went from @ to @ .


Regardless of group assignment , both groups experienced a reduction in total cholesterol ( P = @ ) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P = @ ) level .


The results demonstrate that individualized MNT is effective in decreasing HbA@c level in patients diagnosed with prediabetes .


To evaluate the effect of an intensive early intervention on special service use at school-age .


The Infant Health and Development Program was a randomized controlled trial of an intervention for low birth weight ( < @ g ) infants ages @-@ years .


We used multivariate logistic regression to test the association between intervention and risk of special education , remedial reading and math , and speech therapy at age @ years .


We also compared rates of service use between study arms among those with learning disabilities ( LDs ) .


There were @ complete cases at @-year follow-up .


There were no statistically significant differences between groups in risk of special education ( risk ratio -LSB- RR -RSB- @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) , remedial reading ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) , remedial math ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) , or speech therapy ( RR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) .


The treatment arms did not differ in rates of LDs , and service use for those with LDs was low and unaffected by study group .


Early gains in IQ from infant interventions may not protect children as they face the educational demands of grade school .


Only a fraction of those having a LD were receiving school-based support services , indicating a high level of unmet need among low birth weight children with disabilities .


To compare baseline characteristics , treatment frequency , visual acuity ( VA ) , and morphologic outcomes of eyes with > @ % of the lesion composed of blood ( B@ group ) versus all other eyes ( Other group ) enrolled in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials ( CATT ) .


Prospective cohort study within a multicenter randomized clinical trial .


CATT patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) .


Treatment for the study eye was assigned randomly to either ranibizumab or bevacizumab and to @ different dosing regimens over a @-year period .


Reading center graders evaluated baseline and follow-up morphology in color fundus photographs , fluorescein angiography ( FA ) , and optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) .


Masked examiners tested VA. .


Morphologic features and VA at @ and @ years .


The B@ group consisted of @ of @ ( @ % ) patients enrolled in CATT .


Baseline lesion characteristics differed between groups .


In the B@ group , choroidal neovascularization size was smaller ( @ vs @ disc areas -LSB- DA -RSB- ; P < @ ) , total lesion size was greater ( @ vs @ DA ; P < @ ) , total retinal thickness was greater ( @ vs @ m ; P = @ ) , and mean VA was worse ( @ vs @ letters ; P = @ ) .


Increases in mean VA were similar in the B@ and Other groups at @ year ( +@ vs +@ letters ; P = @ ) and at @ years ( @ vs @ letters ; P = @ ) .


Eyes treated PRN received a similar number of injections in the @ groups ( @ vs @ ; P = @ ) .


Mean lesion size in the B@ group decreased by @ DA at both @ and @ years ( primarily owing toresolution of hemorrhage ) and increased in the Other group by @ DA at @ year and @ DA at @ years ( P < @ ) .


Leakage on FA and fluid on OCT were similar between groups at @ and @ years .


In CATT , the B@ group had a visual prognosis similar to the Other group .


Lesion size decreased markedly through @ years .


Eyes like those enrolled in CATT with neovascular AMD lesions composed of > @ % blood can be managed similarly to those with less or no blood .


Women with gestational diabetes ( GDM ) are at high risk of developing diabetes later in life .


After a GDM diagnosis , women receive prenatal care to control their blood glucose levels via diet , physical activity and medications .


Continuing such lifestyle skills into early motherhood may reduce the risk of diabetes in this high risk population .


In the Gestational Diabetes ' Effects on Moms ( GEM ) study , we are evaluating the comparative effectiveness of diabetes prevention strategies for weight management designed for pregnant/postpartum women with GDM and delivered at the health system level .


The GEM study is a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial of @ medical facilities at Kaiser Permanente Northern California randomly assigned to either the intervention or usual care conditions , that includes @,@ women with a GDM diagnosis between March @ , @ and March @ , @ .


A Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone lifestyle intervention of @ telephonic sessions tailored to pregnant/postpartum women was developed .


The effectiveness of this intervention added to usual care is to be compared to usual care practices alone , which includes two pages of printed lifestyle recommendations sent to postpartum women via mail .


Primary outcomes include the proportion of women who reach a postpartum weight goal and total weight change .


Secondary outcomes include postpartum glycemia , blood pressure , depression , percent of calories from fat , total caloric intake and physical activity levels .


Data were collected through electronic medical records and surveys at baseline ( soon after GDM diagnosis ) , @ weeks ( range @ to @ weeks ) , @ months ( range @ to @ weeks ) and @ months postpartum ( range @ to @ weeks ) .


There is a need for evidence regarding the effectiveness of lifestyle modification for the prevention of diabetes in women with GDM , as well as confirmation that a diabetes prevention program delivered at the health system level is able to successfully reach this population .


Given the use of a telephonic case management model , our Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone intervention has the potential to be adopted in other settings and to inform policies to promote the prevention of diabetes among women with GDM .


Inadvertent arterial placement of a femoral venous catheter may result in serious morbidity , including limb necrosis .


The Flush the Line and Ultrasound the Heart ( FLUSH ) test is visualization of the heart by a subxiphoid ultrasonic view while the central catheter is flushed with agitated saline solution .


We wish to determine whether the FLUSH test can verify proper femoral venous line placement .


We prospectively studied a convenience sample of children undergoing cardiac catheterization , for whom both femoral venous and arterial access were part of their standard care .


The cardiologist flushed manually agitated saline solution through each catheter in randomized sequence while the blinded physician sonographer recorded thepresence or absence of right atrial opacification .


We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the FLUSH test relative to our reference standard , the cardiologist 's fluoroscopic visualization of catheter wire placement .


Of the @ subjects enrolled , the FLUSH test was @ % sensitive ( @ % confidence interval @ % to @ % ) and @ % specific ( @ % confidence interval @ % to @ % ) in confirming femoral catheter placement .


In no case was an arterial flush misidentified as a femoral flush .


The interrater reliability of the test was strong : @ for all images and @ for those of good quality .


The FLUSH test is simple and reliable , and appears to accurately confirm femoral venous line placement .


Polyethylene glycol @ plus sports drink ( PEG-SD ) is a hypo-osmotic purgative commonly used for colonoscopy , though little safety data are available .


To evaluate the effect of PEG-SD on serum sodium ( Na ) and other electrolytes compared with PEG-electrolyte solution ( PEG-ELS ) .


We performed a single center , prospective , randomised , investigator-blind comparison of PEG-ELS to PEG-SD in out-patients undergoing colonoscopy .


Laboratories were obtained at baseline and immediately before and after colonoscopy .


The primary endpoint was development of hyponatraemia ( Na < @ mmol/L ) the day of colonoscopy .


Changes in electrolyte levels were computed as the difference between the lowest value on the day of colonoscopy and baseline .


Purgative tolerance and efficacy were assessed .


A total of @ patients were randomised ; @ took purgative and had baseline and day of colonoscopy labs ( @ PEG-SD , @ PEG-ELS ) .


The groups were well matched except for a higher fraction of women and Blacks in PEG-ELS .


Seven patients ( @ % ) in PEG-SD and four patients ( @ % ) in PEG-ELS developed hyponatraemia ( OR = @ , @ % CI : @-@ @ , P = @ ) .


Changes in electrolytes from baseline were small but significantly worse with PEG-SD for sodium , potassium and chloride ( P = @ , @ , @ , respectively ) .


Preparation completion , adverse events , and overall colon cleansing were similar between the groups , but PEG-ELS had more excellent preparations ( @ % vs. @ % ; P = @ ) .


Greater , but very modest , electrolyte changes occur with PEG-SD .


Hyponatraemia is infrequent with both purgatives .


A significant increase in hyponatraemia was not identified for PEG-SD vs. PEG-ELS , but the sample size may have been inadequate to identify a small , but clinically important difference .


ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT@ .


Beclomethasone dipropionate ( BDP ) nasal aerosol ( non-aqueous ) is approved for management of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis ( PAR ) in adolescents and adults .


To evaluate the efficacy and safety of BDP nasal aerosol at @ g/day in children with PAR .


This @-week , phase @ , double-blinded , placebo-controlled , parallel-group study randomized @ children ( @-@ years old ) with PAR to once-daily BDP nasal aerosol at @ g/day or placebo .


The primary end point was change from baseline in average morning and evening reflective total nasal symptom score ( rTNSS ) during the first @ weeks of treatment in patients @ to @ years old .


Changes from baseline in average morning and evening instantaneous TNSS ( iTNSS ) in children @ to @ years old and average rTNSS and iTNSS in children @ to @ years old were assessed during the first @ weeks of treatment .


Improvements were significantly greater with BDP nasal aerosol than with placebo during the first @ weeks of treatment in children @ to @ years old in average morning and evening rTNSS and iTNSS ( mean treatment difference-@ @ -LSB- P = @ -RSB- and-@ @ -LSB- P = @ -RSB- , respectively ) .


Improvements in average morning and evening rTNSS and iTNSS also were significantly greater in patients @ to @ years receiving BDP nasal aerosol than with placebo during the first @ weeks of treatment ( P = @ and P = @ , respectively ) .


Similar improvements were seen during @ weeks of treatment .


The safety profile of BDP nasal aerosol was comparable to that of placebo .


The BDP nasal aerosol at @ g/day in children @ to @ years old was well tolerated and effective in controlling nasal symptoms of PAR .


Wound drains that are left in place for a prolonged period of time have a higher rate of bacterial contamination .


Following spinal surgery , a drain is often left in place for a longer period of time if it maintains a high output .


Given the major consequences of an infection following spinal surgery and the lack of data with regard to the use of antibiotics and drains , we performed a study of patients with a drain following spinal surgery to compare infection rates between those who were treated with antibiotics for twenty-four hours and those who received antibiotics for the duration for which the drain was in place .


We performed a prospective randomized trial of @ patients who underwent multilevel thoracolumbar spinal surgery followed by use of a postoperative drain .


The patients were randomized into two groups , one of which received perioperative antibiotics for twenty-four hours ( twenty-four-hour group ) and the other of which received antibiotics for the duration that the drain was in place ( drain-duration group ) .


Data collected included demographic characteristics , medical comorbidities , type of spinal surgery , and surgical site infection .


Twenty-one ( @ % ) of the @ patients in the twenty-four-hour group and nineteen ( @ % ) of the @ in the drain-duration group developed a surgical site infection ( p = @ ) .


There were no significant differences between the twenty-four-hour and drain-duration groups with respect to demographic characteristics ( except for the American Society of Anesthesiologists -LSB- ASA -RSB- classification ) , operative time , type of surgery , drain output , or length of hospital stay .


Continuing perioperative administration of antibiotics for the entire duration that a drain is in place after spinal surgery did not decrease the rate of surgical site infections .


To compare the frequency of headache and the procedure time following lumbar puncture ( LP ) using a @-gauge needle compared to a @-gauge needle .


@-period crossover blinded randomised controlled trial .


Oncology unit , Royal Children 's Hospital , Melbourne .


Children aged @-@ years at enrolment having LPs as part of their treatment for leukaemia .


Each child was allocated a random sequence of four LPs , two with a @-gauge and two with a @-gauge needle .


The presence of post-LP headache .


Secondary outcomes included the presence of any headache , procedure time and impact of headache on the family .


Data on @ procedures in @ randomised children were analysed .


There was little difference in the incidence of post-LP headache between the two needle sizes ( @-gauge @ % , @ % CI @ to @ ; @-gauge @ % , @ % CI @ to @ , p = @ ) or in the incidence of any headache ( @-gauge @ % @ % CI @ to @ ; @-gauge @ % , @ % CI @ to @ , p = @ ) .


Use of the @-gauge needle was associated with longer procedure times .


The incidence of post-LP headache showed little evidence of an age effect ( OR = @ , @ % CI @ to @ ) and was higher in girls than in boys ( @ % vs @ % , respectively , OR = @ , @ % CI @ to @ , p = @ ) .


Fifty-five per cent of families with a child with a post-LP headache assessed the overall functional impact as moderate or severe .


There was little difference in the occurrence of post-LP headache or any headache between procedures carried out using the @-gauge or @-gauge needles .


Depending on the circumstances of the procedure and the experience of the operator , either gauge may be appropriate for an LP in a child .


An interferon-free combination of the protease inhibitor ABT-@ with ritonavir ( ABT-@ / r ) , the nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitor ABT-@ , and ribavirin showed efficacy against the hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) in a pilot study involving patients with HCV genotype @ infection .


The addition of another potent agent , the NS@A inhibitor ABT-@ , may improve efficacy , especially in difficult-to-treat patients .


This study was designed to evaluate multiple regimens of direct-acting antiviral agents and ribavirin in patients with HCV genotype @ infection who had not received therapy previously or who had no response to prior therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin .


In this phase @b , open-label study with @ treatment subgroups , @ patients without cirrhosis who had not received treatment previously or who had not had a response to prior therapy were randomly assigned to a regimen of ABT-@ / r , combined with ABT-@ or ABT-@ or both , for @ , @ , or @ weeks and received at least one dose of therapy .


All the subgroups but @ also received ribavirin ( dose determined according to body weight ) .


The primary end point was sustained virologic response at @ weeks after the end of treatment .


The primary efficacy analysis compared rates between previously untreated patients who received three direct-acting antiviral agents and ribavirin for @ weeks and those who received the same therapy for @ weeks .


Among previously untreated patients who received three direct-acting antiviral agents ( with the ABT-@ / r dose administered as @ mg of ABT-@ and @ mg of ritonavir ) plus ribavirin , the rate of sustained virologic response at @ weeks after treatment was @ % among those who received the therapy for @ weeks and @ % among those who received the therapy for @ weeks ( difference , -@ percentage points ; @ % confidence interval , -@ to @ ; P = @ ) .


The rates of sustained virologic response across all treatment subgroups ranged from @ to @ % .


The most frequent adverse events were fatigue , headache , nausea , and insomnia .


Eight patients ( @ % ) discontinued treatment owing to adverse events .


In this phase @b study , all-oral regimens of antiviral agents and ribavirin were effective both in patients with HCV genotype @ infection who had not received therapy previously and in those who had not had a response to prior therapy .


( Funded by AbbVie ; ClinicalTrials.gov number , NCT@ . )


The challenge with fast track ( FT ) is to avoid compromising medical safety .


We aimed to investigate whether patients with acute coronary syndrome could be safely retransferred to the referral hospital on the same day after coronary angiography and/or percutaneous coronary angioplasty ( PCI ) .


A total of @ consecutive patients were prospectively randomized : @ to ordinary care ( OC ) and @ to the FT group .


Of these , @ % of patients were admitted for unstable angina pectoris and @ % for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction .


The FT patients were evaluated for possible same-day return after angiography and/or PCI .


Crossover , acute , and @-day major events were recorded .


The radial approach was used in @ and @ % in the OC and FT group , respectively .


Of the FT patients , @ % were returned on the same day and nine crossover patients ( @ % ) the next day or later .


Major events occurred in nine patients ( @ % ) ; five in the OC and four in the FT group .


There were a total of five events within @ hours .


No events were observed during transportation and there were no early retransfers .


Immediate written reports and good communication with the referring hospital enabled thoroughly selected patients to be safely returned on the same day as angiography and/or PCI .


This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacies of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy ( PELD ) and traditional open lumbar discectomy ( OD ) .


The pre-operative and post-operative blood loss , hospital stays and wound sizes of the patients in the two groups were recorded .


Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the changes of interleukin-@ ( IL-@ ) , C-reactive protein ( CRP ) and creatine phosphokinase ( CPK ) pre-operation and @ h , @ h , @ h , @ h and @ h after corresponding surgery .


Visual Analog Scale and Modified MacNab Criteria were used to assess post-operative results .


Patients in the PELD group had less blood loss ( p < @ ) , shorter hospitalization hours ( p < @ ) and smaller surgical wounds ( p < @ ) than the patients underwent traditional OD surgery .


MacNab evaluated that the levels of satisfaction were above @ % in both groups post-operative six months .


There was no significant difference in pain index between the two groups ( p > @ ) .


Furthermore , the levels of CRP , CPK and IL-@ in the PELD group were all lower than those in the OD group with a significant difference ( p < @ ) .


The PELD had less damage to human tissues than the traditional OD .


PELD has a clear promotional value in clinical .


Chronic pain is a common complication after inguinal hernia repair .


The objective of this randomized trial was to assess the effect of intraoperative infiltration with local anesthetic versus placebo on the development of chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair .


Patients with single - or double-sided inguinal hernia were enrolled in a randomized , controlled , triple-blinded trial with a sequential adaptive design .


Hernias were randomized to @ of @ treatment groups .


The intervention group received a local infiltration of @ mL bupivacaine @ % and the placebo group @ mL saline @ % at the end of the operation .


Two interim analyses were performed according to predefined stopping criteria allowing for design and sample size adaption .


The primary endpoint was chronic pain defined on a visual analog scale ( VAS ) as @ in any quality ( at rest , lying , walking , climbing stairs , and bending over ) @ months postoperatively .


A logistic regression model was built to compare the incidence of chronic pain using generalized estimating equations to adjust for clustering in bilateral hernias .


Among @ patients , there were @ hernias randomized .


A total of @ % ( @/@ ) experienced VAS @ in any quality in the intervention group and @ % ( @/@ ) in the placebo group ( P = @ ) at @ months postoperatively .


Multivariable analysis revealed no evidence of between-group differences for the development of any pain ( odds ratio -LSB- OR -RSB- , @ ; @ % CI , @-@ @ ; P = @ ) , whereas preoperative pain was an independent risk factor ( OR , @ ; @ % CI , @-@ @ ; P = @ ) .


We did not find any evidence that intraoperative infiltration of local anesthetic had an impact on the development of chronic postoperative pain .


To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the Peyronie 's Disease Questionnaire ( PDQ ) .


The relationship between subject-reported changes in PDQ psychosexual symptoms and clinical response to Peyronie 's disease ( PD ) treatment was examined .


Combined data from the collagenase Clostridium histolyticum phase @ study program , IMPRESS ( Investigation for Maximal Peyronie 's Reduction Efficacy and Safety Studies ) I and II , were examined .


Changes in the PDQ PD symptom bother , psychological and physical symptoms , and penile pain were examined relative to changes in the penile curvature deformity , including penile curvature absolute mean and percent change .


PDQ changes relative to sexual function , including International Index of Erectile Function overall satisfaction and erectile function domains , and treatment responder status , including global assessment of PD and composite responder status , were also assessed .


Individual PDQ questions were examined to provide a clinical perspective on the change in psychosexual symptoms experienced by men with PD during treatment .


Improvement in PDQ PD symptom bother and psychological and physical symptoms was significantly correlated with clinical improvement in penile curvature deformity ( P. @ ) and sexual function ( P < @ ) .


Significant differences in PD symptom bother and psychological and physical symptoms improvement were found between treatment responders vs nonresponders ( P < @ ) .


PDQ penile pain improvement among subjects reporting baseline pain@ was significantly correlated with clinical improvement in sexual function ( P. @ ) and was found to be greater in treatment responders vs nonresponders ( P = @ ) .


The utility of the PDQ for monitoring PD-specific psychosexual symptom severity , progression , and treatment response , both clinically and in trials of men with PD , was supported .


In patients suffering from bipolar disorders ( BPD ) , we explored to what extent oral loading of sodium valproate ( SV ) leads to more rapid symptom improvement compared to intravenous loading and oral maintenance administration .


Ninety patients ( mean age : @ years ) with BPD and currently in an acute manic state were randomly assigned to one of three study conditions : oral loading ( @ mg/kg oral single-dose SV on the first day , then @-@ mg/kg SV daily , divided dose ) , intravenous loading ( @ mg/kg SV intravenous injection on the first day , then @-@ mg/kg orally , divided dose ) , or oral maintenance administration ( @-@ mg/kg SV daily from the beginning ) over the first @ days of treatment .


SV plasma levels , side effects and symptoms were evaluated at baseline and on days @ , @ , and @ after commencing treatment .


There were significant Time-by-Group interactions for symptom improvements , symptom severity , and SV plasma levels , with positive values in the oral and intravenous loading conditions , compared to the oral maintenance condition .


Post hoc analyses showed that oral and intravenous conditions led to similar improvements .


Both oral and intravenous loading of SV led to quicker and more efficient improvement and SV plasma levels as compared to an oral maintenance regimen .


Schizoaffective disorder is a complex illness for which optimal treatment is not well established .


Results of the first controlled , relapse-prevention study of paliperidone palmitate once-monthly injectable ( paliperidone monthly ) in schizoaffective disorder are presented .


The study was conducted between September @ , @ , and October @ , @ .


Patients with schizoaffective disorder ( confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders ) experiencing acute exacerbation of psychotic and depressive/manic symptoms were stabilized with paliperidone monthly as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy to mood stabilizers or antidepressants and randomly assigned ( @:@ ) to paliperidone monthly or placebo in a @-month , double-blind , relapse-prevention phase .


Randomization was stratified by administration as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy and by study center .


The primary endpoint was time to relapse .


@ patients were evaluated .


Paliperidone monthly significantly delayed time to relapse for psychotic , depressive , and manic symptoms compared with placebo ( P < @ , log-rank test ) .


Relapse risk was @ times greater for placebo ( hazard ratio = @ ; @ % CI , @ to @ ; P < @ , Cox proportional hazards model ) .


Overall relapse rates were @ % for placebo and @ % for paliperidone monthly .


For monotherapy , relapse risk was @ times greater with placebo ( P = @ ) , and for adjunctive treatment it was @ times greater with placebo ( P = @ ) .


Paliperidone monthly was superior to placebo in maintaining functioning as measured by the Personal and Social Performance scale ( P = @ , mixed-model repeated-measures analysis ) .


The most common adverse events ( placebo , paliperidone monthly ) were increased weight ( @ % , @ % ) , insomnia ( @ % , @ % ) , schizoaffective disorder ( @ % , @ % ) , headache ( @ % , @ % ) , and nasopharyngitis ( @ % , @ % ) .


Incidence of any extrapyramidal-related adverse event was @ % for placebo and @ % for paliperidone monthly .


Paliperidone monthly as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy significantly delayed psychotic , depressive , and/or manic relapses ; reduced their risk ; and better maintained functioning in patients with schizoaffective disorder .


Results support the value of maintenance treatment with paliperidone monthly in schizoaffective disorder .


The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effects of the Early Risers `` Skills for Success '' Conduct Problems Prevention Program ( ER ; August , Bloomquist , Realmuto , & Hektner , @ ) , a multifaceted program targeting social , emotional , behavioral , and academic risk and protective factors to promote adaptive psychological development .


Based on the random assignment of their school , @ kindergartners ( mean age = @ years , SD = @ ; @ % male ) with elevated teacher-rated aggressive behavior either participated in ER for @ intensive years plus @ booster years or served as controls .


Participants were assessed annually during the intervention with teacher and parent reports and at @ follow-up points .


In the current study , @ of the original participants were reassessed with diagnostic interviews in late high school ( mean age = @ , SD = @ ) , and multiple imputation was used to deal appropriately with missing data .


Program participants had significantly fewer symptoms of conduct disorder , oppositional defiant disorder , and major depressive disorder than did controls .


The program 's effect on increasing social skills and parent discipline effectiveness by Grade @ mediated these effects .


The results of this study provide further evidence of the long-term positive effects of multicomponent , elementary-age , targeted conduct problems prevention programs .


Training children in social skills and parents in effective discipline are possible mechanisms to divert maladaptive developmental cascades .


We aimed to the addition of synthetic @-hydroxy-@-methyglutaryl coenzyme A ( HMG-CoA ) reductase inhibitor , simvastatin to capecitabine-cisplatin ( XP ) in patients with previously untreated advanced gastric cancer ( AGC ) .


In this double-blind , placebo-controlled , phase III study , we enrolled patients aged @ years or older with histological or cytological confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction ( GEJ ) at nine centres in Korea .


Patients , stratified by disease measurability and participating site , were randomly assigned ( @:@ ) to receive capecitabine @mg/m ( @ ) twice daily for @ days and cisplatin @ mg/m ( @ ) on day @ every @ weeks plus either simvastatin @ mg or placebo , once daily .


Cisplatin was given for @ cycles ; capecitabine and simvastatin were administered until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities .


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


Between February @ and November @ , @ patients were enrolled and assigned to treatment groups ( @ simvastatin , @ placebo ) .


Median progression free survival ( PFS ) for @ patients allocated XP plus simvastatin was @ months ( @ % confidence interval ( CI ) @-@ @ ) compared with @ months ( @ % CI @-@ @ ) for @ patients who were allocated to XP plus placebo ( hazard ratio @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ; p = @ ) .


@ ( @ % ) of @ patients in simvastatin group and @ ( @ % ) of @ had grade @ or higher adverse events .


Addition of @ mg simvastatin to XP does not increase PFS in our trial , although it does not increase toxicity .


Low dose of simvastatin ( @ mg ) to chemotherapy is not recommended in untargeted population with AGC .


Sensitive troponin ( Tn ) assays have been developed for the evaluation of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome ( ACS ) .


We sought to compare the performance of a commercially available sensitive Tn I ( sTnI ) and precommercial highly sTnI ( hsTnI ) method to conventional Tn ( cTn ) assays .


Among patients with acute chest pain but normal cTn in the emergency department of @ centers , sTnI and hsTnI were measured at baseline , @ and @ hours after presentation .


Diagnostic accuracy of sTnI and hsTnI relative to cTn for diagnosis during index hospitalization as well as their associations with coronary artery disease in patients randomized to coronary computed tomographic angiography ( CTA ) was assessed .


Overall , @ patients were enrolled , of whom @ had a CTA ; @ had ACS ( @ % ) , including @ with unstable angina pectoris ( UAP ) .


Both sTnI and hsTnI values at baseline and second draw had significantly higher sensitivity for ACS and UAP than cTn and had significantly greater area under the receiver operator characteristic curve than cTn at first and second draws .


Compared with cTn , @ % of ACS cases previously categorized as UAP were reclassified to acute myocardial infarction with sTnI or hsTnI .


An hsTnI below limit of detection had @ % negative predictive value for ACS or significant coronary artery stenosis in those randomized to CTA .


In patients with acute chest discomfort , use of sTnI and hsTnI methods led to significant improvement in the early diagnostic accuracy for ACS , reclassifying one-third of UAP to myocardial infarction .


Very low values for hsTnI excluded underlying coronary artery disease .


To examine whether electric acupuncture can improve the daily life of patients with ischemic cerebral apoplexy at acute stage .


A stratified-block randomized controlled multicenter trial was designed for this study .


Totally @ patients with acute ischemic cerebral apoplexy were randomly divided into an electric acupuncture group and a control group .


In the electric acupuncture group , @ patients were treated with electric acupuncture and routine therapy , and @ patients in the control group with routine therapy alone .


Major indexes for judging curative effect were Barthel index at @ - and @ - months follow-up visits and number of re-hospitalized patients .


Minor indexes for judging curative effect were change in the score for nervous dysfunction at @ and @ weeks follow-up visits and number of patients persisting in rehabilitation treatment with acupuncture during follow-up visit .


Baseline data at the time of case selection between the two groups were similar .


The odds ratio ( OR ) was @ , and the @ % confidence interval ( CI ) was @-@ @ in disabled rate and @ and @-@ @ in the number of re-hospitalized patients in the electric acupuncture group at @-month follow up visit compared with the control group .


There was no difference in the score for nervous dysfunction at the end of @-week follow-up visit between the two groups .


The score for nervous dysfunction at the end of @-week treatment in the electric acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P < @ ) .


The number of patients discharged from hospital who persisted in rehabilitation treatment with acupuncture in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the control group .


Using electric acupuncture to treat patients with acute ischemic cerebral apoplexy can effectively improve the nervous dysfunction scores after @-week treatment and their ability to deal with daily life after @-month follow-up visit .


Systematic treatment with acupuncture may also reduce the number of patients with secondary apoplexy .


To compare the efficacy of selective hepatic vascular exclusion versus Pringle manoeuvre in partial hepatectomy for tumours adjacent to the hepatocaval junction .


A randomized comparative trial was carried out .


The primary endpoint was intraoperative blood loss .


The secondary endpoints were operation time , blood transfusion , postoperative liver function recovery , procedure-related morbidity and in-hospital mortality .


@ patients were randomized into @ groups : the Pringle manoeuvre group ( n = @ ) and the selective hepatic vascular exclusion ( SHVE ) group ( n = @ ) .


Intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were significantly less in the SHVE group .


In the SHVE group , laceration of hepatic veins happened in @ patients .


Profuse intraoperative blood loss of over @ L happened in @ patients but no patient suffered from air embolism because the hepatic veins were controlled .


In the Pringle group , the hepatic veins were lacerated in @ patients , with profuse blood loss of over @ L in @ patients and air embolism in @ patients .


The rates of postoperative bleeding , reoperation , liver failure and mortality were significantly higher and the ICU stay and hospital stay were significantly longer in the Pringle group .


SHVE was more efficacious than Pringle manoeuvre for partial hepatectomy in patients with tumours adjacent to the hepatocaval junction .


Community pharmacies may potentially assist in screening for chronic conditions such as sleep disorders , which remain both under-diagnosed and untreated .


We aimed to compare a subjective risk-assessment-only questionnaire ( RAO ) for common sleep disorder screening against the same risk-assessment questionnaire plus a nasal flow monitor as an objective marker of possible underlying obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) ( RA + ) in a community pharmacy setting .


The primary outcome was the number of participants identified in RAO or RA + group who were likely to have and consequently be diagnosed with OSA .


Further outcomes included the number of participants identified as being at risk for , referred for , taking-up referral for , and then diagnosed with OSA , insomnia , and/or restless legs syndrome ( RLS ) in either group .


In a cluster-randomized trial , participants were recruited through @ community pharmacies .


Using validated instruments , @ ( RAO = @ , RA + = @ ) participants were screened for OSA , insomnia , and RLS .


@ ( @ % ) participants were at risk of OSA , insomnia or RLS and these participants were referred to their primary physician .


The proportion of screened participants identified as being at risk of OSA was significantly higher in the RA + group ( @ % in RAO vs. @ % in RA + , OR @ , @ % CI ( @-@ @ ) , p < @ ) .


A @-month follow-up was completed in @ RAO and @ RA + participants .


Actual referral uptake was @ % RAO , @ % RA + , OR @ , @ % CI ( @-@ @ ) , p = @ .


The OSA diagnosis rate was higher in the RA + arm ( p = @ ) .


To yield a single additional confirmed OSA diagnosis , @ people would need to be screened using the RA + protocol .


These results demonstrate that utilising either screening method is feasible in identifying individuals in the community pharmacy setting who are likely to have OSA , insomnia and/or RLS .


Secondly , adding an objective marker of OSA to a questionnaire-based prediction tool resulted in more confirmed OSA diagnoses .


To evaluate the effect of nasal saline irrigation in the treatment of allergic rhinitis ( AR ) in children and to assess whether nasal saline irrigation could be used as a complementary therapy for AR in children in combination with the intranasal corticosteroids ( INS ) .


In total , @ children with AR were divided into three groups : the nasal irrigation , intranasal corticosteroid , and combined treatment groups .


Symptoms and signs of AR and eosinophils ( EOS ) in the nasal secretions were evaluated after @ weeks , @ weeks , and @ weeks of treatment .


In AR children treated with nasal irrigation and a decreased the INS dose , a significant improvement in symptoms and signs and a significant decrease in the mean EOS count in nasal secretions were observed at week @ .


Nasal saline irrigation with physiological seawater is well tolerated and benefits the patients with AR , and can thus be considered a good adjunctive treatment option to maintain the effectiveness of the INS at a lower dose , thus resulting in reduced side effects and a decreased economic burden .


To investigate the resolution of heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD ) - related sleep disturbances during the first @ days of treatment with esomeprazole @mg compared to placebo in subjects with frequent nighttime heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances .


This was a post hoc analysis of @ week data from two previously published , similarly designed randomized , placebo-controlled trials of @ weeks ' duration comparing esomeprazole @mg , @mg ( one study ) , and placebo .


Inclusion and exclusion criteria for both trials were the same .


NCT@ ; NCT@ .


The main outcome measures for this analysis were the resolution and/or relief of GERD-related sleep disturbances during @ weeks of treatment with esomeprazole @mg or placebo .


Resolution and/or relief of heartburn symptoms were also measured .


In trial @ , @ subjects were randomized , with @ and @ receiving esomeprazole @mg and placebo , respectively .


In trial @ , @ subjects were randomized , with @ and @ receiving esomeprazole and placebo , respectively .


After @ weeks , significantly more subjects who received esomeprazole @mg ( @ % -LSB- @ % confidence interval : @ % -@ % -RSB- and @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- in trials @ and @ , respectively ) had resolution of sleep disturbances compared to placebo ( @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- and @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- , respectively ; p < @ for both trials ) .


The median time to resolution of sleep disturbances with esomeprazole @mg was @ day in both trials .


After @ weeks , significantly more subjects receiving esomeprazole @mg ( @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- and @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- in trials @ and @ , respectively ) had resolution of nighttime heartburn symptoms compared to placebo ( @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- and @ % -LSB- @ % -@ % -RSB- , respectively ; p < @ for both trials ) .


Esomeprazole @mg significantly and effectively reduced nighttime heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances in the first @ weeks of treatment compared to placebo , with rapid resolution of sleep disturbances in the first days of treatment .


Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol with purported inhibitory effects on prostate growth and cancer development .


A number of studies have demonstrated that resveratrol reduces prostate growth in animal models and reduces prostate cell growth in vitro .


Based on these pre-clinical findings , interest in resveratrol is increasing in relation to the management of benign prostate hyperplasia ( BPH ) and prostate cancer .


So far , no human trials have evaluated the effects of resveratrol on circulating androgens , prostate size , or biochemical markers of prostate size .


In a randomized placebo controlled clinical study using two doses of resveratrol ( @ mg or @,@ mg resveratrol daily ) for @ months , we evaluated the effects on prostate size , prostate specific antigen ( PSA ) and sex steroid hormones in @ middle-aged men suffering from the metabolic syndrome ( MetS ) .


At baseline , prostate size and PSA were positively correlated ( R = @ , P < @ ) as was prostate size and age ( R = @ , P < @ ) .


Prostate size did not correlate with testosterone , free testosterone , dihydrotestosterone ( DHT ) , or any other androgen precursor at baseline .


The highest dose of resveratrol lowered the serum level of androstenedione @ % ( P = @ ) , dehydroepiandrosterone ( DHEA ) @ % ( P < @ ) , and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate ( DHEAS ) @ % ( p < @ ) , compared to the control group .


However , prostate size and levels of PSA , testosterone , free testosterone and DHT remained unchanged .


In this population of middle-aged men suffering from MetS , high dose resveratrol ( @,@ mg daily ) administration for @ months significantly lowered serum levels of the androgen precursors androstenedione , DHEA and DHEAS , whereas prostate size and circulating levels of PSA , testosterone , free testosterone , and dihydrotestosterone were unaffected .


The present study suggests that resveratrol does not affect prostate volume in healthy middle-aged men as measured by PSA levels and CT acquired prostate volumes .


Consequently , we find no support for the use of resveratrol in the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia .


There is evidence that in nonsurgical populations , pelvic floor muscle training ( PFMT ) and lifestyle advice improves symptoms and stage of pelvic organ prolapse ( POP ) .


Some women , however , require surgery , after which de novo symptoms can develop or additional surgery is required due to recurrence .


Robust evidence is required as to the benefit of perioperative PFMT in the postsurgery reduction of symptoms and POP recurrence .


The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of and collect pilot data to inform sample size ( SS ) calculation for a multicentre randomised controlled trial ( RCT ) of perioperative PFMT following surgical intervention for POP .


Fifty-seven participants were recruited and randomised to a treatment group ( one pre and six postoperative PFMT sessions ) or a control group ( usual care ) .


The primary outcome measure was the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score ( POP-SS ) at @months ; secondary outcome measures included measurement of prolapse , the pelvic floor and questionnaires relating to urinary and bowel incontinence .


All outcomes were measured at @ , @ and @months .


Information on recruitment , retention and appropriateness of outcome measures for a definitive trial was gathered , and data enabled us to undertake an SS calculation .


When compared with the control group ( n = @ ) , benefits to the intervention group ( n = @ ) were observed in terms of fewer prolapse symptoms at @months -LSB- mean difference @ ; @ % confidence interval ( CI ) @-@ @ ; t = @ , p = @ -RSB- ; however , these results must be viewed with caution due to possible selection bias .


With modifications to design identified in this pilot study , a multicentre RCT is feasible .


To determine whether the Feldenkrais method is an effective intervention for chronic neck/scapular pain in patients with visual impairment .


Randomized controlled trial with an untreated control group .


Low vision center .


Patients ( N = @ ) with visual impairment ( mean , @ y ) and nonspecific chronic ( mean , @ y ) neck/scapular pain .


Participants were randomly assigned to the Feldenkrais method group ( n = @ ) or untreated control group ( n = @ ) .


Patients in the treatment group underwent one @-hour Feldenkrais method session per week for @ consecutive weeks .