bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cold intolerance assessment: A reappraisal
Authors: Davey H , Belcher HJCR
Published: April 2014

Introduction:

The cold intolerance symptom severity (CISS) questionnaire is frequently used for the assessment of cold intolerance (CI) in patients following hand trauma. Its practical and conceptual limitations prompted the development of a new cold intolerance questionnaire (CIQ). The CIQ assesses and gives equal weighting to five components of CI, severity, frequency, extent, duration and prevention. An optional impact score can be included as the CIQ+.

Method:

Data were collected over a five-month period from adult hand trauma patients. Each patient completed the CISS, CIQ and the Quick DASH questionnaires during their assessment. A total of 51 patients (34 men and 17 women) were examined at a median interval of 14 months (3–48) after injury. Their mean age was 42 years (SE = 2, range 18–81).

Results:

The median (range) scores were CIQ = 16 (0–27), CIQ + = 18 (0–33), CISS = 56 (0–89) and Quick DASH = 44 (2–86). The scores were significantly correlated. The majority of patients had symptoms localised to the digit or point of injury. All but one of the five selected components of the CIQ and the separate impact score were significantly correlated.

Conclusion:

The authors found the CIQ to be a simple scoring system that is suited to clinical use. The CIQ has value as a research tool as it provides a method of categorising patients and of identifying patients suited to certain treatment methods. Furthermore, it may be a more informative tool in monitoring treatment as it is able to assess changes in pattern as well as overall score.
Comparison Between One-Point Calibration and Two-Point Calibration Approaches in a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Algorithm
Authors: Mahmoudi Zeinab , Johansen Mette Dencker , Christiansen Jens Sandahl , Hejlesen Ole
Published: April 2014

Background:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using a 1-point calibration approach instead of a 2-point calibration approach on the accuracy of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) algorithm.

Method:

A previously published real-time CGM algorithm was compared with its updated version, which used a 1-point calibration instead of a 2-point calibration. In addition, the contribution of the corrective intercept (CI) to the calibration performance was assessed. Finally, the sensor background current was estimated real-time and retrospectively. The study was performed on 132 type 1 diabetes patients.

Results:

Replacing the 2-point calibration with the 1-point calibration improved the CGM accuracy, with the greatest improvement achieved in hypoglycemia (18.4% median absolute relative differences [MARD] in hypoglycemia for the 2-point calibration, and 12.1% MARD in hypoglycemia for the 1-point calibration). Using 1-point calibration increased the percentage of sensor readings in zone A+B of the Clarke error grid analysis (EGA) in the full glycemic range, and also enhanced hypoglycemia sensitivity. Exclusion of CI from calibration reduced hypoglycemia accuracy, while slightly increased euglycemia accuracy. Both real-time and retrospective estimation of the sensor background current suggest that the background current can be considered zero in the calibration of the SCGM1 sensor.

Conclusions:

The sensor readings calibrated with the 1-point calibration approach indicated to have higher accuracy than those calibrated with the 2-point calibration approach.
Efficacy of flexible ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy for lower pole renal calculi
Authors: Sahai A , Khan F , Anjum F , Dickinson IK , Marsh H , Sriprasad S
Published: April 2014

Objective:

Our aim was to determine whether flexible ureterorenoscopy and laser lithotripsy is efficacious and safe in treating lower pole renal calculi.

Materials and methods:

Patient, procedure and stone data of patients who underwent flexible ureterorenoscopy and laser lithotripsy at our referral centre were collected prospectively between November 2005 and November 2011 and entered into a designated database. In all, 242 procedures were performed in 198 patients.

Results:

The mean age was 51.2 years. The mean calculi size was 10.51 mm (range 4–27 mm). Thirty seven patients had more than one stone in the lower pole. An access sheath was used in 19 patients (9.6%), 171 (86.4%) had a ureteric stent inserted after the procedure, and 165 patients had a single procedure. Re-operation rate was 16.7%. Stone-free rates after one procedure were 89%, 80% and 41%, respectively, for calculi measuring 4–10 mm ( n=107), 11–20 mm ( n=76) and > 20 mm ( n=15). The overall stone-free rate was 83%, 91% and 95% after one, two and three procedures, respectively.

Conclusion:

Flexible ureterorenoscopy and laser lithotripsy is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment option for patients with 4–20 mm lower pole calculi. Staged procedures, however, become necessary as the size of the stone increases greater than 20 mm, and this should be mentioned when counselling patients for their primary procedure.
Cholestatic Jaundice With the Use of Methylstenbolone and Dymethazine, Designer Steroids Found in Super DMZ Rx 2.0 “Nutritional Supplement”
Authors: Agbenyefia Priscilla , Arnold Christina A. , Kirkpatrick Robert
Published: April 2014

“Nutritional supplements” that promise an increase in muscle mass and strength are becoming a go to item as enhancing one’s physical appearance becomes a more important part of our society. This is alarming because many of these nutritional supplements rely on androgen precursors to deliver their promises, without adequately informing consumers of the potential side effects of such agents. These products may conceal the presence of potent androgens to avoid regulatory sanctions and become more appealing to consumers. Recent reports have shown that some products marketed as “nutritional supplements” have been found to contain androgenic anabolic steroids. Methylstenbolone and dymethazine are new androgenic anabolic steroids currently gaining popularity among body builders for their performance-enhancing properties and rapid effects on muscle mass. These agents are found together in Super DMZ Rx 2.0, a “dietary supplement” for bodybuilders. Here we report the first case of Super DMZ Rx 2.0–induced cholestatic jaundice in a 26-year-old previously healthy Caucasian male, who took the supplement according to the manufacturer’s instructions for 30 days.
The Prevalence and Determinants of Short Stature in HIV-Infected Children
Authors: Joel Dipesalema R. , Mabikwa Vincent , Makhanda Jerry , Tolle Michael A. , Anabwani Gabriel M. , Ahmed Syed Faisal
Published: April 2014

Background:

Children with HIV infection are often reported to be short. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HIV-associated short stature in HIV endemic setting.

Methods:

Data were obtained by retrospective review of the electronic medical records. Patients were grouped into various clinical categories. For each category, the proportion of patients with height-for-age Z score of less than −2 standard deviation [SD] and of less than −3 SD was determined.

Results:

The prevalence of short stature (less than −2 SD) was 28.4%. Severe short stature (less than −3 SD) is more likely with percentage of CD4 <15% (odds ratio [OR]: 3.30, confidence interval [CI]: 1.51-7.09, P = .002) and with males (OR: 1.49, CI: 1.19-1.87, P = .001). Severe short stature is more likely with viral load >400 copies/mL (OR 2.64, CI 1.27-5.38, P = .008) and poor adherence (<95%; OR 1.72, CI 1.03-2.05, P = .037).

Conclusion:

In Botswana, short stature affects a quarter of HIV-infected children and severe short stature is associated with poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment, severe immunosuppression, and virologic failure.
Security in Asia
Authors: Beeson Mark
Published: April 2014

Intuitively, we might expect that security would be broadly conceived in the same way across the world. And yet even the way the security of the state is understood is quite different from the predominant ‘Western’ model in some parts of Asia in particular. Indeed, the constituent parts of broadly conceived ‘security governance’ reveal surprising and illuminating differences about a concept we might otherwise expect to be universal. Nowhere better illustrates this possibility than the East Asian region, which has come to be associated with a distinctive notion of ‘comprehensive security’, which embraces a range of factors beyond conventional military concerns. To understand why East Asia is different we need to consider the region’s specific history and the contemporary challenges it faces. Paradoxically enough, however, the region may be beginning to demonstrate some patterns of behaviour and security concerns that are reminiscent of an earlier ‘Western’ era, raising important theoretical and comparative questions in the process.
A Strange and Bittersweet Relationship
Authors: Banerjee Sanjoy , Commuri Gitika
Published: April 2014

The United States (US) and Pakistan developed a relationship during the Musharraf era of simultaneous cooperation and coercion against each other. Pakistan helped both the US and the Taliban in their war in Afghanistan. The US aided and reimbursed Pakistan, but also violated its sovereignty on a sustained basis. Realism, Liberalism and prominent varieties of Constructivism do not explain this interaction. The explanation offered here is that each state had certain persistent concepts it applied repeatedly as new situations arose. The concepts are drawn empirically from the policy discourses of the two states after the Musharraf coup, the 9/11 attacks, and during the middle 2000s when Pakistan’s focus on Kashmir diminished but Taliban attacks in Afghanistan intensified. These concepts highlighted some aspects of these situations and occluded others. These descriptions of situations using these concepts formed episodes in situational narratives. The situational narratives do explain the observed interaction.
Prelude to the Arab–Israel Conflict
Authors: Dowty Alan
Published: April 2014

This article examines modern European intervention in the Middle East and the subsequent changes that shaped a new environment in the region as a whole and in Ottoman Palestine in particular. What were these changes and how did they intertwine with the creation, by the end of the century, of a substantial Western cultural and political presence in the Palestinian provinces of the Ottoman Empire? How did this presence, in turn, help to move the idea of a Jewish return to Palestine from the realm of fantasy to reality? This article examines how, in the framework of ‘productivization’ and European penetration, ideas of settlement of land—proto-Zionism—developed not just among Christian Restorationists but also within the Jewish community.
The Human Rights and Development Impetuses for Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution
Authors: Alvi Hayat
Published: April 2014

Economics Nobel laureate Amartya Sen contends that socio-economic progress cannot happen without freedoms. The thesis for this article is that human rights and development variables, which were appalling under the Ben Ali regime, served as primary causal factors for the 2011 Tunisian Revolution. Dismal human development indicators, rampant corruption and severe repression of freedoms and rights led to widespread protests. Other regional actors also felt inspired by the Tunisian Revolution, culminating in uprisings and revolutions in neighboring countries.

This analysis examines the human rights and development impetuses for Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution. The central questions to address are: What are the linkages between human rights, freedoms, and human development in Tunisia? What made Tunisian activists overcome their fear of the regime? And, what are the implications of the post-revolution political, ideological and economic policies and dynamics for the country’s socio-economic progress?
When Collision Emerges as Unexpected Harmony
Authors: Foley Sean
Published: April 2014

Despite sharing many of the socio-economic and political problems that led to revolutions in other Arab states, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia experienced little unrest, a fact many in the West attributed to the Kingdom’s closed political system. The absolute monarchy has been viewed as thwarting political dissension through kinship and religious alliances and sharing of oil revenues. This article aims at reframing mainstream Western explanations of the failure of the Arab Spring to gain a foothold in the largest economy in the Arab World and present a fresh vision of Saudi politics and the reaction of Saudis to the Arab Spring—one that transcends the fear and the rigid framework that characterize most scholarly discussions of the Kingdom.
Platelet-TLR7 mediates host survival and platelet count during viral infection in the absence of platelet-dependent thrombosis
Authors: Koupenova Milka , Vitseva Olga , MacKay Christopher R. , Beaulieu Lea M. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Mick Eric , Kurt-Jones Evelyn A. , Ravid Katya , Freedman Jane E.
Published: April 2014

Key Points

Activation of platelet-TLR7 receptor mediates platelet-viral immune responses with no effect on thrombosis. This is the first study to show that platelets are necessary for survival during viral infection.
Comparison of the vasodilator responses of isolated human and rat middle meningeal arteries to migraine related compounds
Authors: Grände Gustaf , Labruijere Sieneke , Haanes Kristian Agmund , MaassenVanDenBrink Antoinette , Edvinsson Lars
Published: April 2014

Background

Migraine attacks occur spontaneously in those who suffer from the condition, but migraine-like attacks can also be induced artificially by a number of substances. Previously published evidence makes the meninges a likely source of migraine related pain. This article investigates the effect of several vasodilators on meningeal arteries in order to find a connection between the effect of a substance on a meningeal vessel and its ability to artificially induce migraine.

Methods

A myograph setup was used to test the vasodilator properties of the substances acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), sildenafil, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide-38 (PACAP-38), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and NaCl buffer on meningeal arteries from human and rat. An unpaired t-test was used to statistically compare the mean Emax(%) at the highest concentration of each substance to the Emax(%) of NaCl buffer.

Results

In the human experiments, all substances except PACAP-38 had an Emax (%) higher than the NaCl buffer, but the difference was only significant for SNP and CGRP. For the human samples, clinically tested antimigraine compounds (sumatriptan, telcagepant) were applied to the isolated arteries, and both induced a significant decrease of the effect of exogenously administrated CGRP. In experiments on rat middle meningeal arteries, pre-contracted with PGF2α, similar tendencies were seen. When the pre-contraction was switched to K+ in a separate series of experiments, CGRP and sildenafil significantly relaxed the arteries.

Conclusions

Still no definite answer can be given as to why pain is experienced during an attack of migraine. No clear correlation was found between the efficacy of a substance as a meningeal artery vasodilator in human and the ability to artificially induce migraine or the mechanism of action. Vasodilatation could be an essential trigger, but only in conjunction with other unknown factors. The vasculature of the meninges likely contributes to the propagation of the migrainal cascade of symptoms, but more research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn about the nature of this contribution.
Prognostic value of secreted phosphoprotein-1 in pleural effusion associated with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhang He , Liu Hong-bing , Yuan Dong-mei , Wang Zhao-feng , Wang Yun-fen , Song Yong
Published: April 2014

Background

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common complication of advanced lung cancer. Research has shown that secreted phosphoprotein-1 (SPP1) is essential in MPE associated with lung cancer. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of SPP1 in the MPE of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

MPE specimens were obtained from 85 NSCLC patients (study group), and pleural effusion specimens were obtained from 24 patients with benign lung disease (control group). Specimens were tested for SPP1 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Based on the cutoff value of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the study patients were divided into a high-SPP1-expression subgroup and a low-expression subgroup. The primary and secondary endpoints of this study were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

The SPP1 levels of the study group were significantly higher compared to those of the controls (Mann–Whitney U test, P = 0.017). The number of extrapulmonary metastases was significantly higher in the high-SPP1-expressing patients than in the low-expressing patients (P = 0.03). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that SPP1 levels were negatively associated with OS and PFS in both subgroups of study patients (P = 0.026; P = 0.039, respectively). Cox regression analysis showed that SPP1 was an independent prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC (HR = 1.832, 95% confidence interval: 1.003–3.345; P = 0.049).

Conclusion

SPP1 in pleural effusion can be used for the auxiliary diagnosis of MPE and used to determine the prognosis of patients with NSCLC.
Hepatitis B spliced protein (HBSP) promotes the carcinogenic effects of benzo [alpha] pyrene by interacting with microsomal epoxide hydrolase and enhancing its hydrolysis activity
Authors: Chen Jin-Yan , Chen Wan-Nan , Jiao Bo-Yan , Lin Wan-Song , Wu Yun-Li , Liu Ling-Ling , Lin Xu
Published: April 2014

Background

The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increases in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers who often have concomitant increase in the levels of benzo[alpha]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide(±) (BPDE)-DNA adduct in liver tissues, suggesting a possible co-carcinogenesis of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and benzo[alpha]pyrene in HCC; however the exact mechanisms involved are unclear.

Methods

The interaction between hepatitis B spliced protein (HBSP) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) was confirmed using GST pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation and mammalian two-hybrid assay; the effects of HBSP on mEH-mediated B[alpha]P metabolism was examined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); and the influences of HBSP on B[alpha]P carcinogenicity were evaluated by bromodeoxyuridine cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and tumor xenograft.

Results

HBSP could interact with mEH in vitro and in vivo, and this interaction was mediated by the N terminal 47 amino acid residues of HBSP. HBSP could greatly enhance the hydrolysis activity of mEH in cell-free mouse liver microsomes, thus accelerating the metabolism of benzo[alpha]pyrene to produce more ultimate carcinnogen, BPDE, and this effect of HBSP requires the intact HBSP molecule. Expression of HBSP significantly increased the formation of BPDE-DNA adduct in benzo[alpha]pyrene-treated Huh-7 hepatoma cells, and this enhancement was blocked by knockdown of mEH. HBSP could enhance the cell proliferation, accelerate the G1/S transition, and promote cell transformation and tumorigenesis of B[alpha]P-treated Huh-7 hepatoma cells.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that HBSP could promote carcinogenic effects of B[alpha]P by interacting with mEH and enhancing its hydrolysis activity.
Asthma prevalence, knowledge, and perceptions among secondary school pupils in rural and urban coastal districts in Tanzania
Authors: Shimwela Meshack , Mwita Julius Chacha , Mwandri Michael , Rwegerera Godfrey Mutashambara , Mashalla Yohana , Mugusi Ferdinand
Published: April 2014

Background

Asthma is a common chronic disease of childhood that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of asthma among secondary school pupils in urban and rural areas of coast districts of Tanzania. The study also aimed to describe pupils’ perception towards asthma, and to assess their knowledge on symptoms, triggers, and treatment of asthma.

Methods

A total of 610 pupils from Ilala district and 619 pupils from Bagamoyo district formed the urban and rural groups, respectively. Using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, a history of “diagnosed” asthma or the presence of a wheeze in the previous 12 months was obtained from all the studied pupils, along with documentation of their perceptions regarding asthma. Pupils without asthma or wheeze in the prior 12 months were subsequently selected and underwent a free running exercise testing. A ≥ 20% decrease in the post-exercise Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) values was the criterion for diagnosing exercise-induced asthma.

Results

The mean age of participants was 16.8 (±1.8) years. The prevalence of wheeze in the past 12 months was 12.1% in Bagamoyo district and 23.1% in Ilala district (p < 0.001). Self-reported asthma was found in 17.6% and 6.4% of pupils in Ilala and Bagamoyo districts, respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of exercise-induced asthma was 2.4% in Bagamoyo, and 26.3% in Ilala (P < 0.002). In both districts, most information on asthma came from parents, and there was variation in symptoms and triggers of asthma reported by the pupils. Non-asthmatic pupils feared sleeping, playing, and eating with their asthmatic peers.

Conclusion

The prevalence rates of self-reported asthma, wheezing in the past 12 months, and exercise-induced asthma were significantly higher among urban than rural pupils. Although bronchial asthma is a common disease, pupils’ perceptions about asthma were associated with fear of contact with their asthmatic peers in both rural and urban schools.
Morus alba L. suppresses the development of atopic dermatitis induced by the house dust mite in NC/Nga mice
Authors: Lim Hye-Sun , Ha Hyekyung , Lee Hoyoung , Lee Jun Kyung , Lee Mee-Young , Shin Hyeun-Kyoo
Published: April 2014

Background

Morus alba, a medicinal plant in Asia, has been used traditionally to treat diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia. However, the effects of M. alba extract (MAE) on atopic dermatitis have not been verified scientifically. We investigated the effects of MAE on atopic dermatitis through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Methods

We evaluated the effects of MAE on the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in RAW 264.7, as well as thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) in HaCaT cells. In an in vivo experiment, atopic dermatitis was induced by topical application of house dust mites for four weeks, and the protective effects of MAE were investigated by measuring the severity of the skin reaction on the back and ears, the plasma levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and histamine, and histopathological changes in the skin on the back and ears.

Results

MAE suppressed the production of NO and PGE2 in RAW 264.7 cells, as well as TARC in HaCaT cells, in a dose-dependent manner. MAE treatment of NC/Nga mice reduced the severity of dermatitis and the plasma levels of IgE and histamine. MAE also reduced the histological manifestations of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions such as erosion, hyperplasia of the epidermis and dermis, and inflammatory cell infiltration in the skin on the back and ears.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that MAE has potent inhibitory effects on atopic dermatitis-like lesion and may be a beneficial natural resource for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Predictors of first-year GPA of medical students: a longitudinal study of 1285 matriculates in China
Authors: Zhou Ying-Xue , Zhao Zhi-Tao , Li Li , Wan Cheng-Song , Peng Cheng-Hua , Yang Jun , Ou Chun-Quan
Published: April 2014

Background

Although medical education has developed rapidly in the last decade, and the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) is used as the "gold standard" for admission to medical college in mainland China, there is a lack of literature regarding the influence of NCEE score and other factors on the academic performance of medical students. This study aimed to examine potential predictors of first-year grade point average (GPA) for medical students.

Methods

This study included 1,285 students who matriculated at a first-tier medical university in mainland China in 2011. The precollege motivational attitudes for each matriculate were investigated via questionnaire. A hierarchical linear model was fitted to regress first-year GPA on a 100-point scale on NCEE score and other student-level and major-level characteristics.

Results

NCEE score was a significant predictor of both within-major and between-major variation of first-year GPA for medical students. Majors with higher mean NCEE scores had higher mean GPAs, and higher GPAs were observed among those individuals with higher NCEE scores after controlling for major-level characteristics. First-year GPA differed by certain individual socio-demographic variables. Female students had a 2.44-higher GPA on average than did male students. NCEE repeaters had a 1.55-lower GPA than non-repeaters. First-year GPA was associated negatively with parental income but positively with academic self-concept.

Conclusions

NCEE score is an important predictor of the first-year GPA of medical students, but it is not the sole determinant. Individual socio-demographic characteristics and major-level characteristics should be taken into account to understand better and improve the first-year GPA of medical students.
Metastasis of distal esophageal carcinoma to the thyroid with presentation simulating primary thyroid carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Chen En-dong , Cheng Pu , Yan Xing-qiang , Ye Yun-liang , Chen Cheng-ze , Ji Xiu-huan , Zhang Xiao-hua
Published: April 2014

Metastasis to the thyroid is extremely rare. There is a lack of awareness of and adequate preparation for this situation, especially in an individual without a past history of malignancy. We describe a rare case of a 61-year-old man in whom a primary distal esophageal carcinoma gave rise to a metastatic palpable mass in the thyroid gland. Palliative bilateral near-total thyroidectomy was performed with pathology showing squamous cell carcinoma and tracheostomy was carried out simultaneously due to airway compression with related symptoms. A review of the literature only reveals 4 similar cases. Secondary neoplasm of the thyroid mimicking a primary malignant lesion is seldom encountered, however, in order to make appropriate treatment, the most critical problem is to distinguish the difference between the above two and the final diagnosis can only be confirmed on pathologic examination. Although the prognosis of thyroid metastasis is commonly felt to be poor, improvement of living quality and prolongation of survival may be obtained in such patients through correct diagnosis and treatment.
Postoperative hemorrhage in an elderly patient with a glioblastoma multiform and a calcified chronic subdural hematoma
Authors: Cai Jun , Zhang Yanting , Bai Xiaoxin , Li Shaoxue , Chen Jinhua , Chen Ruicong , Lin Hao , Huang Shengping
Published: April 2014

Background

Cases with brain tumor and subdural hematoma are rare; surgical management of the elderly patients with a glioblastoma multiform (GBM) and a chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) can be intractable.

Case description

We report a 77-year-old patient, who had a left front lobe GBM and a giant, calcified, left frontoparietaloccipitotemporal CSDH. The patient recovered well from anesthesia after removal of the GBM and CSDH. However, the patient developed severe hemiplegia and aphasia because of the in-situ hemorrhage 1 day later. Laboratory tests indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) leading to the postoperative hemorrhage. The patient was left with hemiparesis and alalia after the in-situ hematoma evacuation.

Conclusions

We presume elderly patients have a higher incidence of postoperative hemorrhage in residual intracranial cavity owing to higher possibility to get DIC. A less aggressive surgical management could be a more appropriate choice.
A reliable energy-balancing multi-group (REM) routing protocol for firefighter communication networks
Authors: Atiq Mahin K , Manzoor Kamran , Kim Soomi , Hasan Najam ul , Kim Hyung Seok
Published: April 2014

In a fire rescue operation, a fast, reliable, and robust communication system is needed to quickly take control of the emergent situation. One of the most important issues in firefighter communication networks (FCNs) is the design of a specialized routing protocol that caters to the specific needs of the fire rescue application. This paper proposes a reliable, energy-balancing, multi-group (REM) routing protocol for an FCN. Since firefighters work in groups, a cluster-based hierarchical approach was adopted. REM is intended to achieve reliability and energy balancing in data communication by incorporating metric-based cluster head (CH) selection, CH rotation among cluster members, and a routing algorithm. Within a cluster, the node with highest metric value based on residual energy and number of connections is chosen as the CH. The CH’s responsibilities are rotated periodically among the cluster members. REM chooses nodes with a higher metric based on residual energy, number of connections, and number of hops to the base station (BS) as the next hop for forwarding data to the BS. This helps to achieve reliability, less delay, and energy balancing when compared with other routing schemes, as evident from the simulation results.
Plasma fatty acid changes following consumption of dietary oils containing n-3, n-6, and n-9 fatty acids at different proportions: preliminary findings of the Canola Oil Multicenter Intervention Trial (COMIT)
Authors: Senanayake Vijitha K , Pu Shuaihua , Jenkins David A , Lamarche Benoît , Kris-Etherton Penny M , West Sheila G , Fleming Jennifer A , Liu Xiaoran , McCrea Cindy E , Jones Peter J
Published: April 2014

Background

The Canola Oil Multicenter Intervention Trial (COMIT) was a randomized controlled crossover study designed to evaluate the effects of five diets that provided different oils and/or oil blends on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in individuals with abdominal obesity. The present objective is to report preliminary findings on plasma fatty acid profiles in volunteers with abdominal obesity, following the consumption of diets enriched with n-3, n-6 and n-9 fatty acids.

Methods

COMIT was conducted at three clinical sites, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Québec City, Québec, Canada and University Park, Pennsylvania, United States. Inclusion criteria were at least one of the followings: waist circumference (≥90 cm for males and ≥84 cm for females), and at least one other criterion: triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/L, high density lipoprotein cholesterol <1 mmol/L (males) or <1.3 mmol/L (females), blood pressure ≥130 mmHg (systolic) and/or ≥85 mmHg (diastolic), and glucose ≥5.5 mmol/L. Weight-maintaining diets that included shakes with one of the dietary oil blends were provided during each of the five 30-day dietary phases. Dietary phases were separated by four-week washout periods. Treatment oils were canola oil, high oleic canola oil, high oleic canola oil enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), flax oil and safflower oil blend, and corn oil and safflower oil blend. A per protocol approach with a mixed model analysis was decided to be appropriate for data analysis.

Results

One hundred and seventy volunteers were randomized and 130 completed the study with a dropout rate of 23.5%. The mean plasma total DHA concentrations, which were analyzed among all participants as a measure of adherence, increased by more than 100% in the DHA-enriched phase, compared to other phases, demonstrating excellent dietary adherence.

Conclusions

Recruitment and retention strategies were effective in achieving a sufficient number of participants who completed the study protocol to enable sufficient statistical power to resolve small differences in outcome measures. It is expected that the study will generate important data thereby enhancing our understanding of the effects of n-3, n-6, and n-9 fatty acid-containing oils on CVD risks.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01351012.
Molecular and serological surveillance of canine enteric viruses in stray dogs from Vila do Maio, Cape Verde
Authors: Castanheira Pedro , Duarte Ana , Gil Solange , Cartaxeiro Clara , Malta Manuel , Vieira Sara , Tavares Luis
Published: April 2014

Background

Infections caused by canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and canine coronavirus are an important cause of mortality and morbidity in dogs worldwide. Prior to this study, no information was available concerning the incidence and prevalence of these viruses in Cape Verde archipelago.

Results

To provide information regarding the health status of the canine population in Vila do Maio, Maio Island, Cape Verde, 53 rectal swabs were collected from 53 stray dogs during 2010 and 93 rectal swabs and 88 blood samples were collected from 125 stray dogs in 2011. All rectal swabs (2010 n = 53; 2011 n = 93) were analysed for the presence of canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and canine coronavirus nucleic acids by quantitative PCR methods. Specific antibodies against canine distemper virus and canine parvovirus were also assessed (2011 n = 88).

From the 2010 sampling, 43.3% (23/53) were positive for canine parvovirus DNA, 11.3% (6/53) for canine distemper virus RNA and 1.9% (1/53) for canine coronavirus RNA. In 2011, the prevalence values for canine parvovirus and canine coronavirus were quite similar to those from the previous year, respectively 44.1% (41/93), and 1.1% (1/93), but canine distemper virus was not detected in any of the samples analysed (0%, 0/93). Antibodies against canine parvovirus were detected in 71.6% (63/88) blood samples and the seroprevalence found for canine distemper virus was 51.1% (45/88).

Conclusions

This study discloses the data obtained in a molecular and serological epidemiological surveillance carried out in urban populations of stray and domestic animals. Virus transmission and spreading occurs easily in large dog populations leading to high mortality rates particularly in unvaccinated susceptible animals. In addition, these animals can act as disease reservoirs for wild animal populations by occasional contact. Identification of susceptible wildlife of Maio Island is of upmost importance to evaluate the risk of pathogen spill over from domestic to wild animals in Cape Verde and to evaluate the associated threat to the wild susceptible species.
Mesoderm is required for coordinated cell movements within zebrafish neural plate in vivo
Authors: Araya Claudio , Tawk Marcel , Girdler Gemma C , Costa Marta , Carmona-Fontaine Carlos , Clarke Jonathan DW
Published: April 2014

Background

Morphogenesis of the zebrafish neural tube requires the coordinated movement of many cells in both time and space. A good example of this is the movement of the cells in the zebrafish neural plate as they converge towards the dorsal midline before internalizing to form a neural keel. How these cells are regulated to ensure that they move together as a coherent tissue is unknown. Previous work in other systems has suggested that the underlying mesoderm may play a role in this process but this has not been shown directly in vivo.

Results

Here we analyze the roles of subjacent mesoderm in the coordination of neural cell movements during convergence of the zebrafish neural plate and neural keel formation. Live imaging demonstrates that the normal highly coordinated movements of neural plate cells are lost in the absence of underlying mesoderm and the movements of internalization and neural tube formation are severely disrupted. Despite this, neuroepithelial polarity develops in the abnormal neural primordium but the resulting tissue architecture is very disorganized.

Conclusions

We show that the movements of cells in the zebrafish neural plate are highly coordinated during the convergence and internalization movements of neurulation. Our results demonstrate that the underlying mesoderm is required for these coordinated cell movements in the zebrafish neural plate in vivo.
Geographic variations and temporal trends in prostate cancer in Martinique over a 25-year period
Authors: Dieye Moustapha , Banydeen Rishika , Macni Jonathan , Michel Stephane , Veronique-Baudin Jacqueline , Sasco Annie , Escarmant Patrick , Joachim Clarisse
Published: April 2014

Background

In Martinique, prostate cancer incidence rates have been increasing since the 1980s and are actually among the highest worldwide. Exposure to lifestyle (changes in dietary habits), environmental factors (exposure to organochlorine pesticides) and modifications in diagnostic and screening procedures, are favored etiological hypotheses. The aim of the present study is to describe and interpret prostate cancer incidence trends over the past 25 years (1981–2005) in Martinique.

Methods

Data on incident prostate cancer cases from 1981 to 2005 were obtained from the population-based Martinique Cancer Registry. World age-standardised incidence rates were calculated and an age-period-cohort model was used to determine average annual variations for prostate cancer during the study period. Age and period effects were assessed, employing the method proposed by Clayton and Schifflers. Relative changes in prostate cancer incidence, at five-year intervals between 1981 and 2005, were also studied with an organochlorine pesticide exposure index, built as a proxy of the relative intensity of chlordecone use on the island between 1973 and 1993.

Results

Prostate cancer incidence was found to increase by 5.07% annually between 1981 and 2005. Compared to 1981–1985, prostate cancer relative risk, in men aged 50–74 years and 75 years and above was respectively 5.98% and 3.07% from 2001 to 2005. An inverse association between population pesticide exposure levels and prostate cancer risk was also highlighted, with highest prostate cancer incidences observed in urban zones showing the lowest soil contamination levels by the chlordecone pesticide (zone 1).

Conclusion

No conclusive association was found between the intensity of pesticide use and the subsequent rise in prostate cancer incidence. However, it remains necessary to develop and reinforce continuous monitoring of prostate cancer incidence and mortality trends on the island. Further studies are also needed in order to consider other risk factors such as modifications in diagnostic and screening procedures over the last 25 years.
Urinary ATP and visualization of intracellular bacteria: a superior diagnostic marker for recurrent UTI in renal transplant recipients?
Authors: Kelley Stephen P , Courtneidge Holly R , Birch Rebecca E , Contreras-Sanz Alberto , Kelly Mark C , Durodie Jerome , Peppiatt-Wildman Claire M , Farmer Christopher K , Delaney Michael P , Malone-Lee James , Harber Mark A , Wildman Scott S
Published: April 2014

Renal transplant recipients (RTR) are highly susceptible to urinary tract infections (UTIs) with over 50% of patients having at least one UTI within the first year. Yet it is generally acknowledged that there is considerable insensitivity and inaccuracy in routine urinalysis when screening for UTIs. Thus a large number of transplant patients with genuine urine infections may go undiagnosed and develop chronic recalcitrant infections, which can be associated with graft loss and morbidity. Given a recent study demonstrating ATP is released by urothelial cells in response to bacteria exposure, possibly acting at metabotropic P2Y receptors mediating a proinflammatory response, we have investigated alternative, and possibly more appropriate, urinalysis techniques in a cohort of RTRs.

Mid-stream urine (MSU) samples were collected from 53 outpatient RTRs. Conventional leukocyte esterase and nitrite dipstick tests, and microscopic pyuria counts (in 1 μl), ATP concentration measurements, and identification of intracellular bacteria in shed urothelial cells, were performed on fresh unspun samples and compared to ‘gold-standard’ bacterial culture results.

Of the 53 RTRs, 22% were deemed to have a UTI by ‘gold-standard’ conventional bacteria culture, whereas 87%, 8% and 4% showed evidence of UTIs according to leukocyte esterase dipstick, nitrite dipstick, and a combination of both dipsticks, respectively. Intracellular bacteria were visualized in shed urothelial cells of 44% of RTRs, however only 1 of the 23 RTRs (44%) was deemed to have a UTI by conventional bacteria culture. A significant association of the ‘gold-standard’ test with urinary ATP concentration combined with visualization of intracellular bacteria in shed urothelial cells was determined using the Fisher’s exact test.

It is apparent that standard bedside tests for UTIs give variable results and that seemingly quiescent bacteria in urothelial cells are very common in RTRs and may represent a focus of subclinical infection. Furthermore, our results suggest urinary ATP concentration combined with detection of intracellular bacteria in shed urinary epithelial cells may be a sensitive means by which to detect ‘occult’ infection in RTRs.
Antiphospholipid syndrome in 2014: more clinical manifestations, novel pathogenic players and emerging biomarkers
Authors: Meroni Pier Luigi , Chighizola Cecilia Beatrice , Rovelli Francesca , Gerosa Maria
Published: April 2014

The clinical spectrum of the anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) is not limited to vascular thrombosis or miscarriages but includes additional manifestations that cannot be explained solely by a thrombophilic state. Anti-cardiolipin, anti-beta2 glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) assays are not only the formal diagnostic and classification laboratory tools but also parameters to stratify the risk to develop the clinical manifestations of the syndrome. In particular, anti-β2GPI antibodies reacting with an immunodominant epitope on domain I of the molecule were reported as the prevalent specificity in APS patients, correlating with a more aggressive clinical picture. Several laboratory assays to improve the diagnostic and predictive power of the standard tests have been proposed. Plates coated with the phosphatidylserine-prothrombin complex for detecting antibodies represent a promising laboratory tool correlating with LA and with clinical manifestations. Anti-phospholipid antibodies can be found in patients with full-blown APS, in those with thrombotic events or obstetric complications only or in asymptomatic carriers. An inflammatory second hit is required to increase the presence of β2GPI in vascular tissues, eventually triggering thrombosis. Post-transcriptional modifications of circulating β2GPI, different epitope specificities or diverse anti-β2GPI antibody-induced cell signaling have all been suggested to affect the clinical manifestations and/or to modulate their occurrence.
A case history of experimental time-lapse 3C 2D seismic reflection data for reservoir monitoring at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
Authors: Isaac J. Helen , Lawton Don C.
Published: April 2014

We processed, interpreted, and analyzed experimental time-lapse converted-wave 2D-seismic reflection data that were acquired across a bitumen field undergoing cyclical steam injection and production at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. The purpose was to assess whether multicomponent-seismic data could be used to detect lateral and/or temporal changes caused by steam injection into the reservoir. We interpreted horizons on PP and PS sections that bracket the reservoir, and calculated [Formula: see text] over this interval. Away from the steam injection wells, [Formula: see text] values average [Formula: see text] during steaming and production and are close to the theoretically predicted value of 2.21 for a cold reservoir. Near the wells, [Formula: see text] is lower during steam injection than during production, averaging [Formula: see text], and the lowest values are observed close to the injection wells. We attributed the changes in [Formula: see text] to changes in the reservoir caused by the injection of steam.
Advanced Glycation End Product 3 (AGE3) Suppresses the Mineralization of Mouse Stromal ST2 Cells and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Increasing TGF-β Expression and Secretion
Authors: Notsu Masakazu , Yamaguchi Toru , Okazaki Kyoko , Tanaka Ken-ichiro , Ogawa Noriko , Kanazawa Ippei , Sugimoto Toshitsugu
Published: April 2014

In diabetic patients, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) cause bone fragility because of deterioration of bone quality. We previously showed that AGEs suppressed the mineralization of mouse stromal ST2 cells. TGF-β is abundant in bone, and enhancement of its signal causes bone quality deterioration. However, whether TGF-β signaling is involved in the AGE-induced suppression of mineralization during the osteoblast lineage remains unknown. We therefore examined the roles of TGF-β in the AGE-induced suppression of mineralization of ST2 cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. AGE3 significantly (P < .001) inhibited mineralization in both cell types, whereas transfection with small interfering RNA for the receptor for AGEs (RAGEs) significantly (P < .05) recovered this process in ST2 cells. AGE3 increased (P < .001) the expression of TGF-β mRNA and protein, which was partially antagonized by transfection with RAGE small interfering RNA. Treatment with a TGF-β type I receptor kinase inhibitor, SD208, recovered AGE3-induced decreases in osterix (P < .001) and osteocalcin (P < .05) and antagonized the AGE3-induced increase in Runx2 mRNA expression in ST2 cells (P < .001). Moreover, SD208 completely and dose dependently rescued AGE3-induced suppression of mineralization in both cell types. In contrast, SD208 intensified AGE3-induced suppression of cell proliferation as well as AGE3-induced apoptosis in proliferating ST2 cells. These findings indicate that, after cells become confluent, AGE3 partially inhibits the differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic cells by binding to RAGE and increasing TGF-β expression and secretion. They also suggest that TGF-β adversely affects bone quality not only in primary osteoporosis but also in diabetes-related bone disorder.
The Risk of Osteonecrosis of the Jaws in Taiwanese Osteoporotic Patients Treated With Oral Alendronate or Raloxifene
Authors: Chiu Wei-Yih , Chien Jung-Yien , Yang Wei-Shiung , Juang Jyh-Ming Jimmy , Lee Jang-Jaer , Tsai Keh-Sung
Published: April 2014

Background:

This study aimed to explore the possible association between osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) and oral alendronate or raloxifene used for osteoporosis and to estimate its absolute and attributable risks in the Taiwanese population.

Methods:

Using an electronic medical records system and manual confirmation of ONJ, we identified patients who began taking alendronate or raloxifene for osteoporosis and developed ONJ between January 2000 and April 2012.

Results:

The incidence of ONJ associated with oral alendronate for the management of osteoporosis began after 1 year of drug exposure and progressively increased with longer durations of therapy, specifically from 0.23% to 0.92% as the duration of treatment went from 2 years to 10 years. The overall frequency of ONJ related to oral alendronate over a 12-year period was 0.55%. The incidence rate of ONJ attributed to alendronate exposure was 283 per 100 000 persons per year. On multivariate Cox proportional analysis, adjusting for the potential confounders, alendronate remains an independent predictor for ONJ occurrence [hazard ratio 7.42 (1.02–54.09)] compared with raloxifene. Advanced age, drug duration, and coexisting diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis are contributing factors to the development of oral alendronate-related ONJ.

Conclusion:

We provided the evidence to support the association of ONJ with oral alendronate used in the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis.