The relative contributions of primary and secondary seed dispersal to plant demography have received little investigation. Evidence on these seed dispersal types, on seed fate and seedling recruitment of the tropical rain forest tree Dipteryx oleifera, is presented. The study was conducted in a 6.37ha permanent plot where seeds and ...

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology. It is the most frequent disorder among atypical parkinsonism with an estimated prevalence of 2 to 5 per 100 000 inhabitants. The clinical symptoms are rapidly progressing with a mean survival ranging between 6 to 9 years. The ...

The brown-nosed coati (Nasua nasua) is a carnivorous species found in all the Brazilian biomes, some of which are endangered areas. The aim of this work was to determine the habitat use and selection, home range and core area of N. nasua in the Cerrado biome, central region of Tocantins, ...

The questionnaire DEX was designed by Wilson et al. in 1996 to explore the disturbances of executive functions (EF) in activities of daily living (ADL). OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to explore the specificity of the DEX to evaluate executive dysfunction in ADL, and its contribution to the distinction between ...

As in other countries, the effects of human stressors on coastal areas and waters in Nigeria are increasing, and management strategies are urgent. In order to assess this, studies on phytoplankton composition in relation to physico-chemical characteristic of two tidal creeks in Lagos were conducted for six months (October 2007 ...

BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are possible sources of morbidity and mortality in patients with musculoskeletal neoplasms (MSN). OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of aspirin (ASA) and pneumatic compression devices (PCD) to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and PCD in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures for MSN of the ...

Percutaneous tracheotomy is a standard procedure in intensive care units. Even though complications associated with this intervention have been described, acute massive bleeding from the innominate artery is rare and necessitates immediate intervention. We report a case with acute bleeding after removal of a percutaneous tracheotomy cannula.

Research indicates that a sizable proportion of adolescent defendants have difficulty understanding and participating in legal proceedings against them, and may be incompetent to stand trial. To examine attorneys' experience in defending adolescents with competence-related difficulties, 214 juvenile attorneys were surveyed. Findings indicated that attorneys have doubts about the competence ...

OBJECTIVE: Small case series suggest bariatric surgery may be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients who do not meet body weight criteria for morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI], <35 kg/m), but large multi-institutional series, which allow better assessment of the safety and efficacy of treatment, ...

Plants are equipped to recognize invading pathogenic microbes and activate innate immune responses by sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) is critical for plant resistance to potential pathogens. Although the mechanism by which PTI is activated has been intensively studied, exactly how plants prevent unregulated immune responses is ...

The purpose of this study was to determine if a nighttime home monitoring system, designed to track the movements of a care recipient with dementia, would relieve worry and improve sleep in caregivers of persons with dementia. In this controlled clinical trial, 49 dementia caregivers were followed for up to ...

BACKGROUND: Lateral lymph node (LLN) metastasis sometimes occurs in patients with early rectal cancer that has invaded the submucosa (SM) and muscularis propria (MP). This study aims to identify the risk factor(s) for LLN metastasis in such patients. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 65 patients with pathological SM or MP lower ...

This study was conducted to compare the effects of three ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) designs on walking after stroke and determine whether an ankle plantar flexion contracture impacts response to the AFOs. A total of 30 individuals, ranging from 6-215 months post-stroke, were tested in four conditions: shoes only (SH), dorsi-assist/dorsi-stop ...

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a devastating disease that killed nearly 38,000 people in the United States this past year. OBJECTIVE: Treatment of PDA typically includes surgery and/or chemotherapy with gemcitabine. No reliable biomarker exists for prognosis or response to chemotherapy. Two previously proposed prognostic markers, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and ...

The purpose is to discuss the concept of food insecurity (FI) and its impact on current global health policy and nursing practice. Food insecurity. Literature review. FI means a nonsustainable food system that interferes with optimal self-reliance and social justice. Individuals experiencing FI lack nutritionally adequate and safe foods in ...

The main factors in photodynamic therapy (PDT) are: photosensitizer retention, photon absorption, and oxygen supply. Each factor has its unique set of problems that poses limitation to the treatment. Both light delivery and oxygen supply are significant bottlenecks in PDT. Vascular closure during PDT reduces oxygen supply to the targeted ...

Studies related to land mollusk diversity in tropical and subtropical forests are scarce. To assess this, a study on land snail diversity of subtropical cloudforest (Yungas) and dry forest (Chaco) areas of Sierra de San Javier Park, Tucumán, Argentina, was carried out. Taxonomic identifications were performed to species level and ...

Publications devoted to severe dementia remain limited, whereas several authors underline the need to carry on clinical research in the field. The aim of this paper is to analyze the various technical, psychological and sociological factors that slow down the development of clinical research in severe dementia. To reduce these ...

To facilitate solution deposition of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for integration into electronic devices they need to be purified and dispersed into solutions. The vigorous sonication process for preparing these dispersions leads to large variations in the length and defect density of SWNTs, affecting the resulting electronic properties. Understanding the ...

BACKGROUND: The existence of primary fibrinolysis (PF) and a defined mechanistic link to the "Acute Coagulopathy of Trauma" is controversial. Rapid thrombelastography (r-TEG) offers point of care comprehensive assessment of the coagulation system. We hypothesized that postinjury PF occurs early in severe shock, leading to postinjury coagulopathy, and ultimately hemorrhage-related ...

The occurrence of neurological symptoms after spinal anaesthesia has been reported with several local anaesthetics including lidocaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, tetracaine and bupivacaine. Although hyperbaric bupivacaine is known to induce neurological symptoms less frequently than lidocaine, a few cases of cauda equina syndrome (CES) following the intraspinal injection of bupivacaine have ...

To systematically analyze evidence about the outcome and percent of newly completed ADs, focusing on the effectiveness of (a) types of educational interventions versus controls and (b) one educational intervention over another. Systematic review of literature based on Cochrane review criteria. Twelve randomized and four nonrandomized studies were selected from ...

OBJECTIVE: To report the risk of metachronous colorectal neoplasia after colectomy for cancer in Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) syndrome. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Patients meeting Amsterdam criteria for diagnosis of HNPCC have a lifetime colorectal cancer risk approaching 80%, and a metachronous cancer rate of approximately 25%. Therefore, when colon ...

To describe the benefits and barriers associated with practice-academe partnerships and introduce Sigma Theta Tau International's (STTI's) Practice-Academe Innovative Collaboration Award and the 2009 award recipients. In 2008, STTI created the CNO-Dean Advisory Council and charged it with reviewing the state of practice-academe collaborations and developing strategies for optimizing how ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We designed this study to assess the biologic significance of Ki-67 proliferation index (PI) in gastric cancer. METHODS: Gastric cancer tissue from 245 patients were immunostained for Ki-67. Ki-67 PI was defined as the percentage of tumor cells positive for Ki-67. In addition, we have previously evaluated ...

Colonic metaplasia of the ileal reservoir in patients after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is described in pathological and histochemical studies. So far, there are no reports on the imaging presentation of colonic transformation. We describe the distinctive post-operative MRI features found in a 28-year-old patient with IPAA after failed conservative ...

OBJECTIVES: Medical team training (MTT) has been touted as a way to improve teamwork and patient safety in the operating room (OR). METHODS: OR personal completed a 1-day intensive MTT training. A standardized briefing/debriefing/perioperative routine was developed, including documentation of OR miscues, delays, and a case score (1-5) assigned by ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo dose-response relation of chromosome aberration formation and distribution in a context of localised and fractionated radiotherapy. Cytogenetic analysis was applied to eight patients, all treated for the same tumour localisation; the same localisation was used to prevent the variability ...

While adult daycare (ADC) is considered a culturally acceptable model of long-term care in countries with a tradition of family-oriented caregiving, Korea is struggling as soaring needs for ADC outpace qualified staff and regulatory systems. This study aimed to describe Korean daycare nurses' perceptions of key daycare services and their ...

Courses in anatomy have traditionally relied on lectures and cadaver dissection laboratories. In speech and hearing sciences, there tends to be less access to cadavers than in medical schools and other allied health professions. It is more typical to use anatomical models, diagrams and lecture slides. Regardless of the resources ...

Architecture and leaf anatomy of the Polypodium plesiosorum sensu Moran complex (Polypodiaceae). The Polypodium plesisorum complex is a heterogeneous morphology group. We studied leaf architecture and anatomy of 12 species of this group, in addition to other 23 species of Polypodium (P. dulce, P. polypodioides and P. vulgare complex sensu ...

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by repeated episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep that result in intermittent hypoxemia and arousal. The prevalence of OSAS increases with aging, occurring in up to 25% of older adults and up to 48% in patients with Alzheimer's disease. OSAS causes hypoxia, ...

Hand preference was studied in 2 groups of children-children with musical ability and children without musical ability-to examine whether particular markers that may connect with handedness patterns, such as bias away from dextrality or mixed-handedness, stabilize during childhood and are associated with musical ability. Children were administered the Edinburgh Handedness ...

Primary arteritis of the central nervous system (CNS) comprises a heterogeneous group of CNS disorders, which is characterised by non-atheromatous inflammation and necrosis of the arterial wall. The clinical presentation is highly variable, with stroke being the most common manifestation. Conventional angiography is considered to be the best imaging tool ...

OBJECTIVE(S): High surgical complexity and individual career goals has led most general surgery (GS) residents to pursue fellowship training, resulting in a shortage of surgeons who practice broad-based general surgery. We hypothesize that early tracking of residents would improve operative experience of residents planning to be general surgeons, and could ...

The objective of this case report is to describe a device that can be used as a minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of drainage-resistant liver abscess. The device uses pulse lavage to fragment and evacuate the semi-solid contents of a liver abscess. The treatment of liver abscesses consists of ...

To describe the relationship between perceived social support and the quality of life in hemodialysis patients from an Islamic cultural background in Iran. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Data were collected in hemodialysis units affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. Two hundred and two Muslim hemodialysis patients were ...

Mangrove forest is an important ecosystem that provides many services, but in Panama, as in other countries, they are under threat due to a variety of human activities. Nowadays, large areas of mangroves continue to be lost without been described and lack of management strategies. This study focused on the ...

The inferior epigastric artery based rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (RAMF) is one of the most versatile flaps used to bridge gaps in the perineum and groin, in the reconstruction of vagina after radical resections for cancer and in selected patients with benign and non-healing perineal lesions. Its use for reconstruction ...

To determine which glucose levels are associated with improved morbidity and mortality in thermally injured patients. Tight euglycemic control was rapidly implemented in intensive care units around the world, but there is increasing evidence that tight euglycemic control is associated with detrimental outcomes. Currently, no study exists that indicates which ...

Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) has eliminated the need for axillary dissection (ALND) in patients whose sentinel node (SN) is tumor-free. However, completion ALND for patients with tumor-involved SNs remains the standard to achieve locoregional control. Few studies have examined the outcome of patients who do not undergo ALND for ...

To determine the utility of adding oral nonabsorbable antibiotics to the bowel prep prior to elective colon surgery. Bowel preparation prior to colectomy remains controversial. We hypothesized that mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics (compared with without) was associated with lower rates of surgical site infection (SSI). Twenty-four Michigan hospitals ...

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) uses the steady-state diffuse reflectance measured from the tissue surface to determine absorption and scattering properties of sampled tissue. Many inverse models used to determine absorber properties have assumed a homogeneous distribution of blood. However, blood in tissue is confined to blood vessels that occupy a ...

Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and apolipoprotein (apo) E are important in peroxisome proliferation activated receptor-α (PPAR-α)-mediated regulation of lipoprotein metabolism. Therefore, popularly used apolipoprotein E knockout mice are not suitable to evaluate PPAR-α agonists. In this study, we aimed to: a) evaluate hamster as a model for insulin resistance, ...

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been recognised as emerging pollutants of global relevance. A fully automated method with inline solid-phase extraction coupled to electrospray ionisation liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) is presented and used for characterisation of soil adsorption and desorption for six PFCs: perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic ...

Tobacco bushy top disease is caused by tobacco bushy top virus (TBTV, a member of the genus Umbravirus) which is dependent on tobacco vein-distorting virus (TVDV) to act as a helper virus encapsidating TBTV and enabling its transmission by aphids. Isometric virions from diseased tobacco plants were purified and disease ...

Kirchhoff's law was used to examine the electrical specifications of selection diodes, which are essential for suppressing the read interference problems in nano-scale resistive switching cross bar arrays with a high block density. The diode in the cross bar array with a 100 Mb block density should have a reverse/forward ...

We investigated possible instances where the standard bilateral neck exploration for parathyroid adenoma may be omitted in primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) if preoperative diagnostics for the location have been performed. Ten patients underwent surgical treatment for pHPT and multinodular goiter between October 2006 and October 2008. Identification of the parathyroid adenomas' ...

Analytical results of a series of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPA) with different tacticities using infrared spectroscopy are presented for studying the influence of the solvation and molecular interactions between the polymeric chains. Infrared spectra of solid matter samples of the compounds exhibit a systematic band intensity change for three band components at ...

Adinandra nitida Merr. ex. H.L. Li (Theaceae) is an indigenous plant in south China. Its leaves have been reported to have many curative effects such as reducing blood pressure, as well as antibacterial, antioxidant, and analgesic properties, which could be used in foods and medicines. The antioxidant and angiotensin converting ...