Patient-ventilator asynchrony is common during noninvasive ventilation (NIV) with pressure support ventilation (PSV). We examined the effect of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) delivered through a facemask on synchronization in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). This was a prospective, physiologic, crossover study of 13 patients with ARF (median Pa(O(2))/F(IO(2)), ...

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with left ventricular morphology and long-term cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between both baseline brachial artery diameter and peripheral endothelial function (assessed by brachial artery ultrasonography) and right ventricular (RV) mass, RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), and RV ejection fraction ...

We sought to determine the prevalence of and clinical variables associated with learned helplessness, a psychologic state characterized by reduced motivation, difficulty in determining causality, and depression, in family members of patients admitted to ICUs. We conducted an observational survey study of a prospectively defined cohort of family members, spouses, ...

One in fi ve deaths in the United States occurs in the ICU, and many of these deaths are experienced as less than optimal by families of dying people. The current study investigated the relationship between family satisfaction with ICU care and overall ratings of the quality of dying as ...

A mobile HIV counseling and testing (HCT) program around Johannesburg piloted the integration of point-of-care (POC) CD4 testing, using the Pima analyzer, to improve linkages to HIV care. We report results from this pilot program for patients testing positive (n = 508) from May to October 2010. We analyzed 3 ...

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with incidence increasing at an alarming rate and survival not improved substantially during the past three decades. Although enormous efforts have been made in early detection and comprehensive treatment for this disease, little or no survival improvement was obtained, which necessitates the development of ...

Increased plasma IL-6 levels have been associated with HIV-1 disease progression risk, yet the drivers of IL-6 production in HIV-1 infection are not known. This study was designed to explore the relationship between HIV-1 replication and IL-6 induction. Correlations between plasma levels of IL-6 and HIV-1 RNA were examined in ...

We investigated the protective effects of HO-1, induced by hemin, in the retinas of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, and document the possible anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-proliferative mechanisms underlying the protection. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were induced to diabetes by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). Later, some of the rats were ...

Little is known about changes in hemoglobin concentration early in the course of antiretroviral therapy and its subsequent relation to survival. We analyzed data for 40,410 HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy in Lusaka, Zambia. Our main exposure of interest was 6-month hemoglobin, but we stratified our analysis by baseline hemoglobin ...

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) is a well-characterized protein that is used in the treatment of healing-impaired wounds. We previously reported that fragmin/protamine microparticles (F/P MPs) are useful as biodegradable carriers for the controlled release of cytokines. We examined the ability of FGF-2-containing (FGF-2/) F/P MPs to prevent limb loss in ...

Several recent studies suggest that predegenerated nerves (PDNs) or dissociated PDNs (dPDNs) can improve behavioral and histological outcomes following transplantation into the injured rat spinal cord. In the current study we tested the efficacy of dPDN transplantation by grafting cells isolated from the sciatic nerve 7 days after crush. We ...

Articular cartilage lesions, which can progress to osteoarthritis, are a particular challenge for regenerative medicine strategies, as cartilage function stems from its complex depth-dependent microstructural organization, mechanical properties, and biochemical composition. Fibrous scaffolds offer a template for cartilage extracellular matrix production; however, the success of homogeneous scaffolds is limited by ...

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States in those dying under the age of 85. Although cancer is increasingly controlled as a chronic disease, true cures of patients with metastatic epithelial malignancies have rarely been obtained with currently available systemic therapies. For example, administration of high-dose ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Heart failure with a normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) now comprises more than 50 % of all patients with heart failure. As the population ages, HFNEF will continue to be a growing public health problem. Recent studies highlight the heterogeneity of this syndrome with regards to underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. It ...

This study compared rates of cervical cancer screening and acute care (primary or gynecological) visits among women with and without a diagnosis of psychosis, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder or mania, or depression. Using data about women (N=105,681) enrolled in Maryland's Medicaid program in fiscal year 2005, the authors constructed ...

Several randomized trials on maintenance therapy (MT) for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have demonstrated benefit in progression-free survival. More recently, a study with pemetrexed and one with erlotinib also showed significant gains in overall survival (OS). Yet, in this palliative treatment setting, the benefit has to be weighed against ...

We studied the capabilities of the Argus II retinal prosthesis for guiding fine hand movement, and demonstrated and quantified guidance improvement when using the device over when not using the device for progressively less predictable trajectories. A total of 21 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), remaining vision no more than ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Solid organ transplantation is frequently complicated by a spectrum of seizure types, including single partial-onset or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, acute repetitive seizures or status epilepticus, and sometimes the evolution of symptomatic epilepsy. There is currently no specific evidence involving the transplant patient population to guide the selection, administration, ...

The authors examined the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, family history, and type of treatment among children receiving outpatient mental health services and parents' perception of treatment benefit. They also examined whether perceived benefit was related to continued use of services at six-month follow-up. Parents of children age six ...

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex illness and highly challenging to treat. One promising approach to significantly advance our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of AN involves developing a cognitive neuroscience model of illness. Cognitive neuroscience uses probes such as neuropsychological tasks and neuroimaging techniques to identify the neural underpinnings ...

We investigated apoptosis induced by hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) in human Tenon's capsule using fibroblasts cultured from human Tenon's capsule (HTFs), and the mechanism of induction. HTFs were treated with 0-4 mg/L HCPT for 24 hours. Cell proliferation was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and apoptotic cells were analyzed by Hoechst ...

Glutathione (GSH) depletion is a central signaling event that regulates the activation of cell death pathways. GSH depletion is often taken as a marker of oxidative stress and thus, as a consequence of its antioxidant properties scavenging reactive species of both oxygen and nitrogen (ROS/RNS). RECENT ADVANCES: There is increasing ...

The basic helix-loop-helix factor Math5 (Atoh7) is critical for the determination of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) fate in mice. Recently, genome-wide association studies have identified the ATOH7 locus as a major determinant of variation in the human optic disc area, which is directly correlated with the RGC number. These studies ...

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that develops within the limbic system, spreading radially into anatomically linked brain association areas as the disease progresses. Analysis of temporal-lobe association of neocortex-derived extracellular fluid and cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients shows an abundant presence of micro-RNA (miRNA), including the proinflammatory ...

The use of pluripotent stem cell populations for bone tissue regeneration provides many opportunities and challenges within the bone tissue engineering field. For example, coculture strategies have been utilized to mimic embryological development of bone tissue, and particularly the critical intercellular signaling pathways. While research in bone biology over the ...

A modular approach to adipose tissue engineering was explored by embedding adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (adMSC) in sub-mm-sized collagen rods or "modules" and coating with human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC). After subcutaneous injection into a SCID/Bg mouse, HMEC on modules containing embedded adMSC appeared to detach from the modules to ...

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and optic nerve degradation. Existing treatments focus on lowering IOP; however, vision loss may still progress. Neuroprotective drugs may be useful as an adjunct approach to prevent further loss of RGCs, although efficacious drugs are lacking. ...

There is a paucity of large multi-institutional surveys to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for persistent pain after total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements. We surveyed a variety of practices and patients and also correlated persistent pain with health-related quality-of-life outcomes. From October 10, 2007, to March ...

Hemochorial placentation is characterized by extensive remodeling of the maternal vasculature, converting them to flaccid low resistance vessels. This process greatly facilitates exchange of nutrients and gases between the mother and the fetus. Two key modulators that orchestrate these vascular changes have been identified at the maternal fetal interface, natural ...

Podocytes are highly specialized epithelial cells that line the urinary surface of the glomerular capillary tuft. Dysfunction or death of podocytes impacts glomerular permeability and filtration. Here, we discuss the recent findings about the role of specific cell signaling pathways in glomerular diseases with an emphasis on the molecules in ...

Diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) continues to be an important public health threat worldwide. Specific therapies are lacking and patient care remains largely supportive. This review discusses the lessons learned from recent events and summarizes key advances made toward understanding the basic mechanisms ...

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:: The study's purpose was to determine nurses' opinions of sending patients from the hospital to home with home health services. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING:: The study occurred in the Charleston, South Carolina, Tricounty area (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties). Home health agencies and hospitals were invited to ...

Endometriosis is considered to be an estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease, but its etiology is unclear. Thus far, a mechanistic role for steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) in the progression of endometriosis has not been elucidated. An SRC-1-null mouse model reveals that the mouse SRC-1 gene has an essential role in endometriosis progression. ...

PURPOSE OF STUDY:: Heart failure readmission among the elderly is frequent and costly to both the patient and the Medicare trust fund. In this study, the authors explore the factors that are associated with states having heart failure readmission rates that are higher than the U.S. national rate. PRIMARY PRACTICE ...

To investigate the effects of central corneal thickness (CCT)-associated variants on primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) risk using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) data from the Glaucoma Genes and Environment (GLAUGEN) and National Eye Institute (NEI) Glaucoma Human Genetics Collaboration (NEIGHBOR) consortia. A replication analysis of previously reported CCT SNPs was performed ...

To present a new epidemiological method relying on randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) data to assess whether a treatment was effective, aiding in the decision to continue or stop the treatment in clinical patients. A cutoff point is calculated in the change of a continuous outcome for which a proportion ...

We compared the response of choroidal and optic nerve head blood flow (ChBF, ONHBF) in response to an increase in ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) during isometric exercise and during a decrease in OPP during an artificial increase in intraocular pressure (IOP). We included 96 healthy subjects in our study. In ...

The klotho gene was originally identified as a putative aging-suppressor gene in mice that extended life span when overexpressed and induced a premature aging syndrome when disrupted. Subsequently, it became clear that the Klotho family of membrane proteins function as obligate co-receptors for endocrine fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) that regulate ...

Diabetes results from an inadequate functional β cell mass, either due to autoimmune destruction (Type 1 diabetes) or insulin resistance combined with β cell failure (Type 2 diabetes). Strategies to enhance β cell regeneration or increase cell proliferation could improve outcomes for patients with diabetes. Research conducted over the past ...

This study examined the impact of intensive case management (ICM) on decreasing child welfare system involvement in a sample of substance-dependent parenting women who participated in a welfare demonstration study comparing ICM to usual screen-and-refer models employed in welfare settings. Previous research established the effectiveness of ICM in both increasing ...

To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal administration of linezolid (LZD) in a rabbit model of Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis. Of 40 rabbits studied, 36 of them received 10(2) colony-forming units (CFU) of S. aureus in their right eye before being randomly assigned to the following groups: four groups of 8 animals ...

In ultrasound molecular imaging, a sequence of high-pressure ultrasound pulses is frequently applied to destroy bound targeted microbubbles, to quantify accumulated microbubbles or to prepare for successive microbubble injections; however, the potential for biological effects from such a strategy has not been fully investigated. Here, we investigate the effect of ...

Case managers' lives have always been stressful; with new and compounding regulations, fewer staff and personal stressors, individual health and professional work can suffer, unless something is done. This article discusses practical methods to improve resilience, thereby decreasing stress.

Sirenomelia, also known as the 'mermaid malformation/syndrome', is a rare, serious congenital anomaly characterized by variable degrees of fusion of the lower limbs and associated severe malformations of the lower vertebral and genitourinary systems. In this report, we describe a series of African patients with sirenomelia. We present the clinical ...

Several mathematical models of epidemic cholera have recently been proposed in response to outbreaks in Zimbabwe and Haiti. These models aim to estimate the dynamics of cholera transmission and the impact of possible interventions, with a goal of providing guidance to policy makers in deciding among alternative courses of action, ...

The goal of this project was to identify markers of abnormal neovascularization of the retinal vasculature, which is quintessential of pathologic angiogenesis that occurs in blinding diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Abnormal retinal neovascularization was induced in rat pups by subjecting them to the 50/10 oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) protocol, ...

The maturation of reticulocytes into functional erythrocytes is a complex process requiring extensive cytoplasmic and plasma membrane remodeling, cytoskeletal rearrangements and changes to cellular architecture. Autophagy is implicated in the sequential removal of erythroid organelles during erythropoiesis, although how this is regulated during late stages of erythroid differentiation, and the ...

The calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR, chr. 3q13.3-21) is a candidate to explain nephrolithiasis. This review analyzes the potential role of CaSR in lithogenesis according to findings of functional and genetic studies. CaSR is a cation receptor located in the tubular cell plasma membrane. Its activation decreases calcium reabsorption in the ...

Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17) promote inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Although several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to regulate autoimmune pathogenesis by affecting lymphocyte development and function, the role of miRNAs in resident cells present in inflammatory lesions remains unclear. Here we show that miR-23b is downregulated in inflammatory lesions ...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:: As professional case managers seek to improve outcomes, including the health status of their clients, it becomes imperative to gather and assess as much relevant information as possible to identify and address the client's needs in a holistic manner. Motivational interviewing is a highly effective technique case managers employ ...