ABSTRACT. Spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis (SIAscopy) is an imaging technique developed for diagnostics of pigmented skin lesions. By image analysis, the displayed images indicate the potential distribution and position of melanin, blood, and collagen within the lesion. A topographic comparison was performed between SIAscopic findings and histopathology. In total, 60 patients ...

Performance measures are widely used to profile primary care physicians (PCPs) but their reliability is often limited by small sample sizes. We evaluated the reliability of individual PCP profiles and whether they can be improved by combining measures into composites or by profiling practice groups. We performed a cross-sectional analysis ...

Each year, the FDA approves many pharmaceuticals and products designed to treat or improve a patient's condition. The following is a sampling of some of the most important drugs approved in 2012 that specifically apply to nurse practitioner practice.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) represents a valid alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Possible embolization during the approach and the cannulation of the supra-aortic arterial trunks remains an important obstacle to CAS. This risk is increased in elderly patients and complex anatomies. In order to achieve satisfactory technical and clinical outcomes, ...

Bilingual children are frequently misdiagnosed as having Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Misdiagnosis may be minimized by tests with high degrees of sensitivity and specificity. The current study used a new test, the School-Age Sentence Imitation Test-English 32 (SASIT-E32), to investigate sentence repetition in monolingual and bilingual children, and specifically to ...

Ischemic stroke is the third leading cause of death and most common cause of permanent disability in industrialized nations. Eighty-five percent of strokes are ischemic in nature, with an associated mortality between 53% and 92%. The focus of treatment for acute stroke starts with prompt and accurate diagnosis of ischemic ...

Monitoring fibrosis is mandatory for detailed prognostification in patients with chronic liver disease. We developed optimized cut-offs for liver stiffness (LS) values, based on the histological subclassification of cirrhosis, and investigated whether early on-treatment changes in LS values can predict long-term prognosis in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related advanced ...

Management of lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains challenging, as inappropriate choice of treatment may cause multidrug resistance. Until now, randomized trials directly comparing adding adefovir and switching to entecavir monotherapy have not been reported. This multicentre prospective randomized study was designed to compare the efficacy of these two strategies. ...

Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta (TEVAR) has been recently considered an appealing alternative to open treatment of traumatic aortic injuries. However, the use of this technique in emergency is often limited by hemodynamic instability, severe associated lesions and unavailability of adequate materials. Dedicated stent-grafts are not currently available. We ...

Background:  Handover is a key activity in acute health care, with patient safety implications if it is not performed well. This is becoming more important with shorter working hours and therefore a greater number of handovers. Despite this there is a paucity of evidence to guide education to enhance practice. ...

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) spikes are developmentally switched from two-rowed to six-rowed by a single recessive gene, six-rowed spike 1 (vrs1), which encodes a homeodomain-leucine zipper I class transcription factor. Vrs1 is a paralog of HvHox2 and both were generated by duplication of an ancestral gene. HvHox2 is conserved among cereals, ...

Bacterial infections increase mortality four-fold in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. However, specific mortality associated with urinary tract infections (UTI) in cirrhosis is not known. Retrospective single-centre analysis of all hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and ascites who underwent first paracentesis between 2006 and 2011 to determine 90-day mortality associated with UTI ...

Treatment of acute stroke is time-dependent, with the best outcomes resulting from the earliest interventions. However, for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to a high-grade stenosis of the internal carotid artery, despite maximal medical treatment, an effective intervention to improve their neurologic symptoms and clinical outcome has not yet ...

Background:  As many medical schools focus on student-centred learning strategies, e-learning provides a useful approach to foster clinical decision-making skills in a case-based way. We developed an e-learning module based on real patient cases for final-year students as a self-directed studying tool. Methods:  Ten patient cases were developed from patients ...

Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of diabetes and a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease and recent studies suggest that podocyte damage may play a role in the pathogenesis of this. At early onset of diabetic nephropathy there is podocyte drop-out, which is thought to provoke glomerular albuminuria and ...

Femoral fractures in children are the commonest children's fracture requiring hospitalization. They consume disproportionate amounts of healthcare resource. Advances in operative management have resulted in improved clinical and health economic outcomes. This article describes 21st-century management of femoral fractures concentrating on recent advances. There is a clear trend to increased ...

Impaired regulation of apoptosis has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC). In this study, we analysed a signalling pathway that comprises the transcription factor FoxO3a and its downstream target Bim, a Bcl-2 interacting mediator of apoptosis. The tissues examined included livers explanted ...

The aim of the present article was to report the 12-month results of the Zilver® PTX® Single Arm StudyTASC C/D de novo lesion subgroup. The Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent is a self-expanding nitinol stent with a polymer-free paclitaxel coating. This is a prospective, single-arm, multicentre clinical study evaluating the ...

Acute hepatic failure (AHF) is one of the most serious complications of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The aims of this study were to investigate risk factors of AHF after TACE and to establish a predictive model for AHF. In the evaluation set, a total of 820 patients who underwent TACE ...

Background:  The trainee-held learning portfolio is integral to the foundation programme in the UK. In the Northern Deanery, portfolio assessment is standardised through the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) process. In this study we aimed to establish how current trainees evaluate portfolio-based learning and ARCP, and how these attitudes ...

The studies of agrammatism show that not all morpho-syntactic elements are impaired to the same degree and that some of this variation may be due to language-specific differences. This study investigated the production of morpho-syntactic elements in 15 Jordanian-Arabic (JA) speaking individuals with agrammatism and 15 age-matched neurologically healthy individuals. ...

During the last 20 years, asymptomatic patients with high-grade carotid stenosis have been treated with carotid endarterectomy and more recently with carotid artery stenting in order to prevent stroke. New, best medical treatment including statins, beta-blockers, antiplatelet therapies, and better diabetes and blood pressure control might reduce the incidence of ...

ABSTRACT Parasitism genes encode effector proteins that are secreted through the stylet of root-knot nematodes to dramatically modify selected plant cells into giant-cells for feeding. The Mi8D05 parasitism gene previously identified was confirmed to encode a novel protein of 382 amino acids that had only one database homolog identified on ...

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is widely accepted as a safe technique for treatment of aortic diseases since the concept was first pioneered by Volodos in 1986 and Parodi in 1991. Numerous registries have shown that this minimally invasive technique is associated with lower mortality when compared to open surgery in ...

Background:  Few studies have investigated potential differences between the opinions of educators and undergraduates regarding spirituality in patient care. Understanding these differences, could lead to better strategies for educational proposes. Purpose:  To compare the opinions of medical teachers (MTs) and medical students (MSs) regarding spirituality training in a Brazilian medical ...

Although the comorbidity of migraine has been extensively studied, the relationships between cluster headache and psychiatric disease have not been well-addressed. In this review the available literature concerning cluster headache and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, aggression, suicide, and their implications are discussed. Potential mechanisms, confounding variables, and unanswered questions are ...

Leaves depend on highly developed venation systems to collect fixed carbon for transport and to distribute water. We hypothesized that local regulation of auxin biosynthesis plays a role in vein development. To this effect, we assessed the role of the SHORT INTERNODES/STYLISH (SHI/STY) gene family, zinc-finger transcription factors linked to ...

Antibodies to soluble liver antigen (anti-SLA) are specific serological markers of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The clinical significance and frequency of anti-SLA have never been reported among AIH patients from Italy and Turkey. To retrospectively assess the estimated prevalence, sensitivity, specificity and clinical significance of anti-SLA in AIH and various liver ...

Background:  Critical incident analysis reveals that poor performance in 'human-factor' or non-technical skills, such as decision making, leadership, teamwork and situational awareness, are frequently identified as key underlying features leading to adverse events. Simulation technology is a rapidly emerging modality used to develop technical and non-technical skills within specialist training ...

This study investigated the formulation of verb argument structure in Catalan- and Spanish-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI) and typically developing age-matched controls. We compared how language production can be guided by conceptual factors, such as the organization of the entities participating in an event and knowledge regarding argument ...

ABSTRACT Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato is widely distributed throughout temperate and tropical regions and causes anthracnose disease in numerous plant species. Development of effective disease management strategies is dependent on, among other factors, an understanding of pathogen genetic diversity and population stratification at the intraspecific level. For 132 isolates of ...

Background:  Performance assessments rely on human judgment, and are vulnerable to rater effects (e.g. leniency or harshness). Making valid inferences from performance ratings for high-stakes decisions requires the management of rater effects. A simple method for detecting extreme raters that does not require sophisticated statistical knowledge or software has been ...

The legume lectin family, one of the most extensively studied plant lectin families, has received increasing attention for the remarkable anti-tumor activities of its members for binding specific cancer cell surface glycoconjugates. MicroRNAs, a class of small, non-coding RNAs, control translation and stability of mRNAs at post-transcriptional and translational levels. ...

Filters are a valuable aid for safe carotid artery stenting, but require good knowledge of their function, and their shortcomings. Filters capture visible particles in 5-20% and microscopically in about 70% of the cases. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound and diffusion weighted MRI investigations have shown that particles are released during filter ...

The history of carotid artery stenting (CAS) was made by brave men and women who believed in a less invasive treatment modality than carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to treat carotid stenosis despite the risk - which was obviously present also with surgery - to cause a stroke, the very event that ...

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients frequently describe sleep problems. The cause remains unclear and treatment is challenging. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep disorder. In this study, we systematically screened PBC patients for the presence of RLS. Participants were recruited from our specialist PBC clinical service. Subjects completed ...

Carotid stenting has become a commonly used procedure for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. Though equipment and techniques have improved tremendously over the recent 3 decades, complications do occur. It is important for carotid operators to be familiar with potential complications and adverse events. In this article complications and ...

Background:  Longitudinal generalist preceptorship experiences early in medical education can have beneficial effects on how students practise the art and science of medicine, regardless of their eventual career choices. Description:  We evaluated the first 2 years of implementation of an integrated, regional campus-based, early clinical experience programme, the Community Continuity Program, ...

Background:  Resident doctors (residents) play a significant role in the education of medical students. Morning work rounds provide an optimal venue to assess resident teaching. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of peer observation of resident work rounds, to evaluate resident perceptions of peer observation and ...

Successful hybrid treatment of the total symptomatic acute occlusion of a common carotid artery (CCA) concomitant to ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis has only been described once in the literature to date. The management of this anatomic distribution of disease can be a challenge both to plan and perform. ...

Physicians need to be prepared to counsel patients on why and how to protect themselves from damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including the proper use of sunscreens. In this article, we review the interplay between UV radiation, sunscreens and the skin, highlighting current controversies and recommendations surrounding sunscreen use. An important ...

The development and implementation of practice guidelines might be an important tool to evaluate the different practices and to consider different local strategies. A postal questionnaire with 37 questions was sent to the leading physicians of 80 intensive care units in Germany, treating patients after cardiothoracic surgery. The survey covered ...

To study cell cycle delay and metaphase arresting activity of leaf aqueous extract of Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. (LAECV) in root apical meristems and mouse bone marrow cells. Cell cycle delay and metaphase arresting activities of LAECV were analysed, in root apical meristems of onion and wheat, and in mouse bone ...

Execution of carotid artery stenting (CAS) requires not only excellent manual dexterity, and a high level of competence, but also in-depth knowledge of the carotid pathology, of the materials available on the market and of the different techniques to apply in given situations. Actually each individual moment of the procedure ...

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is the term that refers to sustained liver injury with acute decompensation, usually induced by a precipitating factor. A common link between ensuing failures of various organs is impairment of the vascular supply, which may also induce vasogenic oedema in the brain. The aim of this study ...

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is considered to be an acceptable alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA), particularly in patients at increased risk for CEA. The safety of CAS has improved significantly over the past decade. Adjunctive use of embolic protection devices (EPDs), is thought to be partially responsible for the improved ...

Interindividual variability in cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated xenobiotic metabolism is extensive. CYP metabolism requires two electrons, which can be donated by NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR) and/or cytochrome b5 (b5). Although substantial number of studies have reported on the function and effect of b5 in CYP-mediated catalysis, its mode of action ...

This preliminary study investigated how cognitive-linguistic status in multiple sclerosis (MS) is reflected in two speech tasks (i.e. oral reading, narrative) that differ in cognitive-linguistic demand. Twenty individuals with MS were selected to comprise High and Low performance groups based on clinical tests of executive function and information processing speed ...

Carotid artery stenting is associated with the risk of periprocedural stroke. Moreover, modern magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques have found high rates of clinically silent ischemic brain lesions on post-treatment diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) scans. The clinical significance of procedure-related DWI lesions, however, is still a matter of debate. This ...

Statins, which are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and inhibit endogenous cholesterol synthesis, possess pleiotropic activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and antifibrotic effects. Here, we investigated whether statins ameliorate steatohepatitis using a high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet-induced rat model. Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed control chow or HFHC ...