Physical assault, physical threat, and verbal abuse perpetrated against hospital workers by patients or visitors in six U.S. hospitals.

Background: An elevated risk of patient/visitor perpetrated violence (type II) against hospital nurses and physicians have been reported, while little is known about type II violence among other hospital workers, and circumstances surrounding these events.

Methods: Hospital workers (n = 11,000) in different geographic areas were invited to participate in an anonymous survey.

Results: Twelve-month prevalence of type II violence was 39%; 2,098 of 5,385 workers experienced 1,180 physical assaults, 2,260 physical threats, and 5,576 incidents of verbal abuse.

Long-term Outcomes of Patients Receiving a Magnetic Sphincter Augmentation Device for Gastroesophageal Reflux.

Background & Aims: Based on results from year 2 of a 5-year trial, in 2012 the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a magnetic device to augment lower esophageal sphincter function in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We report the final results of 5 years of follow-up evaluation of patients who received this device.

Methods: We performed a prospective study of the safety and efficacy of a magnetic device in 100 adults with GERD for 6 months or more, who were partially responsive to daily proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and had evidence of pathologic esophageal acid exposure, at 14 centers in the United States and The Netherlands.

Prior Hydrologic Disturbance Affects Competition between Aedes Mosquitoes via Changes in Leaf Litter.

Allochthonous leaf litter is often the main resource base for invertebrate communities in ephemeral water-filled containers, and detritus quality can be affected by hydrologic conditions. The invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus utilizes container habitats for its development where it competes as larvae for detritus and associated microorganisms with the native Aedes triseriatus. Different hydrologic conditions that containers are exposed to prior to mosquito utilization affect litter decay and associated water quality.

The Use of Mesh in Laparoscopic Large Hiatal Hernia Repair: A Survey of European Surgeons.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current opinion of the individual European surgeons on the use of mesh in large hiatal hernia repair.

Methods: A Web-based questionnaire was e-mailed to European upper gastrointestinal surgeons identified by the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery.

Results: The questionnaire was completed by 165 surgeons.

Esophageal strictures and diverticula.

Esophageal disease and dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) manifesting as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) particularly, is the most common of all gastrointestinal conditions impacting patients on a day-to-day basis. LES dysfunction can lead to anatomic changes to the distal esophagus, with GERD-mediated changes being benign stricture or progression of GERD to Barrett's esophagus and even esophageal cancer, and LES hypertension impairing esophageal emptying with subsequent development of pulsion esophageal diverticulum. This article details the causes, clinical presentation, workup, and treatment of esophageal stricture and epiphrenic esophageal diverticulum.

A commitment to high-value care education from the internal medicine community.

The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), ABIM Foundation, and American College of Physicians are collaborating to enhance the education of physicians in high-value care (HVC) and make its practice an essential competency in undergraduate and postgraduate education by 2017. This article serves as the organizations' formal commitment to providing a foundation of HVC education on which others may build. The 5 key targets for HVC education are experiential learning and curriculum, environment and culture, clinical support, regulatory requirements, and sustainability.

Treatment Algorithms in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: To establish agreement on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treatment.

Methods: SLE experts (n = 69) were e-mailed scenarios and indicated preferred treatments. Algorithms were constructed and agreement determined (≥50% respondents indicating ≥70% agreement).

Selective sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 inhibitors block glucose absorption and impair glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide release.

GSK-1614235 and KGA-2727 are potent, selective inhibitors of the SGLT1 sodium-dependent glucose transporter. Nonclinical (KGA-2727) and clinical (GSK-1614235) trials assessed translation of SGLT1 inhibitor effects from rats to normal human physiology. In rats, KGA-2727 (0.

Drosophila muller f elements maintain a distinct set of genomic properties over 40 million years of evolution.

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase constitute an energy-consuming redox circuit.

Cellular proteins rely on reversible redox reactions to establish and maintain biological structure and function. How redox catabolic (NAD+/NADH) and anabolic (NADP+/NADPH) processes integrate during metabolism to maintain cellular redox homoeostasis, however, is unknown. The present work identifies a continuously cycling mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm)-dependent redox circuit between the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) and nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT).

Assessing the discriminant ability, reliability, and comparability of multiple short forms of the Boston Naming Test in an Alzheimer's disease center cohort.

Background: The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is a commonly used neuropsychological test of confrontation naming that aids in determining the presence and severity of dysnomia. Many short versions of the original 60-item test have been developed and are routinely administered in clinical/research settings. Because of the common need to translate similar measures within and across studies, it is important to evaluate the operating characteristics and agreement of different BNT versions.

Sugihara causality analysis of scalp EEG for detection of early Alzheimer's disease.

Recently, Sugihara proposed an innovative causality concept, which, in contrast to statistical predictability in Granger sense, characterizes underlying deterministic causation of the system. This work exploits Sugihara causality analysis to develop novel EEG biomarkers for discriminating normal aging from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hypothesis of this work is that scalp EEG based causality measurements have different distributions for different cognitive groups and hence the causality measurements can be used to distinguish between NC, MCI, and AD participants.

Transposable element islands facilitate adaptation to novel environments in an invasive species.

Adaptation requires genetic variation, but founder populations are generally genetically depleted. Here we sequence two populations of an inbred ant that diverge in phenotype to determine how variability is generated. Cardiocondyla obscurior has the smallest of the sequenced ant genomes and its structure suggests a fundamental role of transposable elements (TEs) in adaptive evolution.

A central support system can facilitate implementation and sustainability of a Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics.

In their 2012 report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated "replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses"-a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses.

Reversible cognitive, motor, and driving impairments in severe hypothyroidism.

Background: Hypothyroidism has been associated with cognitive and motor impairments that are likely to constitute hazards in the operation of motor vehicles and a public safety risk. However, there is a paucity of data that would provide an evidence basis for recommendations to hypothyroid patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the specific neurological and psychological deficits consequent to hypothyroidism and whether they are of sufficient magnitude to impede the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Development of a high-value care subscore on the internal medicine in-training examination.

Background: Although high-value care (HVC) that balances benefits of tests or treatments against potential harms and costs has been a recently emphasized competency for internal medicine (IM) residents, few tools to assess residents' knowledge of HVC are available.

Objective: To describe the development and initial results of an HVC subscore of the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE).

Design: The HVC concepts were introduced to IM-ITE authors during question development.

Association between Propionibacterium acnes and frozen shoulder: a pilot study.

Background: Frozen shoulder has not previously been shown to be associated with infection. The present study set out to confirm the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between infection and frozen shoulder using two modern scientific methods, extended culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for bacterial nucleic acids.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 10 patients undergoing arthroscopic release for stage II idiopathic frozen shoulder had two biopsies of tissue taken from the affected shoulder joint capsule at the time of surgery, along with control biopsies of subdermal fat.

Self-reported memory complaints: implications from a longitudinal cohort with autopsies.

Objective: We assessed salience of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) by older individuals as a predictor of subsequent cognitive impairment while accounting for risk factors and eventual neuropathologies.

Methods: Subjects (n = 531) enrolled while cognitively intact at the University of Kentucky were asked annually if they perceived changes in memory since their last visit. A multistate model estimated when transition to impairment occurred while adjusting for intervening death.