Investigation of bias in meta-analyses due to selective inclusion of trial effect estimates: empirical study.

Objective: To explore whether systematic reviewers selectively include trial effect estimates in meta-analyses when multiple are available, and what impact this may have on meta-analytic effects.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Data Sources: We randomly selected systematic reviews of interventions from 2 clinical specialties published between January 2010 and 2012.

New and resurrected Hawaiian species of pilo (Coprosma, Rubiaceae) from the island of Maui.

Two species of Coprosma (Rubiaceae) J.R.Forst.

Regeneration after stroke: Stem cell transplantation and trophic factors.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. However, there is only one Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of ischemic stroke, i.e.

Adults with a history of illicit amphetamine use exhibit abnormal substantia nigra morphology and parkinsonism.

Introduction: The sonographic appearance of the substantia nigra is abnormally bright and enlarged (hyperechogenic) in young adults with a history of illicit stimulant use. The abnormality is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease. The aim of the current study was to identify the type of illicit stimulant drug associated with substantia nigra hyperechogenicity and to determine if individuals with a history of illicit stimulant use exhibit clinical signs of parkinsonism.

Diarrheagenic pathogens in adults attending a hospital in Singapore.

Background: Singapore's diarrhoeal notification system is based on specific pathogens. Official data may thus be skewed towards notifiable diseases. Limited information is available on the profiles of aetiological agents responsible for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases, especially among the adult population.

Cytotoxic Clerodane Diterpenoids from the Leaves of Casearia grewiifolia.

Two new clerodane diterpenoids (1 and 2) and the known compound caseanigrescen D (3) were isolated from the leaves of Casearia grewiifolia by bioassay-guided fractionation. Their structures were determined by analyses of MS and 2D NMR data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were established by analysis of X-ray diffraction data.

Substituted 2-arylquinazolinones: Design, synthesis, and evaluation of cytotoxicity and inhibition of topoisomerases.

A series of 2-arylquinazolinones with structural homology to known 3-arylisoquinolines were designed and synthesized in order to develop safe, effective, and selective cytotoxic agents targeting topoisomerases (topos). 2-Arylquinzolinones with various substitutions on the aromatic rings were obtained by thermal cyclodehydration/dehydrogenation on reacting anthranilamides and benzaldehydes. The compounds had superior topo I-inhibitory activities but were generally inactive against topo IIα.

Effect of arm position and foot placement on the five times sit-to-stand test completion times of female adults older than 50 years of age.

The five times-sit-to stand test (FTSTS) is a clinical test which is commonly used to assessed the functional muscle strength of the lower limbs of older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different arm positions and foot placements on the FTSTS completion times of older female adults. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-nine healthy female subjects, aged 63.

Ion-Mediated Gelation of Aqueous Suspensions of Cellulose Nanocrystals.

Nanofibrillar hydrogels are an important class of biomaterials with applications as catalytic scaffolds, artificial extracellular matrixes, coatings, and drug delivery materials. In the present work, we report the results of a comprehensive study of nanofibrillar hydrogels formed by cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in the presence of cations with various charge numbers and ionic radii. We examined sol-gel transitions in aqueous CNC suspensions and the rheological and structural properties of the CNC hydrogels.

Distinct effects of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclophosphamide on renal fibrosis in NZBWF1/J mice.

Progression to chronic renal failure varies between patients with lupus nephritis. We compared the effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclophosphamide (CTX), on renal histology and cellular pathways of fibrosis in murine lupus nephritis. Female NZBWF1/J mice were randomized to treatment with vehicle, methylprednisolone (MP) alone, MMF + MP or CTX + MP for up to 12 weeks, and the effects on clinical parameters, renal histology, and fibrotic processes were investigated.

Anti-dsDNA antibody induces soluble fibronectin secretion by proximal renal tubular epithelial cells and downstream increase of TGF-β1 and collagen synthesis.

The level of anti-dsDNA antibodies correlates with disease activity in lupus nephritis, but their role in pathogenic mechanisms remains to be defined. We investigated the effect of anti-dsDNA antibodies isolated from lupus nephritis patients on fibronectin synthesis and downstream fibrogenesis in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC). Kidney biopsies were obtained from patients with active severe proliferative lupus nephritis.

Characteristics of gastrointestinal bleeding after placement of continuous-flow left ventricular assist device: a case series.

Background: Medical management of patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) remains challenging for the gastroenterologist given their high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and need for continuous anticoagulation.

Aims: Our aim was to better characterize LVAD patients who presented with a GIB at our facility and delineate the prevalence, presentation, time to diagnosis, management, and therapeutic endoscopic interventions, including small bowel tools that may offer additional benefit.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed adult patients (>18 years) who underwent LVAD implantation at our tertiary care facility between October 2011 and October 2013.

Spatial regulation of gene expression during growth of articular cartilage in juvenile mice.

Background: In juvenile mammals, the epiphyses of long bones grow by chondrogenesis within the articular cartilage. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the growth of articular cartilage may give insight into the antecedents of joint disease, such as osteoarthritis.

Methods: We used laser capture microdissection to isolate chondrocytes from the superficial, middle, and deep zones of growing tibial articular cartilage in the 1-wk-old mouse and then investigated expression patterns by microarray.

Consensus guidelines for optimising antifungal drug delivery and monitoring to avoid toxicity and improve outcomes in patients with haematological malignancy, 2014.

Antifungal agents may be associated with significant toxicity or drug interactions leading to sub-therapeutic antifungal drug concentrations and poorer clinical outcomes for patients with haematological malignancy. These risks may be minimised by clinical assessment, laboratory monitoring, avoidance of particular drug combinations and dose modification. Specific measures, such as the optimal timing of oral drug administration in relation to meals, use of pre-hydration and electrolyte supplementation may also be required.

In vitro combination therapy using low dose clotrimazole and photodynamic therapy leads to enhanced killing of the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum.

Background: Superficial infections of the skin and mucous membranes caused by dermatophyte fungi are amongst the most common and challenging infections to treat. Previously we demonstrated the phototoxic effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) towards Trichophyton rubrum, using a green laser to photoactivate Rose Bengal (RB). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether we could; (1) achieve a similar effect using an inexpensive light-emitting diode (LED) to photoactivate RB and (2) to evaluate whether our PDT regime could be combined with standard antifungal drug therapy and increase its effectiveness.

Hypoadiponectinemia as an independent predictor for the progression of carotid atherosclerosis: a 5-year prospective study.

Background: Hypoadiponectinemia predicts the development of diabetes and hypertension, both being potent atherosclerotic risk factors. Whether adiponectin predicts the progression of early atherosclerosis remains unclear. In this 5-year prospective study, we examined the relationship between serum adiponectin and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Cellular cholesterol transport proteins in diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Lipid accumulation has been shown to accelerate renal injury, and the intracellular accumulation of lipids may be caused by alterations in synthesis as well as lipid uptake and efflux. We have investigated the role of cellular cholesterol transport proteins including adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), G1 (ABCG1) and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) in diabetic nephropathy.

Methods: Protein expression and the ability to mediate cholesterol efflux of ABCA1, ABCG1 and SR-BI was determined in human renal mesangial cells and proximal tubular epithelial cells cultured under normal or high glucose conditions.

Manual therapy and exercise for adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).

Background: Adhesive capsulitis (also termed frozen shoulder) is commonly treated by manual therapy and exercise, usually delivered together as components of a physical therapy intervention. This review is one of a series of reviews that form an update of the Cochrane review, 'Physiotherapy interventions for shoulder pain.'

Objectives: To synthesise available evidence regarding the benefits and harms of manual therapy and exercise, alone or in combination, for the treatment of patients with adhesive capsulitis.

iPSC Transplantation increases regeneration and functional recovery after ischemic stroke in neonatal rats.

Limited treatments are available for perinatal/neonatal stroke. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold therapeutic promise for stroke treatment, but the benefits of iPSC transplantation in neonates are relatively unknown. We hypothesized that transplanted iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (iPSC-NPCs) would increase regeneration after stroke.

Inflammation, vasospasm, and brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can lead to devastating neurological outcomes, and there are few pharmacologic treatments available for treating this condition. Both animal and human studies provide evidence of inflammation being a driving force behind the pathology of SAH, leading to both direct brain injury and vasospasm, which in turn leads to ischemic brain injury. Several inflammatory mediators that are elevated after SAH have been studied in detail.

Gene expression profiling reveals similarities between the spatial architectures of postnatal articular and growth plate cartilage.

Articular and growth plate cartilage are discrete tissues but arise from a common cartilaginous condensation and have comparable spatial architectures consisting of distinct layers of chondrocytes. To investigate similarities and differences between articular and growth plate cartilage and to explore transcriptional changes that occur during the onset of their divergence, we performed manual microdissection of 10-day-old rat proximal tibias, microarray analysis, bioinformatics, and real-time PCR to compare gene expression profiles in individual cartilage layers. We found that many genes that were spatially upregulated in the intermediate/deep zone of articular cartilage were also spatially upregulated in the resting zone of growth plate cartilage (overlap greater than expected by chance, P<0.

The prevalence and correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study.

Background: Severe social withdrawal behaviors among young people have been a subject of public and clinical concerns.

Aims: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of social withdrawal behaviors among young people aged 12-29 years in Hong Kong.

Methods: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey was conducted with 1,010 young individuals.

Microfluidic generation of composite biopolymer microgels with tunable compositions and mechanical properties.

To develop an understanding of the nature of complex, spatiotemporal interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), artificial ECMs formed from hydrogels with a particular spectrum of properties are being developed at a rapid pace. We report the microfluidic generation of small, monodisperse composite agarose-gelatin hydrogel modules (microgel particles) that can be used for cell encapsulation and can serve as instructive cellular microenvironments. The agarose component of the microgels gelled under reduced temperature, while gelatin modified with phenolic hydroxyl groups underwent peroxidase-catalyzed gelation.

Assessing the discordance rate between local and central HER2 testing in women with locally determined HER2-negative breast cancer.

Background: The importance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a prognostic and predictive marker in invasive breast cancer is well established. Accurate assessment of HER2 status is essential to determine optimal treatment options.

Methods: Breast cancer tumor tissue samples from the VIRGO observational cohort tissue substudy that were locally HER2-negative were retested centrally with both US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays, using FDA-approved assay cutoffs; results were compared.