Recommendations for clinical laboratory testing for protein C deficiency, for the subcommittee on plasma coagulation inhibitors of the ISTH.

Inherited protein C (PC) deficiency increases risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 5 to 10-fold in thrombosis-prone families; however, heterozygous PC deficiency alone does not determine that a subject has thrombophilia. Protein C deficient subjects, who lack additional inherited risk factors such as factor V Leiden or have no major acquired risk factors, may not suffer from VTE. In addition, PC deficiency may be acquired, often due to vitamin K antagonist treatment or liver disease.

Task-switching costs have distinct phase-locked and nonphase-locked EEG power effects.

Event-related potentials (ERPs) and total time-frequency power analyses have shown that performance costs during task switching are related to differential preparation to switch tasks (switch cost) and repeat the same task (mixing cost) during both proactive control (cue-to-target interval; CTI) and reactive control (post-target). The time-frequency EEG signal is comprised of both phase-locked activity (associated with stimulus-specific processes) and nonphase-locked activity (represents processes thought to persist over longer timeframes and do not contribute to the average ERP). In the present study, we used a cued task-switching paradigm to examine whether phase-locked and nonphase-locked power are differentially modulated by switch and mixing effects in intervals associated with the need for proactive control (CTI) and reactive control (post-target interval).

Cardiovascular changes in children with sickle cell crisis.

Background: Sickle cell anaemia is characterised by frequent, sometimes serious events referred to as "crisis". Cardiopulmonary consequences such as pulmonary hypertension and myocardial ischaemia may accompany a serious crisis.

Objective: To determine the cardiovascular changes that occur during a severe sickle cell crisis.

Inflammasomes and their regulation in periodontal disease: A review.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which is secreted by host tissues leading to periodontal tissue inflammation, is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. The conversion of pro-IL-1β into its biologically active form is controlled by multiprotein complexes named as inflammasomes, which are key regulator of host defense mechanisms and inflammasome involved diseases, including the periodontal diseases. Inflammasomes are regulated by different proteins and processes, including pyrin domain (PYD)-only proteins (POPs), CARD-only proteins (COPs), tripartite motif family proteins (TRIMs), autophagy, and interferons.

Early markers of cystic fibrosis structural lung disease: follow-up of the ACFBAL cohort.

Little is known about early predictors of later cystic fibrosis (CF) structural lung disease. This study examined early predictors of progressive structural lung abnormalities in children who completed the Australasian CF Bronchoalveolar Lavage (ACFBAL) clinical trial at age 5-years and participated in an observational follow-up study (CF-FAB).Eight Australian and New Zealand CF centres participated in CF-FAB and provided follow-up chest computed-tomography (CT) scans for children who had completed the ACFBAL study with baseline scans at age 5-years.

The role of maternal anxiety disorder subtype, parenting and infant stable temperamental inhibition in child anxiety: a prospective longitudinal study.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) aggregates in families. To elucidate intergenerational transmission of risk, we examined whether childhood SAD and symptoms of anxiety were prospectively predicted by stable infant temperamental inhibition, maternal SAD, maternal generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and maternal parenting behaviours.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study beginning prenatally with follow-up at 4, 10, 14 and 58 months postnatally.

Recommendations for clinical laboratory testing for antithrombin deficiency; Communication from the SSC of the ISTH.

Hereditary deficiency of antithrombin, a natural anticoagulant, causes a thrombophilia with a high risk for venous thromboembolism. Guidance for laboratory testing to diagnose antithrombin deficiency include the use of an activity assay for initial testing, performing an antigen test and activity-to-antigen ratio when the activity level is low, using pediatric reference ranges until the age of 6 months, excluding acquired causes of low antithrombin (e.g.

The role of calcium ion release on biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties of hydraulic cements.

Tricalcium silicate (TCS)-based materials produce calcium hydroxide as a byproduct of their hydration reaction. The present study investigated whether calcium ion release (CIR) affects their biological and antimicrobial properties when used as pulp protection materials. The effect of incorporation of micro-silica and calcium phosphate monobasic to radiopacified TCS-based materials was investigated.

Discerning the dietary habits of the smooth butterfly ray Gymnura lessae using two distinct methods, otolith identification and metagenetics.

Two different methods, metagenetics and free-otolith identification, were used to identify prey in the stomach contents of 531 Gymnura lessae captured by trawling in Mobile Bay, Alabama 2016-2018. Both methods were found to produce analogous results and were therefore combined into a single complete dataset. All prey were teleosts; the families Sciaenidae and Engraulidae were the most important prey (prey specie index of relative importance 89.

Abnormal sensory eye dominance in stereoanomalous subjects.

Stereoanomalous (SA) subjects have normal visual acuity but reduced stereopsis and may have a prevalence of up to 30%. It has been suggested that, in SA subjects, an imbalance in interocular inhibition might underlie an asymmetry in sensory eye dominance (SED). Our study expands upon previous findings by examining binocular rivalry (BR) mean dominance durations, dichoptic masking (DM) thresholds and SED for a group of SA subjects compared to naïve controls.

Associations between family factors, childhood adversity, negative life events and child anxiety disorders: an exploratory study of diagnostic specificity.

Background: Chronic childhood adversity, negative life events, and anxiogenic parenting behaviours have all been implicated in the development and maintenance of childhood anxiety disorders. However, few studies have addressed whether these factors are associated with particular types of childhood anxiety disorders.

Aims: The aims of this study were to investigate whether specific associations were obtained between specific types of childhood anxiety disorder - namely, social anxiety disorder (SOC), separation anxiety disorder (SEP) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - and the nature of particular forms of psycho-social risk - namely, chronic childhood adversity, negative life events, and particular forms of parenting behaviours.

A governance model for the application of AI in health care.

As the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving aspects of healthcare delivery is increasingly becoming evident, it becomes likely that AI will be incorporated in routine clinical care in the near future. This promise has led to growing focus and investment in AI medical applications both from governmental organizations and technological companies. However, concern has been expressed about the ethical and regulatory aspects of the application of AI in health care.

Differential expression of inflammasome regulatory transcripts in periodontal disease.

Background: The inflammasome modulates the release of key proinflammatory cytokines associated with periodontal disease pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of proteins that regulate the inflammasome, namely pyrin domain-only proteins (POPs), caspase activation recruitment domain (CARD)-only proteins, and tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins, in periodontal diseases.

Methods: A total of 68 participants (34 males and 34 females) were divided into four groups, including periodontal health (H), gingivitis (G), chronic periodontitis (CP), and aggressive periodontitis (AgP) based on clinical parameters.

Proteotyping of as Alternate Typing Method to Ribotyping Is Able to Distinguish the Ribotypes RT027 and RT176 From Other Ribotypes.

, a Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium, is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide and therefore a substantial burden to the healthcare system. During the past decade, hypervirulent PCR-ribotypes (RT) e.g.

Predictors of severe asthma attack re-attendance in Ecuadorian children: a cohort study.

Asthma is a common cause of emergency care attendance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While few prospective studies of predictors for emergency care attendance have been undertaken in high-income countries, none have been performed in a LMIC.We followed a cohort of 5-15-year-old children treated for asthma attacks in emergency rooms of public health facilities in Esmeraldas City, Ecuador.

Effects of season and sediment-water exchange processes on the partitioning of pesticides in the catchment environment: Implications for pesticides monitoring.

Current and historic pesticide use has potential to compromise e.g. drinking water sources due to both primary and secondary emission sources.

A review of -multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a neonatal unit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Background: Multi-drug resistant organisms are an increasingly important cause of neonatal sepsis.

Aim: This study aimed to review neonatal sepsis caused by multi-drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDRE) in neonates in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Methods: This was a cross sectional retrospective review of MDRE in neonates admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015.

Protein S100-A7 Derived from Digested Dentin Is a Critical Molecule for Dentin Pulp Regeneration.

Dentin consists of inorganic hard tissue and organic dentin matrix components (DMCs). Various kinds of bioactive molecules are included in DMCs and some of them can be released after digestion by endogenous matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the caries region. Digested DMCs induced by MMP20 have been reported to promote pulpal wound healing processes, but the released critical molecules responsible for this phenomenon are unclear.

Violet-Blue Light Arrays at 405 Nanometers Exert Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity for Photodisinfection of Monomicrobial Nosocomial Biofilms.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) demonstrate therapeutic effects for a range of biomedical applications, including photodisinfection. Bands of specific wavelengths (centered at 405 nm) are reported to be the most antimicrobial; however, there remains no consensus on the most effective irradiation parameters for optimal photodisinfection. The aim of this study was to assess decontamination efficiency by direct photodisinfection of monomicrobial biofilms using a violet-blue light (VBL) single-wavelength array (SWA) and multiwavelength array (MWA).

A randomised controlled trial of treatments of childhood anxiety disorder in the context of maternal anxiety disorder: clinical and cost-effectiveness outcomes.

Background: This study evaluated whether clinical and economic outcomes from CBT for child anxiety disorders in the context of maternal anxiety disorders are improved by adding treatment focused on (a) maternal anxiety disorders or (b) mother-child interactions.

Methods: Two hundred and eleven children (7-12 years, 85% White British, 52% female) with a primary anxiety disorder, whose mothers also had a current anxiety disorder, were randomised to receive (a) child-focused CBT with nonspecific control interventions (CCBT+Con), (b) CCBT with CBT for the maternal anxiety disorder (CCBT+MCBT), or (c) CCBT with an intervention targeting the mother-child interaction (CCBT+MCI). A cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective was conducted using mother/child combined quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Concentrations and uptake pathways of polychlorinated biphenyls from soil to grass.

Field coupled samples in soil and grass were collected to determine the concentrations and identify the uptake pathways of PCBs into the grass at a pasture from Scotland, UK. Concentrations of indicator PCBs (∑PCBs) in soils ranged from 0.20 to 0.

Urbanisation and asthma in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review of the urban-rural differences in asthma prevalence.

Background: Urbanisation has been associated with temporal and geographical differences in asthma prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, little is known of the mechanisms by which urbanisation and asthma are associated, perhaps explained by the methodological approaches used to assess the urbanisation-asthma relationship.

Objective: This review evaluated how epidemiological studies have assessed the relationship between asthma and urbanisation in LMICs, and explored urban/rural differences in asthma prevalence.