Computer-aided CT coronary artery stenosis detection: comparison with human reading and quantitative coronary angiography.

To evaluate computer-aided stenosis detection for computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) in comparison with human reading and conventional coronary angiography (CCA) as the reference standard. 50 patients underwent CTA and CCA and out of these 44 were evaluable for computer-aided stenosis detection. The diagnostic performance of the software and of human reading were compared and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) served as the reference standard for the detection of significant stenosis (>50 %).

The effect of using high facilitation when implementing the Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes programme: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: The provision of quality end-of-life care is increasingly on the national agenda in many countries. In the United Kingdom, the Gold Standards Framework for Care Homes programme has been promoted as a national framework for improving end-of-life care. While its implementation is recommended, there are no national guidelines for facilitators to follow to undertake this role.

Extracardiac findings on coronary CT angiography: a systematic review.

Unlabelled: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is of growing importance in noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery diseases. The CT data allow evaluation not only of coronary arteries but also of adjacent anatomical territories. Our objective was to review, to analyze, and to quantify the spectrum and the prevalence of extracardiac findings (ECF) in CCTA.

Peromyscus (deer mice) as developmental models.

Deer mice (Peromyscus) are the most common native North American mammals, and exhibit great natural genetic variation. Wild-derived stocks from a number of populations are available from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (PGSC). The PGSC also houses a number of natural variants and mutants (many of which appear to differ from Mus).

Myocardial CT perfusion imaging and SPECT for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease: a head-to-head comparison from the CORE320 multicenter diagnostic performance study.

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of myocardial computed tomographic (CT) perfusion imaging and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of anatomically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) as depicted at invasive coronary angiography.

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Current prevalence of dementia, depression and behavioural problems in the older adult care home sector: the South East London Care Home Survey.

Background: a large and increasing number of older people in the UK are living in care homes. Dementia is a frequent reason underlying admission and determining care needs, but prevalence data are becoming increasingly outdated and reliant on brief screening instruments.

Objective: to describe the prevalence and severity of dementia, depression, behavioural problems and relevant medication use in a representative sample of residential and nursing care home residents.

CT coronary angiography versus conventional invasive coronary angiography - the view of the referring physician.

Purpose: Assessment of experience gained by local referring physicians with the procedure of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in the everyday clinical routine.

Materials And Methods: A 25-item questionnaire was sent to 179 physicians, who together had referred a total of 1986 patients for CCTA. They were asked about their experience to date with CCTA, the indications for coronary imaging, and their practice in referring patients for noninvasive CCTA or invasive catheter angiography.

Lifetime induced abortion: a comparison between women living and not living with HIV.

Background: Studies aimed at understanding the association between induced abortion and HIV are scarce and differ on the direction of the association. This paper aims to show the prevalence of induced abortion in a sample of pregnancies of women living and not living with HIV/Aids, determining variables associated with pregnancy termination and linked to the life course of women and to the specific context of the pregnancy.

Methods: Data came from a cross-sectional study, using interviewer-administered questionnaire, developed with women that attended public health services in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Caring for Peromyscus spp. in research environments.

Peromyscus spp. are the most abundant native North American mammals. They have gained popularity as research animals in the last 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue as new research tools, such as whole genome sequences, baseline physiological data and others, become available.

Construct validity of the mini mental state examination across time in a sample with low-education levels: 10-year follow-up of the Bambuí Cohort Study of Ageing.

Objective: The study aims to investigate whether longitudinal data on the structure of the mini mental state examination (MMSE) collected in an older Brazilian cohort support factorial invariance over time.

Design: Analysis of 10-year data from a community-based cohort study was performed.

Setting: The study took place in Bambuí, Brazil.

[Development of the situation of doctoral students in medicine: Results of two surveys at an interval of ten years (2001 and 2011)].

Background And Objective: The topic medical dissertation is often discussed controversially without quantitative data in Germany. The aim of this survey was to analyze the situation of doctoral students in medicine again after ten years.

Methods: Students at Charité - Berlin in their 11th to 14th semester completed an online survey about the progress and the support of their dissertations (n = 1081).

Contrast agent bolus tracking with a fixed threshold or a manual fast start for coronary CT angiography.

Objectives: Comparison of bolus tracking with a fixed threshold versus a manual fast start for coronary CT angiography.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 320-row coronary CT angiography of 50 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease. Twenty-five examinations were initiated by a bolus tracking method (group 1), 25 examinations with a manual fast surestart (group 2).

Cross-cultural factorial validation of the Clinical Interview Schedule--Revised (CIS-R); findings from a nationally representative survey (EMPIRIC).

The Clinical Interview Schedule - Revised (CIS-R) has been widely adopted across cultures to assess common mental disorders. We assessed the factorial validity of the CIS-R across ethnic minority groups, using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in England in 2000. The sample comprised White British (n = 837), Irish (n = 733), Black Caribbean (n = 694), Bangladeshi (n = 650), Indian (n = 643) and Pakistani (n = 724) respondents.

Compliance with STARD checklist among studies of coronary CT angiography: systematic review.

Purpose: To determine the compliance of prospective diagnostic accuracy studies investigating computed tomographic (CT) coronary angiography with Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) guidelines.

Materials And Methods: Relevant studies were identified by means of a systematic literature search that included the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science databases. Prospective studies that compared CT with conventional coronary angiography for the evaluation of the coronary arteries were included.

The effect of a national quality improvement collaborative on prehospital care for acute myocardial infarction and stroke in England.

Background: Previous studies have shown wide variations in prehospital ambulance care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) for improving ambulance care for AMI and stroke.

Methods: We used an interrupted time series design to investigate the effect of a national QIC on change in delivery of care bundles for AMI (aspirin, glyceryl trinitrate [GTN], pain assessment and analgesia) and stroke (face-arm-speech test, blood pressure and blood glucose recording) in all English ambulance services between January 2010 and February 2012.

A genetic map of Peromyscus with chromosomal assignment of linkage groups (a Peromyscus genetic map).

The rodent genus Peromyscus is the most numerous and species-rich mammalian group in North America. The naturally occurring diversity within this genus allows opportunities to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation, monogamy, behavioral and physiological phenotypes, growth control, genomic imprinting, and disease processes. Increased genomic resources including a high quality genetic map are needed to capitalize on these opportunities.

High-field open versus short-bore magnetic resonance imaging of the spine: a randomized controlled comparison of image quality.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to compare the image quality of spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed on a high-field horizontal open versus a short-bore MR scanner in a randomized controlled study setup.

Methods: Altogether, 93 (80% women, mean age 53) consecutive patients underwent spine imaging after random assignement to a 1-T horizontal open MR scanner with a vertical magnetic field or a 1.5-T short-bore MR scanner.

Nuclear stress perfusion imaging versus computed tomography coronary angiography for identifying patients with obstructive coronary artery disease as defined by conventional angiography: insights from the CorE-64 multicenter study.

We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography angiography (CTA) versus myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for detecting obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) as defined by conventional quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). Sixty-three patients who were enrolled in the CorE-64 multicenter study underwent CTA, MPI, and QCA imaging. All subjects were referred for cardiac catheterization with suspected or known coronary artery disease.

Depression, subthreshold depression and comorbid anxiety symptoms in older Europeans: results from the EURODEP concerted action.

Background: In the epidemiology of late life depression, few insights are available on the co-occurrence of subthreshold depression and comorbid symptoms of anxiety. The current study aims to describe prevalence patterns of comorbid anxiety symptoms across different levels of depression in old age, and to describe the burden of depressive symptoms and functional disability across patterns of comorbidity.

Methods: Respondents were older adults in the community, age 65-104 (N=14,200), from seven European countries, with in total nine study centres, collaborating in the EURODEP concerted action.

Improved determination of the neutron lifetime.

The most precise determination of the neutron lifetime using the beam method was completed in 2005 and reported a result of τ(n)=(886.3±1.2[stat]±3.

Computed tomography angiography and perfusion to assess coronary artery stenosis causing perfusion defects by single photon emission computed tomography: the CORE320 study.

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic power of integrating the results of computed tomography angiography (CTA) and CT myocardial perfusion (CTP) to identify coronary artery disease (CAD) defined as a flow limiting coronary artery stenosis causing a perfusion defect by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods And Results: We conducted a multicentre study to evaluate the accuracy of integrated CTA-CTP for the identification of patients with flow-limiting CAD defined by ≥50% stenosis by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with a corresponding perfusion deficit on stress single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/MPI). Sixteen centres enroled 381 patients who underwent combined CTA-CTP and SPECT/MPI prior to conventional coronary angiography.