Community-generated recommendations regarding the urban nutrition and tobacco environments: a photo-elicitation study in Philadelphia.

Introduction: Overweight, obesity, and tobacco use are major preventable causes of disability, disease, and death. In 2010, 25% of Philadelphia adults smoked, and 66% were overweight or obese. To address these health threats, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health launched Get Healthy Philly, an initiative to improve the city's nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco environments.

Predicting operative blood loss during spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background: Patient and surgical factors are known to influence operative blood loss in spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but have only been loosely identified. To date, there are no established recommendations to guide decisions to predonate autologous blood, and the current practice is based primarily on surgeon preference. This study is designed to determine which patient and surgical factors are correlated with, and predictive of, blood loss during spinal fusion for AIS.

The effect of surgeon's specialty and volume on the perioperative outcome of carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated better outcomes for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) at high-volume hospitals and providers. However, only a few studies have reported on the impact of surgeons' specialty and volume on the perioperative outcome of CEA.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of CEA during a recent 2-year period.

The effectiveness gap in COPD: a mixed methods international comparative study.

Background: There has been a large increase in treatment and in research on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from the common starting point of the original Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) study. There is currently little evidence on the degree of similarity and difference between national programmes or on the linkage between research and policy.

Aims: To review the evidence on programme development and the effectiveness gap from the UK, France, Germany, and Finland.

Reduction of Mean Arterial Pressure at Incision Reduces Operative Blood Loss in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: Spinal fusion surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has been associated with significant blood loss and transfusion requirements. Reduction of mean arterial pressure (MAP) has benefits, but has been debated. This study aimed to analyze hypotensive anesthesia (MAP less than 65 mm Hg) at incision for its effect on blood loss.

Impact of chronic renal insufficiency using serum creatinine vs glomerular filtration rate on perioperative clinical outcomes of carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Several studies have reported conflicting results after carotid endarterectomy in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). However, only a few used glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) in their analysis.

Study Design: Nine hundred and forty carotid endarterectomies that had serum creatinine and GFR were analyzed.

Perioperative and late clinical outcomes of percutaneous transluminal stentings of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries over the past decade.

Background: Several authorities have proposed stenting of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA)/celiac artery (CA) as the primary treatment for patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia. However, most of these reports had small samples and short follow-up periods.

Methods: Eighty-three patients were treated over a 10-year period.

Is radiation-free diagnostic monitoring of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis feasible using upright positional magnetic resonance imaging?

Study Design: Prospective clinical trial.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if an upright positional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol could produce reliable spinal curvature images and measurements compared with traditional radiograph.

Summary Of Background Data: Concerns about the oncological potential from cumulative doses of ionizing radiation in children and adolescents being monitored for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) initiated a search for radiation-free diagnostic imaging modalities, including MRI.

Compositional and mechanical properties of peanuts roasted to equivalent colors using different time/temperature combinations.

Peanuts in North America and Europe are primarily consumed after dry roasting. Standard industry practice is to roast peanuts to a specific surface color (Hunter L-value) for a given application; however, equivalent surface colors can be attained using different roast temperature/time combinations, which could affect product quality. To investigate this potential, runner peanuts from a single lot were systematically roasted using 5 roast temperatures (147, 157, 167, 177, and 187 °C) and to Hunter L-values of 53 ± 1, 48.

Polarity-switching top coats enable orientation of sub-10-nm block copolymer domains.

Block copolymers (BCPs) must necessarily have high interaction parameters (χ), a fundamental measure of block incompatibility, to self-assemble into sub-10-nanometer features. Unfortunately, a high χ often results from blocks that have disparate interfacial energies, which makes the formation of useful thin-film domain orientations challenging. To mitigate interfacial forces, polymers composed of maleic anhydride and two other components have been designed as top coats that can be spin-coated from basic aqueous solution in the ring-opened, acid salt form.

Value-added processing of peanut skins: antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and procyanidin content of spray-dried extracts.

To explore a potential use for peanut skins as a functional food ingredient, milled skins were extracted with 70% ethanol and filtered to remove insoluble material; the soluble extract was spray-dried with or without the addition of maltodextrin. Peanut skin extracts had high levels of procyanidin oligomers (DP2-DP4) but low levels of monomeric flavan-3-ols and polymers. The addition of maltodextrin during spray-drying resulted in the formation of unknown polymeric compounds.

ADAM10 regulates transcription factor expression required for plasma cell function.

A disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) is a key regulator of cellular processes by shedding extracellular domains of transmembrane proteins. We have previously demonstrated that deletion of B cell expressed ADAM10 results in changes in lymphoid tissue architecture and impaired germinal center (GC) formation. In this study, mice were generated in which ADAM10 is deleted in B cells following class switch recombination (ADAM10(Δ/Δ)IgG1-cre(+/-) mice).

ACCF/SCAI/AATS/AHA/ASE/ASNC/HFSA/HRS/SCCM/SCCT/SCMR/STS 2012 appropriate use criteria for diagnostic catheterization: American College of Cardiology Foundation Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions American Association for Thoracic Surgery American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Heart Failure Society of America Heart Rhythm Society, Society of Critical Care Medicine Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

The American College of Cardiology Foundation, in collaboration with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and key specialty and subspecialty societies, conducted a review of common clinical scenarios where diagnostic catheterization is frequently considered. The indications (clinical scenarios) were derived from common applications or anticipated uses, as well as from current clinical practice guidelines and results of studies examining the implementation of noninvasive imaging appropriate use criteria. The 166 indications in this document were developed by a diverse writing group and scored by a separate independent technical panel on a scale of 1 to 9, to designate appropriate use (median 7 to 9), uncertain use (median 4 to 6), and inappropriate use (median 1 to 3).

Critical analysis of renal duplex ultrasound parameters in detecting significant renal artery stenosis.

Background: Several published studies have reported differing results of renal duplex ultrasound (RDU) imaging in detecting significant renal artery stenosis (RAS) using different Doppler parameters. This study is the largest to date to compare RDU imaging vs angiography and assess various published Doppler criteria.

Methods: RDU imaging and angiography were both done in 313 patients (606 renal arteries).

Aneurysm formation after drug-eluting balloon treatment of drug-eluting in-stent restenosis: first case report.

A 55-year-old male underwent paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation in a bifurcation lesion of his left anterior descending artery (LAD) during an episode of unstable angina in 2008. A late in-stent restenosis developed 15 months after implantation of the drug-eluting stent (DES) and was treated with paclitaxel eluting balloon. Two months later, during angiography for functional assessment of the significance of lesions in the circumflex artery, an aneurysm at the place of drug-eluting balloon (DEB) inflation was observed.

Rapid-exchange guide catheter extension for extending the reach of an AL3 guide in a patient with a long, dilated ascending aorta.

We describe the use of a rapid-exchange style guide catheter extension to facilitate diagnostic coronary angiography in a patient with a long, dilated ascending aorta. The guide catheter extension is an easy to use device that can extend the reach of 110 cm catheters. There are several advantages to this "mother and child" guide catheter extension over the traditional telescoping catheter approach.

Identification of the social and cognitive processes underlying human cumulative culture.

The remarkable ecological and demographic success of humanity is largely attributed to our capacity for cumulative culture, with knowledge and technology accumulating over time, yet the social and cognitive capabilities that have enabled cumulative culture remain unclear. In a comparative study of sequential problem solving, we provided groups of capuchin monkeys, chimpanzees, and children with an experimental puzzlebox that could be solved in three stages to retrieve rewards of increasing desirability. The success of the children, but not of the chimpanzees or capuchins, in reaching higher-level solutions was strongly associated with a package of sociocognitive processes-including teaching through verbal instruction, imitation, and prosociality-that were observed only in the children and covaried with performance.

Duplex velocity criteria for native celiac/superior mesenteric artery stenosis vs in-stent stenosis.

Background: Duplex velocity criteria (DVC) to identify in-stent celiac artery (CA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stenosis is not well defined. Only one study has been published which concluded that DVC for native SMA stenosis overestimated stenosis in stented SMAs. The purpose of this study was to analyze DVC in detecting CA/SMA in-stent stenosis (ISS).

LGC: clinical about clinical measurement.

LGC is the UK's designated National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurement, and through this role improves the quality and international acceptance of measurements performed within the UK. This research spotlight, highlighting measurement 'across the scale', from elemental analysis and small molecules, through to proteins, DNA and RNA and on to whole cells and tissues, demonstrates how LGC is supporting the clinical sector by ensuring sound measurement practice that underpins clinical efficacy, quality assurance and patient safety.