Cerebellar Volume and Disease Staging in Parkinson's Disease: An ENIGMA-PD Study.

Background: Increasing evidence points to a pathophysiological role for the cerebellum in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, regional cerebellar changes associated with motor and non-motor functioning remain to be elucidated.

Objective: To quantify cross-sectional regional cerebellar lobule volumes using three dimensional T1-weighted anatomical brain magnetic resonance imaging from the global ENIGMA-PD working group.

Supporting evidence-informed policy and scrutiny: A consultation of UK research professionals.

Access to reliable and timely information ensures that decision-makers can operate effectively. The motivations and challenges of parliamentarians and policy-makers in accessing evidence have been well documented in the policy literature. However, there has been little focus on research-providers.

Preparing the prescription: a review of the aim and measurement of social referral programmes.

Objective: Our aim is to review, and qualitatively evaluate, the aims and measures of social referral programmes. Our first objective is to identify the aims of social referral initiatives. Our second objective is to identify the measures used to evaluate whether the aims of social referral were met.

Isolation via next-generation sequencing of microsatellites from the Tasmanian macroalgae Lessonia corrugata (Lessoniaceae).

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite markers for the macroalgae Lessonia corrugata (Lessoniaceae) were developed, for the first time, to enable population genetic assessment of this important foundation species.

Methods And Results: Ion Torrent sequencing identified 16,622 loci, 29 of which were trialed in L. corrugata.

Implications of macroalgal isolation by distance for networks of marine protected areas.

The global extent of macroalgal forests is declining, greatly affecting marine biodiversity at broad scales through the effects macroalgae have on ecosystem processes, habitat provision, and food web support. Networks of marine protected areas comprise one potential tool that may safeguard gene flow among macroalgal populations in the face of increasing population fragmentation caused by pollution, habitat modification, climate change, algal harvesting, trophic cascades, and other anthropogenic stressors. Optimal design of protected area networks requires knowledge of effective dispersal distances for a range of macroalgae.

Fluorescence-guided transurethral resection of bladder cancer using hexaminolevulinate: analysis of health economic impact in Sweden.

Objective: A decision analytic model was established to estimate the budget impact on the Swedish health service of using hexaminolevulinate (HAL) in conjunction with white light cystoscopy (WLC) in the management of bladder cancer for 1 year following initial diagnosis.

Material And Methods: Flowcharts were developed to represent the diagnostic and treatment pathways for each of four risk groups for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), as defined by risk of tumour recurrence and progression. Flowcharts were based on European Association of Urology Guidelines and adjusted to current Swedish clinical practice.

Education together with a preprinted sticker improves the prescribing of prophylactic enoxaparin.

Introduction: Substantial evidence exists for the use of prophylactic heparin in medical inpatients with congestive heart failure and severe respiratory disease, and in surgical patients with a moderate-to-high risk of thromboembolism (Grade 1A recommendations). Despite this, many patients who would benefit from prophylaxis do not receive this treatment.

Methods: We implemented an education programme to promote the use of prophylactic enoxaparin.

Folic acid improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease via mechanisms largely independent of homocysteine lowering.

Background: Homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), although a causal relation remains to be proven. The importance of determining direct causality rests in the fact that plasma homocysteine can be safely and inexpensively reduced by 25% with folic acid. This reduction is maximally achieved by doses of 0.

A study of novel lectins and their involvement in the activation of the prophenoloxidase system in Blaberus discoidalis.

Endogenous and exogenous lectins have been found to activate the prophenoloxidase (proPO) system of the cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis, to the same extent as laminarin, a previously known microbial activator of proPO. The lectins can also further enhance this laminarin activation of the proPO system. Non-lectin proteins did not display any activation properties.

Purification of the pro-phenol oxidase enzyme from haemocytes of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis.

Pro-phenol oxidase was purified from the haemocytes of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis by Blue Sepharose chromatography, hydrophobic-interaction chromatography on a Phenyl-Superose column and, finally, gel filtration on a Superose 6 column. Results suggest that the molecule exists as a polymer of identical 76 kDa monomeric units. The enzyme is a glycoprotein with pI of 5.