Perceived illness-related uncertainty among patients with mid-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have to deal with a variable disease trajectory often associated with disability and productivity loss.

Objective: This study aimed to assess illness-related uncertainty and associated correlates in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) beyond the near diagnosis phase.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, non-interventional study including patients diagnosed with RRMS (2017 revised McDonald criteria) and a disease duration of 3 to 8 years.

Does serum neurofilament light chain measurement influence therapeutic decisions in multiple sclerosis?

Background: The assessment of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) concentration in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a useful tool for predicting clinical outcomes and assessing treatment response. However, its use in clinical practice is still limited. We aimed to assess how measurement of sNfL influences neurologists' treatment decisions in MS.

Decisional Conflict Regarding Disease-Modifying Treatment Choices Among Patients with Mid-Stage Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Purpose: Shared decision-making is critical in multiple sclerosis (MS) due to the uncertainty of the disease trajectory over time and the large number of treatment options with differing efficacy, safety and administration characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess patients' decisional conflict regarding the choice of a disease-modifying therapy and its associated factors in patients with mid-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: A multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted.

Assessing illness-related uncertainty in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A psychometric analysis of the Mishel Uncertainty of Illness Scale.

A multicenter study involving 204 adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) assessed the dimensionality and item characteristics of the Mishel-Uncertainty of Illness Scale (MUIS), a generic self-assessment tool. Mokken analysis identified two dimensions in the MUIS with an appropriate item and overall scale scalability after excluding nonclassifiable items. A refined 12-item MUIS, employing a grade response model, effectively discriminated uncertainty levels among RRMS patients (likelihood ratio test -value = .

Case report: Generalized lymphatic anomaly of multiple abdominal organs in a young dog.

A 9-month-old, female Pomeranian dog presented with vomiting and lethargy. Ultrasonography revealed multilobulated anechoic round shape structures at the ovarian and uterine locations. Through computed tomography scan, an extensive non-contrast multilobulated fluid-filled mass suspected of originating from the walls of the ovary, uterus, urinary bladder and rectum was observed.

Total Iron Absorbed from Iron-Biofortified Potatoes Is Higher than that from Nonbiofortified Potatoes: A Randomized Trial Using Stable Iron Isotopes in Women from the Peruvian Highlands.

Background: Yellow-fleshed potatoes biofortified with iron have been developed through conventional breeding, but the bioavailability of iron is unknown.

Objectives: Our objective was to measure iron absorption from an iron-biofortified yellow-fleshed potato clone in comparison with a nonbiofortified yellow-fleshed potato variety.

Methods: We conducted a single-blinded, randomized, crossover, multiple-meal intervention study.

Information-Seeking Strategies of People with Multiple Sclerosis in Spain: The INFOSEEK-MS Study.

Purpose: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are increasingly demanding access to reliable information regarding their disease. The objective of the INFOSEEK-MS study was to assess what are the strategies people with MS use when searching for information on their disease, including sources, frequency, reliability, and preferred content.

Patients And Methods: A non-interventional, cross-sectional study was conducted.

International Guidelines for Veterinary Tumor Pathology: A Call to Action.

Standardization of tumor assessment lays the foundation for validation of grading systems, permits reproducibility of oncologic studies among investigators, and increases confidence in the significance of study results. Currently, there is minimal methodological standardization for assessing tumors in veterinary medicine, with few attempts to validate published protocols and grading schemes. The current article attempts to address these shortcomings by providing standard guidelines for tumor assessment parameters and protocols for evaluating specific tumor types.

Mitotic Figures-Normal, Atypical, and Imposters: A Guide to Identification.

Counting mitotic figures (MF) in hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections is an integral part of the diagnostic pathologist's tumor evaluation. The mitotic count (MC) is used alone or as part of a grading scheme for assessment of prognosis and clinical decisions. Determining MCs is subjective, somewhat laborious, and has interobserver variation.

Morphological and metabolic profiling of a tropical-adapted potato association panel subjected to water recovery treatment reveals new insights into plant vigor.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the world's most important crops, but it is facing major challenges due to climatic changes. To investigate the effects of intermittent drought on the natural variability of plant morphology and tuber metabolism in a novel potato association panel comprising 258 varieties we performed an augmented block design field study under normal irrigation and under water-deficit and recovery conditions in Ica, Peru.

Pluralistic and stochastic gene regulation: examples, models and consistent theory.

We present a theory of pluralistic and stochastic gene regulation. To bridge the gap between empirical studies and mathematical models, we integrate pre-existing observations with our meta-analyses of the ENCODE ChIP-Seq experiments. Earlier evidence includes fluctuations in levels, location, activity, and binding of transcription factors, variable DNA motifs, and bursts in gene expression.

Tuber shape and eye depth variation in a diploid family of Andean potatoes.

Background: Tuber appearance is highly variable in the Andean cultivated potato germplasm. The diploid backcross mapping population 'DMDD' derived from the recently sequenced genome 'DM' represents a sample of the allelic variation for tuber shape and eye depth present in the Andean landraces. Here we evaluate the utility of morphological descriptors for tuber shape for identification of genetic loci responsible for the shape and eye depth variation.

Osteomyelitis associated with Nocardiopsis composta in a dog.

We report the first detection of Nocardiopsis composta in association with osteomyelitis in a young male miniature Australian shepherd dog. Findings included suppurative osteomyelitis containing intralesional Fite's acid fast bacilli, aerobic culture of branching Gram-positive rods, and positive identification via phenotypic analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing.

The BioMart community portal: an innovative alternative to large, centralized data repositories.

The BioMart Community Portal (www.biomart.org) is a community-driven effort to provide a unified interface to biomedical databases that are distributed worldwide.

Dens agenesis and cervical vertebral malformation in a Labrador Retriever puppy.

Cervical vertebral malformations can cause acute or progressive pain, paralysis, and potentially death. Herein we present a case report of dens agenesis; cervical vertebral malformations of C1, C2, C6, and C7; subluxation of C1 and C2 and C4 and C5; and associated degenerative myelopathy in a 5-month-old female Labrador Retriever puppy. We additionally review current knowledge regarding pathogenesis and treatment.

Chronic renal disease in a captive two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) with concurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 13-yr-old female two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) with a prolonged history of worsening azotemia was necropsied shortly after euthanasia. On necropsy, the sloth had poor body condition, bilaterally shrunken kidneys, and a large neoplastic mass replacing the right liver lobe. Histologic examination demonstrated chronic renal disease with metastatic mineralization as the cause of morbidity.

Effect of production environment, genotype and process on the mineral content of native bitter potato cultivars converted into white chuño.

Background: Variables and interaction effects affecting the mineral concentration of Andean bitter potatoes converted into so-called white chuño are unknown. We report on the effect of three contrasting production environments (E) on the dry matter (DM), zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium concentration of four potato native bitter genotypes (G) processed (P) into two different 'types' of white chuño.

Results: The DM content and iron, calcium, magnesium and sodium concentration of white chuño are significantly dependent on E, G, P, and E × G × P interaction (predominantly at P < 0.

LIF, a Novel STAT5-Regulated Gene, Is Aberrantly Expressed in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

A search for genes potentially regulated by STAT5 identified leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) as a good candidate. Using various experimental approaches, we have validated LIF as a direct transcriptional target of STAT5 in myeloid cell lines: STAT5 binds to LIF promoter, and LIF expression is increased after activation of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway. We also found that LIF expression is significantly increased in patients with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms with and without activating mutations of the pathway, indicating that LIF might play an important role in STAT5-mediated oncogenesis.