Cannibalism and competition can increase parasite abundance for parasites with complex life history strategies.

Ecological interactions among hosts are critical to consider when predicting disease dynamics. Most theory predicts that intraguild predation (IGP) and cannibalism negatively impact parasite populations, but this is based primarily on assumptions of simple or single-host life cycles. Here we investigate the effects of cannibalism in a size-structured host population on two digenean trematodes that have complex, multihost life cycles.

Validation of Neuro-QoL and PROMIS Mental Health Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Persons with Huntington Disease.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for mental health are important for persons with Huntington disease (HD) who commonly experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability, anger, aggression, and apathy. Given this, there is a need for reliable and valid patient-reported outcomes measures of mental health for use as patient-centered outcomes in clinical trials.

Objective: Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish the psychometric properties (i.

Motor-free composites from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) for people with disabilities.

Purpose/objective: The National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) includes a group of brief measures (i.e., 30 min) designed to assess language, processing speed, working memory, episodic memory, and executive functioning.

Construct validity of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery in individuals with stroke.

Objective: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox (NIHTB) for the Assessment of Behavior and Neurological Function Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) provides a brief assessment (approximately 30 min) of key components of cognition. This article examines construct validity to support the clinical utility of the NIHTB-CB in individuals with stroke.

Research Method: A total of 131 individuals with stroke (n = 71 mild stroke; n = 60 moderate/severe stroke) completed the NIHTB-CB.

Evaluating cognition in individuals with Huntington disease: Neuro-QoL cognitive functioning measures.

Purpose: Cognitive functioning impacts health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for individuals with Huntington disease (HD). The Neuro-QoL includes two patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of cognition-Executive Function (EF) and General Concerns (GC). These measures have not previously been validated for use in HD.

Understanding the need for assistance with survey completion in people with Huntington disease.

Purpose: In Huntington disease (HD), motor, cognitive, and psychiatric changes can have a detrimental impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purpose of this paper is to describe the extent and type of assistance needed to complete online HRQOL surveys, and the impact of assistance on HRQOL scores.

Methods: A patient-reported outcome measurement system was developed for HD-specific HRQOL.

Factors Associated With End-of-Life Planning in Huntington Disease.

Objective: Knowledge of one's gene status for adult onset conditions provides opportunity to make advance end-of-life (EOL) plans. The purposes of these analyses were to (1) determine the prevalence of EOL plans, including advance directives (ADs) among persons across 3 stages of Huntington disease (HD) and (2) examine factors associated with having ADs in this sample.

Methods: Data are from 503 participants in the HD Quality of Life study.

Patient-reported outcome measures in Huntington disease: Quality of life in neurological disorders (Neuro-QoL) social functioning measures.

Social functioning is an essential but poorly understood component of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for people with Huntington disease (HD). We report on the psychometric properties of 2 Neuro-QoL patient-reported outcome measures to assess social functioning in HD. Persons with prodromal (n = 198) or manifest HD (n = 195 early and n = 117 late) completed Neuro-QoL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities, and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities.

Patient-reported outcomes in Huntington's disease: Quality of life in neurological disorders (Neuro-QoL) and Huntington's disease health-related quality of life (HDQLIFE) physical function measures.

Background: There is a need for patient-reported outcome measures that capture the impact that motor impairments have on health-related quality of life in individuals with Huntington's disease.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish the reliability and validity of new physical functioning patient-reported outcome measures in Huntington's disease.

Methods: A total of 510 individuals with Huntington's disease completed 2 Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Lower Extremity Function and Upper Extremity Function) and 3 Huntington's Disease Health-Related Quality of Life (Chorea, Speech Difficulties, and Swallowing Difficulties) measures.

Validation of the NIH Toolbox in Individuals with Neurologic Disorders.

Objective: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and stroke experience a variety of neurologically related deficits across multiple domains of function. The NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIHTB) examines motor, sensation, cognition, and emotional functioning. The purpose of this paper is to establish the validity of the NIHTB in individuals with neurologic conditions.

HDQLIFE: development and assessment of health-related quality of life in Huntington disease (HD).

Purpose: Huntington disease (HD) is a chronic, debilitating genetic disease that affects physical, emotional, cognitive, and social health. Existing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) used in HD are neither comprehensive, nor do they adequately account for clinically meaningful changes in function. While new PROs examining HRQOL (i.

New measures to capture end of life concerns in Huntington disease: Meaning and Purpose and Concern with Death and Dying from HDQLIFE (a patient-reported outcomes measurement system).

Purpose: Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable terminal disease. Thus, end of life (EOL) concerns are common in these individuals. A quantitative measure of EOL concerns in HD would enable a better understanding of how these concerns impact health-related quality of life.

The development of a new computer adaptive test to evaluate chorea in Huntington disease: HDQLIFE Chorea.

Purpose: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease associated with motor, behavioral, and cognitive deficits. The hallmark symptom of HD, chorea, is often the focus of HD clinical trials. Unfortunately, there are no self-reported measures of chorea.

HDQLIFE: the development of two new computer adaptive tests for use in Huntington disease, Speech Difficulties, and Swallowing Difficulties.

Purpose: Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease which results in several progressive symptoms, including bulbar dysfunction (i.e., speech and swallowing difficulties).

Validity of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in individuals with Huntington disease (HD).

Purpose: The reliability and construct validity of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) were examined in individuals with Huntington disease (HD).

Perceptions and attitudes toward the use of nebulized therapy for COPD: patient and caregiver perspectives.

Although delivery of medications through nebulization is effective for patients with COPD, nebulization is often perceived negatively. This survey evaluated patient and caregiver attitudes and perceptions related to the use of nebulization for the management of COPD. A total of 400 patients and a separate population of 400 caregivers were randomly selected and interviewed via telephone.

The nature and prevalence of disability in a Ghanaian community as measured by the Language Independent Functional Evaluation.

Introduction: The current study uses the Language Independent Functional Evaluation (L.I.F.

Construct validity of language independent functional evaluation as used by Spanish-speaking clinicians to evaluate persons with developmental delays.

Objective: This study aimed to establish the utility of Language Independent Functional Evaluation (LIFE) as used by clinicians.

Design: This study was a prospective trial involving 100 Spanish-speaking rehabilitation clients between the ages of 9 and 45 yrs with cognitive disability and 2 rehabilitation clinicians who cared for them at a Colombian inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facility. Clinicians who had worked with clients for more than 2 mos rated their function using the LIFE and the Spanish-translated Barthel index.

Body mass index, but not blood pressure is related to the level of pain in persons with chronic pain.

Objective: To determine whether obesity or blood pressure relate to the level of pain experienced by persons with chronic back pain.

Design: Retrospective Study.

Setting: University spine program.

College of American Pathologists Conference XXXI on laboratory monitoring of anticoagulant therapy: the clinical use and laboratory monitoring of low-molecular-weight heparin, danaparoid, hirudin and related compounds, and argatroban.

Objective: To review the role of the laboratory in monitoring therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin, danaparoid, hirudin, and argatroban, as reflected in the medical literature and the consensus opinion of recognized experts in the field.

Data Sources: Review of the medical literature and current clinical practice by a panel of 6 international experts in the field of anticoagulant therapy.

Data Extraction And Synthesis: The experts made an extensive review of the published literature and prepared a draft manuscript, which included preliminary recommendations.

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia in the all trans retinoic acid era.

Bleeding diathesis is a common complication of acute promyelocyctic leukaemia (APL). Multiple haemostatic defects are found in most patients with APL, which often worsen following cytoreductive chemotherapy. Besides thrombocytopenia, most patients develop disseminated intravascular coagulation, systemic fibrinolysis or both.

A non-thrombocytopenic bleeding disorder due to an IgG4-kappa anti-GPIIb/IIIa autoantibody.

Autoantibodies in chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura occasionally interfere with platelet function. We describe a patient with a normal platelet count who had clinically significant mucosal bleeding, a prolonged bleeding time and abnormal platelet aggregation. The patient had high titres of an IgG4 kappa autoantibody, directed to a cation-dependent epitope on platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, which blocked the binding of fibrinogen and fibronectin to this complex.

Prospective comparison of infrainguinal bypass grafting in patients with and without antiphospholipid antibodies.

Purpose: The antiphospholipid antibodies (APL)-anticardiolipin antibodies (ACL) and lupus anticoagulant (LA)-are widely believed to be associated with decreased lower extremity bypass graft patency rates. To date, no prospective cohort study has confirmed this assumption. A prospective comparison of the result of infrainguinal revascularization procedures performed since 1990 in patients with and without APL forms the basis of this report.