Physician practice in food allergy prevention in the Middle East and North Africa.

Background: A number of scientific organisations have developed guidelines for the primary prevention of allergic disease through nutritional interventions. However, even if the best evidence-based guidelines are available, these guidelines do not necessarily lead to adherence and improved health outcomes.

Method: To determine how closely the practice of physicians in select Middle Eastern and North African countries compares with the current recommendations on the primary prevention of allergy a survey study was performed using a structured questionnaire and convenience sampling.

A murine model to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of proteins.

immunomodulatory vaccine (PiV) has been tested in clinical and experimental pythiosis. Previous data showed that immunogens have the ability to switch the Th2 immune response, normally in place during pythiosis, to a curative Th1 response. Pythiosis cannot be reproduced in experimental rodents with the exception of rabbits, and thus thorough evaluation of PiV´s immunomodulatory properties has been limited by the lack of a compatible inbred mouse model.

Immunological implications of bovine leukemia virus infection.

This study examined neutrophil and monocyte functions and the blood lymphocyte profile of naturally BLV-infected cows with or without persistent lymphocytosis (PL). The percentage of neutrophils and monocytes that phagocytosed Staphylococcus aureus was lower in BLV-infected dairy cows, particularly those with PL. The relative percentage of CD44 monocytes and neutrophils and CD11b expression by neutrophils was also lower in BLV-infected dairy cows with PL.

"If I ever did have a daughter, I wouldn't raise her in New Brunswick:" exploring women's experiences obtaining abortion care before and after policy reform.

Introduction: New Brunswick (NB)'s Regulation 84-20 has historically restricted funded abortion care to procedures deemed medically necessary by two physicians and performed in a hospital by an obstetrician-gynecologist. However, on January 1, 2015, the provincial government amended the regulation and abolished the "two physician rule."

Objectives: We aimed to document women's experiences obtaining abortion care in NB before and after the Regulation 84-20 amendment; identify the economic and personal costs associated with obtaining abortion care; and examine the ways in which geography, age and language-minority status condition access to care.

Identification of Novel Functions for Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein E1 in Virus Entry and Assembly.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein complex is composed of E1 and E2 subunits. E2 is the receptor-binding protein as well as the major target of neutralizing antibodies, whereas the functions of E1 remain poorly defined. Here, we took advantage of the recently published structure of the N-terminal region of the E1 ectodomain to interrogate the functions of this glycoprotein by mutating residues within this 79-amino-acid region in the context of an infectious clone.

Nanoscale Structure of the Oil-Water Interface.

X-ray reflectivity (XR) and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, carried out to determine the structure of the oil-water interface, provide new insight into the simplest liquid-liquid interface. For several oils (hexane, dodecane, and hexadecane) the XR shows very good agreement with a monotonic interface-normal electron density profile (EDP) broadened only by capillary waves. Similar agreement is also found for an EDP including a sub-Å thick electron depletion layer separating the oil and the water.

The Effectiveness of Anticholinergic Therapy for Overactive Bladders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The overactive bladder (OAB) has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients. Antimuscarinics have become the pharmacological treatment of choice for this condition. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the evidence from randomized clinical trials about the outcomes of the antimuscarinic drugs available in Brazil on OABs.

Spontaneous Nasal Septal Abscess Presenting as a Soft Tissue Mass in a Child.

Background: Nasal septal abscess (NSA) is a rare condition most commonly seen as a complication of nasal trauma. The diagnosis of NSA requires emergent treatment, because delayed management can result in significant morbidity. Typically, NSA presents as a purulent collection that can be managed with drainage, either surgically or at bedside.

In-Lab Upfront Use of Tirofiban May Reduce the Occurrence of No-Reflow During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. A Pilot Randomized Study.

Background:: Despite successful opening of culprit coronary artery, myocardial reperfusion does not always follows primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are used in the treatment of no-reflow (NR), but their role to prevent it is unproven.

Objective:: To evaluate the effect of in-lab administration of tirofiban on the incidence of NR in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with PPCI.

Meta-Analysis and Advancement of Brucellosis Vaccinology.

Background/objectives: In spite of all the research effort for developing new vaccines against brucellosis, it remains unclear whether these new vaccine technologies will in fact become widely used. The goal of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to identify parameters that influence vaccine efficacy as well as a descriptive analysis on how the field of Brucella vaccinology is advancing concerning type of vaccine, improvement of protection on animal models over time, and factors that may affect protection in the mouse model.

Methods: A total of 117 publications that met the criteria were selected for inclusion in this study, with a total of 782 individual experiments analyzed.

[Evaluation of the management of soft tissue sarcomas in Franche-Comté since the establishment of a multidisciplinary meeting at University Hospital. About 47 cases].

Goals Of Study: A multidisciplinary meeting (RCP) dedicated to the treatment of sarcoma was established in Franche-Comte in 2010. The goals of the study are: (a) To evaluate the treatment of sarcomas by confrontation with the existing literature; (b) To evaluate the influence of the multidisciplinary meeting on the management of sarcomas by hospitals at the regional level.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective single center study from 2010 to 2015 on patients with sarcoma and peripheral soft tissue drawn from a Netsarc database (National Network of sarcomas) and communicating cancer record.

Assessing abortion coverage in nurse practitioner programs in Canada: a national survey of program directors.

Objectives: Although nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role in the delivery of reproductive health services in Canada, there is a paucity of published information regarding the reproductive health education provided in their training programs. Our study aimed to understand better the didactic and curricular coverage of abortion in Canadian NP programs.

Study Design: In 2014, we conducted a 3-contact, bilingual (English-French) mailed survey to assess the coverage of, time dedicated to and barriers to inclusion of 17 different areas of reproductive health, including abortion.

Molecular cloning of the tomato Hairless gene implicates actin dynamics in trichome-mediated defense and mechanical properties of stem tissue.

Trichomes are epidermal structures that provide a first line of defense against arthropod herbivores. The recessive hairless (hl) mutation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) causes severe distortion of trichomes on all aerial tissues, impairs the accumulation of sesquiterpene and polyphenolic compounds in glandular trichomes, and compromises resistance to the specialist herbivore Manduca sexta Here, we demonstrate that the tomato Hl gene encodes a subunit (SRA1) of the highly conserved WAVE regulatory complex that controls nucleation of actin filaments in a wide range of eukaryotic cells.

Mesh Surgery for Anterior Vaginal Wall Prolapse: A Meta-analysis.

Purpose Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major health issue worldwide, affecting 6-8% of women. The most affected site is the anterior vaginal wall. Multiple procedures and surgical techniques have been used, with or without the use of vaginal meshes, due to common treatment failure, reoperations, and complication rates in some studies.

Pulmonary varix: A case report.

The authors report a case of multiple pulmonary varices, a rare disease characterized by aneurysmatic venous dilatations, which can be present at any age and without gender predominance, occurring in isolation or associated with obstruction of the pulmonary veins. This condition usually manifests as a lung mass with variable clinical consequences.

The efficacy of the Microsoft Kinect to assess human bimanual coordination.

The Microsoft Kinect has been used in studies examining posture and gait. Despite the advantages of portability and low cost, this device has not been used to assess interlimb coordination. Fundamental insights into movement control, variability, health, and functional status can be gained by examining coordination patterns.

Using Whole Exome Sequencing to Identify Candidate Genes With Rare Variants In Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate.

Studies suggest that nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) is polygenic with variable penetrance, presenting a challenge in identifying all causal genetic variants. Despite relatively high prevalence of NSCLP among Amerindian populations, no large whole exome sequencing (WES) studies have been completed in this population. Our goal was to identify candidate genes with rare genetic variants for NSCLP in a Honduran population using WES.

The Ottawa Citizen Engagement and Action Model (OCEAM): A Citizen engagement Strategy Operationalized Through The Participatory Research in Ottawa, Management and Point-of-care of Tobacco (PROMPT) Study: A Community Based Participatory Action Research Project in Inner City Ottawa.

Plain Language Summary: The PROMPT study is a community-based research project designed to understand the factors which affect smoking as well as ways to manage, reduce and quit smoking among people who use drugs in Ottawa. There is strong medical evidence that smoking tobacco is related to more than two dozen diseases and conditions. Smoking tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death and has negative health impacts on people of all ages.

Exploring Canadian women's knowledge of and interest in mifepristone: results from a national qualitative study with abortion patients.

Introduction: Although Canada decriminalized abortion in 1988, significant disparities in access to services and an uneven geographic distribution of providers persists. Health Canada registered mifepristone, the gold standard of medication abortion, in July 2015. Our study explored Canadian women's knowledge of, interest in, and perspectives on mifepristone prior to registration.

Susceptibility of Maize to Stalk Rot Caused by Fusarium graminearum Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone Mutants.

Fusarium graminearum is a destructive pathogen of cereals that can cause stalk rot in maize. Stalk rot results in yield losses due to impaired grain filling, premature senescence, and lodging, which limits production and harvesting of ears. In addition, mycotoxins can make infected tissues unfit for silage.

Limit cycle oscillations in standing human posture.

Limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) are a hallmark of dynamic instability in time-delayed and nonlinear systems such as climate change models, biological oscillators, and robotics. Here we study the links between the human neuromuscular system and LCOs in standing posture. First, we demonstrate through a simple mathematical model that the observation of LCOs in posture is indicative of excessive neuromuscular time-delay.

First report on HLA-DPA1 gene allelic distribution in the general Lebanese population.

Aims: HLA-DPA1 is an important marker in bone marrow and organ transplantation and a highly emerging screening parameter in histocompatibility laboratories. Being highly polymorphic, it has another significant value in detecting population origins and migrations. This is the first study to assess DPA1 allele frequencies in an Arab population.