Handling ties in continuous outcomes for confounder adjustment with rank-ordered logit and its application to ordinal outcomes.

The rank-ordered logit (rologit) model was recently introduced as a robust approach for analysing continuous outcomes, with the linear exposure effect estimated by scaling the rank-based log-odds estimate. Here we extend the application of the rologit model to continuous outcomes with ties and ordinal outcomes treated as imperfectly-observed continuous outcomes. By identifying the functional relationship between survival times and continuous outcomes, we explicitly establish the equivalence between the rologit and Cox models to justify the use of the Breslow, Efron and perturbation methods in the analysis of continuous outcomes with ties.

Factors associated with false-positive mammography at first screen in an Asian population.

Introduction: False-positive recall is an issue in national screening programmes. The aim of this study is to investigate the recall rate at first screen and to identify potential predictors of false-positive recall in a multi-ethnic Asian population-based breast cancer screening programme.

Methods: Women aged 50-64 years attending screening mammography for the first time (n = 25,318) were included in this study.

Comparison of self-reported and register-based hospital medical data on comorbidities in women.

Breast cancer patients commonly present with comorbidities which are known to influence treatment decisions and survival. We aim to examine agreement between self-reported and register-based medical records (National Patient Register [NPR]). Ascertainment of nine conditions, using individually-linked data from 64,961 women enrolled in the Swedish KARolinska MAmmography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA) study.

Access to Palliative Care for Cancer Patients Living in a Northern and Rural Environment in Ontario, Canada: The Effects of Geographic Region and Rurality on End-of-Life Care in a Population-Based Decedent Cancer Cohort.

Background: Access to palliative care has been associated with improving quality of life and reducing the use of potentially aggressive end-of-life care. However, many challenges and barriers exist in providing palliative care to residents in northern and rural settings in Ontario, Canada.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine access to palliative care and associations with the use of end-of-life care in a decedent cohort of northern and southern, rural and urban, residents.

The association between weight at birth and breast cancer risk revisited using Mendelian randomisation.

Observational studies suggest that higher birth weight (BW) is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in adult life. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study to assess whether this association is causal. Sixty independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to be associated at P < 5 × 10 with BW were used to construct (1) a 41-SNP instrumental variable (IV) for univariable MR after removing SNPs with pleiotropic associations with other breast cancer risk factors and (2) a 49-SNP IV for multivariable MR after filtering SNPs for data availability.

Breast-conserving surgery mastectomy in young women with breast cancer in Asian settings.

Background: Mastectomy rates among women with early breast cancer in Asia have traditionally been high. This study assessed trends in the surgical management of young women with early-stage breast cancer in Asian settings. Survival in women treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS; lumpectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy) and those undergoing mastectomy was compared.

Cofactor Specificity Switch on Peach Glucitol Dehydrogenase.

Most oxidoreductases that use NAD or NADP to transfer electrons in redox reactions display a strong preference for the cofactor. The catalytic efficiency of peach glucitol dehydrogenase (GolDHase) for NAD is 1800-fold higher than that for NADP. Herein, we combined structural and kinetic data to reverse the cofactor specificity of this enzyme.

Caveolin-1 Variant Is Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome in Kuwaiti Children.

Caveolin-1 () variants have been suggested to be associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders, but information based on human studies is limited. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential association between the rs1997623 C/A variant and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Kuwaiti children. DNA from saliva samples collected from 1313 Kuwaiti children (mean age: 12 years) were genotyped using the TaqMan SNP genotyping assay.

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: Educational Interventions for Parents of Hospitalized Children.

Background: Targeted education to help parents and caregivers recognize the signs and symptoms of post-intensive care syndrome may increase their awareness and willingness to seek support during their child's admission. The optimal strategy for this education has not been established.

Methods: A pilot study to test 3 educational strategies for caregivers of pediatric intensive care unit patients.

Muscle atrophy in mechanically-ventilated critically ill children.

Importance: ICU-acquired muscle atrophy occurs commonly and worsens outcomes in adults. The incidence and severity of muscle atrophy in critically ill children are poorly characterized.

Objective: To determine incidence, severity and risk factors for muscle atrophy in critically ill children.

Performance of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: SNP risk information can potentially improve the accuracy of breast cancer risk prediction. We aim to review and assess the performance of SNP-enhanced risk prediction models.

Methods: Studies that reported area under the ROC curve (AUC) and/or net reclassification improvement (NRI) for both traditional and SNP-enhanced risk models were identified.

Dynamics of pleasure-displeasure at the limit of exercise tolerance: conceptualizing the sense of exertional physical fatigue as an affective response.

The search for variables involved in the regulation and termination of exercise performance has led to integrative models that attribute a central role to the brain and utilize an array of psychological terms (e.g. sensation, perception, discomfort, tolerance).

Whole-exome sequencing reveals novel genetic variants associated with diverse phenotypes of melanoma cells.

We have extensively studied the phenotypic heterogeneity of patient-derived melanoma cells. Here, whole-exome sequencing revealed novel variants of genes associated with the MAPK, NOTCH, Hippo, cell-cycle, senescence, and ubiquitin-dependent pathways, which could contribute to the observed phenotypic diversity between cell lines. Focusing on mutations in the MAPK pathway-associated genes, we found BRAF (BRAF ) and RAS subtypes, including NRAS and the rare HRAS variant, and additional alterations potentially leading to different ERK1/2 activity.

National Health Care Spending In 2017: Growth Slows To Post-Great Recession Rates; Share Of GDP Stabilizes.

Total nominal US health care spending increased 3.9 percent to $3.5 trillion in 2017, slowing from growth of 4.

Experimental infection of racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica) with highly pathogenic Clade 2.3.4.4 sub-group B H5N8 avian influenza virus.

Reported mass mortalities in wild pigeons and doves during the 2017/2018 Clade 2.3.4.

Laparoscopic repositioning of chronic gastric volvulus in a dog.

A 12-year-old spayed Newfoundland bitch was presented with chronic non-productive vomiting, regurgitation and coughing of six weeks' duration. On clinical examination, the dog was depressed with no other significant findings. Haematology and biochemistry investigations detected no abnormalities.

Optimizing Neurocritical Care Follow-Up Through the Integration of Neuropsychology.

Background: Pediatric critical care survivors often suffer persisting multisystem health problems and are left with treatment needs that go unmet due to limits in current care models. We proposed that integration of neuropsychology into neurocritical care follow-up provides incremental benefit to the identification and treatment of persisting complications and reduction in co-morbidities.

Basic Procedures: The aims of this study were three-fold.

Photo Rounds: Chronic diarrhea in a 64-year-old woman.

Our patient presented with abdominal pain and worsening diarrhea. She had no significant medical history, but imaging studies helped us make the Dx.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of fetal development in the rat.

The study objectives were to measure gestational sac (GS) diameter and crown-to-rump (CR) length in conscious pregnant rats and to determine the chronological ultrasonographic appearance of heart beat and fetal organogenesis. The study formed part of a unilateral surgical salpingectomy trial with 16 female Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus). Ten rats were operated on while the other six served as controls.

Epipericardial fat necrosis: Uncommon cause of acute pleuritic chest pain.

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EPFN) is a rare cause for acute chest. We describe the case of a previously healthy 25-year-old man who presented with sudden onset of left-sided chest pain. Laboratory values showed only mildly elevated d-dimer and electrocardiogram was normal.

Women's preferences, willingness-to-pay, and predicted uptake for single-nucleotide polymorphism gene testing to guide personalized breast cancer screening strategies: a discrete choice experiment.

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) gene test is a potential tool for improving the accuracy of breast cancer risk prediction. We seek to measure women's preferences and marginal willingness-to-pay (mWTP) for this new technology.

Materials And Methods: We administered a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to English-speaking Singaporean women aged 40-69 years without any history of breast cancer, enrolled via door-to-door recruitment with quota sampling by age and ethnicity.

A systematic review of adaptations of evidence-based public health interventions globally.

Background: Adaptations of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) often occur. However, little is known about the reasons for adaptation, the adaptation process, and outcomes of adapted EBIs. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review to answer the following questions: (1) What are the reasons for and common types of adaptations being made to EBIs in community settings as reported in the published literature? (2) What steps are described in making adaptations to EBIs? and (3) What outcomes are assessed in evaluations of adapted EBIs?

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of English language publications that described adaptations of public health EBIs.

The impact of a thin endometrial lining on fresh and frozen-thaw IVF outcomes: an analysis of over 40 000 embryo transfers.

Study Question: Does each millimeter decrease in endometrial thickness lead to lower pregnancy and live birth rates in fresh and frozen IVF cycles?

Summary Answer: Clinical pregnancy and live birth rates decline as the endometrial thickness decreases below 8 mm in fresh IVF-ET and below 7 mm in frozen-thaw embryo transfer (ET) cycles.

What Is Known Already: Previous studies have been heterogenous and have shown conflicting results on the impact of endometrial thickness on IVF outcomes. Most studies do not include many patients with an endometrial thickness below 6 mm, and there are few studies of frozen-thaw ET cycles.

Rationale and design of randomized controlled trial protocol of cardiovascular rehabilitation based on the use of telemedicine technology in the Czech Republic (CR-GPS).

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain the most common causes of death in the world. Instructions for secondary prevention recommend multifaceted approach in cardiovascular diseases risk management. Center-based physical exercise training is considered as an important integral part of cardiac rehabilitation (CR).