The efficacy of an experimental dentifrice containing 0.454% w/w stannous fluoride in providing relief from the pain of dentin hypersensitivity: an 8-week clinical study.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of a 0.454% w/w stannous fluoride containing anhydrous dentifrice and a negative control dentifrice containing 1,000 ppm fluoride (as sodium monofluorophosphate) at reducing dentin hypersensitivity over an 8-week period, following twice daily brushing.

Methods: This was a randomized, examiner blind, two-treatment arm, stratified (by maximum baseline Schiff sensitivity score), parallel design, single-site study in 118 subjects, who had at least two sensitive teeth, and met all the criteria at the screening and baseline visit.

Impact of regurgitation on health-related quality of life in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease before and after short-term potent acid suppression therapy.

Objective: Limited data exist on the impact of regurgitation on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). We assessed the relationship between regurgitation frequency and HRQOL before and after acid suppression therapy in GORD.

Method: We used data from two randomised trials of AZD0865 25-75 mg/day versus esomeprazole 20 or 40 mg/day in non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) (n=1415) or reflux oesophagitis (RO) (n=1460).

Tackling incidents of violence, aggression and antisocial behaviour.

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has developed Sand implemented a strategy to reduce the number of incidents of violence, aggression and antisocial behaviour in its emergency department. The strategy, which includes the introduction of a nurse co-ordinator role and withdrawal of treatment from persistent offenders, has ensured the care environment is safer and calmer for patients and staff. This article discusses different aspects of the strategy and the ethics of withdrawing care from patients.

Salford alcohol assertive outreach team: a new model for reducing alcohol-related admissions.

Objective: Alcohol-related admissions are increasing. A significant number of these admissions are attributable to a small number of complex patients with other comorbidities who do not engage well with mainstream services. Assertive outreach teams have been used in the field of psychiatry to engage patients who are poorly compliant.

A previously unreported serious adverse event during balloon sinuplasty.

Balloon sinuplasty is considered as a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. In this case report we describe how a patient undergoing balloon sinuplasty sustained an intraoperative cardiac arrest with no cardiac history. Postoperative investigations were all normal.

Genotype and phenotype correlations in 417 children with congenital hyperinsulinism.

Context: Hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is caused by mutations in 9 genes.

Objective: Our objective was to correlate genotype with phenotype in 417 children with HI.

Methods: Mutation analysis was carried out for the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel genes (ABCC8 and KCNJ11), GLUD1, and GCK with supplemental screening of rarer genes, HADH, UCP2, HNF4A, HNF1A, and SLC16A1.

Adenocarcinoma of gallbladder: an immunohistochemical profile and comparison with cholangiocarcinoma.

Aim: Cholangiocarcinomas display intestinal and pyloric gland metaplasia-cell phenotypes. Those that arise in chronically inflamed (fluke infested) bile ducts more frequently express the intestinal metaplasia-cell phenotype and p53 than sporadic cholangiocarcinomas. We wished to determine if adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder display a similar profile.

An investigation into the magnitude of the current window and perception of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) sensation at various frequencies and body sites in healthy human participants.

Introduction: Strong nonpainful transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is prerequisite to a successful analgesic outcome although the ease with which this sensation is achieved is likely to depend on the magnitude of current amplitude (mA) between sensory detection threshold (SDT) and pain threshold, that is, the current window.

Objectives: To measure the current window and participant's perception of the comfort of the TENS sensation at different body sites.

Methods: A repeated measure cross-over study was conducted using 30 healthy adult volunteers.

A 3-day randomised clinical study investigating the efficacy of two toothpastes, designed to occlude dentine tubules, for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity.

Objectives: A product comparison study to compare the short term clinical efficacy of a strontium acetate/silica toothpaste with an arginine/calcium carbonate paste for pain reduction in dentine hypersensitivity.

Methods: The study was examiner blind of two arm parallel design. Eighty healthy adult subjects from general dental practice with ≥2 sensitive teeth but otherwise good oral health, were enrolled and randomised to 1 of 2 toothpaste treatments, schedule provided by the sponsor.

Response of chronic cough to acid-suppressive therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: Epidemiologic and physiologic studies suggest an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic cough. However, the benefit of antireflux therapy for chronic cough remains unclear, with most relevant trials reporting negative findings. This systematic review aimed to reevaluate the response of chronic cough to antireflux therapy in trials that allowed us to distinguish patients with or without objective evidence of GERD.

Estimating contribution of anthocyanin pigments to osmotic adjustment during winter leaf reddening.

The association between plant water stress and synthesis of red, anthocyanin pigments in leaves has led some plant biologists to propose an osmotic function of leaf reddening. According to this hypothesis, anthocyanins function as a solute in osmotic adjustment (OA), contributing to depression of osmotic potential (Ψ(π)) and maintenance of turgor pressure during drought-stressed conditions. Here we calculate the percent contribution of anthocyanin to leaf Ψ(π) during OA in two angiosperm evergreen species, Galax urceolata and Gaultheria procumbens.

STAT3-driven upregulation of TLR2 promotes gastric tumorigenesis independent of tumor inflammation.

Gastric cancer (GC) is associated with chronic inflammation; however, the molecular mechanisms promoting tumorigenesis remain ill defined. Using a GC mouse model driven by hyperactivation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 oncogene, we show that STAT3 directly upregulates the epithelial expression of the inflammatory mediator Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 in gastric tumors. Genetic and therapeutic targeting of TLR2 inhibited gastric tumorigenesis, but not inflammation, characterized by reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis of the gastric epithelium.

Systematic review: symptom assessment using patient-reported outcomes in gastroesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia.

Objective: The importance of symptom assessment using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is becoming increasingly recognized in the management of upper gastrointestinal (GI) disease. The authors aimed to review systematically the methodological aspects of PRO instrument development and use in the GERD or dyspepsia literature, and to assess these instruments' properties in light of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) guidance.

Material And Methods: Systematic PubMed and Embase searches (using terms based on the FDA guidance) identified studies that reported methodological aspects in developing or using PRO instruments for GERD or dyspepsia symptom measurement.

Dangerous liaisons: the predation risks of receiving social signals.

Individuals are at risk when communicating because conspicuous signals attract both conspecifics and eavesdropping predators. This predation cost of communicating has typically been attributed to signalling individuals because of their conspicuous role, and is a core concept within sexual selection and communication ecology. But, if predators are attracted to signals, then receivers, both intended or otherwise, may also find themselves at risk of predation.

Novel presentations of congenital hyperinsulinism due to mutations in the MODY genes: HNF1A and HNF4A.

Context: Inactivating mutations in HNF1A and HNF4A cause the maturity-onset diabetes of youth (MODY)-3 and MODY1 forms of monogenic diabetes, respectively. Children carrying HNF4A (MODY1) mutations can present in early infancy with macrosomia and diazoxide-responsive hyperinsulinism.

Objective: Our objective was to describe three novel cases of hyperinsulinism associated with MODY1 and MODY3 mutations.

Concomitant symptoms itemized in the Reflux Disease Questionnaire are associated with attenuated heartburn response to acid suppression.

Objectives: The Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) contains six symptom items for diagnosing and gauging gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) severity. However, clinical trials have generally focused only on the "substernal burning" item and limited data exist on the effect of concomitant items on the treatment response of "substernal burning".

Methods: Data from two large randomized trials of AZD0865 25-75 mg/day vs.

Compound heterozygous mutations in the SUR1 (ABCC 8) subunit of pancreatic K(ATP) channels cause neonatal diabetes by perturbing the coupling between Kir6.2 and SUR1 subunits.

KATP channels regulate insulin secretion by coupling β-cell metabolism to membrane excitability. These channels are comprised of a pore-forming Kir6.2 tetramer which is enveloped by four regulatory SUR1 subunits.

Patient satisfaction with medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review.

Background: Patient satisfaction is increasingly regarded as an important aspect of measuring treatment success in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Objective: To review how satisfied patients with GERD are with their medication, and to analyze the usefulness of patient satisfaction as a clinical end point by comparing it with symptom improvement.

Methods: Systematic searches of the PubMed and EMBASE databases identified clinical trials and patient surveys published between 1966 and 2009.

An in situ study investigating dentine tubule occlusion of dentifrices following acid challenge.

Objectives: To investigate the dentine occlusion and acid resistance of dentifrices developed to treat dentine hypersensitivity.

Methods: This was a single centre, single blind, randomised, split mouth, four treatments, two period crossover, in situ study in healthy subjects. Subjects wore buccal intra-oral appliances each fitted with four dentine samples over four consecutive days with one study product applied per appliance; 8% strontium acetate in silica base, 1040 ppm sodium fluoride (Sensodyne(®) Rapid Relief), 8% arginine, calcium carbonate, 1450 ppm sodium monofluorophosphate (Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief(®)), 1450 ppm sodium fluoride (control paste) and water.

Structural determinants of MALT1 protease activity.

The formation of the CBM (CARD11-BCL10-MALT1) complex is pivotal for antigen-receptor-mediated activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. Signaling is dependent on MALT1 (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1), which not only acts as a scaffolding protein but also possesses proteolytic activity mediated by its caspase-like domain. It remained unclear how the CBM activates MALT1.

Regurgitation is less responsive to acid suppression than heartburn in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background & Aims: Although most patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) achieve substantial symptom relief with acid suppression, many have some residual symptoms. We evaluated the responsiveness of regurgitation, characterized by the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) to potent acid suppression.

Methods: We analyzed data from 2 randomized controlled trials of AZD0865 (a potassium-competitive acid blocker) 25-75 mg/day vs esomeprazole 20-40 mg/day for the treatment of nonerosive reflux disease (NERD, n = 1460) or reflux esophagitis (RE, n = 1514).

Red leaf margins indicate increased polygodial content and function as visual signals to reduce herbivory in Pseudowintera colorata.

Red-pigmented leaf margins are common, but their functional significance is unknown. We hypothesized that red leaf margins reduce leaf herbivory by signalling to herbivorous insects the presence of increased chemical defences. Leaves were collected from a natural population of Pseudowintera colorata.

Developmental trait evolution in trilobites.

We performed a tree-based analysis of trilobite postembryonic development in a sample of 60 species for which quantitative data on segmentation and growth increments between putative successive instars are available, and that spans much of the temporal, phylogenetic, and habitat range of the group. Three developmental traits were investigated: the developmental mode of trunk segmentation, the average per-molt growth rate, and the conformity to a constant per-molt growth rate (Dyar's rule), for which an original metric was devised. Growth rates are within the normal range with respect to other arthropods and show overall conformity to Dyar's rule.

Xanthophyll cycle pigment and antioxidant profiles of winter-red (anthocyanic) and winter-green (acyanic) angiosperm evergreen species.

Leaves of many angiosperm evergreen species change colour from green to red during winter, corresponding with the synthesis of anthocyanin pigments. The ecophysiological function of winter colour change (if any), and why it occurs in some species and not others, are not yet understood. It was hypothesized that anthocyanins play a compensatory photoprotective role in species with limited capacity for energy dissipation.

In situ randomised trial investigating abrasive effects of two desensitising toothpastes on dentine with acidic challenge prior to brushing.

Objectives: To determine if brushing dentine with 2 moderate RDA desensitising toothpastes, results in a significant dentine wear difference and whether this difference continues to be relevant when preceded with an erosive challenge.

Methods: An in situ, single centre, single blind, randomised, split mouth study, evaluated the difference in abrasion of 2 toothpastes (SFM - Sensodyne Fresh Mint(®) RDA 70; CPHM - Crest Pro-Health Clean Mint(®) RDA 120) in 28 healthy volunteers. Two toothpaste treatments were administered 3×/day, for each of the two 15 day periods, subjects wearing bi-lateral, lower buccal appliances each with 4 dentine sections.