Impact of social franchising on contraceptive use when complemented by vouchers: a quasi-experimental study in rural Pakistan.

Background: Pakistan has had a low contraceptive prevalence rate for the last two decades; with preference for natural birth spacing methods and condoms. Family planning services offered by the public sector have never fulfilled the demand for contraception, particularly in rural areas. In the private sector, cost is a major constraint.

Variants at IRX4 as prostate cancer expression quantitative trait loci.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous prostate cancer-associated risk loci. Some variants at these loci may be regulatory and influence expression of nearby genes. Such loci are known as cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL).

Reproducible culture and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells using an automated microwell platform.

The use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and their progeny in high throughput drug discovery and regenerative medicine will require production at scale of well characterized cells at an appropriate level of purity. The adoption of automated bioprocessing techniques offers the possibility to overcome the lack of consistency and high failure rates seen with current manual protocols. To build the case for increased use of automation this work addresses the key question: "can an automated system match the quality of a highly skilled and experienced person working manually?" To answer this we first describe an integrated automation platform designed for the 'hands-free' culture and differentiation of ESCs in microwell formats.

Impact of stepwise ablation on the biatrial substrate in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Background: Ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation can be challenging, often involving not only pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) but also additional linear lesions and ablation of complex fractionated electrograms (CFE). We examined the impact of stepwise ablation on a human model of advanced atrial substrate of persistent atrial fibrillation in heart failure.

Methods And Results: In 30 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, high-density CFE maps were recorded biatrially at baseline, in the left atrium (LA) after PVI and linear lesions (roof and mitral isthmus), and biatrially after LA CFE ablation.

BreastPRS is a gene expression assay that stratifies intermediate-risk Oncotype DX patients into high- or low-risk for disease recurrence.

Molecular prognostic assays, such as Oncotype DX, are increasingly incorporated into the management of patients with invasive breast carcinoma. BreastPRS is a new molecular assay developed and validated from a meta-analysis of publically available genomic datasets. We applied the assay to matched fresh-frozen (FF) and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples to translate the assay to FFPE.

The Mohs histotechnician: a review of training and practice within 29 centres in the UK.

Background: Although various assessments pertaining to the surgical aspect of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) have been performed, the pivotal role played by the MMS histotechnician (MH) has not previously been addressed in the UK.

Aim: To undertake a review of the training and practice of MHs in all centres performing MMS within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

Methods: NHS dermatology departments performing MMS in the UK were identified and contacted by telephone between November 2011 and January 2012.

A randomized trial to assess catheter ablation versus rate control in the management of persistent atrial fibrillation in heart failure.

Objectives: This study sought to compare catheter ablation with rate control for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure (HF).

Background: The optimal therapy for AF in HF is unclear. Drug-based rhythm control has not proved clinically beneficial.

IUD discontinuation rates, switching behavior, and user satisfaction: findings from a retrospective analysis of a mobile outreach service program in Pakistan.

Background: In Pakistan, the uptake rate for the intrauterine device (IUD) is very low at 2.5%. The most popular modern contraceptive methods in Pakistan are female sterilization and use of condoms.

Complications and re-operations after Bristow-Latarjet shoulder stabilization: a systematic review.

Background: Various methods of bony stabilization, including modifications of Bristow and Latarjet procedures, are considered gold-standard treatment for recurrent anterior shoulder instability but are associated with unique complications and risk of reoperation. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of these complications. We hypothesized that the Bristow-Latarjet procedure would be a successful technique for treatment of shoulder instability but associated with a risk of recurrent postoperative instability, reoperation, and other complications.

Contact force sensing technology identifies sites of inadequate contact and reduces acute pulmonary vein reconnection: a prospective case control study.

Background: Contact force (CF) sensing technology allows real time CF measurement during catheter ablation. We hypothesised that the use of CF technology during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) would translate into lower acute pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection rates.

Methods And Results: Symptomatic AF patients were treated in two groups, 'unblinded' and 'blinded', each containing 20 patients undergoing first time PVI.

Dysfunctional behavioral modulation of corticostriatal communication in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Background: In Huntington's disease (HD), motor symptoms develop prior to the widespread loss of neurons in striatum and cerebral cortex. The aim of this study was to examine dysfunctional patterns of corticostriatal communication during spontaneously occurring behaviors in a transgenic mouse model of HD.

Methodology/principal Findings: Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from two closely interconnected areas, motor cortex and dorsal striatum, in wild-type controls (WT, n = 14) and a widely used transgenic HD model (R6/2 mice, n = 12).