Temporal factors in school closure policy for mitigating the spread of influenza.

Is school closure effective in mitigating influenza outbreaks? For Singapore, we developed an individual-based simulation model using real-life contact data. We evaluated the impacts of temporal factors - trigger threshold and duration - on the effectiveness of school closure as a mitigation policy. We found an upper bound of the duration of school closure, where further extension beyond which will not bring additional benefits to suppressing the attack rate and peak incidence.

Translating cognitive neuroscience to the driver's operational environment: a neuroergonomic approach.

Neuroergonomics provides a multidisciplinary translational approach that merges elements of neuroscience, human factors, cognitive psychology, and ergonomics to study brain structure and function in everyday environments. Driving safety, particularly that of older drivers with cognitive impairments, is a fruitful application domain for neuroergonomics. Driving makes demands on multiple cognitive processes that are often studied in isolation and so presents a useful challenge in generalizing findings from controlled laboratory tasks to predict safety outcomes.

Mutations in lectin complement pathway genes COLEC11 and MASP1 cause 3MC syndrome.

3MC syndrome has been proposed as a unifying term encompassing the overlapping Carnevale, Mingarelli, Malpuech and Michels syndromes. These rare autosomal recessive disorders exhibit a spectrum of developmental features, including characteristic facial dysmorphism, cleft lip and/or palate, craniosynostosis, learning disability and genital, limb and vesicorenal anomalies. Here we studied 11 families with 3MC syndrome and identified two mutated genes, COLEC11 and MASP1, both of which encode proteins in the lectin complement pathway (collectin kidney 1 (CL-K1) and MASP-1 and MASP-3, respectively).

Cleft lip with cleft palate, ankyloglossia, and hypodontia are associated with TBX22 mutations.

X-linked cleft palate and ankyloglossia (CPX) are caused by mutations in the TBX22 transcription factor. To investigate whether patients with ankyloglossia alone or in the presence of other craniofacial features including hypodontia or CLP might be caused by TBX22 mutations, we analyzed 45 Thai patients with isolated ankyloglossia, 2 unusual CPA families, and 282 non-syndromic Thai and UK patients with CLP. Five putative missense mutations were identified, including 3 located in the T-box binding domain (R120Q, R126W, and R151L) that affects DNA binding and/or transcriptional repression.

Economic burden of venous thromboembolism: a systematic review.

Objective: Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism - together referred to as venous thromboembolism (VTE) - result in a major burden on healthcare systems. However, to the authors' knowledge no comprehensive review of the economic burden of VTE has so far been published.

Methods: A literature search was carried out to identify references published in English since 1997 using Medline, the Cochrane Library and the Health Economic Evaluations Database.

IRF6 Screening of Syndromic and a priori Non-Syndromic Cleft Lip and Palate Patients: Identification of a New Type of Minor VWS Sign.

Van der Woude syndrome (VWS), caused by dominant IRF6 mutation, is the most common cleft syndrome. In 15% of the patients, lip pits are absent and the phenotype mimics isolated clefts. Therefore, we hypothesized that some of the families classified as having non-syndromic inherited cleft lip and palate could have an IRF6 mutation.

Dysregulation of the inflammatory response to the parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, in P2X7 receptor-deficient mice.

The P2X(7) receptor (P2X(7)R) is a two transmembrane receptor that is highly expressed on the surface of immune cells. Loss of function polymorphisms in this receptor have been linked to increased susceptibility to intracellular pathogens. P2X(7)R gene knockout (P2X(7)R(-/-); on a C57Bl/6J background), C57Bl/6J and BALB/c mice were infected with the avirulent ME49 strain of the intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, and susceptibility determined by monitoring weight loss.

Clinical burden of venous thromboembolism.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. VTE is a common disorder, with an estimated annual incidence of approximately 5-12 persons per 10,000. The prognosis for patients who develop VTE is exacerbated by the risk of recurrent VTE, post-thrombotic syndrome and chronic pulmonary hypertension as a long-term complication of PE.

Evaluating the use of Enhanced Primary Care health assessments by general practices in North Queensland.

The Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program funds GPs to provide preventative health assessments through a specific set of Medicare item numbers. The study aimed to show whether patients completing these health assessments had better recorded screening rates than those receiving usual care. A retrospective clinical record audit was undertaken in north Queensland general practices by practice nurses from the North Queensland Practice Based Research Network.

Cost-effectiveness of rivaroxaban versus enoxaparin for the prevention of postsurgical venous thromboembolism in Canada.

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prophylaxis with rivaroxaban vs. enoxaparin in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) from the perspective of the Canadian healthcare system. A model was developed that included both acute VTE (represented as a decision tree) and long-term complications (represented as a Markov process with one-year cycles).

Preparation and characterization of iron oxide-silica composite particles using mesoporous SBA-15 silica as template and their internalization into mesenchymal stem cell and human bone cell lines.

A new procedure for preparing iron oxide-silica nanocomposite particles using SBA-15 mesoporous silica as a template is described. These composite materials retained the 2-D hexagonal structure of the SBA-15 template. Transmission electron micrograms of the particles depicted the formation of iron oxide nanocrystals inside the mesochannels of SBA-15 silica framework.

Evidence for associations between the purinergic receptor P2X(7) (P2RX7) and toxoplasmosis.

Congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection can result in intracranial calcification, hydrocephalus and retinochoroiditis. Acquired infection is commonly associated with ocular disease. Pathology is characterized by strong proinflammatory responses.

P2X7 receptor-mediated killing of an intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, by human and murine macrophages.

The P2X7R is highly expressed on the macrophage cell surface, and activation of infected cells by extracellular ATP has been shown to kill intracellular bacteria and parasites. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphisms that decrease receptor function reduce the ability of human macrophages to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are associated with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. In this study, we show that macrophages from people with the 1513C (rs3751143, NM_002562.

Risky car following in abstinent users of MDMA.

Ecstasy (MDMA) use raises concerns because of its association with risky driving. We evaluated driving performance and risk taking in abstinent recreational MDMA users in a simulated car following task that required continuous attention and vigilance. Drivers were asked to follow two car lengths behind a lead vehicle (LV).

Regulators of cyclin-dependent kinases are crucial for maintaining genome integrity in S phase.

Maintenance of genome integrity is of critical importance to cells. To identify key regulators of genomic integrity, we screened a human cell line with a kinome small interfering RNA library. WEE1, a major regulator of mitotic entry, and CHK1 were among the genes identified.

Recognizing paracetamol formulations with the same synthesis pathway based on their trace-enriched chromatographic impurity profiles.

The development of a new drug substance is an expensive and time-consuming process. Therefore, the developers want to maximize the profit from the drug by patenting the concerned molecule as well as its synthesis pathway. In a later stage a faster or cheaper manufacturing process can be developed and patented.

Expanding CEP290 mutational spectrum in ciliopathies.

Ciliopathies are an expanding group of rare conditions characterized by multiorgan involvement, that are caused by mutations in genes encoding for proteins of the primary cilium or its apparatus. Among these genes, CEP290 bears an intriguing allelic spectrum, being commonly mutated in Joubert syndrome and related disorders (JSRD), Meckel syndrome (MKS), Senior-Loken syndrome and isolated Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Although these conditions are recessively inherited, in a subset of patients only one CEP290 mutation could be detected.

p53-independent upregulation of miR-34a during oncogene-induced senescence represses MYC.

Aberrant oncogene activation induces cellular senescence, an irreversible growth arrest that acts as a barrier against tumorigenesis. To identify microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in oncogene-induced senescence, we examined the expression of miRNAs in primary human TIG3 fibroblasts after constitutive activation of B-RAF. Among the regulated miRNAs, both miR-34a and miR-146a were strongly induced during senescence.

Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome: Delineation of the phenotype.

Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NBS) is an infrequently described condition, thus far reported in five cases. In order to delineate the phenotype and its natural history in more detail, we gathered data on 18 hitherto unreported patients through a multi-center collaborative study, and follow-up data of the earlier reported patients. A detailed comparison of the 23 patients is provided.

Frontorhiny, a distinctive presentation of frontonasal dysplasia caused by recessive mutations in the ALX3 homeobox gene.

We describe a recessively inherited frontonasal malformation characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, with hypertelorism, wide nasal bridge, short nasal ridge, bifid nasal tip, broad columella, widely separated slit-like nares, long philtrum with prominent bilateral swellings, and midline notch in the upper lip and alveolus. Additional recurrent features present in a minority of individuals have been upper eyelid ptosis and midline dermoid cysts of craniofacial structures. Assuming recessive inheritance, we mapped the locus in three families to chromosome 1 and identified mutations in ALX3, which is located at band 1p13.

The out-of-hospital validation of the Canadian C-Spine Rule by paramedics.

Study Objective: We designed the Canadian C-Spine Rule for the clinical clearance of the cervical spine, without need for diagnostic imaging, in alert and stable trauma patients. Emergency physicians previously validated the Canadian C-Spine Rule in 8,283 patients. This study prospectively evaluates the performance characteristics, reliability, and clinical sensibility of the Canadian C-Spine Rule when used by paramedics in the out-of-hospital setting.

Inter-laboratory comparison of elemental analysis and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. II. Delta15N measurements of selected compounds for the development of an isotopic Grob test.

An inter-laboratory exercise was carried out by a consortium of five European laboratories to establish a set of compounds, suitable for calibrating gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) devices, to be used as isotopic reference materials for hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope measurements. The set of compounds was chosen with the aim of developing a mixture of reference materials to be used in analytical protocols to check for food and beverage authentication. The exercise was organized in several steps to achieve the certification level: the first step consisted of the a priori selection of chemical compounds on the basis of the scientific literature and successive GC tests to set the analytical conditions for each single compound and the mixture.

Highly conserved non-coding elements on either side of SOX9 associated with Pierre Robin sequence.

Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) is an important subgroup of cleft palate. We report several lines of evidence for the existence of a 17q24 locus underlying PRS, including linkage analysis results, a clustering of translocation breakpoints 1.06-1.