The effect of three-monthly albendazole treatment on malarial parasitemia and allergy: a household-based cluster-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Helminth infections are proposed to have immunomodulatory activities affecting health outcomes either detrimentally or beneficially. We evaluated the effects of albendazole treatment, every three months for 21 months, on STH, malarial parasitemia and allergy.

Methods And Findings: A household-based cluster-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in an area in Indonesia endemic for STH.

Lack of uniformity in the clinical assessment of children with lipomyelomeningocele: a review of the literature and recommendations for the future.

Objective: An objective clinical assessment tool whose accuracy and reproducibility can be validated is essential for the initial evaluation, selection for surgery and surveillance of children with lipomyelomeningocele (LMMC). The aim of this study was to analyse the large number of such tools presently in use and recommend an alternative that could lead to greater uniformity between different series and greater consistency in the assessment of individual patients.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature between January 1980 and December 2010 was undertaken and details of how the children in each series were assessed and the degree to which age was taken into account recorded.

Pathogen-specific risk of chronic gastrointestinal disorders following bacterial causes of foodborne illness.

Background: The US CDC estimates over 2 million foodborne illnesses are annually caused by 4 major enteropathogens: non-typhoid Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Shigella spp.

The treatment of cutaneous abscesses: comparison of emergency medicine providers' practice patterns.

Introduction: Cutaneous abscesses are commonly treated in the emergency department (ED). Although incision and drainage (I&D) remains the standard treatment, there is little high-quality evidence to support additional interventions such as pain control, type of incision, and use of irrigation, wound cultures, and packing. Although guidelines exist to support clinician management of abscesses, they do not clearly specify these additional interventions.

Relationship between carotid intima media thickness and helminth infections on Flores Island, Indonesia.

Objective: To examine the association between helminth infections and atherosclerosis.

Background: Chronic helminth infection, which can lead to poor nutritional status and anti-inflammatory response, might protect against the development of atherosclerosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Flores, Indonesia, an area highly endemic for soil-transmitted helminths (STH).

Variation in chlorophyll a to total phosphorus ratio across 94 UK and Irish lakes: implications for lake management.

Eutrophication is the most widespread pressure impacting on lakes worldwide and, in general, its control is underpinned by the premise that algal biomass is regulated by phosphorus availability. This paper aims to demonstrate that not all lakes will conform to the underlying principle of the Chl:TP relationships using variables collected widely in lake monitoring programmes across the world (i.e.

Risk-based input-output analysis of influenza epidemic consequences on interdependent workforce sectors.

Outbreaks of contagious diseases underscore the ever-looming threat of new epidemics. Compared to other disasters that inflict physical damage to infrastructure systems, epidemics can have more devastating and prolonged impacts on the population. This article investigates the interdependent economic and productivity risks resulting from epidemic-induced workforce absenteeism.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of acetaminophen 1000 mg versus acetaminophen 650 mg for the treatment of postsurgical dental pain.

Background: Although acetaminophen is one of the oldest and most widely used of all analgesic drugs, the incremental benefit of the 1000-mg dose compared with the 650-mg dose has been questioned.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relative efficacy of acetaminophen 1000 mg versus acetaminophen 650 mg over a 6-hour period in patients experiencing at least moderate postsurgical dental pain.

Methods: This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose study enrolled patients aged 16 to 50 years who experienced at least moderate pain after surgical removal of impacted third molars.

Bibliometric measures and National Institutes of Health funding at colleges of osteopathic medicine, 2006-2010.

Context: During the past 20 years, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) have made several advances in research that have substantially improved the osteopathic medical profession and the health of the US population. Furthering the understanding of research at COMs, particularly the factors influencing the attainment of extramural funds, is highly warranted and coincides with the missions of most COMs and national osteopathic organizations.

Objectives: To describe bibliometric measures (numbers of peer-reviewed publications [ie, published articles] and citations of these publications, impact indices) at COMs from 2006 through 2010 and to examine statistical associations between these measures and the amount of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds awarded to COMs in 2006 and 2010.

A call to action for antimicrobial stewardship in the emergency department: approaches and strategies.

Antimicrobial resistance is a mounting public health concern. Emergency departments (EDs) represent a particularly important setting for addressing inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing practices, given the frequent use of antibiotics in this setting that sits at the interface of the community and the hospital. This article outlines the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED setting and provides practical recommendations drawn from existing evidence for the application of various strategies and tools that could be implemented in the ED including advancement of clinical guidelines, clinical decision support systems, rapid diagnostics, and expansion of ED pharmacist programs.

Research funding at colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States.

Context: Research is a vital component of a college of osteopathic medicine (COM) portfolio. Previous studies have described research activity at COMs from 1989 through 2004 using data from surveys of COM administrators conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). However, these studies had limitations.

Sinonasal epithelial cells synthesize active vitamin D, augmenting host innate immune function.

Background: Vitamin D, long recognized for its role in bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis, has been increasingly shown to augment innate immunity. 1-α-Hydroxylase, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of active vitamin D, has been shown to have extrarenal expression in multiple cell types, including airway epithelial cells. The purpose of this study is to explore whether sinonasal epithelial cells (SNECs) express 1-α-hydroxylase, allowing for the local production of active vitamin D, thereby augmenting innate immune function.

Parasitic infections and immune function: effect of helminth infections in a malaria endemic area.

According to the hygiene hypothesis, reduced exposure to infections could explain the rise of atopic diseases in high-income countries. Helminths are hypothesised to alter the host's immune response in order to avoid elimination and, as a consequence, also reduce the host responsiveness to potential allergens. To elucidate the effect of current helminth infections on immune responsiveness in humans, we measured cytokine production in a rural Ghanaian population in an area with multiple endemic parasites including malaria, intestinal helminths and protozoa.

Intussusception after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery: an underrecognized complication.

Introduction. Intussusception after bariatric surgery is an uncommon complication that is now being frequently reported. Most people consider dysmotility to be the causative mechanism in the absence of obvious etiology.

The apelin receptor inhibits the angiotensin II type 1 receptor via allosteric trans-inhibition.

Background And Purpose: The apelin receptor (APJ) is often co-expressed with the angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1) and acts as an endogenous counter-regulator. Apelin antagonizes Ang II signalling, but the precise molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. Understanding this interaction may lead to new therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis causing recurrent catastrophic aortopulmonary shunt dehiscence in a patient with Alagille syndrome.

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with cholestatic liver disease, pulmonary valvar stenosis or atresia, vasculopathy, and renal disease. Although the liver and cardiac manifestations contribute to overall morbidity and mortality during their life span, these patients also carry a burden of important but often underappreciated vascular abnormalities. This report describes a 3 year-old girl with Alagille syndrome, hepatic cholestasis, systemic hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, and major aortopulmonary collaterals (TOF/PA/MAPCAs).

An action research study to explore the nature of the nurse consultant role in the care of children and young people.

Aims And Objectives: An action research study was undertaken to explore the development of the nurse consultant role when caring for children and young people.

Background: Five nurse consultants in different areas of specialist care in a tertiary paediatric hospital undertook the study when implementing the new role of nurse consultant into the hospital.

Methods: Action research meetings took place over a year.

Genotoxicity of silver nanoparticles in Vicia faba: a pilot study on the environmental monitoring of nanoparticles.

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in commercial products has increased significantly in recent years. Although there have been some attempts to determine the toxic effects of AgNPs in mammalian and human cell-lines, there is little information on plants which play a vital role in ecosystems. The study reports the use of Vicia faba root-tip meristem to investigate the genotoxicity of AgNPs under modified GENE-TOX test conditions.

Effects of cement thickness and bonding on the failure loads of CAD/CAM ceramic crowns: multi-physics FEA modeling and monotonic testing.

Objective: To determine the influence of cement thickness and ceramic/cement bonding on stresses and failure of CAD/CAM crowns, using both multi-physics finite element analysis and monotonic testing.

Methods: Axially symmetric FEA models were created for stress analysis of a stylized monolithic crown having resin cement thicknesses from 50 to 500 μm under occlusal loading. Ceramic-cement interface was modeled as bonded or not-bonded (cement-dentin as bonded).

Allosteric modulation of endogenous metabolites as an avenue for drug discovery.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors and a key drug target class. Recently, allosteric drugs that can co-bind with and modulate the activity of the endogenous ligand(s) for the receptor have become a major focus of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry for the development of novel GPCR therapeutic agents. This class of drugs has distinct properties compared with drugs targeting the endogenous (orthosteric) ligand-binding site that include the ability to sculpt cellular signaling and to respond differently in the presence of discrete orthosteric ligands, a behavior termed "probe dependence.

Dissection of adult mouse utricle and adenovirus-mediated supporting-cell infection.

Hearing loss and balance disturbances are often caused by death of mechanosensory hair cells, which are the receptor cells of the inner ear. Since there is no cell line that satisfactorily represents mammalian hair cells, research on hair cells relies on primary organ cultures. The best-characterized in vitro model system of mature mammalian hair cells utilizes organ cultures of utricles from adult mice (Figure 1).

Delayed environmental enrichment reverses sevoflurane-induced memory impairment in rats.

Background: Anesthesia given to immature rodents causes cognitive decline, raising the possibility that the same might be true for millions of children undergoing surgical procedures under general anesthesia each year. We tested the hypothesis that anesthesia-induced cognitive decline in rats is treatable. We also tested if anesthesia-induced cognitive decline is aggravated by tissue injury.

Description of a large urban school-located 2009 pandemic H1N1 vaccination campaign, New York City 2009-2010.

In the spring of 2009, New York City (NYC) experienced the emergence and rapid spread of pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus (pH1N1), which had a high attack rate in children and caused many school closures. During the 2009 fall wave of pH1N1, a school-located vaccination campaign for elementary schoolchildren was conducted in order to reduce infection and transmission in the school setting, thereby reducing the impact of pH1N1 that was observed earlier in the year. In this paper, we describe the planning and outcomes of the NYC school-located vaccination campaign.

Composite resin to yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal bonding: comparison of repair methods.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate different approaches for bonding composite to the surface of yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) ceramics.

Methods: One hundred Y-TZP blocks were embedded in acrylic resin, had the free surface polished, and were randomly divided into 10 groups (n=10). The tested repair approaches included four surface treatments: tribochemical silica coating (TBS), methacryloxydecyldihidrogenphosphate (MDP)-containing primer/silane, sandblasting, and metal/zirconia primer.