Development and validation of an electronic version of Sydney Swallow Questionnaire.

Background And Aims: Accurate assessment of patient-reported oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) is essential to guide appropriate management and evaluate response. The Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) is a paper-based 17-item inventory developed and validated to objectively detect risk of OPD. An easy-to-use electronic version with digital output has significant potential in streamlining patient assessment.

Intradiscal treatment of the cartilage endplate for improving solute transport and disc nutrition.

Poor nutrient transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) is a key factor in the etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration and may hinder the efficacy of biologic strategies for disc regeneration. Yet, there are currently no treatments for improving nutrient transport through the CEP. In this study we tested whether intradiscal delivery of a matrix-modifying enzyme to the CEP improves solute transport into whole human and bovine discs.

Nurse-led reinforced education by mobile messenger improves the quality of bowel preparation of colonoscopy in a population-based colorectal cancer screening program: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Adequate bowel preparation is an important colonoscopy quality indicator. Reinforced education is effective in improving bowel preparation quality of colonoscopy with mixed indications. However, it remains unclear whether such improvement can be consistently observed in pre- and post-irrigation during colonoscopy in screening population.

Compensatory biomechanics and spinal loading during dynamic maneuvers in patients with chronic low back pain.

Purpose: This study explores the biomechanics underlying the sit-to-stand (STS) functional maneuver in chronic LBP patients to understand how different spinal disorders and levels of pain severity relate to unique compensatory biomechanical behaviors. This work stands to further our understanding of the relationship between spinal loading and symptoms in LBP patients.

Methods: We collected in-clinic motion data from 44 non-specific LBP (NS-LBP) and 42 spinal deformity LBP (SD-LBP) patients during routine clinical visits.

Cricopharyngeal peroral endoscopic myotomy improves oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with Parkinson's disease.

 Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) is prevalent in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dysfunction is an important pathophysiological factor for OPD in PD. The cricopharyngeus (CP) is the main component of UES.

Chemical-genetic interrogation of RNA polymerase mutants reveals structure-function relationships and physiological tradeoffs.

The multi-subunit bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) and its associated regulators carry out transcription and integrate myriad regulatory signals. Numerous studies have interrogated RNAP mechanism, and RNAP mutations drive Escherichia coli adaptation to many health- and industry-relevant environments, yet a paucity of systematic analyses hampers our understanding of the fitness trade-offs from altering RNAP function. Here, we conduct a chemical-genetic analysis of a library of RNAP mutants.

Insights from the reanalysis of high-throughput chemical genomics data for Escherichia coli K-12.

Despite the demonstrated success of genome-wide genetic screens and chemical genomics studies at predicting functions for genes of unknown function or predicting new functions for well-characterized genes, their potential to provide insights into gene function has not been fully explored. We systematically reanalyzed a published high-throughput phenotypic dataset for the model Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli K-12. The availability of high-quality annotation sets allowed us to compare the power of different metrics for measuring phenotypic profile similarity to correctly infer gene function.

Mobile messenger-initiated reminders improve longitudinal adherence in a community-based, opportunistic colorectal cancer screening program: A single-blind, crossover randomized controlled study.

Background: The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a cost-effective colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tool. However, longitudinal adherence, a factor that is critical to the success to any FIT-based screening program, often is poor. The authors hypothesized that reminders sent via mobile messengers, such as WhatsApp, improve such adherence.

Short Message Service reminders reduce outpatient colonoscopy nonattendance rate: A randomized controlled study.

Background And Aim: Nonattendance of outpatient colonoscopy leads to inefficient use of health-care resources. We aimed to study the effectiveness of using Short Message Service (SMS) reminder prior in patients scheduled for outpatient colonoscopy on their nonattendance rate.

Methods: Patients who scheduled for an outpatient colonoscopy and had access of SMS were recruited from three clinics in Hong Kong.

Impedance in the evaluation of the esophagus.

The aim of this paper is to review esophageal electrical impedance technologies and to discuss the use of these technologies for physiological measurements, diagnostics, and therapy of esophageal disease. In order to develop a better understanding of the pathophysiology of and improve the diagnosis of esophageal disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and achalasia, several new diagnostic tests, including intraluminal impedance, esophageal mucosal impedance, and the functional luminal imaging probe, have been developed. These technologies have proven valuable for assessment of the esophagus in recent years.

Clinical utility of cricopharyngeal distensibility measurements during endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's diverticulum.

Background And Aims: Flexible endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy (FECM) allows minimally invasive treatment of patients with Zenker's diverticulum (ZD); however, retreatment rates are substantial. We hypothesized that the functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) may provide insight into ZD pathophysiology and serve as an intraprocedural guide to adequacy of myotomy.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 11 ZD patients undergoing FECM and compared the baseline cricopharyngeal (CP) distensibility with 16 control subjects.

Phenotypic Associations Among Cell Cycle Genes in .

A long-standing effort in biology is to precisely define and group phenotypes that characterize a biological process, and the genes that underpin them. In and other organisms, functional screens have generated rich lists of phenotypes associated with individual genes. However, it is often challenging to identify sets of phenotypes and genes that are most closely associated with a given biological process.

Phenotype annotation with the ontology of microbial phenotypes (OMP).

Background: Microbial genetics has formed a foundation for understanding many aspects of biology. Systematic annotation that supports computational data mining should reveal further insights for microbes, microbiomes, and conserved functions beyond microbes. The Ontology of Microbial Phenotypes (OMP) was created to support such annotation.

Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Pharyngoesophageal Stricture following Total Laryngectomy.

Current therapeutic strategies for pharyngoesophageal stricture, while effective in the short term, are protracted and costly in the longer term. Conceptually, if a stricture can be dilated with minimal tissue injuries, the rate of fibrosis and the resultant stricture recurrence could be reduced. We evaluated a prototype computer-controlled syringe pump device programmed to distend a commercially available balloon dilator at variable rate, asserting incremental lumen distension pressures tailored to the resistive force encountered within the stricture.

Esophageal Dysmotility in Patients following Total Laryngectomy.

Objectives Dysphagia is common in total laryngectomees, with some symptoms suggesting esophageal dysmotility. Tracheoesophageal (TE) phonation requires effective esophagopharyngeal air passage. Hence, esophageal dysmotility may affect deglutition or TE phonation.

Clinical utility of a functional lumen imaging probe in management of dysphagia following head and neck cancer therapies.

Chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) with/without laryngectomy commonly causes dysphagia. Pharyngoesophageal junction (PEJ) stricturing is an important contributor. We aimed to validate a functional lumen imaging probe (the EndoFLIP system) as a tool for quantitating pretreatment PEJ distensibility and treatment-related changes in HNC survivors with dysphagia and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of EndoFLIP-derived distensibility in detecting PEJ strictures.

Platelet-Rich Plasma.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a growing and robust therapeutic option in musculoskeletal medicine. PRP is a preparation of autologous plasma enriched with a platelet concentration above that normally contained in whole blood. The rationale for use and therapeutic potential of a high concentration of platelets is based on their capacity to supply supraphysiologic amounts of essential growth factors to provide a regenerative stimulus that promotes repair in tissues with low healing potential.

Videofluoroscopic Swallow Examination Does Not Accurately Detect Cricopharyngeal Radiation Strictures.

Videofluoroscopy is the standard technique to evaluate dysphagia following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). The accuracy of radiography in detecting strictures at the pharyngoesophageal junction is unknown. Our aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of videofluoroscopy in detecting strictures at the pharyngoesophageal junction prior to endoscopic dilatation in a consecutive series of HNC survivors with dysphagia.

Biomechanics of Pharyngeal Deglutitive Function following Total Laryngectomy.

Objective: Postlaryngectomy, pharyngeal weakness, and pharyngoesophageal junction (PEJ) restriction are the candidate mechanisms of dysphagia. The aims were, in laryngectomees, whether (1) hypopharyngeal propulsion is reduced and/or PEJ resistance is increased, (2) dilatation improves dysphagia, and (3) whether symptomatic improvement correlates with reduced PEJ resistance.

Design: Multidisciplinary cross-sectional study.

Nonpharmacologic Options for Treating Acute and Chronic Pain.

This article provides a broad overview of the clinical nonpharmacologic treatment options for managing acute and chronic pain. Physical therapy and modalities, interventional techniques, emerging regenerative medicine, and cognitive behavioral paradigms of treatment are presented. Recommendations are evidence-based and are a practical resource for the musculoskeletal pain and sports medicine practitioner.

Local epicardial inotropic drug delivery allows targeted pharmacologic intervention with preservation of myocardial loading conditions.

Local myocardial application of inotropes may allow the study of pharmacologically augmented central myocardial contraction in the absence of confounding peripheral vasodilating effects and alterations in heart loading conditions. Novel alginate epicardial (EC) drug releasing platforms were used to deliver dobutamine to the left ventricle of rats. Pressure-volume analyses indicated that although both local and systemic intravenous (i.

Intramuscular drug transport under mechanical loading: resonance between tissue function and uptake.

Dynamic architecture and motion in mechanically active target tissues can influence the pharmacokinetics of locally delivered agents. Drug transport in skeletal muscle under controlled mechanical loads was investigated. Static (0-20%) and cyclic (+/-2.

Structural biomechanics modulate intramuscular distribution of locally delivered drugs.

As local drug delivery continues to emerge as a clinical force, so does understanding of its potentially narrow therapeutic window. Classic molecular transport studies are of value but do not typically account for the local nature of drug transport or the effects of regional dynamic function in target tissues like muscle that may undergo cyclical and variable mechanical motion and loading. We examined the impact of dynamic architecture on intramuscular drug distribution.