Association between vitamin D levels and inflammatory activity in brain death: A prospective study.

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is linked to several common inflammatory disorders. Brain death (BD) causes a massive catecholamine release, leading to intense inflammatory activity. We aimed to evaluate vitamin D serum levels in brain-dead individuals in comparison to critically ill patients without BD to assess the correlation between vitamin D and cytokine levels.

Predictors of completing a primary health care diabetes prevention intervention programme in people at high risk of type 2 diabetes: Experiences of the DE-PLAN project.

It has been shown that real-life implementation studies for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (DM2) performed in different settings and populations can be effective. However, not enough information is available on factors influencing the reach of DM2 prevention programmes. This study examines the predictors of completing an intervention programme targeted at people at high risk of DM2 in Krakow, Poland as part of the DE-PLAN project.

Determinants of weight outcomes in type 2 diabetes prevention intervention in primary health care setting (the DE-PLAN project).

Background: Real life implementation studies performed in different settings have proved that lifestyle interventions in the prevention of type 2 diabetes (DM2) can be effective, although the weight reduction results are typically modest compared to randomized control trials. Our objective was to identify the factors that predict successful weight loss in a less intensive, lower budget, real life setting lifestyle diabetes prevention intervention.

Methods: Study participants (n = 175) with increased DM2 risk (Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) > 14) but no diabetes at baseline received ten group lifestyle counselling sessions, physical activity and motivation sessions during a ten-month intervention.

P2Y12 Receptor Antagonist, Clopidogrel, Does Not Contribute to Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures in Stroke Patients.

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. It is associated with excessive bone loss and risk of fracture in stroke patients is high. The P2Y12R antagonist and platelet inhibitor, clopidogrel, is widely used for secondary prevention after a stroke.

High-resolution mapping of the pericentromeric region on wheat chromosome arm 5AS harbouring the Fusarium head blight resistance QTL Qfhs.ifa-5A.

The Qfhs.ifa-5A allele, contributing to enhanced Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat, resides in a low-recombinogenic region of chromosome 5A close to the centromere. A near-isogenic RIL population segregating for the Qfhs.

Treatment of Refractory Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients With Portal Hypertension: A Case Series and Treatment Algorithm.

In patients with portal hypertension, ectopic varices can develop at any site along the gastrointestinal tract outside the classically described gastroesophageal location. Like esophageal variceal hemorrhage, bleeding from ectopic varices can be life-threatening. Diagnosis and treatment of ectopic varices can be challenging; to date, no effective treatment algorithm has been described.

Impact of common genetic determinants of Hemoglobin A1c on type 2 diabetes risk and diagnosis in ancestrally diverse populations: A transethnic genome-wide meta-analysis.

Background: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes (T2D) and assess glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 18 HbA1c-associated genetic variants. These variants proved to be classifiable by their likely biological action as erythrocytic (also associated with erythrocyte traits) or glycemic (associated with other glucose-related traits).

Comparative analysis of diabetes self-management education programs in the European Union Member States.

Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is generally considered as an integral part of diabetes care. The availability of different types of self-management in the European Union Member States (EUMS) remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of existing DSME programs (DSMEP) implemented in EUMS.

Impact of the Triglyceride/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and the Hypertriglyceremic-Waist Phenotype to Predict the Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance.

Insulin resistance is the underlying mechanism for the metabolic syndrome and associated dyslipidaemia that theoretically implies a practical tool for identifying individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes. Another screening tool is the hypertriglyceremic-waist phenotype (HTW). There is important impact of the ethnic background but a lack of studied European populations for the association of the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and insulin resistance.

Distal femoral replacement with the MML system: a single center experience with an average follow-up of 86 months.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the functional outcomes and complication rates after distal femoral replacement (DFR) performed with the modular Munich-Luebeck (MML) modular prosthesis (ESKA/Orthodynamics, Luebeck, Germany) in patients being treated for malignant disease or failed total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: A retrospective review of patient charts and a functional investigation (involving Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score [MSTS], American Knee Society Score [AKSS], Oxford Knee Score [OKS], Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC], Toronto Extremity Salvage Score [TESS], the 12-Item Short-Form [SF-12] Health Survey, and a failure classification system developed by Henderson et al.) of DFR cases from 2002 to 2015 were conducted.

Heterodimerization of AML1/ETO with CBFβ is required for leukemogenesis but not for myeloproliferation.

The AML1/Runx1 transcription factor and its heterodimerization partner CBFβ are essential regulators of myeloid differentiation. The chromosomal translocation t(8;21), fusing the DNA binding domain of AML1 to the corepressor eight-twenty-one (ETO), is frequently associated with acute myeloid leukemia and generates the AML1/ETO (AE) fusion protein. AE represses target genes usually activated by AML1 and also affects the endogenous repressive function of ETO at Notch target genes.

Effectiveness of chronic care models for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of European chronic care programmes for type 2 diabetes mellitus (characterised by integrative care and a multicomponent framework for enhancing healthcare delivery), compared with usual diabetes care.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL and CINAHL from January 2000 to July 2015.

Protease resistance of infectious prions is suppressed by removal of a single atom in the cellular prion protein.

Resistance to proteolytic digestion has long been considered a defining trait of prions in tissues of organisms suffering from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Detection of proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrPSc) still represents the diagnostic gold standard for prion diseases in humans, sheep and cattle. However, it has become increasingly apparent that the accumulation of PrPSc does not always accompany prion infections: high titers of prion infectivity can be reached also in the absence of protease resistant PrPSc.

Sustained diabetes risk reduction after real life and primary health care setting implementation of the diabetes in Europe prevention using lifestyle, physical activity and nutritional intervention (DE-PLAN) project.

Background: Real life implementation studies performed in different settings and populations proved that lifestyle interventions in prevention of type 2 diabetes can be effective. However, little is known about long term results of these translational studies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of diabetes type 2 risk factor reduction achieved 1 year after intervention and during 3 year follow-up in primary health care setting in Poland.

High-Quality Draft Genome Sequence of the Actinobacterium Nocardia terpenica IFM 0406, Producer of the Immunosuppressant Brasilicardins, Using Illumina and PacBio Technologies.

The bacterium Nocardia terpenica IFM 0406 is known as the producer of the immunosuppressant brasilicardin A. Here, we report the completely sequenced genome of strain IFM 0406, which facilitates the heterologous expression of the brasilicardin biosynthetic gene cluster but also unveils the intriguing biosynthetic capacity of the strain to produce secondary metabolites.