Contributions to the biodiversity of Vietnam - Results of VIETBIO inventory work and field training in Cuc Phuong National Park.

VIETBIO [Innovative approaches to biodiversity discovery and characterisation in Vietnam] is a bilateral German-Vietnamese research and capacity building project focusing on the development and transfer of new methods and technology towards an integrated biodiversity discovery and monitoring system for Vietnam. Dedicated field training and testing of innovative methodologies were undertaken in Cuc Phuong National Park as part and with support of the project, which led to the new biodiversity data and records made available in this article collection. VIETBIO is a collaboration between the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science (MfN), the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin (BGBM) and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (VNMN), the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), the Southern Institute of Ecology (SIE), as well as the Institute of Tropical Biology (ITB); all Vietnamese institutions belong to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).

Knowledge-based planning in robotic intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery treatments.

Purpose: To develop a knowledge-based planning (KBP) model that predicts dosimetric indices and facilitates planning in CyberKnife intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT).

Methods: Forty CyberKnife SRS/SRT plans were retrospectively used to build a linear KBP model which correlated the equivalent radius of the PTV (r ) and the equivalent radius of volume that receives a set of prescription dose (r , where V  = V , V … V ). To evaluate the model's predictability, a fourfold cross-validation was performed for dosimetric indices such as gradient measure (GM) and brain V .

Atrial Appendage Thrombosis Risk Is Lower for Atrial Flutter Compared with Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: The risk of stroke and thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation is established. However, the evidence surrounding the risk of thromboembolism in patients with atrial flutter is not as clear. We hypothesized that atrial flutter would have indicators of less risk for thromboembolism compared with atrial fibrillation on transesophageal echocardiography, thereby possibly leading to a lower stroke risk.

Performances of fourth generation HIV antigen/antibody assays on filter paper for detection of early HIV infections.

Background: Point-of-care testing and diagnosis of HIV acute infections play important roles in preventing transmission, but HIV rapid diagnosis tests have poor capacity to detect early infections. Filter paper can be used for capillary blood collection and HIV testing using 4th generation immunoassays.

Objectives: Antigen/antibody combined immunoassays were evaluated for their capacity to identify early HIV infections using filter paper in comparison with rapid test.

Association of ischemic stroke, hormone therapy, and right to left shunt in postmenopausal women.

Background: Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) increases the risk of venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke.

Objectives: We postulated that HT might increase the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting venous clots that travel to the brain through a right to left shunt (RLS).

Methods: A total of 2,389 records were studied.

Prevalence of migraine headaches in patients with congenital heart disease.

The prevalence of migraine headaches (MH) is 12% in the general population and increases to 40% in patients with patent foramen ovale. This study evaluated the prevalence of MH in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Of 466 patients contacted from the UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, 395 (85%) completed a questionnaire to determine the prevalence of MH.