Changes in spatial QRS-T angle and QTc interval in patients with traumatic brain injury with or without intra-abdominal hypertension.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects cardiac electrical function, and several extra-cerebral factors, including intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), might further modulate this brain-heart interaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of TBI, and of increased IAP during TBI, on cardiac electrical function as measured by vectorcardiographic (VCG) variables.

Methods: Survival, IAP and changes in VCG variables including spatial QRS-T angle and QTc interval were measured in consecutive adult patients with either isolated TBI (iTBI), or with TBI accompanied by polytrauma to the abdomen and/or limbs (pTBI).

Improving access to HbA1c in sub-Saharan Africa (IA3) cohort: cohort profile.

Introduction: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is the best surrogate of average blood glucose control in diabetic patients, and lowering HbA1c significantly reduces diabetes complications. Moreover, immediate feedback of HbA1c measurement to patients may improve control. However, HbA1c is unavailable in most parts of Africa, a continent with one of the highest burden of diabetes.

Assessment of hypovolaemia in the critically ill.

Assessment of the intravascular volume status of patients is one of the most challenging tasks for the intensive care clinician. It is also one of the most important skills in intensive care management as both hypervolaemia and hypovolaemia lead to increased morbidity and mortality. The assessment of hypovolaemic patients is aided by several clinical signs, laboratory investigations, and a multitude of haemodynamic monitoring systems.

The black box revelation: monitoring gastrointestinal function.

The gastrointestinal tract comprises diverse functions. Despite recent developments in technology and science, there is no single and universal tool to monitor GI function in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Clinical evaluation is complex and has a low sensitivity to diagnose pathological processes in the abdomen.

Preclinical and clinical advances in transposon-based gene therapy.

Transposons derived from (SB), (PB), or typically require cotransfection of transposon DNA with a transposase either as an expression plasmid or mRNA. Consequently, this results in genomic integration of the potentially therapeutic gene into chromosomes of the desired target cells, and thus conferring stable expression. Non-viral transfection methods are typically preferred to deliver the transposon components into the target cells.

Handgrip strength shows no improvements in geriatric patients with persistent inflammation during hospitalization.

Purpose: Hospital-associated deconditioning due to a combination of illness and inactivity is a serious problem for elderly adults. Here we investigate whether persistence in inflammatory status affects changes in physical function during short-term hospitalization.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study in elderly medical patients at a geriatric department.

Transposons: Moving Forward from Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials.

Transposons have emerged as promising vectors for gene therapy that can potentially overcome some of the limitations of commonly used viral vectors. Transposons stably integrate into the target cell genome, enabling persistent expression of therapeutic genes. Transposons have evolved from being used as basic tools in biomedical research to bona fide therapeutics.

A new measurement of an indirect measure of condom use and its relationships with barriers.

One of the challenges facing researchers in the domain of human immunodeficiency virus prevention is the assessment of condom use in an unbiased self-reported manner. The current study presents the development and preliminary validation of an indirect condom use test (I-CUTE), designed to assess condom use tendencies and to overcome self-report biases. Two samples were included using correlational designs.

Effect of the fluorination technique on the surface-fluorination patterning of double-walled carbon nanotubes.

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) are fluorinated using (1) fluorine F at 200 °C, (2) gaseous BrF at room temperature, and (3) CF radio-frequency plasma functionalization. These have been comparatively studied using transmission electron microscopy and infrared, Raman, X-ray photoelectron, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. A formation of covalent C-F bonds and a considerable reduction in the intensity of radial breathing modes from the outer shells of DWCNTs are observed for all samples.

Hemophilia Gene Therapy: Ready for Prime Time?

Hemophilia A and B are congenital, X-linked bleeding disorders caused by mutations in the genes encoding for the blood clotting factor VIII (FVIII) or factor IX (FIX), respectively. Since the beginning of gene therapy, hemophilia has been considered an attractive disease target that served as a trailblazer for the field at large. Different technologies have been explored to efficiently and safely deliver the therapeutic FVIII and FIX genes into the patients' cells.

Hard tissue debris removal from the mesial root canal system of mandibular molars with ultrasonically and laser-activated irrigation: a micro-computed tomography study.

This study is to investigate the efficacy of different irrigant activation techniques on removal of accumulated hard tissue debris (AHTD) in mesial roots of human mandibular molars. Extracted human mandibular molars with an isthmus between the mesial root canals were selected based on micro-CT (μCT) scans. The mesial canals were instrumented to an apical diameter ISO30 using ProTaper rotary files.

A first step toward integrating schema theory in geriatric psychiatry: a Delphi study.

Background: Schematherapy (ST) is an effective therapy for personality disorders (PD's) in adults, however, empirical research into ST in older adults is limited. The manifestation of schemas over the life course is unclear. Besides, long-term patterns of schemas in old age and whether schemas change during the aging process remain unknown.

AAV9 delivered bispecific nanobody attenuates amyloid burden in the gelsolin amyloidosis mouse model.

Gelsolin amyloidosis is a dominantly inherited, incurable type of amyloidosis. A single point mutation in the gelsolin gene (G654A is most common) results in the loss of a Ca2+  binding site in the second gelsolin domain. Consequently, this domain partly unfolds and exposes an otherwise buried furin cleavage site at the surface.

Molecular mechanisms by which in vivo exposure to exogenous chemical genotoxic agents can lead to micronucleus formation in lymphocytes in vivo and ex vivo in humans.

The purpose of this review is to summarise current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms by which in vivo exposure to exogenous chemical genotoxins in humans induces micronuclei (MNi) and other nuclear anomalies in lymphocytes in vivo and ex vivo after nuclear division in vitro. MNi originate from acentric chromosome fragments and/or whole chromosomes that are unable to engage with the mitotic spindle and/or fail to segregate properly to the daughter nuclei during anaphase. The lagging fragments or whole chromosomes are surrounded by membrane and become MNi.

Towards a New Paradigm in Nano-Genotoxicology: Facing Complexity of Nanomaterials' Cellular Interactions and Effects.

Changes in paradigm contribute to advances in research. The current paradigms for the evaluation of toxicity of chemicals refer to linear or curvilinear dose-response curves with or without threshold and to surface-dependent induction of oxidative damage for particles. The unique physicochemical properties and biological/genotoxic activity of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) require the development of a new paradigm.

Can clinical characteristics be criteria to perform chromosomal microarray analysis in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders?

Background: Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has become increasingly important in the assessment of patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but is sometimes restricted to patients with specific additional characteristics or comorbidities. We aim to evaluate whether certain clinical characteristics could be criteria to perform CMA and also to investigate the diagnostic value of CMA compared to other genetic analyses in our patient population.

Methods: The files of 311 children diagnosed with ASD were retrospectively analyzed.

Perioperative echocardiographic assessment of mitral valve regurgitation: a comprehensive review.

Cardiac ultrasound allows comprehensive analysis of the complex structure of the mitral valve. Transoesophageal echocardiography is the preferred diagnostic and monitoring technique both in the intraoperative phase and in the immediate postoperative phase. Besides two-dimensional imaging, the 3D approach offers clear advantages in visualizing different aspects of pathology and facilitating interpretation of pathophysiological features.

Performance evaluation of an automated electrochemiluminescent calcitonin (CT) immunoassay in diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the Elecsys® hCT electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on the immunoanalyser Cobas e411.

Design And Methods: Within-run, between-run imprecision, linearity, recovery after dilution, the high dose hook effect, as well as the stability of calcitonin were examined. A method comparison to an established immunoradiometric assay was executed in 135 routine plasma samples.

A pilot assessment tool of the need for oral health care and cost prediction in institutionalized elderly people.

Objective: To assess the dental treatment backlog and associated costs among institutionalized elderly people using a novel composite index, called the oral health index.

Background: Despite numerous reports about oral health of old individuals, there is still lack of a systematic and practical method to estimate their treatment need covering all relevant aspects of oral health. In addition, little has been published on associated treatment costs and prediction of such costs.