Intermittent hypoxia revisited: a promising non-pharmaceutical strategy to reduce cardio-metabolic risk factors?

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the effects of moderate intermittent hypoxia (IH) on key cardio-metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese subjects.

Methods: Six subjects were exposed to 10 sessions of moderate IH over 2 weeks (based on [Formula: see text]; ~70 min per session). Measures were made of blood glucose (GLU) and lactate (La); high (HDLc) and low-density lipoproteins (LDLc); triglycerides (TRG), systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP); and cardiac autonomic indices [root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (RMSSD) and short-term fractal scaling exponent (DFAα1)].

Effect of Immediate Administration of Antibiotics in Patients With Sepsis in Tertiary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: The goal of this review was to synthesize existing evidence regarding outcomes (mortality) for patients who present to the emergency department, are administered antibiotics immediately (within 1 hour) or later (>1 hour), and are diagnosed with sepsis.

Methods: A search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL, using the MeSH descriptors "sepsis," "systemic inflammatory response syndrome," "mortality," "emergency," and "antibiotics," was performed to identify studies reporting time to antibiotic administration and mortality outcome in patients with sepsis. The included studies (published in English between 1990 and 2016) listed patient mortality based on time to antibiotic administration.

Using simulation to improve the capability of undergraduate nursing students in mental health care.

Introduction: Mental health care is an increasing component of acute patient care and yet mental health care education can be limited in undergraduate nursing programs. The aim of this study was to establish if simulation learning can be an effective method of improving undergraduate nurses' capability in mental health care in an acute care environment.

Intervention: Undergraduate nursing students at an Australian university were exposed to several high-fidelity high-technology simulation activities that incorporated elements of acute emergency nursing practice and acute mental health intervention, scaffolded by theories of learning.

Cervical spine meniscoids: an update on their morphological characteristics and potential clinical significance.

Purpose: Cervical spine meniscoids are intra-articular folds of synovial membrane that have been theorised to have potential clinical significance in neck pain. Recent anatomical and clinical research has re-visited the pathoanatomical capacity of these structures. The purpose of this review is to discuss cervical spine meniscoid morphology in light of recently published work, to provide an update on the plausible relevance of these structures to clinical practice.

Clinical prediction rules for prognosis and treatment prescription in neck pain: A systematic review.

Clinical prediction rules (CPRs) developed to identify sub-groups of people with neck pain for different prognoses (i.e. prognostic) or response to treatments (i.

Inhibition of Telomerase Activity Using an EGFP-Intron Splicing System Encoding Multiple RNAi Sequences.

To inhibit telomerase activity, a construct which contains artificial introns in the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene that encodes small hairpin RNA (shRNA) sequences that target human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene expression was designed and tested for its effect on lung cancer cell line. On intron splicing from the construct, intronic sequences were released and formed shRNA in the cells. After transfection of the construct, hTERT mRNA expression decreased by approximately 55 % in A549 cells.

Patient perceptions of nurse mentors facilitating the Aussie Heart Guide: A home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme for rural patients.

Aim: To explore and describe long-term thoughts and perceptions of the Aussie Heart Guide Programme including the role of the mentor, held by patients recovering from myocardial infarction.

Design: A qualitative design.

Methods: Thirteen patients recovering from myocardial infarction who were unable to attend a hospital-based or affiliated outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme were interviewed by telephone at the completion of the programme and asked to describe the relationship with their assigned nurse mentor and their perception of the audiovisual used in the programme.

The influence of titanium surface characteristics on macrophage phenotype polarization during osseous healing in type I diabetic rats: a pilot study.

Objectives: This study assessed the effect of titanium surface modification on macrophage phenotype polarization and osseous healing under diabetic conditions.

Materials And Methods: Critical-sized calvarial defects were created in healthy and streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats. Titanium (Ti) discs with either large-grit sandblasted and acid-etched micro-rough (SLA) or hydrophilic-modified SLA (modSLA) surfaces were used to cover the healing defect for a period of up to 28 days.

Pulpal response following photo-biomodulation with a 904-nm diode laser: a double-blind clinical study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate pulpal responses in healthy human teeth to photo-biomodulation therapy (PBMT) with 904-nm GaAs diode laser. The study followed a double-blind split mouth design, with a randomly selected maxillary first premolar acting as a sham-irradiated control tooth, and the contralateral tooth receiving active laser treatment. Two coded but otherwise identical laser probes (Irradia™, SpectraMedics Ltd.

Mouse Models of Chikungunya Virus.

The majority of medical advances have been made using animals. Studies using mouse models of chikungunya-induced disease have proven invaluable for dissecting the intricate nature of the immune response to this viral infection and identifying potential targets for the development of treatment strategies. Herein we describe the common mouse models used to research the pathobiology of chikungunya virus infection to date.

What are the risk factors for HIV in men who have sex with men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam?- A cross-sectional study.

Background: The number of people living with HIV (PLWH) in Vietnam was estimated to rise from 156,802 in 2009 to 256,000 in 2014. Although the number of new HIV reported cases has decreased by roughly 14,000 cases per year from 2010 to 2013 a concerning increase in HIV prevalence has been identified among men who have sex with men (MSM) from 1.7 % in 2005 to 2.

Passive interventions in primary healthcare waiting rooms are effective in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours: an integrative review.

Primary healthcare waiting rooms have the potential to provide health-promoting environments to support healthy lifestyle behaviours such as smoking cessation, weight management and safe contraception. Passive interventions are cost-effective and continually available within an environment or setting, allowing individuals to interact, engage and learn about topics. The aim of this study was to undertake an integrative review to investigate the effectiveness of passive health-related waiting room interventions in improving healthy lifestyle behaviours, as well as precursors to behaviour change.

Total Synthesis of Native 5,7-Diacetylpseudaminic Acid from N-Acetylneuraminic Acid.

The pseudaminic acids are a family of 5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxynonulosonic acids that are functional components of flagellin and pili proteins within clinically relevant Gram-negative bacteria. Herein, we describe the total synthesis of the most common pseudaminic acid, 5,7-diacetylpseudaminic acid, from N-acetylneuraminic acid. The divergent nature of the route reported here provides a robust and versatile means to access other members of the family, together with analogues, for probing the functional role of the pseudaminic acids and pseudaminic acid derived proteins in the future.

From blue to black: Anthropogenic forcing of carbon and nitrogen influx to mangrove-lined estuaries in the South China Sea.

Southeast Asia is the global centre of mangrove development but human activities have dramatically reduced mangrove area in the region. An analysis is made of the shift in carbon and nitrogen influxes into the South China Sea (SCS) resulting from three anthropogenic nutrient sources: domestic sewage discharge, fertilizer use in rice agriculture and environmental loss from mariculture, between 1997 and 2010. Anthropogenic C and N influxes were, respectively, 1.

A refined high carbohydrate diet is associated with changes in the serotonin pathway and visceral obesity.

Consumption of palatable foods high in refined carbohydrate has been implicated as a contributing factor to the epidemic levels of obesity. Such foods may disrupt appetite regulation in the hypothalamus through alterations in hunger and satiety signalling. This investigation examined whether a palatable high refined carbohydrate (HRC) diet with the potential to induce obesity was linked to modulation of serotonin and dopamine signalling within the hypothalamus of rats.

Glycan:glycan interactions: High affinity biomolecular interactions that can mediate binding of pathogenic bacteria to host cells.

Cells from all domains of life express glycan structures attached to lipids and proteins on their surface, called glycoconjugates. Cell-to-cell contact mediated by glycan:glycan interactions have been considered to be low-affinity interactions that precede high-affinity protein-glycan or protein-protein interactions. In several pathogenic bacteria, truncation of surface glycans, lipooligosaccharide (LOS), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have been reported to significantly reduce bacterial adherence to host cells.

Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Childhood Invasive Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Disease in England and Wales.

Introduction: In countries with established Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) immunization programs, nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi) is now responsible for nearly all invasive H. influenzae cases across all age groups.

Carbohydrate Recognition Specificity of Trans-sialidase Lectin Domain from Trypanosoma congolense.

Fourteen different active Trypanosoma congolense trans-sialidases (TconTS), 11 variants of TconTS1 besides TconTS2, TconTS3 and TconTS4, have been described. Notably, the specific transfer and sialidase activities of these TconTS differ by orders of magnitude. Surprisingly, phylogenetic analysis of the catalytic domains (CD) grouped each of the highly active TconTS together with the less active enzymes.

The association between third trimester multivitamin/mineral supplements and gestational length in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Background: Widespread use of maternal micronutrient supplements have been correlated to gestational length and outcome in women predisposed to pre-eclampsia and preterm birth. However, research is yet to be conducted examining the influence of micronutrient supplements on outcomes at term in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Aim: To analyse the relationship between third trimester micronutrient supplementation and gestation length at birth, demographics and maternal birthing outcomes in well women at term in a South East Queensland representative population.

Reliability of the ECHOWS Tool for Assessment of Patient Interviewing Skills.

Background: History taking is an important component of patient/client management. Assessment of student history-taking competency can be achieved via a standardized tool. The ECHOWS tool has been shown to be valid with modest intrarater reliability in a previous study but did not demonstrate sufficient power to definitively prove its stability.

Determinants of Proteolysis and Cell-Binding for the Shigella flexneri Cytotoxin, SigA.

Shigella flexneri secretes an enterotoxic, SPATE family autotransporter (AT), SigA, which has cytopathic activity towards cultured epithelial cells. Its cytopathic activity is due to its ability to degrade the cytoskeletal protein, α-fodrin. The mechanisms by which AT toxins target cells and tissues differ and the details of how SigA acts are not known.

Substantial Receptor-induced Structural Rearrangement of Rotavirus VP8*: Potential Implications for Cross-Species Infection.

Rotavirus-cell binding is the essential first step in rotavirus infection. This binding is a major determinant of rotavirus tropism, as host cell invasion is necessary to initiate infection. Initial rotavirus-cell interactions are mediated by carbohydrate-recognizing domain VP8* of the rotavirus capsid spike protein VP4.

CCL2 and CCR2 are Essential for the Formation of Osteoclasts and Foreign Body Giant Cells.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells responsible for bone resorption. They are derived from the fusion of cells in the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Monocytes and macrophages can also fuse to form foreign body giant cells (FBGC).

Access to 3-O-Functionalized N-Acetylneuraminic Acid Scaffolds.

Direct access to 3-O-functionalized 2-α-N-acetylneuraminides and their corresponding 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid derivatives is described. Initially, a stereoselective ring-opening of the key intermediate N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) 2,3-β-epoxide with an alcohol provided the 3-hydroxy α-glycoside. O-Alkylation of the C3 hydroxyl group generated novel 3-O-functionalized Neu5Ac derivatives that provided the corresponding unsaturated derivatives upon elimination.