The protein tyrosine phosphatase-BL, modulates pancreatic beta-cell proliferation by interaction with the Wnt signalling pathway.

In pancreatic beta-cells, increased expression of the MODY5 gene product, HNF1 beta, leads to enhanced rates of apoptosis and altered regulation of the cell cycle, suggesting that control of HNF1 beta expression may be important for the control of beta-cell proliferation and viability. It is unclear how these effects of HNF1 beta are mediated, but previously we have identified a protein tyrosine phosphatase, (PTP)-BL, as an HNF1 beta-regulated protein in beta-cells and have now studied the role of this protein in INS-1 beta-cells. Stably transfected cells were generated, which express either wild-type (WT) or a phosphatase-deficient mutant (PTP-BL-CS) of PTP-BL conditionally under the control of a tetracycline-regulated promoter.

Acupuncture and dry needling in the management of myofascial trigger point pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Pain from myofascial trigger points is often treated by needling, with or without injection, although evidence is inconclusive on whether this is effective. We aimed to review the current evidence on needling without injection, by conducting a systematic literature review. We searched electronic databases to identify relevant randomised controlled trials, and included studies where at least one group were treated by needling directly into the myofascial trigger points, and where the control was either no treatment, or usual care; indirect local dry needling or some form of placebo intervention.

The cost-effectiveness of cervical screening in Australia: what is the impact of screening at different intervals or over a different age range?

Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of altering the currently recommended interval and age range for cervical screening of Australian women.

Methods: The cost and effectiveness estimates of alternative screening strategies were generated using an established decision model. This model incorporated a Markov model (of the natural history of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions) and decision trees which: 'mapped' the various pathways to cervical cancer screening; the follow-up of abnormal Pap test results; and the management of confirmed lesions.

Bee venom acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain: a review.

Unlabelled: Bee venom (BV) acupuncture (BVA) involves injecting diluted BV into acupoints and is used for arthritis, pain, and rheumatoid diseases. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of BVA in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Seventeen electronic databases were systematically searched up to September 2007 with no language restrictions.

Pelargonium sidoides for acute bronchitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To critically assess the efficacy of Pelargonium sidoides for treating acute bronchitis.

Data Sources: Systematic literature searches were performed in 5 electronic databases: (Medline (1950 - July 2007), Amed (1985 - July 2007), Embase (1974 - July 2007), CINAHL (1982 - July 2007), and The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2007) without language restrictions. Reference lists of retrieved articles were searched, and manufacturers contacted for published and unpublished materials.

Methods for causality assessment of adverse drug reactions: a systematic review.

Numerous methods for causality assessment of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been published. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of these methods and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE and the Cochrane databases to find all assessment methods.

Carmustine implants for the treatment of newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas: a cost-utility analysis.

Background: High-grade gliomas are aggressive brain tumours that are extremely challenging to treat effectively. The intracranial implantation of carmustine wafers (BCNU-W), which delivers chemotherapy directly to the affected area, may prolong survival in this population. However, no attention has yet been paid to the economic implications of BCNU-W in this setting.

Massage therapy for the treatment of depression: a systematic review.

Background: People with depressive disorders or subsyndromal symptoms of depression (SSD) often use complementary and alternative therapies, including massage therapy (MT). This systematic review evaluates the evidence, from randomised clinical trials (RCTs), for the effectiveness of multiple sessions of classical European (Swedish) MT for the treatment of depression.

Methods: Eligible RCTs were identified via eight electronic databases and manual searches of references.

The mitochondrial permeability transition regulates cytochrome c release for apoptosis during endoplasmic reticulum stress by remodeling the cristae junction.

The role of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in apoptosis and necrosis is controversial. Here we show that the MPT regulates the release of cytochrome c for apoptosis during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by remodeling the cristae junction (CJ). CEM cells, HCT116 colon cancer cells, and murine embryo fibroblast cells were treated with the ER stressor thapsigargin (THG), which led to cyclophilin D-dependent mitochondrial release of the profusion GTPase optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), which controls CJ integrity, and cytochrome c, leading to apoptosis.

Do mitochondriotropic antioxidants prevent chlorinative stress-induced mitochondrial and cellular injury?

Reactive chlorine species such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl) are cytotoxic oxidants generated by activated neutrophils at the sites of chronic inflammation. Since mitochondria are key mediators of apoptosis and necrosis, we hypothesized that mitochondriotropic antioxidants could limit HOCl-mediated intracellular oxidative injury to human fetal liver cells, preserve mitochondrial function, and prevent cell death. In this current study, we show that recently developed mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (MitoQ and SS31) significantly protected against HOCl-induced mitochondrial damage and cell death at concentrations >or=25 nM.

The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cardiac resynchronisation (biventricular pacing) for heart failure: systematic review and economic model.

Objectives: To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) for people with heart failure and evidence of dyssynchrony by comparing cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices, CRT-P and CRT with defibrillation (CRT-D), each with optimal pharmaceutical therapy (OPT), and with each other.

Data Sources: Electronic databases were searched up to June 2006. Manufacturer submissions to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) were also searched for additional evidence.

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of carmustine implants and temozolomide for the treatment of newly diagnosed high-grade glioma: a systematic review and economic evaluation.

Objectives: To assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of adjuvant carmustine wafers (BCNU-W) and also of adjuvant and concomitant temozolomide (TMZ), compared with surgery with radiotherapy.

Data Sources: Electronic databases were searched up to August 2005.

Review Methods: Included trials were critically appraised for key elements of internal and external validity.

Complementary medicine for treating or preventing influenza or influenza-like illness.

The objective of this review was to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies for preventing or treating influenza or influenza-like illness, including avian influenza. Systematic literature searches were conducted in 5 databases until June 2006; other data sources included bibliographies of located articles, manufacturers of commercially available preparations, and experts in the field. Randomized clinical trials, controlled against placebo or active comparator, were included.

A prospective study of childhood psychopathology: independent predictors of change over three years.

Background: Whilst the correlates of child mental health problems are well understood, less is known about factors that operate to maintain healthy or unhealthy functioning, or that contribute to change in functioning. A range of factors may be of interest here, including relatively stable characteristics of children or their environment, that may have long-lasting and enduring consequences for their mental health, along with events that prompt changes in a child's mental state.

Methods: Children were followed up 3 years after the original survey for a sub-sample of the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (N = 2,587 children).

Clinical effectiveness of garlic (Allium sativum).

The objective of this review is to update and assess the clinical evidence based on rigorous trials of the effectiveness of garlic (A. sativum). Systematic searches were carried out in Medline, Embase, Amed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Natural Standard, and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (search date December 2006).

Static magnets for reducing pain: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Static magnets are marketed with claims of effectiveness for reducing pain, although evidence of scientific principles or biological mechanisms to support such claims is limited. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the clinical evidence from randomized trials of static magnets for treating pain.

Methods: Systematic literature searches were conducted from inception to March 2007 for the following data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), CINAHL, Scopus, the Cochrane Library and the UK National Research Register.

Ethics, justification and the prevention of spina bifida.

During the 1970s, prenatal screening technologies were in their infancy, but were being swiftly harnessed to uncover and prevent spina bifida. The historical rise of this screening process and prevention programme is analysed in this paper, and the role of ethical debates in key studies, editorials and letters reported in the Lancet, and other related texts and governmental documents between 1972 and 1983, is considered. The silence that surrounded rigorous ethical debate served to highlight where discussion lay-namely, within the justifications offered for the prevention of spina bifida, and the efficacy and benefits of screening.

External qigong for pain conditions: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Unlabelled: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the clinical evidence of external qigong as a treatment option for pain conditions. Databases were searched up to January 2007. Randomized, clinical trials (RCTs) testing external qigong in patients with pain of any origin assessing clinical outcomes were considered.

GEA 3162, a peroxynitrite donor, induces Bcl-2-sensitive, p53-independent apoptosis in murine bone marrow cells.

Apoptosis may be regulated by oxidants such as peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)). The tumour suppressor, p53, has been reported to play a crucial role in apoptosis induced by oxidants, therefore we assessed the ability of a ONOO(-) donor, GEA 3162, to activate caspases and induce mitochondrial permeability in a p53-deficient murine bone marrow cell line, Jaws II. Furthermore, these cells were stably transfected with Bcl-2, in order to investigate the impact of this survival protein on ONOO(-)-induced apoptosis.

An investigation of the contents of complementary and alternative medicine journals.

Context: Previous research suggests that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals publish few clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses and a high proportion of positive articles.

Objective: This study describes the content of major CAM journals in 2005 and compares key findings with secondary data from previous years.

Design: PubMed-indexed CAM journals publishing in 2005 were identified using the search term "(alternative OR complementary) AND medicine.

Qigong for hypertension: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Objectives: To assess systematically the clinical evidence of qigong for hypertension.

Methods: Databases were searched up to August 2006. All randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing qigong in patients with hypertension of any origin and assessing clinically relevant outcomes were considered.

An update on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Purpose Of Review: Glucocorticoids are widely used, often long term, and a major side effect is osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture. This review considers how common is the problem, the patients who are most at risk, our current understanding of mechanisms, and how to prevent and effectively treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The actions currently being undertaken in clinical practice are reviewed.

Hero or has-been: is there a future for altruism in medical education?

The term 'altruism' is often used without definition, leading to contradictions in what we expect from medical students. In this reflection paper, we critique the concept of 'altruism' from the perspective of moral philosophy and social psychology and challenge its unquestioned usage within the medical education literature, especially that emerging from the USA. We will argue that 'altruism' is a social construction with a particular history, stemming from Kantian philosophy and perpetuated within newer disciplines such as social psychology.

The antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and selenium in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: To systematically review the evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for the effectiveness of the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E or selenium or their combination in the treatment of arthritis. METHODSL: A systematic search of computerized databases from inception to September 2006 for relevant RCTs, application of pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria and independent data extraction by two authors. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad scale.