A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis between Amlodipine and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in Stroke and Myocardial Infarction Prevention among Hypertension Patients in China.

Objective: Uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) results in strokes, myocardial infarction (MI), and other complications, which are the leading cause of disability, death, and severe economic consequence. We conducted an economic evaluation to determine the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with amlodipine (Norvasc) and the angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in preventing stroke and MI among Chinese HTN patients.

Methods: A cost-utility analysis was conducted from the third-party payer perspective.

Survival of Vibrio cholerae in nutrient-poor environments is associated with a novel "persister" phenotype.

In response to antibiotic and/or environmental stress, some species of bacteria shift to a "persister" phenotype. Although toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, responsible for the disease cholera, can be found in nutrient-poor aquatic environments in endemic areas, the underlying mechanism(s) by which culturable cells persist in these environmental reservoirs is largely unknown. Here we report that introduction of V.

A model of the lateral line of fish for vortex sensing.

In this paper, the lateral line trunk canal (LLTC) of a fish is modeled to investigate how it is affected by an external flow field. Potential flow theory is adopted to model the flow field around a fish's body in the presence of a Karman vortex street. Karman and reverse Karman streets represent the flow patterns behind a bluff body and a traveling fish, respectively.

Unmet needs in Hispanic/Latino patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In the United States, the prevalence of adults who are overweight or obese is higher in Hispanics/Latinos compared with non-Hispanic whites. In addition, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is consistently greater in racial/ethnic minority groups, such as Hispanics/Latinos, compared with non-Hispanic whites. In fact, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2007 to 2009 suggest that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is almost twice as high in Hispanics/Latinos compared with non-Hispanic whites (11.

Cynicism: Incident diabetes and worsening of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To determine if self-reported cynical hostility predicted incident diabetes or increase in number of symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Design: Prospective study of a subsample of women ( = 3,658) participating in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial.

Methods: : Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years at baseline who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial, Hormone Trial or both.

Myelodysplastic syndrome associated with chronic valproic acid therapy: a case report and review of the literature.

This report is of a case of myelodysplastic syndrome occurring in a 63 year old female on long-term valproic acid therapy for seizure disorder. Valproic acid therapy is widely prescribed for seizure disorders and is often associated with thrombocytopenia, macrocytic anemia and a reversible dysmyelopoiesis. There are rare reports in the literature of acute myeloid leukemia arising in patients treated with valproic acid.

Endothelin-1 modulates anterograde fast axonal transport in the central nervous system.

Anterograde fast axonal transport (FAxT) maintains synaptic function and provides materials necessary for neuronal survival. Localized changes in FAxT are associated with a variety of central nervous system (CNS) neuropathies, where they may contribute to inappropriate remodeling, a process more appropriately involved in synaptic plasticity and development. In some cases, developmental remodeling is regulated by localized secretion of endothelins (ETs), neuroinflammatory peptides that are also pathologically elevated in cases of neurologic disease, CNS injury, or ischemia.

Quality-of-life concerns of African American breast cancer survivors within rural North Carolina: blending the techniques of photovoice and grounded theory.

Social norms imposing a prevailing silence around breast cancer in rural African American communities have made it difficult for survivors to express their quality-of-life (QOL) concerns. In this article, the authors describe how they blended the photovoice method (providing participants with cameras so they can record, discuss, and relate the realities of their lives) with grounded theory techniques to assist 13 African American breast cancer survivors from rural eastern North Carolina in (a) exploring how they perceive and address their QOL within their own social context and (b) developing a conceptual framework of survivorship QOL. The framework that emerged reveals that three social forces (racism, stigmas regarding cancer, and cultural expectations of African American women) drive four QOL concerns (seeking safe sources of support, adjusting to the role of cancer survivor, feeling comfortable about the future, and serving as role models) and that survivors address these concerns by relying on spiritual faith and devising strategies to maintain social standing.

Individual differences in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC): association with clinical variables.

Laboratory pain research has been criticized as being irrelevant to the clinical experience of pain. Previous findings have been inconsistent with some studies suggesting that experimental pain responses may be related to the reported presence or severity of chronic pain, while others report no such associations. However, few of these studies assess a variety of laboratory pain responses, and none has assessed relationships between clinical pain and diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) in healthy subjects.

Pain tolerance as a predictor of outcome following multidisciplinary treatment for chronic pain: differential effects as a function of sex.

Sex-related differences in the experience of clinical and experimental pain have been widely reported. Females are at elevated risk for developing several chronic pain conditions and women demonstrate greater sensitivity to noxious stimulation in the laboratory. However, relationships between responses to experimental noxious stimuli and the experience of clinical pain have not been well characterized.

Anaesthesia in a child with Sotos syndrome.

Sotos syndrome is a rare condition characterized by typical facies, early accelerated growth, large body size, developmental delay and congenital heart defects. Reports of anaesthetic management of these children are very rare. We report a case of general anaesthesia in a 2(1/2)-year-old boy with this condition, undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

Neurohormonal abnormalities in heart failure: impact of exercise training.

Endurance exercise training appears to beneficially alter the clinical course of chronic heart failure. The specific mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced benefits, however, are not completely understood. This review examines the impact of endurance exercise training on neurohormonal mechanisms, which play a central role in the progression of chronic heart failure.