Implementation of The World Starts With Me, a comprehensive rights-based sex education programme in Uganda.

This article presents a process evaluation of the implementation of the sex education programme the World Starts With Me (WSWM) for secondary school students in Uganda. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine factors associated with dose delivered (number of lessons implemented) and fidelity of implementation (implementation according to the manual), as well as to identify the main barriers and facilitators of implementation. Teachers' confidence in teaching WSWM was negatively associated with dose delivered.

Understanding presenteeism in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: contributing factors and association with sick leave.

Objective: To understand the impact of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) on presenteeism and to explore its relationship to sick leave.

Methods: AS patients completed a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographics, disease characteristics, and work outcomes, including sick leave and presenteeism, assessed by the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ). Associations between a broad range of explanatory variables with the WLQ and AS-related sick leave were assessed by zero-inflated negative binomial and zero-inflated Poisson regressions.

Macrophage specific caspase-1/11 deficiency protects against cholesterol crystallization and hepatic inflammation in hyperlipidemic mice.

Background & Aims: While non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by hepatic steatosis combined with inflammation, the mechanisms triggering hepatic inflammation are unknown. In Ldlr(-/-) mice, we have previously shown that lysosomal cholesterol accumulation in Kupffer cells (KCs) correlates with hepatic inflammation and cholesterol crystallization. Previously, cholesterol crystals have been shown to induce the activation of inflammasomes.

A role of active brown adipose tissue in cancer cachexia?

Until a few years ago, adult humans were not thought to have brown adipose tissue (BAT). Now, this is a rapidly evolving field of research with perspectives in metabolic syndromes such as obesity and new therapies targeting its bio-energetic pathways. White, brown and so-called brite adipose fat seem to be able to trans-differentiate into each other, emphasizing the dynamic nature of fat tissue for metabolism.

Health claims in Europe: probiotics and prebiotics as case examples.

Health claims regarding foods imply a relationship between a specific food and maintenance of good health, or that food can reduce the risk of disease. Health claim legislation in the European Union sets out from the concept of consumer protection. Health claim assessment focuses on defining given foods, assessing their health relationship, and evaluating relevant studies with an emphasis on controlled human intervention research.

Which preventive interventions effectively enhance depressed mothers' sensitivity? A meta-analysis.

Improving depressed mothers' sensitivity is assumed to be a key element in preventing adverse outcomes for children of such mothers. This meta-analysis examines the short-term effectiveness of preventive interventions in terms of enhancing depressed mothers' sensitivity toward their child and investigates what type of intervention is most effective. Thirteen interventions, reported in 10 controlled outcome studies, met the inclusion criteria (N = 918).

Positive cultures from cardiopulmonary bypass: prevalence and relevance regarding postoperative infection.

Objective: Postoperative infections due to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The value of positive cultures taken from CPB priming fluid and CPB blood samples, however, is unclear. This study investigates the epidemiology of positive cultures from CPB and their relation to the occurrence of postoperative infection.

The effect of oxygenator mechanical characteristics on energy transfer during clinical cardiopulmonary bypass.

The hollow-fibre oxygenator is a key component of any extracorporeal circuit used to provide cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during open-heart surgery. Since the oxygenator is placed downstream of the pump, the energy losses over it have a direct impact on the quality of pulsatile pressure and flow waveforms. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of hydrodynamic characteristics of the oxygenator on energy transfer during pulsatile, normothermic CPB.

The porphyrias: clinic, diagnostics, novel investigative tools and evolving molecular therapeutic strategies.

The porphyrias are clinically and genetically heterogeneous metabolic disorders resulting from a predominantly hereditary dysfunction of specific enzymes involved in heme biosynthesis. Today, the clinical, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of this fascinating group of diseases are well established. Recently, different in vitro and animal models have facilitated the investigation of etiopathologic mechanisms in the different types of porphyria and the development of causal treatment strategies such as pathway interference, enzyme replacement, and gene therapy.

Clinical and molecular genetic aspects of hereditary multiple cutaneous leiomyomatosis.

Multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis syndrome (MCUL; OMIM 150800) is an autosomal dominantly inherited tumor predisposition disorder, characterized by leiomyomas of the skin and uterus. When associated with kidney cancer, this syndrome is known as hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC; OMIM 605839). All disease variants result from heterozygous mutations in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene.

Do psychological characteristics predict response to exercise and advice for subacute low back pain?

Objective: To determine whether psychological characteristics predict outcome and/or response to physiotherapist-directed exercise- or advice-based treatment of subacute low back pain.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of a factorial, placebo-controlled trial (n = 259). The psychological characteristics were catastrophizing, coping, pain self-efficacy, fear of injury/movement, depression, anxiety, and stress.

Do lumbar stabilising exercises reduce pain and disability in patients with recurrent low back pain?

Question: Does a graded exercise program emphasising lumbar stabilising exercises reduce pain and disability at 12 months, compared with a walking program, for patients with recurrent low back pain?

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: A single private physiotherapy clinic in Sweden.

Participants: 71 patients with recurrent mechanical low back pain (>8 weeks duration, with at least 1 pain-free period during the past year) and without leg pain were allocated to one of two groups, using a concealed allocation process.

A New Solution to the Recovered Memory Debate.

The controversy regarding recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been characterized by two perspectives. According to one perspective, some people repress their memories of abuse because these experiences have been so emotionally traumatic, and they become capable of recalling the CSA only when it is psychologically safe to do so many years later. According to the other perspective, many reports of recovered memories of sexual abuse are false memories, often inadvertently fostered by therapists.

Hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans (Flegel's disease) - successful treatment with topical corticosteroids.

Flegel's disease, also known as hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans, is a rare skin disease characterized by small, red-brown, hyperkeratotic, papules that are usually located on the lower extremities. The diagnosis is based on the clinical appearance in association with the typical histologic features of orthohyperkeratosis and a subepidermal band-like infiltrate. Treatment is difficult and rarely fully effective.

Increased release of sMD-2 during human endotoxemia and sepsis: a role for endothelial cells.

MD-2 is the crucial cofactor of TLR4 in the detection of LPS. Here, we show that soluble MD-2 (sMD-2) circulates in plasma of healthy individuals as a polymeric protein. The total amount of sMD-2 in septic plasma was strongly elevated and contained both sMD-2 polymers and monomers, the latter representing the putative biologically active form of MD-2.

Intrauterine manipulation does not adversely influence the direction and frequency of endometrial waves.

Objective: To investigate whether intrauterine manipulation affects the direction or alters the frequency of endometrial wavelike activity.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: University hospital-based fertility clinic.

Microvascular function: a potential link between salt sensitivity, insulin resistance and hypertension.

Objective: Generalized microvascular dysfunction may contribute to the development of salt sensitivity, insulin resistance and hypertension, and may thus link these cardiovascular risk factors. To test this hypothesis, we examined skin microvascular function, salt sensitivity, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure in 27 normotensive and 26 hypertensive individuals.

Methods: Capillary density was examined by videomicroscopy during venous congestion and postocclusive reactive hyperaemia.

The Asp299Gly Toll-like receptor 4 polymorphism in advanced aortic atherosclerosis.

Background: Recently, the common Asp299Gly polymorphism of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of acute myocardial infarction and carotid atherosclerosis. As TLR-4 signalling is causally involved in atherogenesis, the polymorphism was postulated to impart protection from atherosclerosis. To explore a potential atheroprotective effect, we studied the association between the Asp299Gly polymorphism and atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients undergoing angiography for suspected renovascular disease.

Complex endometrial wave-patterns in IVF.

Objective: To reanalyze ultrasound images from IVF cycles with the aim of developing a refined endometrial wave classification system, which will allow description as well of the more complex endometrial wave patterns.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: University hospital-based fertility clinic.

Serial left-ventricular biopsy sampling using a minimally invasive trans-thoracic approach in adult dogs.

Myocardial biopsies are an increasingly important tool to unravel the molecular mechanisms of cardiac disease. We evaluate a novel minimally invasive trans-thoracic approach for left-ventricular (LV) intra-mural biopsies, which enables repetitive individual sampling in adult dogs. Forty three generally anaesthesised dogs were studied during sinus rhythm (SR, control) and multiple times after the induction of volume overload hypertrophy (complete atrioventricular block [AVB]).

Cutaneous mosaicism: right before our eyes.

Autosomal recessive cutaneous disorders, including various types of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), usually manifest shortly after birth. The clinical course of these diseases is often characterized by severe complications, limited therapeutic options, and a poor prognosis. A study by Pasmooij et al.

Imaging apoptosis for detecting plaque instability: rendering death a brighter facade.

The relatively poor correlation between the risk of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and the degree of luminal obstruction before this event implies a strong imperative for in vivo detection of the processes underlying progressive plaque destabilization. In addition to the morphologic characteristics, apoptosis and inflammation comprise two important indicators of plaque instability. Apoptotic macrophage death results in enlargement of the plaque necrotic core and positive vascular remodelling, whereas apoptosis of the smooth muscle cells leads to attenuation of the fibrous cap.

Utilizing SENSE to reduce scan duration in high-resolution contrast-enhanced renal MR angiography.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of sensitivity encoding (SENSE) to reduce scan time and decrease detrimental artifacts arising from motion and bolus profile effects during contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) of the renal arteries (RAs).

Materials And Methods: A direct comparison of conventional and SENSE (acceleration factor 2) CE-MRA protocols was performed on 20 patients. Each patient underwent both scans.