1,312 research outputs found

    Reporting and Handling of Indeterminate Bone Scan Results in the Staging of Prostate Cancer:A Systematic Review

    Get PDF
    Bone scintigraphy is key in imaging skeletal metastases in newly diagnosed prostate cancer. Unfortunately, a notable proportion of scans are not readily classified as positive or negative but deemed indeterminate. The extent of reporting of indeterminate bone scans and how such scans are handled in clinical trials are not known. A systematic review was conducted using electronic databases up to October 2016. The main outcome of interest was the reporting of indeterminate bone scans, analyses of how such scans were managed, and exploratory analyses of the association of study characteristics and the reporting of indeterminate bone scan results. Seventy-four eligible clinical trials were identified. The trials were mostly retrospective (85%), observational (95%), large trials (median 195 patients) from five continents published over four decades. The majority of studies had university affiliation (72%), and an author with imaging background (685). Forty-five studies (61%) reported an indeterminate option for the bone scan and 23 studies reported the proportion of indeterminate scans (median 11.4%). Most trials (44/45, 98%) reported how to handle indeterminate scans. Most trials (n = 39) used add-on supplementary imaging, follow-up bone scans, or both. Exploratory analyses showed a significant association of reporting of indeterminate results and number of patients in the study (p = 0.024) but failed to reach statistical significance with other variables tested. Indeterminate bone scan for staging of prostate cancer was insufficiently reported in clinical trials. In the case of indeterminate scans, most studies provided adequate measures to obtain the final status of the patients

    Effects of recreational angling and air exposure on the physiological status and reflex impairment of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus)

    Get PDF
    European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) is a popular recreational fish that may be lifted out of the water to facilitate hook removal or for admiration. To evaluate the effects of air exposure and angling-induced exhaustive exercise on released grayling condition, we assessed blood physiology and reflexes of grayling after angling and air exposure in the subarctic River Lakselva (Norway) at midsummer temperatures (i.e., 17–18 °C). Blood samples were drawn 30 min after angling and analyzed for lactate anions, glucose, sodium ions, and pH. Reflex impairment was determined with orientation and tail grab reflex action assessments immediately after landing, after air exposure, and after 30 min holding. Blood physiology did not indicate an exacerbating effect of air exposure relative to just angling-induced exercise, but significant and prolonged reflex impairment was associated with the 120 s air exposure interval. Anglers must take care to minimize air exposure to adhere to best handling practices.publishedVersio

    Bacteriocin-mediated competition in cystic fibrosis lung infections

    Get PDF
    Bacteriocins are toxins produced by bacteria to kill competitors of the same species. Theory and laboratory experiments suggest that bacteriocin production and immunity play a key role in the competitive dynamics of bacterial strains. The extent to which this is the case in natural populations, especially human pathogens, remains to be tested. We examined the role of bacteriocins in competition using Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains infecting lungs of humans with cystic fibrosis (CF). We assessed the ability of different strains to kill each other using phenotypic assays, and sequenced their genomes to determine what bacteriocins (pyocins) they carry. We found that (i) isolates from later infection stages inhibited earlier infecting strains less, but were more inhibited by pyocins produced by earlier infecting strains and carried fewer pyocin types; (ii) this difference between early and late infections appears to be caused by a difference in pyocin diversity between competing genotypes and not by loss of pyocin genes within a lineage over time; (iii) pyocin inhibition does not explain why certain strains outcompete others within lung infections; (iv) strains frequently carry the pyocin-killing gene, but not the immunity gene, suggesting resistance occurs via other unknown mechanisms. Our results show that, in contrast to patterns observed in experimental studies, pyocin production does not appear to have a major influence on strain competition during CF lung infections

    Acoustic radiation controls friction: Evidence from a spring-block experiment

    Full text link
    Brittle failures of materials and earthquakes generate acoustic/seismic waves which lead to radiation damping feedbacks that should be introduced in the dynamical equations of crack motion. We present direct experimental evidence of the importance of this feedback on the acoustic noise spectrum of well-controlled spring-block sliding experiments performed on a variety of smooth surfaces. The full noise spectrum is quantitatively explained by a simple noisy harmonic oscillator equation with a radiation damping force proportional to the derivative of the acceleration, added to a standard viscous term.Comment: 4 pages including 3 figures. Replaced with version accepted in PR

    A brain-infecting parasite impacts host metabolism both during exposure and after infection is established

    Get PDF
    Metabolic costs associated with parasites should not be limited to established infections. Even during initial exposure to questing and attacking parasites, hosts can enact behavioural and physiological responses that could also incur metabolic costs. However, few studies have measured these costs directly. Hence, little is known about metabolic costs arising from parasite exposure. Furthermore, no one has yet measured whether and how previous infection history modulates metabolic responses to parasite exposure. Here, using the California killifish Fundulus parvipinnis and its brain‐infecting parasite Euhaplorchis californiensis, we quantified how killifish metabolism, behaviour and osmoregulatory phenotype changed upon acute exposure to parasite infectious stages (i.e. cercariae), and with long‐term infection. Exposure to cercariae caused both naïve and long‐term infected killifish to acutely increase their metabolic rate and activity, indicating detection and response to parasite infectious stages. Additionally, these metabolic and behavioural effects were moderately stronger in long‐term infected hosts than naïve killifish, suggesting that hosts may develop learned behavioural responses, nociceptor sensitization and/or acute immune mechanisms to limit new infections. Although established infection altered the metabolic response to parasite exposure, established infection did not alter standard metabolic rate, routine metabolic rate, maximum metabolic rate, aerobic scope or citrate synthase enzyme activity. Unexpectedly, established infection reduced lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activity in killifish brains and relative Na+/K+‐ATPase abundance in gills, suggesting novel mechanisms by which E. californiensis may alter its hosts\u27 behaviour and osmoregulation. Thus, we provide empirical evidence that parasites can disrupt the metabolism of their host both during parasite exposure and after infection is established. This response may be modulated by previous infection history, with probable knock‐on effects for host performance, brain energy metabolism, osmoregulation and ecology. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article
    corecore