278 research outputs found
Mortality and Readmission After Cervical Fracture from a Fall in Older Adults: Comparison with Hip Fracture Using National Medicare Data
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115960/1/jgs13670.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115960/2/jgs13670_am.pd
Advances in the Development of Mid-Infrared Integrated Devices for Interferometric Arrays
This article reports the advances on the development of mid-infrared
integrated optics for stellar interferometry. The devices are fabricated by
laser writing techniques on chalcogenide glasses. Laboratory characterizaton is
reported and analyzed.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentatio
Adherence and Concordance between Serious Illness Care Planning Conversations and Oncology Clinician Documentation among Patients with Advanced Cancer
Background:Serious illness conversations are part of advance care planning (ACP) and focus on prognosis, values, and goals in patients who are seriously ill. To be maximally effective, such conversations must be documented accurately and be easily accessible. Objectives:The two coprimary objectives of the study were to assess concordance between written documentation and recorded audiotaped conversations, and to evaluate adherence to the Serious Illness Conversation Guide questions. Methods:Data were obtained as part of a trial in patients with advanced cancer. Clinicians were trained to use a guide to conduct and document serious illness conversations. Conversations were audiotaped. Two researchers independently compared audiorecordings with the corresponding documentation in an electronic health record (EHR) template and free-text progress notes, and rated the degree of concordance and adherence. Results:We reviewed a total of 25 audiorecordings. Clinicians addressed 87% of the conversation guide elements. Prognosis was discussed least frequently, only in 55% of the patients who wanted that information. Documentation was fully concordant with the conversation 43% of the time. Concordance was best when documenting family matters and goals, and least frequently concordant when documenting prognostic communication. Most conversations (64%) were documented in the template, a minority (28%) only in progress notes and two conversations (8%) were not documented. Concordance was better when the template was used (62% vs. 28%). Conclusion:Clinicians adhered well to the conversation guide. However, key information elicited was documented and fully concordant less than half the time. Greater concordance was observed when clinicians used a prespecified template. The combined use of a guide and EHR template holds promise for ACP conversations
Digestive tract morphometry and breast muscle microstructure in spent breeder ducks maintainedin a conservation programme of genetic resources
The objective of this study was to compare three genetic groups of ducks: P9
(French Pekin), K2 (bred from wild mallards – Anas platyrhynchos L.
and Pekin duck), and KhO1 (hybrid of Khaki Campbell drake and Orpington Fauve
duck) after two breeding seasons for body weight and length, length of
intestine and its segments, percentage of other internal organs, and breast
muscle microstructure. The study used 60 ducks, 20 birds (10 males and
10 females) from each genetic group. At 110 weeks of age, P9 ducks exhibited
significantly (p<0.05) greater body weight and length, and length
of intestine and its segments (except for colon length) compared to K2 and
KhO1 ducks. KhO1 ducks had significantly shorter jejunum and ileum compared
to K2 birds. The lighter K2 and KhO1 ducks had significantly greater relative
length of intestine and its segments. In P9 ducks, liver, heart, and gizzard
were heavier and spleen percentage in body weight significantly lower than in
K2 and KhO1 birds. KhO1 ducks had a significantly higher percentage of
proventriculus compared to the other duck groups. The different genetic
origins of the ducks had no effect on microstructural characteristics of
m. pectoralis superficialis except for perimysium and endomysium
thickness. Our study provided information about differences in the digestive
tract morphometry and breast muscle microstructure of ducks from three
genetic groups after two reproductive seasons, which are maintained in a
conservation programme of genetic resources in Poland.</p
A Qualitative Study of Serious Illness Conversations in Patients with Advanced Cancer
BACKGROUND: Conversations with seriously ill patients about their values and goals have been associated with reduced distress, a better quality of life, and goal-concordant care near the end of life. Yet, little is known about how such conversations are conducted. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the content of serious illness conversations and identify opportunities for improvement. DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of audio-recorded, serious illness conversations using an evidence-based guide and obtained through a cluster randomized controlled trial in an outpatient oncology setting. Setting/Measurements: Clinicians assigned to the intervention arm received training to use the "Serious Illness Conversation Guide" to have a serious illness conversation about values and goals with advanced cancer patients. Conversations were de-identified, transcribed verbatim, and independently coded by two researchers. Key themes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 25 conversations conducted by 16 clinicians were evaluated. The median conversation duration was 14 minutes (range 4-37), with clinicians speaking half of the time. Thematic analyses demonstrated five key themes: (1) supportive dialogue between patients and clinicians; (2) patients' openness to discuss emotionally challenging topics; (3) patients' willingness to articulate preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments; (4) clinicians' difficulty in responding to emotional or ambiguous patient statements; and (5) challenges in discussing prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this exploratory study suggest that seriously ill patients are open to discussing values and goals with their clinician. Yet, clinicians may struggle when disclosing a time-based prognosis and in responding to patients' emotions. Such skills should be a focus for additional training for clinicians caring for seriously ill patients
Phenotypic variation of erythrocyte linker histone H1.c in a pheasant (Phasianus colchicus L.) population
Our goal was to characterize a phenotypic variation of the pheasant erythrocyte linker histone subtype H1.c. By using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis three histone H1.c phenotypes were identified. The differently migrating allelic variants H1.c1 and H1.c2 formed either two homozygous phenotypes, c1 and c2, or a single heterozygous phenotype, c1c2. In the pheasant population screened, birds with phenotype c2 were the most common (frequency 0.761) while individuals with phenotype c1 were rare (frequency 0.043)
Spermine oxidase (SMO) activity in breast tumor tissues and biochemical analysis of the anticancer spermine analogues BENSpm and CPENSpm
Background: Polyamine metabolism has a critical role in cell death and proliferation representing a potential
target for intervention in breast cancer (BC). This study investigates the expression of spermine oxidase (SMO) and
its prognostic significance in BC. Biochemical analysis of Spm analogues BENSpm and CPENSpm, utilized in
anticancer therapy, was also carried out to test their property in silico and in vitro on the recombinant SMO
enzyme.
Methods: BC tissue samples were analyzed for SMO transcript level and SMO activity. Student’s t test was applied
to evaluate the significance of the differences in value observed in T and NT samples. The structure modeling
analysis of BENSpm and CPENSpm complexes formed with the SMO enzyme and their inhibitory activity, assayed
by in vitro experiments, were examined.
Results: Both the expression level of SMO mRNA and SMO enzyme activity were significantly lower in BC samples
compared to NT samples. The modeling of BENSpm and CPENSpm complexes formed with SMO and their
inhibition properties showed that both were good inhibitors.
Conclusions: This study shows that underexpression of SMO is a negative marker in BC. The SMO induction is a
remarkable chemotherapeutical target. The BENSpm and CPENSpm are efficient SMO inhibitors. The inhibition
properties shown by these analogues could explain their poor positive outcomes in Phases I and II of clinical trials
Asteroid (101955) Bennu’s weak boulders and thermally anomalous equator
Thermal inertia and surface roughness are proxies for the physical characteristics of planetary surfaces. Global maps of these two properties distinguish the boulder population on near-Earth asteroid (NEA) (101955) Bennu into two types that differ in strength, and both have lower thermal inertia than expected for boulders and meteorites. Neither has strongly temperature-dependent thermal properties. The weaker boulder type probably would not survive atmospheric entry and thus may not be represented in the meteorite collection. The maps also show a high–thermal inertia band at Bennu’s equator, which might be explained by processes such as compaction or strength sorting during mass movement, but these explanations are not wholly consistent with other data. Our findings imply that other C-complex NEAs likely have boulders similar to those on Bennu rather than finer-particulate regoliths. A tentative correlation between albedo and thermal inertia of C-complex NEAs may be due to relative abundances of boulder types
Overcoming the blood–brain barrier: the role of nanomaterials in treating neurological diseases
Therapies directed toward the central nervous system remain difficult to translate into improved clinical outcomes. This is largely due to the blood–brain barrier (BBB), arguably the most tightly regulated interface in the human body, which routinely excludes most therapeutics. Advances in the engineering of nanomaterials and their application in biomedicine (i.e., nanomedicine) are enabling new strategies that have the potential to help improve our understanding and treatment of neurological diseases. Herein, the various mechanisms by which therapeutics can be delivered to the brain are examined and key challenges facing translation of this research from benchtop to bedside are highlighted. Following a contextual overview of the BBB anatomy and physiology in both healthy and diseased states, relevant therapeutic strategies for bypassing and crossing the BBB are discussed. The focus here is especially on nanomaterial‐based drug delivery systems and the potential of these to overcome the biological challenges imposed by the BBB. Finally, disease‐targeting strategies and clearance mechanisms are explored. The objective is to provide the diverse range of researchers active in the field (e.g., material scientists, chemists, engineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians) with an easily accessible guide to the key opportunities and challenges currently facing the nanomaterial‐mediated treatment of neurological diseases
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