DRAGON Score Predicts Functional Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Receiving Both Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Endovascular Therapy

BACKGROUND: The DRAGON score, which includes clinical and computed tomographic (CT) scan parameters, predicts functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA). We assessed the utility of the DRAGON score in predicting functional outcome in stroke patients receiving both IV tPA and endovascular therapy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients treated at our institution from February 2009 to October 2015 was conducted. All patients with computed tomography angiography (CTA) proven large vessel occlusions (LVO) who underwent intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy were included. Baseline DRAGON scores and modified Rankin Score (mRS) at the time of hospital discharge was calculated. Good outcome was defined as mRS /=7 was associated with higher mRS (P \u3c 0.006) and higher mortality (P \u3c 0.0001) compared with DRAGON score

Pregnant women with bronchial asthma benefit from progressive muscle relaxation: A randomized, prospective, controlled trial

Background: Asthma is a serious medical problem in pregnancy and is often associated with stress, anger and poor quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on change in blood pressure, lung parameters, heart rate, anger and health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma. Methods: We treated a sample of 64 pregnant women with bronchial asthma from the local population in an 8-week randomized, prospective, controlled trial. Thirty-two were selected for PMR, and 32 received a placebo intervention. The systolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow and heart rate were tested, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory and Health Survey (SF-36) were employed. Results: According to the intend-to-treat principle, a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and a significant increase in both forced expiratory volume in the first second and peak expiratory flow were observed after PMR. The heart rate showed a significant increase in the coefficient of variation, root mean square of successive differences and high frequency ranges, in addition to a significant reduction in low and middle frequency ranges. A significant reduction on three of five State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory scales, and a significant increase on seven of eight SF-36 scales were observed. Conclusions: PMR appears to be an effective method to improve blood pressure, lung parameters and heart rate, and to decrease anger levels, thus enhancing health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Serum insulin level, disease stage, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and Gleason score in prostate cancer

In the present study, we assessed the relationship of serum insulin levels and three surrogate markers of recurrence, T stage, PSA, and Gleason score, in men with localized prostate cancer. Participants in our study were found through urology and radiation oncology clinics, and all eligible patients were asked to take part. All patients were asymptomatic and had been initially diagnosed on the basis of rising PSA or abnormal physical examination. Histological confirmation of diagnosis was obtained for all subjects. Serum insulin levels were determined by chemoluminescent assay with a standard, commercially available instrument. Patients were divided into three previously defined risk groups: Low risk: PSA ⩽10, stage ⩽T2a, or Gleason grade ⩽6. Medium risk: 10 <PSA ⩽15, Gleason 7 or stage T2b. High risk: Gleason >7, tumour in seminal vesicle biopsy, PSA >15 or stage T2c or T3. One hundred and sixty-three men with prostate cancer were studied. There was a significant increase in serum insulin with risk group (P=0.003, one way anova). Tukey's multiple range test showed that the insulin levels of high risk patients were significantly higher than the insulin levels of medium and low risk patients (P=0.05) but the insulin levels of medium and low risk patients were not significantly different from one another. Multivariate linear regression, with insulin as the dependent variable, Gleason score, PSA, and T stage (T1, T2, T3) as the independent variables, was significant overall (P<0.001, r2=0.120). Increased T stage was independently correlated with increased serum insulin levels (P<0.001). Gleason score was negatively, insignificantly correlated with serum insulin level (P=0.059). The positive correlation of PSA and insulin level was not significant (P=0.097). To assure normal distribution of insulin and PSA values, the regression was repeated with log (insulin) as the dependent variable, log (PSA), T stage (T1, T2, T3), and Gleason score as independent variables. The regression was significant overall (P=0.002, r2 =0.095). Increased T stage was independently correlated with increased log (insulin level) (P=0.026). Gleason score was negatively, insignificantly correlated with log (insulin) level (P=0.728). The positive correlation of log (PSA) and log (insulin) levels was significant (P=0.010). The relationship between increased insulin level and advanced tumour stage in prostate cancer we describe here is biologically quite plausible, since insulin is a growth factor. Further studies may document whether serum insulin levels might be a useful biomarker of prostate cancer stage

Lyashko-Looijenga morphisms and submaximal factorisations of a Coxeter element

When W is a finite reflection group, the noncrossing partition lattice NCP_W of type W is a rich combinatorial object, extending the notion of noncrossing partitions of an n-gon. A formula (for which the only known proofs are case-by-case) expresses the number of multichains of a given length in NCP_W as a generalised Fuss-Catalan number, depending on the invariant degrees of W. We describe how to understand some specifications of this formula in a case-free way, using an interpretation of the chains of NCP_W as fibers of a Lyashko-Looijenga covering (LL), constructed from the geometry of the discriminant hypersurface of W. We study algebraically the map LL, describing the factorisations of its discriminant and its Jacobian. As byproducts, we generalise a formula stated by K. Saito for real reflection groups, and we deduce new enumeration formulas for certain factorisations of a Coxeter element of W.Comment: 18 pages. Version 2 : corrected typos and improved presentation. Version 3 : corrected typos, added illustrated example. To appear in Journal of Algebraic Combinatoric

Thinking beyond the hybrid:“actually-existing” cities “after neoliberalism” in Boyle <i>et al.</i>

In their article, ‘The spatialities of actually existing neoliberalism in Glasgow, 1977 to present’, Mark Boyle, Christopher McWilliams and Gareth Rice (2008) usefully problematise our current understanding of neoliberal urbanism. Our response is aimed at developing a sympathetic but critical approach to Boyle et al's understanding of neoliberal urbanism as illustrated by the Glasgow example. In particular, the counterposing by Boyle et al of a 'hybrid, mutant' model to a 'pure' model of neoliberalism for us misrepresents existing models of neoliberalism as a perfectly finished object rather than a roughly mottled process. That they do not identify any ‘pure’ model leads them to create a straw construct against which they can claim a more sophisticated, refined approach to the messiness of neoliberal urbanism. In contrast, we view neoliberalism as a contested and unstable response to accumulation crises at various scales of analysis

Breakdown of the Mott insulator: Exact solution of an asymmetric Hubbard model

The breakdown of the Mott insulator is studied when the dissipative tunneling into the environment is introduced to the system. By exactly solving the one-dimensional asymmetric Hubbard model, we show how such a breakdown of the Mott insulator occurs. As the effect of the tunneling is increased, the Hubbard gap is monotonically decreased and finally disappears, resulting in the insulator-metal transition. We discuss the origin of this quantum phase transition in comparison with other non-Hermitian systems recently studied.Comment: 7 pages, revte