Development of the Lymphoedema Genito-Urinary Cancer Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to develop a patient self-report tool to detect symptoms of genital and lower limb lymphoedema in male survivors of genitourinary cancer. The study incorporated the views of patients and subject specialists (lymphoedema and urology) in the design of a patient questionnaire based on the literature. Views on comprehensiveness, relevance of content, ease of understanding and perceived acceptability to patients were collated. The findings informed the development of the next iteration of the questionnaire. The overall view of participants was that the development and application of such a tool was of great clinical value and the Lymphoedema Genito- Urinary Cancer Questionnaire (LGUCQ) has significant potential for further development as a research tool to inform prevalence of this under-reported condition

A Vector–Host Model for Coinfection by Barley/Cereal Yellow Dwarf Viruses

Barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDV) are a suite of aphid-vectored pathogens that affect diverse host communities, including economically important crops. Coinfection of a single host by multiple strains of B/CYDV can result in elevated virulence, incidence, and transmission rates. We develop a model for a single host, two pathogen strains, and n vector species, modeled by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. A single parameter describes the degree of relatedness of the strains and the amount of cross-protection between them. We compute the basic and type reproduction numbers for the model and analytically prove the (conditional) stability of the disease-free equilibrium. We demonstrate numerically that, although the basic reproduction number describes stability of the disease-free equilibrium, the type reproduction numbers better describe the individual behavior of each strain and the dynamics of coinfection. We then conduct a sensitivity analysis on the components of the endemic equilibrium for two different vector growth functions. Our results indicate that the disease transmission rates and the vector birth and mortality rates are the most influential parameters for the equilibrium prevalences of infection and coinfection

Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype in healthy and personality disordered individuals: An examination of cognitive tests hypothetically differentially sensitive to dopamine functions

A functional polymorphism of the gene coding for Catechol-O-methyltrasferase (COMT), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of the catecholamine dopamine (DA), epinephrine, and norepinephrine, is associated with cognitive deficits. However, previous studies have not examined the effects of COMT on context processing, as measured by the AX-CPT, a task hypothesized to be maximally relevant to DA function. 32 individuals who were either healthy, with schizotypal personality disorder, or non-cluster A, personality disorder (OPD) were genotyped at the COMT Val158Met locus. Met/Met (n = 6), Val/Met (n = 10), Val/Val (n = 16) individuals were administered a neuropsychological battery, including the AX-CPT and the N-back working memory test. For the AX-CPT, Met/Met demonstrated more AY errors (reflecting good maintenance of context) than the other genotypes, who showed equivalent error rates. Val/Val demonstrated disproportionately greater deterioration with increased task difficulty from 0-back to 1-back working memory demands as compared to Met/Met, while Val/Met did not differ from either genotypes. No differences were found on processing speed or verbal working memory. Both context processing and working memory appear related to COMT genotype and the AX-CPT and N-back may be most sensitive to the effects of COMT variation

Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype in healthy and personality disorder individuals: Preliminary results from an examination of cognitive tests hypothetically differentially sensitive to dopamine functions

A functional polymorphism of the gene coding for Catechol-O-methyltrasferase (COMT), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of the catecholamine dopamine (DA), epinephrine, and norepinephrine, is associated with cognitive deficits. However, previous studies have not examined the effects of COMT on context processing, as measured by the AX-CPT, a task hypothesized to be maximally relevant to DA function. 32 individuals who were either healthy, with schizotypal personality disorder, or non-cluster A, personality disorder (OPD) were genotyped at the COMT Val158Met locus. Met/Met (n = 6), Val/Met (n = 10), Val/Val (n = 16) individuals were administered a neuropsychological battery, including the AX-CPT and the N-back working memory test. For the AX-CPT, Met/Met demonstrated more AY errors (reflecting good maintenance of context) than the other genotypes, who showed equivalent error rates. Val/Val demonstrated disproportionately greater deterioration with increased task difficulty from 0-back to 1-back working memory demands as compared to Met/Met, while Val/Met did not differ from either genotypes. No differences were found on processing speed or verbal working memory. Both context processing and working memory appear related to COMT genotype and the AX-CPT and N-back may be most sensitive to the effects of COMT variation

Complement and humoral adaptive immunity in the human choroid plexus: roles for stromal concretions, basement membranes, and epithelium

The choroid plexus (CP) provides a barrier to entry of toxic molecules from the blood into the brain and transports vital molecules into the cerebrospinal fluid. While a great deal is known about CP physiology, relatively little is known about its immunology. Here, we show immunohistochemical data that help define the role of the CP in innate and adaptive humoral immunity. The results show that complement, in the form of C1q, C3d, C9, or C9neo, is preferentially deposited in stromal concretions. In contrast, immunoglobulin (Ig) G (IgG) and IgA are more often found in CP epithelial cells, and IgM is found in either locale. C4d, IgD, and IgE are rarely, if ever, seen in the CP. In multiple sclerosis CP, basement membrane C9 or stromal IgA patterns were common but were not specific for the disease. These findings indicate that the CP may orchestrate the clearance of complement, particularly by deposition in its concretions, IgA and IgG preferentially via its epithelium, and IgM by either mechanism

An Analysis of the Coexistence of Three Competing Species with a Shared Pathogen

We consider an SI model of three competing species that are all affected by a single pathogen which is transmitted directly via mass action. The total population sizes of the three species satisfy a three-dimensional Lotka-Volterra competition model. We address the interaction between competition and disease dynamics, and show that infected coexistence in the model is determined by the values of the basic reproduction numbers as well as the relative strengths of intra-specific crowding versus inter-specific competition for all three species.Keywords: Lotka-Volterra Competition, three-species coexistence, SI mass-action model, basic reproduction numbe

Outcomes of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma who start antiretroviral therapy under routine programme conditions in Malawi.

AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common AIDS-related malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa, with a generally unfavourable prognosis. We report on six-month and 12-month cohort treatment outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive KS patients and HIV-positive non-KS patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public sector facilities in Malawi. Data were collected from standardized antiretroviral (ARV) patient master cards and ARV patient registers. Between July and September 2005, 7905 patients started ART-488 (6%) with a diagnosis of KS and 7417 with a non-KS diagnosis. Between January and March 2005, 4580 patients started ART-326 (7%) with a diagnosis of KS and 4254 with a non-KS diagnosis. At six-months and 12-months, significantly fewer KS patients were alive and significantly more had died or defaulted compared to non-KS patients. HIV-positive KS patients on ART in Malawi have worse outcomes than other patients on ART. Methods designed to improve these outcomes must be found

從324個服務使用者剖析香港寧養社會工作

第一節﹕承載多元寧養旅程postprin