Reliability and Validity of the Korean Cancer Pain Assessment Tool (KCPAT)

The Korean Cancer Pain Assessment Tool (KCPAT), which was developed in 2003, consists of questions concerning the location of pain, the nature of pain, the present pain intensity, the symptoms associated with the pain, and psychosocial/spiritual pain assessments. This study was carried out to evaluate the reliability and validity of the KCPAT. A stratified, proportional-quota, clustered, systematic sampling procedure was used. The study population (903 cancer patients) was 1% of the target population (90,252 cancer patients). A total of 314 (34.8%) questionnaires were collected. The results showed that the average pain score (5 point on Likert scale) according to the cancer type and the at-present average pain score (VAS, 0-10) were correlated (r=0.56, p<0.0001), and showed moderate agreement (kappa=0.364). The mean satisfaction score was 3.8 (1-5). The average time to complete the questionnaire was 8.9 min. In conclusion, the KCPAT is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing cancer pain in Koreans

Surface electromyography pattern of human swallowing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The physiology of swallowing is characterized by a complex and coordinated activation of many stomatognathic, pharyngeal, and laryngeal muscles. Kinetics and electromyographic studies have widely investigated the pharyngeal and laryngeal pattern of deglutition in order to point out the differences between normal and dysphagic people. In the dental field, muscular activation during swallowing is believed to be the cause of malocclusion.</p> <p>Despite the clinical importance given to spontaneous swallowing, few physiologic works have studied stomatognathic muscular activation and mandibular movement during spontaneous saliva swallowing.</p> <p>The aim of our study was to investigate the activity patterns of the mandibular elevator muscles (masseter and anterior temporalis muscles), the submental muscles, and the neck muscles (sternocleidomastoid muscles) in healthy people during spontaneous swallowing of saliva and to relate the muscular activities to mandibular movement.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The spontaneous swallowing of saliva of 111 healthy individuals was analyzed using surface electromyography (SEMG) and a computerized kinesiography of mandibular movement.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-seven of 111 patients swallowed without occlusal contact (SNOC) and 54 individuals had occlusal contact (SOC). The sternocleidomastoid muscles showed a slight, but constant activation during swallowing. The SEMG of the submental and sternocleidomastoid muscles showed no differences between the two groups. The SEMG of the anterior temporalis and masseter muscles showed significant differences (p < 0.0001). The duration of swallowing was significantly higher in the SNOC subjects. Gender and age were not related to electromyographic activation. Healthy SOC and SNOC behaved in different ways.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data suggest that there is not a single "normal" or "typical" pattern for spontaneous saliva swallowing. The polygraph seemed a valuable, simple, non-invasive and reliable tool to study the physiology of swallowing.</p

Myocardial Protective Effect of Tezosentan, an Endothelin Receptor Antagonist, for Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Experimental Heart Failure Models

The myocardial protective effects of endothelin antagonist in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP), doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX) and pressure-overload hypertrophy by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) models have been predicted to be different. The objective of this experiment, therefore, is to evaluate the myocardial protective effect of tezosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, in various experimental heart failure models. Sprague-Dawley rats (6-8 weeks old, 200-300 g) were randomized to three experimental groups (n=30 each): ICMP; DOX; and TAC group. Each of these groups was randomly assigned further to the following subgroups (n=10 each): sham-operated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (SHAM); tezosentan treated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (Tezo); and tezosentan non-treated ischemia-reperfusion subgroup (N-Tezo). Total circulatory arrest was induced for 1 hr, followed by 2 hr of reperfusion. The left ventricular developed pressure, peak positive and negative first derivatives, and coronary blood flow were significantly different (P<0.05) among the SHAM, Tezo, and N-Tezo subgroups of the ICMP group at 30 min of reperfusion, but there were no statistically significant differences among the subgroups of the DOX and TAC groups. In conclusion, tezosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, showed myocardial protection effects only on the ischemic cardiomyopathy rat model, but not in the non-ischemic heart failure rat models

Iron deficiency was not the major cause of anemia in rural women of reproductive age in Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background Anemia, which has many etiologies, is a moderate/severe public health problem in young children and women of reproductive age in many developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of iron deficiency, anemia, and iron deficiency anemia using multiple biomarkers and to evaluate their association with food insecurity and food consumption patterns in non-pregnant women from a rural area of southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 202 rural women of reproductive age in southern Ethiopia. Anthropometrics and socio-demographic data were collected. A venipuncture blood sample was analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb) and for biomarkers of iron status. Biomarkers were skewed and were log transformed before analysis. Mean, median, Pearson\u27s correlations and ordinary least-squares regressions were calculated. Results Median (IQR) Hb was 138 (127, 151) g/L. Based on an altitude-adjusted (1708 m) cutoff of 125 g/L for Hb, 21.3% were anemic. Plasma ferritin was \u3c15 μg/L in 18.6% of the women. Only one woman had α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) \u3e1.0 g/L; four women (2%) had \u3e 5 mg/L of C-reactive protein (CRP). Of the 43 women who were anemic, 23.3% (10 women) had depleted iron stores based on plasma ferritin. Three of these had elevated soluble transferring receptors (sTfR). Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was negatively correlated with sTfR (r = -0.24, p = 0.001), and positively correlated with ferritin (r = 0.17, p = 0.018), plasma iron (r = 0.15, p = 0.046), transferrin saturation (TfS) (r = 0.15, p = 0.04) and body iron (r = 0.14, p = 0.05). Overall prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was only 5%. Conclusion Iron deficiency anemia was not prevalent in the study population, despite the fact that anemia would be classified as a moderate public health problem

Rapid production of human liver scaffolds for functional tissue engineering by high shear stress oscillation-decellularization

The development of human liver scaffolds retaining their 3-dimensional structure and extra-cellular matrix (ECM) composition is essential for the advancement of liver tissue engineering. We report the design and validation of a new methodology for the rapid and accurate production of human acellular liver tissue cubes (ALTCs) using normal liver tissue unsuitable for transplantation. The application of high shear stress is a key methodological determinant accelerating the process of tissue decellularization while maintaining ECM protein composition, 3D-architecture and physico-chemical properties of the native tissue. ALTCs were engineered with human parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cell lines (HepG2 and LX2 cells, respectively), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), as well as primary human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells. Both parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells grown in ALTCs exhibited markedly different gene expression when compared to standard 2D cell cultures. Remarkably, HUVEC cells naturally migrated in the ECM scaffold and spontaneously repopulated the lining of decellularized vessels. The metabolic function and protein synthesis of engineered liver scaffolds with human primary hepatocytes reseeded under dynamic conditions were maintained. These results provide a solid basis for the establishment of effective protocols aimed at recreating human liver tissue in vitro

Forward Masking Estimated by Signal Detection Theory Analysis of Neuronal Responses in Primary Auditory Cortex

Psychophysical forward masking is an increase in threshold of detection of a sound (probe) when it is preceded by another sound (masker). This is reminiscent of the reduction in neuronal responses to a sound following prior stimulation. Studies in the auditory nerve and cochlear nucleus using signal detection theory techniques to derive neuronal thresholds showed that in centrally projecting neurons, increases in masked thresholds were significantly smaller than the changes measured psychophysically. Larger threshold shifts have been reported in the inferior colliculus of awake marmoset. The present study investigated the magnitude of forward masking in primary auditory cortical neurons of anaesthetised guinea-pigs. Responses of cortical neurons to unmasked and forward masked tones were measured and probe detection thresholds estimated using signal detection theory methods. Threshold shifts were larger than in the auditory nerve, cochlear nucleus and inferior colliculus. The larger threshold shifts suggest that central, and probably cortical, processes contribute to forward masking. However, although methodological differences make comparisons difficult, the threshold shifts in cortical neurons were, in contrast to subcortical nuclei, actually larger than those observed psychophysically. Masking was largely attributable to a reduction in the responses to the probe, rather than either a persistence of the masker responses or an increase in the variability of probe responses

Elevated white cell count in acute coronary syndromes: relationship to variants in inflammatory and thrombotic genes

BACKGROUND: Elevated white blood cell counts (WBC) in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) increase the risk of recurrent events, but it is not known if this is exacerbated by pro-inflammatory factors. We sought to identify whether pro-inflammatory genetic variants contributed to alterations in WBC and C-reactive protein (CRP) in an ACS population. METHODS: WBC and genotype of interleukin 6 (IL-6 G-174C) and of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN intronic repeat polymorphism) were investigated in 732 Caucasian patients with ACS in the OPUS-TIMI-16 trial. Samples for measurement of WBC and inflammatory factors were taken at baseline, i.e. Within 72 hours of an acute myocardial infarction or an unstable angina event. RESULTS: An increased white blood cell count (WBC) was associated with an increased C-reactive protein (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and there was also a positive correlation between levels of β-fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (r = 0.42, p < 0.0001). IL1RN and IL6 genotypes had no significant impact upon WBC. The difference in median WBC between the two homozygote IL6 genotypes was 0.21/mm(3 )(95% CI = -0.41, 0.77), and -0.03/mm(3 )(95% CI = -0.55, 0.86) for IL1RN. Moreover, the composite endpoint was not significantly affected by an interaction between WBC and the IL1 (p = 0.61) or IL6 (p = 0.48) genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Cytokine pro-inflammatory genetic variants do not influence the increased inflammatory profile of ACS patients

Genotypes and haplotypes of the methyl-CpG-binding domain 2 modify breast cancer risk dependent upon menopausal status

INTRODUCTION: MBD2, the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD)2, is a major methylation related gene and functions as a transcriptional repressor that can specifically bind to the methylated regions of other genes. MBD2 may also mediate gene activation because of its potential DNA demethylase activity. The present case-control study investigated associations between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MBD2 gene and breast cancer risk. METHODS: DNA samples from 393 Caucasian patients with breast cancer (cases) and 436 matched control individuals, collected in a recently completed breast cancer case–control study conducted in Connecticut, were included in the study. Because no coding SNPs were found in the MBD2 gene, one SNP in the noncoding exon (rs1259938) and another in the intron 3 (rs609791) were genotyped. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate cancer risk associated with the variant genotypes and the reconstructed haplotypes. RESULTS: The variant genotypes at both SNP loci were significantly associated with reduced risk among premenopausal women (OR = 0.41 for rs1259938; OR = 0.54 for rs609791). Further haplotype analyses showed that the two rare haplotypes (A-C and A-G) were significantly associated with reduced breast cancer risk (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.20–0.83 for A-C; OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.26–0.84 for A-G) in premenopausal women. No significant associations were detected in the postmenopausal women and the whole population. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a role for the MBD2 gene in breast carcinogenesis in premenopausal women. These findings suggest that genetic variations in methylation related genes may potentially serve as a biomarker in risk estimates for breast cancer

In Vivo Human Apolipoprotein E Isoform Fractional Turnover Rates in the CNS

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and has been implicated in the risk for other neurological disorders. The three common ApoE isoforms (ApoE2, E3, and E4) each differ by a single amino acid, with ApoE4 increasing and ApoE2 decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Both the isoform and amount of ApoE in the brain modulate AD pathology by altering the extent of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide deposition. Therefore, quantifying ApoE isoform production and clearance rates may advance our understanding of the role of ApoE in health and disease. To measure the kinetics of ApoE in the central nervous system (CNS), we applied in vivo stable isotope labeling to quantify the fractional turnover rates of ApoE isoforms in 18 cognitively-normal adults and in ApoE3 and ApoE4 targeted-replacement mice. No isoform-specific differences in CNS ApoE3 and ApoE4 turnover rates were observed when measured in human CSF or mouse brain. However, CNS and peripheral ApoE isoform turnover rates differed substantially, which is consistent with previous reports and suggests that the pathways responsible for ApoE metabolism are different in the CNS and the periphery. We also demonstrate a slower turnover rate for CSF ApoE than that for amyloid beta, another molecule critically important in AD pathogenesis