3,379 research outputs found
Beneficial Role of Hydro-alcoholic Seed Extract of Trigonella foenum graecum on Bone Structure and Strength in Menopause Induced Osteopenia
BACKGROUND: The current strategies to prevent and treat menopausal osteoporosis are hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, the long-term use of hormone replacement therapy is limited due to its side-effects. Alternately, use of phytoestrogens has been implicated. Trigonella foenum graecum (TFG) seeds are rich in phytoestrogen and known traditional medicine to treat menopause induced hyperlipidemia. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the role of dietary TFG seed extract on bone structure and mechanical properties in ovariectomized rats.METHODS: Twenty four female Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups; 1) control, 2) ovariectomized, 3) ovariectomized + TFG seed extract and 4) ovariectomized + 17β-estradiol. TFG seed extract/17β-estradiol was administered for 30 days, 14 days after ovariectomy. After the treatment, right femora were collected to measure the length and biomechanical properties, and left femora were gathered to study the micro architectural changes while tibia were collected to measure the dry weight.RESULTS: Maximum flexor load to break femur bone was significantly low in ovariectomized rats in comparison with control rats (P<0.05). Supplementation with TFG significantly improved the maximum flexor load (P<0.05) and tibia dry weight (P<0.01) compared to ovariectomized untreated rats. TFG administration also significantly preserved the trabecular (P<0.01) and cortical bone (P<0.05) thickness compared to ovariectomized rats.CONCLUSION: This study found that dietary intake of TFG seeds can improve the bone structure and biomechanical properties in ovariectomized rats indicating that TFG may be an alternative treatment strategy to prevent the menopause induced osteopenia.
Impact of double reading on NI-RADS diagnostic accuracy in reporting oral squamous cell carcinoma surveillance imaging – a single-center study
Objectives: The Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System (NI-RADS) is an increasingly utilized risk stratification tool for imaging surveillance after treatment for head and neck cancer. This study aims to measure the impact of supervision by subspecialized radiologists on diagnostic accuracy of NI-RADS when initial reading is performed by residents.
Methods: 150 CT and MRI datasets were initially read by two trained residents, and then supervised by two subspecialized radiologists. Recurrence rates by NI-RADS category were calculated, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted. After dichotomization of the NI-RADS system (category 1 vs categories 2 + 3+4 and categories 1 + 2 vs 3 + 4), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value were calculated.
Results: 26% of the reports were modified by the supervising radiologists. Area under the curve of ROC plots values of the supervision session were higher than those of the initial reading session for both the primary site (0.89 vs 0.86) and the neck (0.94 vs 0.91), but the difference was not statistically significant. For dichotomized NI-RADS category assignments, differences between the initial reading and the supervision session were statistically significant regarding specificity and PPV for the primary site (1 + 2 vs 3 + 4 and 1 vs 2 + 3+4) or even for both sites combined (1 vs 2 + 3+4).
Conclusion: NI-RADS enables trained resident radiologists to report surveillance imaging in patients with treated oral squamous cell carcinoma with high discriminatory power. Additional supervision by a subspecialized head and neck radiologist particularly improves specificity of radiological reports
Simulating Reionization: Character and Observability
In recent years there has been considerable progress in our understanding of
the nature and properties of the reionization process. In particular, the
numerical simulations of this epoch have made a qualitative leap forward,
reaching sufficiently large scales to derive the characteristic scales of the
reionization process and thus allowing for realistic observational predictions.
Our group has recently performed the first such large-scale radiative transfer
simulations of reionization, run on top of state-of-the-art simulations of
early structure formation. This allowed us to make the first realistic
observational predictions about the Epoch of Reionization based on detailed
radiative transfer and structure formation simulations. We discuss the basic
features of reionization derived from our simulations and some recent results
on the observational implications for the high-redshift Ly-alpha sources.Comment: 3 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of First Stars III, Santa Fe,
July 2007, AIP Conference Serie
Evaluation of anaemia in patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: findings of the European CANCER ANAEMIA SURVEY
Birgegård G, Gascón P, Ludwig H. Evaluation of anaemia in patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: findings of the European CANCER ANAEMIA SURVEY. Objectives: Until recently, no prospective epidemiologic survey of lymphoma and multiple myeloma (L/MM) in European cancer patients had been conducted; furthermore, data on prevalence, incidence, and treatment patterns of L/MM were limited or unavailable. Here we define anemia prevalence, incidence, and treatment patterns, and identify anemia risk factors in European L/MM patients. Methods: Data for a subgroup of 2360 L/MM patients in the European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) were analyzed; variables included age, gender, tumor type/stage, cancer and anemia treatment, WHO performance status, and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Results: 2316 patients were evaluable (1612 L and 704 MM). Anemia rate at enrollment was 52.5%. At enrollment, Hb levels correlated significantly with WHO scores (r = −0.306, P < 0.001). Anemia prevalence during ECAS was 72.9% (MM, 85.3%; non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 77.9%; Hodgkin's disease, 57.4%); incidence in chemotherapy patients was 55.4%. Only 47.3% of patients anemic any time during ECAS received anemia treatment; overall Hb nadir for initiating treatment was 8.9 g/dL (epoetin, 9.5 g/dL; transfusion, 8.2 g/dL). Factors found to significantly (P < 0.03) increase anemia risk were low initial Hb, female gender, persistent/resistant disease, and platinum chemotherapy. Conclusions:L/MM patients have a high prevalence and incidence of anemia; however, anemia is not optimally treated. Anemia is common in L/MM patients and, given its known adverse impact on physical functioning and quality-of-life variables including fatigue and cognitive function, anemia management should be an integral part of their care. Predictive factors identified by ECAS may help clinicians develop optimal anemia treatment strategies for L/MM patients
Unveiling the nature of the "Green Pea" galaxies
We review recent results on the oxygen and nitrogen chemical abundances in
extremely compact, low-mass starburst galaxies at redshifts between 0.1-0.3
recently named to as "Green Pea" galaxies. These galaxies are genuine
metal-poor galaxies ( one fifth solar) with N/O ratios unusually high for
galaxies of the same metallicity. In combination with their known general
properties, i.e., size, stellar mass and star-formation rate, these findings
suggest that these objects could be experiencing a short and extreme phase in
their evolution. The possible action of both recent and massive inflow of gas,
as well as stellar feedback mechanisms are discussed here as main drivers of
the starburst activity and their oxygen and nitrogen abundances.Comment: To appear in JENAM Symposium "Dwarf Galaxies: Keys to Galaxy
Formation and Evolution", P. Papaderos, G. Hensler, S. Recchi (eds.). Lisbon,
September 2010, Springer Verlag, in pres
Reference to the index of the miscellaneous papers relating mainly to the family of Joseph Benson Mather, deposited by his grand-daughter Miss Robey.
Miscellaneous papers, (including scrapbooks, pamphlets and photographs), relating mainly to the family of Joseph Benson Mather, deposited by his grand-daughter Miss Robey. Joseph Benson Mather was the eldest son of Robert Mather (1782-1855) and Ann (d.1831) daughter of Rev. Joseph Benson. Robert Mather arrived in VDL in 1822 and set up in business at the corner of Elizabeth & Liverpool Sts in Hobart, and became a trustee of the Wesleyan Church. He received a grant of land at Lauderdale but his farm was unsuccessful and he went into business with his two elder sons, Joseph Benson (1814-1890) and Robert Andrew (1815-1884). In 1834 he and some of his family joined the Society of Friends, and his daughter Sarah Benson married the Quaker missionary George Washington Walker (1800-1859) in 1840. Joseph Benson married Anna Maria Cotton and had a son, (Joseph) Francis (d. 1925) and three daughters, one of whom married C H Robey. Robert Mather's second wife, whom he married in 1842, was Esther Dixon
Inhalation characteristics of asthma patients, COPD patients and healthy volunteers with the Spiromax® and Turbuhaler® devices: a randomised, cross-over study.
BACKGROUND: Spiromax® is a novel dry-powder inhaler containing formulations of budesonide plus formoterol (BF). The device is intended to provide dose equivalence with enhanced user-friendliness compared to BF Turbuhaler® in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study was performed to compare inhalation parameters with empty versions of the two devices, and to investigate the effects of enhanced training designed to encourage faster inhalation. METHODS: This randomised, open-label, cross-over study included children with asthma (n = 23), adolescents with asthma (n = 27), adults with asthma (n = 50), adults with COPD (n = 50) and healthy adult volunteers (n = 50). Inhalation manoeuvres were recorded with each device after training with the patient information leaflet (PIL) and after enhanced training using an In-Check Dial device. RESULTS: After PIL training, peak inspiratory flow (PIF), maximum change in pressure (∆P) and the inhalation volume (IV) were significantly higher with Spiromax than with the Turbuhaler device (p values were at least <0.05 in all patient groups). After enhanced training, numerically or significantly higher values for PIF, ∆P, IV and acceleration remained with Spiromax versus Turbuhaler, except for ∆P in COPD patients. After PIL training, one adult asthma patient and one COPD patient inhaled <30 L/min through the Spiromax compared to one adult asthma patient and five COPD patients with the Turbuhaler. All patients achieved PIF values of at least 30 L/min after enhanced training. CONCLUSIONS: The two inhalers have similar resistance so inhalation flows and pressure changes would be expected to be similar. The higher flow-related values noted for Spiromax versus Turbuhaler after PIL training suggest that Spiromax might have human factor advantages in real-world use. After enhanced training, the flow-related differences between devices persisted; increased flow rates were achieved with both devices, and all patients achieved the minimal flow required for adequate drug delivery. Enhanced training could be useful, especially in COPD patients
Exoplanets and SETI
The discovery of exoplanets has both focused and expanded the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence. The consideration of Earth as an exoplanet, the
knowledge of the orbital parameters of individual exoplanets, and our new
understanding of the prevalence of exoplanets throughout the galaxy have all
altered the search strategies of communication SETI efforts, by inspiring new
"Schelling points" (i.e. optimal search strategies for beacons). Future efforts
to characterize individual planets photometrically and spectroscopically, with
imaging and via transit, will also allow for searches for a variety of
technosignatures on their surfaces, in their atmospheres, and in orbit around
them. In the near-term, searches for new planetary systems might even turn up
free-floating megastructures.Comment: 9 page invited review. v2 adds some references and v3 has other minor
additions and modification
An elderly woman with 'Red Man Syndrome' in association with oral vancomycin therapy: a case report
Pregabalin in fibromyalgia - responder analysis from individual patient data
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Population mean changes are difficult to use in clinical practice. Responder analysis may be better, but needs validating for level of response and treatment duration. A consensus group has defined what constitutes minimal, moderate, and substantial benefit based on pain intensity and Patient Global Impression of Change scores.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We obtained individual patient data from four randomised double blind trials of pregabalin in fibromyalgia lasting eight to 14 weeks. We calculated response for all efficacy outcomes using any improvement (≥ 0%), minimal improvement (≥ 15%), moderate improvement (≥ 30%), substantial improvement (≥ 50%), and extensive improvement (≥ 70%), with numbers needed to treat (NNT) for pregabalin 300 mg, 450 mg, and 600 mg daily compared with placebo.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Information from 2,757 patients was available. Pain intensity and sleep interference showed reductions with increasing level of response, a significant difference between pregabalin and placebo, and a trend towards lower (better) NNTs at higher doses. Maximum response rates occurred at 4-6 weeks for higher levels of response, and were constant thereafter. NNTs (with 95% confidence intervals) for ≥ 50% improvement in pain intensity compared with placebo after 12 weeks were 22 (11 to 870) for pregabalin 300 mg, 16 (9.3 to 59) for pregabalin 450 mg, and 13 (8.1 to 31) for pregabalin 600 mg daily. NNTs for ≥ 50% improvement in sleep interference compared with placebo after 12 weeks were 13 (8.2 to 30) for pregabalin 300 mg, 8.4 (6.0 to 14) for pregabalin 450 mg, and 8.4 (6.1 to 14) for pregabalin 600 mg. Other outcomes had fewer respondents at higher response levels, but generally did not discriminate between pregabalin and placebo, or show any dose response. Shorter duration and use of 'any improvement' over-estimated treatment effect compared with longer duration and higher levels of response.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Responder analysis is useful in fibromyalgia, particularly for pain and sleep outcomes. Some fibromyalgia patients treated with pregabalin experience a moderate or substantial pain response that is consistent over time. Short trials using 'any improvement' as an outcome overestimate treatment effects.</p
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