Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Biomed Opt 2018 Dec;23(12):1-8

International University-Vietnam National University HCMC, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ho, Vietnam.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, including melanoma and nonmelanoma cancer. Melanoma can be easily detected by the observation of abnormal moles, but nonmelanoma signs and symptoms are not apparent in the early stages. We use the Stokes-Mueller matrix decomposition method to detect nonmelanoma at the early stage by decomposing the characteristics of polarized light interacting with normal and cancerous tissues. Read More

J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery and Burn Centre, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.

During the last three decades, tissue engineering and reconstructive surgery have become standard therapeutic options in the world of medicine. Several biomaterials, either alone, or in combination with cultured cellular products, have been introduced to compensate for the scarcity of autologous donor tissue or to improve healing in a variety of surgical specialties e.g. Read More

BJOG 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Thomas Jefferson University, 130 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.

Objective: To describe the association of maternal anaemia with maternal, foetal and neonatal outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Rural India and Pakistan. Read More

J Clin Nurs 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

University of Canberra, 3. Stephen Neville.

Aim: To synthesise international research conducted on dementia-friendly community initiatives.

Background: The number of people living with dementia is increasing as a result of population ageing. Impairments related to neurological changes, together with environmental challenges result in disability for people who have dementia. Read More

J Surg Oncol 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Background: We sought to define the management of mixed hepatocellular carcinoma-intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-ICC) as well as characterize short- and long-term outcomes of patients with mixed HCC-ICC.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC-ICC, HCC, or ICC between 2004 and 2015 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology codes. Short- and long-term outcomes were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Read More

J Surg Oncol 2018 Dec 16. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

St. George Hospital & University of New South Wales, Department of Surgery, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Background And Objectives: The aims of this multi-institutional study were to assess the feasibility of iterative cytoreductive surgery (iCRS)/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, iCRS in colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (CRPC), evaluate survival, recurrence, morbidity and mortality outcomes, and identify prognostic factors for overall survival.

Methods: Patients with CRPC that underwent an iCRS, with or without intraperitoneal chemotherapy, from June 1993 to July 2016 at 13 institutions were retrospectively analyzed from prospectively maintained databases.

Results: The study comprised of 231 patients, including 126 females (54. Read More

Cancer Causes Control 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.

The development of cancer control plans as a clearly defined concept began in the U.S. in the early 1990s. Read More

Qual Life Res 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.

Aims: A proxy is someone other than a patient who reports a patient's outcomes as if they are the patient. Due to known discordance with patient reports, proxies are often not recommended in clinical trials; however, proxies may be needed in certain research contexts. We aimed to identify and describe trials registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) with proxy-reported endpoints. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.

The objectives of this study were to determine the biofilm microbial activity and bacterial community structure and successions in greywater treatment filters and to relate the treatment efficiency to the bacterial community parameters. This 10-month study was performed in a newly established experimental system for domestic greywater treatment that consisted of three parallel vertical flow filters (VFs) followed by a horizontal flow filter (HF). A rapid increase in the bacterial community abundance occurred during the first 85 days of filter operations, followed by a short-term decrease and the stabilization of the 16S rRNA gene copy numbers at average levels of 1. Read More

Obes Surg 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Máxima Medical Center, Eindhoven/Veldhoven, The Netherlands.

Lack of standard definitions of primary and secondary (non)responders after RYGB and SG makes it impossible to compare the literature. The aim was to analyze the different definitions used. MEDLINE® was searched for literature published between 01-07-2014 and 01-07-2017 concerning (1) patients who received a primary RYGB or SG and (2) the outcomes of primary and secondary (non)responders. Read More

World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2018 Dec 15;35(1). Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Microbiology, Severo Ochoa (C6) building, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence ceiA3, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.

Flor yeasts confer a wide range of organoleptic properties to Sherry-type wines during a process called "biological aging" that takes place after alcoholic fermentation. These kinds of yeasts adapt to a biological aging condition by forming a biofilm known as "flor velum" and by changing from fermentative to oxidative metabolism. It has been reported that some functions such as increase of cell surface hydrophobicity or changes to lipid metabolism are enhanced when yeasts switch to biofilm lifestyle. Read More

Exp Brain Res 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cogntion, University of Montreal, Pavillon Marie-Victorin 90, Avenue Vincent d'Indy, Montreal, QC, H2V 2S9, Canada.

Aging is associated with cognitive decline and decreased capacity to inhibit distracting information. Video game training holds promise to increase inhibitory mechanisms in older adults. In the current study, we tested the impact of 3D-platform video game training on performance in an antisaccade task and on related changes in grey matter within the frontal eye fields (FEFs) of older adults. Read More

Clin Ter 2018 Nov-Dec;169(6):e292-e296

Dipartimento di Scienze anatomiche, istologiche, medico-legali e dell'apparato locomotore, Sezione di Medicina legale, Università "Sapienza" di Roma.

Enactment of law n. 24, 8th March 2017, (so-called "Gelli-Bianco" law), has given rise to substantial innovations in the realm of medical liability: on the one hand, an attempt has been made towards redefining the boundaries of professional liability, for the purpose of curbing the use of "defensive medicine"; on the other hand, there is the effort to delineate good medical conduct by means of "institutionalization" and a greater degree of consistency of guidelines and good clinical health care practices. There are, however, thought-provoking cues concerning the relationship between the two concepts, which can be sensibly developed, even in light of international scientific literature. Read More

Ophthalmic Res 2018 Dec 14:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast, United Kingdom.

Background: Digital retinal imaging is the gold standard technique for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular oedema (DME) assessment during DR screening.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of digital retinal fundus image (DRFI) analysis in detecting DME using three manual grading systems (MGS) and comparing it with optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings.

Method: A total of 287 DRFI of 287 eyes were analysed. Read More

Digestion 2018 Dec 14;99(1):95-119. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Digestion 2018 Dec 14:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila,

Background And Aim: Many investigations have demonstrated that changes in body weight are frequent in patients with coeliac disease (CD) after a gluten-free diet (GFD); conversely data on the metabolic syndrome (MS) and hepatic steatosis (HS) are still rare. The aim is to evaluate the prevalence of MS and HS in patients with CD, before and after a GFD.

Methods: One hundred eighty-five coeliac adult patients were enrolled in the study. Read More

Oncology 2018 14;95 Suppl 1:5-10. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are necessary to deliver the best sarcoma care. Planning the optimal therapeutic strategy per patient requires input and expertise from several disciplines. Case/cohort studies have reported improved patient outcomes associated with treatment by MDTs and/or treatment in sarcoma centres. Read More

Oncology 2018 14;95 Suppl 1:1-4. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Dec 14:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

OBJECTIVEThe goal of this study was to determine the rates of screening and surgery for foramen magnum stenosis in children with achondroplasia in a large, privately insured healthcare network.METHODSRates of screening and surgery for foramen magnum stenosis in children with achondroplasia were determined using de-identified insurance claims data from a large, privately insured healthcare network of over 58 million beneficiaries across the United States between 2001 and 2014. Cases of achondroplasia and screening and surgery claims were identified using a combination of International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes and Current Procedural Terminology codes. Read More

Tob Control 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation of India, Gurugram, India.

Background: Despite the importance of decreasing tobacco use to achieve mortality reduction targets of the Sustainable Development Goals in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), evaluations of tobacco control programmes in these settings are scarce. We assessed the impacts of India's National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), as implemented in 42 districts during 2007-2009, on household-reported consumption of bidis and cigarettes.

Methods: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from nationally representative Household Consumer Expenditure Surveys (1999-2000; 2004-2005 and 2011-2012). Read More

J Rheumatol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

S.R. Johnson MD PhD FRCPC, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. D. Khanna MD MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, USA. R. Cervera MD PhD FRCP, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. N. Costedoat-Chalumeau MD PhD AP-HP, Cochin Hospital, Internal Medicine Department, Centre de référence maladies auto-immunes et systémiques rares d'île de France, Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France ; INSERM U 1153, Center for Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), Paris, France. D.D. Gladman MD FRCPC, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. B.H. Hahn MD, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA. F. Hiepe MD, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. J. Sánchez-Guerrero MD MSc, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico. E. Massarotti MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. D.T. Boumpas MD FACP FACR, National and Kapodestrian University of Athens, and Biomedical Research Foundation of the Athens Academy, Athens, Greece. K.H Costenbader MD MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. D. Daikh MD, University of California, San Francisco, USA. D. Jayne MD FRCP FRCPE FMedSci, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. T. Dörner MD, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. D.L. Kamen MD MSCR, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA. M. Mosca MD PhD, University of Pisa, Italy. R. Ramsey-Goldman MD DrPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA. J.S. Smolen MD, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. D. Wofsy MD, University of California, San Francisco, USA. M. Aringer MD, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Address correspondence to Sindhu Johnson MD PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Ground Floor, East Wing, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2S8. Phone 1-416-603-6417 Fax.1-416-603- 4348. Email:

Objective: Given the complexity and heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), high performing classification criteria are critical to advancing research and clinical care. A collaborative effort by EULAR and ACR was undertaken to generate candidate criteria, and then to reduce them to a smaller set. The objective of the current study was to select a set of criteria that maximizes the likelihood of accurate classification of SLE, particularly early disease. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong

Background And Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), which predict future intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), may guide anticoagulant decisions for atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the risk of warfarin-associated ICH in Chinese patients with AF with CMBs.

Methods: In this prospective, observational, multicentre study, we recruited Chinese patients with AF who were on or intended to start anticoagulation with warfarin from six hospitals in Hong Kong. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Background: Neuropathic pain is common in peripheral neuropathy. Recent genetic studies have linked pathogenic voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) variants to human pain disorders. Our aims are to determine the frequency of , and variants in patients with pure small fibre neuropathy (SFN), analyse their clinical features and provide a rationale for genetic screening. Read More

Child Abuse Negl 2018 Dec 13;88:348-361. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti, Piazza SS Annunziata 12, 50121, Florence, Italy.

Understanding risk factors is important to ending childhood violence and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 16.2. To date, no study has examined patterns of risk factors across countries comprehensively for different types of childhood violence, and there is a dearth of evidence of polyvictimization in lower- and middle-income settings. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2018 Nov 29;176:110-115. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Cerebrovascular Surgery, International Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and histopathological features of elderly patients with subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and to analyze the presence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) type pathologic changes using amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau immunohistochemistry.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed cases satisfying the Boston criteria for CAA among patients with subcortical hemorrhage who underwent surgical removal by craniotomy at our hospital. Surgical specimens were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining as well as immunostaining. Read More

Soc Sci Med 2018 Dec 8;221:40-48. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

University of the West of England, UK; Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Germany. Electronic address:

Despite the growth of alcohol consumption and international migration in many developing countries, the links between the two remain underexplored. We study the relationship between emigration of household members, receiving remittances (migrant monetary transfers), and alcohol consumption of migrant household members staying behind in Kyrgyzstan, a poor post-socialist country that has recently witnessed both large-scale emigration and a rise in alcohol-related health problems. Using a large longitudinal survey, we find that, among the ethnic majority (Kyrgyz), an increase in migrant remittances is associated with a higher likelihood and frequency of consuming alcohol, as well as an increase in the consumption of beer. Read More

Nurse Educ Today 2018 Dec 8;74:25-30. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

University of Limerick, Ireland. Electronic address:

Background: Higher education institutes are witnessing an increase in the cultural and ethnic diversity of their student population. While this adds to the learning experience, there is a dearth of evidence examining how students on nursing programmes, from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds learn with and from each other. There is need for a greater understanding of the factors that both facilitate and inhibit intercultural learning within the classroom. Read More

J Crit Care 2018 Dec 8;50:188-194. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.

Introduction: Despite international guidelines, regional differences in treatment of vasodilatory shock remain. We characterized these differences using data from Angiotensin II in High Output Shock (ATHOS-3) trial.

Methods: The 321 patients treated in the ATHOS-3 trial were included. Read More

Int J Pharm 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Pakistan; International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.

In present investigation, gelatin-based (AA-co-AMPS) hydrogels were prepared using N, N'-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker and ammonium per sulfate (APS) as an initiator. The successful crosslinking and network formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT IR). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) investigations proved the higher thermal stability and successful entrapment of oxaliplatin (OXP) in the polymeric network. Read More

Int J Pharm 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, U1008 - Controlled Drug Delivery Systems and Biomaterials, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address:

The goal of the study was to elaborate an antibacterial silver wound dressing covered by a protective coating that would prevent silver diffusion toward skin without losing its biocide properties. Therefore, non woven polyethyleneterephtalate (PET) textiles were pre-treated by two types of polysaccharides - chitosan and cyclodextrin - both crosslinked with citric acid by a pad/dry/cure process. Both types of resulting thermofixed textiles carrying the citrate crosslinks were then impregnated in silver solution followed by a thermal treatment and were finally coated by Layer-by-Layer (L-b-L) deposition of a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) film consisting of anionic water-soluble poly-cyclodextrin and cationic chitosan. Read More

Ophthalmology 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Google Research, Google Inc, Mountain View, CA, USA.

Objective: To understand the impact of deep learning diabetic retinopathy (DR) algorithms on physician readers in computer-assisted settings.

Design: Evaluation of diagnostic technology PARTICIPANTS: 1,796 retinal fundus images from 1,612 diabetic patients.

Methods: 10 ophthalmologists (5 general ophthalmologists, 4 retina specialists, 1 retina fellow) read images for DR severity based on the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy disease severity scale in one of 3 conditions: Unassisted, Grades Only, or Grades + Heatmap. Read More

Acta Trop 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi, India.

Climate change is considered as a distal determinant of public health which is increasing in importance. India, as an example, has a national action plan for climate change and human health. Sub-national (State) plans for climate change also exist, taking into account the health sector. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Podocarpaceae is the largest family in cupressophytes (conifers II), but their plastid genomes (plastomes) are poorly studied, with plastome data currently existing for only four of the 19 Podocarpaceous genera. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete plastomes from representatives of eight additional genera, including Afrocarpus, Dacrydium, Lagarostrobos, Lepidothamnus, Pherosphaera, Phyllocladus, Prumnopitys, and Saxegothaea. We found that Lagarostrobos, a monotypic genus native to Tasmania, has the largest plastome among any cupressophytes studied to date (151,496 bp). Read More

Lancet Respir Med 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

St George's, University of London, London, UK.

J Hepatol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; International Center for Digestive Health (ICDH), University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address:

Background: /Aims. In cholangiocarcinoma, early metastatic spread via lymphatic vessels often precludes curative therapies. Cholangiocarcinoma invasiveness is fostered by an extensive stromal reaction, enriched in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC). Read More

J Hepatol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

CIRI - Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France. Electronic address:

Background & Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles detected in sera from infected patients display heterogeneous forms of low-buoyant densities (<1.08), underscoring their lipidation via association with apoB-containing lipoproteins, which was proposed to occur during assembly or secretion from infected hepatocytes. However, the mechanisms inducing this association remain poorly-defined and, intriguingly, most HCVcc particles secreted from cultured cells exhibit higher density (>1. Read More

Arch Biochem Biophys 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Molecular Biology, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 815-8511, Japan.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a family of ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors, with three characterized subtypes: PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ. The biological correlation between the two PPAR subtypes PPARα and γ and carcinogenesis is well-characterized; however, substantially less is known about the biological functions of PPARβ/δ. PPARβ/δ has been reported to repress transcription when PPARβ/δ and PPARα or PPARγ are simultaneously expressed in some cells, and MDA-MB-231 cells express functional levels of PPARβ/δ. Read More

Chem Biol Interact 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) & School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia; Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.

Oxidative stress is intensely involved in enhancing the severity of various chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infections and lung cancer. Even though there are various existing anti-inflammatory therapies, which are not enough to control the inflammation caused due to various contributing factors such as anti-inflammatory genes and antioxidant enzymes. This leads to an urgent need of novel drug delivery systems to combat the oxidative stress. Read More

Prim Care Diabetes 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address:

The aim of this review was to identify and appraise guidelines reporting recommendations for the screening and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Five guidelines were included for analysis and all were endorsed by national or international organizations. All guidelines were recommended for practice with or without modifications for both prevention and screening. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia; Centre of International Child Health, Section of Paediatrics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, London, UK. Electronic address:

The burden of influenza in Africa is substantial and underappreciated. Although surveillance has increased, the medical community's understanding of seasonal influenza vaccine performance remains limited. We did a systematic review, using PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42017058107), on the efficacy, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of influenza vaccines in populations within Africa with the aim of identifying key data gaps to help direct future research. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.

Objectives: This study assessed changes in optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined plaque composition in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receiving high-intensity statin treatment.

Background: OCT is a high-resolution modality capable of measuring plaque characteristics including fibrous cap thickness (FCT) and macrophage infiltration. There is limited in vivo evidence regarding the effects of statins on OCT-defined coronary atheroma composition and no evidence in the context of STEMI. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Anesthesiology, Saitama Medical University Hospital, Moroyama, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan.

Eur Urol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Urology, "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.

Background: With the increasing adoption of novel technologies and anatomical techniques, surgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) provides significant benefits in terms of obstruction relief, early urethral catheter removal, and faster return to daily activities. However, the main pitfall of BPH surgery in sexually active men remains ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD), which permanently affects quality of life.

Objective: To detail a novel technique for marking the intraprostatic urethra through a retrograde injection of indocyanine green to enhance selective dissection of prostatic lobes during urethra-sparing robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (US-RASP) with the use of near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIFI). Read More

J Voice 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Phoniatrics and Speech Pathology, Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Objective: Neck muscle dysfunction has been considered as risk factor or consequence of voice disorders. This study investigates the correlation between neck and voice-related subjective symptoms in patients with voice disorders.

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Oct 26. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris, France.

Objectives: Current national registries are lacking detailed pathology-driven analysis and long-term patients outcomes. The Heart Valve Society (HVS) aortic valve (AV) repair research network started the Aortic Valve Insufficiency and ascending aorta Aneurysm InternATiOnal Registry (AVIATOR) to evaluate long-term patient outcomes of AV repair and replacement. The purpose of the current report is to describe the AVIATOR initiative and report in a descriptive manner the patients included. Read More

J Acad Nutr Diet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Background: Dietitians in countries across the world have been implementing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) and Terminology (NCPT) during the past decade. The implementation process has been evaluated in specific countries and in smaller international studies; however, no large international study comparing implementation between countries has been completed.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the level of NCP/NCPT implementation across 10 countries. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Centre for Translational Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, #12-01, 117599, Singapore; International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, 860-0811, Japan. Electronic address:

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation of abnormal plasma cells. MM dysregulates the homeostasis of the bone niche cells like osteoclasts and osteoblasts, responsible for the bone maintenance leading to bone loss and hypercalcemia, as well as the normal immune cells leading to immunodeficiency and anemia. Osteoblasts are part of the cell population differentiating from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Read More

J Safety Res 2018 Dec 5;67:99-106. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.

Introduction: In many countries, traditional data sources for collecting injuries of workers covered by compulsory accident insurance have recently been integrated by new observatories whose results may differ. A comparative analysis of the Italian data collection systems related to fatal tractor accidents in agriculture was performed focusing on tractor rollover fatalities with the aim of analyzing the accident scenario.

Method: Data from the Operational Archives of the Italian Workers Compensation Authority (INAIL), which collects injuries of workers covered by compulsory accident insurance and those of the National Surveillance System (INAIL_ASL), which provides narrative text reports of work-related fatal accidents have been analyzed and compared to the information collected by the INAIL Observatory. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2019 Feb 15;206:583-592. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China; The University of Queensland, Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address:

Ten barley samples containing varied protein contents were subject to malting followed by mashing to investigate molecular effects of both barley starch and starch- protein interactions on malting and mashing performances, and the underlying mechanism. Starch granular changes were examined using differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The molecular fine structures of amylose and amylopectin from unmalted and malted grain were obtained using size-exclusion chromatography. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2019 Feb 14;206:528-538. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7HS, United Kingdom; International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom; School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. Electronic address:

In this work, we found that ZnCl solution can not only be used as a plasticizer for starch but also provide a mechanical reinforcement effect to the resultant starch-based materials. By a one-step compression molding process, well-plasticized starch-based films could be obtained at 120 °C with a 15 wt.% ZnCl solution. Read More