One group received @ weekly sessions of superficial and localized dermabrasion , and the other used @ % tretinoin cream daily .


Striae width and length were measured and compared between groups and over time .


Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores and subject satisfaction were also assessed .


Biopsies were performed for subjects who agreed to undergo this procedure , followed by histologic analyses of the skin samples .


Both treatments were efficacious , with significant improvement in early SD from baseline , but there was no significant difference between the two treatments .


Histologic assessment showed improvement in epidermal and dermal layers for the dermabrasion treatment group .


Both treatments had similar efficacy , but superficial dermabrasion had a lower frequency of side effects and better adherence of the patients .


To assess the efficacy of a - galactomannan oligosaccharide ( - GMOS ) for the control of Salmonella infection in fattening pigs .


Three different doses ( @ , @ and @ kg - GMOS per ton of feed ) were used during the entire period of growing in three similar and independent field trials carried out in a small fattening unit ( @ pigs ) .


Treatment was randomly assigned to half of the pens .


Individual serum samples ( @-@ per group ) were collected at different times during the fattening period and a similar number of faecal samples during the fattening period and at slaughter .


In addition , mesenteric lymph nodes were collected at slaughter .


Herdcheck ( ) Swine Salmonella ELISA was used for serological analyses , the ISO @:@ / Amd @ : @ for bacteriology and the PFGE for molecular characterization of Salmonella strains .


The addition of @ kg t ( -@ ) of - GMOS to the pig diet during the entire fattening period was associated with a reduction in Salmonella prevalence , shedding and seroconversion .


Feed supplementation with - GMOS may be a useful complementary tool for the control of salmonellosis in fattening pigs .


- GMOS may be a complementary way of reducing Salmonella shedding and infection in fattening pigs .


Musicians are a prone group to suffer from working-related musculoskeletal disorder ( WRMD ) .


Conventional solutions to control musculoskeletal pain include pharmacological treatment and rehabilitation programs but their efficiency is sometimes disappointing .


The aim of this research is to study the immediate effects of Tuina techniques on WRMD of professional orchestra musicians from the north of Portugal .


We performed a prospective , controlled , single-blinded , randomized study .


Professional orchestra musicians with a diagnosis of WRMD were randomly distributed into the experimental group ( n = @ ) and the control group ( n = @ ) .


During an individual interview , Chinese diagnosis took place and treatment points were chosen .


Real acupoints were treated by Tuina techniques into the experimental group and non-specific skin points were treated into the control group .


Pain was measured by verbal numerical scale before and immediately after intervention .


After one treatment session , pain was reduced in @ % of the cases for the experimental group and @ % for the control group .


Although results showed that Tuina techniques are effectively reducing WRMD in professional orchestra musicians of the north of Portugal , further investigations with stronger measurements , double-blinding designs and bigger simple sizes are needed .


Transcutaneous low-level tragus electrical stimulation ( LLTS ) suppresses atrial fibrillation ( AF ) in canines .


This study examined the antiarrhythmic and anti-inflammatory effects of LLTS in humans .


Patients with paroxysmal AF who presented for AF ablation were randomized to either @ h of LLTS ( n = @ ) or sham control ( n = @ ) .


Attaching a flat metal clip onto the tragus produced LLTS ( @ Hz ) in the right ear ( @ % lower than the voltage slowing the sinus rate ) .


Under general anesthesia , AF was induced by burst atrial pacing at baseline and after @ h of LLTS or sham treatment .


Blood samples from the coronary sinus and the femoral vein were collected at those time points and then analyzed for inflammatory cytokines , including tumor necrosis factor alpha and C-reactive protein , using a multiplex immunoassay .


There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the @ groups .


Pacing-induced AF duration decreased significantly by @ @ min compared with baseline in the LLTS group , but not in the control subjects ( p = @ for comparison between groups ) .


AF cycle length increased significantly from baseline by @ @ ms in the LLTS group , but not in control subjects ( p = @ for comparison between groups ) .


Systemic ( femoral vein ) but not coronary sinus tumor necrosis factor ( TNF ) - alpha and C-reactive protein levels decreased significantly only in the LLTS group .


LLTS suppresses AF and decreases inflammatory cytokines in patients with paroxysmal AF .


Our results support the emerging paradigm of neuromodulation to treat AF .


To evaluate the efficacy of a highly concentrated Lactobacillus salivarius preparation containing a gelling complex formed by Streptococcus thermophilus ST@ and tara gum in the treatment of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) .


Previous studies have demonstrated an improvement in AD symptoms after administration of the probiotic strain L. salivarius LS@ .


S. thermophilus ST@ and tara gum create a gelling complex that adheres to intestinal mucus and improves barrier function .


A prospective , controlled pilot trial was carried out to evaluate how the association of S. thermophilus ST@ and tara gum could improve the activity of L. salivarius LS@ administered at high doses to adults with AD .


Twenty-five patients were included into the study : @ were treated for @ month with the active formulation , whereas @ represented the placebo group .


Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index was determined before and at the end of probiotic administration .


Fecal samples were also collected to evaluate changes in bacterial counts of Staphylococcus aureus and clostridia .


A significant improvement in SCORAD index was observed in the probiotic group after @ month of treatment , whereas no significant changes occurred in placebo patients .


A slight decrease in fecal S. aureus count was observed in probiotic-treated patients .


Data obtained in this study suggest a potential role for L. salivarius LS@ in the treatment of AD .


The addition of tara gum and S. thermophilus ST@ seems to improve the overall efficacy of the probiotic strain , in particular shortening the time required for the onset of the positive effects .


Further studies to investigate the activity of this preparation are advisable .


We previously reported a randomized , sham-controlled trial of @ Hz dorsolateral prefrontal left - and right-side repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ( rTMS ) in @ participants with a medically refractory major depressive disorder .


Depression improved most with right-side cranial stimulation , both rTMS and sham , and to a lesser degree with left rTMS .


Because depression is often associated with cognitive impairment , in this study we sought to determine whether our earlier participants had treatment-induced changes in cognition , which cognitive domains ( language , executive , visuospatial , verbal episodic memory , attention ) were affected , and whether treatment-induced cognitive changes were related either to improvement in depression or to other treatment variables , such as right versus left treatment and rTMS versus sham .


We used hierarchical regression analyses to determine how variables measured at baseline or associated with treatment affected changes in neuropsychological functions .


The variables were neuropsychological function in the @ domains , severity of depression , change in depression with treatment , rTMS versus sham , laterality of stimulation , and rTMS-laterality interaction .


Compared to sham , right rTMS was associated with @ standard deviations greater gain in language function , @ standard deviations greater gain in visuospatial function , and @ standard deviations greater gain in verbal episodic memory than left rTMS .


These improvements did not appear to be directly related to the relief from depression .


Our results suggest that disorders of cognition and mood in depression may have different mechanisms , but right rTMS may treat both .


We propose potential mechanisms underlying the right-side rTMS effect .


To study the application value of asthma predictive index ( API ) - based group therapy in wheezing children under @ years of age .


A total of @ wheezing children under @ years of age were divided into API-positive ( n = @ ) and API-negative groups ( n = @ ) .


Each group was randomly assigned to inhaled corticosteroids ( ICS ) subgroup and montelukast sodium ( leukotriene receptor antagonist , LTRA ) subgroup .


The ICS and LTRA subgroups received the same drug therapy at the same dosage within the first four weeks of treatment .


In the stable period of disease , the ICS subgroup only received aerosol inhalation of budesonide suspension , while the LTRA group was orally given montelukast sodium only .


Asthma symptom scores were assessed and recorded at different time points .


In the first four weeks of treatment , ICS and LTRA were effective both in the API-positive and API-negative groups ; the two groups showed significant improvements in asthma symptom scores , and the asthma symptom score showed no significant difference between the ICS and LTRA subgroups of each group .


After @ weeks of treatment , the two therapies were still effective ; in the API-positive group , the LTRA subgroup had a better treatment outcome than the ICS subgroup , but there was no significant difference in treatment outcome between the LTRA and ICS subgroups of the API-negative group .


For wheezing children under @ years of age , therapeutic strategies can be chosen based on API in the stable period of disease , so as to better control wheezing .


To compare outcomes of diode laser vaporization of prostate with transurethral resection of the prostate ( TURP ) as a gold-standard treatment .


A total number of @ patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia underwent TURP and @-nm diode vaporization of prostate in a balanced randomization ( @:@ ) from @ to @ and were followed up for @ months .


Baseline characteristics of the patients , perioperative data , and postoperative outcomes were compared .


The primary end point of the study was assessing the values of International Prostate Symptom Score ( IPSS ) , and maximum flow rate ( Qmax ) to predict the functional improvement of each group .


The trial is registered at http://www.irct.ir ( number IRCT@N@ ) .


The mean age ( standard deviation ) of the patients was @ @ years in TURP and @ @ in diode groups .


In TURP and diode groups , the operation time was @ @ vs @ @ minutes ( P = @ ) , Foley catheterization time was @ @ vs @ @ hours ( P = @ ) and postoperative hospital stay was @ @ vs @ @ hours ( P = @ ) respectively .


Outcome with regard to increase in Qmax , decrease in IPSS , and decrease in postvoid residual urine volume showed a dramatic improvement in both groups during the first @ months .


In the TURP group , the values of IPSS and Qmax were respectively lower and higher than diode patients at @ and @ months of follow-up .


According to our study , diode laser vaporization ( @ nm ) offers a safe and feasible procedure in the management of patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy ; however , at longer follow-up the functional outcome of diode laser vaporization has been less efficient than TURP .


To investigate the effect of ingesting a caffeinated carbohydrate gel ( CC ) @ minutes prior on @-m rowing performance compared with a carbohydrate-only placebo gel ( CP ) .


A counterbalanced , single-blind , crossover study design was employed ( N = @ ) .


All participants completed @ familiarization trial followed by @ experimental rowing time trials .


The experimental trials were performed @ min after ingesting CP ( @ g of carbohydrate , @ mg caffeine ) or CC ( @ g carbohydrate , @ mg caffeine ) , and heart rate ( HR ) , oxygen consumption ( VO@ ) , carbon dioxide production , minute ventilation ( VE ) , respiratory-exchange ratio ( RER ) , rating of perceived exertion ( RPE ) , gastrointestinal discomfort ( GI ) , and thirst perception ( Thirst ) were recorded every @ m. Blood lactate -LSB- La - -RSB- was recorded immediately before and after exercise .


A pairedsamples t test identified a significant improvement in @-m performance of @ s ( @ % @ % ; P = @ ) .


Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no significant treatment effect for HR ( @ vs @ beats/min , P = @ ) , VO@ ( @ vs @ mLkg ( -@ ) min ( -@ ) , P = @ ) , VE ( @ vs @ L/min , P = @ ) , RPE , GI , or Thirst for CP and CC , respectively .


Paired-samples t tests revealed no treatment effect for postexercise -LSB- La - -RSB- between CP and CC ( @ vs @ mmol/L , P = @ ) .


A relatively low dose of caffeine ( @ mg/kg body mass ) in an isotonic carbohydrate gel ingested only @ min before performance improved @-m rowing time by @ s ( @ % @ % ) .


Pharyngolaryngeal discomfort is a significant complication following the use of laryngeal mask airway ( LMA ) .


The present study aimed to investigate the relation of LMA cuff pressure and the occurrence of pharyngolaryngeal discomfort during spontaneous ventilation ( SV ) , pressure support ( PSV ) and pressure control ventilation ( PCV ) .


A hundred and twenty patients , ASA I-III , were included in this study .


Originally the patients were divided into three groups : the @st group was left to breath spontaneously , the @nd group was placed under PSV while PCV was used in the @rd group .


Each group was divided into two subgroups : A ) intervention group ( maintaining cuff pressure at @ cmH@O , measurement in @ min intervals ) and B ) observation group ( no intervention in cuff pressure , measurement in @ min intervals ) .


Anesthesia was induced with propofol and fentanyl and maintained with sevoflurane in air/oxygen .


Patients were assessed @ and @ hours post-surgery , for sore throat , dysphonia or dysphagia .


A and B subgroup comparison at @ hours revealed a statistically significant difference in the presence of pharyngolaryngeal discomfort in the PSV group ( @ % versus @ % respectively , P = @ ) .


Furthermore , when assessing the effect of maintaining a constant cuff pressure regardless of mode of ventilation , significantly fewer adverse effects were observed ( @ % vs. @ % , P = @ ) when compared to the non-intervention subgroup .


Maintaining LMA cuff pressure in values which do not exceed @ cmH@O probably contributes in decreasing pharyngolaryngeal discomfort independently of ventilation mode .


The ventilation mode which leads to the highest incidence of pharyngolaryngeal morbidity when cuff pressures are not closely monitored is PSV .


Screening for vascular disease , risk assessment and management are encouraged in general practice however there is limited evidence about the emotional impact on patients .


The Health Improvement and Prevention Study evaluated the impact of a general practice-based vascular risk factor intervention on behavioural and physiological risk factors in @ Australian practices .


The primary aim of this analysis is to investigate the psychological impact of participating in the intervention arm of the trial .


The secondary aim is to identify the mediating effects of changes in behavioural risk factors or BMI .


This study is an analysis of a secondary outcome from a cluster randomized controlled trial .


Patients , aged @-@ years , were randomly selected from practice records .


Those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were excluded .


Socio-demographic details , behavioural risk factors and psychological distress were measured at baseline and @ months .


The Kessler Psychological Distress Score ( K@ ) was the outcome measure for multi-level , multivariable analysis and a product-of-coefficient test to assess the mediating effects of behaviour change .


Baseline data were available @ participants in the intervention group and @ in the control group .


Twelve month data were available for @ in the intervention group and @ in the control group .


The K@ score of patients in the intervention group ( @ , SD @ ) was lower at @ months compared to the control group ( @ , SD @ ) .


K@ at @ months was significantly associated with the score at baseline and being unable to work but not with age , gender , change in behavioural risk factors or change in BMI .


The reduction of K@ in the intervention group demonstrates that a general practice based intervention to identify and manage vascular risk factors did not adversely impact on the psychological distress of the participants .


The impact of the intervention on distress was not mediated by a change in the behavioural risk factors or BMI , suggesting that there must be other mediators that might explain the positive impact of the intervention on emotional wellbeing .


This cluster randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of a disease and care management ( D&CM ) model in cardiovascular ( CVD ) prevention in primary care .


Eligible subjects had @ among : blood pressure @/@ mmHg ; glycated hemoglobin @ % ; LDL-cholesterol @ or @ mg/dL ( primary or secondary prevention , respectively ) ; BMI @ ; current smoking .


The D&CM intervention included a teamwork including nurses as care managers for the implementation of tailored care plans .


Control group was allocated to usual-care .


The main outcome was the proportion of subjects achieving recommended clinical targets for @ of uncontrolled CVD risk factors at @-month .


During @-@ we enrolled @ subjects in the Abruzzo/Marche regions , Italy .


Following the exclusion of L'Aquila due to @ earthquake , final analyses included @ subjects .


The primary outcome was achieved by @ % ( @ % CI : @-@ @ ) and @ % ( @ % CI : @-@ @ ) of subjects in the intervention and usual-care group , respectively ( p < @ ) .


The D&CM intervention significantly increased the proportion of subjects who achieved clinical targets for both diabetes and hypertension , with no differences in hypercholesterolemia , smoking status and obesity .


The D&CM intervention was effective in controlling cardiovascular risk factors , in particular hypertension and diabetes .


Numbers needed to treat were small .


Such intervention may deserve further consideration in clinical practice .


To evaluate a prevention program for infant sleep and cry problems and postnatal depression .


Randomized controlled trial with @ infants born at @ weeks or later in @ well-child centers , Melbourne , Australia .


Follow-up occurred at infant age @ and @ months .


The intervention including supplying information about normal infant sleep and cry patterns , settling techniques , medical causes of crying and parent self-care , delivered via booklet and DVD ( at infant age @ weeks ) , telephone consultation ( @ weeks ) , and parent group ( @ weeks ) versus well-child care .


Outcomes included caregiver-reported infant night sleep problem ( primary outcome ) , infant daytime sleep , cry and feeding problems , crying and sleep duration , caregiver depression symptoms , attendance at night wakings , and formula changes .


Infant outcomes were similar between groups .


Relative to control caregivers , intervention caregivers at @ months were less likely to score > @ on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ( @ % , vs @ % , adjusted odds ratio -LSB- OR -RSB- @ , @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- @ to @ ) , spend > @ minutes attending infant wakings ( @ % vs @ % , adjusted OR @ , @ % CI @ to @ ) , or change formula ( @ % vs @ % , P < @ ) .


Infant frequent feeders ( > @ feeds/@ hours ) in the intervention group were less likely to have daytime sleep ( OR @ , @ % CI @ to @ ) or cry problems ( OR @ , @ % CI @ to @ ) at @ months .


An education program reduces postnatal depression symptoms , as well as sleep and cry problems in infants who are frequent feeders .


The program may be best targeted to frequent feeders .


Helicobacter pylori infection occurs more frequently in Arctic Aboriginal settings than elsewhere in North America and Europe .


Research aimed at reducing health risks from H pylori infection has been conducted in the Aboriginal community of Aklavik , Northwest Territories .


To compare the effectiveness of the Canadian standard therapy with an alternative therapy for eliminating H pylori infection in Aklavik .


Treatment-naive H pylori-positive individuals were randomly assigned to a @-day regimen ( oral twice-daily doses ) with rabeprazole ( @ mg ) : standard triple therapy ( proton pump inhibitor , added clarithromycin -LSB- @ mg -RSB- and amoxicillin -LSB- @ g -RSB- -LSB- PPI-CA -RSB- ) ; sequential therapy ( ST ) added amoxicillin ( @ g ) on days @ to @ , and metronidazole ( @ mg ) and clarithromycin ( @ mg ) on days @ to @ .


Participants with clarithromycin-resistant H pylori were randomly assigned to ST or quadruple therapy .


Treatment effectiveness was estimated as per cent ( @ % CI ) with a negative urea breath test at least @ weeks after treatment .


Of @ ( @ PPI-CA , @ ST ) randomized participants , @ ( @ PPI-CA , @ ST ) had post-treatment results .


Per-protocol treatment effectiveness was @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for PPI-CA and @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for ST. Based on intention to treat , effectiveness was @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for PPI-CA and @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for ST. Of @ participants ( @ PPI-CA , @ ST ) with @ % adherence , effectiveness was @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for PPI-CA and @ % ( @ % CI @ % to @ % ) for ST.


While additional evidence is needed to confirm that ST is more effective for Arctic Aboriginal communities than the Canadian standard H pylori treatment , these results show standard PPI-CA treatment to be inadequate for communities such as Aklavik .


To assess pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between naproxen ( a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ) and apixaban ( an oral , selective , direct factor-Xa inhibitor ) .


In this randomized , three period , two sequence study , @ healthy subjects received a single oral dose of apixaban @mg , naproxen @mg or co-administration of both .


Blood samples were collected for determination of apixaban and naproxen pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics ( anti-Xa activity , international normalized ratio -LSB- INR -RSB- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation -LSB- AAI-PA -RSB- ) .


Adverse events , bleeding time and routine safety assessments were also evaluated .


Apixaban had no effect on naproxen pharmacokinetics .


However , following co-administration , apixaban AUC ( @ , ) , AUC ( @ , t ) and Cmax were @ % ( geometric mean ratio @ ; @ % confidence interval ( CI ) @ , @ ) , @ % ( @ ; @ % CI @ , @ ) and @ % ( @ ; @ % CI @ , @ ) higher , respectively .


Mean ( standard deviation -LSB- SD -RSB- ) anti-Xa activity at @h post-dose was approximately @ % higher following co-administration compared with apixaban alone , @ -LSB- @ -RSB- vs. @ -LSB- @ -RSB- IUml ( -@ ) , consistent with the apixaban concentration increase following co-administration .


INR was within the normal reference range after all treatments .


AAI-PA was reduced by approximately @ % with naproxen .


Co-administration had no impact beyond that of naproxen .


Mean -LSB- SD -RSB- bleeding time was higher following co-administration ( @ -LSB- @ -RSB- min ) compared with either agent alone ( @ -LSB- @ -RSB- and @ -LSB- @ -RSB- min for apixaban and naproxen , respectively ) .


Co-administration of naproxen with apixaban results in higher apixaban exposure and appears to occur through increased apixaban bioavailability .


The effects on anti-Xa activity , INR and inhibition of AAI-PA observed in this study were consistent with the individual pharmacologic effects of apixaban and naproxen .


There is presently no approved single treatment for dual alcohol and nicotine dependencies .


This pilot study investigated baclofen effects in alcoholic smokers .


This was a preliminary double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical study with @ alcoholic smokers randomized to baclofen at @ mg/day or placebo .


A subgroup ( n = @ ) participated in an alcohol cue-reactivity experiment .


Baclofen , compared with placebo , significantly decreased the percent days of abstinence from alcohol-tobacco co-use ( p = @ ) .


Alcohol dependence severity moderated baclofen effects , with the higher severity group having the greater baclofen response ( p < @ ) .


Although the percent days of alcohol-tobacco co-use declined in both groups , this decline was greater after placebo than baclofen ( p < @ ) .


Secondary analyses on alcohol or tobacco use alone suggested that the increase in percent days of co-abstinence was driven by the medication differences on heavy drinking days and on percent days smoking .


In the cue-reactivity substudy , baclofen slightly decreased alcohol urge ( p = @ ) and significantly reduced salivation ( p = @ ) , but these effects were not related to cue type .


This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting a possible role of baclofen in the treatment of alcoholic smokers .


However , the mixed results and the small sample require larger confirmatory studies .


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utilization of four approved antihyperuricemic agents in Taiwan before and after two safety announcements rescinded an indication for allopurinol and added a warning on benzbromarone-induced hepatotoxicity in the year @ .


An interrupted time series design and segmented regression models were used to examine impacts of the safety announcements on the utilization of allopurinol , benzbromarone , probenecid , or sulfinpyrazone .


All outpatient prescriptions of the four antihyperuricemic agents were extracted from a longitudinal cohort dataset with @ individuals randomly sampled from the National Health Insurance Research Database .


We examined utilization patterns of antihyperuricemic agents before and after the policy intervention ( i.e. , safety announcements and labeling changes of allopurinol and benzbromarone ) in the year @ .


Following the safety announcements , there was a reduction in the number of allopurinol users in the first year of intervention ( -@ users per @ persons , @ % CI , -LSB- -@ , -@ -RSB- ) and a continuous reduction afterward at a rate of -@ per @ persons per year .


The utilization of benzbromarone grew steadily before @ but decreased drastically after the intervention , with a @ % reduction in the number of users by the end of year @ .


There was no commensurate change in the number of probenecid or sulfinpyrazone users after the intervention .


Further research is required to evaluate the direct impacts of the safety announcements on clinical outcomes , treatment costs , and patient 's quality of life .


To evaluate the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole-based triple therapy compared with lansoprazole therapy as first-line eradication therapy for patients with Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) in usual post-marketing use in Japan , where the clarithromycin ( CAM ) resistance rate is @ % .


For this multicenter , randomized , open-label , non-inferiority trial , we recruited patients ( @ years of age ) with H. pylori infection from @ hospitals in Japan .


We randomly allocated patients to esomeprazole therapy ( esomeprazole @ mg , CAM @ mg , amoxicillin ( AC ) @ mg for the first @ d , with all drugs given twice daily ) or lansoprazole therapy ( lansoprazole @ mg , CAM @ mg , AC @ mg for the first @ d , with all drugs given twice daily ) using a minimization method with age , sex , and institution as adjustment factors .


Our primary outcome was the eradication rate by intention-to-treat ( ITT ) and per-protocol ( PP ) analyses .


H. pylori eradication was confirmed by a urea breath test from @ to @ wk after cessation of therapy .


ITT analysis revealed the eradication rates of @ % ( @ % CI : @ % -@ % ) for esomeprazole therapy and @ % ( @ % CI : @ % -@ % ) for lansoprazole therapy ( P = @ ) .


PP analysis showed eradication rate of @ % ( @ % CI : @ % -@ % ) for esomeprazole therapy and @ % ( @ % CI : @ % -@ % ) for lansoprazole therapy ( P = @ ) .


There were no differences in adverse effects between the two therapies .


Esomeprazole showed non-inferiority and safety in a @ day-triple therapy for eradication of H. pylori compared with lansoprazole .


Questions have been raised regarding nephrotoxicity from vancomycin .


A few small studies have shown that higher trough concentrations of vancomycin result in more nephrotoxicity .


The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors that may predispose patients to nephrotoxicity in those concomitantly receiving vancomycin .


This was a single-center retrospective chart review conducted on adult subjects @ years and older who received at least three doses of vancomycin .


Exclusion criteria included sepsis , septic shock , or acute renal failure or stage @ chronic kidney disease .


Subjects were divided into two groups : those who developed nephrotoxicity and those who did not .


Data collected included co-morbidities ( diabetes mellitus , hypertension , congestive heart failure ) , creatinine clearance ( CLCR ) , concomitant treatment with potentially nephrotoxic drugs , vancomycin trough concentrations , total daily dose , and duration of therapy .


Seventy-seven subjects were included in the nephrotoxic group and @ were in the control group .


The proportion of men in the nephrotoxic group was higher ( @ vs. @ % , p = @ ) .


Hypertension ( @ vs. @ % , p = @ ) , diabetes ( @ vs. @ % , p = @ ) , and furosemide use ( @ vs. @ % , p = @ ) were more common in the nephrotoxic group .


The proportion of subjects with baseline CLCR @ mL/min was higher in the nephrotoxic group .


Furosemide use ( odds ratio -LSB- OR -RSB- @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) , hypertension ( OR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) , and vancomycin trough concentration @ g/mL ( OR @ , @ % CI @-@ @ ) were each associated with nephrotoxicity during vancomycin therapy .


In summary , the patient profile exhibiting the greatest risk ( OR @ ) of developing kidney injury is one who has hypertension , is receiving furosemide therapy , and has vancomycin trough concentrations @ g/mL .


This study was performed to compare the pharmacokinetic properties and relative bioavailability of two isosorbide-@-mononitrate ( @-ISMN ) sustained-release drugs in healthy Korean subjects under fasting and fed conditions .


A total of @ healthy volunteers ( @ each in the fasting and fed arms of the study ) were enrolled in the study and were randomized to treatment .


After the administration of a single dose of one of the investigational products , blood samples were collected at specific time intervals from @ to @ hours .


The plasma concentrations of @-ISMN were measured by LC-MS/MS .


The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated , and the @ % confidence intervals ( CIs ) of the geometric mean ratio ( test/reference ) of the parameters were obtained by analysis of variance on logarithmically transformed data .


The corresponding @ % CIs of AUClast and Cmax for the test/reference geometric mean ratio were @ - @ % and @ - @ % , respectively , under fasting conditions .


In the fed state study , the @ % CIs for the geometric mean ratio of test to reference drugs were @ - @ % for AUClast and @ - @ % for Cmax .


The test product is equivalent to the reference product in subjects under fasting and fed conditions within the Korean regulatory bioequivalence criteria .


Both formulations were safe and well tolerated , and there were no noteworthy differences in the safety profiles between the test and reference drugs .


In human beings , @-HT@ receptors are almost exclusively expressed in the brain , particularly in areas relevant for cognition , such as the hippocampus and frontal cortex .


We assessed the effect on cognitive performance of Lu AE@ ( idalopirdine ) , a selective @-HT@ receptor antagonist , in donepezil-treated patients with moderate Alzheimer 's disease .


For this randomised , double-blind , placebo-controlled phase @ trial ( LADDER ) , we recruited patients from @ outpatient clinical sites in seven countries .


Patients were @ years or older , had moderate Alzheimer 's disease ( a mini-mental state examination score of @-@ ) , and had been stably treated with donepezil @ mg per day for @ or more months .


Using a computer-generated sequence , we randomly assigned patients ( @:@ , stratified by site ) to receive either idalopirdine @ mg per day ( @ mg thrice daily ) or placebo .


The primary endpoint was change from baseline in the @-item Alzheimer 's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale ( ADAS-cog ) at week @ .


We analysed all efficacy endpoints in the full-analysis set ( modified intention-to-treat analysis ) .


This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT@ .


Between Dec @ , @ , and Dec @ , @ , we randomly allocated @ patients to treatment : @ to placebo and @ to idalopirdine .


@ patients in the placebo group and @ in the experimental group were included in the final analysis .


At week @ , the change from baseline in ADAS-cog total score was +@ ( SD @ ) in the placebo group and -@ ( @ ) in the idalopirdine group ( treatment difference of -@ points , @ % CI -@ to -@ ; p = @ ) .


@ patients ( seven taking placebo and @ taking idalopirdine ) discontinued treatment because of adverse events , the difference between groups being mainly due to asymptomatic transient increases in transaminase concentrations in some idalopirdine-treated patients .


The most common adverse events ( occurring in > @ % of patients ) were increased - glutamyltransferase ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- patients in the idalopirdine group vs two -LSB- @ % -RSB- in the placebo group ) , diarrhoea ( six -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs nine -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , urinary tract infection ( three -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs nine -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , fall ( three -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs eight -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , increased alanine aminotransferase ( nine -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs none ) , and benign prostatic hyperplasia ( two -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs none ) .


Serious adverse events were reported by @ ( @ % ) patients in the idalopirdine group and @ ( @ % ) patients in the placebo group .


One death occurred in each treatment group , neither were regarded as being related to treatment .


Idalopirdine improved cognitive function in donepezil-treated patients with moderate Alzheimer 's disease .


Larger studies in a broader population of patients are ongoing to substantiate the effects reported here .


Obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) can result in hypertension and significantly increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality .


There are few reports on the long-term effects of continuous positive airway pressure ( CPAP ) on blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension with coronary heart disease ( CHD ) and OSA .


We conducted a prospective , long-term follow-up study in @ patients with uncontrolled hypertension , CHD , and OSA randomized to control or CPAP groups .


Daytime systolic blood pressure ( SBP ) , diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ) , and severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events ( SCCEs ) were recorded at baseline and follow-up .


Seventy-three patients completed the study with a median follow-up of @ ( interquartile range = @-@ ) months .


The @ groups had similar characteristics at baseline .


CPAP was used for @ hour/night .


SBP in the CPAP group was significantly reduced at follow-up ( @ mm Hg vs. @ mm Hg , P = @ ) , and SBP decreased by @mm Hg ( @ % confidence interval = @-@ @ ; P = @ ) .


Hypertension control was improved ( CPAP , @ % for CPAP users vs. @ % for control subjects ; P = @ ) ; however , DBP did not reach statistical difference between the groups ( @ mm Hg vs. @ mm Hg ; P = @ ) .


In the CPAP group , the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was markedly reduced ( @ vs. @ ; P < @ ) .


There was @ SCCE in the CPAP group ( heart failure ) , and @ SCCEs in the control group ( acute myocardial infarction : @ ( with @ death ) ; stroke : @ ) , but there was no significant difference identified .


Long-term CPAP application in uncontrolled hypertension with CHD and OSA significantly reduced daytime SBP , improved hypertension control and daytime sleepiness , and decreased the trend in SCCEs compared with control subjects .


To evaluate the long-term safety of a novel continuous infusion of ketorolac vs placebo after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy .


We performed a secondary analysis of a previously reported randomized controlled trial conducted from October @ , @ , to July @ , @ .


Patients aged @-@ years received a continuous infusion of either ketorolac ( treatment -LSB- n = @ -RSB- ) or normal saline ( control -LSB- n = @ -RSB- ) for @ hours immediately after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy .


Serum creatinine levels were measured at @ - and @-year follow-ups .


Glomerular filtration rate was calculated preoperatively , postoperatively , and at @ - and @-year follow-ups using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation .


Glomerular filtration rates were compared between treatment and control groups using @-sample t tests .


Data analysis for the @ donor nephrectomy patients showed that glomerular filtration rates decreased in both groups over time , but changes were not clinically significant .


No difference was found in glomerular filtration rates ( in mL/min/@ @ m@ ) between treatment and control groups at @-year follow-up ( @ vs @ mL/min/@ @ m@ ; P = @ ) or at @-year follow-up ( @ vs @ mL/min/@ @ m@ ; P = @ ) .


The novel provision of continuous steady-state ketorolac is safe for postoperative pain control in patients after donor nephrectomy , with no change in glomerular filtration rates between treatment and control groups acutely and at up to @-year follow-up .


Induction of labor , an increasingly common intervention , is often preceded by the application of an agent to `` prime '' or `` ripen '' the cervix .


We conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare clinical , economic , and psychosocial outcomes of inpatient and outpatient cervical priming before induction of labor .


In this paper we present the psychosocial outcomes .


Women participating in a randomized controlled trial in two Australian metropolitan teaching hospitals completed questionnaires to measure anxiety and depression at enrollment , and to examine satisfaction , experiences , depression , and infant feeding @ weeks after giving birth .


Data analysis was by intention to treat and by having received the intervention as intended ( approximately @ % in each group ) .


Of @,@ eligible women , @ percent consented ( n = @ , outpatient ; n = @ inpatient ) .


No statistically significant or clinically relevant differences were found in immediate anxiety , depression , or infant feeding .


Small , statistically significant differences favoring outpatient priming were found in seven of the nine subscales in the @-week postpartum questionnaire .


The direction of the effect was maintained , mostly with a larger effect size in women who received the intervention .


Women allocated to outpatient priming were more satisfied with their priming experience than women allocated to inpatient priming .


Being informed that they could go home after cervical priming did not increase women 's anxiety .


It has not been examined trialed whether obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder respond to topiramate as an adjuvant treatment .


This @-month double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial examined the efficacy and safety of augmentation with topiramat for treating the patients with bipolar disorder , manic phase type-I , and obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms .


Both groups received lithium + olanzapine + clonazepam .


However , one group received topiramate and the other group placebo as adjuvant medications .


Yale Brown obsessive compulsive behavior scale was used to assess the outcome .


Adverse effects were also recorded .


A total of @ patients completed this trial .


The mean score decreased from @ ( @ ) to @ ( @ ) in the topiramate group ( P < @ ) and from @ ( @ ) to @ ( @ ) in the placebo group during this trial ( P < @ ) .


Additionally , @ ( @ % ) out of @ patients in the topiramate group and @ ( @ % ) out of @ patients in the placebo group showed more than @ % decline in YBOC score ( x@ = @ , df = @ , P < @ ) .


No serious adverse effects were detected .


The limitations of the present study were its small sample size and the fact that it was conducted in a single center .


The combination of lithium + olanzapine + clonazepam decreased the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder in the patients with bipolar disorder type I. However , topiramate had a more significant effect than placebo on improvement of the patients with bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms .


This combination seems to be without serious adverse effects .


To explore the effective therapy of female overactive bladder unresponsive to behavior training .


A total of @ patients with female overactive bladder unresponsive to behavior training were enrolled from January @ to January @ at Liaocheng Second People 's Hospital .


They were randomized into trial and control groups ( Iand II ) .


Their mean age was @ ( @-@ ) years .


And the mean disease course was @ ( @-@ ) years .


The trial group ( n = @ ) received oral formulations of solifenacin succinate ( @ mg , once a day ) and naftopidil ( @ mg , every evening ) .


The control group I ( n = @ ) had only solifenacin succinate and the control group II ( n = @ ) only naftopidil .


The treatment lasted for @ weeks .


The time of urination per day , average amount of mona-urination and maximum amount of mona-urination were observed .


The changes of all parameters before and after treatment were assessed .


And statistic analysis was performed .


The urinary urgency score of the trial , control group I and control II groups were @ @ , @ @ , @ @ ; and the times of urination per day @ @ , @ @ , @ @ , average amount of mona-urination ( @ @ ) , ( @ @ ) , ( @ @ ) ml and maximum amount of mona-urination ( @ @ ) , ( @ @ ) , ( @ @ ) ml respectively .


These parameters showed significant differences between the trial and control groups ( all P < @ ) .


A combination of solifenacin succinate and naftopidil can effectively relieve the symptoms of female overactive bladder and improve the life quality .


Avascular necrosis of femoral head ( ANFH ) is a progressive disease that often leads to hip joint dysfunction and even disability in young patients .


Although the standard treatment , which is core decompression , has the advantage of minimal invasion , the efficacy is variable .


Recent studies have shown that implantation of bone marrow containing osteogenic precursors into necrotic lesion of ANFH may be promising for the treatment of ANFH .


A prospective , double-blinded , randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effect of bone-marrow buffy coat ( BBC ) grafting combined with core decompression for the treatment of ANFH .


Forty-five patients ( @ hips ) with Ficat stage I to III ANFH were recruited .


The hips were allocated to the control group ( core decompression + autologous bone graft ) or treatment group ( core decompression + autologous bone graft with BBC ) .


Both patients and assessors were blinded to the treatment options .


The clinical symptoms and disease progression were assessed as the primary and secondary outcomes .


At the final follow-up ( @ months ) , there was a significant relief in pain ( P < @ ) and clinical joint symptoms as measured by the Lequesne index ( P < @ ) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index ( P < @ ) in the treatment group .


In addition , @ % of the hips in the control group have deteriorated to the next stage after @ months post-procedure , whereas only @ % in the treatment group had further deterioration ( P < @ ) .


More importantly , the non-progression rates for stage I/II hips were @ % in the treatment group and @ % in the control group .


Implantation of the autologous BBC grafting combined with core decompression is effective to prevent further progression for the early stages of ANFH .


As the population ages , more people are suffering from long-term health conditions ( LTCs ) .


Health services around the world are exploring new ways of supporting people with LTCs and there is great interest in the use of telehealth : technologies such as the Internet , telephone and home self-monitoring .


This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a telehealth intervention delivered by NHS Direct to support patients with LTCs .


Two randomized controlled trials will be conducted in parallel , recruiting patients with two exemplar LTCs : depression or raised cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk .


A total of @,@ patients will be recruited from approximately @ general practices near Bristol , Sheffield and Southampton , UK .


Participants will be randomly allocated to either usual care ( control group ) or usual care plus the NHS Direct Healthlines Service ( intervention group ) .


The intervention is based on a conceptual model incorporating promotion of self-management , optimisation of treatment , coordination of care and engagement of patients and general practitioners .


Participants will be provided with tailored help , combining telephone advice from health information advisors with support to use a range of online resources .


Participants will access the service for @ months .


Outcomes will be collected at baseline , four , eight and @ months for the depression trial and baseline , six and @ months for the CVD risk trial .


The primary outcome will be the proportion of patients responding to treatment , defined in the depression trial as a PHQ-@ score < @ and an absolute reduction in PHQ-@ @ after @ months , and in the CVD risk trial as maintenance or reduction of @-year CVD risk after @ months .


The study will also assess whether the intervention is cost-effective from the perspective of the NHS and personal social services .


An embedded qualitative interview study will explore healthcare professionals ' and patients ' views of the intervention .


This study evaluates a complex telehealth intervention which combines evidence-based components and is delivered by an established healthcare organisation .


The study will also analyse health economic information .


In doing so , the study hopes to address some of the limitations of previous research by demonstrating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a real world telehealth intervention .


Robotically facilitated therapeutic activities , performed in virtual environments have emerged as one approach to upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke .


Body function level improvements have been demonstrated for robotically facilitated training of the arm .


A smaller group of studies have demonstrated modest activity level improvements by training the hand or by integrated training of the hand and arm .


The purpose of this study was to compare a training program of complex hand and finger tasks without arm movement paired with a separate set of reaching activities performed without hand movement , to training the entire upper extremity simultaneously , utilizing integrated activities .


Forty individuals with chronic stroke recruited in the community , participated in a randomized , blinded , controlled trial of two interventions .


Subjects were required to have residual hand function for inclusion .


The first , hand and arm separate ( HAS ) training ( n = @ ) , included activities controlled by finger movement only , and activities controlled by arm movement only , the second , hand and arm together ( HAT ) training ( n = @ ) used simulations controlled by a simultaneous use of arm and fingers .


No adverse reactions occurred .


The entire sample demonstrated mean improvements in Wolf Motor Function Test scores ( @ % ) and Jebsen Test of Hand Function scores ( @ % ) , with large effect sizes ( partial r@ = @ and r@ = @ , respectively ) .


There were no differences in improvement between HAS and HAT training immediately after the study .


Subjects in the HAT group retained Wolf Motor Function Test gains better than in the HAS group measured three months after the therapy but the size of this interaction effect was small ( partial r@ = @ ) .


Short term changes in upper extremity motor function were comparable when training the upper extremity with integrated activities or a balanced program of isolated activities .


Further study of the retention period is indicated .


The aim of this randomized clinical trial ( RCT ) was to investigate whether @-month continuous use of different manual toothbrushes ( TBs ) influences plaque removal and the degree of gingival inflammation compared to short utilization periods of @ weeks each .


In total , @ participants were randomly allocated into two groups : continuous use during @ months ( non-renewal group ) or a change in TB every @ weeks during @ months ( renewal group ) .


Each group was subdivided into four subgroups ( groups A to H ; n = @ each ) according to the head size ( normal or short ) and bristle hardness ( medium or soft ) of the TB used .


The modified Quigley-Hein plaque index ( QHI ) , papilla bleeding index ( PBI ) , and gingival index ( GI ) were recorded at baseline and @ , @ , @ , @ , and @ weeks after baseline .


After @ weeks , each participant received a new TB , and at week @ , the final QHI , PBI , and GI were determined .


The statistical evaluation consisted of analysis of covariance ( P < @ ) .


With time , QHI , PBI , and GI were significantly different between the renewal and the non-renewal groups ( QHI : P = @ ; PBI : P = @ ; GI : P < @ ) , independent of subgroup .


In the renewal group , QHI showed a significant decrease between baseline and each follow-up visit ( P < @ ) .


In the non-renewal group , there was a significant decrease compared to baseline up to and including week @ ( P < @ ) .


PBI in the renewal group showed no significant differences between baseline and each follow-up visit ( P > @ ) .


In the non-renewal group , only the normal head/soft subgroup exhibited a significant increase at week @ ( P = @ ) .


The GI in the renewal group showed no difference between baseline and all follow-up visits , whereas in the non-renewal group , there was a significant decrease up to and including week @ ( P < @ ) .


Six-month continuous use reduced the effectiveness of the TB with respect to plaque removal , and gingival inflammation appeared to increase .


Metformin is the only first-line oral hypoglycaemic drug for type @ diabetes recommended by international guidelines with proven efficacy , safety , and cost-effectiveness .


However , little information exists about its use in Asian populations .


We aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of the - glucosidase inhibitor acarbose , extensively adopted in China , compared with metformin as the alternative initial therapy for newly diagnosed type @ diabetes .


In this @-week , randomised , open-label , non-inferiority trial , patients who were newly diagnosed with type @ diabetes , with a mean HbA@c of @ % , were enrolled from @ sites in China .


After a @-week lifestyle modification run-in , patients were assigned to @ weeks of monotherapy with metformin or acarbose as the initial treatment , followed by a @-week therapy phase during which add-on therapy was used if prespecified glucose targets were not achieved .


Primary endpoints were to establish whether acarbose was non-inferior to metformin in HbA@c reduction at week @ and week @ timepoints .


The non-inferiority margin was @ % , with an expected null difference in the change from baseline to week @ in HbA@c .


Analysis was done on a modified intention-to-treat population .


This study was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry , number ChiCTR-TRC-@ .


Of the @ patients randomly assigned to treatment groups , @ patients started the intended study drug .


HbA@c reduction at week @ was -@ % in the acarbose group and -@ % in the metformin group .


At week @ , the HbA@c reduction was -@ % ( acarbose ) and -@ % ( metformin ) with difference @ % ( @ % CI -@ to @ , p = @ ) .


Six ( @ % ) patients in the acarbose group and seven ( @ % ) patients in the metformin group had serious adverse events , and two ( @ % ) and four ( @ % ) had hypoglycaemic episodes .


This study provides evidence that acarbose is similar to metformin in efficacy , and is therefore a viable choice for initial therapy in Chinese patients newly diagnosed with type @ diabetes .


Seasonal allergic rhinitis is typically poorly managed , particularly in adolescents , in whom it is responsible for considerable morbidity .


Our previous work has demonstrated that if poorly controlled this can impair educational performance .


The primary aim of this trial was to assess the impact of a primary care-based professional training intervention on clinical outcomes in adolescents with seasonal allergic rhinitis .


Cluster trial in which UK general practice staff were randomised to a short , intensive workshop on the evidence-based management of seasonal allergic rhinitis .


The primary outcome measure was the change in the validated Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire with Standardized Activities ( RQLQ ( S ) ) score between baseline and @ weeks post intervention ( minimal clinically important difference = @ ) .


Secondary outcome measures of interest included health-care professionals ' knowledge and confidence in managing seasonal allergic rhinitis , number of seasonal allergic rhinitis-related consultations , relevant treatments prescribed and symptom scores .


Thirty-eight general practices were randomised ( @ in the intervention arm ) and @ patients ( @ % males , mean age @ years ) were included in the primary outcome analysis .


Health-care professionals ' knowledge and confidence of the clinical management of seasonal allergic rhinitis improved .


This did not , however , result in clinically or statistically significant improvements in RQLQ ( S ) : -@ , ( @ % confidence interval , -@ to +@ ) .


There were no differences in consultation frequency , treatments issued for seasonal allergic rhinitis or symptom scores .


Although associated with increases in professionals ' self-assessed confidence and understanding of seasonal allergic rhinitis management , this intensive training workshop did not translate into improvements in adolescents ' disease-specific quality of life or a reduction in rhinitis symptoms .


To examine the extent to which individual and ecological-level cognitive and structural social capital are associated with common mental disorder ( CMD ) , the role played by physical characteristics of the neighbourhood in moderating this association , and the longitudinal change of the association between ecological level cognitive and structural social capital and CMD .


Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of @ disadvantaged London neighbourhoods .


We used a contextual measure of the physical characteristics of each neighbourhood to examine how the neighbourhood moderates the association between types of social capital and mental disorder .


We analysed the association between ecological-level measures of social capital and CMD longitudinally .


@,@ adults aged @-@ ( @ % men ) were randomly selected from @ disadvantaged London neighbourhoods .


General Health Questionnaire ( GHQ-@ ) .


Structural rather than cognitive social capital was significantly associated with CMD after controlling for socio-demographic variables .


However , the two measures of structural social capital used , social networks and civic participation , were negatively and positively associated with CMD respectively .


` Social networks ' was negatively associated with CMD at both the individual and ecological levels .


This result was maintained when contextual aspects of the physical environment ( neighbourhood incivilities ) were introduced into the model , suggesting that ` social networks ' was independent from characteristics of the physical environment .


When ecological-level longitudinal analysis was conducted , ` social networks ' was not statistically significant after controlling for individual-level social capital at follow up .


If we conceptually distinguish between cognitive and structural components as the quality and quantity of social capital respectively , the conclusion of this study is that the quantity rather than quality of social capital is important in relation to CMD at both the individual and ecological levels in disadvantaged urban areas .


Thus , policy should support interventions that create and sustain social networks .


One of these is explored in this article .


To determine the effects of Thai massage on muscle spasticity in young people with cerebral palsy .


Young people with spastic diplegia , aged @-@ years old , were recruitedfrom the Srisungwan School in Khon Kaen Province .


Spasticity of right quadriceps femoris muscles was measured using Modified Ashworth Scale ( MAS ) at pre - and immediately post @-minute session of Thai massage .


Thai massage was applied on the lower back and lower limbs .


Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was used to compare the outcome between pre - and post treatment .


Seventeen participants with spastic diplegia aged @ + / - @ years old participated .


A significant difference of MAS was observed between pre - and post treatment ( @ + , @ ; p < @ ) .


No adverse events were reported .


Thai massage decreased muscle spasticity and is suggested to be an alternative treatmentfor reducing spasticity in young people with cerebral palsy .


Peritoneal implantation metastasis of gastric cancer is the major reason for cancer recurrence after radical operations .


As a new chemotherapeutic agent , raltitrexed has been widely used in intravenous chemotherapy for many kinds of cancers .


However , no study has reported the efficacy and safety of raltitrexed in intraperitoneal chemotherapy .


This study aimed to explore the safety of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with raltitrexed during gastric cancer operation compared to normal saline ( NS ) rinsing of the abdominal cavity .


In this prospective study , @ gastric cancer patients undergoing surgery and reconstruction were consecutively enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups .


Raltitrexed in NS ( @ ml ) was injected into the abdominopelvic cavity for the patients in the RT group ( n = @ ) , while for the patients in the group NS ( n = @ ) , only NS ( @ ml ) was injected .


The postoperative complications , gas passage time , and adverse effects , according to NCI-CTCAE v@ @ , were compared between the two groups .


There were no significant differences in age , sex , cancer pathological type , clinical stage or operation method between the two groups ( all P > @ ) .


No significant difference was observed in adverse effects and postoperative complications between the two groups ( all P > @ ) .


No significant change was found in the levels of red blood cells , white blood cells , platelets , lactate dehydrogenase , blood urea nitrogen , and alanine aminotransferase before and after the operation for both groups ( all P > @ ) .


All adverse events were mild or moderate by NCI-CTCAE v@ @ ( National Cancer Institute common terminology criteria for adverse events ) grade .


The findings of the present study demonstrate that intraperitoneal chemotherapy with raltitrexed after gastric cancer operation is safe and could be used for patients .


Despite growing attention to nutrition and quality of life in cardiovascular disease survivors , the impact of dietary factors according to disease type or to quality of life domain is poorly understood .


We investigated the effects of B vitamin and/or n-@ fatty acid supplementation on health-related quality of life among survivors of stroke , myocardial infarction , or unstable angina .


We performed ancillary analyses of the SU.FOL.OM@ trial ( @-@ ; France ) .


In total , @,@ men ( mean age = @ y ) and women ( mean age = @ y ) were randomized in a @ factorial design to : @ ) @ mg @-methyl-tetrahydrofolate , @ mg vitamin B@ , @ mg vitamin B@ ; @ ) @ mg eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in a @ ratio ; @ ) B vitamins and n-@ fatty acids combined ; or @ ) placebo .


Health-related quality of life was evaluated at follow-up with the Medical Outcomes Study @-Item Short Form Health Survey .


Data from @,@ individuals were used in this analysis .


After @ y , no effects of supplementation with either B vitamins or n-@ fatty acids on quality of life ( physical or mental health domains ) were found .


However , participants receiving B vitamins had slightly more activity limitations due to emotional problems compared with those not receiving B vitamins ( mean difference = @ ; @ % CI : @ , @ ) .


A significant interaction of treatment by prior disease revealed an inverse association between n-@ fatty acids and vitality among myocardial infarction survivors ( mean difference = @ ; @ % CI : @ , @ ) .


There were no beneficial effects of supplementation with relatively low doses of B vitamins or n-@ fatty acids on health-related quality of life in cardiovascular disease survivors .


The adverse effects of B vitamins on activity limitations and of n-@ fatty acids on vitality among individuals with prior myocardial infarction merit confirmation .


Declining cognition is a risk factor for falls among older adults .


The extent to which impaired judgment in performance of daily activities increases fall risk is unclear .


The aim of this study was to determine whether engagement in mobility activities in a risky manner explains the association between declining cognition and rate of falls .


This study was a secondary analysis of baseline and prospective data from older adults enrolled in the intervention arm of a randomized clinical trial .


Two hundred forty-five community-dwelling older adults ( @ % female ; mean age = @ years , SD = @ ) who were at risk for falls received physical , cognitive , and functional evaluations .


Cognition was assessed with the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire ( SPMSQ ) .


Using interview and in-home assessment data , physical therapists determined whether participants were at risk for falls when performing mobility-related activities of daily living ( ADL ) and instrumental ADL ( IADL ) .


Falls were measured prospectively for @ year using monthly falls diaries .


Declining cognition was associated with increased number of mobility activities designated as risky ( @ % of mobility activities performed in a risky manner per SPMSQ point ) and with increased rate of falls ( rate ratio = @ for each unit change in SPMSQ score ) .


Risky performance of mobility activities mediated the relationship between cognition and rate of falls .


Risk assessment was based on the clinical judgment of experienced physical therapists .


Cognition was measured with a relatively insensitive instrument , and only selected mobility activities were evaluated .


Engagement in mobility ADL and IADL tasks in a risky manner emerged as a link between declining cognition and increased number of falls , suggesting a mechanism through which the rate of falls may increase .


Specifically , declining cognition is associated with performance of mobility activities in an unsafe manner , thereby increasing the risk for falls .


To measure the feasibility , safety , and efficacy of the cranial cup device in a sample of hospitalized infants at risk for deformational plagiocephaly ( DP ) .


A multisite , stratified , and randomized single-blinded study .


Neonatal intensive care units ( NICU ) from three urban and one suburban hospital participated .


Subjects included @ infants with lengths of stay @ days .


Nurses caring for infants in study group @ used the moldable positioner .


In study group @ , nurses rotated the moldable positioner and cranial cup devices using the cranial cup for a target goal of @ hours/day .


Both study groups received routine position changes .


Outcome measures included hours of device use ( feasibility ) , cardiorespiratory and emesis events ( safety ) , and cranial measurements obtained at discharge ( efficacy ) by one of four , licensed orthotists who were blinded to the study .


A total of @ infants were randomized to study group @ ( moldable positioner ) and @ infants to study group @ ( moldable positioner and cranial cup ) .


The median hours per day on the cranial cup was @ ( range @-@ @ ) .


Emesis and cardiorespiratory events were equally distributed for the moldable positioner and cranial cup devices in study group @ .


At discharge , more infants in study group @ ( @ % , n = @ ) exhibited abnormal cranial measurements than those in study group @ ( @ % , n = @ ) ( p = @ ) .


Rotating the cranial cup with the moldable positioner provides a feasible , safe , and potentially efficacious therapy for prevention of DP .


To determine the effect of cinnamon on menstrual cyclicity and metabolic dysfunction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) .


In a prospective , placebo controlled , double-blinded randomized trial , @ women with PCOS were randomized ( @:@ ) to receive cinnamon supplements ( @ g/d ) or placebo for @ months .


Menstrual cyclicity ( average cycles/month ) during the @ months study period was compared between the @ groups using the Mann-Whitney U test .


Changes in menstrual cyclicity and insulin resistance between baseline and the @ month study period were compared between the @ groups using Wilcoxon signed rank tests .


The @ women were randomized , @ women completed @ months of the study , and @ women completed the entire @ months of the study .


During the @ month intervention , menstrual cycles were more frequent in patients taking cinnamon compared with patients taking placebo ( median , @ ; interquartile range , @-@ @ vs median , @ ; interquartile range , @-@ @ ; P = @ ; Mann Whitney U ) .


In patients taking cinnamon , menstrual cyclicity improved from baseline ( + @ cycles/month @ % confidence interval , @-@ @ ) , yet did not improve for women taking placebo .


( P = @ , Wilcoxon signed rank ) .


Samples ( n = @ ) of serum from the luteal phase in different patients within the cinnamon group were thawed and ovulatory progesterone levels ( > @ ng/mL ) confirmed .


Luteal phase progesterone levels ( > @ ng/mL , n = @ ) confirmed ovulatory menses .


Measures of insulin resistance or serum androgen levels did not change for either group .


These preliminary data suggest that cinnamon supplementation improves menstrual cyclicity and may be an effective treatment option for some women with PCOS .


Many studies have indicated that the reduced folate carrier gene ( SLC@A@ ) is associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects ( NTDs ) .


However , the interaction between the SLC@A@ gene variant and maternal fever exposure and NTD risk remains unknown .


The aim of this study was to investigate whether the risk for NTDs was influenced by the interactions between the SLC@A@ ( rs@ ) variant and maternal first trimester fever .


We investigated the potential interaction between maternal first trimester fever and maternal or offspring SLC@A@ polymorphism through a population-based case-control study .


One hundred and four nuclear families with NTDs and @ control families with nonmal newborns were included in the study .


SLC@A@ polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism .


Mothers who had the GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever had an elevated risk of NTDs ( adjusted odds ratio , @ ; @ % confidence interval , @-@ @ ) as compared to absence of maternal first trimester fever and AA genotype after adjusting for maternal education , paternal education , and age , and had a significant interactive coefficient ( = @ ) between maternal GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever .


However , there was no interaction between offspring 's GG/GA genotype and maternal first trimester fever ( the interactive coefficient = @ ) after adjusting for confounding factors .


Our findings suggested that the risk of NTDs was potentially influenced by a gene-environment interaction between maternal SLC@A@ rs@ GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever .


Maternal GG/GA genotype may strengthen the effect of maternal fever exposure on NTD risk in this Chinese population .


The authors assess the long-term safety and efficacy of cervical disc replacement with the Prestige Cervical Disc in a prospective , randomized , multicenter trial at @ years of follow-up .


At @ investigational sites , @ patients with single-level cervical disc disease with radiculopathy were randomized to @ of @ treatment groups : @ investigational group patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and arthroplasty with the Prestige disc , and @ control group patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion .


Clinical outcomes included Neck Disability Index , the @-Item Short-Form Health Survey , and neck and arm pain scores .


Radiographs were assessed for angle of motion and fusion .


Clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated preoperatively , intraoperatively , and at @ , @ , @ , @ , @ , @ , @ , and @ months .


Of the @ patients treated , @ patients ( @ % ; @ investigational and @ control patients ) completed @ years of clinical follow-up .


Significant improvements achieved by @ months in both groups were sustained at @ years .


In the investigational group , mean Neck Disability Index improvements from preoperative scores were @ and @ at @ and @ months , respectively .


In the control group , the corresponding means were @ and @ .


The differences between the investigational and control groups at the @-month and @-month periods were significant ( p = @ and @ , respectively ) .


The overall rates of maintenance or improvement in neurological status in the investigational group were significantly higher : @ % and @ % at @ months and @ months , respectively , compared with @ % and @ % in the control group ( p = @ and @ , respectively ) .


At @ months , the percentage of working patients in the investigational group was @ % , and in the control group , @ % .


Postoperatively , the implant effectively maintained average angular motion of @ at @ months and @ at @ months .


Cumulative rates for surgery at the index level were lower ( p < @ ) in the investigational group ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ ) when compared with the control group ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ ) ( based on life-table method ) , and there were statistical differences between the investigational and control groups with specific regard to the rate of subsequent revision and supplemental fixation surgical procedures .


Rates for additional surgical procedures that involved adjacent levels were lower in the investigational group than in the control group ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ vs. @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ , respectively ) .


Cervical disc arthroplasty has the potential for preserving motion at the operated level while providing biomechanical stability and global neck mobility and may result in a reduction in adjacent-segment degeneration .


The Prestige Cervical Disc maintains improved clinical outcomes and segmental motion after implantation at @-year follow-up .


Clinical trial registration no .


NCT@ ( ClinicalTrials.gov ) .


In patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis , health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ) has been shown to improve in parallel with improvement in disease severity .


To evaluate the role of pruritus ( itch ) in mediating the relationship between improvements in disease severity and HRQOL .


Data from a phase @ clinical trial , in which @ patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis received ixekizumab or placebo , were used for this posthoc analysis .


Relationships between improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index ( PASI ) , Itch Visual Analogue Scale ( VAS ) and Dermatology Life Quality Index ( DLQI ) , as well as in individual DLQI domains ( symptoms and feelings , treatment , work and school , daily activities , leisure , and personal relationships ) from baseline to week @ were determined .


Multiple hierarchical linear regressions and Sobel tests were conducted to evaluate the results .


Improvement in PASI was highly correlated with pruritus improvement and improvements in DLQI total and domain scores at week @ ( P < @ ) .


Multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses showed a statistically significant ( P < @ ) association between improvement in pruritus and improvement in DLQI total score and each of the six DLQI domain scores after adjusting for improvement in PASI .


Sobel tests indicated that pruritus had a significant mediation effect ( P < @ ) on the association of PASI improvement with improvement in DLQI total score and all domains except the personal relationships score .


Pruritus appears to be an important mediator of the association between improvements in disease severity and HRQOL in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis .


Individuals with HIV infection and peripheral metabolic complications have impaired basal myocardial insulin sensitivity that is related to left ventricular ( LV ) diastolic dysfunction .


It is unknown whether interventions shown to be effective in improving peripheral insulin sensitivity can improve basal myocardial insulin sensitivity and diastolic function in people with HIV and peripheral metabolic complications .


In a pilot study , we evaluated whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ( PPAR - ) agonist pioglitazone or combined endurance and resistance exercise training improves basal myocardial insulin sensitivity and diastolic function in HIV + adults with peripheral metabolic complications .


Twenty-four HIV + adults with metabolic complications including peripheral insulin resistance were randomly assigned to @ months of pioglitazone ( PIO ; @ mg/d ) or supervised , progressive endurance and resistance exercise training ( EXS ; @-@ min/d , @ d/wk ) .


Basal myocardial substrate metabolism was quantified by radioisotope tracer methodology and positron emission tomography ( PET ) imaging , and LV function was measured by echocardiography .


Twenty participants completed the study .


Neither PIO nor EXS resulted in a detectable improvement in basal myocardial insulin sensitivity or diastolic function .


Post hoc analyses revealed sample sizes of more than @ participants are needed to detect significant effects of these interventions on basal myocardial insulin sensitivity and function .


PIO or EXS alone did not significantly increase basal myocardial insulin sensitivity or LV diastolic function in HIV + individuals with peripheral metabolic complications .


Aprepitant , an oral neurokinin-@ receptor antagonist , has demonstrated improved control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting ( CINV ) in previous studies .


This is the first phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of aprepitant in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy ( HEC ) in Asian countries .


This multicenter , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial assessed the prevention of CINV during the acute phase ( AP ) , delayed phase ( DP ) , and overall phase ( OP ) .


Patients receiving HEC were randomized to either an aprepitant group ( day @ , aprepitant @ mg ; days @-@ , aprepitant @ mg ) or a standard therapy group ( days @-@ , placebo ) .


Both groups received intravenous granisetron and oral dexamethasone .


The primary end point was complete response ( CR ; no emesis and no use of rescue therapy ) during the OP .


Of the @ randomized patients , @ ( @ % ) were assessable for efficacy ; @ % ( @/@ ) and @ % ( @/@ ) of patients reported CR during the OP in the aprepitant and standard therapy groups , respectively ( P = @ ) .


CR rates in the aprepitant group were higher during the DP ( @ % vs. @ % , P = @ ) but were similar during the AP ( @ % vs. @ % , P = @ ) .


Toxicity and adverse events were comparable in both groups .


The addition of aprepitant to standard antiemetic treatment regimens for Chinese patients undergoing HEC provided superior CINV prevention and was well tolerated .


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mandibular advancement devices ( MADs ) for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( OSAS ) compared with the results obtained with a placebo device in accordance with the following indicators : apnea hypopnea index ( AHI ) per hour of sleep , apnea index ( AI ) per hour of sleep , mean oxyhemoglobin saturation , sleep efficiency , and percentage of rapid eye movement ( REM ) sleep .


This is a controlled , prospective longitudinal study with a follow-up time of @ months .


Nineteen patients ( @ females and @ males ) with mean age @ years ( SD @ ) were selected for the study .


The sample was randomized in terms of device use , and the evaluation design was double blind .


A total of @ polysomnography tests were studied ( at baseline , after the use of a MAD , and after the use of placebo ) .


The following variables were assessed : AHI , AI , mean oxyhemoglobin saturation , percentage of REM sleep , and sleep efficiency .


Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used for evaluating data ( p < @ ) .


Reductions from @ to @ in AHI and from @ to @ in AI were observed after MAD use .


During the use of placebo , AHI increased from @ to @ , and AI from @ to @ .


The other indexes showed no statistically significant differences .


Treatment with oral appliances , i.e. , MADs , can be an effective alternative for mild and medium-to-moderate OSAS , but requires strict monitoring due to differences in individual response to this therapy .


Angiogenesis is an important therapeutic target in colorectal carcinoma .


Ramucirumab is a human IgG-@ monoclonal antibody that targets the extracellular domain of VEGF receptor @ .


We assessed the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab versus placebo in combination with second-line FOLFIRI ( leucovorin , fluorouracil , and irinotecan ) for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients with disease progression during or after first-line therapy with bevacizumab , oxaliplatin , and a fluoropyrimidine .


Between Dec @ , @ , and Aug @ , @ , we enrolled patients into the multicentre , randomised , double-blind , phase @ RAISE trial .


Eligible patients had disease progression during or within @ months of the last dose of first-line therapy .


Patients were randomised ( @:@ ) via a centralised , interactive voice-response system to receive @ mg/kg intravenous ramucirumab plus FOLFIRI or matching placebo plus FOLFIRI every @ weeks until disease progression , unacceptable toxic effects , or death .


Randomisation was stratified by region , KRAS mutation status , and time to disease progression after starting first-line treatment .


The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population .


This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT@.ld


We enrolled @ patients ( @ in each group ) .


Median overall survival was @ months ( @ % CI @-@ ) for patients in the ramucirumab group versus @ months ( @-@ ) for the placebo group ( hazard ratio @ @ % CI @-@ ; log-rank p = @ ) .


Survival benefit was consistent across subgroups of patients who received ramucirumab plus FOLFIRI .


Grade @ or worse adverse events seen in more than @ % of patients were neutropenia ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ patients in the ramucirumab group vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- of @ in the placebo group , with febrile neutropenia incidence of @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , hypertension ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , diarrhoea ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) , and fatigue ( @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- vs @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) .


Ramucirumab plus FOLFIRI significantly improved overall survival compared with placebo plus FOLFIRI as second-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma .


No unexpected adverse events were identified and toxic effects were manageable .


To investigate the effect of endotracheal intubation ( TT ) or the laryngeal mask airway ( LMA ) on the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in children with upper respiratory tract infection undergo general anesthesia .


From November , @ to October , @ in the Zhuji People 's Hospital , @ children with upper respiratory tract infection approved by hospital ethic committee were randomly divided into @ groups : group I ( n = @ ) , children were applied with endotracheal intubation during general anesthesia ( TT group ) , while groupII ( n = @ ) , laryngeal mask airway were used ( LMA group ) .


Intraoperative mean arterial pressure ( MAP ) , hear rate ( HR ) , pulse oximetry ( SPO@ ) , and end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure ( P ETCO@ ) were recorded during the surgery .


The incidence of adverse events such as hypoxemia , fidgety , sore throat , and laryngospasm were evaluated in resuscitation room.We also assessed the pre - and postoperative symptoms of respiratory tract infection .


There was no significant difference in upper respiratory tract infection symptoms between two groups , and the children in both groups have good tolerance to TT or LMA.However , the hemodynamics status in LMA group were more stable than those in TT group after the LMA insertion or removing ( P < @ ) .


The incidence of hypoxemia , fidgety , sore throat , and laryngospasm were significant lower in LMA group compared with those in TT group ( P < @ ) .


LMA could decrease the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events and can be safely used in children with upper respiratory tract infection undergo general anesthesia .


This study compares the effectiveness of three treating methods including behavioral mother training ( BMT ) , Verbal self-instruction to the children ( VSI ) , and pharmacotherapy in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) using the continuous performance test ( CPT ) .


In this semi-experimental study , @ elementary students were identified in a boys ' school in Shiraz ( age @-@ ) with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in a pilot study ( among @ students ) .


They were randomly divided into three groups ; BMT , VSI , and control group .


Moreover , @ students were selected with ADHD among the clients in Hafez hospital .


They were chosen by the availability method and they were put into the Pharmacotherapy group .


Data collection tools were the Child Symptoms Inventory ( CSI-@ ) and the continuous performance test .


All of the groups were evaluated after the intervention and in post-test and also @ months later in follow up .


The treatment type ( group ) showed statistically significant difference in the result of CPT on severity of attention-deficit and in the number of correct responses ( P = @ ) , yet on the hyperactivity symptoms , there was no significant difference between the different treatment groups ( P = @ ) .


The time factor shows a significant difference among the different groups ( p < @ ) .


Comparison of the various treatments of ADHD indicates that pharmacotherapy can improve the severity of attention deficit and the number of correct answers of children with ADHD .


Child pedestrian injury is a global public health challenge .


This randomized , controlled trial considered comparative efficacy of individualized streetside training , training in a virtual pedestrian environment , training using videos and Web sites , plus no-training control , to improve children 's street-crossing ability .


Pedestrian safety was evaluated among @ @ - and @-year-olds using both streetside ( field ) and laboratory-based ( virtual environment ) trials before intervention group assignment , immediately posttraining , and @ months posttraining .


All training groups received @ @-min sessions .


Four outcomes assessed pedestrian safety : start delay ( temporal lag before initiating crossing ) , hits/close calls ( collisions/near-misses with vehicles in simulated crossings ) , attention to traffic ( looks left and right , controlled for time ) , and missed opportunities ( safe crossing opportunities that were missed ) .


Results showed training in the virtual pedestrian environment and especially individualized streetside training resulted in safer pedestrian behavior postintervention and at follow-up .


As examples , children trained streetside entered safe traffic gaps more quickly posttraining than control group children and children trained streetside or in the virtual environment had somewhat fewer hits/close calls in postintervention VR trials .


Children showed minimal change in attention to traffic posttraining .


Children trained with videos/websites showed minimal learning .


Both individualized streetside training and training within virtual pedestrian environments may improve @ - and @-year-olds ' street-crossing safety .


Individualized training has limitations of adult time and labor .


Virtual environment training has limitations of accessibility and cost .


Given the public health burden of child pedestrian injuries , future research should explore innovative strategies for effective training that can be broadly disseminated .


Biventricular ( BV ) electrical wavefront fusion can induce improvement in left ventricular ( LV ) size and function during cardiac resynchronization therapy ( CRT ) .


Changes in BV wave propagation sequence and duration register in the QRS complex on the standard electrocardiogram .


We developed a wave interference method for the characterization of BV fusion to predict LV reverse remodeling .


To develop a simple electrocardiographic method for predicting reverse remodeling during CRT .


QRS complexes during left bundle branch block ( LBBB ) and CRT were analyzed in @ patients with ejection fraction @ % and New York Heart Association class III-IV ( Leiden study : n = @ ) as well as in patients with ejection fraction @ % and New York Heart Association class I-II ( REVERSE trial : n = @ ) for predictors of @ % reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume at @ months .


CRT-induced changes in ventricular activation ( QRS fusion contour ) , electrical asynchrony ( QRS difference = BV-paced QRS - LBBB QRS , in milliseconds ) , and LBBB substrate ( LV activation time and QRS score for LV scar ) were quantified .


Multivariable predictors of reverse remodeling were as follows : ( @ ) either of @ BV fusion patterns : QRS normalization in leads V@ and V@ ( n = @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ; odds ratio -LSB- OR -RSB- @ ; @ % confidence interval -LSB- CI -RSB- @-@ @ ) or a new or an increased R wave in leads V@-V@ ( n = @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ; OR @ ; @ % CI @-@ @ ) ; ( @ ) QRS difference -@ ms ( OR @ ; @ % CI @-@ @ ) ; and ( @ ) good substrate ( low to moderate QRS score and LV activation time @ ms ; OR @ ; @ % CI @-@ @ ) .


Remodeling rates were @ % for poor substrate and persistent LBBB QRS complex ( absent BV fusion ; QRS type @ : n = @ -LSB- @ % -RSB- ) and @ % for the best BV QRS fusion pattern and greater reduction in electrical asynchrony ( larger QRS difference ) .


Easily determined QRS complex attributes before and after CRT predict LV reverse remodeling .


The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of micropulse and continuous wave diode transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in refractory glaucoma .


Randomized , comparative , exploratory study in a tertiary hospital setting .


Patients with refractory , end-stage glaucoma .


Forty-eight patients were randomized to either treatment .


The intraocular pressure , visual acuity , number of medicines and repeat treatment were monitored for @ months .


Complications that include visual acuity decline , prolonged anterior chamber inflammation , phthisis bulbi , scleral thinning and ocular pain were noted .


Intraocular pressure between @ and @mmHg and at least a @ % reduction with or without anti-glaucoma medications after @ months .


A successful primary outcome was achieved in @ % of patients who underwent micropulse cyclophotocoagulation and @ % of patients who received continuous wave cyclophotocoagulation after @ months ( P < @ ) .


At @ months , successful outcome was @ % and @ % ( P = @ ) , respectively .


The mean intraocular pressure was reduced by @ % in both groups ( P = @ ) from a baseline of @ mmHg and @ mmHg ( P = @ ) after @ months ( range @-@ ) follow up .


No significant difference in retreatment rates or number of intraocular pressure lowering medications was noted .


The ocular complication rate was higher in continuous wave treated eyes ( P = @ ) .


Diode transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in both micropulse and continuous modes was effective in lowering intraocular pressure .


The micropulse mode provided a more consistent and predictable effect in lowering intraocular pressure with minimal ocular complications .


The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is controversial .


The objective of the present study was to test whether focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy is effective in relieving chronic heel pain diagnosed as plantar fasciitis .


Two hundred and fifty subjects were enrolled in a prospective , multicenter , double-blind , randomized , and placebo-controlled U.S. Food and Drug Administration trial .


Subjects were randomized to focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy ( @ mJ/mm ( @ ) ) or placebo intervention , with three sessions of @ impulses in weekly intervals .


Primary outcomes were both the percentage change of heel pain on the visual analog scale composite score ( pain during first steps in the morning , pain with daily activities , and pain with a force meter ) and the Roles and Maudsley score at twelve weeks after the last intervention compared with the scores at baseline .


Two hundred and forty-six patients ( @ % ) were available for intention-to-treat analysis at the twelve-week follow-up .


With regard to the first primary end point , the visual analog scale composite score , there was a significant difference ( p = @ , one-sided ) in the reduction of heel pain in the extracorporeal shock wave therapy group ( @ % ) compared with the placebo therapy group ( @ % ) .


Extracorporeal shock wave therapy was also significantly superior to the placebo therapy for the Roles and Maudsley score ( p = @ , one-sided ) .


Temporary pain and swelling during and after treatment were the only device-related adverse events observed .


The results of the present study provide proof of the clinically relevant effect size of focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy without local anesthesia in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis , with success rates between @ % and @ % .


Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence .


Relapse is highly prevalent following substance abuse treatments , highlighting the need for improved aftercare interventions .


Mindfulness-based relapse prevention ( MBRP ) , a group-based psychosocial aftercare , integrates evidence-based practices from mindfulness-based interventions and cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention ( RP ) approaches .


To evaluate the long-term efficacy of MBRP in reducing relapse compared with RP and treatment as usual ( TAU -LSB- @-step programming and psychoeducation -RSB- ) during a @-month follow-up period .


Between October @ and July @ , a total of @ eligible individuals who successfully completed initial treatment for substance use disorders at a private , nonprofit treatment facility were randomized to MBRP , RP , or TAU aftercare and monitored for @ months .


Participants medically cleared for continuing care were aged @ to @ years ; @ % were male and @ % were of ethnic/racial minority .


Participants were randomly assigned to @ weekly group sessions of MBRP , cognitive-behavioral RP , or TAU .


Primary outcomes included relapse to drug use and heavy drinking as well as frequency of substance use in the past @ days .


Variables were assessed at baseline and at @ - , @ - , and @-month follow-up points .


Measures used included self-report of relapse and urinalysis drug and alcohol screenings .


Compared with TAU , participants assigned to MBRP and RP reported significantly lower risk of relapse to substance use and heavy drinking and , among those who used substances , significantly fewer days of substance use and heavy drinking at the @-month follow-up .


Cognitive-behavioral RP showed an advantage over MBRP in time to first drug use .


At the @-month follow-up , MBRP participants reported significantly fewer days of substance use and significantly decreased heavy drinking compared with RP and TAU .


For individuals in aftercare following initial treatment for substance use disorders , RP and MBRP , compared with TAU , produced significantly reduced relapse risk to drug use and heavy drinking .


Relapse prevention delayed time to first drug use at @-month follow-up , with MBRP and RP participants who used alcohol also reporting significantly fewer heavy drinking days compared with TAU participants .


At @-month follow-up , MBRP offered added benefit over RP and TAU in reducing drug use and heavy drinking .


Targeted mindfulness practices may support long-term outcomes by strengthening the ability to monitor and skillfully cope with discomfort associated with craving or negative affect , thus supporting long-term outcomes .


whole-body vibration training may improve neuromuscular function , falls risk and bone density , but previous studies have had conflicting findings .


this study aimed to evaluate the influence of vertical vibration ( VV ) and side-alternating vibration ( SV ) on musculoskeletal health in older people at risk of falls .


single-blind , randomised , controlled trial comparing vibration training to sham vibration ( Sham ) in addition to usual care .


participants were @ older people ( @ women and @ men ) , aged @ + @ years , referred to an outpatient falls prevention service .


participants were randomly assigned to VV , SV or Sham in addition to the usual falls prevention programme .


Participants were requested to attend three vibration sessions per week for @ weeks , with sessions increasing to six , @ min bouts of vibration .


Falls risk factors and neuromuscular tests were assessed , and blood samples collected for determination of bone turnover , at baseline and following the intervention .


chair stand time , timed-up-and-go time , fear of falling , NEADL index and postural sway with eyes open improved in the Sham group .


There were significantly greater gains in leg power in the VV than in the Sham group and in bone formation in SV and VV compared with the Sham group .


Conversely , body sway improved less in the VV than in the Sham group .


Changes in falls risk factors did not differ between the groups .


whole-body vibration increased leg power and bone formation , but it did not provide any additional benefits to balance or fall risk factors beyond a falls prevention programme in older people at risk of falls .


To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancer survivors to be health coaches .


We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selected through a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group .


The program consisted of @ weeks of training in health management , leadership , and coaching .


At baseline , @ , and @ weeks , we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile ( SHP ) , the Korean Leadership Coaching Competency Inventory ( KCCI ) , Ed Diner 's Satisfaction with Life Scale ( SWLS ) , and the Posttraumatic Growth inventory ( PTGI ) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS ) , the Impact of Event Scale-Revised ( IES-R ) , and the Medical Outcomes Study ( MOS ) short form @-item questionnaire ( SF - @ ) .


We recruited @ subjects and randomly assigned @ to the intervention group .


The Sharpen the Saw habit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group ( p = @ ) , as did most PTGI factors .


The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality ( p = @ ) and mental health ( p = @ ) SF-@ scores but no improvement in KCCI , SWLS , HADS , or IES-R scores .


The intervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the `` Think Win-Win '' of SHP ( p = @ ) and in the personal strength score ( p = @ ) and total score ( p = @ ) of the PTGI .


Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches .


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gabapentin premedication on postoperative @th hour total analgesic consumption and the incidence of emergence agitation after sevoflurane based anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoingtonsillectomyandadenoidectomy .


@ healthy , ASA class I or II , aged @-@ year old children were included into the study .


The patients were randomly assigned to one of the control ( Group C ) or gabapentin group ( Group G ) consisting of @ patients in each .


Group C received @ ml of saline , Group G received gabapentin @ mg.kg-@ dissolved in @ ml of saline orally @ min .


before the induction of anesthesia .


After anesthesia induction with @ % sevoflurane in @ % O@-N@O .


General anesthesia was maintained with @ MAC sevoflurane in @ % O@-N@O .


Emergence agitation was assessed with a @ point scale and recorded every @ min .


of first @ min .


of the postoperative period .


Parents were contacted @ hours after the surgery to evaluate pain , total analgesic consumption , parent satisfactionandanysideeffect .


Agitation scores were significantly lower in group G compared to group C in the postoperative @th and @th minutes ( p < @ , @ respectively ) .


Total analgesic requirement in postoperative @ hour was significantly lower in group G ( p < @ ) .


Satisfaction scores of parents was also higher in group G ( p < @ ) .


Gabapentin premedication decreases postoperative @th hour analgesic consumption and attenuates emergence agitation after sevoflurane anesthesia .


To evaluate next-morning driving performance after middle-of-the-night use of zolpidem @ mg in a buffered sublingual formulation ( ZST ) .


Single-center , four-period , randomized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover study .


Maastricht University , The Netherlands .


Forty healthy volunteers ( @ females ) .