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Background: Evidence suggests a link between polyphenol intake and reduced incidence of several chronic diseases. This could arise through associations between polyphenol intake and reduced systemic oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation. However, confirming this association is difficult, as few large cohorts allow for comprehensive assessments of both polyphenol intake and markers of systemic inflammation., Objectives: To address this, polyphenol intake was assessed in the UK-based Airwave cohort using 7-d diet diaries and data from Phenol-Explorer to test for associations between polyphenol intake and blood biomarkers of inflammation., Methods: Participants included 9008 males and females aged 17-74 y (median age: 42 y) whose data was included in a cross-sectional analysis. Phenol-Explorer was used to estimate individuals' polyphenol intake from diet data describing the consumption of 4104 unique food items. C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen were used as blood biomarkers of inflammation., Results: There were 448 polyphenols found in reported diet items. Median total polyphenol intake was 1536 mg/d (1058-2092 mg/d). Phenolic acids and flavonoids were the main types of polyphenols, and nonalcoholic beverages, vegetables, and fruit were the primary sources. Variation in energy-adjusted polyphenol intake was explained by age, sex, salary, body mass index, education level, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Linear regressions showed inverse associations between total daily intake and both CRP (β: -0.00702; P < 0.001) and fibrinogen (β: -0.00221; P = 0.038). Associations with specific polyphenol compound groups were also found. Logistic regressions using total polyphenol intake quartiles showed stepwise reductions in the odds of elevated CRP with higher intake (6%, 23%, and 24% compared with quartile 1; P = 0.003), alongside 3% and 7% lower odds per unit of polyphenol consumption equivalent to 1 cup of tea or coffee per day., Conclusions: This study describes polyphenol intake in a large, contemporary UK cohort. We observed associations between higher intake and lower CRP and fibrinogen. This contributes to evidence supporting the health benefits of dietary polyphenols., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Patient feedback is rarely gathered systematically in cognitive rehabilitation research. This study examined the perceptions and experiences of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who participated in a trial of a 6-session educational program for the rehabilitation of prospective memory (PM) impairment., Methods: A mixed methods design was used with 47 participants with TBI who completed a compensatory strategy training program (COMP) or COMP plus metacognitive strategy training program (COMP-MST) delivered by an occupational therapist. Data were collected via a participant survey, extracts from progress notes, and audiotaped discussions about learnings from the program during the final session., Results: Participants from both programs were highly satisfied and perceived improvements in everyday PM performance post-intervention. Elements that were highly valued include setting individualised client-centred goals, repetitive training of strategy use, establishing habits and routines, and receiving experiential, verbal, and written feedback.Changes including more therapy sessions were recommended., Conclusions: Both the COMP and COMP-MST programs were perceived as effective by participants with TBI in improving their PM performance in everyday life using compensatory strategies such as assistive technology., Practice Implications: Routine collection of patient feedback on cognitive rehabilitation can provide valuable information to support person-centred implementation of clinical practice guidelines., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Women with HCM have worse cardiopulmonary exercise performance compared to men. We used non-invasive pressure-volume (PV) analysis to delineate sex related hemodynamic differences in HCM., Methods: PV loops were constructed from echocardiograms using left ventricular (LV) volumes indexed to body surface area, Doppler estimates of LV end-diastolic pressure and blood pressure. The end-systolic PV relationship (ESPVR) and end-diastolic PV relationship (EDPVR) were derived from validated single-beat techniques. The area between the ESPVR and EDPVR (isovolumetric PV area), was indexed to an LV end-diastolic pressure of 30 mmHg (PVA iso 30), as the integrated metric of LV function. LV volume at an end-diastolic pressure of 30 mmHg (V30) indexed ventricular capacity., Results: 202 patients were included, 56 women. Women were older (51 vs 44 years, p = 0.012) and had reduced exercise capacity (5.6 vs 6.9 METs, p < 0.001). Only 32 patients (16%) had a peak gradient >30 mmHg at rest with no sex differences. Women had significantly lower indexed PVA iso 30 (9094 vs 10,255 mmHg*mL/m 2 , p = 0.02) driven by reduced ventricular capacitance (V30 54 vs 62 mL/m 2 , p < 0.001). In multivariable linear regression indexed V30 was an independent predictor of exercise capacity., Conclusion: Impaired exercise capacity in women with HCM appears associated with abnormalities in passive diastolic properties, suggesting a unique pathophysiology compared to men, and a potential difference in viable therapeutic molecular targets., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab became widely used early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic based on small observational studies that suggested clinical benefit in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state. To inform our local treatment algorithms in the absence of randomized clinical trial results, we performed a rapid analysis of the first 11 hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with tocilizumab at our academic medical center. We report their early clinical outcomes and describe the process by which we assembled a team of diverse trainees and stakeholders to extract, analyze, and disseminate data during a time of clinical uncertainty., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

SARS-CoV-2 testing data in North Carolina during the first three months of the state's COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed to determine if there were disparities among intersecting axes of identity including race, Latinx ethnicity, age, urban-rural residence, and residence in a medically underserved area. Demographic and residential data were used to reconstruct patterns of testing metrics (including tests per capita, positive tests per capita, and test positivity rate which is an indicator of sufficient testing) across race-ethnicity groups and urban-rural populations separately. Across the entire sample, 13.1% (38,750 of 295,642) of tests were positive. Within racial-ethnic groups, 11.5% of all tests were positive among non-Latinx (NL) Whites, 22.0% for NL Blacks, and 66.5% for people of Latinx ethnicity. The test positivity rate was higher among people living in rural areas across all racial-ethnic groups. These results suggest that in the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to COVID-19 testing in North Carolina was not evenly distributed across racial-ethnic groups, especially in Latinx, NL Black and other historically marginalized populations, and further disparities existed within these groups by gender, age, urban-rural status, and residence in a medically underserved area., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an attractive marker because it is derived from routine bloodwork. NLR has shown promise as a prognostic factor in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) but its value in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before radical cystectomy (RC) is not yet established. Since NLR is related to an oncogenic environment and poor antitumor host response, we hypothesized that a high NLR would be associated with a poor response to NAC and would remain a poor prognostic indicator in patients receiving NAC., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with nonmetastatic MIBC (cT2-4aN0M0) who received NAC prior to RC between 2000 and 2013 at 1 of 19 centers across Europe and North America. The pre-NAC NLR was used to split patients into a low (NLR ≤ 3) and high (NLR > 3) group. Demographic and clinical parameters were compared between the groups using Student's t test, chi-squared, or Fisher's exact test. Putative risk factors for disease-specific and overall survival were analyzed using Cox regression, while predictors of response to NAC (defined as absence of MIBC in RC specimen) were investigated using logistic regression., Results: Data were available for 340 patients (199 NLR ≤ 3, 141 NLR > 3). Other than age and rate of lymphovascular invasion, demographic and pretreatment characteristics did not differ significantly. More patients in the NLR > 3 group had residual MIBC after NAC than the NLR ≤ 3 group (70.8% vs. 58.3%, P = 0.049). NLR was the only significant predictor of response (odds ratio: 0.36, P = 0.003) in logistic regression. NLR was a significant risk factor for both disease-specific (hazard ratio (HR): 2.4, P = 0.006) and overall survival (HR:1.8, P = 0.02)., Conclusion: NLR > 3 was associated with a decreased response to NAC and shorter disease-specific and overall survival. This suggests that NLR is a simple tool that can aid in MIBC risk stratification in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The use of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is hampered by long surgical wait times, slow maturation, and upwards of 60% that do not mature. We describe our clinical experience in using a system with a 4F catheter profile for endovascular AVF creation in patients on hemodialysis., Methods: This was a multioperator, single-center, single-arm, prospective study intended to evaluate safety and efficacy of a 4 Fr endovascular AVF (endoAVF) system for the creation of vascular access in hemodialysis patients. The study was performed after institutional review board approval at Italian Hospital (Asuncion, Paraguay). Patients were followed up at regular intervals through 6 months to determine procedural, maturation, and cannulation success as well as intervention rate and patency., Results: From May to November 2016, 32 patients underwent the endoAVF procedure with no device-related adverse events. An endoAVF was successfully created in the proximal forearm for all 32 patients (20 between the radial artery and radial vein; 12 between the ulnar artery and ulnar vein). Wrist access was used for 72% (23/32) of the procedures for the arterial catheter and 59% (19/32) of the procedures for the venous catheter. The device successfully created an endoAVF in every patient for a technical success rate of 100% (32/32). The device- or procedure-related serious adverse event rate was 3% (1/32); one patient experienced a venous guidewire perforation successfully managed with a stent graft. Primary and cumulative patency rates through 6 months were 83% and 87%, respectively, with an intervention rate of 0.21 per patient-year. Physiological suitability, as defined by target flow rates ≥500 ml/min and cannulation vessel diameters ≥4 mm, was achieved in 91% (29/32) of patients by 90 days. Successful 2-needle cannulation was achieved in 78% (21/27) by 90 days, with mean time to cannulation of 43 ± 14 days. Functional cannulation, as defined by successful 2-needle cannulation for two-thirds of the dialysis sessions within 1 month, was achieved in 95% (20/21) of the patients who were successfully cannulated for an overall rate of 74% (20/27). All patients who achieved functional cannulation had their central venous catheters (CVCs) removed before the 90-day follow-up for a CVC removal rate of 74% (20/27)., Conclusions: The 4 Fr endoAVF system allowed for multiple access and fistula creation site options to tailor the procedure to individual patient anatomy. Furthermore, the outcomes are comparable to previous generation endoAVF technology, with a potentially improved safety profile because of the use of arteries at the wrist for access., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The glycolytic capacity in the "white muscle fibers" found predominantly in broiler and turkey breast muscle have long been recognized as being key components contributing to optimal pH changes post-harvest and the quality of breast muscle products. The pectoralis major (PMAJ) is the predominant breast muscle and is almost exclusively comprised of fast-twitch glycolytic (anaerobic) type IIb muscle fibers (white). In nature, the pectoralis muscles are designed to meet the intense, periodic energy demands of flight in contrast to the continual, oxidative metabolism (aerobic) inherent to the type I slow twitch fibers (red) in the thigh and drum. Within the past decade, it has been recognized that increased breast muscle yield in modern broiler strains may have contributed to muscle myopathies characterized by visible white striations (white striping; WS) often accompanied by surface hemorrhages and areas of extreme firmness (woody breast; WB). The research to date has primarily addressed differences in muscle physiology and processing characteristics in "normal" and "abnormal" muscle samples from older broilers. One hypothesis is that the extensive accretion of protein in a poorly vascularized breast muscle overwhelms the capacity for coping with excessive production of reactive oxygen species and the term "oxidative stress" has been used to describe this condition. There are few recent reports in poultry, however, which have addressed the potential negative physiological effects imposed by multiple layers of fascia surrounding individual muscle fibers, fiber bundles, and intact muscles on circulation and oxidative stability. The objective of this review is to support our hypothesis that the extensive accretion of breast muscle in a poorly vascularized and tightly bound PMAJ could be creating a "compartment syndrome" like condition leading to the development of the WS and WB anomalies in heavy, high yielding birds. Recent gene expression data support this hypothesis., (© 2018 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

Background and Objectives: Prospective, monthly diaries are recommended for collecting falls data but are burdensome and expensive. The aim of the article was to compare characteristics of fallers and estimates of fall rates by method of data collection., Study Design and Setting: A methodology study nested within a large cluster randomized controlled trial. We randomized 9,803 older adults from 63 general practices across England to receive one of three fall prevention interventions. Participants provided a retrospective report of falls in postal questionnaires mailed every 4 months. A separate randomization allocated participants to receive prospective monthly falls diaries for one simultaneous 4-month period., Results: Falls diaries were returned by 7,762 of 9,375 (83%); of which 6,306 (67%) participants reported the same number of falls on both data sources. Diary nonresponders were older and had poorer levels of physical and mental health. Analysis of time points where both data sources were available showed the falls rate on diaries was consistently higher than on the questionnaire (mean rate: 0.16 vs. 0.12 falls per person-month observation). Diary allocation was associated with a higher rate of withdrawal from the main trial., Conclusion: Diary completion was associated with sample attrition. We found on average a 32% difference in falls rates between the two data sources. Retrospective and prospective falls data are not consistently reported when collected simultaneously., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is an important cause of hip pain in young adults. It can be treated by arthroscopic hip surgery, including reshaping the hip, or with physiotherapist-led conservative care. We aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness of hip arthroscopy with best conservative care., Methods: UK FASHIoN is a pragmatic, multicentre, assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial, done at 23 National Health Service hospitals in the UK. We enrolled patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome who presented at these hospitals. Eligible patients were at least 16 years old, had hip pain with radiographic features of cam or pincer morphology but no osteoarthritis, and were believed to be likely to benefit from hip arthroscopy. Patients with bilateral femoroacetabular impingement syndrome were eligible; only the most symptomatic hip was randomly assigned to treatment and followed-up. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive hip arthroscopy or personalised hip therapy (an individualised, supervised, and progressive physiotherapist-led programme of conservative care). Randomisation was stratified by impingement type and recruiting centre and was done by research staff at each hospital, using a central telephone randomisation service. Patients and treating clinicians were not masked to treatment allocation, but researchers who collected the outcome assessments and analysed the results were masked. The primary outcome was hip-related quality of life, as measured by the patient-reported International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) 12 months after randomisation, and analysed in all eligible participants who were allocated to treatment (the intention-to-treat population). This trial is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN64081839, and is closed to recruitment., Findings: Between July 20, 2012, and July 15, 2016, we identified 648 eligible patients and recruited 348 participants: 171 participants were allocated to receive hip arthroscopy and 177 to receive personalised hip therapy. Three further patients were excluded from the trial after randomisation because they did not meet the eligibility criteria. Follow-up at the primary outcome assessment was 92% (319 of 348 participants). At 12 months after randomisation, mean iHOT-33 scores had improved from 39·2 (SD 20·9) to 58·8 (27·2) for participants in the hip arthroscopy group, and from 35·6 (18·2) to 49·7 (25·5) in the personalised hip therapy group. In the primary analysis, the mean difference in iHOT-33 scores, adjusted for impingement type, sex, baseline iHOT-33 score, and centre, was 6·8 (95% CI 1·7-12·0) in favour of hip arthroscopy (p=0·0093). This estimate of treatment effect exceeded the minimum clinically important difference (6·1 points). There were 147 patient-reported adverse events (in 100 [72%] of 138 patients) in the hip arthroscopy group) versus 102 events (in 88 [60%] of 146 patients) in the personalised hip therapy group, with muscle soreness being the most common of these (58 [42%] vs 69 [47%]). There were seven serious adverse events reported by participating hospitals. Five (83%) of six serious adverse events in the hip arthroscopy group were related to treatment, and the one in the personalised hip therapy group was not. There were no treatment-related deaths, but one patient in the hip arthroscopy group developed a hip joint infection after surgery., Interpretation: Hip arthroscopy and personalised hip therapy both improved hip-related quality of life for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. Hip arthroscopy led to a greater improvement than did personalised hip therapy, and this difference was clinically significant. Further follow-up will reveal whether the clinical benefits of hip arthroscopy are maintained and whether it is cost effective in the long term., Funding: The Health Technology Assessment Programme of the National Institute of Health Research., (Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The WHO Child and Adolescent Mental Health Atlas, published in 2005, reported that child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in Europe differed substantially in their architecture and functioning. We assessed the characteristics of national CAMHS across the European Union (EU), including legal aspects of adolescent care. Using an online mapping survey aimed at expert(s) in each country, we obtained data for all 28 countries in the EU. The characteristics and activities of CAMHS (ie, availability of services, inpatient beds, and clinicians and organisations, and delivery of specific CAMHS services and treatments) varied considerably between countries, as did funding sources and user access. Neurodevelopmental disorders were the most frequent diagnostic group (up to 81%) for people seen at CAMHS (data available from only 13 [46%] countries). 20 (70%) countries reported having an official national child and adolescent mental health policy, covering young people until their official age of transition to adulthood. The heterogeneity in resource allocation did not seem to match epidemiological burden. Substantial improvements in the planning, monitoring, and delivery of mental health services for children and adolescents are needed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In a previous study, we reported on a quantitative transcriptomic method which confirmed the temporal transcription of developmental fast skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain (fsMyHC) embryonic isoforms in the embryonic Pectoralis major (PM) of the Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL). The objective of the current study was to further investigate the transcriptional events underlying embryonic PM growth in the SCWL and a genotype exhibiting partial muscular dystrophy, the Low Score Normal (LSN). We hypothesized that within the SCWL and LSN embryos, there would be differences in the temporal transcription of the fsMyHC isoforms and other myogenic regulatory genes. Samples of PM tissues were collected daily from embryonic day (ED) 6 through ED19. Total RNA was isolated from each PM tissue sample and mRNA transcripts from 28 target genes were simultaneously quantified using a probe hybridization method. Raw data counts were normalized against the geometric mean of 5 housekeeping genes and analyzed using Local Regression (LOESS) smoothing methods. Predicted estimates based on LOESS smoothing were plotted with 95% upper and lower confidence intervals, allowing for line comparisons between the SCWL and LSN. Differences (P < 0.05) were determined by non-overlapping confidence intervals between the SCWL and LSN. Among genes exhibiting line differences (P < 0.05), were the developmental fsMyHC isoforms, transcription factors, growth factors, and proteoglycans. The current study is the first to report transcription of the chicken fast skeletal adult myosin isoform (Cad) during PM myogenesis. Samples were submitted for capillary-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis which confirmed the translation of all the developmental fsMyHC isoforms including Cad in both lines. The LSN exhibited altered transcription patterns of early myogenic markers (MYOD, MRF4, Cemb1, six4, and pax3) during late embryogenesis, continued transcription of Cvent, and delayed transcription of Cneo., (© 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

There are numerous factors that can significantly influence embryonic development in poultry and thus make simple days of incubation (chronological age) a less than perfect metric for studying embryonic physiology. The developmental fast skeletal muscle myosin (MyHC), the predominant protein in the Pectoralis major (PM), is temporally expressed as a cadre of highly specific developmental isoforms. In the study described herein, a novel molecular technology (NanoString) was used to characterize the myosin isoform transcriptional patterns in the PM of Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) embryos. NanoString technology is based on quantitative analysis of the transcriptome through digital detection and quantification of target mRNA transcripts. Total RNA was isolated and gene transcription quantified using NanoString in embryonic muscle samples collected daily from 6 through 19 days of incubation. Data were analyzed using the LOESS smoothing function at a 95% confidence level. The temporal transcription of MyHC isoforms obtained in this study was consistent with the literature at higher specificity and resolution, thus validating NanoString for use in gene transcription analyses. The results support a hypothesis that the transcription patterns of the embryonic MyHC isoforms may be used as molecular clocks to further investigate the developmental relationships underlying embryonic fast skeletal muscle growth and development., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.)

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are generally considered a contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Objective: The purpose of the ProMRI Phase C study, a multicenter, prospective, single-arm, nonrandomized study, was to evaluate the clinical safety of the Biotronik ProMRI Iforia ICD system during MRI., Methods: Patients were enrolled after ICD implantation, with either a dual-chamber DR-T or single-lead VR-T DX system. Study-defined, nondiagnostic cardiac or thoracic spine MRI was performed at least 1 week after enrollment. ICDs were placed into MRI mode with ventricular fibrillation (VF) detection/therapy programmed "off" before scan and restored to non-MRI mode after scan. Interrogation was performed before, immediately after, and 1 month post-MRI. The primary end-points were (1) ventricular pacing threshold increase >0.5 V from pre-MRI to 1 month post-MRI; (2) R-wave amplitude decrease >50% from pre-MRI to 1 month post-MRI or R-wave amplitude <5 mV at 1 month post-MRI; and (3) MRI and ICD system-related serious adverse device effects., Results: One hundred seventy patients were enrolled at 39 US centers. One hundred fifty-three patients underwent MRI (25.7% cardiac, 74.3% thoracic spine) and completed follow-up. Freedom from the primary end-points was met in all but 1 subject, in whom reduced R-wave amplitude was detected 1 month post-MRI. No serious adverse device effects occurred during the course of the study., Conclusion: These results demonstrate the clinical safety and efficacy of the ProMRI ICD system in patients subjected to thoracic spine and cardiac MRI imaging in 1.5-T scanners., (Copyright © 2015 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intensive longitudinal methods are used to study the daily-level, within-person associations between substance use and its predictors and consequences. By definition, these designs require greater respondent effort than more traditional longitudinal designs, the result of which may be increased unit nonresponse and, more importantly, nonresponse bias. The present study contrasts the nonresponse properties of a measurement burst design with those of a single 1-year follow-up ("control") design, with a particular emphasis on the retention of young adults who did not plan to graduate from college., Methods: High school seniors (N=318) from three Midwestern schools completed an in-school baseline survey in spring 2012. Respondents were then randomized into a measurement burst or control group. Four, eight, and twelve months after baseline, young adults in the measurement burst group received a 30-min follow-up web survey, followed by 14 days of web-based daily surveys. Young adults in the control group received only a 30-min follow-up web survey 12 months after baseline. Response rates, predictors of nonresponse, and relative nonresponse biases for measures of sociodemographics, college plans, and substance use were compared between the two measurement groups., Results: Compared to the control design, the measurement burst design had greater relative nonresponse bias for statistics measuring substance use, but lower relative nonresponse bias for the statistic measuring college plans., Conclusion: Intensive longitudinal methods have the potential to retain non-college attending young adults during the transition to adulthood. Nonresponse adjustment weights should be used to correct for any detected bias., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Factor (F)VIIa-based bypassing not always provides sufficient hemostasis in hemophilia., Objectives: To investigate the potential of engineered activated factor V (FVa) variants as bypassing agents in hemophilia A., Methods: Activity of FVa variants was studied in vitro using prothrombinase assays with purified components and in FV- and FVIII-deficient plasma using clotting and thrombin generation assays. In vivo bleed reduction after the tail clip was studied in hemophilia A mice., Results and Conclusions: FVa mutations included a disulfide bond connecting the A2 and A3 domains and ones that rendered FVa resistant to inactivation by activated protein C (APC). '(super) FVa,' a combination of the A2-A3 disulfide (A2-SS-A3) to stabilize FVa and of APC-cleavage site mutations (Arg506/306/679Gln), had enhanced specific activity and complete APC resistance compared with wild-type FVa, FVL eiden (Arg506Gln), or FVaL eiden (A2-SS-A3). Furthermore, (super) FVa potently increased thrombin generation in vitro in FVIII-deficient plasma. In vivo, (super) FVa reduced bleeding in FVIII-deficient mice more effectively than wild-type FVa. Low-dose (super) FVa, but not wild-type FVa, decreased early blood loss during the first 10 min by more than two-fold compared with saline and provided bleed protection for the majority of mice, similar to treatments with FVIII. During the second 10 min after tail cut, (super) FVa at high dose, but not wild-type FVa, effectively reduced bleeding. These findings suggest that (super) FVa enhances not only clot formation but also clot stabilization. Thus, (super) FVa efficiently improved hemostasis in hemophilia in vitro and in vivo and may have potential therapeutic benefits as a novel bypassing agent in hemophilia., (© 2013 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.)

Depression and hostility have been separately related to indicators of sympathetic hyperactivation and parasympathetic hypoactivation. We examined the associations of depressive symptoms, hostility, and their interaction with pre-ejection period (PEP) and high frequency heart rate variability (HRV), specific indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac control, respectively. Healthy, young adults (N=120) completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms and hostility and underwent autonomic testing. Although main effects were not observed, a depressive symptoms×hostility interaction was detected for PEP (β=.25, p=.01). Simple slope analyses revealed that hostility was negatively related to PEP among individuals with low depressive symptoms but was not associated with PEP among those with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. No interaction effect was detected for high frequency HRV. Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms may moderate the link between hostility and sympathetic activation such that hostility is accompanied by sympathetic hyperactivation only when depressive symptoms are minimal., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microscale plasma-initiated patterning (μPIP) is a novel micropatterning technique used to create biomolecular micropatterns on polymer surfaces. The patterning method uses a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp to selectively protect regions of an underlying substrate from oxygen plasma treatment resulting in hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. Preferential adsorption of the biomolecules onto either the plasma-exposed (hydrophilic) or plasma-protected (hydrophobic) regions leads to the biomolecular micropatterns. In the current work, laminin-1 was applied to an electrospun polyamide nanofibrillar matrix following plasma treatment. Radial glial clones (neural precursors) selectively adhered to these patterned matrices following the contours of proteins on the surface. This work demonstrates that textured surfaces, such as nanofibrillar scaffolds, can be micropatterned to provide external chemical cues for cellular organization., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Implantable biodegradable nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have the potential to align and support regenerating cells, as well as prevent scar formation. In this study in vitro bioassays and in vivo material evaluations were performed using a nerve guidance conduit material made from a novel polyanhydride blend. In vitro cytotoxicity studies with both fibroblasts and primary chick neurons demonstrated that the proposed polyanhydride blend was non-cytotoxic. Subcutaneous implantation for 7days in rats resulted in an initial fibrin matrix, minimal macrophage presence and angiogenesis in the surrounding tissues. Nerve guidance conduits fabricated from the proposed polyanhydride blend material may serve as favorable biocompatible tissue engineering devices., (Copyright 2009 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study investigated the relationship between continuity of care (having one's own doctor and a regular site of care), and receipt of preventive services in a population of adult fee-for-service Medicaid enrollees with physical disabilities., Methods: A random sample of 555 physically disabled Rhode Island Medicaid enrollees aged 18 to 64 years were surveyed by telephone. Respondents were asked about receipt of six preventive services in the previous year. They were also asked whether they had their own doctor and whether they had a regular site of care. Regression analyses with propensity score corrections for selection bias were used to test the associations between care continuity measures and the number of preventive services received, as well as the receipt of each individual service., Results: After adjustment for predisposing, enabling, and need factors, respondents with their own doctor received 0.73 more preventive services than peers without their own doctor, and respondents who had a usual site of care received 0.85 more services than peers who received care at the emergency department or who had no regular site. The influences of having a regular doctor and a usual site of care varied according to type of preventive service, and these influences appear to be largely complementary rather than overlapping., Conclusions: Study findings suggest that care models for adults with physical disabilities should include mechanisms to ensure both physician and site continuity. A strong primary care component that links individual patients with a personal doctor, as well as care protocols that ensure receipt of preventive services, appear to be optimal for medically needy populations.