Background: Technologies such as smartphones and tablets can help people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) overcome their daily challenges. Objective: The AMELIS interactive calendar, specifically ...designed to facilitate daily management, is a technology whose acceptability must be further documented for this clientele and their caregivers. A qualitative, descriptive single-case study was therefore conducted with an older woman with mild AD and her caregiver to document the acceptability of AMELIS. Methods: Ten learning sessions were performed using Sohlberg and Mateer's method (1989), errorless learning and multi-layer approach. Data collection comprised pre- and post-intervention interviews with the participant and her caregiver, logbooks and experimenter's summaries. A thematic analysis was conducted and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to structure the presentation of the results. Results: This study revealed that the acceptability of AMELIS was favorable, mainly because the tool was reported as useful by the participant and her caregiver. The large touchscreen and the personalized learning method also influenced their attitude towards the use of the tool. Conclusion: Thus, AMELIS is an innovative technology that has the potential to be accepted by older people with AD and their families. Features of this technology and learning strategies used in this case study may help clinicians, designers and researchers introduce assistive technologies to this clientele.
AGI-1067, a metabolically stable modification of probucol, is an equipotent antioxidant to probucol but is pharmacologically distinct. In a multicenter trial, we studied whether AGI-1067 reduces ...restenosis assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with placebo and probucol used as a positive control.
Two weeks before PCI, 305 patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatment groups: placebo, probucol 500 mg BID, or AGI-1067 70, 140, or 280 mg once daily. Patients were treated for 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after PCI. Baseline and 6-month follow-up IVUS were interpreted by a blinded core laboratory. Stents were used in 85% of patients. Luminal area at the PCI site at follow-up was 2.66+/-1.58 mm2 for placebo, 3.69+/-2.69 mm2 for probucol, 2.75+/-1.76 mm2 for AGI-1067 70 mg, 3.17+/-2.26 mm2 for AGI-1067 140 mg, and 3.36+/-2.12 mm2 for AGI-1067 280 mg (P=0.02 for the dose-response relationship; P< or =0.05 for AGI-1067 280 mg and probucol versus placebo). There was a mean narrowing of 5.3 mm3 of reference segment lumen in the placebo group and an enlargement in the AGI-1067 140- and 280-mg groups at follow-up (P=0.05 for 140 mg). An increase in QTc interval >60 ms occurred in 4.8% of placebo patients, 17.4% of probucol patients, and 4.8%, 2.4%, and 2.5% of patients in the AGI-1067 groups (P=0.02).
AGI-1067 and probucol reduce restenosis after PCI. In contrast to probucol, AGI-1067 did not cause prolongation of the QTc interval and improved lumen dimensions of reference segments, suggestive of a direct effect on atherosclerosis.
Emissions from vegetation fires in the tropics contribute significantly to atmospheric chemistry at continental and global scales. Africa is the continent where the largest number of vegetation fires ...annually occurs. The use of Global Area Coverage (GAC) data, from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor onboard the NOAA satellites, allows a good description at continental level of the spatial distribution of intense active fire patterns and a unique temporal perspective over multi-annual periods of time. In this study, 5 years of active fire maps, from November 1984 to October 1989, derived from GAC data for the African continent were considered. In order to enhance the relationships between spatially distributed phenomena, such as regional patterns of active fires, and point data, such as experimental sites of atmospheric chemistry measurements, the rose diagram technique as derived from directional statistics was exploited. This methodological approach allowed the spatial characteristics of vegetation fires, which is considered the main source of atmospheric pollutants in Africa, to be described using measures of frequency and distance for each reference point. Comparison between rose diagrams of fires and nitrate (NO
3
−) content in precipitation as measured at Enyele (Congo), at the heart of the equatorial forest during both dry and wet seasons, confirmed the usefulness of satellite observations and the spatial analysis technique proposed.
To assess the changes in ocular surface abnormalities and meibomian fatty acid composition in patients suffering from meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) after treatment with oral minocycline ...associated with lid hygiene versus lid hygiene only.
We evaluated the break-up time, corneal staining and quality of meibomian excreta, and collected meibomian oil in 20 individuals suffering from MGD before and after 8 weeks of minocycline associated with lid hygiene (n = 10) or lid hygiene only (n = 10). Meibomian fatty acids were directly transmethylated and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC mass spectrometry.
The meibomian fatty acid composition was slightly modified after 8 weeks in both groups. The decrease in a branched-chain fatty acid (isoC20) was greater after minocycline treatment than after lid hygiene only (-65% and -25%, respectively; p<0.05). Other fatty acids were unchanged. A significant improvement in the BUT was observed after minocycline treatment (p = 0.03).
This study showed better tear film stability after minocycline treatment and a biological effect on meibomian fatty acid composition in MGD patients. Minocycline was more effective than lid hygiene alone. Both interventions partly corrected fatty acid composition abnormalities. Among the fatty acids, isoC20 could be a biological marker of MGD.
Pomadasys incisus is one of the most abundant coastal demersal species around the Canary Islands. It is a gonochoric species with similar biological characteristic in males and females. The adult sex ...ratio is not significantly different from 1:1, and the mean size of males and females is similar. It reaches first maturity at the end of the second year of life (183 mm). Spawning takes place throughout the year. Growth analysis reveals that the species is fast-growing and relatively short-lived (7 years). Length at age is well described by the von Bertalanffy growth model. Individuals grow quickly in their immature first year, attaining approximately 45% of their maximum length. After one year, the annual growth rate drops rapidly. The direct effects of fishing result in changes in abundance, with an 80% reduction from the unexploited equilibrium level. Recruitment into the commercial fisheries occurs before size at sexual maturity, resulting in all spawners being accessible using the current fishing pattern. The length at first capture (168 mm) is less than the length at maturity; 45% of the total catch are smaller than this, indicating a danger of recruitment-overfishing.Original Abstract: Parametros biologicos del Pomadasys incisus (Osteichthyes: Haemulidae) en el archipielago canario. - Pomadasys incisus es una de las especies demersales costeras mas abundantes en las aguas de las Islas Canarias. Es una especie gonocorica con caracteristicas que presenta caracteristicas similares para los machos y hembras. La proporcion de sexos no difiere de la relacion 1:1. Las tallas medias son similares para los machos y las hembras. Los individuos de esta especie alcanzan la madurez sexual al final del segundo ano de vida (183 mm). La puesta tiene lugar durante todo el ano. El analisis de su crecimiento muestra que la especie es de crecimiento rapido y de longevidad reducida (7 anos). La relacion entre la talla y la edad es descrita de forma adecuada por el modelo de von Bertalanffy. Los individuos inmaduros crecen de forma rapida durante sus primeros anos, alcanzando, aproximadamente, el 45 % de su talla maxima. Despues del primer ano de vida, la tasa de crecimiento se reduce considerablemente. El efecto directo causado por la pesca es una reduccion del 80 % de su biomasa con respecto al nivel de equilibrio previo a la explotacion. El reclutamiento ocurre antes de alcanzar la talla de madurez sexual y como consecuencia de ello todo el stock reproductor esta sometido a presion pesquera segun el patron de explotacion actual. La talla de primera captura (168 mm) es menor que la talla de madurez sexual, con un 45 % del total de individuos capturados por debajo de dicha talla de madurez, lo que apunta hacia una sobrepesca en reclutamiento. Palabras clave: Pomadasys incisus, crecimiento, reproduccion, mortalidad, impacto, descartes, Islas Canarias.
Drawing on interviews with peer-review panelists from five multidisciplinary fellowship competitions, this paper analyzes one of the main criteria used to evaluate scholarship in the humanities and ...the social sciences: originality. Whereas the literature in the sociology of science focuses on the natural sciences and defines originality as the production of new findings and new theories, we show that in the context of fellowship competitions, peer reviewers in the social sciences and humanities define originality much more broadly: as using a new approach, theory, method, or data; studying a new topic; doing research in an understudied area; or producing new findings. Whereas the literature has not considered disciplinary variation in the definition of originality, we identified significant differences. Humanists and historians clearly privilege originality in approach, and humanists also emphasize originality in the data used. Social scientists most often mention originality in method, but they also appreciate a more diverse range of types of originality. Whereas the literature tends to equate originality with substantive innovation and to consider the personal attributes of the researcher as irrelevant to the evaluation process, we show that panelists often view the originality of a proposal as an indication of the researcher's moral character, especially of his/her authenticity and integrity. These contributions constitute a new approach to the study of peer review and originality that focuses on the meaning of criteria of evaluation and their distribution across clusters of disciplines.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumour with a limited response to conventional therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of a DNA methyltransferase ...inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azaCdR), and two histone deacetylase inhibitors, valproic acid (VPA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Human mesothelioma cells were treated with each epigenetic drug, either alone or in combinations. The cytotoxic effects on treated cells and the expression of specific tumour antigens were evaluated. The recognition of treated cells by a specific CD8+ T-cell clone was also measured. Additionally, the effect of combined treatments was tested in a murine model of mesothelioma. We showed that VPA and SAHA synergised with 5-azaCdR to kill MPM cells and induce tumour antigen expression in the remaining living tumour cells. As a consequence, tumour cells expressing these antigens were recognised and lysed by specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells. In vivo, treatment with 5-azaCdR/VPA inhibited tumour growth, and promoted lymphocyte infiltration and an immune response against tumour cells. Appropriate epigenetic drug combinations, in addition to inducing mesothelioma cell death, also affect the immunogenic status of these cells. This property could be exploited in clinical investigations to develop MPM treatments combining chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic approaches.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been identified in humans and mice as a population of immature myeloid cells with the ability to suppress T cell activation. They accumulate in ...tumor-bearing mice and humans and have been shown to contribute to cancer development. Here, we have isolated tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) from mouse cell lines and shown that an interaction between TDE-associated Hsp72 and MDSCs determines the suppressive activity of the MDSCs via activation of Stat3. In addition, tumor-derived soluble factors triggered MDSC expansion via activation of Erk. TDE-associated Hsp72 triggered Stat3 activation in MDSCs in a TLR2/MyD88-dependent manner through autocrine production of IL-6. Importantly, decreasing exosome production using dimethyl amiloride enhanced the in vivo antitumor efficacy of the chemotherapeutic drug cyclophosphamide in 3 different mouse tumor models. We also demonstrated that this mechanism is relevant in cancer patients, as TDEs from a human tumor cell line activated human MDSCs and triggered their suppressive function in an Hsp72/TLR2-dependent manner. Further, MDSCs from cancer patients treated with amiloride, a drug used to treat high blood pressure that also inhibits exosome formation, exhibited reduced suppressor functions. Collectively, our findings show in both mice and humans that Hsp72 expressed at the surface of TDEs restrains tumor immune surveillance by promoting MDSC suppressive functions.
The standard diagnostic approach of suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is serial lower limb compression ultrasound (CUS) of proximal veins. Although it only assesses the proximal veins, withholding ...anticoagulant treatment in patients with a negative CUS on day one and after one week has been proven to be safe. However, in many centres, distal DVT is systematically screened for and treated by anticoagulants. The objectives of the review were 1) to evaluate the rate of extension of distal DVTs to proximal veins 2) to compare the safety of proximal limited CUS versus single complete CUS. We performed a MEDLINE search covering the period from January 1983 to January 2005 by using the key-words "calf vein thrombosis", "distal thrombosis" and "compression ultrasonography". English, German and French language original studies were retrieved. Moreover, references of retrieved articles were screened in order to detect missed pertinent articles. We pooled data of management studies where proximal or complete (i.e. proximal and distal) CUS were used, respectively. Studies evaluating CUS limited to the proximal veins showed a good safety profile with a pooled estimate of the 3-month thromboembolic rate of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.9%) in patients in whom anticoagulation was withheld. Studies using proximal and distal CUS showed a similar pooled estimate of the 3-month thromboembolic rate (0.4%, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6%) but distal DVT accounted for as many as 50% of all diagnosed DVTs in those series. Therefore, searching for distal DVT potentially doubles the number of patients given anticoagulant therapy and entails a risk of over-treatment. Data suggesting that anticoagulation is indicated for distal DVT are limited, and realizing distal CUS entails a risk of over-treatment. There is an urgent need for randomised trials assessing the usefulness of anticoagulant treatment in distal DVT.
PDF
