The aim of this study was to validate the registration in the Danish Knee Ligament Reconstruction Register (DKRR) by assessing the registration completeness of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ...reconstruction code and detecting the validity of important key variables. Furthermore, we assessed data quality of patient-related outcome scores.
All operation codes for ACL reconstruction from 2005-2011 were identified in the Danish National Registry of Patients and were compared with the cases registered in the DKRR to compute the completeness of registration. We also assessed the validity of key variables in the DKRR using medical records as a reference standard to compute the positive predictive value. Finally, we assessed potential differences between responders and nonresponders to subjective patient-related outcome scores (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score KOOS and Tegner scores) 1 year after surgery.
The completeness of the registration of patients in the DKRR increased from 60% (2005) to 86% (2011). Large-volume hospitals had a higher completeness than small-volume hospitals. With a positive predictive value between 85%-100%, the validity of key variables was good. KOOS scores versus Tegner scores for responders and nonresponders were comparable.
The results show a good registration of ACL reconstruction procedures in the DKRR, but there is room for improvement mainly at small-volume hospitals. Overall, the validity of the key variables in the DKRR was good and no difference was found in KOOS and Tegner scores for responders versus nonresponders. Therefore, we conclude that the DKRR is a valid source for future research.
Airborne bacteria that enter an open wound during surgery can result in post-operative infections, commonly referred to as surgical site infections (SSIs). The level of contaminants is usually lower ...in the operating rooms (ORs) in contrast to adjacent corridors. Penetration of particles carrying bacteria through the doorway during a door opening gives rise to the OR contaminant level as door-opening and passage may occur every 2.5 minutes during a given surgical activity. The authors had previously conducted a successful research study to reduce the contaminant migration from an anteroom, through the doorway, into an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR). In contrast to the AIIRs, the ORs are usually over-pressured related to the surrounding environments. However, both ORs and AIIRs share the same interest in avoiding air exchange between the room and the adjacent space. This paper, built upon the previous research achievement, proposes an innovative design solution to reduce the bacteria penetration to the ORs during a door opening and staff passage. Previously achieved results from CFD simulation and laboratory measurement confirmed that installing a ventilation unit that supplies a high air volume into the OR through low-velocity wall diffusers, may significantly reduce the contaminant migration to the OR during door-opening activities.
The Deprotonated Guanine-Cytosine Base Pair Lind, Maria C.; Bera, Partha P.; Richardson, Nancy A. ...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS,
05/2006, Letnik:
103, Številka:
20
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Awareness of the harmful effects of radiation has increased interest in finding the mechanisms of DNA damage. Radical and anion formation among the DNA base pairs are thought to be important steps in ...such damage Collins, G. P. (2003) Sci. Am. 289 (3), 26-27. Energetic properties and optimized geometries of 10 radicals and their respective anions derived through hydrogen abstraction from the Watson-Crick guanine-cytosine (G-C) base pair have been studied using reliable theoretical methods. The most favorable deprotonated structure (dissociation energy 42 kcal-mol$^-1$, vertical detachment energy 3.79 eV) ejects the proton analogous to the cytosine glycosidic bond in DNA. This structure is a surprisingly large 12 kcal-mol$^-1$lower in energy than any of the other nine deprotonated G-C structures. This system retains the qualitative G-C structure but with the H⋯O2 distance dramatically reduced from 1.88 to 1.58 Å, an extremely short hydrogen bond. The most interesting deprotonated G-C structure is a "reverse wobble" incorporating two N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. Three different types of relaxation energies (4.3-54 kcal⋅mol$^-1$) are defined and reported to evaluate the energy released via different mechanisms for the preparation of the deprotonated species. Relative energies, adiabatic electron affinities (ranging from 1.93 to 3.65 eV), and pairing energies are determined to discern which radical will most alter the G-C properties. The most stable deprotonated base pair corresponds to the radical with the largest adiabatic electron affinity, 3.65 eV. This value is an enormous increase over the electron affinity (0.60 eV) of the closed-shell G-C base pair.
We have expressed horse cytochrome c in Escherichia coli. The gene was designed with E. coli codon bias and assembled by using a recursive polymerase chain reaction method. The far-ultraviolet and ...near-ultraviolet/Soret circular dichroism (CD) spectra show that the structure of recombinant horse cytochrome c is the same as that of the authentic protein. CD-detected thermal denaturation studies were used to measure the thermodynamic parameters associated with two-state denaturation. The free energy of denaturation for the recombinant protein is 10.0 ± 2.3 kcal mol−1 at pH 4.6 and 25°C, which agrees with the value for the authentic protein. The expression system will help advance our understanding of the roles of cytochrome c in electron transfer, oxidative stress, and apoptosis by allowing the production of protein variants.
Reducing exposure to obesogens is a strategy for preventing obesity.
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•There is an expanding global obesity pandemic.•Ubiquitous environmental chemicals called obesogens play a vital ...role in the obesity pandemic.•Exposure to obesogens occurs throughout the life course from before conception until death.•Development is the most sensitive time for obesogens to impact future weight gain across the lifespan and generations.•Obesogens can act via epigenetic mechanisms.•There is a need to expand understanding of the obesogen paradigm to clinicians and consumers.
Obesity is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental components. The prevailing view is that obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure caused by overeating and insufficient exercise. We describe another environmental element that can alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure: obesogens. Obesogens are a subset of environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors affecting metabolic endpoints. The obesogen hypothesis posits that exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemicals can alter the development and function of the adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and brain, thus changing the set point for control of metabolism. Obesogens can determine how much food is needed to maintain homeostasis and thereby increase the susceptibility to obesity. The most sensitive time for obesogen action is in utero and early childhood, in part via epigenetic programming that can be transmitted to future generations. This review explores the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis and highlights knowledge gaps that have prevented widespread acceptance as a contributor to the obesity pandemic. Critically, the obesogen hypothesis changes the narrative from curing obesity to preventing obesity.
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