Plos One
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To explore the use of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating angiogenesis in a xenograft nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) model in nude mice and the evolution of CEUS parameters according to the growth of NPC. ⋯ The CEUS parameters PI, AWI and AWO indirectly reflect the MVD and the tumor volume in our model of subcutaneous transplanted NPC in nude mice, providing precious information on angiogenesis and tumor growth. VEGF may play a role in promoting angiogenesis of NPC.
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Shorter, more effective treatments for tuberculosis (TB) are urgently needed. While many TB drugs are available, identification of the best regimens is challenging because of the large number of possible drug-dose combinations. We have found consistently that responses of cells or whole animals to drug-dose stimulations fit a parabolic response surface (PRS), allowing us to identify and optimize the best drug combinations by testing only a small fraction of the total search space. Previously, we used PRS methodology to identify three regimens (PRS Regimens I-III) that in murine models are much more effective than the standard regimen used to treat TB. However, PRS Regimens I and II are unsuitable for treating drug-resistant TB and PRS Regimen III includes an experimental drug. Here, we use PRS methodology to identify from an expanded pool of drugs new highly effective near-universal drug regimens comprising only approved drugs. ⋯ We have identified three new regimens that rapidly sterilize the lungs of mice and dramatically shorten the time required to achieve relapse-free cure. All mouse drug doses in these regimens extrapolate to doses that are readily achievable in humans. Because PRS Regimens IV and V contain only one first line drug (PZA) and exclude fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides, they should be effective against most TB cases that are multidrug resistant (MDR-TB) and many that are extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB). Hence, these regimens have potential to shorten dramatically the time required for treatment of both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB. If clinical trials confirm that these regimens dramatically shorten the time required to achieve relapse-free cure in humans, then this radically shortened treatment has the potential to improve treatment compliance, decrease the emergence of drug resistance, and decrease the healthcare burden of treating both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB.
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Workload and demands on hospital staff have been growing over recent years. To ensure patient and occupational safety, hospitals increasingly survey staff about perceived working conditions and safety culture. At the same time, routine data are used to manage resources and performance. This study aims to understand the relation between survey-derived measures of how staff perceive their work-related stress and strain and patient safety on the one hand, and routine data measures of workload and quality of care (patient safety) on the other. ⋯ Perceptions of hospital personnel regarding sub-optimal workplace safety and teamwork issues correlated with worse patient outcome measures. Furthermore, objective measures of overtime work as well as objective measures of workload correlated clearly with subjective work-related stress and strain. This suggests that objective workload measures (such as overtime worked) could be used to indirectly monitor job-related psychosocial strain on employees and, thus, improve not only staff wellbeing but also patient outcomes. On the other hand, listening to their personnel could help hospitals to improve patient (and employee) safety.
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Increased postoperative cardiac troponin (cTn) independently predicts short-term mortality. Previous studies suggest that preoperative cTn also predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality after noncardiac surgery. The value of preoperative and perioperative changes in cTn as a prognostic tool for adverse outcomes has been sparsely investigated. ⋯ Our study indicates that although preoperative cTn and perioperative change in cTn might be valuable predictors of MACE and/or all-cause mortality in adult noncardiac surgical patients, its overall prognostic performance remains uncertain. Future large, representative, high-quality studies are needed to establish the potential role of cTns in perioperative cardiac risk stratification.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The effect of a pharmacy-led transitional care program on medication-related problems post-discharge: A before-After prospective study.
Medication-related problems are common after hospitalization, for example when changes in patients' medication regimens are accompanied by insufficient patient education, poor information transfer between healthcare providers, and inadequate follow-up post-discharge. We investigated the effect of a pharmacy-led transitional care program on the occurrence of medication-related problems four weeks post-discharge. ⋯ A pharmacy-led transitional care program reduced medication-related problems after discharge. Implementation research is needed to determine how best to embed these interventions in existing processes.