Scientific reports
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Research is crucial to implement evidence-based health interventions for control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aims to assess main features of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for control of NCDs, and to identify gaps in clinical research on NCDs between high-income and less developed countries. The study included 1177 RCTs in 82 Cochrane Systematic reviews (CSRs) and evaluated interventions for adults with hypertension, diabetes, stroke, or heart diseases. ⋯ RCTs conducted in less developed countries tended to be more recently published, less likely to be published in English, with smaller sample sizes, and at a higher risk of bias. In conclusion, there is still a lack of research evidence for control of NCDs in less developed countries. To brace for rising NCDs and avoid waste of scarce research resources, not only more but also higher quality clinical trials are required in low-and-middle-income countries.
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Smoke-free legislation is associated with improved early-life outcomes; however its impact on perinatal survival is unclear. We linked individual-level data with death certificates for all registered singletons births in England (1995-2011). We used interrupted time series logistic regression analysis to study changes in key adverse perinatal events following the July 2007 national, comprehensive smoke-free legislation. ⋯ No significant impact on SIDS was observed. Using a counterfactual scenario, we estimated that in the first four years following smoke-free legislation, 991 stillbirths, 5,470 cases of low birth weight, and 430 neonatal deaths were prevented. In conclusion, smoke-free legislation in England was associated with clinically important reductions in severe adverse perinatal outcomes.
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Acute itch is divided into histamine- and non-histamine-dependent subtypes, and our previous study has shown that activation of ERK signaling in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) is required selectively for histamine-induced itch sensation. Morphological characteristics of pERK-expressing neurons are required for exploring the mechanism underlying spinal itch sensation. To investigate whether pERK-expressing neurons are supraspinally-projecting neurons, we injected Fluorogold (FG) into the ventrobasal thalamic complex (VB) and parabrachial region, the two major spinal ascending sites in rodents. ⋯ We then examined the co-localization of pERK with Calbindin and Lmx1b, which are expressed by excitatory neurons, and found that more than half (58%) of pERK-positive neurons expressed Lmx1b, but no co-expression with Calbindin was observed. On the other hand, approximately 7% of pERK-positive neurons expressed GAD67, and 27% of them contained Pax2. These results support the idea that pERK-expressing neurons serve as a component of local neuronal circuits for processing itch sensation in the spinal cord.
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Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to detect intraoperative awareness during general anaesthesia. Traditionally, BCI research is aimed at establishing or improving communication and control for patients with permanent paralysis. Patients experiencing intraoperative awareness also lack the means to communicate after administration of a neuromuscular blocker, but may attempt to move. ⋯ Similar accuracies were obtained when training the classifier on the participants' actual movements. These results provide proof of the principle that a BCI can detect movement attempts during neuromuscular blockade. Based on this, in the future a BCI may serve as a communication channel between a patient under general anaesthesia and the anaesthesiologist.
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Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a serious yet common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Previous study have identified multiple genetic susceptibility loci for POAF susceptibility after CABG, although some studies are under-powered. However, none of these studies have been conducted among Asians. ⋯ After adjustment for clinical predictors of POAF, two variants in GRK5 gene (rs4752292, and rs11198893) were replicated with significance were replicated in the validation cohort. The ORs for each additional copy of minor allele were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.15-1.50, P = 5.82 × 10(-5)) and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.28-1.69, P = 1.16 × 10(-7)), respectively. In this two-stage independently collected cardiac surgery cohorts, genetic variations in the GRK5 gene are independently associated with POAF risk in patients who undergo CABG surgery in Asians.