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Comparative study of phenotypic-based discovery assays for carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii which has a offered protocol in resource-limited settings.
Purpose Retrospective analysis of volumetric modulated arc therapy treatment plans to investigate qualitative, possible, clinical consequences of the use of AAA versus AXB in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) cases. Methods The dose distribution of 26 treatment plans, produced using RapidArc technique and AAA algorithm, were recalculated using AXB and the same number of monitor units provided by AAA and clinically delivered to each patient. The potential clinical effect of dosimetric differences in the planning target volume (PTV) and in organs at risk (OAR) were evaluated by comparing TCP and NTCP values. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used for statistical comparison of all results obtained from the use of the two algorithms. Results The poorer coverage of the PTV, with higher prescribed dose, was reflected in the TCP, which was significantly lower when AXB was used, the median value was 81.55% (range 74.90, 88.60%) and 84.10% (range 77.70, 89.90%) for AAA (p less then 0.001). OAR mean dose was lower in the AXB recalculated plan than the AAA plan and the difference was statistically significant for all the structures. The NTCP for developing mandible necrosis showed the largest median percentage difference between AAA and AXB (56.6%), the NTCP of risk for larynx edema of Grade ≥ 2 followed with 12.2%. Conclusions Differences in dose distribution of NPC treatment plans recalculated with AXB are of clinical significance in those situations where the PTV and OAR involve air or bone, media in which AXB has been shown to more accurately represent the true dose distribution. The availability of AXB algorithm could improve patient dose estimation, increasing the data consistency of clinical trials.Background Although Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) can have serious medical consequences and significantly impacts daily life, the overall trend is that most women do not seek care for these symptoms. AdipoRon research buy The objective of this review was to synthesise factors impeding women's access care for AUB. Methods Systematic literature review of qualitative studies (interview and focus group) regarding the lived in experiences of women with abnormal menstrual symptoms, followed by a thematic analysis of these studies. We screened CINAHL, SCOPUS, ProQuest, OVID and Pubmed for qualitative studies. Studies were assessed using the Clinical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist and thematic synthesis was used to develop themes from the findings of the studies. Results The review yielded 12 studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Three themes were developed that described barriers for women seeking care for AUB health literacy (understanding of normal periods, role of cervical Pap smears and lack of access to appropriate information), taboo/normalisation (fear and embarrassment of symptoms, prioritising others) and health care provider (lack of accessible and trusted female GPs and poor experiences with GPs). Conclusions For 20 years women have consistently reported poor experiences in accessing care for AUB. The findings from our review indicate that drivers to impeding access are multiple; therefore any approaches to improve access will need to be multi-level - from comprising local sociocultural considerations to improved GP training.Background Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. Nusinersen has been covered by public healthcare in France since May 2017. The aim of this article is to report results after 1 year of treatment with intrathecal nusinersen in children with SMA types 1 and 2 in France. Comparisons between treatment onset (T0) and after 1 year of treatment (Y1) were made in terms of motor function and need for nutritional and ventilatory support. Motor development milestone achievements were evaluated using the modified Hammersmith Infant Neurologic Examination-Part 2 (HINE-2) for patients under 2 years of age and Motor Function Measure (MFM) scores for patients over 2 years of age. Results Data on 204 SMA patients (type 1 or 2) were retrospectively collected from the 23 French centers for neuromuscular diseases. One hundred and twenty three patients had been treated for at least 1 year and were included, 34 of support care. This new treatment raises new ethical challenges.The handheld ultrasound demonstrates clinical and economic value in combating COVID-19 based on interviews with frontline ultrasound physician and cardiologist as well as a national expert in medical ultrasound.Background A primary consequence of illicit drug markets and the absence of regulation is the variable quality or purity of the final product. Analysis of anabolic-androgenic steroid seizures shows that these products can contain adulterated products, product not included on the label, or product of unsatisfactory standard. While the potential negative effects of counterfeit anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use is a recognised risk associated with use, no study has explored personal experiences associated with use. The aim of the present study was to use online discussion forums to investigate and explore the experiences associated with the purchase and consumption of counterfeit AAS among consumers. Methods An online search was conducted to identify online forums that discussed counterfeit or contaminated AAS; three were deemed suitable for the study. The primary source of data for this study was the 'threads' from these online forums, identified using search terms including 'counterfeit', 'tampered', and 'fake'. Threads were thematically analysed for overall content, leading to the identification of themes. Results Data from 134 threads (2743 posts from 875 unique avatars) was included. Two main themes were identified from the analysis (1) experiences with counterfeit product and (2) harms and benefits associated with counterfeit product. Conclusions The use of counterfeit or contaminated substances represents a public health concern. Those who report using performance and image enhancing drugs such as AAS for non-medical purposes report consuming these substances and experiencing harm as a result. Consumers take steps to limit coming into contact with counterfeit or contaminated product, though recognise that many of these have limitations. The implementation of accessible drug safety checking services may provide an opportunity to provide consumers with information to assist them with making healthier choices.
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