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GST Primary GST Primary Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Im... Best Strategies for Health Care Quality Improvement - Diabetes Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibio... Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-b... Systematic review assessing the effect of ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Antibiotics Management Kathryn McDonald, Stanford-UCSF Evidence-based Practice Center, 117 Encina Commons, Stanford, CA 94305-6019, Kathy.mcdonald@stanford.edu Systematic review assessing the effect of quality improvement strategies on appropriate prescribing of antibiotics and appropriate choice of antibiotics. Adherence Adherence Assistive Devices Assistive Devices Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan Childhood Burn Hanson MacMillan CLSA_9 CLSA_9 Cyberabuse Cyberabuse Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent ... This review included randomized trials abo... Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Violent Men who Batter Their Partners This review included randomized trials about the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on domestic violence. The intervention included programs based on the Duluth Model. The violence had to be committed by a male toward his female partner. The violence also had to be physical. The primary outcomes were new arrests and convictions, and new reports of violence. CABG vs PCI CABG vs PCI Quality Improvement Strategies for Prevent... Quality Improvement Strategies for Preventing Nosocomial Infections (Created 17-Feb-06) Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma ... Quality Improvement Strategies for Asthma Control Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Erectile Dysfunction (Created 30-Jan-06) Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce S... This review was the first part of a projec... Inequality - Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the first part of a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of smoking cessation interventions on reducing socio-economic differences. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio... This review was the second part in a proje... Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences This review was the second part in a project about inequality. It included randomized trials about the effect of interventions on reducing socio-economic differences in diet and physical activity. The studies had to report data either on persons with low socio-economic groups status or, preferably, on both low and high socio-economic groups. Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the d... Workfare The data in SRS are not identical to the data in the published report. We used SRS only for an updated search. The review included randomized trials about the effect of welfare-to-work programs. Participants were welfare recipients. There were basically two types of programs. The educational type tried to build knowledge and skills in order to help the welfare recipients acquire jobs that could support them economically. The "work first" approach was more aimed at getting the participants quickly into a job. Exercise interventions for the management ... The objective of this systematic review wa... Exercise interventions for the management of frailty The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of current exercise interventions on the management of frailty. A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, Psycinfo, Cinahl, Scopus, Ageline, Eric, and SportDiscus databases was conducted and produced 1808 citations. So far we have completed 2 levels of “title and abstract” screening and we ended up with 262 articles. We have just started the full text screening. Eligibility criteria included original studies whose participants were identified as frail or prefrail with specific criteria and in which structured physical activity was included as at least one component of the intervention. Create a free account, build a dictionary with saved terms to re-use later! Public Domestic Violence - Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy Smoking Cessation to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Diet and Physical Activity to Reduce Socio-Economic Differences Workfare Exercise Interventions for the Management of Frailty Search     Simple Advanced Refine (4 coded questions)  Any of these:   Exact Phrase: All of these: None of these: Author: Periodical: Projects: No restrictions   Libraries: Public   Select SRS Projects Show Saved Terms Select Library Show articles that do not have abstracts  Humans or Animals Humans Animals Type of Article Clinical Trial Editorial Letter Meta-Analysis Practice Guideline Randomized Controlled Trial Review Addresses Bibliography Biography Case Reports Classical Article Clinical Conference Clinical Trial, Phase I Clinical Trial, Phase II Clinical Trial, Phase III Clinical Trial, Phase IV Comment Comparative Study Consensus Development Conference Consensus Development Conference, NIH Controlled Clinical Trial Corrected and Republished Article Dictionary Directory Duplicate Publication English Abstract Evaluation Studies Festschrift Government Publications Guideline Historical Article Interview In Vitro Journal Article Lectures Legal Cases Legislation Multicenter Study News Newspaper Article Overall Patient Education Handout Periodical Index Published Erratum Retracted Publication Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 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Retraction of Publication Scientific Integrity Review Support of Research Technical Report Twin Study Validation Studies Not a Primary Study or Review Unknown Primary Study Case Series Case Control Cohort Study Observational Study Qualitative Research CBA or ITS Registry Double Blind Controlled before after study Quasi-randomized trial Simple before after study Cluster-RCT Non-Randomized Study Report Book Book chapter Dissertation Conference procedings Secondary Research Not RCT Ages All Infant: birth-23 months All Child: 0-18 years All Adult: 19+ years Newborn: birth-1 month Infant: 1-23 months Preschool Child: 2-5 years Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Middle Aged + Aged: 45+ years Aged: 65+ years 80 and over: 80+ years Undetermined Language English French German Italian Japanese Russian Spanish Afrikaans Albanian Unknown Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Esperanto Estonian Finnish Georgian Greek, Modern Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Kinyarwanda Korean Latin Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Malayalam Maori Multiple Languages Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Pushto Romanian Sanskrit Scottish gaelic Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Not English Not French Results(1-25 of 38) Sort By: Publication Date Relevance Took: 1.444 seconds to search 17,750,454  Action: Copy Results to new Clipboard Build Search Link Page 1 of 2 1 2 > (38 articles found) Organization and differential expression of the GACA/GATA tagged somatic and spermatozoal transcriptomes in Buffalo Bubalus bubalis. 2008 Jyoti Srivastava,Sanjay Premi,Sudhir Kumar,Sher Ali BACKGROUND: Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) of GACA/GATA have been implicated with differentiation of sex-chromosomes and speciation. However, the organization of these repeats within genomes and transcriptomes, even in the best characterized organisms including human, remains unclear. The main obje... ( view more )ctive of this study was to explore the buffalo transcriptome for its association with GACA/GATA repeats, and study the structural organization and differential expression of the GACA/GATA repeat tagged transcripts. Moreover, the distribution of GACA and GATA repeats in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes was studied to highlight their significance in genome evolution. RESULTS: We explored several genomes and transcriptomes, and observed total absence of these repeats in the prokaryotes, with their gradual accumulation in higher eukaryotes. Further, employing novel microsatellite associated sequence amplification (MASA) approach using varying length oligos based on GACA and GATA repeats; we identified and characterized 44 types of known and novel mRNA transcripts tagged with these repeats from different somatic tissues, gonads and spermatozoa of water buffalo Bubalus bubalis. GACA was found to be associated with higher number of transcripts compared to that with GATA. Exclusive presence of several GACA-tagged transcripts in a tissue or spermatozoa, and absence of the GATA-tagged ones in lung/heart highlights their tissue-specific significance. Of all the GACA/GATA tagged transcripts, approximately 30% demonstrated inter-tissue and/or tissue-spermatozoal sequence polymorphisms. Significantly, approximately 60% of the GACA-tagged and all the GATA-tagged transcripts showed highest or unique expression in the testis and/or spermatozoa. Moreover, approximately 75% GACA-tagged and all the GATA-tagged transcripts were found to be conserved across the species. CONCLUSION: Present study is a pioneer attempt exploring GACA/GATA tagged transcriptome in any mammalian species highlighting their tissue, stage and species-specific expression profiles. Comparative analysis suggests the gradual accumulation of these repeats in the higher eukaryotes, and establishes the GACA richness of the buffalo transcriptome. This is envisaged to establish the roles of integral simple sequence repeats and tagged transcripts in gene expression or regulation. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Extrapyramidal symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia: prevalence and clinical correlations. Jul 5, 2007 Alessandro Padovani,Chiara Agosti,Enrico Premi,Giuseppe Bellelli,Barbara Borroni In the present study we aimed at evaluating the prevalence and the associated clinical, neuropsychological and behavioral features of extrapyramidal symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) patients. Seventy-five patients fulfilling clinical criteria of FTD were consecutively enrolled. Each patien... ( view more )t underwent clinical and extrapyramidal sign examination, and neuropsychological and behavioral disturbance evaluation. Each patient was submitted to both brain MRI and SPECT, documenting frontotemporal atrophy/hypoperfusion pattern. Parkinsonian symptoms in FTD were associated with a specific endophenotype characterized by higher incidence of psychotic symptoms, memory deficits and psychomotor speed ability abnormalities. Careful description of the spectrum of presentation of FTD may be of help for further understanding the underpinnings of the disease. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles AZFc somatic microdeletions and copy number polymorphism of the DAZ genes in human males exposed to natural background radiation. May 2007 Sanjay Premi,Jyoti Srivastava,Sebastian Padinjarel Chandy,Sher Ali Ionizing radiations are known to induce tumors, chromosomal lesions and minisatellite length variations, yet no correlation has been demonstrated between radiation exposure and indels or copy number polymorphism (CNP) of the genes. We studied the impact of natural background radiation (NBR) on the ... ( view more )human Y chromosome owing to its haploid status and clonal inheritance. We analyzed the AZFc region using the DNA from blood and semen of 100 males living near the coastal peninsula in Kerala (India), exposed to NBR along with other 50 normal fertile males. STS mapping of AZFc region showed random microdeletions without conclusive gr/gr or b1/b3 phenotypes. Using a highly specific novel Taqman assay based on sY587 sequence, we detected four copies of the DAZ genes in normal males and 4-16 in those exposed to NBR. Amongst NBR exposed males with multiples copies of the DAZ genes, 75% showed varying FISH signals for DAZ genes with cosmid 18E8 whereas 30% showed mosaicism in terms of presence/absence of the signals in 6-8% cells and unexpected number of signals in 9-12% interphase nuclei. Startlingly, all germline samples studied were found to be free from AZFc microdeletions and CNP of the DAZ genes. Since the DAZ genes are heavily implicated with the germ cell development, the cells with DAZ deletion/duplication are unlikely to survive. Alternatively, an innate mechanism may be operative to protect the germline from the effects of NBR. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Characterization of Smoc-1 uncovers two transcript variants showing differential tissue and age specific expression in Bubalus bubalis. 2007 Jyoti Srivastava,Sanjay Premi,Sudhir Kumar,Iqbal Parwez,Sher Ali BACKGROUND: Secreted modular calcium binding protein-1 (Smoc-1) belongs to the BM-40 family which has been implicated with tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and bone mineralization. Besides its anticipated role in embryogenesis, Smoc-1 has been characterized only in a few mammalian species. We made u... ( view more )se of the consensus sequence (5' CACCTCTCCACCTGCC 3') of 33.15 repeat loci to explore the buffalo transcriptome and uncovered the Smoc-1 transcript tagged with this repeat. The main objective of this study was to gain an insight into its structural and functional organization, and expressional status of Smoc-1 in water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis. RESULTS: We cloned and characterized the buffalo Smoc-1, including its copy number status, in-vitro protein expression, tissue & age specific transcription/translation, chromosomal mapping and localization to the basement membrane zone. Buffalo Smoc-1 was found to encode a secreted matricellular glycoprotein containing two EF-hand calcium binding motifs homologous to that of BM-40/SPARC family. In buffalo, this single copy gene consisted of 12 exons and was mapped onto the acrocentric chromosome 11. Though this gene was found to be evolutionarily conserved, the buffalo Smoc-1 showed conspicuous nucleotide/amino acid changes altering its secondary structure compared to that in other mammals. In silico analysis of the Smoc-1 proposed its glycoprotein nature with a calcium dependent conformation. Further, we unveiled two transcript variants of this gene, varying in their 3'UTR lengths but both coding for identical protein(s). Smoc-1 evinced highest expression of both the variants in liver and modest to negligible in other tissues. The relative expression of variant-02 was markedly higher compared to that of variant-01 in all the tissues examined. Moreover, expression of Smoc-1, though modest during the early ages, was conspicuously enhanced after 1 year and remained consistently higher during the entire life span of buffalo with gradual increment in expression of variant-02. Immunohistochemically, Smoc-1 was localized in the basement membrane zones and extracellular matrices of various tissues. CONCLUSION: These data added to our understandings about the tissue, age and species specific functions of the Smoc-1. It also enabled us to demonstrate varying expression of the two transcript variants of Smoc-1 amongst different somatic tissues/gonads and ages, in spite of their identical coding frames. Pursuance of these variants for their roles in various disease phenotypes such as hepatocellular carcinoma and angiogenesis is envisaged to establish broader biological significance of this gene. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Gamma-hydroxybutyrate reduces both withdrawal syndrome and hypercortisolism in severe abstinent alcoholics: an open study vs. diazepam. 2007 Felice Nava,Stefania Premi,Ezio Manzato,Wally Campagnola,Alfio Lucchini,Gian Luigi Gessa In 42 alcoholic inpatients we performed an open randomized study to compare the effects of diazepam and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) on the suppression of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome and hypercortisolism. Both diazepam (.5 mg/kg bodyweight, q.i.d.) and GHB (50 mg/kg bodyweight, q.i.d.) were o... ( view more )rally administered for three weeks. During all study period, GHB was more able than diazepam in reducing both withdrawal syndrome and hypercortisolism. These effects were evident during the first week of treatment and persisted throughout the study period. The results confirm a strict correlation between high levels of plasma cortisol and alcohol withdrawal symptoms and they show a slight superiority of GHB over diazepam in the suppression of both ethanol withdrawal and hypercortisolism. Taken together, our data suggest that GHB may act as potent anti-withdrawal agent in severe abstinent alcoholics. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Combined biomarkers for early Alzheimer disease diagnosis. 2007 Barbara Borroni,Enrico Premi,Monica Di Luca,Alessandro Padovani Few public health problems have captured the attention of the biomedical and lay communities alike as has Alzheimer Disease (AD). Several questions remain still open in disease management, as the necessity to delineate disease process from "normal ageing". In the last few years, Mild Cognitive Impa... ( view more )irment (MCI) has received significant attention, thus it represents the major risk factor for AD. Not all people diagnosed as having MCI, however, will develop AD, hence there is a need to reliably predict progression. To this aim, different biomarkers have been proposed with the attempt to identify MCI people who already have pre-clinical AD. Neuropsychological assessment, peripheral and CSF biomarkers as well as neuroimaging findings (both structural and functional) have reported variable accuracy values, but better results have been obtained by combined biomarker approach. In this review, we summarise the most recent findings on combined biomarkers and their usefulness in clinical practice for the early and preclinical diagnosis of AD. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Comparing treatments of alcoholism on craving and biochemical measures of alcohol consumptionst. Sep 2006 Felice Nava,Stefania Premi,Ezio Manzato,Alfio Lucchini An open randomized study was conducted to compare different treatments of alcoholism on ethanol intake, craving, and on biochemical measures of alcohol consumptions. Eighty-six alcoholics were abstinent for a mean of two weeks prior to random assignment to g-hydroxybutyrate (GHB, 50 mg/kg of body w... ( view more )eight t.i.d), naltrexone (NTX, 50 mg/day) or disulfiram (DSF, 200 mg/ day) treatment for 12 months. All treatments were equally effective in reducing alcohol intake and in maintaining abstinence. In all patients, the treatments were able to reduce both craving and the altered biological markers of alcohol abuse. The maximum effects were observed in GHB-treated patients. The results of the present study suggest that GHB might act both as anticraving and cellular protector agent. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Organizational and expressional uniqueness of a testis-specific mRNA transcript of protooncogene c-kit receptor in water buffalo Bubalus bubalis. Sep 2006 Jyoti Srivastava,Sanjay Premi,Lalit C Garg,Sher Ali Protooncogene c-kit receptor is implicated with spermatogenesis, melanogenesis, and hematopoeisis, and undergoes tissue/stage specific alternate splicing. We have isolated 2973-bp full-length cDNA sequence (CDS) of this gene from testis and other tissues of water buffalo Bubalus bubalis. Upon compa... ( view more )rison, the c-kit sequences showed tissue specific nucleotide changes resulting in novel truncated peptides. These peptides lacked intracellular and/or transmembrane domains in all the tissues except testis. Other alternately spliced tissue-specific transcripts were also detected, which are the integral parts of the open reading frame and have been reported in other mammals. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences revealed unique tyrosine kinase domain in buffalo. Copy number calculation and expressional analysis of c-kit using real-time PCR established its single copy status and highest expression (137-177 folds) in testis compared to that (least) in liver. c-kit expression was detected in semen samples although 10 times lesser compared to that in testis. The highest expression of c-kit in testis and the presence of mRNA transcript in sperms substantiate its predominant role in spermatogenesis. This study establishes unequivocal involvement of an autosomal gene c-kit receptor in testicular function. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Genomic instability of the DYZ1 repeat in patients with Y chromosome anomalies and males exposed to natural background radiation. Jun 30, 2006 Deepali Pathak,Sanjay Premi,Jyoti Srivastava,Sebastian Padinjarel Chandy,Sher Ali We assessed genomic instability of 3.4 kb DYZ1 repeat arrays in patients encompassing prostate cancer (PC), cases of repeated abortion (RA) and males exposed to natural background radiation (NBR) using real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Normal males showed DYZ1 copies rang... ( view more )ing from 3000 to 4300, RA, 0-2237; PC, 550; and males exposed to NBR, 1577-5700. FISH showed organizational variation of DYZ1 in these samples substantiating the data obtained from real-time PCR. Of the 10 RA samples, 7 were found to be affected of which, 5 showed deletion of 265 bp from nt 25 to 290 and 773 bp from 1347 to 2119 and 2 showed deletion of 275 bp from nt 3128 to 3402. Copy number variation of DYZ1 in these males correlated with genetic constrains/anomalies. Although precise mechanisms of genomic instability of DYZ1 remains unclear, we construe that this repeat plays a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the Y chromosome, possibly by absorbing the load of mutations. This may be used as a marker system to analyze genetic integrity of the DYZ1 repeat array(s) across the spectrum of patients. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details   Related Articles Chromosomal localization, copy number assessment, and transcriptional status of BamHI repeat fractions in water buffalo Bubalus bubalis. Apr 2006 Deepali Pathak,Jyoti Srivastava,Sanjay Premi,Madhulika Tiwari,Lalit C Garg,Sudhir Kumar,Sher Ali Higher eukaryotes contain a wide variety of repetitive DNA, although their functions often remain unknown. We describe cloning, chromosomal localization, copy number assessment, and transcriptional status of 1378- and 673-bp repeat fractions in the buffalo genome. The pDS5, representing the 1378-bp... ( view more ) fragment, showed FISH signals in the centromeric region of acrocentric chromosomes only, whereas pDS4, corresponding to 673 bp, detected signals in the centromeric regions of all the chromosomes. Crosshybridization studies of pDS5 and pDS4 with genomic DNA from different sources showed signals only in buffalo, cattle, goat, and sheep. Real-time PCR analysis uncovered 1234 and 3420 copies of pDS5 and pDS4 fragments per the haploid genome, corresponding to 30 and 68 copies per chromosome, respectively. Analysis of cDNA from different tissues of buffalo with Real-time PCR showed maximum expression of pDS5 and pDS4 in the spleen and liver, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences showed a close relationship between buffalo and cattle. The prospect of this approach in comparative genomics is highlighted. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles The use of virtual microscopy for proficiency testing in gynecologic cytopathology: a feasibility study using ScanScope. Mar 2006 Alberto M Marchevsky,Renu Khurana,Premi Thomas,Karen Scharre,Paul Farias,Shika Bose CONTEXT: ScanScope software can digitize entire cytology slides. OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of using virtual microscopy methods and "virtual Papanicolaou tests" for proficiency testing (PT) in gynecologic cytopathology. DESIGN: Two PT exercises were conducted using virtual microscopy. Five ... ( view more )cytopathologists and 1 cytotechnologist interpreted images using 2 different schema as follows: (1) the College of American Pathologists graded diagnostic codes (CAP-GDCs) and (2) the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services test scoring categories (CMS-TSCs). The number of diagnostic errors using the CAP-GDCs and the CMS-TSCs, the mean length of time spent diagnosing each case, and the impressions by the users regarding the facility of the technology and image quality were studied. RESULTS: In the first PT exercise, the participants provided incorrect diagnoses in 4 to 8 of the 10 test cases using the CAP-GDCs and in 1 to 4 of the 10 test cases using the CMS-TSCs. In the second PT exercise, the number of errors decreased to 1 to 6 using the CAP-GDCs and to 0 to 6 using the CMS-TSCs. The results did not achieve statistical significance. The mean time of 9.4 minutes spent per case in the second PT exercise was significantly shorter than the 14.4 minutes spent per case in the first PT exercise (P < .001). The ease of use of the software and the image quality were scored by all participants as 3+ or as 4+. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study shows that virtual microscopy and virtual Papanicolaou tests prepared using ScanScope may provide effective tools for PT. Technical issues that require further investigation are discussed. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Tandem duplication and copy number polymorphism of the SRY gene in patients with sex chromosome anomalies and males exposed to natural background radiation. Feb 2006 Sanjay Premi,Jyoti Srivastava,Sebastian Padinjarel Chandy,Jamal Ahmad,Sher Ali Mutations in the SRY gene encompassing the HMG box have been well characterized in gonadal dysgenesis, male infertility and other types of sex chromosome related anomalies (SCRA). However, no information is available on copy number status of this gene under such abnormal conditions. Employing 'Taqm... ( view more )an Probe Assay' specific to the SRY gene, we screened 16 DNA samples from patients with SCRA and 36 samples from males exposed to high levels of natural background radiation (HNBR). Patients with SCRA showed 2-16 copies of the SRY gene of which, one, Oxen (49, XYYYY) had eight copies with sequences different from one another. Of the 36 HNBR samples, 12 had one copy whereas 24 harboured 2-8 copies of the SRY gene. A HNBR male 33F had one normal and one mutated copy of this gene. Analysis of 25 DNA samples from blood and semen of normal males showed only one copy of this gene. Despite multiple copies in affected males, fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with SRY probe detected a single signal on the Y chromosome in HNBR males suggesting its possible localized tandem duplication. Copy number status of the other Y-linked loci is envisaged to augment DNA diagnostics facilitating genetic counselling to affected patients. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Transcriptional status of known and novel genes tagged with consensus of 33.15 repeat loci employing minisatellite-associated sequence amplification (MASA) and real-time PCR in water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis. Jan 2006 Jyoti Srivastava,Sanjay Premi,Deepali Pathak,Zaid Ahsan,Madhulika Tiwari,Lalit C Garg,Sher Ali We conducted minisatellite-associated sequence amplification (MASA) with an oligo (5' CACCTCTCCACCTGCC 3') based on consensus of 33.15 repeat loci using cDNA from the testis, ovary, spleen, kidney, heart, liver, and lung of water buffalo Bubalus bubalis and uncovered 25 amplicons of six different s... ( view more )izes (1,263, 846/847, 602, 576, 487, and 324 base pairs). These fragments, cloned and sequenced, were found to represent several functional, regulatory, and structural genes. Blast search of all the 25 amplicons showed homologies with 43 transcribing genes across the species. Of these, the 846/847-bp fragment, having homology with the adenylate kinase gene, showed nucleotide changes at six identical places in the ovary and testis. The 1,263; 324; and 487-bp fragments showed homology with the secreted modular calcium binding protein (SMOC-1), leucine-rich repeat neuronal 6A (LRRN6A) mRNA, and human TTTY5 mRNA, respectively. Real-time PCR showed maximum expression of AKL, LRRN6A, and T-cell receptor gamma (TCR-gamma)-like genes in the testis, SMOC-1 in the liver, and the T-cell receptor-like (TCRL) gene in the spleen compared to those used as endogenous control. We construe that these genes have evolved from a common progenitor and conformed to various biological functions during the course of evolution. MASA approach coupled with real-time PCR has potentials to uncover accurate expression of a large number of genes within and across the species circumventing the screening of cDNA library. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Relationship between plasma cortisol levels, withdrawal symptoms and craving in abstinent and treated heroin addicts. 2006 Felice Nava,Emanuela Caldiroli,Stefania Premi,Alfio Lucchini Twelve-month treatment of heroin addicts with methadone or buprenorphine normalized plasma cortisol levels, and controlled withdrawal symptoms as well as craving. During treatment, the time course of plasma cortisol levels and craving was not strictly correlated: heroin craving was more elevated at... ( view more ) 12 than at 3 months. The results suggest a correlation between hypercortisolism, withdrawal symptoms and heroin use and suppose a more complex role for craving and its components in drug-taking behaviour. The main goal of the pharmacological treatment of opioid-dependence should be addressed at the normalization of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis more than at the control of craving. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Better Prescribing Project: a randomized controlled trial of the impact of case-based educational modules and personal prescribing feedback on prescribing for hypertension in primary care. Oct 2004 Carol P Herbert,James M Wright,Malcolm Maclure,Jacqueline Wakefield,Colin Dormuth,Pamela Brett-MacLean,Jeanne Legare,John Premi OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of individualized prescribing feedback and interactive small group education aimed at encouraging evidence-based prescribing in family/general practice. METHODS: A two-by-two factorial randomized controlled trial was carried out involvi... ( view more )ng 200 family physicians in British Columbia, Canada. The physicians met monthly in 28 peer learning groups within the Practice-Based Small Group (PBSG) learning programme. Personalized prescribing feedback related to hypertension was provided through 'prescribing portraits' which graphically displayed comparative rates of individual and peer group prescribing, together with a concise guide for evidence-based prescribing. A case-based educational module, containing the same evidence-based message, was discussed in small groups. Groups were matched and randomized into four arms of seven groups each: control (n = 56), prescribing portrait only (n = 48), educational module only (n = 47), both portrait and module (n = 49). The main outcome measure was changes in 'prescribing preferences' to new patients among those medications used to treat hypertension (i.e. probability that a patient would receive the evidence-based medication as first-line therapy). RESULTS: Using data from the provincial pharmacy registry (PharmaNet), prescribing preferences for antihypertensive agents were determined for all groups for a 6 month period before and after the interventions, based on 4394 patients receiving a first-line antihypertensive. Significant absolute increases in prescribing preference for thiazides were documented for both the module +0.068 (confidence interval [CI] 0.022-0.115) and the portrait +0.065 (CI 0.018-0.111). Preference in the group receiving both module and portrait increased by +0.115 (CI 0.040-0.189). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based educational interventions combining personalized prescribing feedback with interactive group discussion can lead to modest but meaningful changes in physician prescribing. Clear messages, proper trial design and sensitive outcomes are necessary to demonstrate these changes. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Correlation of manual screening and automated (AutoPap 300) analysis of conventional cervicovaginal smears with HPV typing using Digene HC II assay. Nov 2003 Ann E Walts,Premi Thomas Efforts to improve the accuracy and efficacy of diagnosis of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions have prompted the development of new technologies, including several automated screening systems and human papillomavirus (HPV) hybrid capture assay. In this study of 89 conventional cervicovagina... ( view more )l (Papanicolaou [Pap]) smears, diagnoses based on manual screening are correlated with analyses by the AutoPap 300 primary screening system and results of the Digene HPV hybrid capture II assay. We found that (1) the AutoPap system did not "miss" (place in the "no further review" category) any of the high-risk HPV DNA positive cases, (2) quintile assignments by the AutoPap system did not reliably predict the presence or absence of high-risk HPV DNA, (3) cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) were associated with high-risk rather than low-risk HPV genotypes, (4) diagnoses of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and above were more frequent in smears from patients whose cervicovaginal specimens tested positive rather than negative for high-risk HPV DNA (37 of 45 vs 14 of 44) by the Digene HPV hybrid capture II assay, and (5) there was a high incidence of high-risk HPV DNA among women whose smears did not show cytomorphologic changes of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL). These findings emphasize that high-risk HPV DNA is an indication of risk for HGSIL, not the equivalent for it. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Virtual microscopy as a tool for proficiency testing in cytopathology: a model using multiple digital images of Papanicolaou tests. Oct 2003 Alberto M Marchevsky,Yan Wan,Premi Thomas,Lalita Krishnan,Helen Evans-Simon,Helene Haber BACKGROUND: Modern digital cameras can acquire images from cytologic slides at sufficient resolution to allow for digital enlargement and scrolling on a video monitor, allowing for the simulation of microscopy using a computer. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a tool for proficie... ( view more )ncy testing in cytopathology using multiple digital images of Papanicolaou tests. METHODS: Nine images were photographed from each of 10 Papanicolaou tests at x100 optical magnification, 3400 x 2300-pixel resolution, using a light microscope and a digital camera. All images from each case were tiled in a single canvas with Photoshop 4.0 software. Two cytopathologists and 3 cytotechnologists interpreted these "virtual slides" using a computer and graded diagnostic codes (PAP program, College of American Pathologists). Subjects were retested a year later using the glass slides from the same cases and routine microscopy. Both test results, by diagnostic code, were compared with the McNemar test of symmetry. RESULTS: The 5 test subjects provided 42 and 50 correct diagnostic codes by "virtual microscopy" and light microscopy, respectively. No significant asymmetry in results obtained by virtual microscopy and light microscopy was encountered with the McNemar test of symmetry. All test answers were correctly classified by selection series, using both virtual microscopy and light microscopy, and the responses would have been graded as 100% by current PAP program scoring guidelines. This suggests that virtual microscopy could be used for proficiency testing purposes. CONCLUSIONS: A simple virtual microscopy method designed to challenge participants to locate and diagnose cells of interest was effective for the administration of standardized proficiency tests. Virtual microscopy methods that rely on single-plane images to locate and diagnose cells of interest could provide effective proficiency testing tools prior to the development of more computationally intensive systems that represent an entire Papanicolaou test at multiple focal planes. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Commitment to change statements can predict actual change in practice. 2003 Jacqueline Wakefield,Carol P Herbert,Malcolm Maclure,Colin Dormuth,James M Wright,Jeanne Legare,Pamela Brett-MacLean,John Premi INTRODUCTION: Statements of commitment to change are advocated both to promote and to assess continuing education interventions. However, most studies of commitment to change have used self-reported outcomes, and self-reports may significantly overestimate actual performance. As part of an educatio... ( view more )nal randomized controlled trial, this study documented changes that family physicians committed to make in their prescribing and then used third-party data to examine actual changes. METHOD: Following participation in a continuing medical education program using interactive small groups, physicians were asked to identify changes that they planned to make in their practices. For prescribing changes related to four conditions, data from a provincial pharmacy registry were analyzed for 6-month periods before and after the educational intervention. RESULTS: A total of 207 physicians participated in the project, which involved monthly meetings of 30 peer learning groups. Ninety-nine physicians received experimental case-based educational modules +/- personal prescribing feedback, and 91 of these indicated that they planned to make at least one change in practice. Of the 209 intended changes, 71% were directly related to the prescribing messages in the materials. DISCUSSION: In three of four indicator conditions, physicians who expressed a commitment to change were significantly more likely to change their actual prescribing for the target medications in the following 6 months. The percentage of physicians who did change their prescribing varied significantly by condition. Further study of the process of translating commitment to change into real practice change is needed. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Videoconferencing for practice-based small-group continuing medical education: feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and cost. 2003 Michael Allen,Joan Sargeant,Karen Mann,Michael Fleming,John Premi INTRODUCTION: Small-group, practice-based learning is an effective and well-accepted method of continuing medical education (CME). However, one limitation is that many physicians work in communities with fewer than the minimum number recommended for an effective learning group. Videoconferencing ha... ( view more )s the potential to remove this limitation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and cost of conducting practice-based, small-group CME learning by videoconference. METHODS: Through a videoconferencing link, 10 learners in three communities were guided through four practice-based learning modules by a trained facilitator at a fourth site. Data were collected through evaluation questionnaires, direct observation by the research team, pre- and post-knowledge tests, a focus group, and an interview. RESULTS: A total of 31 learners participated in the four modules. Videoconferencing was generally well accepted by learners. The facilitator and research team observers noted that muting microphones, video quality, audio quality, and audio lag all somewhat hindered discussion. Overall, the facilitator found moderating by videoconference only slightly more difficult than a face-to-face session. There was evidence of knowledge gain, with post-test scores being 20% higher than pretest scores (p = .006). Learners reported nine practice changes from taking the modules. At commercial rates, telecommunications costs per videoconferenced module were approximately CAN$1,200. DISCUSSION: Videoconferencing has the potential to bring the benefits of small-group, practice-based learning to many physicians; however, strict attention to videoconferencing techniques is required. Cost is also an important consideration. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Endometrial cells and the AutoPap System for primary screening of cervicovaginal Pap smears. Oct 2002 Ann E Walts,Premi Thomas In 1998, the AutoPap 300 received FDA approval for primary screening of conventional cervical smears. As approved, smears categorized as "no further review" and comprising up to 25% of the smears screened by the AutoPap 300 can be reported as negative for malignant and dysplastic cells without scre... ( view more )ening by a cytotechnologist. We studied 106 conventional cervical smears in which glandular endometrial cells had been identified by manual screening to assess the ability of the AutoPap System (TriPath Imaging, Inc., Burlington, NC) to (1) designate conventional Papanicolaou smears that contain endometrial cells for "review," and (2) stratify smears that contain endometrial cells as more or less likely to be abnormal. Although the number of cases in our study was small, our findings indicate that (1) the AutoPap System is slightly less sensitive than manual screening by experienced cytotechnologists for the detection of endometrial cells in conventional smears, as the System designated for "review" 94.3% of all smears containing endometrial cells, 92.9% of smears reported as atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS) or endometrial adenocarcinoma, and 100% of the four smears with subsequently confirmed endometrial adenocarcinomas, (2) ranking of smears into quintiles by the AutoPap System did not provide additional diagnostically useful information with respect to endometrial pathology, (3) the number of endometrial cells in the smears did not correlate with quintile assignment, and (4) for most patients, routine use of the AutoPap System for primary screening of conventional cervical smears is unlikely to contribute to delay in the diagnosis of clinically significant endometrial lesions. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Results of remedial continuing medical education in dyscompetent physicians. Feb 2000 E Hanna,J Premi,J Turnbull PURPOSE: Noticing that moderately to severely incompetent physicians (as measured by a standardized assessment of physician competence) did not improve after traditional remedial continuing medical education (CME), the authors investigated the effects of a polyvalent, intensive, prolonged education... ( view more )al intervention on five physicians' competence. METHOD: The five physicians participated in a CME program that lasted three years and consisted of individualized review, ongoing small-group and evidence-based discussions, simulated patients and role playing, formal chart review, and peer review. At the end of the program, the physicians were reassessed. RESULTS: Only one physician improved; another remained the same, and three deteriorated. CONCLUSION: Successful remediation of severely incompetent physicians is uncertain at best, even with prolonged, intensive CME that incorporates modalities thought to be effective in changing physicians' behaviors. Alternative educational techniques may need to be developed for this select population. Conversely, there may be reasons that preclude improvement even with optimal techniques. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Perinatal outcome in pregnancy induced hypertension. Jan 1996 K B Gupta,I Randhawa,A Pal,H K Premi,J Ganeshan Perinatal outcome and the factors affecting it were studied in 140 pregnant women with hypertension. Perinatal mortality rate (PNM) was 140/1000 and the stillbirth rate was 8.7%. In severe hypertension PNM was 52.3% and all perinatal deaths were 8.7%, when the serum uric acid level were more than 4... ( view more ).5 mg%. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Emigration dynamics: the Indian context. 1995 M K Premi,M D Mathur This report on emigration dynamics in India opens by providing background on short- and long-distance migration to and from India in response to such events as the formation of Pakistan as well as to the policies of the British Empire and Commonwealth. Section 2 discusses India's demographic and ... ( view more )sociocultural setting in terms of population growth, urbanization, patterns of internal migration, growth of the labor force, economic growth, poverty alleviation, health, and education. The third section describes the lack of data on international migration. Some data are available on emigrants, but the only information on return migration is that gleaned from surveys in Kerala. Section 4 considers emigration to industrialized countries and notes that it is almost exclusively permanent and largely composed of individuals with professional, technical, or managerial skills. The resulting brain drain is described as is the incidence of illegal migration. India does not create conditions from which citizens must seek asylum, rather the country has absorbed flows of refugees from Pakistan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Available data on the characteristics of emigrants and return migrants are reviewed in the next two sections, and section 7 looks at the data on financial flows gathered from macro-level estimates of remittances. Section 8 is devoted to the community, family, and individual factors which influence emigration including the networks that facilitate migration and means of meeting migration costs. The ninth section summarizes the political setting with an emphasis on the adverse reaction of Nepal to population movement from India. The final section of the report projects future population movements. It is noted that if there were no restrictions on migration, millions of Indians would emigrate to the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Whereas poverty, unemployment, and population growth will likely erode living conditions in India, the government has no policy to encourage emigration. Labor migration to the Gulf countries will likely continue. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Perinatal outcome of pregnancies complicated by threatened abortion. Nov 1994 S K Verma,H K Premi,T V Gupta,S Thakur,K B Gupta,I Randhawa One hundred and two cases of viable pregnancies with threatened abortion were studied in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Kamla Nehru Hospital, IG Medical College, Shimla between November 1987 and February 1989 and their perinatal outcome was evaluated. The pregnancies continued beyond... ( view more ) 28 weeks in 61.7% of the cases. The incidence of prematurity was 19.0%. The incidence of low birth weight (LBW) babies was 23.8%. Apgar score was less than 7 in 22.3%. The incidence of neonatal complications was 25.3%. There was no perinatal mortality. In a control group of 50 cases, the incidence of prematurity and LBW was 8% and 4% respectively. Apgar score less than 7 was noted in 4% and neonatal complications were observed only in 4% of newborns. ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Gynaecological neoplasms in postmenopausal women of Himachal Pradesh. Oct 1994 A Pal,H K Premi,K B Gupta,I Randhawa A controlled prospective study was conducted on 300 postmenopausal women attending the Kamla Nehru Hospital from November, 1990 to August, 1992. The incidence of gynaecological neoplasms was 31.3% in both the study group (300 postmenopausal women) and the control group (300 premenopausal women). Th... ( view more )e incidence of malignant neoplasms was 24.6% in study group and 8.6% in control group. This difference was highly significant (p < 0.001). Carcinoma cervix (16%) was the commonest gynaecological malignancy followed by ovarian cancer (6%). The incidence of benign neoplasms was lower in the study group (6.6%) as compared to the control (22.6%). ( view less ) View Full Abstract View Article Details View Coded Data Related Articles Page 1 of 2 1 2 > (38 articles found)

      
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