124 research outputs found
Numerical Evaluation of the Combined Effect of Wettability and Heterogeneity on Waterflood Performance
No full textNoninvasive Assessments of Mitochondrial Capacity in People with Mitochondrial Myopathies
No full textPeople affected by mitochondrial myopathies (MITOs) are thought to have impaired skeletal muscle oxygenation. The aims of this study were to measure skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity in MITO participants and able-bodied (AB) participants and evaluate the influence of muscle-specific endurance training in one MITO participant. Participants (n = 7) with mitochondrial disease and controls (n = 9) were tested (ages 18–54 years). Mitochondrial capacity (mVO2max) was measured using the rate constant of recovery of oxygen consumption (mVO2) after exercise in the forearm flexor muscles with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). One MITO participant was tested before and after performing 18 forearm exercise sessions in 30 days. There were no differences between MITO and AB participants in mVO2max (MITO: 1.4 ± 0.1 min−1; AB: 1.5 ± 0.3 min−1; p = 0.29), resting mVO2 (MITO: −0.4 ± 0.2%/min; AB: −0.3 ± 0.1%/min; p = 0.23), or initial post exercise oxygen consumption rates (MITO: 4.3 ± 1.2%/min; AB: 4.4 ± 1.4%/min; p = 0.9). Exercise oxygen desaturation was greater in MITO (39.8 ± 9.7% range) than in AB (28 ± 8.8% range) participants, p = 0.02. The MITO participant who trained increased her mitochondrial capacity (58%) and muscle-specific endurance (24%) and had reduced symptoms of muscle fatigue. We found no evidence supporting in vivo impairment of forearm muscle mVO2max in genetically confirmed MITO participants. This is consistent with studies that report increased mitochondrial content, which offsets the decrease in mitochondrial function. Positive muscle adaptations to endurance training appear to be possible in people with MITOs. Characterization of study populations will be important when interpreting the relationship between in vivo mitochondrial capacity and mitochondrial disease
Water Shutoff by Relative Permeability Modifiers: Lessons from Several Field Applications
No full textEconomic nationalism : a historical perspective on economic empowerment in South Africa with special reference to aspects of the manifestation of Black Economic Empowerment
No full textIncludes bibliographical referencesThis thesis aims to compare BEE with the economic empowerment strategies of Afrikaner nationalism in order to root discussion around Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment within a context of economic nationalism. This approach avoids narrow critiques of BEE as affirmative action and provides a fresh historical perspective to the ANC’s efforts at transformation and redress. The comparison allows for insight to the different levels of success achieved by the economic nationalist strategies of Afrikaner empowerment and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment. This thesis explores micro-studies to illustrate the complex issues raised by empowerment policies of Afrikaner (post 1924) and African nationalism (post 1994). In particular this serves to offer an alternative perspective the more common broad political approaches to BEE and highlights the policy’s effect at a micro-level
Onset of efficacy with acute long-acting injectable paliperidone palmitate treatment in markedly to severely ill patients with schizophrenia: post hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial
No full textAbstract Background This post hoc analysis (trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00590577) assessed onset of efficacy and tolerability of acute treatment with once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP), a long-acting atypical antipsychotic initiated by day 1 and day 8 injections, in a markedly to severely ill schizophrenia population. Methods Subjects entering the 13-week, double-blind trial were randomized to PP (39, 156, or 234 mg [25, 100, and 150 mg eq of paliperidone, respectively]) or placebo. This subgroup analysis included those with a baseline Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) score indicating marked to severe illness. PP subjects received a 234-mg day 1 injection (deltoid), followed by their assigned dose on day 8 and monthly thereafter (deltoid or gluteal). Thus, data for PP groups were pooled for days 4 and 8. Measures included Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), CGI-S, Personal and Social Performance (PSP), and adverse events (AEs). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) methodologies, without multiplicity adjustments, were used to assess changes in continuous measures. Onset of efficacy was defined as the first time point a treatment group showed significant PANSS improvement (assessed days 4, 8, 22, 36, 64, and 92) versus placebo, which was maintained through end point. Results A total of 312 subjects met inclusion criterion for this subgroup analysis. After the day 1 injection, mean PANSS total scores improved significantly with PP (all received 234 mg) versus placebo at day 4 (P = 0.012) and day 8 (P = 0.007). After the day 8 injection, a significant PANSS improvement persisted at all subsequent time points in the 234-mg group versus placebo (P P P P Conclusions In this markedly to severely ill population, acute treatment with 234 mg PP improved psychotic symptoms compared with placebo by day 4. After subsequent injections, observed improvements are suggestive of a dose-dependent effect. No unexpected tolerability findings were noted.</p
Onset of efficacy and tolerability following the initiation dosing of long-acting paliperidone palmitate: post-hoc analyses of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial
No full textAbstract Background Paliperidone palmitate is a long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotic for the acute and maintenance treatment of adults with schizophrenia. The recommended initiation dosing regimen is 234 mg on Day 1 and 156 mg on Day 8 via intramuscular (deltoid) injection; followed by 39 to 234 mg once-monthly thereafter (deltoid or gluteal). These post-hoc analyses addressed two commonly encountered clinical issues regarding the initiation dosing: the time to onset of efficacy and the associated tolerability. Methods In a 13-week double-blind trial, 652 subjects with schizophrenia were randomized to paliperidone palmitate 39, 156, or 234 mg (corresponding to 25, 100, or 150 mg equivalents of paliperidone, respectively) or placebo (NCT#00590577). Subjects randomized to paliperidone palmitate received 234 mg on Day 1, followed by their randomized fixed dose on Day 8, and monthly thereafter, with no oral antipsychotic supplementation. The onset of efficacy was defined as the first timepoint where the paliperidone palmitate group showed significant improvement in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score compared to placebo (Analysis of Covariance [ANCOVA] models and Last Observation Carried Forward [LOCF] methodology without adjusting for multiplicity) using data from the Days 4, 8, 22, and 36 assessments. Adverse event (AE) rates and relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) versus placebo were determined. Results Paliperidone palmitate 234 mg on Day 1 was associated with greater improvement than placebo on Least Squares (LS) mean PANSS total score at Day 8 (p = 0.037). After the Day 8 injection of 156 mg, there was continued PANSS improvement at Day 22 (p ≤ 0.007 vs. placebo) and Day 36 (p Conclusions Significantly greater symptom improvement was observed by Day 8 with paliperidone palmitate (234 mg on Day 1) compared to placebo; this effect was maintained after the 156 mg Day 8 injection, with a trend towards a dose-dependent response. No unexpected tolerability findings were noted in the first week or month after the initiation dosing. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT#00590577</p
The impact of standardized robotics course training during colorectal surgery fellowship on post-training practice: a survey of graduates.
No full textThe Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery (APDCRS) has sponsored a standardized robotics course for colorectal and minimally invasive surgery fellows since 2011. The study objective was to assess the impact of the APDCRS-sponsored course on surgical approaches adopted by young colorectal surgeons before, during, and after fellowship. An internet-based survey was administered to 2014-2022 ACGME-accredited colorectal surgery program graduates. Study variables were summarized using frequencies and proportions. Survey response rate was 43.2%. Laparoscopic and robotic volumes were consistently higher than open and hand-assist laparoscopic volumes over the study period. About 70.0% of fellows performed ≥ 20 laparoscopic cases before 2017, and over 80% had experience with ≥ 20 laparoscopic cases during/after 2017. An increasing trend of performing ≥ 20 robotic colorectal cases during fellowship was observed (before 2017: 75.0%, 2018-2019: 76.9%, and 2021-2022: 84.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher robotic volume (≥ 25 colorectal cases) during general surgery residency increased odds of performing ≥ 50 robotic cases during fellowship (OR: 4.38, 95% CI 0.88, 26.1). Higher robotic volumes during fellowship correlated with higher robotic volumes in the first year of post-fellowship practice. 88.6% of respondents agree (21.0%) or strongly agree (67.6%) that the APDCRS robotics training course met expectations, and 83.8% agree or strongly agree that the course prepared them for post-graduate robotics practice. The APDCRS-sponsored robotics training course met expectations and prepared colorectal surgery fellows for adopting the robotic approach after graduation, with the majority of respondents reporting that they utilize robotics in their post-graduation colorectal practice
The tolkin gene is a tolloid/BMP-1 homologue that is essential for Drosophila development
No full textThe Drosophila decapentaplegic (dpp) gene, a member of the tranforming growth factor β superfamily of growth factors, is critical for specification of the embryonic dorsal-ventral axis, for proper formation of the midgut, and for formation of Drosophila adult structures. The Drosophila tolloid gene has been shown to genetically interact with dpp. The genetic interaction between tolloid and dpp suggests a model in which the tolloid protein participates in a complex containing the DPP ligand, its protease serving to activate DPP, either directly or indirectly. We report here the identification and cloning of another Drosophila member of the tolloid/bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 1 family, tolkin, which is located 700 bp 5' to tolloid. Its overall structure is like tolloid, with an N-terminal metalloprotease domain, five complement subcomponents C1r/C1s, Uegf, and Bmp1 (CUB) repeats and two epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats. Its expression pattern overlaps that of tolloid and dpp in early embryos and diverges in later stages. In larval tissues, both tolloid and tolkin are expressed uniformly in the imaginal disks. In the brain, both tolloid and tolkin are expressed in the outer proliferation center, whereas tolkin has another stripe of expression near the outer proliferation center. Analysis of lethal mutations in tolkin indicate it is vital during larval and pupal stages. Analysis of its mutant phenotypes and expression patterns suggests that its functions may be mostly independent of tolloid and dpp.</p
Dosing information for paliperidone palmitate - a once-monthly injectable atypical antipsychotic - based on population pharmacokinetic analysis
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