Grevstad

OBJECTIVE: To determine if it is possible to stabilise the cerebral oxygenation of extremely preterm infants monitored by cerebral near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) oximetry. DESIGN: Phase II randomised, single blinded, parallel clinical trial. SETTING: Eight tertiary neonatal intensive care units in eight European countries. PARTICIPANTS: 166 extremely preterm infants born before 28 weeks of gestation: 86 were randomised to cerebral NIRS monitoring and 80 to blinded NIRS monitoring...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is often associated with severe pain. Different regional anesthetic techniques exist, all with varying degrees of motor blockade. We hypothesized that pain relief provided by the adductor canal block (ACB) could increase functional muscle strength. METHODS: We included 50 TKA patients with severe movement-related pain; defined as having visual analog scale pain score of greater than 60 mm during active flexion of the knee...

BACKGROUND: The analgesic effect of the adductor canal block (ACB) after knee surgery has been evaluated in a number of trials. We hypothesized that the ACB would provide substantial pain relief to patients responding with moderate to severe pain after arthroscopic knee surgery. METHODS: Fifty subjects with moderate to severe pain after arthroscopic knee surgery were enrolled in this placebo-controlled, blinded trial. All subjects received two ACBs; an initial ACB with either 30 ml ropivacaine 7...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the benefits and harms of targeting intensive versus conventional glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: A systematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses of randomised clinical trials. DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded and LILACS to January 2013. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised clinical trials that prespecified different targets of glycaemic control in participants at any age with type 1 diabetes mellitus were included...

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C infection is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The estimated number of chronically infected people with hepatitis C virus worldwide is about 150 million people. Every year, another three to four million people acquire the infection. Chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver-related mortality and morbidity. It is estimated that around 5% to 20% of people with the infection will develop liver cirrhosis, which increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure...

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with varying degrees of pain. A considerable proportion (25-40%) of patients experience severe pain, despite a comprehensive multimodal analgesic regimen. We hypothesized that adductor canal block (ACB) would reduce pain in this patient category compared with placebo. METHODS: Fifty patients with severe pain, defined as having a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score of >60 during active flexion of the knee on the first or the second postoperative day after TKA, were included in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial...

Phosphoinositides provide compartment-specific signals for membrane trafficking. Plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is required for Ca(2+)-triggered vesicle exocytosis, but whether vesicles fuse into PIP2-rich membrane domains in live cells and whether PIP2 is metabolized during Ca(2+)-triggered fusion were unknown. Ca(2+)-dependent activator protein in secretion 1 (CAPS-1; CADPS/UNC31) and ubMunc13-2 (UNC13B) are PIP2-binding proteins required for Ca(2+)-triggered vesicle exocytosis in neuroendocrine PC12 cells...

BACKGROUND: Ten to 30% of HIV-1 infected subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) during chronic infection. We hypothesized that immunizing rabbits with viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) from these patients may induce bNAbs, when formulated as a trimeric protein and in the presence of an adjuvant. METHODS: Based on in vitro neutralizing activity in serum, patients with bNAbs were selected for cloning of their HIV-1 Env. Seven stable soluble trimeric gp140 proteins were generated from sequences derived from four adults and two children infected with either clade A or B HIV-1...

Trimeric soluble forms of HIV gp140 envelope glycoproteins represent one of the closest molecular structures compared to native spikes present on intact virus particles. Trimeric soluble gp140 have been generated by several groups and such molecules have been shown to induce antibodies with neutralizing activity against homologous and heterologous viruses. In the present study, we generated a recombinant trimeric soluble gp140, derived from a previously identified Ugandan A-clade HIV field isolate (gp14094UG018)...

BACKGROUND: Every year in Europe about 25,000 infants are born extremely preterm. These infants have a 20% mortality rate, and 25% of survivors have severe long-term cerebral impairment. Preventative measures are key to reduce mortality and morbidity in an extremely preterm population. The primary objective of the SafeBoosC phase II trial is to examine if it is possible to stabilize the cerebral oxygenation of extremely preterm infants during the first 72 hours of life through the application of cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) oximetry and implementation of an clinical treatment guideline based on intervention thresholds of cerebral regional tissue saturation rStO2...

BACKGROUND: In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the effect of the predominantly sensory adductor-canal-blockade on established pain in the early post-operative period after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We hypothesised that the adductor-canal-blockade would reduce pain during flexion of the knee (primary end point) and at rest, as well as reducing morphine consumption and morphine-related side effects (secondary outcomes) compared with placebo. METHODS: We enrolled patients scheduled for elective TKA into this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study...

As part of a biological control program against Spartina alterniflora Loisel. (smooth cordgrass), we simultaneously released populations of the planthopper Prokelisia marginata (van Duzee) from four geographic areas in each of five replicate field sites in the Willapa Bay estuary in Washington State. The four sources (California, Georgia, Virginia, and Rhode Island) have varying climate and seasonal regimes. We expected local adaptations would affect performance in the new environment. Using vacuum sampling, we measured population densities in spring and fall for 2 yr after release...

The New Zealand white rabbit model (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is widely used to test whether HIV vaccine candidates elicit systemic antibody responses; however, its use in mucosal immunology has not been fully exploited due to the difficulty in collecting mucosal specimens longitudinally and reproducibly. Here we describe feasible and non-feasible methods to collect vaginal and nasal specimens from nulliparous rabbits. Non-feasible methods were those resulting in poor reproducibility and considerable animal twitching during sampling, whereas feasible methods resulted in no animal twitching and potential for sampling reproducibility...

BACKGROUND: The acquisition of immunoglobulin (Ig) G to variant surface antigens (VSAs) seems important for the development of protective immunity against malaria. Unlike VSAs expressed by parasite isolates associated with uncomplicated malaria, VSAs expressed by parasite isolates associated with severe malaria (VSA(SM)) are frequently recognized by IgG. METHODS: We analyzed levels of anti-VSA IgG in 57 individuals in Daraweesh, Sudan, before and after the transmission season...

The slow acquisition of protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria probably reflects the extensive diversity of important antigens. The variant surface antigens (VSA) that mediate parasite adhesion to a range of host molecules are regarded as important targets of acquired protective immunity, but their diversity makes them questionable vaccine candidates. We determined levels of VSA-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in human plasma collected at four geographically distant and epidemiologically distinct localities with specificity for VSA expressed by P...

This pilot study evaluated the effects of supplementation with PUFA on blood FA composition and behavior in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)-like symptoms also reporting thirst and skin problems. Fifty children were randomized to treatment groups receiving either a PUFA supplement providing a daily dose of 480 mg DHA, 80 mg EPA, 40 mg arachidonic acid (AA), 96 mg GLA, and 24 mg alpha-tocopheryl acetate, or an olive oil placebo for 4 mon of double-blind parallel treatment. Supplementation with the PUFA led to a substantial increase in the proportions of EPA, DHA, and alpha-tocopherol in the plasma phospholipids and red blood cell (RBC) total lipids, but an increase was noted in the plasma phospholipid proportions of 18:3n-3 with olive oil as well...

Using a service learning approach, registered nurse baccalaureate students apply the concepts of community- and population-centered practice through participation in a 10-week clinical practicum. Through this project, students experience community health theories in action, understand the sociopolitical processes that shape health, and think more broadly about clients within their particular clinical practice, and populations beyond those settings.

AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic value of different clinical findings, and analyse the symptoms experienced from teeth with incomplete dentinal fractures in patients with diffuse orofacial pain. Secondly, to present the outcome of different treatment modalities in these patients. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-two patients, referred to the teaching clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Bergen, with poorly localized orofacial pain, were finally diagnosed with 46 incompletely fractured teeth...

PURPOSE: The main purpose of this paper is to present the results of a randomized trial comparing the effects of two chemotherapy regimens on the Quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Trials in advanced stage disease represent an important treatment context for QOL assessment. A second purpose of this paper is to examine methods for handling the level of missing data commonly observed in the advanced stage disease context. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive cisplatin plus vinorelbine or carboplatin plus paclitaxel...

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly important to have timely information about the economic impact of new cancer therapies in today's cost-conscious environment. Nearly 170 000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer annually in the United States. We performed an economic analysis alongside Southwest Oncology Group Trial S9509 to estimate the cost-effectiveness of cisplatin plus vinorelbine versus carboplatin plus paclitaxel for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. There were no statistically significant differences in survival or cancer-related quality of life between the treatment arms...