Phytochemical investigations have

revealed that the fruits contain anthocyanins, phenolics, sterols, carotenoids, procyanidins and flavonoids, compounds known to possess multiple beneficial effects. Preclinical studies have shown that the date fruits possess free radical scavenging, antioxidant. antimutagenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, selleck kinase inhibitor nephroprotective, anticancer and immunostimulant activities. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the phytochemistry and validated pharmacological properties of date fruits and the seeds. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Isolated methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is managed by dietary protein restriction and medical food supplementation. Resting energy expenditure (REE) can be depressed in affected individuals for

undefined reasons.

Objective: The objective was to document the spectrum of nutritional approaches used to treat patients with MMA, measure REE, and analyze the dependence of REE on body composition, biochemical, and nutritional variables.

Design: Twenty-nine patients with isolated MMA (22 mut, 5 cblA, 2 cblB; 15 males, 14 females; age range: 2-35 y) underwent evaluation. REE was measured with open-circuit calorimetry and compared with predicted values by using age-appropriate equations.

Results: Nutritional regimens were as follows: protein restriction with medical food (n = 17 of 29), protein restriction with medical food and supplemental isoleucine or valine (n

= 5 of 29), or the use of natural C59 purchase protein alone for dietary needs (n = 7 of 29). Most mut patients had short stature and higher percentage fat mass compared with reference controls. Measured REE decreased to 74 +/- 13.6% of predicted (P<0.001) in the <= 18-y group (n = 22) and to 83 +/- 11.1% (P = 0.004) in patients aged >18 ZD1839 Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor y (n = 7). Linear regression modeling suggested that age (P = 0.001), creatinine clearance (P = 0.01), and height z score (P = 0.04) accounted for part of the variance of measured REE per kilogram of fat-free mass (model R-2 = 0.66, P<0.0001).

Conclusions: There is wide variation in the dietary treatment of MMA. Standard predictive equations overestimate REE in this population primarily due to their altered body composition and decreased renal function. Defining actual energy needs will help optimize nutrition and protect individuals from overfeeding. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00078078. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:47-56.”
“Background

Reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in young and middle aged individuals. Associations with cardiovascular disease and mortality in older people are less clearly established.

“
“SETTING: A high tuberculosis (TB) burden setting, South Africa. Two frequently used definitions for ‘household’ arc 1) ‘all dwellings on the same plot of land that share the same residential address’; and 2) ‘a group of persons who live together in the same dwelling unit and who have the same eating arrangements’.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise a household and the outcome of investigations in household child contacts using definition 1 compared to definition 2 during a TB contact investigation.

DESIGN: Access to a household (definition 1) was gained via an adult TB case. Children were assessed for TB infection and disease.

RESULTS: Household Crenolanib in vivo enumeration

indicated 25 members of three families living in a main house and a fourth family living in an adjacent structure.

Three children were diagnosed with TB and two referred for isoniazid preventive therapy. Families living in the main house shared the main kitchen, while the yard house family used its own kitchen. This household would have been classified as two separate households if definition 2 had been used, and children with TB disease and infection would have been missed.

CONCLUSION: The definition of household in TB contact investigation should provide a framework that is broad enough to capture the majority of children at risk.”
“We investigated two athletes swimming in 4A degrees C for 23 min (1.3 km, swimmer 1) and 42 min (2.2 km, swimmer 2), respectively.

Pre swim, Dinaciclib inhibitor percent body fat was determined; post swim, core temperature was measured.

The core temperature of swimmer 2 was: 37.0A degrees C immediately before the start, 32A degrees C 20 min after getting out of the water, and 35.5A degrees C 80 min after finishing the swim.

We assume that the higher skin-fold thickness and body fat of swimmer 2 enabled him to perform longer. In addition to this, mental power and experience in cold water swimming must be considered. In any athlete aiming

at swimming in water of less than 5A degrees C, body core temperature and heart rate should be continuously monitored in order to detect a body core temperature below 32A degrees C and arrhythmia to pull the athlete out of the water before life-threatening circumstances occur.”
“BACKGROUND: check details Serial testing for tuberculosis (TB) exposure has been advocated among health care workers (HCWs) at risk of nosocomial infection.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and factors associated with TB infection among selected HCWs in Malaysia and to determine interferon-gamma response in serial testing.

DESIGN: A cohort of 769 HCWs were retested after 1 year using QuantiFERON (R)-TB Gold In-Tube. Incidence of TB infection was determined among HCWs who previously tested negative. Conversion and reversion rates using several definitions were explored.

After pilocarpine, forward IOL movement measurements were statistically significantly greater by AS-OCT than by PCI (mean 0.306 +/- 0.161 mm versus 0.270 +/- 0.155 mm) (P = .017).

CONCLUSIONS: The AS-OCT device showed a bias toward underestimation of ACD compared with the PCI device. The bias increased as ACD shallowed with pilocarpine, resulting in overestimation of forward AZD1208 IOL movement by AS-OCT. This may lead to overestimation of the accommodative performance of IOLs. The ACD measurements obtained by the

2 devices are not interchangeable.”
“The purpose of this work was to evaluate the usefulness of silicone hydrogel contact lenses loaded with ketotifen fumarate for ocular drug delivery. First, silicone contact lenses were prepared by photopolymerization Fludarabine manufacturer of bitelechelic methacrylated polydimethylsiloxanes macromonomer, 3-methacryloxypropyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane, and N,N-dimethylacrylamide using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker and Darocur 1173 as an initiator followed by surface plasma treatment. Then, the silicone hydrogel matrices of the contact lenses were characterized by equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR), tensile tests, ion permeability,

and surface contact angle. Finally, the contact lenses were loaded with ketotifen fumarate by pre-soaking in drug solution to evaluate drug loading capacity, in vitro and in vivo release behavior of the silicone contact lenses. The results showed that ESR and ion permeability increase, and the surface contact angle and tensile strength decreased with the increase of DMA component in the silicone hydrogel. The drug loading and in vitro releases were dependent on the hydrogel composition of hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase of the contact lenses. In rabbit eyes, the pre-soaked contact lenses sustained ketotifen fumarate release for more than 24 h, which leads to a more stable drug concentration and a longer mean retention time in tear fluid than that of eye drops of 0.05%.</.”
“The surface of polyamide (nylon 6) was modified by plasma-immersion ion implantation (PIII) with nitrogen ions. Structural learn more changes

associated with carbonization, oxidation, and depolymerization were observed in the modified surface layer with Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy, surface energy measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The enzyme activity of surface-attached horseradish peroxidase was studied with a tetramethylbenzidine colorimetric activity assay. Compared to untreated controls, the PIII-treated surface showed a higher level of the attached protein with increased longevity of bioactivity. Detection of the immobilized protein layer was made difficult by the presence of amide groups in nylon. Here we demonstrate the potential of combining FTIR-ATR spectroscopy with XPS measurements for this purpose. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

faecium and had severe underlying diseases. Our experience suggests that salvage therapy with daptomycin might be a safe and efficacious treatment for E. faecium infections.”
“Background: Recently, oral tobacco products have been marketed specifically towards cigarette smokers. These products come in different nicotine doses and formulations (snus vs. lozenge). To date, little research has been conducted to determine how smokers respond to these products. The goal of this study was to examine if smokers AL3818 manufacturer prefer certain oral tobacco products based on their specific

characteristics.

Methods: Smokers interested in quitting underwent a sampling phase and a treatment phase. The sampling phase consisted of testing five different products varying in nicotine dose (high vs. moderate vs. low) and formulation (snus vs. lozenge): General Snus, Camel Snus, Marlboro Snus, Stonewall and Ariva. Each product was sampled in the natural environment on separate days. At the end of the sampling period, subjects chose which product they would use during the 2-week cigarette abstinence phase.

Results: selleck products General Snus (high nicotine) was not preferred by any smoker. No significant differences

in preferences were observed across the other tobacco products. During the smoking cessation phase, Camel Snus was generally associated with greater craving relief and satisfaction, reduced use of cigarettes, and greater abstinence during follow-up compared to other products.

Conclusion: There were no differences in preferences for four of the five oral tobacco products but higher nicotine oral tobacco products were associated with better cessation outcomes among smokers who chose these products. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Dietary glycemic load (GL; defined as the mathematical product of the glycemic index and carbohydrate content) is increasingly used

in nutritional epidemiology. NVP-AUY922 Its ability to predict postprandial glycemia and insulinemia for a wide range of foods or mixed meals is unclear.

Objective: Our objective was to assess the degree of association between calculated GL and observed glucose and insulin responses in healthy subjects consuming isoenergetic portions of single foods and mixed meals.

Design: In study 1, groups of healthy subjects consumed 1000-kJ portions of 121 single foods in 10 food categories. In study 2, healthy subjects consumed 2000-kJ servings of 13 mixed meals. Foods and meals varied widely in macronutrient content, fiber, and GL. Glycemia and insulinemia were quantified as area under the curve relative to a reference food (= 100).

Results: Among the single foods, GL was a more powerful predictor of postprandial glycemia and insulinemia than was the available carbohydrate content, explaining 85% and 59% of the observed variation, respectively (P < 0.001).

0% poor metabolic control (DM1-B). Oral mucosal abnormalites, Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and decayed, missing, and filled (DMF) index were documented. Salivary flow was evaluated by means of stimulated saliva collection (SSFR).

Results. Glycosylated hemoglobin values of <= 8.0% (DM1-A) were observed in 17 (24%) and >8.0% (DM1-B) in 34 (76%) of the subjects. The average DMF indexes were 1.5 (control) and 3.3 (DM1-group) (P <= .05). The average CPIs were 0.2 (control), 1.4 (DM1-A), and 2.0 (DM1-B) (P <= .05). Average SSFRs were 0.997 (DM1-A), 0.903 (DM1-B), and 1.224 (control) mL/min.

Conclusions. Oral health of adolescents MLN2238 price with DM1 was impaired regardless of metabolic control.

(Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2010; 109: e51-e56)”
“This article reports the results of experiments to synthesize a family of copolymers based on polyacrylamide (PAAM), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) to obtain PAAM-g-PEO and PAAM-g-PPO copolymers with varied grafted chain lengths and contents. The influence of the chemical structure, composition, and molecular architecture on the drag-reduction properties was evaluated. The PAAM-g-PEO systems were prepared by solution polymerization using hydrogen peroxide as initiator, whereas the PAAM-g-PPO systems were obtained by micellar polymerization using potassium

persulfate as initiator PCI-34051 manufacturer and sodium dodecyl sulfate as surfactant agent. The synthesized polymers were characterized by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13 C-NMR) and size-exclusion chromatography. The drag-reduction tests were carried out in a capillary viscosimeter in bench scale, and the performance was expressed in terms of drag-reduction percentage (%DR). The results suggest that, a determined

chemical structure for each copolymer family evaluated probably promotes the ideal conformation of the chains under flow, favoring each polymer’s drag-reduction action. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 119: 2502-2510, 2011″
“We describe the performance of quantum dot (QD)-sensitized Ferroptosis inhibitor solar cells based on CdSe QD sensitizer on a preadsorbed layer of CdS QDs (combined CdS/CdSe QDs) together with the basic studies of optical absorption and photoeletrochemical current characteristics. It can be observed from optical absorption measurements using photoacoustic spectroscopy that the CdSe QDs on the nanostructured TiO2 electrodes preadsorbed with CdS QDs grow more rapidly during the initial adsorption process than those without preadsorption. The maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) value of the CdSe QDs on the nanostructured TiO2 electrodes preadsorbed with CdS QDs is higher than that without preadsorption, indicating the possibilities of decreases in recombination centers, interface states, and inverse transfer rate.

42, 7.32, 17.85, 3139, and 40.02 % compared to the B group at each measured time interval. A/B levels at 1 h for the B + (G+) group decreased by 43.78, 21.29 and 34.47% in liver, kidney and adrenal glands, respectively, in comparison to the B group. However, (+)-gossypol had no effect on brain and testis. (+)-Gossypol was an inhibitor of 11 beta-HSD.”
“The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an exercise program focusing on muscle stretching and endurance training on the 12-month incidence

of low back pain (LBP) in office workers.

A 12-month prospective cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in healthy office workers with lower-than-normal trunk extension flexibility or trunk muscle endurance. Healthy office Sapanisertib supplier selleck kinase inhibitor workers (n = 563) were randomly assigned at the cluster level into either intervention (n = 282) or control (n = 281) groups. Participants in the intervention group received an exercise program that included daily stretching exercise and twice-a-week muscle endurance training. Those in the control group received no intervention. The 12-month incidence of LBP was the primary outcome. Secondary outcome were pain intensity, disability level, and quality of life and health status. Analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazard

models.

Over the 12-month follow-up, 8.8 % of participants in the intervention group and 19.7 % in the control group developed incidence of LBP. Hazard rate ratios showed a protective effect of the exercise program for LBP (HR = 0.37, 95 % CI 0.22-0.64) after adjusting for biopsychosocial factors. There was no significant difference in pain intensity, disability, and Kinase Inhibitor Library quality of life and health status between those who reported incidence of LBP in the intervention and control groups.

An exercise program consisting of muscle stretching and endurance training is an effective intervention to reduce incident LBP for office workers with lower-than-normal trunk extension flexibility or trunk muscle endurance.”
“New complexes of platinum and palladium were isolated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2A-DNPH). These complexes

were characterized and the results shown that the ligand is coordinated to platinum or palladium by the basic nitrogen of NH2 group and have the general structure cis-[M(2,4-DNPH)(2)Cl-2]center dot H2O where M = Pt or Pd. The thermal stability of the complexes was followed in the temperature range 25-850 degrees C. The antitumor activity of the synthesized compounds has been studied and the compound cist[Pt(2A-DNPH)(2)Cl-2], was found to display cytotoxicity (IC50 = 4.6 mu mol/L) against K562 tumoral cell line. This work is the first to describe the cytotoxic activity of complexes containing 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.”
“The relationship between low back pain (LBP) and the lifting/carrying of loads is still a matter of great discussion.

The 50th percentile was also slightly upwards biased. For all variables, bias was more severe with shorter sampling durations, and it correlated significantly with the true full-shift value for the 10th and 90th percentiles and the percentile range. As expected, shorter samples led to decreased precision of the estimate; sample standard deviations correlated strongly with true full-shift exposure values.

Conclusions: The documented risk of pronounced bias and low precision of percentile estimates obtained from short posture samples presents a concern in ergonomics research and practice, and suggests that alternative, unbiased exposure variables should be considered if data collection resources are restricted.”
“Purpose:

To evaluate the cytotoxic activity of Hibiscus rosa sinensis against K-562

cancer selleck cell line.

Methods: The crude CT99021 solubility dmso petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the leaf and stem of Hibiscus rosa sinensis were prepared using cold extraction method. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the extracts (20 -100 mu g/ml) was evaluated on leukaemic cancer cell line (K-562) and Mardin-Darby kidney cell line (MDBK) (control) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)- 2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, followed by morphological detection with Hoeschst staining.

Results: The methanol leaf selleck chemicals extracts showed higher activity (IC50 value: 30.9

+/- 1.1 mu g/ml) against K-562 cells than petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts which exhibited IC50 of 87.6 +/- 0.91 and 57.6 +/- 0.61 mu g/ml (p < 0.05), respectively. Meanwhile, stem extracts from methanol showed IC50 of 79.80 mu g/ml against K-562. MDBK cells (positive control) showed IC50 > 100 mu g/ml for all the extracts. On treating K-562 cells with methanol leaf extract (30 mu g/ml), the former were observed to undergo apoptosis with nuclear segmentation after 24 h incubation. The methanol leaf extract produced cell death on K-562 cells by apoptosis.

Conclusion: Hibiscus rosa sinensis extracts possess potentials as effective cytotoxic agents against K562 cells.”
“Older adults with chronic pain who seek treatment often are in a health care environment that emphasizes patient-directed care, a change from the patriarchal model of care to which many older adults are accustomed.

To explore the experiences of older adults seeking treatment for chronic pain, with respect to patient-directed care and the patient-provider relationship.

In-depth interviews with 15 Caucasian older adults with chronic pain who had been evaluated at a university-based pain clinic. All interviews were audiotaped and the transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory based approach.

Older adults with chronic pain vary in their willingness to be involved in their treatment decisions.

Consequently, preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health concern. Challenges to providing a safe, abundant, and nutritious food supply are complex because all aspects of food production, LY3023414 from farm to fork, must be considered. Given the national and international demand and expectations for food safety as well as the formidable challenges of producing and maintaining a safe food supply, food safety research and educational programs have taken on a new urgency. Remarkable

progress has been made during the last century. Wisdom from a century of animal agriculture research now includes the realization that on-farm pathogens are intricately associated with DUB inhibitor animal health and well-being, the production of high-quality food, and profitability. In this review, some of the developments that have occurred over the last few decades are summarized, including types, sources, and concentrations of disease-causing pathogens encountered in food-producing animal environments and their

association with food safety; current and future methods to control or reduce foodborne pathogens on the farm; and present and future preharvest food safety research directions. Future scientific breakthroughs will no doubt have a profound impact on animal agriculture and the production of high-quality food, but we will also be faced with moral, ethical, and societal dilemmas that must be reconciled. A strong, science-based

approach that addresses all the complex issues involved in continuing to improve food safety and public health is necessary to prevent foodborne illnesses. Not only must research be conducted to solve complex food safety issues, but results of that research must also be communicated effectively to producers and consumers.”
“Optimizing oxygen content is one of the most essential factors with practical ramifications for the production of Y1Ba2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) superconductors. In this study, oxygen diffusion was studied using homogeneous c-axis oriented YBCO thin films prepared via the pulsed laser deposition method. The oxygen diffusion process was Birinapant order examined by applying the one-dimensional diffusion model. The diffusion coefficient of oxygen and the activation energy were determined. This will facilitate the optimization of oxygenation in the production of thin films for YBCO superconductors. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3619861]“
“Neonatal bacterial meningitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially when complicated by intracranial abscesses. The authors report the case of an 11-day-old female with Proteus mirabilis meningitis complicated by an asymptomatic brain abscess. With this report, the authors illustrate the importance of surveillance neuroradiologic imaging in patients with Proteus meningitis.

The gel PAN/alpha-Al2O3 nanocomposite electrolytes had lower glass-transition temperatures (as determined by dynamic mechanical analysis) and higher conductivity than a similar electrolyte prepared in the absence of alpha-Al2O3. The conductivity of the PAN/alpha-Al2O3 nanocomposite films was inversely proportional to the size of the alpha-Al2O3 particles and directly proportional to (I) the amount of alpha-Al2O3 (up to 7 wt %), (II) the F value [LiClO4/CH2CH(CN) ratio], and (III) the amount of plasticizer (propylene carbonate/ethylene carbonate Selleckchem Caspase inhibitor = 1 : 1). Cyclic voltammetry revealed

that adding alpha-Al2O3 significantly increased the electrochemical stability of the composite electrolyte system. A rechargeable lithium battery

prepared using this gel nanocomposite electrolyte system exhibited good cyclability and a stable capacity. The coulombic efficiency for the recharge/discharge process was approximately 75%, even after 100 cycles. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2041-2047, 2011″
“Background: Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) encoded by ATP-binding cassette, sub-family B (Mdr/Tap), member BX-795 supplier 1 (ABCB1) mediates cross-resistance to antineoplastic drugs, and its expression is related to tumor aggressiveness. Methods: MDR1 expression was investigated in 100 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) by immunohistochemical staining. The epigenetic mechanisms underlying ABCB1 transcriptional regulation were investigated in cell lines. Results: MDR1 was normally localized in the bile canalicular surface of the hepatocytes. Among 100 HCCs, 45 showed canalicular/luminal (CL) staining similar to the normal pattern, another 45 displayed membranous/cytoplasmic (MC) overexpression, and the remaining 10 revealed loss of expression. MC pattern or null staining of HCCs correlated with a higher histological grade and had a poorer prognosis than HCCs with a CL pattern (p<0.05).

They also tended to have JNK-IN-8 concentration a poor prognosis by multivariate survival analysis. The ABCB1 promoter was hypomethylated regardless of MDR1 expression or ABCB1 mRNA levels in 10 HCC cell lines. Histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment induced ABCB1 upregulation in 4 cell lines with low or moderate ABCB1 levels. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that either an increase or a loss of MDR1 expression may contribute to the poor outcome of HCCs; histone deacetylation may be one of the epigenetic mechanisms directing the ABCB1 expression in HCCs.”
“To review pelvic actinomycosis confirmed by surgery and summarize clinical aspects.

The authors retrospectively reviewed 16 cases that underwent surgical procedures for pelvic actinomycosis between January 1998 and January 2006.

Twelve of the cases (75%) had used intrauterine contraceptive devices for a period of between 8 months and 12 years (mean duration: 5.2 years).

Both ecotypes of S. pinnata showed much larger Se concentrations in young leaves, while B. juncea showed slightly higher levels of Se in older leaves relative to young. Molybdenum (Mo) levels

significantly decreased in S. pinnata with increasing sulfate and selenate in the medium; B. juncea did not show the same trends. These findings support the hypothesis that S. pinnata contains a modified sulfate transporter with a higher specificity for selenate.”
“The present study was aimed https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sch-900776.html to find out whether postovulatory aging-induced abortive spontaneous egg activation (SEA) is due to insufficient increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ level.

Immature female rats (22-24 days old) were subjected to superovulation induction protocol. Eggs were collected 14, 17 and 19 h post-hCG surge to induce in vivo egg aging. The eggs were collected 14 h post-hCG surge and cultured in vitro for 3, 5 and 7 h to induce in vitro GSK621 supplier egg aging. The morphological changes, rate of abortive SEA, chromosomal status and cytosolic free Ca2+ levels were analyzed.

Postovulatory aging induced morphological features characteristics of abortive SEA in a time-dependent manner in vivo as well as in vitro. The extracellular Ca2+

increased rate of abortive SEA during initial period of culture, while co-addition of a nifedipine (L-type Ca2+ channel blocker) protected against postovulatory aging-induced abortive SEA. However, CI induced morphological features characteristics of egg activation (EA) in a dose-dependent manner. As compare to control, an increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ level (1.42 times) induced abortive SEA, while further increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ level (2.55 times) induced EA.

Our results show that an insufficient cytosolic free Ca2+ level is associated with postovulatory aging -induced abortive SEA, while furthermore increase is required to induce GS-9973 EA in rat.”
“Objective:

This study aimed to test the validity of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales and summaries in patients with severe functional somatic syndromes (FSS), such as fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Study Design and Setting: One hundred twenty patients with severe FSS enrolled in a randomized controlled trial filled in the SF-36 questionnaire. We tested for data quality, central scaling assumptions, and agreement with the conceptual model.

Results: Most SF-36 scales were found to be valid; however, three scales (role physical, role emotional, and general health) did not satisfy predefined criteria for construct validity, internal consistency, or targeting to the sample. The correlations between SF-36 scales differed considerably from those reported in the general population. As a consequence, the SF-36 summaries, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), did not accurately reflect their underlying scales and were negatively correlated (r = -0.46, 95% CI [-0.60 to -0.31]).