Our study provides normal, reference TCD values for a large cohort of healthy subjects across a wide range of age, sex, and race groups. We observed decreased MBFV and increased PI with aging, and higher MBFV in women. There were few differences in MBFV related to side or ethnicity, but the MFBV and PI changes with age were specific to Caucasians. We provide means and standard deviations of MBFVs across various demographic groups in key intracranial arteries. Such normal TCD values across age, gender, and ethnic groups in healthy subjects represent a useful reference tool for detecting individuals with TCD values outside normal limits and at increased vascular risk. TCD studies in large multiethnic populations are still required to determine differences in brain hemodynamics across various ethnic groups.

The bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryal diversity in fecal samples from ten Koreans were analyzed and compared by using the PCR-fingerprinting method, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The bacteria all belonged to the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla, which were known to be the dominant bacterial species in the human intestine. Most of the archaeal sequences belonged to the methane-producing archaea but several halophilic archarea-related sequences were also detected unexpectedly. While a small number of eukaryal sequences were also detected upon DGGE analysis, these sequences were related to fungi and stramenopiles (Blastocystis hominis). With regard to the bacterial and archaeal DGGE analysis, all ten samples had one and two prominent bands, respectively, but many individual-specific bands were also observed. However, only five of the ten samples had small eukaryal DGGE bands and none of these bands was observed in all five samples. Unweighted pair group method and arithmetic averages clustering algorithm (UPGMA) clustering analysis revealed that the archaeal and bacterial communities in the ten samples had relatively higher relatedness (the average Dice coefficient values were 68.9 and 59.2% for archaea and bacteria, respectively) but the eukaryal community showed low relatedness (39.6%).

Our results suggest that the questionnaire meets certain basic and fundamental requirements and that it may be useful as an adjunct diagnostic tool. Further studies using a greater number and variety of patients will be needed to evaluate its usefulness in clinical trials and in basic physiologic research.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide expert consensus recommendations to establish a global ultrasound curriculum for undergraduate medical students. Methods 64 multi-disciplinary ultrasound experts from 16 countries, 50 multi-disciplinary ultrasound consultants, and 21 medical students and residents contributed to these recommendations. A modified Delphi consensus method was used that included a systematic literature search, evaluation of the quality of literature by the GRADE system, and the RAND appropriateness method for panel judgment and consensus decisions. The process included four in-person international discussion sessions and two rounds of online voting. Results A total of 332 consensus conference statements in four curricular domains were considered: (1) curricular scope (4 statements), (2) curricular rationale (10 statements), (3) curricular characteristics (14 statements), and (4) curricular content (304 statements). Of these 332 statements, 145 were recommended, 126 were strongly recommended, and 61 were not recommended. Important aspects of an undergraduate ultrasound curriculum identified include curricular integration across the basic and clinical sciences and a competency and entrustable professional activity-based model. The curriculum should form the foundation of a life-long continuum of ultrasound education that prepares students for advanced training and patient care. In addition, the curriculum should complement and support the medical school curriculum as a whole with enhanced understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiological processes and clinical practice without displacing other important undergraduate learning. The content of the curriculum should be appropriate for the medical student level of training, evidence and expert opinion based, and include ongoing collaborative research and development to ensure optimum educational value and patient care. Conclusions The international consensus conference has provided the first comprehensive document of recommendations for a basic ultrasound curriculum. The document reflects the opinion of a diverse and representative group of international expert ultrasound practitioners, educators, and learners. These recommendations can standardize undergraduate medical student ultrasound education while serving as a basis for additional research in medical education and the application of ultrasound in clinical practice.

Background and Purpose-Patients with stroke and patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at high risk for vascular events and may not exhibit the signs and symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We investigated if asymptomatic PAD detected by ankle brachial index Ͻ0.9 is independently associated with recurrent vascular events in patients with stroke or TIA. Methods-In this prospective longitudinal hospital-based cohort study, asymptomatic PAD was detected by ankle brachial index measurement in consecutive patients with stroke and patients with TIA. They were assessed for stroke risk factors, ankle brachial index measurement, and laboratory parameters known to be associated with stroke risk. These patients were followed for composite vascular events, including stroke, TIA, myocardial infarction, and vascular death. Results-In a 1-year period, 102 patients were evaluated, of whom 26% had asymptomatic PAD. All patients were followed for a median period of 2.1 years from the index stroke/TIA (range, 1.0 to 2.7 years) for vascular events. Kaplan-Meier curve showed fewer patients with asymptomatic PAD remained free of composite vascular events (48% compared with 84% in the no-PAD group; log rank, Pϭ0.0001). Asymptomatic PAD was significantly associated with composite vascular events before (hazard ratio, 4.2; 95% CI, 1.9 to 9.3; Pϭ0.0003) and after adjustment for confounders (hazard ratio, from Model 1, 2.8; 95% CI,

All the categories of SDQ can be accepted as being reliable scales.

The 8q11.22-23 and 11q22.1-3 regions were suggested as the candidate region for significant linkage to Sasang constitution.

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