A diet high in fiber (particularly fruit and vegetable fiber) and low in fat and red meat may help to decrease the risk of symptomatic diverticular disease (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, case-control studies and a large prospective cohort study). For people with diverticular disease, a diet high in fiber might decrease the risk of complications (SOR: C, case series). No studies have eval...

Evidence-Based Answer Surgery should not be offered to patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: C, based on decision analysis, observational studies, and expert opinion.) Cholecystectomy may be beneficial for patients who are at high risk of biliary cancer, infection, or other complications, including younger patients and those with choledocholithiasis, sick...

A It’s impossible to say for certain in the absence of randomized controlled trials. However, in patients whose impingement symptoms don’t improve after 3 to 6 months, arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) is associated with modest (about 10%) longterm improvement in pain and function compared with open acromioplasty or baseline (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, cohort studies). Pati...

We present the results in embedding a multigrid solver for Poisson's equation into the parallel 3D Monte Carlo device simulator, PMC-3D. First we have implemented the sequential multigrid solver, and embedded it into the Monte Carlo code which previously was using the sequential successive overrelaxation (SOR) solver. Depending on the convergence threshold, we have obtained signi cant speedups ...

Evidence-Based Answer Topical silver should not be used for treatment of nonburn wounds because it does not hasten healing. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: A, based on a systematic review of randomized controlled trials [RCTs].) Medical-grade topical honey can be used to reduce healing time for partial-thickness burns, but it produces no effect on lacerations, surgical wounds, chronic wounds...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen distinguished from typical E. coli by the production of Shiga toxins (Stx) and the inability to ferment sorbitol (SOR) and to express beta-glucuronidase (GUD) activity. An allele-specific probe for the GUD gene (uidA) and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis were used to elucidate stages in the evolutionary emergence of E. coli O157: H7. A point mut...

Infants and toddlers with suspected iron-deficiency anemia should begin treatment with oral ferrous sulfate (3 mg/kg/d of elemental iron). A rise in hemoglobin >1 g/dL after 4 weeks supports the diagnosis of iron deficiency, and supplementation should continue for 2 additional months to replenish iron stores. Recheck hemoglobin at the end of treatment and again 6 months later (strength of recom...

The molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of neurons with defined neurotransmitters are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the PcG-like genes in Caenorhabditis elegans, sop-2 and sor-3, regulate the formation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons and several other neuronal properties. sor-3 encodes a novel protein containing an MBT repeat, a domain that contains ...

antidepressants—specifically clomipramine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline—are best and have been shown to improve symptoms of premature ejaculation (strength of recommendation [sor]: a, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [rcTs]). The topical application of prilocaine-lidocaine cream (trade name eMla) improves intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IelT), but penile numbness a...

A comprehensive, detailed history and physical examination with pulse oximetry and nondilated funduscopy (to look for traumatic retinal hemorrhage) helps to determine the underlying etiology of an ALTE in 70 percent of infants. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: C, based on case series). Initial diagnostic evaluation should include 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG); blood gas analysis; chest ra...