Selecting the most appropriate time points to profile in high-throughput studies.

Elife. 2017 Jan 26;6:

Authors: Kleyman M, Sefer E, Nicola T, Espinoza C, Chhabra D, Hagood JS, Kaminski N, Ambalavanan N, Bar-Joseph Z

Abstract
Biological systems are increasingly being studied by high throughput profiling of molecular data over time. Determining the set of time points to sample in studies that profile several different types of molecular data is still challenging. Here we present the Time Point Selection (TPS) method that solves this combinatorial problem in a principled and practical way. TPS utilizes expression data from a small set of genes sampled at a high rate. As we show by applying TPS to study mouse lung development, the points selected by TPS can be used to reconstruct an accurate representation for the expression values of the non selected points. Further, even though the selection is only based on gene expression, these points are also appropriate for representing a much larger set of protein, miRNA and DNA methylation changes over time. TPS can thus serve as a key design strategy for high throughput time series experiments.

PMID: 28124972 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

6 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results:

"cystic fibrosis"

These pubmed results were generated on 2017/01/26

PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

Vigi4Med Scraper: A Framework for Web Forum Structured Data Extraction and Semantic Representation.

PLoS One. 2017;12(1):e0169658

Authors: Audeh B, Beigbeder M, Zimmermann A, Jaillon P, Bousquet C

Abstract
The extraction of information from social media is an essential yet complicated step for data analysis in multiple domains. In this paper, we present Vigi4Med Scraper, a generic open source framework for extracting structured data from web forums. Our framework is highly configurable; using a configuration file, the user can freely choose the data to extract from any web forum. The extracted data are anonymized and represented in a semantic structure using Resource Description Framework (RDF) graphs. This representation enables efficient manipulation by data analysis algorithms and allows the collected data to be directly linked to any existing semantic resource. To avoid server overload, an integrated proxy with caching functionality imposes a minimal delay between sequential requests. Vigi4Med Scraper represents the first step of Vigi4Med, a project to detect adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from social networks founded by the French drug safety agency Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM). Vigi4Med Scraper has successfully extracted greater than 200 gigabytes of data from the web forums of over 20 different websites.

PMID: 28122056 [PubMed - in process]

Generalization and maintenance of treatment gains in primary progressive aphasia (PPA): a systematic review.

Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Cadório I, Lousada M, Martins P, Figueiredo D

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cognitive-linguistic treatments and interventions targeting communication have been developed within the context of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), however knowledge about the scope of generalization and maintenance of therapy gains considering PPA subtypes remains scarce and awaits systematic investigation.
AIMS: To analyse the effects of semantic therapy on generalization and maintenance of treatment outcomes in individuals with PPA, considering its different subtypes.
METHODS & PROCEDURES: Central, PubMed, Medline, Web of Knowledge and Scopus were used to retrieve articles of interest. A total of 25 non-randomized studies published between 2000 and 2016 met the eligibility criteria and therefore were included in this study.
MAIN CONTRIBUTION: This systematic review provides evidence-based information for clinical practice in PPA. Generalization and maintenance effects post-treatment for each PPA variant are analysed and discussed. Several factors are described as important to maximize the scope for generalization and maintenance of treatment gains.
CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Generalization is particularly hard to achieve in the semantic variant, as in the face of degraded semantic knowledge learning is rigid and context dependent. In contrast, non-fluent and logopenic variants offer better scope for generalization. Maintenance patterns do not seem to be influenced by PPA subtype, but rather by other factors such as continued practice, treatment length and frequency of sessions. In the future, clinicians should consider the PPA subtype when planning the treatment protocol.

PMID: 28120406 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Systems biology analysis of drivers underlying hallmarks of cancer cell metabolism.

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 25;7:41241

Authors: Zielinski DC, Jamshidi N, Corbett AJ, Bordbar A, Thomas A, Palsson BO

Abstract
Malignant transformation is often accompanied by significant metabolic changes. To identify drivers underlying these changes, we calculated metabolic flux states for the NCI60 cell line collection and correlated the variance between metabolic states of these lines with their other properties. The analysis revealed a remarkably consistent structure underlying high flux metabolism. The three primary uptake pathways, glucose, glutamine and serine, are each characterized by three features: (1) metabolite uptake sufficient for the stoichiometric requirement to sustain observed growth, (2) overflow metabolism, which scales with excess nutrient uptake over the basal growth requirement, and (3) redox production, which also scales with nutrient uptake but greatly exceeds the requirement for growth. We discovered that resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in these lines broadly correlates with the amount of glucose uptake. These results support an interpretation of the Warburg effect and glutamine addiction as features of a growth state that provides resistance to metabolic stress through excess redox and energy production. Furthermore, overflow metabolism observed may indicate that mitochondrial catabolic capacity is a key constraint setting an upper limit on the rate of cofactor production possible. These results provide a greater context within which the metabolic alterations in cancer can be understood.

PMID: 28120890 [PubMed - in process]

Copy Number Variations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Piecing the Mosaic Tiles Together through a Systems Biology Approach.

Mol Neurobiol. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Morello G, Guarnaccia M, Spampinato AG, La Cognata V, D'Agata V, Cavallaro S

Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating and still untreatable motor neuron disease. Despite the molecular mechanisms underlying ALS pathogenesis that are still far from being understood, several studies have suggested the importance of a genetic contribution in both familial and sporadic forms of the disease. In addition to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which account for only a limited number of ALS cases, a consistent number of common and rare copy number variations (CNVs) have been associated to ALS. Most of the CNV-based association studies use a traditional candidate-gene approach that is inadequate for uncovering the genetic architectures of complex traits like ALS. The emergent paradigm of "systems biology" may offer a new perspective to better interpret the wide spectrum of CNVs in ALS, enabling the characterization of the complex network of gene products underlying ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we will explore the landscape of CNVs in ALS, putting specific emphasis on the functional impact of common CNV regions and genes consistently associated with increased risk of developing disease. In addition, we will discuss the potential contribution of multiple rare CNVs in ALS pathogenesis, focusing our attention on the complex mechanisms by which these proteins might impact, individually or in combination, the genetic susceptibility of ALS. The comprehensive detection and functional characterization of common and rare candidate risk CNVs in ALS susceptibility may bring new pieces into the intricate mosaic of ALS pathogenesis, providing interesting and important implications for a more precise molecular biomarker-assisted diagnosis and more effective and personalized treatments.

PMID: 28120152 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

A tale of two countries: International comparison of online doctor reviews between China and the United States.

Int J Med Inform. 2017 Mar;99:37-44

Authors: Hao H, Zhang K, Wang W, Gao G

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, patients have posted millions of online reviews for their doctors. The rich textual information in the online reviews holds the potential to generate insights into how patients' experience with their doctors differ across nations and how should we use them to improve our health service.
OBJECTIVE: We apply customized text mining techniques to compare online doctor reviews from China and the United States, in order to measure the systematic differences in patient reviews between the two countries, and assess the potential insights that can be derived from this large volume of online text data.
METHODS: We compare the textual reviews of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) doctors from the two most popular online doctor rating websites in the U.S. and China, respectively: RateMDs.com and Haodf.com. We apply a customized text mining technique, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to identify the major topics in positive and negative reviews of those two countries. We then compare their similarities and differences.
RESULTS: Among the positive reviews, both Chinese and American patients talked about medical treatment, bedside manner, and appreciation/recommendation, but Chinese patients commented more about medical treatment while American patients focused more on recommendation. Also, reviews about bedside manner from Chinese patients were more related to doctors while on the American side, they were more about staff. This reflects the difference between the two countries' health systems. Further, among the negative reviews, both countries' patients talked about medical treatment, bedside manner, and logistics. However, Chinese patients focus more on the registration process, while American patients are more related to the staff, wait time, and insurance, which further shows the differences between the two nations' health systems.
CONCLUSIONS: Online doctor reviews contain valuable information that can generate insights on the similarities and differences of patient experience across nations. They are useful assets to assist healthcare consumers, providers, and administrators in moving toward a patient-centered care. In this age of big data, online doctor reviews can be a valuable source for international perspectives on healthcare systems.

PMID: 28118920 [PubMed - in process]

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for adult Bochdalek hernia: a case report.

J Cardiothorac Surg. 2016 Dec 01;11(1):165

Authors: Shen YG, Jiao NN, Xiong W, Tang Q, Cai QY, Xu G, Liang GY

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bochdalek hernia is a type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia that typically presents in childhood, while this diseases is extremely rare in adults.
CASE PRESENTATION: We review a case of a 63-year-old man with a left-sided Bochdalek hernia who was experiencing occasional pain at the left side of his chest for 8 months. The diagnosis of Bochdalek hernia was made by chest computed tomography. A part of the retroperitoneal adipose tissue was herniated into the left thoracic cavity through the diaphragmatic defect. The hernia was treated via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and he made an uneventful recovery.
CONCLUSIONS: We report a rare case of a left-sided Bochdalek hernia for which our patient was treated successfully via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Even though rare, this disorder should be recognised, examined and treated appropriately to avoid complications.

PMID: 27906021 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Constitutional Trisomy 8 Mosaicism with Persistent Macrocytosis.

Cytogenet Genome Res. 2016;150(1):35-39

Authors: Altıner Ş, Kutlay NY, İlhan O

Abstract
Constitutional trisomy 8 mosaicism (CT8M) is a rare chromosomal abnormality. The phenotype varies from normal features to severe malformations. CT8M increases the risk of developing leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. As CT8M is very rare, its diagnosis can easily be overlooked, especially in cases with mild phenotypes. Here, we report the diagnostic process of a 40-year-old female patient with CT8M and discuss the importance of follow-up in monitoring for hematological malignancies.

PMID: 27838684 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Traumatic Rupture of Extra-adrenal Pheochromocytoma.

Am Surg. 2016 May;82(5):111-3

Authors: Bohlok A, Chehabeddine R, Safa A, Tabbara M

PMID: 27215711 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

8 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results:

"cystic fibrosis"

These pubmed results were generated on 2017/01/25

PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

Pharmacophore-based repositioning of approved drugs as novel S. aureus NorA efflux pump inhibitors.

J Med Chem. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Astolfi A, Felicetti T, Iraci N, Manfroni G, Massari S, Pietrella D, Tabarrini O, Kaatz GW, Barreca ML, Sabatini S, Cecchetti V

Abstract
An intriguing opportunity to address antimicrobial resistance is represented by the inhibition of efflux pumps. Focusing on NorA, the most important efflux pump of Staphylococcus aureus, an efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) library was used for ligand-based pharmacophore modeling studies. Exploiting the obtained models, an in silico drug repositioning approach allowed for the identification of novel and potent NorA EPIs.

PMID: 28117588 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Old-School Chemotherapy in Immunotherapeutic Combination in Cancer, A Low-cost Drug Repurposed.

Cancer Immunol Res. 2016 May;4(5):377-82

Authors: Abu Eid R, Razavi GS, Mkrtichyan M, Janik J, Khleif SN

Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has proven to be a potent treatment modality. Although often successful in generating antitumor immune responses, cancer immunotherapy is frequently hindered by tumor immune-escape mechanisms. Among immunosuppressive strategies within the tumor microenvironment, suppressive immune regulatory cells play a key role in promoting tumor progression through inhibiting the effector arm of the immune response. Targeting these suppressive cells can greatly enhance antitumor immune therapies, hence augmenting a highly effective therapeutic antitumor response. Several approaches are being tested to enhance the effector arm of the immune system while simultaneously inhibiting the suppressor arm. Some of these approaches are none other than traditional drugs repurposed as immune modulators. Cyclophosphamide, an old-school chemotherapeutic agent used across a wide range of malignancies, was found to be a potent immune modulator that targets suppressive regulatory immune cells within the tumor microenvironment while enhancing effector cells. Preclinical and clinical findings have confirmed the ability of low doses of cyclophosphamide to selectively deplete regulatory T cells while enhancing effector and memory cytotoxic T cells within the tumor microenvironment. These immune effects translate to suppressed tumor growth and enhanced survival, evidence of antitumor therapeutic efficacy. This article discusses the reincarnation of cyclophosphamide as an immune modulator that augments novel immunotherapeutic approaches. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(5); 377-82. ©2016 AACR.

PMID: 27196429 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

An Integrated Children Disease Prediction Tool within a Special Social Network.

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2016;221:69-73

Authors: Apostolova Trpkovska M, Yildirim Yayilgan S, Besimi A

Abstract
This paper proposes a social network with an integrated children disease prediction system developed by the use of the specially designed Children General Disease Ontology (CGDO). This ontology consists of children diseases and their relationship with symptoms and Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL rules) that are specially designed for predicting diseases. The prediction process starts by filling data about the appeared signs and symptoms by the user which are after that mapped with the CGDO ontology. Once the data are mapped, the prediction results are presented. The phase of prediction executes the rules which extract the predicted disease details based on the SWRL rule specified. The motivation behind the development of this system is to spread knowledge about the children diseases and their symptoms in a very simple way using the specialized social networking website www.emama.mk.

PMID: 27071879 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Genetic polymorphisms as predictive biomarker of survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated with sunitinib.

Pharmacogenomics J. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Kloth JS, Verboom MC, Swen JJ, van der Straaten T, Sleijfer S, Reyners AK, Steeghs N, Gelderblom H, Guchelaar HJ, Mathijssen RH

Abstract
This study aimed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with outcome to treatment with sunitinib in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Forty-nine SNPS involved in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic pathway of sunitinib were associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in 127 patients with advanced GIST who have been treated with sunitinib. PFS was significantly longer in carriers of the TT genotype in POR rs1056878 (hazards ratio (HR) 4.310, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.457-12.746, P=0.008). The presence of the T-allele in SLCO1B3 rs4149117 (HR 2.024, 95% CI:1.013-4.044, P=0.046), the CCC-CCC alleles in SLC22A5 haplotype (HR 2.603, 95% CI: 1.216-5.573, P=0.014), and the GC-GC alleles in the IL4 R haplotype (HR 7.131, 95% CI:1.518-33.496, P=0.013) were predictive for OS. This shows that polymorphisms in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic pathways of sunitinib are associated with survival in GIST. This may help to identify patients that benefit more from treatment with sunitinib.The Pharmacogenomics Journal advance online publication, 24 January 2017; doi:10.1038/tpj.2016.83.

PMID: 28117434 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Cost-effectiveness of cytochrome P450 2C19 *2 genotype-guided selection of clopidogrel or ticagrelor in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Pharmacogenomics J. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Wang Y, Yan BP, Liew D, Lee VW

Abstract
The choice of antiplatelet therapy among Asian populations for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is complicated owing to the high prevalence of cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) genetic polymorphism that has been associated with reduced efficacy of clopidogrel. Ticagrelor is a potent but more expensive alternative antiplatelet agent that is not affected by CYP2C19 polymorphism. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness, from the Hong Kong health-care provider's perspective, of CYP2C19*2 genotype-guided selection of antiplatelet therapy compared with the universal use of clopidogrel or ticagrelor among ACS patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In the present study, a two-part model consisting of a 1-year decision tree and a lifetime Markov model was built to simulate the progress of a typical cohort of 60-year-old Chinese patients until age 85 years and compare three treatment strategies: (i) generic clopidogrel or ticagrelor based on CYP2C19*2 genotype, (ii) universal use of generic clopidogrel or (iii) universal use of ticagrelor for all patients. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of <1 gross domestic product per capita locally (US dollar (USD)42 423/quality-adjusted life year (QALY)) were considered cost-effective. Base-case results showed universal ticagrelor use was cost-effective compared with universal clopidogrel, but was dominated by genotype-guided treatment. Genotype-guided treatment was cost-effective compared with universal clopidogrel use (ICER of USD2560/QALY). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that with the cost of genotype testing up to USD400, CYP2C19*2 genotype-guided antiplatelet treatment remained a cost-effective strategy compared with either universal use of generic clopidogrel or ticagrelor in post-PCI ACS patients in Hong Kong.The Pharmacogenomics Journal advance online publication, 24 January 2017; doi:10.1038/tpj.2016.94.

PMID: 28117433 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Pharmacogenomic challenges in cardiovascular diseases: examples of drugs and considerations for future integration in clinical practice.

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2017 Jan 23;

Authors: Chatelin J, Stathopoulou MG, Arguinano AA, Xie T, Visvikis-Siest S

Abstract
Introduction Even if cardiovascular disease (CVD) drugs are supported by high level proofs, the results of CVD treatment present great disparities: there are still patients dying with supposed optimal treatment, patients facing adverse events and CVD remain the primary cause of death in the world. Pharmacogenomics is the basis of personalisation of the treatment able to allow higher medication success rates. In this review, we will present detailed examples of CVD drugs to highlight the complexity of this challenging field and we will discuss novel concepts that should be considered for a fastest integration of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice of CVD. Areas covered The complexity of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics of CVD drugs are presented though examples of medications such as statins, with a focus on their effectiveness and adverse effects. Expert opinion The application of personalised medicine in the CVD medical practice requires the study of human genome in regards to drugs pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, interactions and tolerance profile. The existing state -of-the-art of CVD drugs gives hopes for a future revolution in the drug development that will maximise cardiovascular patients benefit while decreasing their risks for adverse effects. Article Highlights box Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the first cause of death worldwide • Cardiovascular treatment has a significant percentage of insufficient efficacy, poor tolerance and compliance • Predicting the response to therapy while diminishing the side effects is the basis of personalised medicine; pharmacogenomics is leading towards this direction • The response to CVD therapy and side effects are in the heart of CVD pharmacogenomics and significant progress has been noted. • The application of pharmacogenomics in the CVD medical practice is facing many methodological, technical, ethical, behavioral and financial issues, while cost-effectiveness is the main prerequisite. • The consideration of gene × gene × environment interactions and the inclusion of "omics" data in pharmacogenomic studies of CVD drugs will facilitate the generation of reliable results and will promote tailored treatments and new strategies of drug research and development.

PMID: 28117005 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Systems Biology Approach in Hypertension Research.

Methods Mol Biol. 2017;1527:69-79

Authors: Delles C, Husi H

Abstract
Systems biology is an approach to study all genes, gene transcripts, proteins, metabolites, and their interactions in specific cells, tissues, organs, or the whole organism. It is based on data derived from high-throughput analytical technologies and bioinformatics tools to analyze these data, and aims to understand the whole system rather than individual aspects of it. Systems biology can be applied to virtually all conditions and diseases and therefore also to hypertension and its underlying vascular disorders. Unlike other methods in this book there is no clear-cut protocol to explain a systems biology approach. We will instead outline some of the most important and common steps in the generation and analysis of systems biology data.

PMID: 28116708 [PubMed - in process]

Development of oriC-based plasmids for Mesoplasma florum.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2017 Jan 23;:

Authors: Matteau D, Pepin ME, Baby V, Gauthier S, Arango Giraldo M, Knight TF, Rodrigue S

Abstract
The near-minimal bacterium Mesoplasma florum constitutes an attractive model for systems biology and for the development of a simplified cell chassis in synthetic biology. However, the lack of genetic engineering tools for this microorganism has limited our capacity to understand its basic biology and modify its genome. To address this issue, we have evaluated the susceptibility of M. florum to common antibiotics, and developed the first generation of artificial plasmids able to replicate in this bacterium. Selected regions of the predicted M. florum chromosomal origin of replication (oriC) were used to create different plasmid versions that were tested for their transformation frequency and stability. Using polyethylene glycol mediated transformation, we observed that plasmids harbouring both rpmH/dnaA and dnaA/dnaN intergenic regions, interspaced or not with a copy of the dnaA gene, resulted in a frequency of ∼4.1 x 10(-6) transformant per viable cell and were stably maintained throughout multiple generations. In contrast, plasmids containing only one M. florum oriC intergenic region or the heterologous oriC region of Mycoplasma capricolum, Mycoplasma mycoides or Spiroplasma citri failed to produce any detectable transformants. We also developed alternative transformation procedures based on electroporation or conjugation from Escherichia coli, reaching frequencies up to 7.87 x 10(-6) and 8.44 x 10(-7) transformant per viable cell, respectively. Finally, we demonstrated the functionality of antibiotic resistance genes active against tetracycline, puromycin, as well as spectinomycin/streptomycin in M. florum Taken together, these valuable genetic tools will facilitate efforts towards building a M. florum based near-minimal cellular chassis for synthetic biology.
IMPORTANCE: Mesoplasma florum constitutes an attractive model for systems biology, and for the development of a simplified cell chassis in synthetic biology. M. florum is closely related to the mycoides cluster of mycoplasmas that has become a model for whole-genome cloning, genome transplantation, and genome minimization. However, M. florum shows faster growth rates compared to other Mollicutes, has no known pathogenic potential, and possesses a significantly smaller genome that positions this species among some of the simplest free-living organisms. So far, the lack of genetic engineering tools has limited our capacity to understand the basic biology of M. florum in order to modify its genome. To address this issue, we have evaluated the susceptibility of M. florum to common antibiotics, and developed the first artificial plasmids as well as transformation methods for this bacterium. This represents a strong basis for on-going genome engineering efforts using this near-minimal microorganism.

PMID: 28115382 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

E-Cigarette Topics Shared by Medical Professionals: A Comparison of Tweets from the United States and United Kingdom.

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2017 Jan 24;:

Authors: Glowacki EM, Lazard AJ, Wilcox GB

Abstract
Medical professionals are now relying on social media platforms like Twitter to express their recommendations for the use or avoidance of products like electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), which may have long-term health consequences for users. The goal of this study is to compare how physicians from the United States and the United Kingdom talk about e-cigs on Twitter and identify the topics that these groups perceive as salient. Comparing tweets from the U.S. and U.K. will allow for a better understanding of how medical professionals from these countries differ in their attitudes toward e-cigs. This information can be also used to inform policies designed to regulate the use of e-cigs. Using a text-mining program, we analyzed approximately 3,800 original tweets sent by physicians from the U.S. and the U.K. within a 1-year time span (June 2015 through June 2016). The program clustered the tweets by topics, which allowed us to categorize the topics by importance. Both sets of tweets contained debates about the degree to which e-cigs pose a threat to health, but the U.S. tweets emphasized the dangers of e-cig use for teens, while the U.K. tweets focused more on the potential that e-cigs have to be used as a smoking cessation aid. Doctors are using Twitter to share timely information about the potential risks, benefits, and regulations associated with e-cigs. Evaluating these tweets allows researchers to collect information about topics that doctors find important and make comparisons about how medical professionals from the U.S. and the U.K. regard e-cigs.

PMID: 28118024 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]