Head and Neck Diseases by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis: 11/06/16

Κυριακή 6 Νοεμβρίου 2016

Evolution of electromechanical and morphological properties of piezoelectric thin films with thermomechanical processing

Publication date: 5 December 2016
Source:Polymer, Volume 106
Author(s): Zhe Xu, Mahmoud Baniasadi, Salvador Moreno, Jizhe Cai, Mohammad Naraghi, Majid Minary-Jolandan
Piezoelectric polymers (PVDF and its co-polymers) in film and nanofiber forms are increasingly used for sensing, actuation and energy harvesting. Given the semi-crystalline structure of these polymers, their electromechanical coupling behavior changes with thermomechanical processing. This article reports on the evolution of the mechanical properties, piezoelectric properties and morphology of P(VDF-TrFE) poly[(vinylidenefluoride)-co-trifluoroethylene] piezoelectric polymer thin films fabricated by spin-coating during thermal annealing and drawing, studied via tensile test, polarized optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, polarized FTIR, and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The results show that annealing and drawing process result in ∼10 and 13 folds improvement in the elastic modulus and strength of the films, respectively. In addition, the piezoelectric constant and electromechanical coupling improves by 30% and more than 17 times, respectively. These changes are accompanied by 65% increase in the percentage of the crystallinity of the semi-crystalline piezoelectric films, compared to the as-fabricated films.

Graphical abstract

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Pediatric rhinoplasty: A discussion of perioperative considerations and systematic review

Publication date: January 2017
Source:International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 92
Author(s): Amar Gupta, Peter F. Svider, Hani Rayess, Anthony Sheyn, Adam J. Folbe, Jean Anderson Eloy, Giancarlo Zuliani, Michael A. Carron
ObjectivesPediatric rhinoplasty has traditionally raised numerous concerns, including its impact on growth as well as the psychological sequelae of undergoing a potentially appearance-altering procedure. Our objective was to critically evaluate available individual patient data relevant to pediatric rhinoplasty, and further discuss perioperative considerations.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE databases. Data extracted and analyzed from included studies included patient demographics, surgical indications, operative approaches, outcomes, complications, revision rates, and other clinical considerations.ResultsSeven studies encompassing 253 patients were included, with age ranging from 7 months to 19 years. Two-thirds of patients were male. 41.7% reported antecedent trauma, and common overall surgical indications included "functional aesthetic" (24.5%) followed by cleft lip nasal deformity (15.8%). The majority (79.1%) underwent open approaches, and 71.1% of patients underwent concomitant septal intervention. The most frequently used grafting materials were septal cartilage (52.8%) and conchal cartilage (16.5%). Surgical outcomes were heterogeneous among these studies. Complication rates were only specified in 5 of the 7 studies and totaled 57 patients (39.6%). Aesthetic dissatisfaction (11.8%) and postoperative nasal obstruction (5.6%) were the most commonly reported complications. Revisions were performed in 13.5%.ConclusionRhinoplasty is safe in the pediatric population, although revisions rates appear greater than those reported in adults. This study of 253 represents the largest pooled sample size to date; nonetheless, non-standardized outcome measures, minimal long-term followup data, and lack of discussion regarding psychological sequelae all contribute to the need for further high-quality studies evaluating this topic.

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A dataset on the inventory of coniferous urban trees in the city of Orléans (France)

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 9
Author(s): J.-P. Rossi, V. Imbault, T. Lamant, J. Rousselet
The dataset supplied in this article provides the spatial location and the species composition of urban trees belonging to three coniferous genera (Pinus, Cedrus and Pseudotsuga) inventoried in 5 districts of the city of Orléans (France). A total of 9321 trees were georeferenced. The most abundant species was the black pine Pinus nigra for which a total of 2420 trees were observed. Other common species were the scots pine P. sylvestris, the Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii and different species of the genus Cedrus. The data supplied in this article are related to "A citywide survey of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa spatial distribution in Orléans (France)" by J.-P. Rossi, V. Imbault, T. Lamant, J. Rousselet,) [3].

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Editorial Board

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Microbiological Research, Volume 193

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Epigenome-wide association analysis revealed that SOCS3 methylation influences the effect of cumulative stress on obesity

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Biological Psychology
Author(s): Ke Xu, Xinyu Zhang, Zuoheng Wang, Ying Hu, Rajita Sinha
Chronic stress has a significant impact on obesity. However, how stress influences obesity remains unclear. We conducted an epigenome-wide DNA methylation association analysis of obesity (N=510) and examined whether cumulative stress influenced the DNA methylation on body weight. We identified 20 CpG sites associated with body mass index at the false discovery rate q<0.05, including a novel site, cg18181703, in suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene (coefficient β=−0.0022, FDR q=4.94×10⁻⁵). The interaction between cg18181703 and cumulative adverse life stress contributed to variations in body weight (p=0.002). Individuals with at least five major life events and lower methylation of cg1818703 showed a 1.38-fold higher risk of being obese (95%CI: 1.17–1.76). Our findings suggest that aberrant in DNA methylation is associated with body weight and that methylation of SOCS3 moderates the effect of cumulative stress on obesity.

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Theta/beta neurofeedback in children with ADHD: Feasibility of a short-term setting and plasticity effects

Publication date: Available online 6 November 2016
Source:International Journal of Psychophysiology
Author(s): Jessica Van Doren, Hartmut Heinrich, Mareile Bezold, Nina Reuter, Oliver Kratz, Stefanie Horndasch, Matthias Berking, Tomas Ros, Holger Gevensleben, Gunther H. Moll, Petra Studer
Neurofeedback (NF) is increasingly used as a therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however behavioral improvements require 20 plus training sessions. More economic evaluation strategies are needed to test methodological optimizations and mechanisms of action. In healthy adults, neuroplastic effects have been demonstrated directly after a single session of NF training. The aim of our study was to test the feasibility of short-term theta/beta NF in children with ADHD and to learn more about the mechanisms underlying this protocol.Children with ADHD conducted two theta/beta NF sessions. In the first half of the sessions, three NF trials (puzzles as feedback animations) were run with pre- and post-reading and picture search tasks. A significant decrease of the theta/beta ratio (TBR), driven by a decrease of theta activity, was found in the NF trials of the second session demonstrating rapid and successful neuroregulation by children with ADHD.For pre-post comparisons, children were split into good vs. poor regulator groups based on the slope of their TBR over the NF trials. For the reading task, significant EEG changes were seen for the theta band from pre- to post-NF depending on individual neuroregulation ability. This neuroplastic effect was not restricted to the feedback electrode Cz, but appeared as a generalized pattern, maximal over midline and right-hemisphere electrodes.Our findings indicate that short-term NF may be a valuable and economical tool to study the neuroplastic mechanisms of targeted NF protocols in clinical disorders, such as theta/beta training in children with ADHD.

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Context for Practice: Revised Pressure Injury Staging System.

Author: Gray, Mikel

Page: 574-575

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CA-MRSA Decolonization Strategies: Do They Reduce Recurrence Rate?.

Author: Tidwell, Joling; Kirk, Lisa; Luttrell, Tim; Pike, Caitlin A.

Page: 577-582

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Revised National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Pressure Injury Staging System: Revised Pressure Injury Staging System.

Author: Edsberg, Laura E.; Black, Joyce M.; Goldberg, Margaret; McNichol, Laurie; Moore, Lynn; Sieggreen, Mary

Page: 585-597

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A Comprehensive Review of Topical Odor-Controlling Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds.

Author: Akhmetova, Alma; Saliev, Timur; Allan, Iain U.; Illsley, Matthew J.; Nurgozhin, Talgat; Mikhalovsky, Sergey

Page: 598-609

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A Comprehensive Review of Topical Odor-Controlling Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds.

Author:

Page: E1

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Use of 4MAT Learning Theory to Promote Better Skin Care During Radiation Therapy: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project.

Author: Bauer, Carole; Magnan, Morris; Laszewski, Pamela

Page: 610-615

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Quality of Life in Persons Living With an Ostomy Assessed Using the SF36v2: Mental Component Summary: Vitality, Social Function, Role-Emotional, and Mental Health.

Author: Nichols, Thom R.

Page: 616-622

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Self-efficacy and Associated Factors in Patients With Temporary Ostomies: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Author: Su, Xi; Qin, Fang; Zhen, Li; Ye, Xinmei; Kuang, Yinyi; Zhu, Mulan; Yin, Xuexia; Wang, Huizhen

Page: 623-629

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Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis in Nursing Homes: Prevalence, Severity, and Risk Factors in Residents With Urinary and/or Fecal Incontinence.

Author: Boronat-Garrido, Xavier; Kottner, Jan; Schmitz, Gabriela; Lahmann, Nils

Page: 630-635

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Predictive Factors for Intermittent Self-catheterization in German and Brazilian Individuals With Spina Bifida and Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction.

Author: Faleiros, Fabiana; Kappler, Christoph; Costa, Juliana Neves; Favoretto, Naira; Pontes, Fernando

Page: 636-640

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Development and Validation of the Role Profile of the Nurse Continence Specialist: A Project of the International Continence Society.

Author: Paterson, Janice; Ostaszkiewicz, Joan; Suyasa, I Gede Putu Darma; Skelly, Jennifer; Bellefeuille, Lesley

Page: 641-647

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Lower Extremity Venous Disease.

Author: Kingan, Michael J.

Page: 648-649

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Management of a Patient With Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Using Silicone Transfer Foam Dressings and a Secondary Absorbent Dressing.

Author: McCarthy, Kimberly D.; Donovan, Rachel M.

Page: 650-651

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WOCN(R)-Accredited Professional Education Programs.

Author:

Page: 652-655

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Computed diffusion-weighted imaging using 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging for prostate cancer diagnosis

Publication date: January–February 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging, Volume 41
Author(s): Rika Yoshida, Takeshi Yoshizako, Takashi Katsube, Yukihisa Tamaki, Noriyoshi Ishikawa, Hajime Kitagaki
Computed diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (cDWI) is gradually being known to be useful to detect prostate cancer. We found that cDWIs (b=2000 s/mm2) were easily generated from measured DWIs (mDWIs) with image processing using Image J and that the contrast ratio (CR) of cDWIs-2000 appeared to be higher than the CR of mDWIs-1000 and mDWIs-2000. The diagnostic ability of cDWI-2000 for prostate cancer detection was equivalent to that of mDWI-2000. There is a possibility that cDWIs-2000 can replace mDWIs-2000.

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Crossing the canal: looking beyond hernias - Spectrum of common, uncommon and atypical pathologies in the inguinal canal

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): Subramaniyan Ramanathan, Yegu Palaniappan, Adnan Sheikh, John Ryan, Ania Kielar
Inguinal canal can have diverse range of pathologies due to its complex anatomy and multiple different contents in the males and females. Imaging plays a dominant role in the appropriate diagnosis and management as inguinal pathologies have fairly similar clinical presentation with pain and swelling. Various pathologies in the inguinal region include congenital, infectious/inflammatory, vascular, neoplastic and iatrogenic. This paper gives an overview of the role of various modalities like Ultrasound, CT and MRI in the evaluation of inguinal pathologies.

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Altered functional connectivity of interoception in illness anxiety disorder

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Cortex
Author(s): D. Grossi, M. Longarzo, M. Quarantelli, E. Salvatore, C. Cavaliere, P. De Luca, L. Trojano, M. Aiello
Interoception collects all information coming from the body and is sustained by several brain areas such as insula and cingulate cortex. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate functional connectivity of networks implied in interoception in patients with Illness Anxiety Disorders. We observed significantly reduced functional connectivity between the left extrastriate body area and the paracentral lobule compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the correlation analysis between behavioural questionnaires and ROI to ROI functional connectivity showed that higher levels of illness anxiety were related to hyper-connectivity between extrastriate body area and amygdala and hippocampus. Scores on a questionnaire for interoceptive awareness were significantly correlated with higher FC between right hippocampus and nucleus accumbens bilaterally, and with higher connectivity between left anterior cingulate cortex and left orbitofrontal cortex. Last, patients showed increased interoceptive awareness, measured by Self-Awareness Questionnaire, and reduced capability in recognizing emotions, indicating inverse correlation between interoception and emotional awareness. Taken together our results suggested that, in absence of structural and micro-structural changes, patients with Illness Anxiety Disorders show functional alteration in the neural network involved in the self-body representation; such functional alteration might be the target of possible treatments.

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Common and divergent neural correlates of anomia in amnestic and logopenic presentations of Alzheimer’s disease

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Dr Cristian E. Leyton, John R. Hodges, Olivier Piguet, Kirrie J. Ballard
The majority of logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lv-PPA) cases harbour Alzheimer pathology, suggesting that lv-PPA constitutes an atypical presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, even if caused by Alzheimer pathology, the clinical manifestations of lv-PPA differ from those observed in the typical or amnestic AD presentation: in lv-PPA, aphasia is the main feature while amnestic AD is characterised by impaired episodic memory. Anomia or impaired naming, however, is present in both AD presentations. Whether these presentations share anatomical and mechanistic processes of anomia has not been fully investigated. Accordingly, we studied naming performance and its relationship with regions of brain atrophy in 23 amnestic AD and 22 lv-PPA cases with presumed underlying Alzheimer pathology. Both AD groups displayed some degree of anomia and impaired word comprehension but these were particularly severe in lv-PPA and accompanied by a range of linguistic deficits, comprising phonological substitutions, superordinate semantic paraphasias and abnormal singleword repetition. Analysis of cortical thickness revealed that anomia was correlated with thinning in left superior temporal gyrus in both groups. In amnestic AD, however, anomia was also associated with thinning in right inferior temporal regions. Single-word comprehension, by contrast, was associated with cortical thinning involving bilateral fusiform gyri in both groups. These findings suggest that anomia in both amnestic AD and lv-PPA results from the involvement at multiple steps of word processing, in particular, semantic and lexical retrieval; in addition lv-PPA patients display a more marked involvement of phonological processing.

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The effect of the TLR9 ligand CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide on the protective immune response to radiation-induced lung fibrosis in mice

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Molecular Immunology, Volume 80
Author(s): Jing Chen, Xiaoli Tian, Zijie Mei, Yacheng Wang, Ye Yao, Shimin Zhang, Xin Li, Hui Wang, Junhong Zhang, Conghua Xie
CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) is not only reported to protect against airway hyper responsiveness but is also known as a potent vaccine adjuvant for anti-tumor therapy. Little is known about the effect of CpG-ODN in mice with radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF), a common late stage form of tissue damage that occurs after thorax radiotherapy (RT). Here, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of CpG-ODN on the development of RILF. Mice were divided into four groups: (1) RT, single dose of 12Gy to the whole thorax; (2) CpG, only intraperitoneal injection of CpG-ODN for total 5 weeks; (3) RT+CpG, irradiation plus CpG-ODN treatment before and after irradiation for total 5 weeks; and (4) control (CTL): No RT or CpG-ODN treatment. In this study, we found that CpG-ODN treatment attenuated lung fibrosis and collagen deposition by increasing the number of M1 macrophagocytes, levels of Type-2 cytokines and TGF-β. CpG-ODN administration up-regulated the expression of TLR9 and STAT1 phosphorylation and reversed the expression of Type-2 immune response key transcription factor GATA-3. Activation of the JAK-STAT1 signaling pathway further enhanced M1 macrophage differentiation and Type-1 cytokine production. This study reveals the mitigating effect of early exposure to CpG-ODN on lung injury caused by irradiation in mice. The potential mechanism of action may be related to enhancement of Type-1 immunity. In conclusion, CpG-ODN may be a potential therapeutic target to treat RILF.

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The effect of the TLR9 ligand CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide on the protective immune response to radiation-induced lung fibrosis in mice

Blue Ear Cyst: A Rare Eccrine Hidrocystoma of the Ear Canal and Successful Endoscopic Excision

Aims. Hidrocystomas are benign cystic growths of the apocrine and eccrine sweat glands. These cystic lesions have been well documented on the face, head, and neck, but rarely in the external auditory canal. Presentation of Case. A 67-year-old woman presented with a bluish cystic mass partially occluding the external auditory canal and interfering with hearing aid use. Lesion was excised completely via a transcanal endoscopic approach with excellent cosmetic results, no canal stenosis, and no recurrence at 1-year follow-up. Discussion. We present a rare eccrine hidrocystoma of the external auditory canal and successful excision of this benign lesion. We describe the surgical management using a transcanal endoscopic approach and follow-up results. An eccrine gland cyst that presents as a mass occluding the external auditory canal is quite rare. There are only a few such cases reported in the literature. These masses can be mistaken for basal cell carcinomas or cholesterol granulomas but can be easily differentiated using histopathology. Conclusion. Eccrine hidrocystoma is a cystic lesion of sweat glands, rarely found in the external auditory canal. A characteristic bluish hue aids in diagnosis and surgical excision using ear endoscopy provides excellent control.

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Blue Ear Cyst: A Rare Eccrine Hidrocystoma of the Ear Canal and Successful Endoscopic Excision

Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm Causing Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction

A 70-year-old man with hypertension was admitted to our coronary ICU with acute anterior MI. Emergent primary PCI was planned and coronary angiography was performed. LAD artery was totally occluded in the proximal segment just after a huge 32 × 26 mm sized aneurysm. Emergent CABG operation was performed in 75 minutes because of multivessel disease including the RCA and left circumflex artery. Aneurysm was ligated and coronary bypass was performed using LIMA and saphenous grafts. The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. He was discharged with medical therapy including ASA, clopidogrel, and atorvastatin. He was asymptomatic at his polyclinic visit in the first month.

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Comparison of Subjective and Objective Sleep Estimations in Patients with Bipolar Disorder and Healthy Control Subjects

Background. Several studies have described but not formally tested discrepancies between subjective and objective measures of sleep. Study Objectives. To test the hypothesis that patients with bipolar disorder display a systematic bias to underestimate sleep duration and overestimate sleep latency. Methods. Actimetry was used to assess sleep latency and duration in 49 euthymic participants (bipolar = 21; healthy controls = 28) for 5–7 days. Participants simultaneously recorded estimated sleep duration and sleep latency on a daily basis via an online sleep diary. Group differences in the discrepancy between subjective and objective parameters were calculated using -tests and corrected for multiple comparisons. Results. Patients with bipolar disorder significantly underestimated their sleep duration but did not overestimate their sleep latency compared to healthy controls. Conclusions. Studies utilizing diaries or questionnaires alone in patients with bipolar disorders may systematically underestimate sleep duration compared to healthy controls. The additional use of objective assessment methods such as actimetry is advisable.

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The response of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms to trace metals and urine in two grassland soils in New Zealand

Abstract

An incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the response of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and the nitrification rate to the contamination of Cu, Zn, and Cd in two New Zealand grassland soils. The soils spiked with different concentrations of Cu (20 and 50 mg kg⁻¹), Zn (20 and 50 mg kg⁻¹), and Cd (2 and 10 mg kg⁻¹) were incubated for 14 days and then treated with 500 mg kg⁻¹ urine-N before continuing incubation for a total of 115 days. Soils were sampled at intervals throughout the incubation. The nitrification rate in soils at each sampling period was determined, and the abundance of AOB and AOA was measured by real-time quantification polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay of the amoA gene copy numbers. The results revealed that moderate trace metal stress did not significantly affect the abundance of AOB and AOA in the two soils, probably due to the high organic matter content of the soils which would have reduced the toxic effect of the metals. Nitrification rates were much greater and the observable nitrification period was much shorter in the dairy farm (DF) soil, in which the AOB and AOA abundances were greater than those of the mixed cropping farm (MF) soil. AOB were shown to grow under high nitrogen conditions, whereas AOA were shown to grow under low N environments, with different metal concentrations. Therefore, nitrogen status rather than metal applications was the main determining factor for AOB and AOA growth in the two soils studied.

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Fish scales as a non-lethal tool of the toxicity of wastewater from the River Chenab

Abstract

Water pollution is gradually increasing in natural waters through anthropogenic activities. This study aimed to use fish scales as a bio-indicator of pollution, along with water quality parameters, and the assessment and detection of selected heavy metals in water samples collected from the River Chenab, including the Chakbandi drain that gathers domestic sewage waste and industrial effluents from Faisalabad and deposits it into this freshwater body. All water quality parameters (pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), salinity, conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phenols and sulphates) and concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Cr) were found to be considerably higher than permissible limits as defined by the WHO, and therefore capable of causing ill health effects in aquatic organisms. Specimens of fish scales from selected fish were described qualitatively and observed quantitatively. In Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala, the scales showed several deformities in shape and different scale structures such as circuli, radii and annuli. In each of the three types of fish, considerable variation in the morphology of their scales was observed in specimens collected from polluted sites.

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Becker’s Nevus Syndrome in a Pediatric Female Patient

Becker's nevus syndrome is part of the epidermal nevus syndromes and has been described with a phenotype that includes Becker's nevus, ipsilateral breast hypoplasia, and variable skeletal malformations. It is more frequent in males than in females (5 : 1) but is more relevant in females. The diagnosis is clinically based and the skin lesion must be present and no other numbered criteria have been established, but with more criteria being present the possibility of the diagnosis is higher. Regarding the treatment of breast hypoplasia, the use of antiandrogen medication has demonstrated adequate clinical response in a dose of 50 mg/day of spironolactone.

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A Teenage Girl with Acute Dyspnea and Hypoxemia during Red Blood Cell Transfusion

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) can cause morbidity and mortality. We present the case of teenager who developed dyspnea and hypoxemia few hours after red cell transfusion. After being admitted for close monitoring and oxygen therapy, her symptoms spontaneously resolved. Message: dyspnea during red cell transfusion should raise the suspicion of TRALI.

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Therapeutic effects of rosmarinic acid on airway responses in a murine model of asthma

Publication date: December 2016
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 41
Author(s): Zhengmin Liang, Haiying Nie, Yangfeng Xu, Jianbo Peng, Yun Zeng, Yingyi Wei, Xuemei Wen, Jiaming Qiu, Weiting Zhong, Xuming Deng, Jiakang He
Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an active component of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Previously, we reported that RA exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect in a mouse acute lung injury model. Therefore, we hypothesized that RA might also have potential therapeutic effects in a murine model of asthma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-asthmatic activity of RA and explored its possible molecular mechanisms of action. Female BALB/c mice that had been sensitized to and challenged with ovalbumin (Ova) were treated with RA (20mg/kg) 1h after challenge. The results showed that RA greatly diminished the number of inflammatory cells and the production of Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); significantly reduced the secretion of total IgE, Ova-specific IgE, and eotaxin; and markedly ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) compared with Ova-induced mice. Histological studies further revealed that RA substantially decreased inflammatory cells infiltration and mucus hypersecretion compared with Ova-induced mice. Moreover, our results suggested that the protective effects of RA were mediated by the inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Furthermore, RA treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of AMCase, CCL11, CCR3, Ym2 and E-selectin in lung tissue. These findings suggest that RA may effectively delay the development of airway inflammation and could thus be used as a therapy for allergic asthma.

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Synthesis, anti-proliferative activity, SAR study, and preliminary in vivo toxicity study of substituted N,N’-bis(arylmethyl)benzimidazolium salts against a panel of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
Author(s): Kerri L. Shelton, Michael A. DeBord, Patrick O. Wagers, Marie R. Southerland, Travis M. Williams, Nikki K. Robishaw, Leah P. Shriver, Claire A. Tessier, Matthew J. Panzner, Wiley J. Youngs
A series of N,N'-bis(arylmethyl)benzimidazolium salts have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-cancer activity against select non-small cell lung cancer cell lines to create a structure activity relationship profile. The results indicate that hydrophobic substituents on the salts increase the overall anti-proliferative activity. Our data confirms that naphthylmethyl substituents at the nitrogen atoms (N¹(N³)) and highly lipophilic substituents at the carbon atoms (C² and C⁵(C⁶)) can generate benzimidazolium salts with anti-proliferative activity that is comparable to that of cisplatin. The National Cancer Institute's Developmental Therapeutics Program tested 1, 3-5, 10, 11, 13-18, 20-25, and 28-30 in their 60 human tumor cell line screen. Results were supportive of data observed in our lab. Compounds with hydrophobic substituents have higher anti-cancer activity than compounds with hydrophilic substituents.

Graphical abstract

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A novel adamantane thiadiazole derivative induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in lung carcinoma cell line

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
Author(s): Ayat G. Ali, Magda F. Mohamed, Abdou O. Abdelhamid, Mervat S. Mohamed
The interaction of organic compounds with apoptosis regulatory proteins is an attractive field of research because of its relevance in the development of new chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Our group designed four new adamantane thiadiazole derivatives (ATDs). The four ATDs were theoretically tested for their binding affinities to a model of an apoptosis inhibitor protein using molecular modeling. ATD-4 which interacted with the highest binding affinity was synthesized and characterized. The in vitro cytotoxicity of ATD-4 against different cancer cell lines as well as normal cell line was determined and compared with 5-fluorouracil as a standard positive control. The lung carcinoma cell line that showed the highest cytotoxic activity due to ATD-4 treatment was chosen to further study if ATD-4 can perform its cytotoxic activity through the induction of apoptosis as expected from molecular modeling. Inducing apoptosis by ATD-4 in lung carcinoma cell line was assessed by various biochemical and morphological characteristics. Biochemically: The effect of ATD-4 on cell cycle and its ability to induce apoptosis were checked through flow cytometry. Caspase-3 activity was detected by a colorimetric method. Real time-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) was used to detect p53, caspase-3, bcl-2 and bax gene expression. Morphologically: Changes in cell surface morphology, granulation and average surface roughness were detected using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cell shrinkage, increase in cytoplasmic organelles, changes in mitochondrial number and morphology, chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing and formation of apoptotic bodies were detected using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained results suggest that ATD-4 exerted its antitumor activity against A549 cells through the induction of the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptotic pathway.

Graphical abstract

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Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular modeling studies of chalcone-rivastigmine hybrids as cholinesterase inhibitors

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
Author(s): Ling Wang, Yu Wang, Yiguang Tian, Jinling Shang, Xiaoou Sun, Hongzhuan Chen, Hao Wang, Wen Tan
A series of novel chalcone-rivastigmine hybrids were designed, synthesized, and tested in vitro for their ability to inhibit human acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Most of the target compounds showed hBChE selective activity in the micro- and submicromolar ranges. The most potent compound 3 exhibited comparable IC50 to the commercially available drug (rivastigmine). To better understand their structure activity relationships (SAR) and mechanisms of enzyme-inhibitor interactions, kinetic and molecular modeling studies including molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out. Furthermore, compound 3 blocks the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SH-SY5Y cells and shows the required druggability and low cytotoxicity, suggesting this hybrid is a promising multifunctional drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment.

Graphical abstract

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Profile of cognitive function in adults with duchenne muscular dystrophy

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Brain and Development
Author(s): Yukihiko Ueda, Shugo Suwazono, Sino Maedo, Itsuro Higuchi
BackgroundSeveral studies have examined intellectual functioning of boys with duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, little is known about the remaining cognitive weaknesses in adults with DMD.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the profile of cognitive functioning that is characteristics of adults with DMD.MethodsTwenty-four subscales from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III), the Clinical Assessment for Attention (CAT), and the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised (WMS-R) were used to assess participants with DMD (N=15; mean age=30.4years).ResultsScores for Picture Completion, Arithmetic, Matrix Reasoning, Symbol Search, Letter-Number Sequencing, and Digit Span of the WAIS-III; all CAT scores, and Logical Memory and Delayed Logical Memory from the WMS-R were significantly deficient in adults with DMD in comparison to the normal population.ConclusionThe ability to sequentially process auditory and visual information remains impaired in adults with DMD.

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The RD Parent Empowerment and Supplemental Food Pilot Program for Improved Food Security, Nutrition, and Family Behaviors

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Amy Knoblock-Hahn, Lisa Medrow, Rosa K Hand, Lila Murphy Gutuskey, Katie Brown

http://ift.tt/2fuzQle

Level of Implementation of the Institute of Medicine Recommended Core Competencies among Dietetics Education Programs

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Peggy Turner, Kathrin Eliot, Sue Kent, Sarah Rusnak, Patti Landers

http://ift.tt/2eCcj4h

Adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Is Associated with Psychological Resilience in Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Laura J. Lutz, Erin Gaffney-Stomberg, Kelly W. Williams, Susan M. McGraw, Philip J. Niro, J. Philip Karl, Sonya J. Cable, Thomas L. Cropper, James P. McClung
BackgroundThe 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), a measure of diet quality, is used to quantify adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Better HEI scores have been associated with positive health outcomes; however, the relationship between diet quality and psychological resilience, a mental health attribute for coping with adversity, has not been assessed.ObjectiveThe objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between diet quality and psychological resilience, and the relationship between resilience and demographics, anthropometrics, socioeconomic status, and health behavior.DesignIn this cross-sectional study, HEI-2010 scores and resilience were assessed using the Block food frequency questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Other factors that can affect the relationship between HEI-2010 scores and resilience were assessed using surveys, and height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index.Participants/settingMale and female Army and Air Force recruits (n=834) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and 656 (mean±standard deviation [SD] age=21±3.3 years) were included in this analysis. Data were collected before the initiation of military training at Fort Sill, OK (2012-2013) and Lackland Air Force Base, TX (2013-2014).Statistical analysis performedParticipants were split into low- and high-resilience groups based on Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale scores. Student's t test and χ² tests were used to determine differences between groups for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Logistic regression was utilized to identify predictors of resilience.ResultsBetter diet quality was associated with resilience; higher HEI predicted an increased likelihood (odds ratio=1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04) of a participant being in the high-resilience group after including race, ethnicity, education, smoking, age, body mass index, sex, and military branch in the full model. The data indicate that with every 10-point increase in HEI score, there was a 22% increased likelihood of being in the high-resilience group.ConclusionsRegistered dietitian nutritionists should continue to encourage attainable changes to improve diet; study data suggest that small improvements in diet quality can be associated with better psychological resilience.

http://ift.tt/2fuAkHW

A Case of Ameloblastic Fibroodontoma Extending Maxillary Sinus with Erupted Tooth: Is Transcanine Approach with Alveolectomy Feasible?

Ameloblastic fibroodontoma (AFO) is a rare entity of mixed odontogenic tumors and frequently arises from posterior portion of the maxilla or mandible in first two decades of life. Herein, a 35-year-old woman with a noncontributory medical history who presented with a progressive left maxillary toothache, left maxillary first molar tooth mobility, and swelling in the left maxillary molar area for the last 2 months was reported. Radiologically, a tumor that originated from periapical area of the second mature molar teeth of maxilla was seen and additively unerupted tooth was not detected. The histopathologic examination revealed AFO. The patient is disease-free for five years after treated with limited segmental alveolectomy combining with Caldwell-Luc procedure.

http://ift.tt/2fqRBp0

A Case of Ameloblastic Fibroodontoma Extending Maxillary Sinus with Erupted Tooth: Is Transcanine Approach with Alveolectomy Feasible?

Lung Ultrasound in Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Ventilator Associated Pneumonia before Any Radiographic or Laboratory Changes

Neonatal pneumonia is reported to be the primary cause of neonatal respiratory failure and one of the common causes of neonatal hospitalization and death in developing countries. Chest X-ray was considered the gold standard for diagnosis of neonatal pneumonia. Lung ultrasonography has been described as a valuable noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of many neonatal pulmonary diseases. We report a case of ventilation associated neonatal pneumonia with very early diagnosis using lung ultrasound before any significant radiographic changes in chest X-ray or laboratory findings suggestive of infection.

http://ift.tt/2eLGLGz

Intracerebroventricular injection of ghrelin decreases wheel running activity in rats

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Peptides
Author(s): Yumiko Miyatake, Tetsuya Shiuchi, Kazuaki Mawatari, Satomi Toda, Yasuko Taniguchi, Akari Futami, Fukiko Sato, Masashi Kuroda, Mayu Sebe, Rie Tsutsumi, Nagakatsu Harada, Yasuhiko Minokoshi, Tadahiro Kitamura, Koro Gotoh, Masaki Ueno, Yutaka Nakaya, Hiroshi Sakaue
There is an increasing interest in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which voluntary exercise is regulated. In this study, we examined how the central nervous system regulates exercise. We used SPORTS rats, which were established in our laboratory as a highly voluntary murine exercise model. SPORTS rats showed lower levels of serum ghrelin compared with those of the parental line of Wistar rats. Intracerebroventricular and intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin decreased wheel-running activity in SPORTS rats. In addition, daily injection of the ghrelin inhibitor JMV3002 into the lateral ventricles of Wistar rats increased wheel-running activity. Co-administration of obestatin inhibited ghrelin-induced increases in food intake but did not inhibit ghrelin-induced suppression of voluntary exercise in rats. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of SPORTS rats was not difference that in control rats. We created an arcuate nucleus destruction model by administering monosodium glutamate (MSG) to neonatal SPORTS rats. Injection of ghrelin into MSG-treated rats decreased voluntary exercise but did not increase food intake, suggesting that wheel-running activity is not controlled by the arcuate nucleus neurons that regulate feeding. These results provide new insights into the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates voluntary activity independent of arcuate nucleus neurons.

http://ift.tt/2ecRkpP

An algorithm for direct causal learning of influences on patient outcomes

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
Author(s): Chandramouli Rathnam, Sanghoon Lee, Xia Jiang
ObjectiveThis study aims at developing and introducing a new algorithm, called direct causal learner (DCL), for learning the direct causal influences of a single target. We applied it to both simulated and real clinical and genome wide association study (GWAS) datasets and compared its performance to classic causal learning algorithms.MethodThe DCL algorithm learns the causes of a single target from passive data using Bayesian-scoring, instead of using independence checks, and a novel deletion algorithm. We generate 14400 simulated datasets and measure the number of datasets for which DCL correctly and partially predicts the direct causes. We then compare its performance with the constraint-based path consistency (PC) and conservative PC (CPC) algorithms, the Bayesian-score based fast greedy search (FGS) algorithm, and the partial ancestral graphs algorithm fast causal inference (FCI). In addition, we extend our comparison of all five algorithms to both a real GWAS dataset and real breast cancer datasets over various time-points in order to observe how effective they are at predicting the causal influences of Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer survival.ResultsDCL consistently outperforms FGS, PC, CPC, and FCI in discovering the parents of the target for the datasets simulated using a simple network. Overall, DCL predicts significantly more datasets correctly (McNemar's test significance: p<< 0.0001) than any of the other algorithms for these network types. For example, when assessing overall performance (simple and complex network results combined), DCL correctly predicts approximately 1400 more datasets than the top FGS method, 1600 more datasets than the top CPC method, 4500 more datasets than the top PC method, and 5600 more datasets than the top FCI method. Although FGS did correctly predict more datasets than DCL for the complex networks, and DCL correctly predicted only a few more datasets than CPC for these networks, there is no significant difference in performance between these three algorithms for this network type. However, when we use a more continuous measure of accuracy, we find that all the DCL methods are able to better partially predict more direct causes than FGS and CPC for the complex networks. In addition, DCL consistently had faster runtimes than the other algorithms. In the application to the real datasets, DCL identified rs6784615, located on the NISCH gene, and rs10824310, located on the PRKG1 gene, as direct causes of late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) development. In addition, DCL identified ER category as a direct predictor of breast cancer mortality within 5 years, and HER2 status as a direct predictor of 10-year breast cancer mortality. These predictors have been identified in previous studies to have a direct causal relationship with their respective phenotypes, supporting the predictive power of DCL. When the other algorithms discovered predictors from the real datasets, these predictors were either also found by DCL or could not be supported by previous studies.ConclusionOur results show that DCL outperforms FGS, PC, CPC, and FCI in almost every case, demonstrating its potential to advance causal learning. Furthermore, our DCL algorithm effectively identifies direct causes in the LOAD and Metabric GWAS datasets, which indicates its potential for clinical applications.

http://ift.tt/2fqMGoh

ORMDL3 transgenic mice have reduced levels of sphingolipids including sphingosine-1-phosphate and ceramide

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Marina Miller, Peter Rosenthal, Andrew Beppu, Ruth Gordillo, David H. Broide

Teaser

ORMDL3 is highly linked to asthma in genetic association studies. Mice with increased human ORMDL3 expression have reduced levels of sphingolipids. ORMDL3 regulation of sphingolipid levels may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

http://ift.tt/2fQ96jp

Prenatal phthalate exposure associates with low regulatory T cell numbers and atopic dermatitis in early childhood – results from the LINA mother-child study

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Gunda Herberth, Arkadiusz Pierzchalski, Ralph Feltens, Mario Bauer, Stefan Röder, Sven Olek, Denise Hinz, Michael Borte, Martin von Bergen, Irina Lehmann

Teaser

Exposure to high concentrations of the phthalate metabolite mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) in the prenatal period is a risk factor for atopic dermatitis in early childhood, presumably by inhibiting the development of regulatory T cells.

http://ift.tt/2erDxau

Geriatric factors analyses from FFCD 2001-02 phase III study of first-line chemotherapy for elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients

Publication date: Available online 5 November 2016
Source:European Journal of Cancer
Author(s): Thomas Aparicio, Dany Gargot, Laurent Teillet, Emilie Maillard, Dominique Genet, Jacques Cretin, Christophe Locher, Olivier Bouché, Gilles Breysacher, Jean-François Seitz, Mohamed Gasmi, Laetitia Stefani, Mohamed Ramdani, Thierry Lecomte, Dominique Auby, Roger Faroux, Jean-Baptiste Bachet, Céline Lepère, Faiza Khemissa, Iradj Sobhani, Olivier Boulat, Emmanuel Mitry, Jean-Louis Jouve
AimSeveral predictors of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) outcomes have been described. Specific geriatric characteristics could be of interest to determine prognosis.MethodElderly patients (75+) with previously untreated mCRC were randomly assigned to receive infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, either alone (FU) or in combination with irinotecan (IRI). Geriatric evaluations were included as an optional procedure. The predictive value of geriatric parameters was determined for the objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsFrom June 2003 to May 2010, the FFCD 2001-02 randomised trial enrolled 282 patients. A baseline geriatric evaluation was done in 123 patients; 62 allocated to the FU arm and 61 to the IRI arm. The baseline Charlson index was ≤1 in 75%, Mini-Mental State Examination was ≤27/30 in 31%, Geriatric Depression Scale was >2 in 10% and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) was impaired in 34% of the patients. Multivariate analyses revealed that no geriatric parameter was predictive for ORR or PFS. Normal IADL was independently associated with better OS.The benefit of doublet chemotherapy on PFS differed in subgroups of patients ≤80 years, with unresected primary tumour, leucocytes >11,000 mm³ and carcinoembryonic antigen >2N. There was a trend towards better OS in patients with normal IADL.ConclusionThe autonomy score was an independent predictor for OS. A trend toward a better efficacy of doublet chemotherapy in some subgroups of patients was reported and should be further explored.

http://ift.tt/2foCZEc

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! # Ola via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader

Η λίστα ιστολογίων μου

Κυριακή 6 Νοεμβρίου 2016

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