Head and Neck Diseases by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis: 10/27/17

Παρασκευή 27 Οκτωβρίου 2017

Acquisition of Somatic NRAS Mutations in Central Nervous System Melanocytes: A Predisposing Risk Factor to Primary Melanoma of the Central Nervous System, a Frequently Forgotten Pitfall in Congenital Nevi.

Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are benign melanocytic proliferations that are usually present at birth. A somatic mosaicism for an NRAS point mutation is responsible for the several phenotypic abnormalities that may be associated with congenital nevi. We report the case of a 7-year-old boy with a proliferative nodule (PN) arising in a Giant CMN completely excised and with several visceral and intraspinal melanoma metastases with no evidence of primary cutaneous melanoma. The careful analysis of the clinical, morphologic, and molecular features allowed the distinction of between the benign PN (BPN) and the melanoma. The BPN showed a characteristic comparative genomic hybridization pattern with gains or losses of whole chromosomes, whereas the melanoma displayed gains or losses involving complex partial chromosomal copy number gains or losses. Leptomeningeal melanocytes are more susceptible to transformation by oncogenic NRAS than cutaneous melanocytes, and central nervous system melanomas are more common than cutaneous melanomas in the setting of CMN. Thus, it has been recommended to characterize the congenital disease in patients with 2 CMN at birth, independently of size and site, with a single magnetic resonance imaging screening younger than the age of 1 year. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Pruritic Linear Eruption in a 53-Year-Old Woman: Challenge.

No abstract available

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Measuring Scholastic Production by Dermatopathologists Using the H-Index: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Academic advancement in dermatopathology requires evidence of scientific production. The H-index is a useful bibliometric for measuring scientific production because it weights both volume and impact of an individual's scholastic production. The H-index distribution among academic dermatopathologists is unknown. In this cross-sectional study of 299 dermatopathologists with academic appointments in North America, H-index, publication counts, and citation counts were retrieved from Thomas Reuters Web of Science. Analytic statistics were performed to identify best predictors of academic rank and cutoff points between academic ranks. The H-index was a superior predictor of overall academic rank than publication or citation counts. The median H-index for assistant, associate, and full professors was 4, 6, and 11, respectively. H-index cutoff scores of 8 and 10 favored associate and full professor rank, respectively. These data provide benchmarks for dermatopathologists to gauge their scientific productivity against that of their peers. Although advancement decisions will depend on a careful examination of the scope and impact of a candidate's work, assistant professors of dermatopathology with H-index scores of >7 and associate professors of dermatopathology with H-index scores of >9 may wish to consider application for promotion. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Ustekinumab treatment of pityriasis rubra pilaris: A report of five cases

Abstract

Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. Patients refractory to conventional therapies have been treated successfully with biologic drugs such as anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. Recently, a role of the interleukin-23/T-helper 17 axis in PRP has been described. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of ustekinumab in five patients with adult-onset PRP refractory to conventional therapies. In the present study, four patients had type I and one patient type II adult-onset PRP. They were treated with three s.c. doses of ustekinumab at weeks 0, 4 and 16. Clinical response was evaluated monthly during treatment up to a 15-month follow-up period. All patients promptly showed a decrease in erythema, follicular hyperkeratosis and scaling. After three injections, complete remission of skin lesions was achieved in four out of five cases and a significant clinical improvement was shown in one case. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest case series reported on ustekinumab treatment in PRP. Our results, in addition to previous studies from other groups, suggest that ustekinumab may be a possible first-line treatment for PRP patients refractory to conventional therapies.

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Successful Treatment of a Scleroderma-Associated Leg Ulcer With Endovenous Laser Ablation.

No abstract available

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A Dermatologic Approach to a Recurrent Auricular Seroma.

No abstract available

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Vulvar Lymphangioma Circumscriptum Treated With Fractional Ablative Erbium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser.

No abstract available

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Mechanism of Action of Topical Garlic on Wound Healing.

BACKGROUND: Allicin, the active component of garlic, has been shown to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic has also been used historically by many cultures to heal wounds. Several animal studies have shown that garlic extracts increase the rate of wound healing and decrease the rate of infection. OBJECTIVE: Fibroblasts play a key role in wound healing. Here we hypothesize that fibroblasts are being activated by allicin, leading to more organized and rapid wound repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six rats were each given 2 surgical wounds. One side was treated with a 30% garlic ointment while the other was treated with Vaseline for two weeks. A biopsy was taken from each scar site and histopathology with Immunohistochemistry was performed to quantify the number of fibroblasts and proliferating fibroblasts in each site. RESULTS: The wound biopsies had more proliferating fibroblasts in the scars treated with the 30% garlic ointment than in the scars treated with Vaseline with a p-value of 0.0175 at two weeks post op and 0.081 at 6 week post op. CONCLUSION: This data tells us that allicin is acting on fibroblasts as there were more proliferating fibroblasts in the garlic treated sites than in the other sites. (C) 2017 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Deoxycholic Acid-Induced Skin Necrosis: Prevention and Management.

No abstract available

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Surgical Management of Radiation-Associated Atypical Vascular Lesions.

No abstract available

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Air Safety and Personal Protective Equipment for Phenol-Croton Oil Peels.

No abstract available

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Diagnostic Change From Atypical Intraepidermal Melanocytic Proliferation to Melanoma is More Likely When Clinically Visible Residual Pigment Remains After Biopsy.

No abstract available

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Delayed-Onset Nodules After Polymethyl Methacrylate Injections.

No abstract available

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Topical Brimonidine Tartrate 0.33% Gel on Postlaser Erythema: Our Experience and Review of the Literature.

No abstract available

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Hearing Aid Startup to Receive $45 Million Funding

Eargo (https://eargo.com/), a direct-to-consumer hearing technology company, has announced the closing of the first tranche of an aggregate $45 million Series C investment round, which the company said will be used to accelerate their product innovation. The new investment was led by Nan Fung Life Sciences. New Enterprise Associates, Charles and Helen Schwab, and Maveron have also provided investments. Eargo is designed for consumers with on-the-go lifestyles and the desire for simplicity. Christian Gormsen, the CEO of Eargo, said, "We believe people shouldn't feel that they need a hearing aid. They should feel that they want one. Eargo was created with this in mind and we're just getting started."

Published: 10/27/2017 2:07:00 PM

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SSEL-ADE: A semi-supervised ensemble learning framework for extracting adverse drug events from social media

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
Author(s): Jing Liu, Songzheng Zhao, Gang Wang
With the development of Web 2.0 technology, social media websites have become lucrative but under-explored data sources for extracting adverse drug events (ADEs), which is a serious health problem. Besides ADE, other semantic relation types (e.g., drug indication and beneficial effect) could hold between the drug and adverse event mentions, making ADE relation extraction – distinguishing ADE relationship from other relation types – necessary. However, conducting ADE relation extraction in social media environment is not a trivial task because of the expertise-dependent, time-consuming and costly annotation process, and the feature space's high-dimensionality attributed to intrinsic characteristics of social media data. This study aims to develop a framework for ADE relation extraction using patient-generated content in social media with better performance than that delivered by previous efforts. To achieve the objective, a general semi-supervised ensemble learning framework, SSEL-ADE, was developed. The framework exploited various lexical, semantic, and syntactic features, and integrated ensemble learning and semi-supervised learning. A series of experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Empirical results demonstrate the effectiveness of each component of SSEL-ADE and reveal that our proposed framework outperforms most of existing ADE relation extraction methods The SSEL-ADE can facilitate enhanced ADE relation extraction performance, thereby providing more reliable support for pharmacovigilance. Moreover, the proposed semi-supervised ensemble methods have the potential of being applied to effectively deal with other social media-based problems.

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Unilateral rhinorrhoea: An atypical aetiology

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
Author(s): C. Aussedat, C. Dorbeau, D. Bakhos

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EEG-Annotate: Automated identification and labeling of events in continuous signals with applications to EEG

Publication date: 1 January 2018
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Volume 293
Author(s): Kyung-min Su, W. David Hairston, Kay Robbins
BackgroundIn controlled laboratory EEG experiments, researchers carefully mark events and analyze subject responses time-locked to these events. Unfortunately, such markers may not be available or may come with poor timing resolution for experiments conducted in less-controlled naturalistic environments.New methodWe present an integrated event-identification method for identifying particular responses that occur in unlabeled continuously recorded EEG signals based on information from recordings of other subjects potentially performing related tasks. We introduce the idea of timing slack and timing-tolerant performance measures to deal with jitter inherent in such non-time-locked systems. We have developed an implementation available as an open-source MATLAB toolbox (http://ift.tt/2iFcyzY) and have made test data available in a separate data note.ResultsWe applied the method to identify visual presentation events (both target and non-target) in data from an unlabeled subject using labeled data from other subjects with good sensitivity and specificity. The method also identified actual visual presentation events in the data that were not previously marked in the experiment.Comparison with existing methodsAlthough the method uses traditional classifiers for initial stages, the problem of identifying events based on the presence of stereotypical EEG responses is the converse of the traditional stimulus-response paradigm and has not been addressed in its current form.ConclusionsIn addition to identifying potential events in unlabeled or incompletely labeled EEG, these methods also allow researchers to investigate whether particular stereotypical neural responses are present in other circumstances. Timing-tolerance has the added benefit of accommodating inter- and intra- subject timing variations.

Graphical abstract

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Distinct modulation of interhemispheric inhibitory mechanisms during movement preparation reveals the influence of cognition on action control

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Mark R. Hinder, Rohan Puri, Sarah Kemp, Sara Waitzer, Paola Reissig, Tino Stöckel, Hakuei Fujiyama
When selecting actions based on visual warning stimuli (WS), corticospinal excitability (CSE) is initially suppressed, consistent with a neural mechanism to prevent premature release of the competing responses. Despite being implicated in between-hand movement selection and preparation, the role that interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) may play in this 'impulse control' mechanism is not known. Participants performed a warned, between-hand, choice reaction time (RT) task in which the informativeness of the WS (with regards to which hand would be required to respond) was manipulated. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) assessed CSE of the right primary motor cortex (M1) and IHI from left to right M1 with 10 (IHI10) and 40 (IHI40) msec interstimulus intervals during movement selection and preparation.Consistent with impulse control, CSE was initially suppressed prior to both left and right hand actions, irrespective of WS informativeness. Subsequent CSE increases occurred in the responding hand which were larger, and occurred earlier, following an informative WS. Importantly, these increases strongly predicted response times. In contrast to the generic CSE suppression, an informative WS permitted a hand-specific release of IHI10 in the responding hand, whereas IHI40 was released in both hands. As releases of IHI cannot explain a simultaneous suppression of CSE, this suggests several distinct movement preparation mechanisms are at play with IHI modulation occurring independently from impulse control. Notably, the findings support the notion that IHI10 and IHI40 between contralateral motor regions are mediated by discrete transcallosal pathways, and are differently modulated by specific motor and cognitive attributes of a rapid choice task.

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Oxygen-Enriched Photosensitizer Medium with Red Blood Cells to Study Tissue Interaction of Photosensitization Reaction

Photomedicine and Laser Surgery , Vol. 0, No. 0.

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Professionalism: A Core Competency, but What Does it Mean? A Survey of Surgery Residents

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Journal of Surgical Education
Author(s): Joshua C. Dilday, Elizabeth A. Miller, Kyle Schmitt, Brian Davis, Kurt G. Davis
ObjectiveProfessionalism is 1 of the 6 core competencies of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. Despite its obvious importance, it is poorly defined in the literature and an understanding of its meaning has not been evaluated on surgical trainees. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has previously published tenets of surgical professionalism. However, surgery residents may not share similar views on professionalism as those of the ACS.DesignSurgical residents of all levels at 2 surgery residencies located in the same city were interviewed regarding their personal definitions, thoughts, and experiences regarding professionalism during their training. They were then queried regarding 20 points of professionalism as outlined by the ACS tenets of professionalism.SettingThe study utilized the surgery residencies at William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Texas Tech University Health Science Center in El Paso, Texas.ParticipantsAll general surgery residents at each program were invited to participate in the study. Eighteen residents volunteered to take the survey and be interviewed.ResultsThe definitions of professionalism centered on clinical competence. Surgery residents conveyed experiences with both professional and unprofessional behavior. Seven of the 20 ACS tenets of professionalism were unanimously agreed upon. There were key differences between resident definitions and those as outlined by the ACS. The least agreed upon ACS tenets of professionalism include professionalism education, public education, and public health.ConclusionsSurgical trainees express personal experiences in both professional and unprofessional behavior. Their definitions of professionalism are not as expansive as those of the ACS and seem to focus on patient and colleague interaction. Due to the lack of congruency, a tailored curriculum for professionalism based upon ACS tenets appears warranted.

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Haemophilus parasuis CpxRA two-component system confers bacterial tolerance to environmental stresses and macrolide resistance

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Microbiological Research
Author(s): Qi Cao, Fenfen Feng, Huan Wang, Xiaojuan Xu, Huanchun Chen, Xuwang Cai, Xiangru Wang
Haemophilus parasuis is an opportunistic pathogen localized in the upper respiratory tracts of pigs, its infection begins from bacterial survival under complex conditions, like hyperosmosis, oxidative stress, phagocytosis, and sometimes antibiotics as well. The two-component signal transduction (TCST) system serves as a common stimulus-response mechanism that allows microbes to sense and respond to diverse environmental conditions via a series of phosphorylation reactions. In this study, we investigated the role of TCST system CpxRA in H. parasuis in response to different environmental stimuli by constructing the ΔcpxA and ΔcpxR single deletion mutants as well as the ΔcpxRA double deletion mutant from H. parasuis serotype 4 isolate JS0135. We demonstrated that H. parasuis TCST system CpxRA confers bacterial tolerance to stresses and bactericidal antibiotics. The CpxR was found to play essential roles in mediating oxidative stress, osmotic stresses and alkaline pH stress tolerance, as well as macrolide resistance (i.e. erythromycin), but the CpxA deletion did not decrease bacterial resistance to abovementioned stresses. Moreover, we found via RT-qPCR approach that HAPS_RS00160 and HAPS_RS09425, both encoding multidrug efflux pumps, were significantly decreased in erythromycin challenged ΔcpxR and ΔcpxRA mutants compared with wild-type strain JS0135. These findings characterize the role of the TCST system CpxRA in H. parasuis conferring stress response tolerance and bactericidal resistance, which will deepen our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in H. parasuis.

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Individual Trade‐Offs Between Possible Benefits and Risks of Cancer Treatments: Results from a Stated Preference Study with Patients with Multiple Myeloma

AbstractBackground.The objectives of this study were to elicit the preferences of patients with multiple myeloma regarding the possible benefits and risks of cancer treatments and to illustrate how such data may be used to estimate patients' acceptance of new treatments.Patients and Methods.Patients with multiple myeloma from the cancer charity Myeloma UK were invited to participate in an online survey based on multicriteria decision analysis and swing weighting to elicit individual stated preferences for the following attributes: (a) 1‐year progression‐free survival (PFS, ranging from 50% to 90%), (b) mild or moderate toxicity for 2 months or longer (ranging from 85% to 45%), and (c) severe or life‐threatening toxicity (ranging from 80% to 20%).Results.A total of 560 participants completed the survey. The average weight given to PFS was 0.54, followed by 0.32 for severe or life‐threatening toxicity and 0.14 for mild or moderate chronic toxicity. Participants who ranked severe or life‐threatening toxicity above mild or moderate chronic toxicity (56%) were more frequently younger, working, and looking after dependent family members and had more frequently experienced severe or life‐threatening side effects. The amount of weight given to PFS did not depend on any of the collected covariates. The feasibility of using the collected preference data to estimate the patients' acceptance of specific multiple myeloma treatments was demonstrated in a subsequent decision analysis example.Conclusion.Stated preference studies provide a systematic approach to gain knowledge about the distribution of preferences in the population and about what this implies for patients' acceptance of specific treatments.Implications for Practice.This study demonstrated how quantitative preference statements from a large group of participants can be collected through an online survey and how such information may be used to explore the acceptability of specific treatments based on the attributes studied. Results from such studies have the potential to become an important new tool for gathering patient views and studying heterogeneity in preferences in a systematic way, along with other methods, such as focus groups and expert opinions.

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ALK Fusions in a Wide Variety of Tumor Types Respond to Anti‐ALK Targeted Therapy

AbstractBackground.Genomic fusions of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (ALK) are a well‐established therapy target in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). From a survey of 114,200 clinical cases, we determined the prevalence of ALK rearrangements (rALK) in non‐NSCLC tumors and report their responsiveness to therapies targeting ALK.Materials and Methods.Comprehensive genomic profiling of 114,200 relapsed and metastatic malignancies, including both solid tumors and hematolymphoid cancers, was performed using a hybrid‐capture, adaptor ligation‐based next‐generation sequencing assay.Results.Of 114,200 clinical samples, 21,522 (18.8%) were NSCLC and 92,678 (81.2%) were other tumor types. Of the 876 (0.8%) cases with ALK fusions (fALK) or rALK, 675 (77.1%) were NSCLC and 201 (22.9%) were other tumor types. ALK fusions were significantly more frequent in NSCLC (3.1%) than non‐NSCLC (0.2%; p < .0001). Patients with non‐NSCLC tumors harboring fALK were significantly younger (p < .0001) and more often female (p < .0001) than patients with fALK‐positive NSCLC. EML4 was more often the fusion partner in NSCLC (83.5%) versus non‐NSCLC tumors (30.9%; p < .0001).Conclusion.ALK rearrangements can be identified in a wide variety of epithelial and mesenchymal malignancies beyond NSCLC. Anti‐ALK therapies can be effective in non‐NSCLC tumors driven by fALK, and further study of therapies targeting ALK in clinical trials involving a wider variety of cancer types appears warranted.Implications for Practice.Rearrangements involving the ALK gene have been detected in dozens of cancer types using next‐generation sequencing. Patients whose tumors harbor ALK rearrangements or fusions respond to treatment with crizotinib and alectinib, including tumors not normally associated with ALK mutations, such as non‐Langerhans cell histiocytosis or renal cell carcinoma. Comprehensive genomic profiling using next‐generation sequencing can detect targetable ALK fusions irrespective of tumor type or fusions partner.

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Consensus Guideline for Use of Glucarpidase in Patients with High‐Dose Methotrexate Induced Acute Kidney Injury and Delayed Methotrexate Clearance

AbstractAcute kidney injury due to high‐dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is a serious, life‐threatening toxicity that can occur in pediatric and adult patients. Glucarpidase is a treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration for high methotrexate concentrations in the context of kidney dysfunction, but the guidelines for when to use it are unclear. An expert panel was convened to provide specific, expert consensus guidelines for the use of glucarpidase in patients who develop HDMTX‐induced nephrotoxicity and delayed methotrexate excretion. The guideline provides recommendations to identify the population of patients who would benefit from glucarpidase rescue by more precisely defining the absolute methotrexate concentrations associated with risk for severe or life‐threatening toxicity at several time points after the start of an HDMTX infusion. For an HDMTX infusion ≤24 hours, if the 36‐hour concentration is above 30 µM, 42‐hour concentration is above 10 µM, or 48‐hour concentration is above 5 µM and the serum creatinine is significantly elevated relative to the baseline measurement (indicative of HDMTX‐induced acute kidney injury), glucarpidase may be indicated. After a 36‐ to 42‐hour HDMTX infusion, glucarpidase may be indicated when the 48‐hour methotrexate concentration is above 5 µM. Administration of glucarpidase should optimally occur within 48–60 hours from the start of the HDMTX infusion, because life‐threatening toxicities may not be preventable beyond this time point.Implications for Practice.Glucarpidase is a rarely used medication that is less effective when given after more than 60 hours of exposure to high‐dose methotrexate, so predicting early which patients will need it is imperative. There are no currently available consensus guidelines for the use of this medication. The indication on the label does not give specific methotrexate concentrations above which it should be used. An international group of experts was convened to develop a consensus guideline that was specific and evidence‐based to identify the population of patients who would benefit from glucarpidase.

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Obeservations on association between third molar agenesis and craniofacial morphology

Abstract

Objective

This study was designed to examine the relationship between third molar agenesis and skeletal morphology in the Chinese population.

Materials and methods

A total of 1043 patients' records were analyzed with panoramic radiographs and cephalograms. Congenitally missing third molars were assessed with respect to gender, jaw, and side, and assessed in various types of facial morphology. Linear, angular, and proportional cephalometric measurements were analyzed and compared among the samples. For the evaluation of results, the following statistics were used: the Pearson χ ² test, one-way ANOVA, and the Student–Newman–Keuls method.

Results

The overall prevalence of third molar agenesis was 28.7%. Missing third molars were more common in the maxilla and on the right side, while the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) between genders. Every hypodontia group had a smaller SN-GoGn angle, Y-axis-FH angle, and a larger S-Go/N-Me ratio. The group with third molar agenesis in both jaws had smaller SNA and Wits values. The frequency of third molar agenesis in subjects with a Class II malocclusion was significantly lower than in other types of malocclusion (P < 0.05), and the incidence of third molar agenesis in hypodivergent growth pattern was higher than in other patterns (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The results demonstrate a possible association between third molar agenesis and both sagittal and vertical craniofacial morphology.

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Semi-parametric arterial input functions for quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in mice

Publication date: February 2018
Source:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Volume 46
Author(s): Torfinn Taxt, Rolf K. Reed, Tina Pavlin, Cecilie Brekke Rygh, Erling Andersen, Radovan Jiřík
ObjectiveAn extension of single- and multi-channel blind deconvolution is presented to improve the estimation of the arterial input function (AIF) in quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).MethodsThe Lucy-Richardson expectation-maximization algorithm is used to obtain estimates of the AIF and the tissue residue function (TRF). In the first part of the algorithm, nonparametric estimates of the AIF and TRF are obtained. In the second part, the decaying part of the AIF is approximated by three decaying exponential functions with the same delay, giving an almost noise free semi-parametric AIF. Simultaneously, the TRF is approximated using the adiabatic approximation of the Johnson-Wilson (aaJW) pharmacokinetic model.ResultsIn simulations and tests on real data, use of this AIF gave perfusion values close to those obtained with the corresponding previously published nonparametric AIF, and are more noise robust.ConclusionWhen used subsequently in voxelwise perfusion analysis, these semi-parametric AIFs should give more correct perfusion analysis maps less affected by recording noise than the corresponding nonparametric AIFs, and AIFs obtained from arteries.SignificanceThis paper presents a method to increase the noise robustness in the estimation of the perfusion parameter values in DCE-MRI.

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Regenerative Effects of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor on Restoration of Thyroarytenoid Muscle Atrophy Caused by Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Transection

Vocal fold atrophy following unilateral vocal fold paralysis is caused by atrophy of the thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle and remains a challenge. Medialization procedures are popular treatment options; however, hoarseness often remains due to the reduction in mass or tension of the TA muscle. Therefore, in addition to medialization procedures, TA muscle reinnervation is desirable. In vivo studies have shown the potential for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to affect muscular and nerve regeneration.

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Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Italian Version of the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (I-VTD)

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the VTD scale (I-VTD scale).

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Virtual Presurgical Planning Optimizes the Outcome for a Patient with Ameloblastoma

By the time 31-year-old Marcus King saw Ron Karni, MD, and Kunal Jain, MD, the ameloblastoma encompassed the majority of... Read the full article...

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Dr. Amber Luong Recognized for Clinical Excellence by UTHealth’s Women Faculty Forum

Amber Luong, MD, PhD, associate professor of otorhinolaryngology and research director for the department, has been recognized with the 2017... Read the full article...

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Dr. Soham Roy, Dr. William Yao and Dr. Ibrahim Alava Receive Dean’s Teaching Excellence Awards

Soham Roy, MD, FACS, FAAP, Ibrahim "Trey" Alava, MD, and William Yao, MD, have been recognized with McGovern Medical School... Read the full article...

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Routine Health Screening: To Continue or To Discontinue?.

Author: H., Edna Mae via Facebook

Page: 10

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Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Next War for Rural Veterans and Their Families?.

Author: Tasseff, Tamara L. MA, RN; Nies, Mary A. PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAHB

Page: 11

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Crisis in New Jersey Highlights Problems for Many State Boards of Nursing.

Author: Stockwell, Serena

Page: 12-13

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NewsCAP: Study finds gabapentinoids are ineffective for low back pain.

Author:

Page: 14

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Can Dementia Be Prevented?.

Author: Pfeifer, Gail MA, RN, news director

Page: 15

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NewsCAP: Private clinics marketing unproven stem cell treatments spur FDA to act.

Author:

Page: 15

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NewsCAP: Mothers who intend to use safe sleep positions for infants may not follow through.

Author:

Page: 15

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NewsCAP: An online course platform aims to improve international emergency responses.

Author:

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P336 A 20-month-old male with anemia and pneumonia

A 20-mo-o male with 2-day history of fever and cough. He was pale on exam with Hgb 3 mg/dL, RBC 3.12 X106/μL, MCV <50 fL/RBC. Fecal occult blood was positive. CXR showed RML infiltrate. He was hospitalized and given blood, antibiotics started. Stool microscopy showed charcot-leyden crystals. H. pylori stool antigen was positive, fecal calprotectin was borderline (95 μg/g), and stool alpha-1-antitrypsin was elevated (330 mg/dL), but negative for parasites, bacteria and viruses. Hemosiderin-laden alveolar macrophages were demonstrated in gastric aspirate.

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P279 Post-authorization safety study of hyaluronidase-facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin 10% treatment in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases

HyQvia (IGHy) is a recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20)-facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) 10% replacement therapy for adults with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD). To acquire long-term safety data on IGHy, and assess prescribed treatment regimens and administration in routine clinical practice, a global post-authorization safety study was initiated in the United States in November 2015.

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P205 Experience with a simplified eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (evh) device for diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchospasm

Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) is defined as a transient narrowing of the airway after exercise with decline in FEV1 by at least 10%.The diagnosis of EIB is charactertistically determined by spirometry conducted after exercise or a surrogate challenge such as EVH.We review our experience in a private practice in allergy /immunology with simplified EVH.

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P295 Good syndrome: importance of early diagnosis

A 63 HIV-negative man with benign spindle-cell thymoma (diagnosed 2011) presented with acute hypoxic respiratory failure. Over two months, he was hospitalized twice for recurrent pneumonia secondary to Bordetella Bronchisepticapneumonia and treated with two courses of IV antibiotics. He presented to us with respiratory failure requiring endotracheal intubation two days after his last hospitalization. CT demonstrated thymoma, cavitary lesions, ground glass opacity, and bronchiectasis. Cultures revealed Bordetella Bronchisepticaand Pneumocystis Jirovecii.

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P213 Efficacy of inhaled tiotropium for asthmatics uncontrolled using inhaled corticosteroid plus a long-acting beta2-agonist

For moderate persistent asthmatics that remain symptomatic on long-term anti-inflammatory inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) plus a long-acting beta2-agonist bronchodilator (LABA), the addition of inhaled tiotropium a long-acting anticholinergic agent, may provide additional efficacy in sub optimally controlled moderate persistent asthmatics.

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P344 Urticaria associated with alcoholic beverage ingestion and subsequent desensitization

Adverse reactions to alcohol and alcoholic beverages are not uncommon. Both immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms have been proposed. We describe a case of an urticarial reaction to alcoholic beverages.

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P328 History of milk or soy protein intolerance in infancy in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis

Adverse reactions to milk and soy are common in infancy. The incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) appears to be increasing, and dietary therapy has become a first-line treatment.

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P217 Salford lung study chronic obstructive pulmonary disease follow-up interviews: analyses by treatment comparisons and exacerbations

The Salford Lung Study in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SLS COPD) compared the initiation of once-daily fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25μg (FF/VI) treatment versus continuation of usual care (UC). The annual rate of moderate or severe exacerbations was significantly lower for patients initiated on FF/VI compared with UC (Vestbo, NEJM 2016). We conducted a follow-up study to compare the experiences of patients completing SLS COPD, by exacerbation rate and randomized treatment.

http://ift.tt/2zd0Gw1

P201 Comorbidity burden of children with asthma in the U.S.

Certain comorbid conditions can make asthma more severe and harder to control for school-aged children (SAC).

http://ift.tt/2zbM6EY

P332 Role of toll-like receptor signaling in epithelial barrier dysfunction in eosinophilic esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a multifactorial, chronic, food-driven allergic disease characterized by epithelial barrier dysfunction and eosinophil-predominant allergic inflammation. Esophageal epithelial keratinocytes express functional Toll-like Receptors (TLR), but their role in disease pathogenesis is unclear. Recently, TLR2 and TLR3 have been identified as highly expressed on esophageal epithelium, and we have identified that TLR7 is differentially regulated by steroid and diet therapy for EoE.

http://ift.tt/2zdkpM8

P299 Plasma cell dyscrasia in primary selective IgM deficiency

There is an increased prevalence of autoimmunity and malignancies; however, no cases of plasma cell dycrasia have been described in selective IgM deficiency (SIGMD). We present two cases of SIGMD, one with multiple myeloma and secondary amyloidosis of the GI tract; and the second with IgAλ monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).

http://ift.tt/2iIWLQM

P291 Heterozygous TACI mutation in patient with recurrent macrophage activation syndrome and systemic JIA

Transmembrane activator and calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI) is a TNF receptor involved in B cell homeostasis, isotype switching, and innate immunity. PLCG2 encodes phospholipase CY2 (PLCY2), which catalyzes formation of secondary messengers for immune cell signaling.

http://ift.tt/2zbM6os

OR031 Preventive effect of subcutaneous C1 inhibitor in patients with very frequent attacks of hereditary angioedema

Prophylaxis with subcutaneous C1 inhibitor (C1-INH [SC]) provided excellent preventive effect against hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in the COMPACT study (NEJM 2017;376:1131-40) in type I/II HAE patients with attack frequency of ≥4 attacks/2 consecutive months. The prophylactic effect of C1-INH (SC) in severely affected patients (≥4 attacks/month) is not known, hence it was of interest to analyze this subgroup.

http://ift.tt/2iFikla

P219 Isoflurane therapy for severe refractory status asthmaticus in children

Life threatening asthma is characterized by progressive respiratory failure, though early treatment can prevent airway damage. Some patients with status asthmaticus do not respond to more common medications (b2 agonist, magnesium, anticholinergics). Isoflurane, an inhalational anesthetic agent with bronchodilation properties is a possible alternative treatment.

http://ift.tt/2zdXDUb

P211 A real-world assessment of asthma exacerbations in asthma patients newly treated with omalizumab

The study aimed to assess asthma exacerbations pre- and post-omalizumab initiation in a real-world environment.

http://ift.tt/2zcUd47

P336 A 20-month-old male with anemia and pneumonia

P205 Experience with a simplified eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (evh) device for diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchospasm

P295 Good syndrome: importance of early diagnosis

P213 Efficacy of inhaled tiotropium for asthmatics uncontrolled using inhaled corticosteroid plus a long-acting beta2-agonist

P328 History of milk or soy protein intolerance in infancy in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis

P209 Fluticasone propionate and fluticasone/salmeterol multidose dry powder inhalers in patients previously treated through alternative devices

A novel, multidose dry powder inhaler (MDPI) has been developed allowing for lower doses of fluticasone propionate (Fp) and Fp/Salmeterol (FS) compared to previously established metered dose and dry powder inhalers (MDI; DPI). Given the dosing differences, this post-hoc analysis was conducted to evaluate efficacy of Fp and FS MDPI in patients previously treated with Fp and FS MDI/DPI.

http://ift.tt/2iFioBq

P201 Comorbidity burden of children with asthma in the U.S.

Certain comorbid conditions can make asthma more severe and harder to control for school-aged children (SAC).

http://ift.tt/2zbM6EY

P299 Plasma cell dyscrasia in primary selective IgM deficiency

P291 Heterozygous TACI mutation in patient with recurrent macrophage activation syndrome and systemic JIA

P219 Isoflurane therapy for severe refractory status asthmaticus in children

P215 Description of baseline characteristics of pediatric allergic asthma patients including those initiated on omalizumab

In light of recent omalizumab approval for uncontrolled moderate-to-severe allergic asthma (AA) patients aged 6-11 years, baseline characteristics of this population were described from a real-world dataset.

http://ift.tt/2iFigBW

P211 A real-world assessment of asthma exacerbations in asthma patients newly treated with omalizumab

The study aimed to assess asthma exacerbations pre- and post-omalizumab initiation in a real-world environment.

http://ift.tt/2zcUd47

Characterization of T-cell subpopulations in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis

http://ift.tt/2yak10M

Long-term omalizumab use in the treatment of exercise-induced anaphylaxis

http://ift.tt/2lkurF0

Multiple doses of icatibant used during pregnancy

http://ift.tt/2lnelL1

An ergonomic assessment of operating table and surgical stool heights for seated otolaryngology procedures

http://ift.tt/2yaFjeC

Evaluation of a new and simple classification for endoscopic sinus surgery

http://ift.tt/2lklRpG

The study of a possible correlation between serum levels of interleukin 17 and clinical severity in patients with allergic rhinitis

http://ift.tt/2y9oMHV

Prenatal maternal depression related to allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the first 5 years of life in children of the EDEN mother-child cohort study

http://ift.tt/2lnbS34

A multicenter, prospective, noninterventional study in a Norwegian cohort of patients with moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis treated with MP-AzeFlu

http://ift.tt/2lojy56

Long-term omalizumab use in the treatment of exercise-induced anaphylaxis

http://ift.tt/2lkurF0

Multiple doses of icatibant used during pregnancy

http://ift.tt/2lnelL1

An ergonomic assessment of operating table and surgical stool heights for seated otolaryngology procedures

http://ift.tt/2yaFjeC

Acquired Vascular Tumors of the Head and Neck

Vascular neoplasms of the head and neck present with a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and is usually made after tumors are large enough to be visually apparent or cause symptoms. This article discusses the most common acquired benign and malignant vascular tumors, with an emphasis on their evaluation and treatment.

http://ift.tt/2gR8Enb

Somatosensory function is impaired in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder

Idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) has been recognised as a significant biomarker for developing a neurodegenerative alpha-synucleinopathy, why iRBD is considered to be a prodromal state for alpha-synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD). Many patients with PD suffer from complaints of pain and present impaired somatosensory function. We hypothesized that pain perception and somatosensory function could be altered already in a preclinical stage of PD including iRBD. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate pain perception and somatosensory function in patients with iRBD.

http://ift.tt/2gJ4aeu

Acquired Vascular Tumors of the Head and Neck

Participant Satisfaction with a Food Benefit Program with Restrictions and Incentives

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Sarah A. Rydell, Rachael M. Turner, Tessa A. Lasswell, Simone A. French, J. Michael Oakes, Brian Elbel, Lisa J. Harnack
BackgroundPolicy makers are considering changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Proposed changes include financially incentivizing the purchase of healthier foods and prohibiting the use of funds for purchasing foods high in added sugars. SNAP participant perspectives may be useful in understanding the consequences of these proposed changes.ObjectiveTo determine whether food restrictions and/or incentives are acceptable to food benefit program participants.DesignData were collected as part of an experimental trial in which lower-income adults were randomly assigned to one of four financial food benefit conditions: (1) Incentive: 30% financial incentive on eligible fruits and vegetables purchased using food benefits; (2) Restriction: not allowed to buy sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candies with food benefits; (3) Incentive plus Restriction; or (4) Control: no incentive/restriction. Participants completed closed- and open-ended questions about their perceptions on completion of the 12-week program.Participants/settingAdults eligible or nearly eligible for SNAP were recruited between 2013 and 2015 by means of events or flyers in the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metropolitan area. Of the 279 individuals who completed baseline measures, 265 completed follow-up measures and are included in these analyses.Statistical analysisχ² analyses were conducted to assess differences in program satisfaction. Responses to open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed using principles of content analysis.ResultsThere were no statistically significant or meaningful differences between experimental groups in satisfaction with the program elements evaluated in the study. Most participants in all conditions found the food program helpful in buying nutritious foods (94.1% to 98.5%) and in buying the kinds of foods they wanted (85.9% to 95.6%). Qualitative data suggested that most were supportive of restrictions, although a few were dissatisfied. Participants were uniformly supportive of incentives.ConclusionsFindings suggest a food benefit program that includes incentives for purchasing fruits and vegetables and/or restrictions on the use of program funds for purchasing foods high in added sugars appears to be acceptable to most participants.

http://ift.tt/2hhugpE

Benefits, Barriers, and Motivators to Training Dietetic Interns in Clinical Settings: A Comparison between Preceptors and Nonpreceptors

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Rayane AbuSabha, Colette Muller, Jacqueline MacLasco, Mary George, Erica Houghton, Alison Helm
BackgroundThe shortage of supervised practice sites in dietetics is associated with fewer numbers of preceptors available to supervise interns, especially in the clinical setting.ObjectiveTo identify clinical dietitians' perceived benefits and challenges of training dietetic interns and to determine key motivators that would entice nonpreceptors to volunteer for the role.DesignRegistered dietitian nutritionists working in clinical settings completed a semi-structured, audiotaped interview followed by a brief questionnaire.ParticipantsClinical dietitians working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics (n=100) participated: 54 preceptors and 46 nonpreceptors.Statistical analysisQualitative analysis was conducted using an iterative process to identify and code common themes. T tests were used to compare mean differences between the opinions of preceptors and nonpreceptors.ResultsPreceptors had approximately 5 more years of experience (mean=14.27±12.09 years) than nonpreceptors (mean=8.83±9.72 years) (P< 0.01). Furthermore, preceptors reported twice as many benefits to mentoring interns (mean=6.7 mentions/participant) as nonpreceptors (mean=3.4 mentions/participant), including knowledge gains and staying current. Lack of time was consistently noted as a barrier in interviews and rated as the greatest barrier in the survey. Both groups rated receiving continuing professional education units (CPEUs) for precepting as the greatest potential motivator for taking on interns.ConclusionsIncentive programs should be developed to entice nonpreceptors to take on interns. These programs should include extensive training on the preceptor role and how to alleviate the burden of time spent supervising interns and should provide a significant number of CPEUs to make the added workload worthwhile.

http://ift.tt/2zKPPFL

State Laws Are Associated with School Lunch Duration and Promotion Practices

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Author(s): Lindsey Turner, Julien Leider, Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter, Marlene B. Schwartz, Caitlin Merlo, Nancy Brener, Jamie F. Chriqui
BackgroundThe changes in school meal programs stemming from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 have expanded interest in strategies that increase student participation in school lunch and reduce plate waste. However, it remains unclear what factors are associated with schools' use of such strategies.ObjectiveThis study examines whether state laws are associated with two types of school meal-related practices: (a) using promotional strategies (ie, taste tests, using posters or announcements) and (b) duration of lunch periods.DesignThis cross-sectional study utilized the nationally representative 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study, combined with corresponding state laws gathered by the National Wellness Policy Study. School data were available from 414 public schools in 43 states.Main outcome measuresOutcome measures included 16 strategies to promote school meals and the amount of time students had to eat lunch after being seated.Statistical analyses performedMultivariate logistic regression and Poisson regression were used to examine associations between state laws and school practices, after accounting for school demographic characteristics.ResultsCompared to schools in states with no law about engaging stakeholders in meal programs, schools in states with a law were more likely to conduct taste tests (64% vs 44%, P=0.016), collect suggestions from students (67% vs 50%, P=0.017), and invite family members to a school meal (71% vs 53%, P=0.015). Schools used more promotion strategies in states with a law than in states without a law (mean=10.4 vs 8.8, P=0.003). Schools were more likely to provide students at least 30 minutes to eat lunch after being seated in states with laws that addressed a minimum amount of time for lunch duration (43% vs 27%, P=0.042).ConclusionsState-level policy provisions are associated with school practices. Policy development in more states may support school practices that promote lunch participation and consumption.

http://ift.tt/2zNkDWi

The Notch Pathway Inhibitor SAHM1 Abrogates the Hallmarks of Allergic Asthma

The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation. Targeting the active Notch transactivation complex by the cell-permeable, hydrocarbon-stapled synthetic peptide SAHM1 was results in genome-wide suppression of Notch-activated genes in leukemic cells and other models. However, efficacy of SAHM1 in allergic asthma models has remained unexplored.

http://ift.tt/2yZi1rp

Methotrexate versus azathioprine in patients with atopic dermatitis: two years follow-up data

http://ift.tt/2yTFUyu

Home freezers kill house dust mites

http://ift.tt/2zcLJKC

MCPIP1 controls allergic airway inflammation by suppressing IL-5-producing Th2 cells through Notch/Gata3 pathway

Asthmatic and allergic inflammation is mediated by Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13). Though we have learned much about how Th2 cells are differentiated, the Th2 checkpoint mechanisms remain elusive.

http://ift.tt/2iEPYYe

Prenatal and Early Life Triclosan and Parabens Exposure and Allergic Outcomes

In cross-sectional studies, triclosan and parabens, ubiquitous ingredients in personal care and other products, are associated with allergic disease.

http://ift.tt/2zcufxE

Cat ownership, cat allergen exposure, and trajectories of sensitization and asthma throughout childhood

Exposure to cat and/or cat allergens can confer either an increase in risk, or protection, or will have no effect, depending on the age of the assessment, study design and the choice of study population.

http://ift.tt/2iGrspA

Association of Rhinovirus Species with Common Cold and Asthma Symptoms and Bacterial Pathogens

http://ift.tt/2zctRiG

Ruxolitinib partially reverses functional NK cell deficiency in patients with STAT1 gain-of-function mutations

Natural Killer (NK) cells are critical innate effector cells whose development is dependent on the JAK-STAT pathway. NK deficiency can result in severe or refractory viral infections. Patients with Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT)1 gain of function (GOF) mutations have increased viral susceptibility.

http://ift.tt/2iFN71h

Rape myth acceptance, victim blame attribution and Just World Beliefs: A rapid evidence assessment

Publication date: November–December 2017
Source:Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 37
Author(s): Kirsten J. Russell, Christopher J. Hand
BackgroundRape is underreported, potentially because individuals self-blame and/or are blamed by others. Research predominantly illustrates male-perpetrated stranger-rape of females; thus, there may be a perception that rape myth acceptance (RMA) and victim-blaming are most prevalent in males. The purpose of this rapid evidence assessment was to investigate the availability of high-quality research into the effects of Just World Beliefs, perpetrator/victim gender, and stranger- and acquaintance/marital-rape scenarios on victim-blaming and RMA.MethodsSeveral electronic databases were searched for empirical papers using terms including: 'victim blame', 'rape myth acceptance', 'Just World Beliefs', 'type of rape' and 'gender'. Gough's (2007) weight of evidence framework was used to assess quality prior to inclusion.FindingsStudies retained after filtering and quality assessment suggested that RMA was predictive of victim-blaming with both male and female 'victims'. Rape myth acceptance is more prevalent in males even in male 'victim' scenarios, and Just World Belief was positively associated with RMA. Greater victim-blaming was attributed in stranger- vs. acquaintance-rape scenarios.DiscussionThere are no absolute conclusions regarding the role of gender or situational factors and rape-supportive/victim-blaming attitudes. Further empirical research is required to understand the prevalence of RMA in perceptions of marital rape and, particularly, homosexual marital rape.

http://ift.tt/2hhsvsy

Facial affect processing in incarcerated violent males: A systematic review

Publication date: Available online 19 October 2017
Source:Aggression and Violent Behavior
Author(s): Harriet Chapman, Steven M. Gillespie, Ian J. Mitchell
Previous reviews exploring facial affect processing among forensic samples have focused on the presence of psychopathy and/or have not distinguished on the basis of offence type. In order to develop understandings about etiological processes implicated in different types of antisocial behavior, the principle aim of this review was to systematically explore facial affect processing in incarcerated violent offenders, relative to other non-violent offenders, sexual offenders, and non-offenders. Following a systematic search of electronic databases and subsequent manual search, eight studies were assessed as meeting inclusion criteria, of which seven obtained a quality score deemed acceptable for review. These studies examined recognition accuracy, sensitivity and response bias for seven emotion categories (including neutral) in incarcerated male offenders with a history of violence. Findings supported the presence of generally impaired facial affect processing among violent offenders, including deficits in fear, anger, and disgust. Overall the findings of the review did not support the presence of a hostile attribution bias among violent offenders. The review also highlights differences in sample composition, stimuli, and study designs in emotion recognition research. Recommendations are made for future work on facial affect processing in clinically relevant groups.

http://ift.tt/2hhsjtk

The effects of task execution variables on resultant vertical ground reaction force acting on foot sole during squat lifting

Publication date: Available online 26 October 2017
Source:Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Author(s): Iman Vahdat, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomsheh
The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of task execution variables on the value and point of application of the resultant vertical ground reaction force acting on the foot sole during squat lifting. This can be of particular importance since it may help to recognize the roles of the foot sole parts in bearing the support force during industrial and labor lifting activities. Twelve healthy men lifted a box with 4, 8 and 12 kg masses at fast and slow speeds. Ground reaction force and center of pressure were measured using two parallel Kistler force-plates. In addition, a Vicon system and a 3D linked segment model were used to define the movement pattern. Significant increases resulted for the peak vertical ground reaction force with the increases in the lift speed (P < 0.05) and box weight (P < 0.05). As well a significant increase resulted for the range of center of pressure location with the increase in the box weight (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant interactions (P < 0.05) between the lift speed and box weight were detected. The front and rear parts of the foot had the most important roles in bearing the support force during the beginning and final phases of movement, respectively. Finally, it was concluded that the value and point of application of vertical ground reaction force are seemingly dependent on the momentum of the subject plus box.

http://ift.tt/2y9zka5

Type effect of inhibitory KT tape on measured vs. perceived maximal grip strength

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Author(s): Aislinn Joan Campbell MacPhail, Ivan Pui-Hung Au, Mavis Chan, Dominic Ngo-Tung Mak, Winko Wenkang An, Zoe Yau-Shan Chan, Janet Hanwen Zhang, Kenny Wong, Ann So, Nora Chan, Chris Kwok, Patrick Lau, David Draper, Roy Tsz-Hei Cheung
This study examined the effects of KT tape (KT) applied in an inhibitory manner on muscle activity, measured maximal grip strength, and perceived maximal grip strength in regular KT-users and non-users. This study was a single-blinded crossover study with sixty participants including 27 kT-users and 33 non-users. Participants underwent maximal grip strength tests with and without inhibitory KT applied across the wrist extensors. Muscle activity and maximal grip strength were measured, while perceived maximal grip strength was rated using a visual analogue scale. No significant interaction effect was found between taping conditions and participant KT-experience for muscle activity (F = 0.825, p = 0.367), measured grip strength (F = 1.018, p = 0.317) or perceived grip strength (F = 0.122, p = 0.728). No significant differences were observed in the EMG activity between taping conditions for either KT-users (p = 0.367) or non-users (p = 0.215). A similar trend was found in the measured grip strength (KT-users: p = 0.317; non-users: p = 0.294) and perceived grip strength (KT-users: p = 0.728; non-users: p = 0.063). KT applied in an inhibitory manner does not impede EMG activity, measured maximal grip strength, or perceived maximal grip strength in adults, regardless of their preconceived notions of KT.

http://ift.tt/2lnWenZ

Stemness distinctions between the ectomesenchymal stem cells from neonatal and adult mice

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Acta Histochemica
Author(s): Qian Chen, Huangao Zhou, Pingping Hu
Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), a type of adult stem cells derived from cranial neural crest, can be non-invasively harvested from respiratory mucosa and play vital roles in therapies based on their stemness. However, whether donor age has any impact on the stemness of EMSCs remains elusive and is essential for EMSCs-based therapies. To address this, we first cultivated EMSCs from neonatal mice aged 1 week and adult mice aged 3 months or 6 months, and then compared their morphology, proliferative capacity, and pluripotency through various induced differentiation assays. The results showed that neonatal EMSCs were fibroblast-like, more regular compared to adult EMSCs; the proliferative capacity of neonatal EMSCs was higher than that of adult EMSCs. More importantly, after neural, adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic differentiation, neonatal EMSCs differentiated into respective cell types significantly better than adult EMSCs. Notably, EMSCs from mice aged 3 months differentiated into mesodermal lineages better than those from 6 months old mice after induction. Collectively, these results suggest donor ages have significant impact on the EMSCs from respiratory mucosa.

http://ift.tt/2hg8Jh6

A risk adjustment approach to estimating the burden of skin disease in the United States

Direct insurance claims tabulation and risk adjustment statistical methods can be used to estimate health care costs associated with various diseases. In this third manuscript derived from the new national Burden of Skin Disease Report from the American Academy of Dermatology, a risk adjustment method that was based on modeling the average annual costs of individuals with or without specific diseases, and specifically tailored for 24 skin disease categories, was used to estimate the economic burden of skin disease.

http://ift.tt/2hgZ89E

Phenotypic spectrum of Tessier facial cleft number 5

Craniofacial clefts are among the most disfiguring and rare congenital malformations of the face. The exact incidence remains unclear but it is estimated to be 1.43 to 4.85 per 100.000 live births (Kawamoto, 1976) or as more recently reported to be 1.5 to 6.0 live births (Moore, 1996). Among these, orbito-facial clefts constitute approximately 0.22% of the cases and there is consensus that Tessier cleft number 5 is the least common in this subgroup (Natsume et al., 1999).

http://ift.tt/2zcNhEh

Novel Computer Vision Analysis of Nasal Shape in Children with Unilateral Cleft Lip

Optimization of treatment of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity (uCLND) is hampered by lack of objective means to assess initial severity and changes produced by treatment and growth. The purpose of this study was to develop automated 3D image analysis specific to the uCLND; assess the correlation of these measures to esthetic appraisal; measure changes that occur with treatment and differences amongst cleft types.

http://ift.tt/2iGjmNy

Immunoprecipitation high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of healing process in chronic suppurative osteomyelitis in the jaw

Chronic suppurative osteomyelitis (CSO) of the jaw is one of the most difficult infectious diseases to manage, because it causes progressive bony destruction and is associated with bacterial inhabitation of the sequestra. A combination of antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement is often used to treat CSO. Nevertheless, various systemic conditions can lead to life-threatening complications.

http://ift.tt/2zd9iCU

Stress and Skin Disease Quality of Life: The Moderating Role of Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns

Summary

Background

Stress is an important factor in the onset, exacerbation, and reoccurrence of many skin diseases. Little is known about psychological risk factors that impact the association between stress and dermatologic conditions. One relevant factor that may modulate this link is anxiety sensitivity (AS) social concerns – the propensity to respond fearfully to anxiety-related sensations (e.g., sweating, flushing) due to perceived social consequences (e.g., rejection or humiliation).

Objective

To gain insight into psychological factors affecting skin disease, we examined the moderating role of AS social concerns in the relation between stress and skin disease quality of life (QOL).

Methods

Participants (N = 237; 161 female; M_age= 34.18, SD_age = 9.57) with active skin disease symptoms were recruited online and completed questionnaires assessing stress, AS social concerns, skin disease QOL, and global skin disease symptom severity.

Results

AS social concerns moderated the association between stress and skin-related emotional and social functioning in adults with skin disease. Stress was a significant predictor of the impairment associated with skin disease.

Conclusions

Stress was linked to skin disease-related emotional and functional impairment associated with skin disease among individuals with high AS social concerns. These results highlight the potential for AS reduction interventions to break the vicious cycle of stress and skin disease symptoms and to improve psychosocial well-being in dermatology patients.

http://ift.tt/2yU4eR2

Stress and Skin Disease Quality of Life: The Moderating Role of Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns

Summary

Background

Objective

To gain insight into psychological factors affecting skin disease, we examined the moderating role of AS social concerns in the relation between stress and skin disease quality of life (QOL).

Methods

Results

Conclusions

http://ift.tt/2yU4eR2

Extracorporeal human whole blood in motion, as a tool to predict first-infusion reactions and mechanism-of-action of immunotherapeutics

Publication date: January 2018
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 54
Author(s): Erika A.K. Fletcher, Mohamed Eltahir, Frida Lindqvist, Jonas Rieth, Gunilla Törnqvist, Justyna Leja-Jarblad, Sara M. Mangsbo
First infusion reactions along with severe anaphylactic responses can occur as a result of systemic administration of therapeutic antibodies. The underlying mechanisms by which monoclonal antibodies induce cytokine release syndrome (CRS) can involve direct agonistic effects via the drug target, or a combination of target-engagement along with innate receptor interactions. Despite the wide variety of pathways and cells that can play a role in CRS, many currently used assays are devoid of one or more components that must be present for these responses to occur. One assay that has not been assessed for its capacity to predict CRS is the modified Chandler loop model. Herein we evaluate a plethora of commercially available monoclonal antibodies to evaluate the modified Chandler loop model's potential in CRS prediction. We demonstrate that in a 4-hour loop assay, both the superagonistic antibodies, anti-CD3 (OKT3) and anti-CD28 (ANC28.1), display a clear cytokine response with a mixed adaptive/innate cytokine source. OKT3 induce TNFα and IFN-γ release in 20 out of 23 donors tested, whereas ANC28.1 induce TNF-α, IL-2 and IFN-γ release in all donors tested (n=18–22). On the other hand, non-agonistic antibodies associated with no or low infusion reactions in the clinic, namely cetuximab and natalizumab, neither induce cytokine release nor cause false positive responses. A TGN1412-like antibody also display a clear cytokine release with an adaptive cytokine profile (IFN-γ and IL-2) and all donors (n=9) induce a distinct IL-2 response. Additionally, the value of an intact complement system in the assay is highlighted by the possibility to dissect out the mechanism-of-action of alemtuzumab and rituximab. The loop assay can either complement lymph node-like assays or stand-alone to investigate drug/blood interactions during preclinical development, or for individual safety screening prior to first-in-man clinical trial.

http://ift.tt/2zLNkmT

18F-FDG PET/contrast enhanced CT in the standard follow-up of patients with lymphoma

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Revista Española de Medicina Nuclear e Imagen Molecular
Author(s): A.M. García Vicente, M.P. Talavera Rubio, E. Dominguez Ferreras, C. Calle Primo, M. Amo-Salas, M.J. Tello Galán, G.A. Jiménez Londoño, F. Jiménez Aragón, B. Hernández Ruiz, Á. Soriano Castrejón
AimTo assess the diagnostic accuracy of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/contrast enhanced computed tomography (ceCT) in the detection of asymptomatic recurrences in patients with lymphoma.Material and methodsPatients with lymphoma and clinical complete remission underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/ceCT for standard follow-up.¹⁸F-FDG PET and ceCT were evaluated blindly by two independent observers, and classified as positive or negative for recurrence. Additionally a combined evaluation of both techniques was performed.The final diagnosis was established by histopathological analysis or a clinical follow-up longer than 6 months.Statistical diagnostic parameters and concordance levels between both diagnostic techniques were calculated.ResultsA total of 114 explorations on 90 patients were analyzed. Only 4 patients were diagnosed as asymptomatic recurrence during the follow-up.¹⁸F-FDG PET/ceCT, ¹⁸F-FDG PET and ceCT showed an association with the final diagnosis (p=.002 and χ²=11.96; p<.001 and χ²=15.60; p=.001 and χ²=11.96, respectively). The concordance between ¹⁸F-FDG PET and ceCT was moderate/high and significant (Kappa=0.672; p<.001).A sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 88% was obtained for the ¹⁸F-FDG PET/ceCT civ, 50% and 93% for the ¹⁸F-FDG PET, and 50% and 91% for the ceCT.ConclusionThe combined use of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/ceCT did not offer any advantage compared to any isolated diagnostic technique in the detection of asymptomatic lymphoma recurrence.

http://ift.tt/2gPmRRi

Estadificación y seguimiento terapéutico en un paciente con sarcoma de Ewing mediante PET/TC con 18F-FDG

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Revista Española de Medicina Nuclear e Imagen Molecular
Author(s): J.R. Garcia, A. Castañeda, A. Morales La Madrid, P. Bassa, M. Soler, E. Riera

http://ift.tt/2yPXIwZ

Bladder wall paranganglioma located using 123I-mIBG SPECT and CT imaging

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:Revista Española de Medicina Nuclear e Imagen Molecular
Author(s): Viviana Frantellizzi, Mariano Pontico, Claudio Letizia, Giuseppe De Vincentis

http://ift.tt/2gPApfJ

The JAK2/STAT3 pathway is involved in the anti-melanoma effects of atractylenolide I

http://ift.tt/2yYG5KP

Epidemiology of Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome in United States Children

Abstract

Background

Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a blistering dermatosis caused by exfoliative toxins released from Staphylococcus aureus. We sought to describe the incidence, costs, length of stay (LOS), comorbidities, and mortality of SSSS in US children.

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2008-2012 was analyzed, including a 20% sample of US hospitalizations and 589 cases of SSSS.

Results

The annual incidence of SSSS was 7.67 (range: 1.83–11.88) per-million US children, with 45.1 cases per-million US infants age <2 years. In multivariate logistic regression models, SSSS was significantly associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]:1.12 [1.00–1.25]), age (2-5yr:13.31 [11.82-14.99], 6-10yr:2.93 [2.35–3.66], 11-17yr:0.44 [0.31–0.63]), race/ethnicity (blacks:0.69 [0.58–0.84]), season (winter:2.04 [1.66–2.50], summer:3.47 [2.86–4.22], fall:3.04 [2.49–3.70]), with increasing odds over time (2010-2011:2.28 [2.07–2.51], 2012:2.98 [2.69–3.30]). The geometric mean (95% CI) LOS and cost of hospitalization for patients with vs. without SSSS was 3.2 (3.0-3.4) vs. 2.4 (2.4-2.5) days and $4,624.0 [$4,250.8-$5,030.1] vs. $1,871.7 [$1,782.7-$1,965.1]. Crude inpatient mortality rates were similar for children with vs. without SSSS (0.33% [0.00–0.79%] vs. 0.36% [0.34-0.39%]). SSSS was associated with other infections, including in upper respiratory tract and skin.

Conclusions

SSSS prevalence appears to be increasing over time, and was associated with a number of socio-demographic factors and other infections. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and reduce rising rates of SSSS.

http://ift.tt/2hfBdav

Job change facilitates healing in a cohort of patients with occupational hand eczema

Abstract

Background

Occupational hand eczema is a frequent and often chronic disease and knowledge of the consequences of change of profession is sparse.

Objectives

To compare severity of hand eczema and health related QoL HR-QoL in patients who after 5 years were still in the same profession and those who were not.

Methods

The study is a register-based cohort study including patients with recognised occupational hand eczema in Denmark in 2010 and 2011. Outcomes were eczema related parameters and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) obtained from a follow-up questionnaire after 5 years.

Results

A total of 1496 participants were included in the study. More participants who changed or ended profession reported complete healing of hand eczema at follow up, compared to participants still in the same profession (OR=1.62 (1.06-2.47) and OR=2.85 (1.83-4.42), respectively), as well as increased improvement at follow-up (OR=1.91(1.44-2.54) and OR=1.51(1.09-2.10), respectively), while DLQI for participants who changed or ended profession was increased at follow up, (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)= 1.12 (0.98-1.28) and IRR= 1.29 (1.11-1.51), respectively). Subgroup analyses of patients with irritant or allergic occupational hand eczema did not differ markedly from this result. Change of work procedures was positively associated with improvement (OR=2.31(1.51-3.54)), and did not markedly influence DLQI.

Conclusion

Change of profession has a beneficial effect on eczema parameters, but a negative effect on HR-QoL, indicated by increased DLQI. Change of work procedures while staying in the same profession positively influenced improvement, with no marked influence on HR-QoL, and should be considered as an alternative to job change.

http://ift.tt/2zMS2R0

In vivo Zika virus detection in human skin

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKAV) a Flavivirus mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes has been responsible for an extensive epidemic affecting people in more than 56 countries since its emergence in Brazil in 2015 (1). Evidence of the neuroinvasiveness and the tropism of ZIKAV for placenta trophoblasts has turned an infection, originally known for its mildness, into a major world public health concern due to the severity and dissemination of associated disorders (i.e.: congenital Zika syndrome and Guillain Barré syndrome) (2). Despite a commonly short viremia of low intensity the spread of ZIKAV infection is primarily due to vectorial transmission rather than to vertical or sexual transmission which have recently been evidenced (3-5).

http://ift.tt/2hh90A8

Postzygotic mosaïcism and incontinentia pigmenti in male patients:molecular diagnosis yield

Abstract

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP, MIM 308300) is an X-linked dominant genodermatosis caused by the more frequently occurring (80% of cases) deletion mutation Δ 4-10 on IKBKG gene, located on chromosome Xq28. Incontinentia Pigmenti is generally lethal in male fetuses, while heterozygous females survive owing to functional mosaicism.¹ Two potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the survival of male patients with IP carrying IKBKG mutation: (1) abnormal karyotype, i.e. 47, XXY Klinefelter syndrome; (2) more frequently postzygotic mosaicism for IKBKG mutation.² Detection of postzygotic mosaicism is dependant of tissue sampling localization and percentage of mutated cells in the sample.

http://ift.tt/2hhHrqq

A systematic review and meta-analysis of utility estimates in melanoma

Summary

We sought to determine pooled estimates of utility-based health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) (utilities) for people with American Joint Cancer Committee stage I/II, III, IV melanoma for use in economic evaluations.

We performed a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of utilities for melanoma patients. HRQOL scores reported with QLQ-C30, SF-36, SF-12, FACT-G, and FACT-M instruments were converted to utilities using published mapping algorithms. Meta-analysis was used to calculate mean utilities. Meta-regression examined the effects of baseline patient and study characteristics.

We identified 33 studies reporting 213 utilities. From meta-analyses, the mean utility for stage I/II melanoma was 0.970 (95%CI: 0.895-0.979); for stage III melanoma was 0.766 (95%CI: 0.699-0.833); for stage III/IV was 0.763 (95%CI: 0.755-0.771) and for stage IV melanoma was 0.764 (95%CI: 0.714-0.813). The difference in utility between stage III and stage IV was not statistically significant (p=0.521). For patients with stage I/II, the utility estimate at time of surgery was 0.772 (95%CI: 0.753-0.790), and from 3-12 months post-surgery, the utility estimate was 0.852 (95%CI: 0.844-0.860). Utility estimates for patients with stage IV melanoma were 0.653 (95%CI: 0.621-0.685) during the first 3 months of treatment and 0.831 (95%CI: 0.808-0.855) from 4-12 months on treatment. For patients with stage IV melanoma treated with chemotherapy, the utility estimate was 0.518 (95%CI: 0.513-0.523), while for those treated with targeted therapy, the utility estimate was 0.834 (95%CI: 0.822-0.846).

These robust, evidence-based estimates of health state utility can be used in economic evaluations of new treatments for patients with early stage or advanced stage melanoma.

http://ift.tt/2zLXGTM

Epidemiology of Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome in United States Children

Abstract

Background

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2008-2012 was analyzed, including a 20% sample of US hospitalizations and 589 cases of SSSS.

Results

Conclusions

http://ift.tt/2hfBdav

In vivo Zika virus detection in human skin

Abstract

http://ift.tt/2hh90A8

Laser treatment of congenital melanocytic nevi: a systematic review

Summary

Recent studies on congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) indicate a lower risk for melanoma than assumed for many years. As a result, the treatment paradigm in CMN shifted from complete removal to cosmetically acceptable, less invasive treatment options such as laser treatment. Our objective was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of laser therapy for CMN. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and PubMed. We rated the quality of evidence with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Twenty-four eligible studies with 434 patients were included, three non-randomised controlled studies and 21 case series (majority of poor quality). Twenty different laser modalities or combinations were evaluated. Overall, the Q-switched laser was used most frequently, although large or giant CMN were generally treated with an ablative laser. Due to heterogeneity between studies, comparison between laser modalities was hampered and statistical analysis was precluded. Lasers in CMN showed rather good results for clearing of hyperpigmentation on the short term, albeit very low quality evidence. Outcome measures varied widely, patient satisfaction was hardly measured and high incidences of scarring, repigmentation and complications were reported. No malignant change was seen. While most studies report short-term improvement of CMN after laser therapy, there is no high quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of laser modalities in CMN on the long term. Future research should focus on well-conducted, and well-reported prospective studies on different laser modalities for CMN, with use of recognised and validated outcome measures.

http://ift.tt/2zKyYmz

Postzygotic mosaïcism and incontinentia pigmenti in male patients:molecular diagnosis yield

Abstract

http://ift.tt/2hhHrqq

Uptake and speciation of uranium in synthetic gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O): Applications to radioactive mine tailings

Publication date: January 2018
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Volume 181
Author(s): Jinru Lin, Wei Sun, Jacques Desmarais, Ning Chen, Renfei Feng, Patrick Zhang, Dien Li, Arthur Lieu, John S. Tse, Yuanming Pan
Phosphogypsum formed from the production of phosphoric acid represents by far the biggest accumulation of gypsum-rich wastes in the world and commonly contains elevated radionuclides, including uranium, as well as other heavy metals and metalloids. Therefore, billions-of-tons of phosphogypsum stockpiled worldwide not only possess serious environmental problems but also represent a potential uranium resource. Gypsum is also a major solid constituent in many other types of radioactive mine tailings, which stems from the common usage of sulfuric acid in extraction processes. Therefore, management and remediation of radioactive mine tailings as well as future beneficiation of uranium from phosphogysum all require detailed knowledge about the nature and behavior of uranium in gypsum. However, little is known about the uptake mechanism or speciation of uranium in gypsum. In this study, synthesis experiments suggest an apparent pH control on the uptake of uranium in gypsum at ambient conditions: increase in U from 16 μg/g at pH = 6.5 to 339 μg/g at pH = 9.5. Uranium L3-edge synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopic analyses of synthetic gypsum show that uranyl (UO2)²⁺ at the Ca site is the dominant species. The EXAFS fitting results also indicate that uranyl in synthetic gypsum occurs most likely as carbonate complexes and yields an average U-O distance ∼0.25 Å shorter than the average Ca-O distance, signifying a marked local structural distortion. Applications to phosphogypsum from the New Wales phosphoric acid plant (Florida, USA) and uranium mine tailings from the Key Lake mill (Saskatchewan, Canada) show that gypsum is an important carrier of uranium over a wide range of pH and controls the fate of this radionuclide in mine tailings. Also, development of new technologies for recovering U from phosphogypsum in the future must consider lattice-bound uranyl in gypsum.

Graphical abstract

http://ift.tt/2gJqynZ

miR-17-92 ameliorates renal ischemia reperfusion injury

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2017
Source:The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Author(s): Turun Song, Mianzhi Chen, Zhengsheng Rao, Yang Qiu, Jinpeng Liu, Yamei Jiang, Zhongli Huang, Xianding Wang, Tao Lin
There is limited information on the role of miR-17-92 in renal tubular pathophysiology. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine whether miR-17-92 plays a role in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced acute kidney injury. We originally demonstrated that miR-17-92 is up-regulated following IRI in vivo. To explore the roles of miR-17-92 in the IRI process, we first generated a renal proximal tubule-specific miR-17-92 deletion (PT-miR-17-92^−/−) knockout mouse model with Cre driven by the Kap promoter. We found that PT-deficient miR-17-92 mice had more severe renal dysfunction and renal structures than their littermates. Compared with sham-operated mice, both wide-type (WT) mice and PT-miR-17-92^−/− mice showed increased serum levels of creatinine and urea. However, the levels of serum urea and creatinine in PT-miR-17-92^−/− mice after the IRI operation were significantly higher than the levels in WT mice. In addition, PT-miR-17-92^−/− mice showed higher levels of serum potassium and phosphonium after the IRI operation. Histological analysis revealed that PT-miR-17-92^−/− mice had substantial histopathologic changes, such as tubular dilation and tubular necrosis. Overexpression of miR-17-92 could partially reverse the side-effects of IRI on the proximal tubules in vivo. Furthermore, we employed a quantitative proteomic strategy and identified 16 proteins as potential targets of miR-17-92. Taken together, our findings suggested that miR-17-92 may ameliorates IRI-induced acute kidney injury. Our results indicate that pharmacologic modulation of these miRNAs may have therapeutic potential for acute kidney injury.

http://ift.tt/2zeoCPu

Immune profiling of human prostate epithelial cells determined by expression of p38/TRAF-6/ERK MAP kinases pathways

Publication date: Available online 26 October 2017
Source:The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Author(s): Yosra Bouraoui, Mongia Achour, Mar Royuela, Ridha Oueslati
The aim of the present work was to study the immune profiling of prostate epithelial cells by the expression of ASK-1/p38 and Raf-1/ERK MAP Kinases signaling pathways mediated by TRAF-6. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses for TRAF-6, ASK-1, MEK-6, p38, Raf-1, MEK-1, ERK-1, ERK-2 and PSA were carried out in 5 samples of normal prostate gland, 24 samples of BPH and 19 samples of PC. Immunoreaction to TRAF-6 was found in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells of BPH and tumor cells of PC samples. For patients with the profile (TRAF-6+), optical densities revealed a weak immunoexpression of ASK-1 in PC compared to BPH patients. Whereas, immunoexpression to Raf-1 was higher in PC than in BPH. According to the expression of ASK-1 and Raf-1, two main profiles were identified: (TRAF-6+, ASK-1+, Raf-1+) and (TRAF-6+, ASK-1+, RAF-1−) in both BPH and PC. In addition, ASK-1/p38 axis expression was increased in BPH. Raf-1/ERK signaling pathway was increased in PC samples. On the other hand, representing of individual signaling protein expression enclosing each of p38 and ERK MAP Kinases according to TRAF-6+ showed a qualitative behavior of ASK61/p38 and Raf-1/ERK signaling pathways and a dynamic expression of PSA associated with immune and inflammatory process. These findings suggest that prostate epithelial cell could able an immune and inflammatory setting.

http://ift.tt/2iFvxtW

Characterization of a new, inducible transgenic mouse model with GFP expression in melanocytes and their precursors

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2017
Source:Gene Expression Patterns
Author(s): Sandeep S. Joshi, Bishal Tandukar, Maira Castaneda, Shunlin Jiang, Ganesh Diwakar, Ronna P. Hertzano, Thomas J. Hornyak
Melanocytes are neural crest-derived cells that are responsible for mammalian hair follicle (HF) pigmentation. The Dct-LacZ transgenic mouse is extensively used to study melanocyte biology but lacks conditionally-inducible labelling and fluorescent labelling, enabling specific, viable isolation of melanocytes using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Here, we have generated a Tet-off bitransgenic mouse model, Dct-H2BGFP, containing Dct-tTA and TRE-H2BGFP transgenes. Characterization of Dct-H2BGFP mice confirmed a pattern of Dct-H2BGFP expression in melanoblasts, melanocyte stem cells (McSCs), and terminally differentiated melanocytes similar to the expression pattern of previously published mouse models Dct-LacZ and iDct-GFP. GFP expression is regulated by doxycycline. GFP is shown to co-localize with melanocyte label-retaining cells (LRCs) identified through BrdU retention. The GFP-expressing cells identified in vivo in the bulge and the secondary hair germ of telogen HFs of Dct-H2BGFP mice express the melanocyte and melanocyte stem cell markers Dct and Kit. Using Dct-H2BGFP mice, we separated GFP-expressing cells from the telogen HF based on FACS and showed that GFP-expressing cells express high levels of Kit and Dct, and lower levels of HF epithelial keratin genes. We also show that GFP-expressing cells express high levels of the melanocyte differentiation genes Tyr, Tyrp1, and Pmel17, further substantiating their identity within the melanocyte lineage. Thus, Dct-H2BGFP mice are not only useful for the in vivo identification of melanocytic cells, but also for isolating them viably and studying their molecular and biological properties.

http://ift.tt/2yWUkzU

Editorial board members

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Gene Expression Patterns, Volumes 25–26

http://ift.tt/2yUAcN3

Postimplantation Mga expression and embryonic lethality of two gene-trap alleles

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2017
Source:Gene Expression Patterns
Author(s): Sally F. Burn, Andrew J. Washkowitz, Svetlana Gavrilov, Virginia E. Papaioannou
BackgroundThe dual-specificity T-box/basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor MGA is part of the MAX-interacting network of proteins. In the mouse, MGA is necessary for the survival of the pluripotent epiblast cells of the peri-implantation embryo and a null, gene-trap allele Mga^Gt results in embryonic lethality shortly after implantation. We have used this allele to document expression of Mga in postimplantation embryos and also investigated a second, hypomorphic gene-trap allele, Mga^Inv.ResultsCompound heterozygotes, Mga^Gt/Mga^Inv, die prior to midgestation. The extraembryonic portion of the embryos appears to develop relatively normally while the embryonic portion, including the pluripotent cells of the epiblast, is severely retarded by E7.5. Mga expression is initially limited to the pluripotent inner cell mass of the blastocyst and epiblast, but during organogenesis it is widely expressed notably in the central nervous system and sensory organs, reproductive and excretory systems, heart, somites and limbs.ConclusionsWidespread yet specific areas of expression of Mga during organogenesis raise the possibility that the transcription factor may play roles in controlling proliferation and potency in the progenitor cell populations of different organ systems. Documentation of these patterns sets the stage for the investigation of specific progenitor cell types.

http://ift.tt/2yXFdGu

Natural history and clinical outcome of junctional epidermolysis bullosa generalized intermediate due to a LAMA3 mutation

Abstract

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) comprises rare autosomal recessive disorders with a broad spectrum of clinical features and severity. The genetic basis involves mutations in genes encoding proteins of the dermal-epidermal junction, primarily laminin 332. This heterotrimeric glycoprotein consists of laminin α3, β3 and γ2 chains, and the majority of mutations in the respective genes (LAMA3, LAMB3, and LAMC2) lead to premature termination codons resulting in severe generalized JEB (previously Herlitz)¹.

http://ift.tt/2zUP65S

Supervised exercise training as an adjunct therapy for venous leg ulcers: a randomised controlled feasibility trial

Abstract

Background

Almost 70% of all leg ulcers have a venous component. Venous leg ulcers (VLU's) are typically painful and heal slowly, resulting in an impaired quality of life (QoL), social isolation and reduced work productivity. Compression therapy offers high healing rates, however, improvements aren't usually sustained. Exercise is a low-cost, low-risk, and effective strategy for improving physical and mental health. However, little is currently known about the feasibility and efficacy of supervised exercise training used in combination with compression therapy in this patient group.

Objectives

To assess the feasibility of a 12-week supervised exercise programme combining aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises as an adjunct therapy to compression in patients with VLU's.

Methods

This was a two-centre, two-arm, parallel-group, randomised feasibility trial. Thirty-nine patients with venous ulcers were recruited and randomised 1:1 either to exercise (3 sessions per week) and compression therapy or compression only. Progress/success criteria included exercise attendance rate, loss to follow-up and patients' preference. Baseline assessments were repeated at 12 weeks, 6 months and 1 year following baseline, with healing rate and time, ulcer recurrence and infection incidents also being documented. Intervention and healthcare utilisation costs were calculated. Qualitative data was collected to assess participants' experiences.

Results

Overall, 72% of the exercise group participants attended all scheduled exercise sessions. No serious adverse events, and only two exercise-related adverse events (e.g., increased ulcer discharge) were reported. Loss to follow-up was 5%. At 12-months median ulcer healing time was lower in the exercise group (13 vs 34.7 weeks). Total NHS costs were calculated as £813.27 for the exercise and £2,298.57 for the control group.

Conclusions

Our findings support the feasibility and acceptability of both the supervised exercise programme in conjunction with compression therapy and the study procedures. The next step will be the design and implementation of an appropriately-powered, multi-centre trial.

http://ift.tt/2xtQF9k

Natural history and clinical outcome of junctional epidermolysis bullosa generalized intermediate due to a LAMA3 mutation

Abstract

http://ift.tt/2zUP65S

Supervised exercise training as an adjunct therapy for venous leg ulcers: a randomised controlled feasibility trial

Abstract

Background

Objectives

To assess the feasibility of a 12-week supervised exercise programme combining aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises as an adjunct therapy to compression in patients with VLU's.

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Η λίστα ιστολογίων μου

Παρασκευή 27 Οκτωβρίου 2017

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