Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Am J Perinatol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Internal Medicine, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.

Objective:  Allostatic load (AL) represents multisystem physiological "wear-and-tear" reflecting emerging chronic disease risk. We assessed AL during the first year postpartum in a diverse community sample with known health disparities.

Methods:  The Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Community Child Health Network enrolled 2,448 predominantly low-income African-American, Latina, and White women immediately after delivery of liveborn infants at ≥20 weeks' gestation, following them over time with interviews, clinical measures, and biomarkers. Read More

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Post-Graduation Program in Medical Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal University of Ceará-UFC. Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is a current public health problem. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for death among patients with CHIKV infection during a large epidemic in northeast Brazil.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with all registered cases of CHIKV in Ceara, Brazil, during 2016-2017. Read More

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018 Dec;59(15):5924-5931

Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

Purpose: To clarify the distinct molecular pathogenesis of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV).

Methods: Aqueous humor (AH) was collected from 18 acute CSC, 20 chronic CSC, and 20 PNV patients. Concentrations of 30 cytokines in the AH were analyzed using a multiplex bead immunoassay, and the cytokine profiles were compared among these three groups of patients. Read More

Hum Reprod 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Commenda, 12, 20122 Milan, Italy.

Elagolix, an orally active non-peptidic GnRH antagonist, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the management of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis. As the degree of ovarian suppression obtained with elagolix is dose-dependent, pain relief may be achieved by modulating the level of hypo-oestrogenism while limiting side effects. Elagolix may thus be considered a novelty in terms of its endocrine and pharmacological properties but not for its impact on the pathogenic mechanisms of endometriosis, as the target of this new drug is, yet again, alteration of the hormonal milieu. Read More

Transl Behav Med 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Duluth Medical Research Institute, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA.

Early life adversities (ELAs) are shown as significant risk factors for chronic health conditions (CHCs). ELAs include multiple types of abuse such as the social abuse (peer, community, and collective violence). The purpose is to describe the relationship between childhood social abuse and chronic conditions in adulthood among a sample of adults in Tunisia and to investigate the role of obesity and tobacco use as mediators of this association. Read More

Hum Reprod 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank 'Loredana Gandini' Department of Experimental Medicine, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Italy.

Study Question: Is ageing associated with a decline in semen quality and molecular changes to human sperm?

Summary Answer: Semen quality declines with advancing age and characteristic molecular changes take place during the ageing process, including increased sperm DNA damage, altered sperm protamination and altered seminal plasma miRNA profile.

What Is Known Already: During ageing, the reproductive system is exposed to physiological changes and potentially damaging factors that may impair testicular function. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce errors during DNA replication, transcription or post-transcriptional events (fragmentation, chromatin condensation abnormalities and protamine expression defects). Read More

J Crohns Colitis 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Philadelphia, PA.

Background And Aims: Children with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease represent a unique cohort, often with a severe phenotype that is refractory to conventional medications, and in some cases, have underlying primary immunodeficiencies. Prior work has identified distinct histopathological patterns in the gastrointestinal tract in patients with primary immunodeficiencies. The aim of this study is to characterize the diagnostic histological findings in patients with VEO-IBD as compared to older onset pediatric IBD and determine if there are unique pathological changes that can shed light on the driving forces of the disease, particularly immunodeficiencies. Read More

Thromb Res 2018 Dec 6;174:16-23. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200127, China.

Background: Patients with warfarin have a potential risk of warfarin-related nephropathy, which could result in the discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy. The question of whether non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) use is associated with increased risk of renal impairment in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients remains unanswered.

Methods: Studies were systematically searched through Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and ClinicalTrials. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2018 Dec 10;67:138-144. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Jining First People's Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China. Electronic address:

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation is related to the pathophysiology of depression. Curcumin (CUR), which is a natural component extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, seems to be efficacious in depression treatment. Hence, the present study aims to explore whether the anti-depressive effect of curcumin is connected to its anti-inflammatory features. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2018 Oct 11;71(1):149-155. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia; Functional Foods Research Group, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an important cause of chronic disability in humans.

Methods: We characterized a model of chronic IBD in young male Wistar rats by administering dextran sodium sulfate (DSS: 0%, 0.25%, 0. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2018 Oct 6;71(1):139-148. Epub 2018 Oct 6.

Department of Pain Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland. Electronic address:

Background: The G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), is considered important for nociceptive transmission, as suggested by accumulating evidence. This receptor was discovered in 1998; however, a lack of pharmacological tools prevented a complete understanding of its function and how to exploit it therapeutically. We studied the influence of CXCL17, kynurenic acid and zaprinast on nociceptive transmission in naïve and neuropathic mice. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2018 Dec 11;170:412-417. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

In this study, a health risk assessment of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in drinking water and food was conducted using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in major cities of China. Considering the numerous non-detected values found in drinking water samples, a zero-inflated model was employed to obtain a more precise NDMA concentration distribution function in drinking water. With exogenous chronic daily intake of 1. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2018 Dec 11;170:391-398. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Jilin University, 1163 Xin Min Street, Changchun 130021, China.

Background: Plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) can induce lipid metabolic disorder. There was a chronic low level inflammatory response in adipose tissue of patients with lipid metabolic disorder. But the effect of inflammation on lipid metabolic disorder induced by DEHP is unclear. Read More

J Anxiety Disord 2018 Nov 20;62:53-60. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address:

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE) for PTSD at all of its facilities, but little is known about systematic differences between patients who do and do not initiate these treatments. VA administrative data were analyzed for 6,251 veterans receiving psychotherapy over one year in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) specialty clinics at nine VA medical centers. CPT and PE were initiated by 2,173 (35%) patients. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pharmacology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Murcia Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIB), University of Murcia, Spain.

Negative affective aspects of opiate abstinence contribute to the persistence of substance abuse. Importantly, interconnected brain areas involved in aversive motivational processes, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), become activated when animals are confined to withdrawal-paired environments. In the present study, place aversion was elicited in sham and adrenalectomized (ADX) animals by conditioned naloxone-precipitated drug withdrawal following exposure to chronic morphine. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Physiology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; Neuroanesthesia Laboratory, Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address:

Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of fluoxetine on morphine-induced analgesia, as well as preventive effects of it on morphine induced tolerance and dependence in mice. We also elucidate the involvement of L-type Ca channels in these phenomena. To induce morphine tolerance, mice were treated with morphine (50 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. Read More

Brain Behav Immun 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, United States. Electronic address:

Adversity during development is a reliable predictor of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety which are increasingly recognized to have an immune component. We have previously demonstrated that chronic adolescent stress (CAS) in rats leads to depressive-like behavior in adulthood along with long-lasting changes to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and pro-inflammatory cytokine induction in the hippocampus. However, the mechanisms by which CAS promotes hippocampal inflammation are not yet defined. Read More

Brain Behav Immun 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-2650, USA.

Background: Prenatal life stress exposure is linked to dysregulated immune function and chronic inflammatory disease in offspring, but we know little about its effects on infant immune response during viral infection.

Method: To address this issue, we examined associations between prenatal life stress exposure and infant upper-airway inflammatory markers during acute respiratory infection (ARI) using data from a prospective, population-based birth-cohort study (N=180). Infant inflammation was measured as a continuous latent factor within a structural equation modeling framework using nasal wash concentrations of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Read More

Life Sci 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin 300100, China; Nankai Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300107, China. Electronic address:

Aims: Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) play a critical role in the development of pancreatic fibrosis. Any agents that can affect PSC activation could become potential candidates for treating pancreatic fibrosis. FTY720 can attenuate chronic pancreatic fibrosis by suppressing T-cell infiltration, but its effect on PSCs remains unknown. Read More

Life Sci 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pharmacy, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Endocrinology and Metabolism Group, Sydney Institute of Health Sciences, Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. Electronic address:

Aims: Chronic treatment with antipsychotics, especially most of atypical ones, leads to development of metabolic abnormalities. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The mechanisms underlying olanzapine-induced metabolic adverse effects in the liver, however, remain unclear. Read More

Biochimie 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Respiratory Medicine, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, No. 61 Jiefang Xi Road, Changsha, 410219, Hunan, PR China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Changsha Medical College, No. 1501 Leifeng Road, Changsha, 410219, Hunan, PR China. Electronic address:

The present study was designed to explore the role of transient receptor potential canonical 3 (TRPC3) in nicotine-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its underlying mechanism. In this study, the expression and localization of α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α5-nAchR) in lung tissues were determined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to examine the mRNA expression levels of α5-nAchR and TRPC3 in human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). Read More

Free Radic Biol Med 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. Electronic address:

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a serious global health concern. Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat various cancers. However, HBV-infected patients receiving chemotherapy are at risk of HBV reactivation via unknown mechanisms, which we aimed to elucidate in this study. Read More

Bone 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States of America.

Profound bone loss occurs following spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in a high incidence of fractures. While likely caused in part by loss of weight-bearing, there is greater bone loss following SCI when compared to that observed in other disuse animal models. Patients with SCI have a protracted inflammatory response, with elevated circulating levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Read More

Int J Antimicrob Agents 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani-IRCCS- Via Portuense, 292- 00149 Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) is a complex disease that can affect different metabolic processes, including glucose and lipids metabolic pathways, with a significant impact on development of heart disease and stroke. The recent therapy with Direct Antiviral Agents (DAAs) beyond the high efficacy on CHC eradication, showed a beneficial impact on glucose and lipid metabolism. This review aims to describe current evidences about the association between HCV infection and impairment of glucose and lipids metabolism and discuss potential public health implications at the light of new DAA therapy and their availability at global level. Read More

Physiol Behav 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Kocaeli, Turkey; Kocaeli University, Experimental Medical Research and Application Centre, Kocaeli, Turkey.

Diabetes is one of the risk factors for the development of vascular dementia (VD), leading to endothelial dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Resveratrol has been shown to have antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The previous studies have also reported that resveratrol improves cognitive and vascular endothelial functions in several pathological conditions. Read More

Antiviral Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Introduction: Rhinovirus (RV) infection is a major cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung morbidity with limited therapeutic options. Various diseases involving chronic inflammatory response and infection are associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequent activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive response to maintain cellular homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests impaired ER stress response in CF airway epithelial cells, this might be a reason for recurrent viral infection in CF. Read More

Cell Signal 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Dept. of Nephrology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem with a profound impact on quality of life. Cardiovascular disease is established as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD. Dyslipidemia is frequently observed in CKD patients, suggesting a causal relation between dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease in CKD patients. Read More

J Pediatr (Rio J) 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Madrid, Spain; Maternal and Child Health and Development Network, RETICS funded by the PN I+D+I 2013-2016 (Spain), ISCIII-Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Salud Pública y Maternoinfantil, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

Am J Med 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, Columbia, SC. Electronic address:

Chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation are commonly encountered in ambulatory patients, but limited options exist for patients with persistent or severe symptoms following treatment with non-prescription products. Plecanatide (Trulance, Synergy Pharmaceuticals) is a 16-amino acid peptide analogue of uroguanylin that stimulates guanylate cyclase-C receptors to increase chloride and bicarbonate secretion into the intestine and prevents the absorption of sodium ions, thereby increasing the secretion of water into the lumen. The influx of additional fluid accelerates intestinal transit, softens the stool and facilitates easier defecation. Read More

Neuroscience 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

The present study was designed to use blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) imaging to "fingerprint" the change in activity in response to oxycodone (OXY) in drug naïve rats before and after repeated exposure to OXY. It was hypothesized that repeated exposure to OXY would initiate adaptive changes in brain organization that would be reflected in an altered response to opioid exposure. Male rats exposed to OXY repeatedly showed conditioned place preference, evidence of drug seeking behavior and putative neuroadaptation. Read More

Surv Ophthalmol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, a chronic, bilateral, seasonal allergic inflammatory disease of the eye, is an important cause of visual debilitation and impairment of quality of life in children and young adults in certain parts of the world such as the Mediterranean areas, Central and West Africa, the Middle East, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, and South America. It usually has a self-limiting course; however, in a few cases the disease is recurrent and leads to long-term visual disabling complications like keratoconus and limbal stem cell deficiency. The main pathogenic mechanism is IgE mediated; however, there may be non-IgE and certain non-specific hypersensitivity mechanisms. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0208847. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Group of Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida,IRBLleida, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.

Introduction: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a common reason for presentation to emergency departments (ED), but the management of these episodes is often heterogeneous regardless of their potential impact on short-term adverse outcomes.

Methods: This was a longitudinal, retrospective study of all patients >40 years old admitted to the ED of two Spanish teaching hospitals for an AECOPD between January 1st and May 31st, 2016. All data were collected from electronic medical records. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0209156. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Transplantation Surgery, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, South Korea.

Background: Serum uric acid (UA) level has been reported to be associated with chronic allograft nephropathy and graft failure in patients who undergo kidney transplantation (KT). However, the role of serum UA level in renal graft survival remains controversial.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of mean serum UA level during two different post-KT periods on long-term renal graft outcomes in a large population cohort in which living donor KT prevails. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0203177. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tower Road, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.

Chronic livestock diseases cause large financial loss and affect animal health and welfare. Controlling these diseases mostly requires precise information on both individual animal and population dynamics to inform the farmer's decisions, but even successful control programmes do by no means assure elimination. Mathematical models provide opportunities to test different control and elimination options rather than implementing them in real herds, but these models require robust parameter estimation and validation. Read More

Retina 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Purpose: To report visual and anatomical outcomes after the repair of chronic idiopathic macular holes (MHs) with no face-down positioning.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of chronic MH cases of greater than 1-year duration that were repaired through pars plana vitrectomy with broad internal limiting membrane peeling and no face-down positioning between March 2009 and December 2017. There were 18 eyes of 18 patients that met inclusion criteria. Read More

Med Sci Sports Exerc 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Human Studies.

Exercise is known to improve insulin sensitivity (SI), however studies to date have been confounded by negative energy deficits following exercise.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of 8-16 weeks of aerobic exercise training on the SI of untrained women under rigorously controlled energy balanced conditions. The secondary objective was to determine if one acute bout of moderate (MIC)- or high (HII)-intensity exercise further affected SI. Read More

Curr Opin Pulm Med 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center for Respiratory Diseases, China-Japan Friendship Hospital National Clinical Research Center of Respiratory Diseases Capital Medical University.

Purpose Of Review: This review summarizes the latest discoveries regarding the use of clinical indicators and biomarkers to guide antibiotic use in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and it analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of various indicators and markers.

Recent Findings: For AECOPD patients admitted to emergency departments and medical wards, procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic therapy reduced antibiotic use without adverse outcomes. In contrast, for severe AECOPD patients admitted to ICUs, PCT-guided antibiotic therapy increased the overall mortality in a 3-month follow-up period, and antibiotic use was not decreased. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Objective: To characterize subtle motor signs in children with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the chronic phase of injury.

Design: Fourteen children with moderate (n=6) or severe (n=8) TBI, ages 11-18 years, who had sustained their injury at least 1-year prior to study participation (Range 1-14 years since injury), and 14 matched typically-developing controls were examined using the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS). To examine the neural correlates of subtle motor signs, measures of total cerebral volume and motor/premotor volume were derived from MRI. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Department of Mersin University Medical Faculty, Mersin, Turkey.

Ultra-thin porous polyethylene has been widely preferred in orbital blow out fracture repair for many years as a safe and stable material. Delayed complications related to the implant in orbital blow out fracture repair are very rare and usually begin as a periorbital inflammation. Infections and tissue reaction to the foreign body are regarded as main causes for implant-related inflammation of which symptoms may vary among the patients and may involve subacute and chronic eyelid swelling, skin redness, pain, conjunctival injection, proptosis, and acute orbital inflammation. Read More

Curr Opin Lipidol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The liver is the central hub of lipoprotein metabolism. A complex relationship exists between dyslipidemia and chronic liver diseases (CLDs). Recent advances in the genetics of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) exemplify the pivotal role of lipoprotein metabolism in the pathogenesis of CLD. Read More

J Thorac Imaging 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg.

Novel therapeutic options in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require delicate patient selection and thus demand for expert radiologists visually and quantitatively evaluating high-resolution computed tomography (CT) with additional functional acquisitions such as paired inspiratory-expiratory scans or dynamic airway CT. The differentiation between emphysema-dominant and airway-dominant COPD phenotypes by imaging has immediate clinical value for patient management. Assessment of emphysema severity, distribution patterns, and fissure integrity are essential for stratifying patients for different surgical and endoscopic lung volume reduction procedures. Read More

J Thorac Imaging 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Center for Medical Imaging North-East Netherlands (CMI-NEN), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen.

Lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease are highly prevalent in the general population and expected to cause most deaths by 2050. For these "Big-3," treatment might cure, delay, or stop the progression of disease at a very early stage. Lung nodule growth rate (a biomarker for lung cancer), emphysema/air trapping (a biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and coronary artery calcification (a biomarker for cardiovascular disease) are imaging biomarkers of early stages of the Big-3 that can be acquired with low-dose computed tomography (CT). Read More

J Addict Med 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Spectrum Health, Center for Integrative Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI (PT); Boston University Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (AYW).

: Tianeptine is an atypical antidepressant which exerts an opioid-like effect on the μ-opioid receptor. There is well documented intentional misuse and addiction to tianeptine in Europe, and this is increasingly being seen in the United States. We presented a case of buprenorphine/naloxone successfully being used to aid in cessation and subsequent abstinence from tianeptine after years of use. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

b GSK , Rockville , MD , USA.

Influenza is a communicable disease with most of the mortality burden falling on high-risk populations and those with pre-existing comorbidities and chronic diseases. In South Korea, adults aged 50-64 years are recommended for influenza vaccination, but no government financial support is offered to encourage vaccination uptake, which has led to suboptimal vaccination rates and significant public health concerns. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting influenza vaccine uptake in adults aged 50-64 years and to compare high-risk and non-high-risk groups. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

a Department of Medicine , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA.

Autoimmunity is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and loss of native and transplanted kidneys. Conventional immunosuppressive therapies can be effective but are non-specific, noncurative, and risk serious side effects such as life-threatening infection and cancer. Novel therapies and targeted interventions are urgently needed. Read More

FASEB J 2018 Dec 14:fj201801292R. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Chronic exposure of pancreatic β cells to high concentrations of free fatty acids leads to lipotoxicity (LT)-mediated suppression of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. This effect is in part caused by a decline in mitochondrial function as well as by a reduction in lysosomal acidification. Because both mitochondria and lysosomes can alter one another's function, it remains unclear which initiating dysfunction sets off the detrimental cascade of LT, ultimately leading to β-cell failure. Read More

Curr Med Res Opin 2018 Dec 14:1-14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

a Cardiovascular Department , John Hunter Hospital , Newcastle NSW , Australia.

Objective: Pulmonary hypertension may be a consequence of intrinsic elevation in pulmonary vasculature resistance or complicate numerous other conditions affecting the cardiac and respiratory systems. In this review we sought to explore the relationship between pulmonary hypertension and intravenous drug use.

Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed MeSH search with further papers were identified using a standard PubMed search with relevant key terms and various synonyms. Read More

FASEB J 2018 Dec 14:fj201801843R. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Laboratory of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

Bioenergetic failure, oxidative stress, and changes in mitochondrial morphology are common pathologic hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in several cellular and animal models. Disturbed mitochondrial physiology has serious consequences for proper functioning of the cell, leading to the chronic mitochondrial stress. Mitochondria, being in the center of cellular metabolism, play a pivotal role in adaptation to stress conditions. Read More

G Ital Med Lav Ergon 2018 Dec;40(4):248-256

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy; University of Pavia, Italy.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis is a multisystem autoimmune disease that causes chronic widespread obliterative vasculopathy of the small arteries associated with various degrees of tissue fibrosis. The prognosis of the disease depends largely on the visceral involvement; however musculoskeletal involvement is an important factor to functional disability. Suffering from a chronic auto-immune disease, such as Systemic Sclerosis, compromises the quality of life and the work ability. Read More