Topical rapamycin for facial angiofibromas in tuberous sclerosis complex.

Facial angiofibromas are a common cutaneous manifestation of tuberous sclerosis complex. Although angiofibromas are usually asymptomatic, they can be highly disfiguring and can have a significant impact on patient quality of life. Treatment for facial angiofibromas is challenging.

Application of Appropriate Use Criteria for Initial Transthoracic Echocardiography in an Academic Outpatient Pediatric Cardiology Program.

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a non-invasive diagnostic modality for children with suspected heart disease. The American College of Cardiology published Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for an initial outpatient pediatric TTE in 2014 to promote effective care and improve resource utilization. The objective was to determine the appropriateness of TTE per the published AUC in a single academic pediatric cardiology clinic as a baseline performance quality measure.

Retrotransposons Are the Major Contributors to the Expansion of the Muller F Element.

The discordance between genome size and the complexity of eukaryotes can partly be attributed to differences in repeat density. The Muller F element (∼5.2 Mb) is the smallest chromosome in , but it is substantially larger (>18.

Diabetes Mellitus in Thalassaemia Major Patients: A Report from the Southeast of Iran.

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) represents a major concern in Thalassaemia Major (TM) patients.

Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) and DM in TM patients in Southeast of Iran.

Materials And Methods: Fasting Blood Glucose (FBS) was determined using fasting blood samples in 148 TM patients.

The minimal effective volume (MEAV 95) for interscalene brachial plexus block for surgical anesthesia under sedation: A prospective observational dose finding study.

: Interscalene brachial plexus (ISB) block is routinely used to provide anesthesia and analgesia for shoulder surgery. Traditional local anesthetic volumes for ISB result in near universal ipsilateral phrenic nerve paresis potentially including oxygenation and ventilation. : The purpose of this study was to determine the lowest minimal effective anesthetic volume in 95% of patients (MEAV 95) of ropivacaine 0.

Indole-3-carbinol induces apoptosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells through suppression of STAT5 and Akt signaling pathways.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and Akt pathways, implicated in signaling transduction downstream of BCR-ABL, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia. Therefore, idenication of novel compounds that modulate the activity of such pathways could be a new approach in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Previous studies have demonstrated that indole-3-carbinol inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of various tumor cells.

Study of the Cytotoxic and Bactericidal Effects of Sila-substituted Thioalkyne and Mercapto-thione Compounds based on 1,2,3-Triazole Scaffold.

A series of sila-organosulphur compounds containing 1,2,3-triazole cores were screened for their cytotoxic activity on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Most of the tested compounds exhibited moderate-to-good activity against the cancer cells. Especially, the compound 4-((2-(trimethylsilyl)ethynylthio)methyl)-1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (3a) from series of sila-substituted thioalkyne 1,2,3-triazoles (STATs) and the compounds 3-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-1-mercapto-1,1-bis(trimethylsilyl)propane-2-thione (4a) and 1-mercapto-1,1-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3-(1-phenethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)propane-2-thione (4e) from series of sila-substituted mercapto-thione 1,2,3-triazoles (SMTTs) exhibited promising cytotoxicity against MCF-7 with IC values of 35.

Adapting AlphaLISA high throughput screen to discover a novel small-molecule inhibitor targeting protein arginine methyltransferase 5 in pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are notoriously challenging for treatment. Hyperactive nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a common culprit in both cancers. Previously, we discovered that protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) methylated and activated NF-κB.

Prevalence of IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Blood Donors at Urmia Blood Transfusion Organization, Iran.

Objective: The importance of toxoplasmosis lies in its global spread, opportunistic nature, and causative role in abortion or irreparable adverse effects on infants of infected pregnant women. Toxoplasma gondii has different transmission routes to humans, including blood transfusion. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies specific for T.

The protracted waste crisis and physical health of workers in Beirut: a comparative cross-sectional study.

Background: Since July 2015, Lebanon has been experiencing a waste management crisis. Dumpsites in inhabited areas and waste burning have emerged due to the waste accumulation, further adding to the gravity of the situation. However, the association between the crisis and health of the population has not been scientifically reported.

Creation and Validation of a Photonumeric Scale to Assess Volume Deficiency in the Infraorbital Region.

Background: The eyes are particularly important aesthetic features of the face and revitalization of the infraorbital region has become a focus of aesthetic treatments. Published infraorbital scales to date have limitations in that they have been descriptive, subjective, or have used computer-generated images. Thus, there is an unmet need for a validated scale based on actual images.

Cyclic AMP-Induced p53 Destabilization is Independent of CREB in Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells.

Elevated cAMP levels in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) cells attenuate the doxorubicin-induced p53 accumulation and protect cells against apoptosis. cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) is a cAMP-stimulated transcription factor that regulates genes whose deregulated expression cooperate in oncogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the role of CREB on inhibitory effect of cAMP on apoptosis and p53 accumulation in BCP-ALL NALM-6 cells.

Use of Processed Nerve Allografts to Repair Nerve Injuries Greater Than 25 mm in the Hand.

Processed nerve allografts (PNAs) have been demonstrated to have improved clinical results compared with hollow conduits for reconstruction of digital nerve gaps less than 25 mm; however, the use of PNAs for longer gaps warrants further clinical investigation. Long nerve gaps have been traditionally hard to study because of low incidence. The advent of the RANGER registry, a large, institutional review board-approved, active database for PNA (Avance Nerve Graft; AxoGen, Inc, Alachua, FL) has allowed evaluation of lower incidence subsets.

Psoriasiform Diaper Rash Possibly Induced by Oral Propranolol in an 18-Month-Old Girl with Infantile Hemangioma.

Propranolol, a nonselective blocker of β-adrenergic receptors, has become the first-line treatment for complicated infantile hemangiomas. Therefore, its use in the pediatric population has expanded in recent years. In adults, β-blockers have been reported to be the most common causative agents for drug-induced psoriasis.

Malabsorption Secondary to Gout-Induced Amyloidosis.

Many chronic inflammatory conditions can lead to systemic amyloidosis. However, secondary amyloidosis has rarely been associated with gout, and the literature reports only a handful of cases, all presenting with renal disease. We report a patient with a history of poorly controlled gout who presented with malabsorption.

Ultrasound and Histologic Examination after Subcutaneous Injection of Two Volumizing Hyaluronic Acid Fillers: A Preliminary Study.

Background: This study examined the influence of hyaluronic acid (HA) crosslinking technology on the ultrasound and histologic behavior of HA fillers designed for subcutaneous injection.

Methods: One subject received subcutaneous injections of 0.25 ml Cohesive Polydensified Matrix (CPM) and Vycross volumizing HA in tissue scheduled for abdominoplasty by bolus and retrograde fanning techniques.

An interleukin 12 B single nucleotide polymorphism increases IL-12p40 production and is associated with increased disease susceptibility in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Through mounting genetic investigations, it has been established that IL12B and IL23R gene single nucleotide polymorphisms have significant associations with autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis. IL-12/IL-23 pathway plays a pivotal role in etiopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), suggested by studies both in patients and animal models.

Methods: In a case-control study, 145 MS patients and 200 healthy subjects were genotyped for polymorphisms in IL12B and IL23R genes using Real-Time PCR allelic discrimination approach.

Proper use of antibiotics: situation of linezolid at the intensive care unit of the Tunisian Military Hospital.

Linezolid was introduced in clinical practice in the early 2000s. It was considered to be an ideal reserve drug for treatment of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA).

Anti-tumor activity of PI3K-δ inhibitor in hematologic malignant cells: Shedding new light on resistance to Idelalisib.

Genetic and laboratory experiments have brought remarkable advances in management of human malignancies, which not only revolutionized the understanding of the disease, but also led to development of novel and effective targeted therapies against specific deregulated pathways. This study aimed to investigate anti-cancer effects of Idelalisib, a potent PI3K-δ inhibitor, in a panel of hematological cell lines. The resulting data showed that Idelalisib decreased cell survival in all the tested cell lines; however, as compared to NB4, viability of other cell lines, irrespective of their molecular characteristics or even the compensatory activation of MEK/ERK pathway, was inhibited at higher concentrations.

Predictive Factors of Dependency in Activities of Daily Living Following Limb Trauma in the Elderly.

Background: Traumatic injuries in the elderly often lead to permanent disabilities and long-term treatments that can adversely influence their activities of daily of living (ADL). The effect on ADL is an important outcome in elderly trauma.

Objectives: The present study was designed to evaluate the predictive factors of dependency in ADL following limb trauma in elderly referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, in 2013.

Protective mechanisms of melatonin against hydrogen-peroxide-induced toxicity in human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Many obstacles compromise the efficacy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) by inducing apoptosis in the grafted BM-MSCs. The current study investigates the effect of melatonin on important mediators involved in survival of BM-MSCs in hydrogen peroxide (HO) apoptosis model. In brief, BM-MSCs were isolated, treated with melatonin, and then exposed to HO.

Effects of M2000 (D-Mannuronic Acid) on Learning, Memory Retrieval, and Associated Determinants in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

The d-mannuronic acid (M2000) is a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has immunosuppressive effects together with antioxidant property. M2000 has shown a notable efficacy in experimental models of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and nephrotic syndrome. In this work, the effect of M2000 on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was performed by Morris water maze experiment, and the immunological assessments were carried out by Western blot, apoptosis (procaspase-3, Bax/Bcl, P53), enzymatic (superoxide dismutase [SOD]), and nonenzymatic oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA]) tests.

A Preliminary Assessment of the Utility of Large-Caliber Processed Nerve Allografts for the Repair of Upper Extremity Nerve Injuries.

Cabled sensory nerve autografts are the historical gold standard for overcoming gaps in larger diameter nerves as repair utilizing large-diameter autograft risks central graft necrosis. Commercially available processed nerve allograft (PNA) is available in diameters up to 5 mm but represents an acellular 3-dimensional matrix as opposed to viable tissue. The purpose of this study is to specifically evaluate whether similar concerns regarding the use of large-caliber PNA are warranted.

CREB knockdown inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells through inhibition of prosurvival signals.

A majority of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients overexpress CREB in the bone marrow. However, the functional significance of this up-regulation and the detailed molecular mechanism behind the regulatory effect of CREB on the growth of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) cells has not been elucidated. We demonstrated here that CREB knockdown induced apoptosis and impaired growth of BCP-ALL NALM-6 cells which was associated with caspase activation.