Role of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) and Its Ligands in Inflammatory Responses.

Since its discovery in 1992, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has emerged as a key receptor in many pathological conditions, especially in inflammatory conditions. RAGE is expressed by most, if not all, immune cells and can be activated by many ligands. One characteristic of RAGE is that its ligands are structurally very diverse and belong to different classes of molecules, making RAGE a promiscuous receptor.

Endoscopic pituitary gland transposition techniques to the interpeduncular and prepontine regions: an anatomical study.

Objective: The floor of the third ventricle and the interpeduncular and prepontine regions represent challenging surgical targets. The expanded endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) with pituitary gland (PG) transposition has been proposed to provide direct access to these anatomical regions. Through the years, different endoscopic PG transposition techniques have been studied and presented.

Variation in human gut microbiota impacts tamoxifen pharmacokinetics.

Tamoxifen is the most prescribed drug used to prevent breast cancer recurrence, but patients show variable responses to tamoxifen. Such differential inter-individual response has a significant socioeconomic impact as one in eight women will develop breast cancer and nearly half a million people in the United States are treated with tamoxifen annually. Tamoxifen is orally delivered and must be activated by metabolizing enzymes in the liver; however, clinical studies show that neither genotype nor hepatic metabolic enzymes are sufficient to predict why some patients have sub-therapeutic levels of the drug.

Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid-Related Complications After Posterior Fossa and Posterolateral Skull Base Surgeries: Development of a Predictive Model and Clinical Risk Score.

Background: Postoperative pseudomeningocele (PMC) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak are common complications following posterior fossa and posterolateral skull base surgeries. We sought to 1) determine the rate of CSF-related complications and 2) develop a perioperative model and risk score to identify the highest risk patients for these events.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort of 450 patients undergoing posterior fossa and posterolateral skull base procedures from 2016 to 2020.

Digital health solutions and integrated COVID-19 and TB services to help recover TB care and prevention services in the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive study in four high TB burden countries.

Background: The measures undertaken to control COVID-19 have disrupted many platforms including tuberculosis (TB) healthcare services. Consequently, declines in TB notifications have been observed in various countries. We visualized changes over time in TB and SARS-CoV-2 infection notifications and reported on country-specific strategies to retain TB care and prevention services in Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Vietnam.

Data-Driven Network Analysis for Anomaly Traffic Detection.

Cybersecurity is a critical issue in today's internet world. Classical security systems, such as firewalls based on signature detection, cannot detect today's sophisticated zero-day attacks. Machine learning (ML) based solutions are more attractive for their capabilities of detecting anomaly traffic from benign traffic, but to develop an ML-based anomaly detection system, we need meaningful or realistic network datasets to train the detection engine.

An integrated computational approach to infer therapeutic targets from and peptidomimetic based inhibition of its pyrimidine metabolism pathway.

is a commensal of the human oral flora that has been allied with persistent diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In children under the age of two, Campylobacter infections are common in the developing countries and have frequently been associated with mortality. They are becoming a prevalent cause of bacterial diarrhea in early adulthood in developed countries as well.

Transpetrosal Approach to a Ruptured Distal Basilar Perforating Artery Aneurysm.

Basilar perforating artery aneurysms are rare and underreported vascular anomalies in the cerebrovascular literature. Various open and endovascular treatment approaches can be employed to treat these aneurysms based on several patient- and aneurysm-specific factors. Some authors have even advocated for conservative, nonoperative management.

Incidence and management of postoperative pseudomeningocele and cerebrospinal fluid leak after Chiari malformation type I decompression.

Objective: The optimal surgical management of Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) remains controversial and heterogeneous. The authors sought to investigate patient-specific, technical, and perioperative features that may affect the incidence of CSF-related complications including pseudomeningocele and CSF leak at their institution.

Methods: The authors performed a single-center, retrospective review of all adult patients with CM-I who underwent posterior fossa decompression.

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF NEUTROPHIL-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO ON OUTCOME PREDICTION OF SEVERELY-ILL PATIENTS WITH COVID-19.

Objective: The aim: The study conducted to have a better understanding on the role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in the determination of the prognosis of COVID-19 and to assist in predicting disease severity.

Patients And Methods: Materials and methods: A total of 96 patients within age group 18-80 years who were verified positive for the COVID-19 by PCR, and admitted to (Al-Sader Medical City) in Al-Najaf City between (July to October 2020) were enrolled in a cohort retrospective study, Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was calculated via taking the absolute neutrophil count divided by the absolute lymphocyte count. Other parameters like (renal function tests, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, serum ferritin) also has been studied in relation to outcome of patients with COVID-19.

Sex-dependent effects of multiple acute concurrent stresses on memory: a role for hippocampal estrogens.

Memory disruption commonly follows chronic stress, whereas acute stressors are generally benign. However, acute traumas such as mass shootings or natural disasters-lasting minutes to hours and consisting of simultaneous physical, social, and emotional stresses-are increasingly recognized as significant risk factors for memory problems and PTSD. Our prior work has revealed that these complex stresses (concurrent multiple acute stresses: MAS) disrupt hippocampus-dependent memory in male rodents.

Tryptophan metabolism is a physiological integrator regulating circadian rhythms.

Objective: The circadian clock aligns physiology with the 24-hour rotation of Earth. Light and food are the main environmental cues (zeitgebers) regulating circadian rhythms in mammals. Yet, little is known about the interaction between specific dietary components and light in coordinating circadian homeostasis.

Management of Cerebral Herniation Secondary to Lead Encephalopathy: A Case Report.

Background: Adult lead encephalopathy is a rare but critical condition to recognize in modern healthcare settings. Few reports have described the medical and neurosurgical management of severe adult lead encephalopathy.

Case Presentation: A 22 year old woman presented with severe headache, anemia, vomiting, 40-lb weight loss, and constipation.

Metabolism and Health Impacts of Dietary Sugars.

Consumption of excessive amounts of added sugars and their effects on human health has been a major concern in the last several decades. Epidemiological data suggest that the incidence of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, has increased due to chronic surplus consumption of these sugars. While many of these sugars have been isolated and studied for centuries, their health impacts and exact underlying mechanisms are still unclear.

Cholesterol Asymmetrically Modulates the Conformational Ensemble of the Nucleotide-Binding Domains of P-Glycoprotein in Lipid Nanodiscs.

P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent efflux pump that clears a wide variety of drugs and toxins from cells. P-gp undergoes large-scale structural changes and demonstrates conformational heterogeneity even within a single catalytic or drug-bound state, although the role of heterogeneity remains unclear. P-gp is found in a variety of cell types that vary in lipid composition, which modulates its activity.

Long-term Seizure Disorder Caused by a Dermoid Cyst with Catastrophic Developments.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV primary malignant astrocytoma. Aneurysms are devastating intracranial neurovascular pathologies. Intracranial dermoid cysts are common, benign lesions which can be clinically silent or associated with seizure disorder.

Depression and glioblastoma, complicated concomitant diseases: a systemic review of published literature.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer. Depression is a common co-morbidity of this condition. Despite this common interaction, relatively little research has been performed on the development of GBM-associated depression.

A Reanalysis of the RIVUR Trial Using a Risk Classification System.

Purpose: The RIVUR (Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux) trial showed a 50% decrease in the risk of urinary tract infection recurrence in children with reflux receiving continuous antibiotic prophylaxis. We reanalyzed the RIVUR data with the purpose of using a risk classification system to identify children who are more likely to benefit from continuous antibiotic prophylaxis.

Materials And Methods: Data from 607 children enrolled in the RIVUR trial were obtained from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Central Repository and analyzed.