Research Techniques Made Simple: Itch Measurement in Clinical Trials.

Chronic itch, defined as itch lasting longer than 6 weeks, is a highly prevalent and debilitating symptom known to profoundly and negatively affect quality of life. The development of effective targeted therapies for some chronic itch disorders such as atopic dermatitis has given widespread recognition to the importance of measuring itch in clinical trials. Clinical trials now use itch measurement as a primary outcome measure, and steps toward the standardization of itch assessment are being made to meet the growing need for reliably measuring itch and its impact on quality of life in the clinical research setting.

Report from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases workshop on "Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march: Mechanisms and interventions".

Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects up to 20% of children worldwide and is an increasing public health problem, particularly in developed countries. Although AD in infants and young children can resolve, there is a well-recognized increased risk of sequential progression from AD to other atopic diseases, including food allergy (FA), allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, a process referred to as the atopic march. The mechanisms underlying the development of AD and subsequent progression to other atopic comorbidities, particularly FA, are incompletely understood and the subject of intense investigation.

The potential use of a NIOSH sound level meter smart device application in mining operations.

Many mobile sound measurement applications (apps) have been developed to take advantage of the built-in or fit-in sensors of the smartphone. One of the concerns is the accuracy of these apps when compared to professional sound measurement instruments. Previously, a research team from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed the NIOSH Sound Level Meter (SLM) app for iOS smart devices.

Bone stress injuries in male distance runners: higher modified Female Athlete Triad Cumulative Risk Assessment scores predict increased rates of injury.

Objectives: Bone stress injuries (BSI) are common in runners of both sexes. The purpose of this study was to determine if a modified Female Athlete Triad Cumulative Risk Assessment tool would predict BSI in male distance runners.

Methods: 156 male runners at two collegiate programmes were studied using mixed retrospective and prospective design for a total of 7 years.

The Itch-Scratch Cycle: A Neuroimmune Perspective.

Relentless, repetitive itching and scratching is a debilitating feature of many chronic inflammatory skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis. While well known clinically, this itch-scratch cycle has historically lacked in-depth mechanistic understanding. However, recent advances at the interface of itch neurobiology and skin immunology have shed new light on this phenomenon.

On-chip Detection of Single Vesicle Release from Neuroblastoma Cells using Monolithic CMOS Bioelectronics.

Neuroblastoma cells are often used as a cell model to study Parkinson's disease, which causes reduced dopamine release in substantia nigra, the midbrain that controls movements. In this paper, we developed a 1024-ch monolithic CMOS sensor array that has the spatiotemporal resolution as well as low-noise performance to monitor single vesicle release of dopamine from neuroblastoma cells. The CMOS device integrates 1024 on-chip electrodes with an individual size of $15 \mu \mathrm{m}\times 15 \mu \mathrm{m}$ and 1024 transimpedance amplifiers for each electrode, which are each capable of measuring sub-pA current.

Interleukin-17 Drives Interstitial Entrapment of Tissue Lipoproteins in Experimental Psoriasis.

Lipoproteins trapped in arteries drive atherosclerosis. Extravascular low-density lipoprotein undergoes receptor uptake, whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) interacts with cells to acquire cholesterol and then recirculates to plasma. We developed photoactivatable apoA-I to understand how HDL passage through tissue is regulated.

The practice and predictors of early mobilization of patients post-acute admission to a specialized stroke center.

Background: Early mobilization (EM) post-stroke is recommended; however, the ideal timing and nature of EM, and factors that may influence EM practice are unclear.

Objectives: The primary objective was to describe the type and extent of mobilization 0-48 h post-stroke admission to acute hospital care. A secondary objective was to evaluate whether pre-stroke functional level, stroke severity, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration, and level of consciousness (LOC) predicted any passive, any active, and out-of-bed mobilization (i.

TGFβ: Friend or Foe During Recovery in Encephalopathy.

The cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is highly induced after encephalopathic brain injury, with data showing that it can both contribute to the pathophysiology and aid in disease resolution. In the immature brain, sustained TGFβ-signaling after injury may prolong inflammation to both exacerbate acute stage damage and perturb the normal course of development. Yet in adult encephalopathy, elevated TGFβ may promote a reparative state.

Patent foramen ovale and neurologic events in patients undergoing liver transplantation.

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in approximately 20% of individuals. During liver transplantation (LT), intra-operative transesophageal echocardiography can observe transient intra-cardiac shunting of atheromatous debris via a PFO. Closure of PFOs prior to LT has thus been suggested as a potential treatment to reduce peri-operative cerebral vascular accident (CVA).

Macrophage angiotensin II type 2 receptor triggers neuropathic pain.

Peripheral nerve damage initiates a complex series of structural and cellular processes that culminate in chronic neuropathic pain. The recent success of a type 2 angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor (AT2R) antagonist in a phase II clinical trial for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia suggests angiotensin signaling is involved in neuropathic pain. However, transcriptome analysis indicates a lack of AT2R gene () expression in human and rodent sensory ganglia, raising questions regarding the tissue/cell target underlying the analgesic effect of AT2R antagonism.

Pathophysiological relevance of deiodinase polymorphism.

Purpose Of Review: To assess new findings and clinical implications of deiodinase gene polymorphism. Deiodinases are enzymes that can activate or inactivate thyroid hormone molecules. Whereas the types 1 and 2 deiodinase (D1 and D2) activate thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) via deiodination of T4's outer ring, D1 and D3 inactivate both T4 and T3 and terminate thyroid hormone action via deiodination of T4's inner molecular ring.

Single-Cell Recording of Vesicle Release From Human Neuroblastoma Cells Using 1024-ch Monolithic CMOS Bioelectronics.

Human neuroblastoma cells, SH-SY5Y, are often used as a neuronal model to study Parkinson's disease and dopamine release in the substantia nigra, a midbrain region that plays an important role in motor control. Using amperometric single-cell recordings of single vesicle release events, we can study molecular manipulations of dopamine release and gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of neurological diseases. However, single-cell analysis of neurotransmitter release using traditional techniques yields results with very low throughput.

Bone Autograft Coupled with Locking Plates Repairs Symptomatic Rib Fracture Nonunions.

Symptomatic rib nonunions are a rare complication after rib fractures. Methods used to address these nonunions range from pain management, rib resection, and rib fixation with plates and occasional autologous bone grafting. Given potential complications associated with rib resections such as pulmonary hernia, we hypothesized that plate fixation and autologous bone grafting would yield satisfactory long-term outcomes and a high union rate.

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT): A Series of 1000 Tumors.

Background: Two prospective, randomized trials, TARGIT-A and ELIOT, have shown intraoperative radiation therapy to be a safe alternative, with a low-risk of local recurrence, compared with whole breast radiation therapy, following breast-conserving surgery, for selected low-risk patients. We report the first 1000 tumors treated with this modality at our facility.

Methods: A total of 1000 distinct breast cancers in 984 patients (16 bilateral) were treated with breast conserving surgery and X-ray IORT from June 2010 to August 2017.

TRPV4 Channel Signaling in Macrophages Promotes Gastrointestinal Motility via Direct Effects on Smooth Muscle Cells.

Intestinal macrophages are critical for gastrointestinal (GI) homeostasis, but our understanding of their role in regulating intestinal motility is incomplete. Here, we report that CX3C chemokine receptor 1-expressing muscularis macrophages (MMs) were required to maintain normal GI motility. MMs expressed the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel, which senses thermal, mechanical, and chemical cues.

Cytokine modulation of atopic itch.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by two primary features: relapsing skin lesions and chronic itch. Major advances in our understanding of type 2 immunity have led to new insights into the critical factors that promote the development and persistence of AD-associated skin inflammation. Although inflammation is strongly associated with the development of atopic itch, the precise mechanisms by which itch arises in AD are poorly understood.

Immunomodulating Agents as Antipruritics.

Chronic pruritus, or itch lasting greater than 6 weeks, is an increasingly common and debilitating medical problem. Recent studies have unveiled previously unrecognized neuroimmune axes whereby inflammatory cytokines act directly on the nervous system to promote itch. Thus, the emergence of newer targeted biologic therapies has generated the possibility of novel treatment strategies for chronic itch disorders.

Discovery of a novel potent peptide agonist to adiponectin receptor 1.

Activation of adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) by its natural ligand, adiponectin has been known to be involved in modulating critical metabolic processes such as glucose metabolism and fatty acid oxidation as demonstrated by a number of in vitro and in vivo studies over last two decades. These findings suggest that AdipoRs' agonists could be developed into a potential therapeutic agent for metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, especially for type II diabetes, a long-term metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Because of limitations in production of biologically active adiponectin, adiponectin-mimetic AdipoRs' agonists have been suggested as alternative ways to expand the opportunity to develop anti-diabetic agents.

Online Artifact Cancelation in Same-Electrode Neural Stimulation and Recording Using a Combined Hardware and Software Architecture.

Advancing studies of neural network dynamics and developments of closed-loop neural interfaces requires the ability to simultaneously stimulate and record the neural cells. Recording adjacent to or at the stimulation site produces artifact signals that are orders of magnitude larger than the neural responses of interest. These signals often saturate the recording amplifier causing distortion or loss of short-latency evoked responses.

Impact of thermally dead volume on phonon conduction along silicon nanoladders.

Thermal conduction in complex periodic nanostructures remains a key area of open questions and research, and a particularly provocative and challenging detail is the impact of nanoscale material volumes that do not lie along the optimal line of sight for conduction. Here, we experimentally study thermal transport in silicon nanoladders, which feature two orthogonal heat conduction paths: unobstructed line-of-sight channels in the axial direction and interconnecting bridges between them. The nanoladders feature an array of rectangular holes in a 10 μm long straight beam with a 970 nm wide and 75 nm thick cross-section.

Transfer of Cell-Surface Antigens by Scavenger Receptor CD36 Promotes Thymic Regulatory T Cell Receptor Repertoire Development and Allo-tolerance.

The development of T cell tolerance in the thymus requires the presentation of host proteins by multiple antigen-presenting cell (APC) types. However, the importance of transferring host antigens from transcription factor AIRE-dependent medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) to bone marrow (BM) APCs is unknown. We report that antigen was primarily transferred from mTECs to CD8α dendritic cells (DCs) and showed that CD36, a scavenger receptor selectively expressed on CD8α DCs, mediated the transfer of cell-surface, but not cytoplasmic, antigens.

MicroRNA signature of central nervous system-infiltrating dendritic cells in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

Innate immune cells are integral to the pathogenesis of several diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis (MS). Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent CD11c antigen-presenting cells that are critical regulators of adaptive immune responses, particularly in autoimmune diseases such as MS. The regulation of DC function in both the periphery and CNS compartment has not been fully elucidated.