Spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome in T-cell malignancy: two case reports.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) refers to a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that result from release of intracellular solutes (potassium, phosphate, and nucleic acid metabolites) from rapidly dying tumor cells. While TLS most commonly occurs following chemotherapy, spontaneous TLS can rarely occur in rapidly dividing liquid or solid malignancies. Here, we report the cases of two patients who presented with non-specific symptoms and were found to have spontaneous TLS.

A Survey of Chemoprophylaxis Techniques in Spine Surgery Among American Neurosurgery Training Programs.

Background: A paucity of randomized trials have compared prophylactic dose of unfractionated heparin (UFH) versus low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events in spinal surgery. Our objective was to determine the most prevalent chemoprophylactic techniques in spine surgery.

Methods: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education was queried for all neurosurgical residency programs, which were subsequently sent an electronic survey about prophylactic UFH versus LMWH in spine surgery for (1) degenerative/deformity, (2) traumatic, and (3) neoplastic pathologies.

Burkitt-like lymphoma in a pediatric patient with familial adenomatous polyposis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant condition that predisposes to multiple malignancies, most commonly colorectal carcinoma, but has rarely been associated with lymphoma. We discuss one patient found to have Burkitt-like Lymphoma (BLL) with 11q aberration in the setting of previously undiagnosed FAP. We review the literature of FAP and associated malignancies and the provisional WHO classification of Burkitt-like lymphoma with 11q aberration.

Use of Patient Health Questionnaire-2 scoring to predict patient satisfaction and return to work up to 1 year after lumbar fusion: a 2-year analysis from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative.

Objective: The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) is a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, quality-improvement collaborative. Using MSSIC, the authors sought to identify the relationship between a positive Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) screening, which is predictive of depression, and patient satisfaction, return to work, and achieving Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) minimal clinically important difference (MCID) scores up to 2 years after lumbar fusion.

Methods: Data from a total of 8585 lumbar fusion patients were analyzed.

Impact of Sleep Deprivation in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit: A Narrative Review.

Sleep is fundamental for everyday functioning, yet it is often negatively impacted in critically ill patients by the intensive care setting. With a focus on the neurological intensive care unit (NeuroICU), this narrative review summarizes methods of measuring sleep and addresses common causes of sleep disturbance in the hospital including environmental, pharmacological, and patient-related factors. The effects of sleep deprivation on the cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, endocrine, and neuropsychological systems are discussed, with a focus on short-term deprivation in critically ill populations.

Correlation between the Oswestry Disability Index and the 4-item short forms for physical function and pain interference from PROMIS.

Objective: The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of the most commonly used patient-reported outcome instruments, but completion of this 10-question survey can be cumbersome. Tools from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) are an alternative, and potentially more efficient, means of assessing physical, mental, and social outcomes in spine surgery. Authors of this retrospective study assessed whether scores on the 4-item surveys of function and pain from the PROMIS initiative correlate with those on the ODI in lumbar spine surgery.

Does expressing emotions enhance perceptual accuracy of negative emotions during relationship interactions?

Partners' negative emotions communicate social information necessary for individuals to respond appropriately to important relational events. Yet, there is inconsistent evidence regarding whether partners' emotional expression enhances accurate perceptions of partners' emotions. The current studies make methodological and theoretical extensions to the extant literature by directly assessing whether partners' emotional expression during relationship interactions predicts 2 types of accuracy relevant to the theorized interpersonal functions of negative emotions: tracking accuracy and directional bias.

Review: Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Neuromyelitis optica is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system that preferentially targets the spinal cord and optic nerve. Following the discovery of circulating antibodies against the astrocytic aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channel protein, recent studies have expanded our knowledge of the unique complexities of the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica and its relationship with the immune response. This review describes and summarizes the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neuromyelitis optica disease pathology and examines their potential as therapeutic targets.

CTCF variants in 39 individuals with a variable neurodevelopmental disorder broaden the mutational and clinical spectrum.

Purpose: Pathogenic variants in the chromatin organizer CTCF were previously reported in seven individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD).

Methods: Through international collaboration we collected data from 39 subjects with variants in CTCF. We performed transcriptome analysis on RNA from blood samples and utilized Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the impact of Ctcf dosage alteration on nervous system development and function.

Sarcopenia Predicts Overall Survival in Patients with Lung, Breast, Prostate, or Myeloma Spine Metastases Undergoing Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), Independent of Histology.

Background: Predicting survival of patients with spinal metastases would help stratify treatments from aggressive to palliation.

Objective: To evaluate whether sarcopenia predicts survival in patients with lung, breast, prostate, or multiple myeloma spinal metastases.

Methods: Psoas muscle measurements in patients with spinal metastasis were taken from computed tomography scans at 2 time points: at first episode of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and from the most recent scan available.

A cell topography-based mechanism for ligand discrimination by the T cell receptor.

The T cell receptor (TCR) initiates the elimination of pathogens and tumors by T cells. To avoid damage to the host, the receptor must be capable of discriminating between wild-type and mutated self and nonself peptide ligands presented by host cells. Exactly how the TCR does this is unknown.

Patient Demographic and Surgical Factors that Affect Completion of Patient-Reported Outcomes 90 Days and 1 Year After Spine Surgery: Analysis from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC).

Background: The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative is a statewide multicenter quality improvement registry. Because missing data can affect registry results, we used MSSIC to find demographic and surgical characteristics that affect the completion of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at 90 days and 1 year.

Methods: A total of 24,404 patients who had lumbar surgery (17,813 patients) or cervical surgery (6591 patients) were included.

Is polycystic kidney disease associated with malignancy in children?

Background: Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited condition characterized by progressive development of end-stage renal disease, hypertension, hepatic fibrosis, and cysts in the kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen, thyroid, and epididymis. While malignancies have been reported in association with PKD in adults, the incidence of malignancies in children with PKD is not currently known.

Methods: We report on five patients with a known history of PKD who developed a malignancy as children at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Iron intake, body iron status, and risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Iron has been shown to promote breast carcinogenesis in animal models through generation of oxidative stress and interaction with estrogen. Heme iron, which is found exclusively in animal-sourced foods, is suggested to have a more detrimental effect. Epidemiological evidence of the association between iron and breast cancer risk remains inconclusive and has not been comprehensively summarized.

EFFECT OF SUBSCAPULARIS TEARS ON FUNCTIONAL SCORES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING ROTATOR CUFF REPAIR.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of partial- and full-thickness upper third subscapularis tendon tears on the functional scores of patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Methods: Patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were divided into three groups according to the subscapularis tendon condition: intact, partial-thickness tear, or full-thickness upper third tear. Functional scores were compared among groups.

Cytoskeletal Control of Antigen-Dependent T Cell Activation.

Cytoskeletal actin dynamics is essential for T cell activation. Here, we show evidence that the binding kinetics of the antigen engaging the T cell receptor influences the nanoscale actin organization and mechanics of the immune synapse. Using an engineered T cell system expressing a specific T cell receptor and stimulated by a range of antigens, we found that the peak force experienced by the T cell receptor during activation was independent of the unbinding kinetics of the stimulating antigen.

The Economic Value of Education for Longer Lives and Reduced Disability.

Unlabelled: Policy Points Although it is well established that educational attainment improves health and longevity, the economic value of this benefit is unknown. We estimate that the economic value of education for longer, healthier lives is comparable to or greater than the value of education for lifetime earnings. Policies that increase rates of completion of high school and college degrees could result in longer, healthier lives and substantial economic value for the population.

Cytoskeletal actin patterns shape mast cell activation.

Activation of immune cells relies on a dynamic actin cytoskeleton. Despite detailed knowledge of molecular actin assembly, the exact processes governing actin organization during activation remain elusive. Using advanced microscopy, we here show that Rat Basophilic Leukemia (RBL) cells, a model mast cell line, employ an orchestrated series of reorganization events within the cortical actin network during activation.

Activity of brentuximab vedotin in AIDS-related primary effusion lymphoma.

Brentuximab vedotin is active in primary effusion lymphoma, a rare CD30-positive lymphoma with an extremely poor prognosis.

Exposure and risk assessment of volatile organic compounds and airborne phthalates in Singapore's Child Care Centers.

Infants and children under 6 years old spend most of daily time in Child Care Centers (CCCs), especially in the tropical regions like Singapore. Environmental exposure and associated risk during this early critical developmental stage is of great public concern. In this study, seven representative volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and five typical phthalates were analyzed in the indoor and outdoor air samples collected from 32 Singapore CCCs.

Fluorine-Modified Rutaecarpine Exerts Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition and Anti-inflammatory Effects in Lungs.

Inflammation is the first step that leads to inflammatory cell migration, cytokine release, and myofibroblast formation. Myofibroblasts can deposit excess amounts of extracellular matrix. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor exhibits strong anti-inflammatory response; however, this is usually achieved with undesirable side effects.

Adverse events and their risk factors 90 days after cervical spine surgery: analysis from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative.

Objective: The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) is a statewide, multicenter quality improvement initiative. Using MSSIC data, the authors sought to identify 90-day adverse events and their associated risk factors (RFs) after cervical spine surgery.

Methods: A total of 8236 cervical spine surgery cases were analyzed.

Phosphahelicenes: From Chiroptical and Photophysical Properties to OLED Applications.

Herein, the experimental physicochemical and chiroptical properties of a series of phosphahelicenes are reported, focusing on their UV/Vis absorption, luminescence, electronic circular dichroism, optical rotations, and circularly polarized luminescence. Furthermore, detailed analysis of absorption and ECD spectra performed with the help of quantum-chemical calculations allowed us to highlight general features of these helicenic phosphines. Finally, due to well-suited electrochemical properties and thermal stability, the systems were successfully used as emitters in organic light-emitting diodes.

Endophthalmitis following cataract surgery and intracameral antibiotic: Moxifloxacin resistant .

Purpose: To describe an immunosuppressed patient who developed acute-onset postoperative endophthalmitis caused by a moxifloxacin-resistant strain of after cataract surgery despite the use of intracameral moxifloxacin.

Observations: A 76-year old woman with a history of birdshot chorioretinopathy controlled on systemic immunosuppression underwent uneventful cataract surgery in her right eye. Compounded intracameral moxifloxacin 0.

Health, Polysubstance Use, and Criminal Justice Involvement Among Adults With Varying Levels of Opioid Use.

Importance: Health profiles and patterns of involvement in the criminal justice system among people with various levels of opioid use are poorly defined. Data are needed to inform a public health approach to the opioid epidemic.

Objective: To examine the association between various levels of opioid use in the past year and physical and mental health, co-occurring substance use, and involvement in the criminal justice system.