Descending necrotizing mediastinitis secondary to retropharyngeal abscess.

We report a case of descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) in a 68-year-old male who presented in acute respiratory distress accompanied with anterior cervical neck swelling and pain with swallowing. Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck demonstrated a large, peripherally enhancing retropharyngeal fluid and air collection that appeared to communicate with a fluid and air collection within the mediastinum. CECT of the chest demonstrated punctate foci of air and fat stranding along the anterior and superior mediastinum.

Use of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step-1 Score as a Screening Tool for Orthopaedic Surgery Away Rotations.

Background: Orthopaedic surgery has become an increasingly competitive specialty for medical students applying to residency. Aside from residency interviews, away rotations are one of the only opportunities for residency programs to qualitatively evaluate an applicant. The purpose of this study was to determine if residency program directors (PDs) use a minimum United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step-1 score as a screening tool for students applying for away rotations at their institution.

Deciphering caveolar functions by KO-mediated impairment of caveolar invagination.

Several human diseases are associated with a lack of caveolae. Yet, the functions of caveolae and the molecular mechanisms critical for shaping them still are debated. We show that muscle cells of KO mice show severe reductions of caveolae reminiscent of human caveolinopathies.

Do developmental temperatures affect redox level and lifespan in C. elegans through upregulation of peroxiredoxin?

Lifespan in poikilothermic organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, can be substantially increased simply by decreasing growth temperature. To gain insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of this effect, we investigated the effects of temperature in development and adulthood on C. elegans lifespan.

Fatty acid synthase as a novel target for meningioma therapy.

High levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression have been reported in hormone receptor-positive tumors, including prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers, and its inhibition reduces tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Similar to other hormone receptor-positive tumor types, meningiomas are progesterone receptor- and estrogen receptor-immunoreactive brain tumors. To define the role of FAS in human meningioma growth control, we first analyzed the FAS expression using a tissue microarray containing 38 meningiomas and showed increased FAS expression in 70% of atypical WHO grade II and anaplastic WHO grade III meningiomas compared with 10% of benign WHO grade I tumors.