Investigation of pyrazolo-sulfonamides as putative small molecule oxytocin receptor agonists.

The neuropeptide oxytocin has been implicated in multiple central nervous system functions in mammalian species. Increased levels have been reported to improve trust, alleviate symptoms related to autism and social phobias, and reduce social anxiety. Hoffman-La Roche published a patent claiming to have found potent small molecule oxytocin receptor agonists, smaller than the first non-peptide oxytocin agonist reported, WAY 267,464.

Types and Distribution of Payments From Industry to Physicians in 2015.

Importance: Given scrutiny over financial conflicts of interest in health care, it is important to understand the types and distribution of industry-related payments to physicians.

Objective: To determine the types and distribution of industry-related payments to physicians in 2015 and the association of physician specialty and sex with receipt of payments from industry.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Observational, retrospective, population-based study of licensed US physicians (per National Plan & Provider Enumeration System) linked to 2015 Open Payments reports of industry payments.

Medical Device Recalls in Radiation Oncology: Analysis of US Food and Drug Administration Data, 2002-2015.

Purpose: To analyze all recalls involving radiation oncology devices (RODs) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s recall database, comparing these with non-radiation oncology device recalls to identify discipline-specific trends that may inform improvements in device safety.

Methods And Materials: Recall data on RODs from 2002 to 2015 were sorted into 4 product categories (external beam, brachytherapy, planning systems, and simulation systems). Outcomes included determined cause of recall, recall class (severity), quantity in commerce, time until recall termination (date FDA determines recall is complete), and time since 510(k) approval.

Regional susceptibility to dose-dependent white matter damage after brain radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Regional differences in sensitivity to white matter damage after brain radiotherapy (RT) are not well-described. We characterized the spatial heterogeneity of dose-response across white matter tracts using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Materials And Methods: Forty-nine patients with primary brain tumors underwent MRI with DTI before and 9-12months after partial-brain RT.

The Gold Coast Integrated Care Model.

This article outlines the development of the Australian Gold Coast Integrated Care Model based on the elements identified in contemporary research literature as essential for successful integration of care between primary care, and acute hospital services. The objectives of the model are to proactively manage high risk patients with complex and chronic conditions in collaboration with General Practitioners to ultimately reduce presentations to the health service emergency department, improve the capacity of specialist outpatients, and decrease planned and unplanned admission rates. Central to the model is a shared care record which is maintained and accessed by staff in the Coordination Centre.

Analysis of HIV Integrase Resistance in Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States.

Resistance to reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors was frequently detected in HIV from black men who have sex with men (MSM) enrolled in the HIV prevention trials network (HPTN) 061 study. In this study, integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) resistance was analyzed in black MSM enrolled in HPTN 061 (134 infected at enrollment and 23 seroconverters) and a follow-up study, HPTN 073 (eight seroconverters). The ViroSeq HIV-1 Integrase Genotyping Kit (Abbott Molecular) was used for analysis.

A Systematic Review of the Huntington Disease-Like 2 Phenotype.

Background: Huntington Disease-like 2 (HDL2) is a neurodegenerative disorder similar to Huntington Disease (HD) in its clinical phenotype, genetic characteristics, neuropathology and longitudinal progression. Proposed specific differences include an exclusive African ancestry, lack of eye movement abnormalities, increased Parkinsonism, and acanthocytes in HDL2.

Objective: The objective was to determine the similarities and differences between HD and HDL2 by establishing the clinical phenotype of HDL2 with the published cases.

Cerebral Cortex Regions Selectively Vulnerable to Radiation Dose-Dependent Atrophy.

Purpose And Objectives: Neurologic deficits after brain radiation therapy (RT) typically involve decline in higher-order cognitive functions such as attention and memory rather than sensory defects or paralysis. We sought to determine whether areas of the cortex critical to cognition are selectively vulnerable to radiation dose-dependent atrophy.

Methods And Materials: We measured change in cortical thickness in 54 primary brain tumor patients who underwent fractionated, partial brain RT.

Quality of life and adolescents' communication with their significant others (mother, father, and best friend): the mediating effect of attachment to pets.

The relationship between adolescents' communication with their significant others (mother, father, and best friend) and quality of life (KIDSCREEN) was investigated in 2262 Scottish adolescent pet owners. The variable attachment to pets was also tested and assessed as a mediator of this relationship. A positive relationship between adolescents' communication with their significant other (mother, father, and best friend) and quality of life decreased when controlling for attachment to dogs.

Multi-component diffusion characterization of radiation-induced white matter damage.

Purpose: We used multi-b-value diffusion models to characterize microstructural white matter changes after brain radiation into fast and slow components, in order to better understand the pathophysiology of radiation-induced tissue damage.

Methods: Fourteen patients were included in this retrospective analysis with imaging prior to, and at 1, 4-5, and 9-10 months after radiotherapy (RT). Diffusion signal decay within brain white matter was fit to a biexponential model to separate changes within the slow and fast components.

The potentiating effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 activity and the electrophysiological responses of rat trigeminal neurons to nociceptive stimuli.

Growing evidence suggests that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) participates in trigeminal nociceptive responses. However, the role of CGRP in sensitization or desensitization of nociceptive transduction remains poorly understood. In this study, we sought to further investigate the CGRP-induced up-regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) and the responses of trigeminal neurons to nociceptive stimuli.

Evolutionary clade affects resistance of Clostridium difficile spores to Cold Atmospheric Plasma.

Clostridium difficile is a spore forming bacterium and the leading cause of colitis and antibiotic associated diarrhoea in the developed world. Spores produced by C. difficile are robust and can remain viable for months, leading to prolonged healthcare-associated outbreaks with high mortality.

Comparing the Scoring of Human Decomposition from Digital Images to Scoring Using On-site Observations.

When in forensic casework or empirical research in-person assessment of human decomposition is not possible, the sensible substitution is color photographic images. To date, no research has confirmed the utility of color photographic images as a proxy for in situ observation of the level of decomposition. Sixteen observers scored photographs of 13 human cadavers in varying decomposition stages (PMI 2-186 days) using the Total Body Score system (total n = 929 observations).

Accelerating the search for the missing proteins in the human proteome.

The Human Proteome Project (HPP) aims to discover high-stringency data for all proteins encoded by the human genome. Currently, ∼18% of the proteins in the human proteome (the missing proteins) do not have high-stringency evidence (for example, mass spectrometry) confirming their existence, while much additional information is available about many of these missing proteins. Here, we present MissingProteinPedia as a community resource to accelerate the discovery and understanding of these missing proteins.

Cannabinoid CB receptor ligand profiling reveals biased signalling and off-target activity.

The cannabinoid CB receptor (CBR) represents a promising therapeutic target for various forms of tissue injury and inflammatory diseases. Although numerous compounds have been developed and widely used to target CBR, their selectivity, molecular mode of action and pharmacokinetic properties have been poorly characterized. Here we report the most extensive characterization of the molecular pharmacology of the most widely used CBR ligands to date.

Adverse Events Involving Radiation Oncology Medical Devices: Comprehensive Analysis of US Food and Drug Administration Data, 1991 to 2015.

Purpose: Radiation oncology relies on rapidly evolving technology and highly complex processes. The US Food and Drug Administration collects reports of adverse events related to medical devices. We sought to characterize all events involving radiation oncology devices (RODs) from the US Food and Drug Administration's postmarket surveillance Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, comparing these with non-radiation oncology devices.

Optimal Role of the Nephrologist in the Intensive Care Unit.

As advances in Critical Care Medicine continue, critically ill patients are surviving despite the severity of their illness. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has increased, and its impact on clinical outcomes as well as medical expenditures has been established. The role, indications and technological advancements of renal replacement therapy (RRT) have evolved, allowing more effective therapies with less complications.

Transition Risk Assessment Score to Stratify Health Care Needs and Interventions in Adolescents with Anorectal Malformations: A Pilot Study.

 Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are a complex collection of congenital disorders of the anus, rectum, and genitourinary system with possible active morbidities beyond adolescence.  To create the first evidence-based inclusive transition risk assessment score (TRAS) to stratify health care needs and interventions in teenagers with ARM transitioning to adult health care.  MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched electronically for original articles containing published scoring systems evaluating children with ARM from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2013.

Dose-dependent white matter damage after brain radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Brain radiotherapy is limited in part by damage to white matter, contributing to neurocognitive decline. We utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with multiple b-values (diffusion weightings) to model the dose-dependency and time course of radiation effects on white matter.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients with high-grade gliomas treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy underwent MRI with DTI prior to radiotherapy, and after months 1, 4-6, and 9-11.

The 2-alkyl-2-indazole regioisomers of synthetic cannabinoids AB-CHMINACA, AB-FUBINACA, AB-PINACA, and 5F-AB-PINACA are possible manufacturing impurities with cannabimimetic activities.

Indazole-derived synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) featuring an alkyl substituent at the 1-position and l-valinamide at the 3-carboxamide position (e.g., AB-CHMINACA) have been identified by forensic chemists around the world, and are associated with serious adverse health effects.

Social Network Factors as Correlates and Predictors of High Depressive Symptoms Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in HPTN 061.

Depression is linked to a range of poor HIV-related health outcomes. Minorities and men who have sex with men (MSM), suffer from high rates of depression. The current study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and social network characteristics among community-recruited Black MSM in HPTN 061 from 6 US cities.

Effect of high-dose vocal fold injection of cidofovir and bevacizumab in a porcine model.

Objectives: Perform a follow-up study to investigate the histologic impact of high-dose intralaryngeal cidofovir injections in porcine vocal cords, either alone or in combination with bevacizumab, and compared to saline controls.

Study Design: This was an in vivo study involving 24 pigs with blinded pathologist review of specimens. Six groups were created, with four subjects in each group.

Pharmacology of Valinate and tert-Leucinate Synthetic Cannabinoids 5F-AMBICA, 5F-AMB, 5F-ADB, AMB-FUBINACA, MDMB-FUBINACA, MDMB-CHMICA, and Their Analogues.

Indole and indazole synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) featuring l-valinate or l-tert-leucinate pendant group have recently emerged as prevalent recreational drugs, and their use has been associated with serious adverse health effects. Due to the limited pharmacological data available for these compounds, 5F-AMBICA, 5F-AMB, 5F-ADB, AMB-FUBINACA, MDMB-FUBINACA, MDMB-CHMICA, and their analogues were synthesized and assessed for cannabimimetic activity in vitro and in vivo. All SCs acted as potent, highly efficacious agonists at CB1 (EC50 = 0.

Interobserver Reliability of the Total Body Score System for Quantifying Human Decomposition.

Several authors have tested the accuracy of the Total Body Score (TBS) method for quantifying decomposition, but none have examined the reliability of the method as a scoring system by testing interobserver error rates. Sixteen participants used the TBS system to score 59 observation packets including photographs and written descriptions of 13 human cadavers in different stages of decomposition (postmortem interval: 2-186 days). Data analysis used a two-way random model intraclass correlation in SPSS (v.

Arterial ischemic stroke in HIV: Defining and classifying etiology for research studies.

HIV infection, and potentially its treatment, increases the risk of an arterial ischemic stroke. Multiple etiologies and lack of clear case definitions inhibit progress in this field. Several etiologies, many treatable, are relevant to HIV-related stroke.