Effects of mild TBI from repeated blast overpressure on the expression and extinction of conditioned fear in rats.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are pressing medical issues for the Warfighter. Symptoms of mTBI can overlap with those of PTSD, suggesting the possibility of a causal or mediating role of mTBI in PTSD. To address whether mTBI can exacerbate the neurobiological processes associated with traumatic stress, we evaluated the impact of mTBI from a blast overpressure (BOP) on the expression of a conditioned fear.

A selected screening programme was less effective in the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation in an orthopaedic unit.

Purpose: Our unit has used a selective screening policy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation using standard chromogenic growth media, based upon risk stratification. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of this selective screening policy.

Methods: A cohort of 429 patients was assessed for their risk status for MRSA colonisation using both rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swabs and traditional culture and sensitivity analysis.

Proteomic profiling of endothelial invasion revealed receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) complexed with vimentin to regulate focal adhesion kinase (FAK).

Angiogenesis is critical for many physiological and pathological processes. To identify molecules relevant to angiogenesis, we performed a proteomic screen comparing invading versus non-invading endothelial cells in three-dimensional collagen matrices. We found up-regulated levels of receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) and the intermediate filament protein vimentin that correlated with increased endothelial cell invasion.

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumour in mandible in a 14-year-old boy.

A 14-year-old boy reported with a painless swelling over the right anterior mandible with missing right canine tooth. The lesion was diagnosed as 'central follicular adenomatoid odontogenic tumour' and excised surgically under general anaesthesia. The patient was on a year-long clinical and radiographical follow-up.

Absorbance correction method for estimation of telmisartan and metoprolol succinate in combined tablet dosage forms.

Aim And Background: The present manuscript describes simple, sensitive, rapid, accurate, precise and economical spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous determination of telmisartan and metoprolol succinate in combined tablet dosage form.

Materials And Methods: The method is based on the absorbance correction equations for analysis of both the drugs using methanol as solvent. Telmisartan has absorbance maxima at 296 nm and metoprolol succinate has absorbance maxima at 223 nm in methanol.

Mechanism of action for NNZ-2566 anti-inflammatory effects following PBBI involves upregulation of immunomodulator ATF3.

The tripeptide glycine-proline-glutamate analogue NNZ-2566 (Neuren Pharmaceuticals) demonstrates neuroprotective efficacy in models of traumatic brain injury. In penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI), it significantly decreases injury-induced upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-6. However, the mechanism by which NNZ-2566 acts has yet to be determined.

Perfusion estimation using contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional subharmonic ultrasound imaging: an in vivo study.

Objectives: The ability to estimate tissue perfusion (in milliliter per minute per gram) in vivo using contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional (3D) harmonic and subharmonic ultrasound imaging was investigated.

Materials And Methods: A LOGIQ™ 9 scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) equipped with a 4D10L probe was modified to perform 3D harmonic imaging (HI; f(transmit), 5 MHz and f(receive), 10 MHz) and subharmonic imaging (SHI; f(transmit), 5.8 MHz and f(receive), 2.

Nefiracetam attenuates post-ischemic nonconvulsive seizures in rats and protects neuronal cell death induced by veratridine and glutamate.

Aims: Stroke patients are at a high risk of developing post-ischemic seizures and cognitive impairment. Nefiracetam (NEF), a pyrrolidone derivative, has been shown to possess both anti-epileptic and cognitive-enhancing properties. In this study the anti-seizure effects of NEF were evaluated in a rat model of post-ischemic nonconvulsive seizures (NCSs).

Chronic liver disease: noninvasive subharmonic aided pressure estimation of hepatic venous pressure gradient.

Purpose: To compare subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) with pressure catheter-based measurements in human patients with chronic liver disease undergoing transjugular liver biopsy.

Materials And Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study had U.S.

Potential of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for management of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality and is the fourth most common malignant neoplasm in USA. Escaping apoptosis and cell mutation are the prime hallmarks of cancer. It is apparent that balancing the network between DNA damage and DNA repair is critical in preventing carcinogenesis.

Systems biology approaches for discovering biomarkers for traumatic brain injury.

The rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in service members with wartime injuries has risen rapidly in recent years, and complex, variable links have emerged between TBI and long-term neurological disorders. The multifactorial nature of TBI secondary cellular response has confounded attempts to find cellular biomarkers for its diagnosis and prognosis or for guiding therapy for brain injury. One possibility is to apply emerging systems biology strategies to holistically probe and analyze the complex interweaving molecular pathways and networks that mediate the secondary cellular response through computational models that integrate these diverse data sets.

Mitochondrial genomics and antiretroviral therapy-associated metabolic complications in HIV-infected Black South Africans: a pilot study.

Studies suggest that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups are associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related metabolic complications and distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP), but there have been few studies in persons of African descent. We explored such associations in South African adults. Clinical and laboratory data and DNA specimens from a cross-sectional study were used.

Biomarkers track damage after graded injury severity in a rat model of penetrating brain injury.

The goal of this project was to determine whether biochemical markers of brain damage can be used to diagnose and assess the severity of injury in a rat model of penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI). To determine the relationship between injury magnitude and biomarker levels, rats underwent three discrete PBBI severity levels defined by the magnitude of the ballistic component of the injury, calibrated to equal 5%, 10%, or 12.5% of total rat brain volume.

On the implementation of an automated acoustic output optimization algorithm for subharmonic aided pressure estimation.

Incident acoustic output (IAO) dependent subharmonic signal amplitudes from ultrasound contrast agents can be categorized into occurrence, growth or saturation stages. Subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is a technique that utilizes growth stage subharmonic signal amplitudes for hydrostatic pressure estimation. In this study, we developed an automated IAO optimization algorithm to identify the IAO level eliciting growth stage subharmonic signals and also studied the effect of pulse length on SHAPE.

Effect of different antiretroviral drug regimens on body fat distribution of HIV-infected South African women.

No African studies have examined the effect of first-line nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based and second-line protease inhibitor (PI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) on body composition. We compared body composition in HIV-infected black South African women receiving NNRTI-based ART (ART1, n=344), PI-based ART (ART2, n=91), and those not on ART (ART-naive, n=309). Accordingly, body composition was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry in a cross-sectional study.

Extraction of CT dose information from DICOM metadata: automated Matlab-based approach.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to extract exposure parameters and dose-relevant indexes of CT examinations from information embedded in DICOM metadata.

Conclusion: DICOM dose report files were identified and retrieved from a PACS. An automated software program was used to extract from these files information from the structured elements in the DICOM metadata relevant to exposure.

Proteomic analysis and brain-specific systems biology in a rodent model of penetrating ballistic-like brain injury.

Proteomics and systems biology have significantly contributed to biomarker discovery in the field of brain injury. This study utilized 2D-DIGE-PMF-MS as a preliminary screen to detect biomarkers in a rat model of penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI). Brain-specific systems biology analysis of brain tissue identified 386 proteins having a fold change of more than 2, of which 321 proteins were increased and 65 were decreased 24 h after PBBI compared to sham controls.

Acute portal hypertension models in dogs: low- and high-flow approaches.

Effective animal models are needed to evaluate the feasibility of new techniques to assess portal hypertension (PH). Here we developed 2 canine models of acute PH by increasing intrasinusoidal resistance and by increasing the portal vein (PV) flow volume to test the efficacy of a noninvasive technique to evaluate PH. The acute low-flow PH model was based on embolization of liver circulation by using a gelatin sponge material.

Association of lopinavir concentrations with plasma lipid or glucose concentrations in HIV-infected South Africans: a cross sectional study.

Background: Dyslipidaemia and dysglycaemia have been associated with exposure to ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors. Lopinavir/ritonavir, the most commonly used protease inhibitor in resource-limited settings, often causes dyslipidaemia. There are contradictory data regarding the association between lopinavir concentrations and changes in lipids.

Comparative efficacy and safety of topical permethrin, topical ivermectin, and oral ivermectin in patients of uncomplicated scabies.

Background: Ivermectin has opened a new era in the management of scabies as orally effective drug. However, topical route has been little explored for ivermectin.

Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of topical permethrin, oral ivermectin, and topical ivermectin in the treatment of uncomplicated scabies.

Investigating the efficacy of subharmonic aided pressure estimation for portal vein pressures and portal hypertension monitoring.

The efficacy of using subharmonic emissions from Sonazoid microbubbles (GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway) to track portal vein pressures and pressure changes was investigated in 14 canines using either slow- or high-flow models of portal hypertension (PH). A modified Logiq 9 scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) operating in subharmonic mode (f(transmit): 2.5 MHz, f(receive): 1.

Long-term administration of amnion-derived cellular cytokine suspension promotes functional recovery in a model of penetrating ballistic-like brain injury.

Background: Previous work has shown that human amnion-derived progenitor (AMP) cell therapy is neuroprotective in a penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI) model. However, the neuroprotective capacity of AMP cells seemed to be mediated by the sustained secretion of AMP cell-derived neurotrophic factors, which are abundant in the amnion-derived cellular cytokine suspension (ACCS). To test this theory, the current study assessed the neuroprotective efficacy of long-term ACCS delivery in the PBBI model.

Neighborhood disparities in access to healthy foods and their effects on environmental justice.

Environmental justice is concerned with an equitable distribution of environmental burdens. These burdens comprise immediate health hazards as well as subtle inequities, such as limited access to healthy foods. We reviewed the literature on neighborhood disparities in access to fast-food outlets and convenience stores.

Processing of subharmonic signals from ultrasound contrast agents to determine ambient pressures.

Subharmonic-aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is a technique that utilizes the subharmonic emissions, occurring at half the insonation frequency, from ultrasound contrast agents to estimate ambient pressures. The purpose of this work was to compare the performance of different processing techniques for the raw radiofrequency (rf) data acquired for SHAPE. A closed loop flow system was implemented circulating reconstituted Sonazoid (GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway; 0.