Serotonin synthesis rate and the tryptophan hydroxylase-2: G-703T polymorphism in social anxiety disorder.

It is disputed whether anxiety disorders, like social anxiety disorder, are characterized by serotonin over- or underactivity. Here, we evaluated whether our recent finding of elevated neural serotonin synthesis rate in patients with social anxiety disorder could be reproduced in a separate cohort, and whether allelic variation in the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2) G-703T polymorphism relates to differences in serotonin synthesis assessed with positron emission tomography. Eighteen social anxiety disorder patients and six healthy controls were scanned during 60 minutes in a resting state using positron emission tomography and 5-hydroxy-L-[β -(11)C]tryptophan, [(11)C]5-HTP, a substrate of the second enzymatic step in serotonin synthesis.

Merozoite Antigens of Plasmodium falciparum Elicit Strain-Transcending Opsonizing Immunity.

It is unclear whether naturally acquired immunity to Plasmodium falciparum results from the acquisition of antibodies to multiple, diverse antigens or to fewer, highly conserved antigens. Moreover, the specific antibody functions required for malaria immunity are unknown, and hence informative immunological assays are urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps and guide vaccine development. In this study, we investigated whether merozoite-opsonizing antibodies are associated with protection from malaria in a strain-specific or strain-transcending manner by using a novel field isolate and an immune plasma-matched cohort from Papua New Guinea with our validated assay of merozoite phagocytosis.

Academic Status of Plastic Surgery in the United States and the Relevance of Independence.

Background: The basic administrative structures at most academic institutions were implemented more than 50 years ago and have remained largely unchanged. Since the surgical specialties were in nascent stages during that time, they were clubbed together within the department of surgery. There has been extensive growth in the breadth and depth of plastic surgery over the past few decades and current administrative structures might not truly reflect the current standing of plastic surgery.

Effects of gonadectomy and serotonin depletion on inter-individual differences in anxiety-like behaviour in male Wistar rats.

Previous studies in Wistar rats suggest inter-individual differences in anxiety-like behaviour as assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM), both between sexes and among males, to be abolished by serotonin depletion. To shed further light on the influence of sex steroids and serotonin - and on the interplay between the two - on proneness for EPM-assessed anxiety in males, outbred Wistar rats were divided into those with high and low anxiety, respectively, and exposed to gonadectomy or sham operation followed by administration of a serotonin synthesis inhibitor, para-chlorophenylalanine, or saline. Whereas gonadectomy enhanced anxiety-like behaviour in low anxiety rats so that these no longer differed in this regard from the high anxiety group, serotonin depletion reversed this effect, and also reduced anxiety in the low anxiety group regardless of gonadal state.

The effects of the dopamine stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 on aggressive and sexual behavior in rodents.

The dopamine stabilizer (-)-OSU61612 dampens locomotion in rodents rendered hyperactive by exposure to a novel environment or treatment with amphetamine, but stimulates locomotion in habituated animals displaying low motor activity, tentatively exerting this profile by selectively blocking extrasynaptic D2 receptors. The major aim of the present study was to explore the possible usefulness of (-)-OSU61612 as an anti-aggressive drug. To this end, the effect of (-)-OSU61612 on isolation-induced aggression in male mice and estrous cycle-dependent aggression in female rats were studied using the resident intruder test; in addition, the possible influence of (-)-OSU61612 on sexual behavior in male mice and on elevated plus maze (EPM) performance in male rats were assessed.

Quantification of chemical contaminants in the paper and board fractions of municipal solid waste.

Chemicals are used in materials as additives in order to improve the performance of the material or the production process itself. The presence of these chemicals in recyclable waste materials may potentially affect the recyclability of the materials. The addition of chemicals may vary depending on the production technology or the potential end-use of the material.

A Time Study of Plastic Surgery Residents.

Background: Resident work hours are under scrutiny and have been subject to multiple restrictions. The studies supporting these changes have not included data on surgical residents. We studied the workday of a team of plastic surgery residents to establish prospective time-study data of plastic surgery (PRS) residents at a single tertiary-care academic medical center.

Serotonin depletion eliminates sex differences with respect to context-conditioned immobility in rat.

Rationale: Previous studies have shown that male rats display more anxiety-like behavior than females as assessed using the elevated plus maze and that serotonin depletion abolishes this difference by exerting an anxiolytic-like effect in males only.

Objectives: To compare male and female rats with respect to immobility and startle responses to sudden noise bursts after contextual fear conditioning and to explore to what extent any possible sex difference in this regard is influenced by serotonin depletion during testing (but not acquisition).

Results: In line with previous studies, males displayed more immobility following contextual conditioning induced by previous exposure to foot shocks than females.

Genomic comparison of Escherichia coli serotype O103:H2 isolates with and without verotoxin genes: implications for risk assessment of strains commonly found in ruminant reservoirs.

Introduction: Escherichia coli O103:H2 occurs as verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) carrying only vtx 1 or vtx 2 or both variants, but also as vtx-negative atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC).

Full-thickness porcine burns infected with Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be effectively treated with topical antibiotics.

Burn and blast injuries are frequently complicated by invasive infections, which lead to poor wound healing, delay in treatment, disability, or death. Traditional approach centers on early debridement, fluid resuscitation, and adjunct intravenous antibiotics. These modalities often prove inadequate in burns, where compromised local vasculature limits the tissue penetration of systemic antibiotics.

Effect of co-twin gender on neurodevelopmental symptoms: a twin register study.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental disorders thought to have both genetic and environmental causes. It has been hypothesized that exposure to elevated levels of prenatal testosterone is associated with elevated traits of ASD and ADHD. Assuming that testosterone levels from a dizygotic male twin fetus may lead to enhanced testosterone exposure of its co-twins, we aimed to test the prenatal testosterone hypothesis by comparing same-sex with opposite-sex dizygotic twins with respect to neurodevelopmental symptoms.

Pixel Grafting: An Evolution of Mincing for Transplantation of Full-Thickness Wounds.

Background: Split-thickness skin grafting is the gold standard for treatment of major skin loss. This technique is limited by donor-site availability in large burn injuries. With micrografting, a technique where split-thickness skin graft is minced into 0.

Apolipoprotein E ϵ4 is positively related to spatial performance but unrelated to hippocampal volume in healthy young adults.

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ϵ4 allele is known to be a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been linked to especially episodic memory decline and hippocampal atrophy in both healthy and demented elderly populations. In young adults, ϵ4 carriers have shown better performance in episodic memory compared to non-carriers.

Skin Excision as an Adjunctive Technique to Rhinoplasty in Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients.

Rhinoplasty in middle-aged and elderly patients comes with its own set of challenges. There is relative lengthening of the nose with drooping of the nasal tip. With aging, the skin loses its elasticity, and the combination of nasal skeletal reduction along with overlying inelastic skin provides a setup for skin redundancy and poor postoperative outcome.

Polymorphisms of dopamine pathway genes NRG1 and LMX1A are associated with cognitive performance in bipolar disorder.

Objectives: LIM homeobox transcription factor 1, alpha (LMX1A) and neuregulin 1 (NRG1) are susceptibility genes for schizophrenia that have been implicated in the dopaminergic pathway and have been associated with altered cognitive functioning. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LMX1A and NRG1 would be associated with cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder.

Methods: In total, four SNPs were directly genotyped.

Aspects of the non-pharmacological treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal conditions. It represents a significant healthcare burden and remains a clinical challenge. Over the years IBS has been described from a variety of different perspectives; from a strict illness of the gastrointestinal tract (medical model) to a more complex multi-symptomatic disorder of the brain-gut axis (biopsychosocial/psychosomatic model).

Challenging the Conventional Therapy: Emerging Skin Graft Techniques for Wound Healing.

Background: Split-thickness skin grafting is the current gold standard for treatment of major traumatic skin loss. However, split-thickness skin grafting is limited by donor-skin availability, especially in large burns. In addition, the donor-site wound is associated with pain and scarring.

Use of Tumescence for Outpatient Abdominoplasty and Other Concurrent Body Contouring Procedures: A Review of 65 Consecutive Patients.

Introduction: Abdominoplasty is being increasingly performed as an outpatient procedure. The role of tumescent technique in decreasing postoperative pain and hospital stay has not been extensively studied.

Methods: We reviewed 65 consecutive patients who underwent tumescent abdominoplasty over 20 months by a single surgeon.

The role of computed tomographic scan in ongoing triage of operative hepatic trauma: A Western Trauma Association multicenter retrospective study.

Background: A subset of patients explored for abdominal injury have persistent hepatic bleeding on postoperative computed tomography (CT) and/or angiography, either not identified or not manageable at initial laparotomy. To identify patients at risk for ongoing hemorrhage and guide triage to angiography, we investigated the relationship of early postoperative CT scan with outcomes in operative hepatic trauma.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of 528 patients with hepatic injury taken to laparotomy without imaging within 6 hours of arrival to six trauma centers from 2007 to 2013, coordinated through the Western Trauma Association multicenter trials group.

Longitudinal observational study over 38 months of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 status in 126 cattle herds.

Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (VTEC O157:H7) is an important zoonotic pathogen capable of causing infections in humans, sometimes with severe symptoms such as hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). It has been reported that a subgroup of VTEC O157:H7, referred to as clade 8, is overrepresented among HUS cases. Cattle are considered to be the main reservoir of VTEC O157:H7 and infected animals shed the bacteria in feces without showing clinical signs of disease.

Reconstruction of Areolar Projection Using a Purse-String Suture Technique.

Background: Nipple-areolar complex creation is the last step in the breast reconstruction process and plays a significant role in patients' overall satisfaction. Although numerous surgical techniques have been described to create the nipple, very few procedures address the natural contour of the areola.

Methods: We describe a surgical technique using a purse-string suture for improved areolar projection.

Bisphenol A and its structural analogues in household waste paper.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical produced in large volumes. Its main use is associated with polycarbonate plastic, epoxy resins and thermal paper. In contrast to other applications, thermal paper contains BPA in its un-reacted form as an additive, which is subjected to migration.

Inflammation-induced abnormalities in the subcellular localization and trafficking of the neurokinin 1 receptor in the enteric nervous system.

Activated G protein-coupled receptors traffic to endosomes and are sorted to recycling or degradative pathways. Endosomes are also a site of receptor signaling of sustained and pathophysiologically important processes, including inflammation. However, the mechanisms of endosomal sorting of receptors and the impact of disease on trafficking have not been fully defined.