Should surgeons repair symptomatic, clinically occult, radiologically evident, inguinal hernias? A case-control study of patient-reported outcomes.

Introduction: Patients who present with symptomatic, clinically occult, radiologically evident (SCORE) inguinal hernia represent diagnostic and therapeutic challenge with a wide differential diagnosis of groin pain. Often, diagnosis leads to surgical intervention despite the lack of evidence supporting this practice. This study evaluates patient-reported outcomes following surgical or conservative management of SCORE inguinal hernia.

DLK1 Expressed in Mouse Orexin Neurons Modulates Anxio-Depressive Behavior but Not Energy Balance.

Lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) neurons expressing the neuropeptide orexin (OX) are implicated in obesity and anxio-depression. However, these neurons release OX as well as a host of other proteins that might contribute to normal physiology and disease states. We hypothesized that delta-like homolog 1 (DLK1), a protein reported to be co-expressed by all OX neurons, contributes to the regulation of energy balance and/or anxio-depression.

Secondary colonic stent insertion in acute large bowel obstruction following primary stent failure.

Introduction: Colonic stent insertion has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with acute large bowel obstruction, either as a bridge to surgery or as definitive treatment. However, little is known of the role of secondary stent insertion following primary stent failure in patients considered inappropriate or high risk for emergency surgery.

Methods: Fourteen patients presenting with acute large bowel obstruction who had previously been treated with colonic stent insertion were studied.

Basic science breaks through: New therapeutic advances in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and is typically associated with progressive motor dysfunction, although PD patients also exhibit a variety of non-motor symptoms. The neuropathological hallmark of PD is intraneuronal inclusions containing primarily α-Synuclein (α-Syn), and several lines of evidence point to α-Syn as a key contributor to disease progression. Thus, basic research in the field of PD is largely focused on understanding the pathogenic properties of α-Syn.