Context: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, prevalent in athletic contexts have profound physical and psychological impacts. Despite extensive research on the physiological aspects of ACL recovery, the psychological dimensions of this process have gained increased attention. This scoping review delves into the intricate landscape of psychological factors influencing ACL rehabilitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Recent modifications to low-dose CT (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening guidelines increase the number of eligible individuals, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities. Because these populations disproportionately live in metropolitan areas, we analyzed the association between travel time and initial LDCT completion within an integrated, urban safety-net health care system.
Methods: Using Esri's StreetMap Premium, OpenStreetMap, and the r5r package in R, we determined projected private vehicle and public transportation travel times between patient residence and the screening facility for LDCT ordered in March 2017 through December 2022 at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Background: Atypical femur fractures are a rare occurrence, especially in bisphosphonate-naïve men, and merit reporting owing to their unusual presentation and clinical implications. This case report highlights a unique instance of atypical femur fractures in a 73-year-old male with no prior bisphosphonate exposure.
Case Presentation: The patient, a 73-year-old Indian male with no history of bisphosphonate use, presented with left thigh pain and swelling following a minor fall.
Losartan is an oral antihypertensive agent that is rapidly metabolized to EXP3174 (angiotensin-subtype-1-receptor blocker) and EXP3179 (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma [PPARγ] agonist), which was shown in animal studies to reduce inflammation, enhance mitochondrial energetics, and improve muscle repair and physical performance. We conducted an exploratory pilot study evaluating losartan treatment in prefrail older adults (age 70-90 years, N = 25). Participants were randomized to control (placebo) or treatment (daily oral losartan beginning at 25 mg per day and increasing every 8 weeks) for a total of 6 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Obesity is associated with sarcopenia in older adults, and weight loss can lead to further muscle mass loss. Oxytocin decreases with age, and animal studies suggest that oxytocin administration has trophic effects on skeletal muscle cells and reduces adiposity. We conducted a clinical trial to examine the safety and preliminary efficacy of intranasal oxytocin for older adults with sarcopenic obesity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Geriatrician clinicians of the Texas Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Institute - Forensic Assessment Center Network (TEAM-FACN) in Houston, have many years of experience providing capacity assessment services for Adult Protective Services (APS) and Texas courts. A process has developed which is efficient, consistent, and evidence-informed. In the last two years, telecommunication has been added to this process to conduct assessments of APS clients in areas of Texas remote from the Houston area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used frequently to measure excessive daytime sleepiness in research and clinical settings, although there is limited evidence on test-retest reliability, particularly among sleep clinic populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of this instrument among adult patients recruited from a public hospital sleep clinic in Sydney, Australia. English-speaking participants self-completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale on two occasions, at the specialist clinic visit and on the night of diagnostic polysomnography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe input of pathologists is essential for the conduct of many forms of research, including clinical trials. As the custodians of patient samples, pathology departments have a duty to ensure compliance with the relevant regulations, standards and guidelines to ensure the ethical and effective use for their intended investigational analysis, including when patients are participating in a research study. The results of research studies have impacts beyond the research study itself as they may inform changes in policy and practice or support the licensing of medicines and devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pathology has evolved from a purely morphological description of cellular alterations in disease to our current ability to interrogate tissues with multiple 'omics' technologies. By utilising these techniques and others, 'molecular diagnostics' acts as the cornerstone of precision/personalised medicine by attempting to match the underlying disease mechanisms to the most appropriate targeted therapy.
Methods: Despite the promises of molecular diagnostics, significant barriers have impeded its widespread clinical adoption.
Clinical trials rely on multidisciplinary teams for successful delivery. Pathologists should be involved in clinical trial design from the outset to ensure that protocols are optimised to deliver maximum data collection and translational research opportunities. Clinical trials must be performed according to the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and the trial sponsor has an obligation to ensure that all of the personnel involved in the trial have undergone training relevant to their role.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Interventions are critical to improving clinical outcomes in elder self-neglecters. This study assessed feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of oral vitamin D in Adult Protective Services-substantiated self-neglect clients ≥65 years.
Methods: Participants were directly observed to consume ergocalciferol 50,000 IU (treatment) or ergocalciferol 400 IU (control), once a month, for 10 months.
Self-neglect (SN) and frailty in older adults is associated with increased disability and mortality. Despite these commonalities, there have been no studies objectively assessing frailty in older adults who SN. This secondary analysis classified frailty in N = 37 older adults with Adult Protective Services validated SN using the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) of weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, activity level, and walking speed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOnce melanomas have progressed with acquired resistance to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-targeted therapy, mutational heterogeneity presents a major challenge. We therefore examined the therapy phase before acquired resistance had developed and discovered the melanoma survival oncogene MITF as a driver of an early non-mutational and reversible drug-tolerance state, which is induced by PAX3-mediated upregulation of MITF. A drug-repositioning screen identified the HIV1-protease inhibitor nelfinavir as potent suppressor of PAX3 and MITF expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Undernutrition is often suspected in patients when serum albumin or prealbumin levels are low. We asked whether these measures are indeed low in undernourished people if no inflammatory illness is present.
Methods: We did a systematic review to identify otherwise healthy subjects who were severely nutrient-deprived due to poor access to food or unwillingness to eat.
Cell polarity is characterised by differences in structure, composition and function between at least two poles of a cell. In epithelial cells, these spatial differences allow for the formation of defined apical and basal membranes. It has been increasingly recognised that cell-matrix interactions and integrins play an essential role in creating epithelial cell polarity, although key gaps in our knowledge remain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Skeletal muscle protein metabolism is resistant to the anabolic action of insulin in healthy, nondiabetic older adults. This defect is associated with impaired insulin-induced vasodilation and mTORC1 signaling. We hypothesized that, in older subjects, pharmacological restoration of insulin-induced capillary recruitment would improve the response of muscle protein synthesis and anabolism to insulin.
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