Notes from the field: a case of hepatic failure and reflections on current status of healthcare of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Recent trends and research suggest health conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are deteriorating. The following case study highlights some of the problems that refugees encounter seeking health care services in Lebanon. A coordinated response from Non-governmental organization (NGO) with intense focus on non-communicable disease (NCD) is needed to avert further worsening of health conditions on the ground.

A central role for R7bp in the regulation of itch sensation.

Itch is a protective sensation producing a desire to scratch. Pathologic itch can be a chronic symptom of illnesses such as uremia, cholestatic liver disease, neuropathies and dermatitis, however current therapeutic options are limited. Many types of cell surface receptors, including those present on cells in the skin, on sensory neurons and on neurons in the spinal cord, have been implicated in itch signaling.

Context-dependent expression of the foraging gene in field colonies of ants: the interacting roles of age, environment and task.

Task allocation among social insect workers is an ideal framework for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioural plasticity because workers of similar genotype adopt different behavioural phenotypes. Elegant laboratory studies have pioneered this effort, but field studies involving the genetic regulation of task allocation are rare. Here, we investigate the expression of the foraging gene in harvester ant workers from five age- and task-related groups in a natural population, and we experimentally test how exposure to light affects foraging expression in brood workers and foragers.

Herpes Zoster Overlying Recently Placed Central Venous Access Site: A Case Report.

Herpes zoster, commonly called shingles, is a disease that results from the reactivation of varicella zoster virus. Local trauma has been reported as a precipitant for reactivation, but this condition is rarely seen localized to a fresh surgical incision. We present the case of a patient who developed shingles overlying the incision site of a recently buried central venous access port, illustrating the need to consider this diagnosis as a unique imposter of localized infection or reaction at sites of recent procedural trauma.

Improving the specificity and efficacy of CRISPR/CAS9 and gRNA through target specific DNA reporter.

Genomic engineering by the guide RNA (gRNA)-directed CRISPR/CAS9 is rapidly becoming a method of choice for various biological systems. However, pressing concerns remain regarding its off-target activities and wide variations in efficacies. While next generation sequencing (NGS) has been primarily used to evaluate the efficacies and off-target activities of gRNAs, it only detects the imperfectly repaired double strand DNA breaks (DSB) by the error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) mechanism and may not faithfully represent the DSB activities because the efficiency of NHEJ-mediated repair varies depending on the local chromatin environment.

Herniation of the lung: a case report.

Background: Chest pain accounts for a significant number of visits to the Emergency Department. Lung herniation is an uncommon cause of chest pain, but one that is easily treated. Patients may complain of pain or present with ecchymosis or a visible bulge in the chest wall.