Cinnamic Acid Derivatives as Potential Multifunctional Agents in Cosmetic Formulations Used for Supporting the Treatment of Selected Dermatoses.

Cinnamic acid and its natural derivatives were primarily used in cosmetics as fragrance materials as well as skin and hair conditioners. Nowadays, not only natural but also synthetic cinnamic acid derivatives are used as active ingredients of cosmetic formulations. They still serve as fragrance ingredients but also as active ingredients supporting the treatment of selected dermatoses such as acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, and hyperpigmentation.

Plasmablastic multiple myeloma presenting as a pleural mass: a diagnostic challenge.

Plasmablastic multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare and highly aggressive variant of MM that presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This variant is characterised by a bone marrow infiltration of ≥2% plasmablasts and is distinguished by its atypical pleomorphic morphology, unique immunohistological profile and extensive extramedullary involvement. The anaplastic features of plasmablastic MM can closely mimic those of high-grade lymphomas, leukaemia, non-haematopoietic malignancies and high-grade carcinomas, often leading to initial diagnostic errors.

Post-ASCT consolidation with elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone or elotuzumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone in high-risk and ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma: a retrospective single-center study.

Patients with high-risk multiple-myeloma (HRMM) and ultra-high-risk multiple-myeloma (UHRMM) show rapid disease progression and shorter survival compared to those with standard-risk multiple-myeloma (SRMM). Lenalidomide maintenance after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) has shown inferior outcomes in this subgroup compared to SRMM, and there is an unmet need for improved post-ASCT therapy. This retrospective study, from September 2016 to March 2023, assesses elotuzumab combined with lenalidomide or pomalidomide and dexamethasone (ERd or EPd) as consolidation therapy post-ASCT for HRMM and UHRMM patients.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease complicated with extreme hyperammonaemia (920 µmol/L) treated with defibrotide, lactulose, rifampin and haemodialysis.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD)/sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS) is a severe complication that can occur following haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) with high-intensity conditioning chemotherapy regimens. Severe VOD/SOS, often characterised by multiorgan failure, is associated with a high mortality rate. This case report details the complex clinical course of a male patient in his mid-20s, recently diagnosed with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, who underwent allogeneic HSCT.

Capecitabine-induced-coronary-vasospasm leading to polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest.

Capecitabine, a pro-drug of 5-fluorouracil, is commonly used in the treatment of breast and colorectal cancer. Its side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and bone marrow suppression, are well recognized. However, coronary vasospasm represents a less commonly recognized but significant complication of fluoropyrimidine-based therapies such as capecitabine.

Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain.

Disabled Veterans commonly experience pain. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides training, a stipend, and services to family caregivers of eligible Veterans to support their caregiving role. We compared ascertainment of veteran pain and pain treatment through health care encounters and medications (pain indicators) of participants (treated group) and non-participants (comparison group) using inverse probability treatment weights.

A Novel Optimized Perturbation-Based Machine Learning for Preserving Privacy in Medical Data.

In recent times, providing privacy to the medical dataset has been the biggest issue in medical applications. Since, in hospitals, the patient's data are stored in files, the files must be secured properly. Thus, different machine learning models were developed to overcome data privacy issues.

A rapid and sensitive method to measure numbers of live cells in alginate capsules following depolymerization with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

Cell encapsulation in alginate prevents migration and extends cell survival while allowing the secretion of factors across semipermeable capsules. Confocal microscopy is used to measure numbers of cells/capsule, but is time-consuming and limited to capsule diameters <0.4 mm for accurate counting.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Encapsulated Human Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells and a Method to Scale-Up Cell Encapsulation.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) promote recovery in a wide range of animal models of injury and disease. They can act in vivo by differentiating and integrating into tissues, secreting factors that promote cell growth and control inflammation, and interacting directly with host effector cells. We focus here on MSC secreted factors by encapsulating the cells in alginate microspheres, which restrict cells from migrating out while allowing diffusion of factors including cytokines across the capsules.

Machine learning for classification of hypertension subtypes using multi-omics: A multi-centre, retrospective, data-driven study.

Background: Arterial hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Identification of secondary hypertension in its various forms is key to preventing and targeting treatment of cardiovascular complications. Simplified diagnostic tests are urgently required to distinguish primary and secondary hypertension to address the current underdiagnosis of the latter.

Predictors of discharge from the VA Caregiver Support Program.

Objectives: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is a clinical program providing training, a monthly stipend, and other services to caregivers of qualifying post-9/11 veterans with service-related injuries. Veteran-caregiver discharge from the program occurs when veteran recovery is achieved, participation is no longer in the veteran's best interest, or caregiving ceases. Public scrutiny about potentially inappropriate discharges resulted in a nationwide freeze on all discharges.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease burden in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: interpretation of data on involvement of different vascular beds.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a monogenic, autosomal dominant disorder that results in a rise of low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) and markedly increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. FH is relatively common, treatable, and its clinical course can be improved through early detection and timely initiation of lipid‑lowering medications. The clinical picture of FH is highly variable, with a heterogeneous phenotype even within a single family, ranging from patients with very early onset of major cardiovascular events to those who do not develop overt cardiovascular disease even at an old age.

Fibrin clot properties and fibrinolysis in patients with endocrine hypertension due to aldosterone or catecholamines excess.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate a new possible background of increased risk of cardiovascular events in two forms of endocrine hypertension: in primary aldosteronism (PA) and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) in comparison to essential hypertension (EHT).

Context: Prothrombotic properties of the fibrin clot structure, impaired fibrinolysis and enhanced thrombin generation have been reported to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Design: Patients with PA and PPGL were evaluated at baseline and re-evaluated 3 months after causative treatment.

Prevention of Covid-19 affected patient using multi robot cooperation and Q-learning approach: a solution.

Combat with the novel corona virus (COVID-19) has become challenging for all the frontline warriors like, medic people, police and other service provider. Many technology and intelligent algorithms have been developed to set the boundary in its incremental growth. This paper proposed a concept to set the boundary on spreading of this disease among the medic people, who are directly exposed to the COVID-19 patient.

Intrarenal hemodynamics and kidney function in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma before and after surgical treatment.

Purpose: Current evidence regarding renal involvement in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) is scant. More accurate diagnostic methods, such as renal Doppler ultrasound for intrarenal hemodynamic studies, may provide more detailed information on renal function. It might be postulated that renal function in PPGL patients might be altered by high blood pressure and excess secretion of catecholamines.

Among classic myeloproliferative neoplasms, essential thrombocythemia is associated with the greatest risk of venous thromboembolism during COVID-19.

In a multicenter European retrospective study including 162 patients with COVID-19 occurring in essential thrombocythemia (ET, n = 48), polycythemia vera (PV, n = 42), myelofibrosis (MF, n = 56), and prefibrotic myelofibrosis (pre-PMF, n = 16), 15 major thromboses (3 arterial and 12 venous) were registered in 14 patients, of whom all, but one, were receiving LMW-heparin prophylaxis. After adjustment for the competing risk of death, the cumulative incidence of arterial and venous thromboembolic events (VTE) reached 8.5% after 60 days follow-up.

Improving Uptake of a National Web-Based Psychoeducational Workshop for Informal Caregivers of Veterans: Mixed Methods Implementation Evaluation.

Background: Although web-based psychoeducational programs may be an efficient, accessible, and scalable option for improving participant well-being, they seldom are sustained beyond trial publication. Implementation evaluations may help optimize program uptake, but few are performed. When the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched the web-based psychoeducational workshop Building Better Caregivers (BBC) for informal caregivers of veterans nationwide in 2013, the workshop did not enroll as many caregivers as anticipated.

Fibromyalgia Pain and Depression: An Update on the Role of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal pain of different parts of the body, which is also associated with fatigue, lack of sleep, cognition deficits, family history, gender bias, and other disorders such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is generally initiated after trauma, surgery, infection, or stress. Fibromyalgia often coexists with several other conditions or disorders such as temporomandibular joint disorders, bowel and bladder syndrome, anxiety, depression, headaches, and interstitial cystitis.

Primary aldosteronism is highly prevalent in patients with hypertension and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives: It has been suggested that there might be a pathophysiological link and overlap between primary aldosteronism (PA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Therefore, in a prospective study, we evaluated the frequency of PA in hypertensive patients suspected of having OSA.

Methods: We included 207 consecutive hypertensive patients (mean age 53.

Functions of Small Organic Compounds that Mimic the HNK-1 Glycan.

Because of the importance of the HNK-1 carbohydrate for preferential motor reinnervation after injury of the femoral nerve in mammals, we screened NIH Clinical Collection 1 and 2 Libraries and a Natural Product library comprising small organic compounds for identification of pharmacologically useful reagents. The reason for this attempt was to obviate the difficult chemical synthesis of the HNK-1 carbohydrate and its isolation from natural sources, with the hope to render such compounds clinically useful. We identified six compounds that enhanced neurite outgrowth from cultured spinal motor neurons at nM concentrations and increased their neurite diameter, but not their neurite branch points.

Left Ventricular Structural and Functional Alterations in Patients With Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma Before and After Surgery.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate left ventricular (LV) structure and function in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) patients before and after curative surgery.

Background: Data on catecholamine-induced effects on LV structure and function in patients with PPGL are limited and conflicting.

Methods: The study evaluated 81 consecutive patients with a PPGL, among whom 66 were evaluated 12 months after tumor removal.