Background: Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) such as cognitive impairment are common and decrease patient quality of life and daily functioning. While no pharmacological treatments have effectively alleviated these symptoms to date, non-pharmacological approaches such as cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) and physical exercise have both been shown to improve cognitive function and quality of life in people with PD.
Objective: This study aims to determine the feasibility and impact of remote CRT on cognitive function and quality of life in patients with PD participating in an organized group exercise program.
Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) processes sample a wide range of intermediate forbidden nuclear transitions, which may be impacted by quenching of the axial vector coupling constant (g_{A}/g_{V}), the uncertainty of which plays a pivotal role in determining the sensitivity reach of 0νββ experiments. In this Letter, we present measurements performed on a high-resolution LiInSe_{2} bolometer in a "source=detector" configuration to measure the spectral shape of the fourfold forbidden β decay of ^{115}In. The value of g_{A}/g_{V} is determined by comparing the spectral shape of theoretical predictions to the experimental β spectrum taking into account various simulated background components as well as a variety of detector effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoor obstetric consequences of unexpected events in the delivery room, such as a shoulder dystocia and umbilical cord prolapse at birth or severe maternal infection cause harm to the mother, the newborn, the extended family and the staff. A vigorous attempt has been made to anticipate or prevent those events and try to deal with them skillfully and quickly in order to reduce the rate of complications. One of the methods to bring about successful treatment of these events is by integrated staff training in the delivery room, that is, joint training of obstetricians, midwives in the field of nursing, and anesthesiologists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction Cervical dystonia (CD), a rare disorder, is the most common form of dystonia, a movement disorder. Impairments in activities of daily living and quality of life may result from chronic pain, perceived stigma, difficulty walking, and/or lack of control over movements. Studies of treatments for difficulty walking in CD have been inconclusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: CoronaVirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) led to social distancing and the need for alternative care models. Telehealth programs for people with Parkinson's (PWP) disease may ensure continuity of care. The goal of this observational survey study was to determine the practicability, satisfaction, and barriers to online programs, their relationship to perceived symptoms, mood, and quality of life, and program sustainability beyond the immediate pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate how common modifiable exposures, including dietary factors, select toxicants, and anti-inflammatory medications, may affect Parkinson's disease.
Methods: Using surveys, a case-control study was conducted at a medical center, comparing Parkinson's disease patients ( = 149) and healthy controls ( = 105). Subjects reported exposure to red meats, vegetables, alcohol, tobacco, anti-inflammatory medications, and pesticides.
Acute cellular rejection (ACR) after liver transplantation (LT) goes along with allograft dysfunction, which is diagnosed by liver biopsy and concomitant histological analysis, representing the gold standard in clinical practice. Yet, liver biopsies are invasive, costly, time-intensive and require expert knowledge. Herein we present substantial evidence that blood plasma residing peripheral liver-derived extracellular particles (EP) could be employed to diagnose ACR non-invasively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe CUPID-Mo experiment at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France) is a demonstrator for CUPID, the next-generation ton-scale bolometric 0νββ experiment. It consists of a 4.2 kg array of 20 enriched Li_{2}^{100}MoO_{4} scintillating bolometers to search for the lepton-number-violating process of 0νββ decay in ^{100}Mo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe manipulation of quantum states of light holds the potential to enhance searches for fundamental physics. Only recently has the maturation of quantum squeezing technology coincided with the emergence of fundamental physics searches that are limited by quantum uncertainty. In particular, the quantum chromodynamics axion provides a possible solution to two of the greatest outstanding problems in fundamental physics: the strong-CP (charge-parity) problem of quantum chromodynamics and the unknown nature of dark matter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Impaired sleep quality is among many symptoms observed in patients with a concussion and may predispose a patient to a prolonged recovery course and a later return to their daily activities. Studies have suggested that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) may play a role in improving sleep quality.
Objective: To investigate how OMT may play a role in the management and overall healing process in patients with a concussion by improving sleep quality.
Context: Concussion, a type of mild traumatic brain injury, is a disruption in normal brain function due to head injury. New-onset symptoms from concussion vary, likely depending on the areas of the head and neck affected; they can be severe and debilitating. Current treatment options are limited and difficult to individualize.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its ligand 1,25(OH)D (1,25D) impact differentiation and exert anti-tumor effects in many tissues, but its role in salivary gland has yet to be defined. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we have detected strong VDR expression in murine and human salivary gland ducts. Compared to normal gland, VDR protein expression was retained in differentiated human pleomorphic adenoma (PA) but was undetectable in undifferentiated PA and in carcinomas, suggesting deregulation of VDR during salivary cancer progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcoholic liver cirrhosis is a significant risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The importance of tumour-associated cirrhosis in the development or progression of HCC is not understood. MiRNAs are important regulators for HCC development, but their role in HCC due to alcoholic liver cirrhosis is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis of acute allograft rejection following liver transplantation. Noninvasive blood and urine markers have been widely explored in recent decades for diagnosing acute rejection after liver transplantation. However, none have been translated into routine clinical use so far due to uncertain diagnostic accuracy, and liver biopsy remains the gold standard.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hybrid positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) scanners are increasingly used for both clinical and preclinical imaging. Especially functional MRI sequences such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) are of great interest as they provide information on a molecular level, thus, can be used as surrogate biomarkers. Due to technical restrictions, MR sequences need to be adapted for each system to perform reliable imaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a prominent member of the pyridine nucleotide family, plays a pivotal role in cell-oxidation protection, DNA repair, cell signalling and central metabolic pathways, such as beta oxidation, glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. In particular, extracellular NAD has recently been demonstrated to moderate pathogenesis of multiple systemic diseases as well as aging. Herein we present an assaying method, that serves to quantify extracellular NAD in human heparinised plasma and exhibits a sensitivity ranging from the low micromolar into the low nanomolar domain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Pain Headache Rep
October 2018
Purpose Of Review: This review highlights the importance of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in headache sufferers. OMT is a viable option for patients who either do not wish to use pharmaceuticals or who have contraindications to pharmaceuticals. Patients with headaches that are refractory to other treatment options may also be candidates for OMT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConcussions have been increasingly reported over the past decade, but the reported incidence likely minimizes the actual numbers of people affected. Associated symptoms include emotional, somatic, and cognitive complaints, which may be prolonged in patients with certain risk factors. Neurologic examination is necessary to exclude upper motor neuron lesions and thus the need for brain imaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: There is limited literature describing the effect exercise may have on depression and an individual's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Parkinson's Disease (PD). We aim to quantify this effect.
Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 60 PD subjects.
The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-number-violating process: ^{130}Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO_{2} exposure of 86.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: One cause for low blood pressure (BP) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is denervation of the sympathetic nervous system and reduced levels of norepinephrine. Nicotine increases heart rate and BP acutely by causing sympathetic stimulation. The absorption rate of nicotine gum is relatively quick and absorbed at a constant rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Labeling using iron oxide particles enables cell tracking through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the magnetic field can affect the particle-labeled cells. Here, we investigated the effects of a clinical MRI system on primary human hepatocytes labeled using micrometer-sized iron oxide particles (MPIOs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y)
January 2017
Background: Cervical dystonia, also known as spasmodic torticollis, is a chronic disorder in which patients exhibit involuntary repetitive contractions of neck muscles resulting in abnormal postures or movements. Occasionally, there is also a dystonic head tremor. The underlying mechanisms for cervical dystonia and dystonic tremor are not clear, and treatments are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiver tissue obtained from partial hepatectomy is a common source for isolation of primary human hepatocytes. Until now, liver resections were most commonly performed by conventional open surgery. Although the laparoscopic approach is currently emerging in liver surgery, data on the outcome of hepatocyte isolation from laparoscopically resected liver tissue are not available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We investigated whether microRNA signatures in whole blood samples are associated with acute cellular rejection (ACR) after liver transplantation.
Materials And Methods: Blood samples were collected using Paxgene technology and analyzed by microarrays and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
Results: microRNA signatures failed to distinguish between 19 patients with ACR and 16 controls.