Rigid Macrocycle Metal Complexes as CXCR4 Chemokine Receptor Antagonists: Influence of Ring Size.

Understanding the role of chemokine receptors in health and disease has been of increasing interest in recent years. Chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been extensively studied because of its defined role in immune cell trafficking, HIV infection, inflammatory diseases, and cancer progression. We have developed high affinity rigidified CXCR4 antagonists that incorporate metal ions to optimize the binding interactions with the aspartate side chains at the extracellular surface of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor and increase the residence time.

Quality of life measurement in urticaria: Position statement of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Task Forces on Quality of Life and Patient-Oriented Outcomes and Urticaria and Angioedema.

The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Forces on quality of life (QoL) and patient-oriented outcomes and on urticaria and angioedema recommendations for the assessment of Health-related (HR) QoL in all patients with urticaria in research and practice are as follows: to use the DLQI for adults and the CDLQI for children as dermatology-specific and the CU-Q2oL as a disease-specific HRQoL instruments in urticaria; to use generic instruments to provide comparison of data on urticaria with non-dermatologic diseases, or to compare with healthy volunteers or the general population; to select validated HRQoL instruments with appropriate age limits; to present exact numeric data for HRQoL results; correct title of any HRQoL instrument should be used, along with its correct abbreviation and the reference to its original publication, where possible. The EADV TFs discourage the use of non-validated HRQoL instruments and modified HRQoL instruments that have not undergone standard validation.

Physician resilience and perceived quality of care among medical doctors with training in psychosomatic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Background: At an individual level, physician resilience protects against burnout and against its known negative effects on individual physicians, patient safety, and quality of care. However, it remains uncertain whether physician resilience also correlates with maintaining a high level of healthcare quality during crises such as a pandemic. This study aimed to investigate whether higher resilience among physicians, who had received training in resilience-related competences in the past, would be associated with higher quality of care delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quality of life measurement in teledermatology. Position statement of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Task Forces on Quality of Life and Patient Oriented Outcomes and Teledermatology.

Many events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have accelerated the implementation of teledermatology pathways within dermatology departments and across healthcare organizations. Quality of Life (QoL) assessment in dermatology is also a rapidly developing field with a gradual shift from theory to practice. The purpose of this paper organized jointly by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Force (TF) on QoL and patient-oriented outcomes and the EADV TF on teledermatology is to present current knowledge about QoL assessment during the use of teledermatology approaches, including data on health-related (HR) QoL instruments used in teledermatology, comparison of influence of different treatment methods on HRQoL after face-to-face and teledermatology consultations and to make practical recommendations concerning the assessment of QoL in teledermatology.

Exploring health behaviors and the role of pet dogs in households with autistic children: the DANE study.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often presents a unique set of risk factors that impact healthy eating and physical activity. Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are a promising approach for autistic children. There is growing evidence for the positive impact of AAIs on self-regulation, which is necessary for initiating and maintaining behavioral changes.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis and renal transplant rejection.

Purpose: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune thyroid disorder that can disrupt thyroid function and homeostasis. As HT results from a dysregulated immune system, we hypothesized that these patients might be more susceptible to transplant failure; however, literature on this association is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of HT with the risk of renal transplant failure.

Quality of life measurement in rosacea. Position statement of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Task Forces on Quality of Life and Patient Oriented Outcomes and Acne, Rosacea and Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Forces (TFs) on Quality of Life (QoL) and Patient-Oriented Outcomes and Acne, Rosacea and Hidradenitis Suppurativa (ARHS) do not recommend the use of any generic instrument as a single method of Health Related (HR) QoL assessment in rosacea, except when comparing quimp (quality of life impairment) in rosacea patients with that in other non-dermatologic skin diseases and/or healthy controls. The EADV TFs on QoL and Patient-Oriented Outcomes and ARHS recommend the use of the dermatology-specific HRQoL instrument the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the rosacea-specific HRQoL instrument RosaQoL in rosacea patients. The DLQI minimal clinically important difference may be used as a marker of clinical efficacy of the treatment and DLQI score banding of 0 or 1 corresponding to no effect on patients' HRQoL could be an important treatment goal.

Use of short videos and case studies to enhance student confidence in biochemistry knowledge and application in a large lecture biochemistry course in first year veterinary curriculum.

Large lecture courses are an efficient way to convey material to many students but have potential limitations, most notably the tendency for them to promote passive learning opportunities rather than active pedagogies. The curriculum at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, like many veterinary schools, contains many large lecture courses in the pre-clinical curriculum. This objective of this study was to use two active pedagogical interventions in a first-year lecture course named Veterinary Biochemistry and Metabolism that drew connections between basic science and several veterinary diseases.

Identification of circulating microvesicle-encapsulated miR-223 as a potential novel biomarker for ARDS.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a lethal disease with severe forms conferring a mortality rate approaching 40%. The initial phase of ARDS results in acute lung injury (ALI) characterized by a severe inflammatory response and exudative alveolar flooding due to pulmonary capillary leak. Timely therapies to reduce ARDS mortality are limited by the lack of laboratory-guided diagnostic biomarkers for ARDS.

Facial atopic dermatitis may be exacerbated by masks: insights from a multicenter, teledermatology, prospective study during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) display a defective skin barrier, consequently they may experience inflammatory flares with different exposures, including masks. Actually, beside scattering case reports, no study focused on the possible AD flaring due to masks.

Methods: In this multicenter prospective study AD patients with facial manifestation were followed with teledermatology and evaluated by two board-certified dermatologists at the baseline (T0) and after 1 month (T1) in which patients started to wear masks >6 hours per day.

The Body Mass Index Paradox in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The body mass index (BMI) paradox describes that among patients with certain cancers, higher pretreatment BMI may be associated with improved survival. We examine the impact of BMI on overall survival (OS) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. A literature search was performed, and articles using hazard ratios to describe the prognostic impact of BMI on OS in HNSCC were included.

Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs.

The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users.

Masks trigger facial seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis: evidence from a multicenter, case-control study during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Wearing masks is an optimal preventive strategy during COVID-19 pandemic, but it may increase facial sebum production. However, few case reports have described seborrheic dermatitis (SeBD) and psoriasis (PsO) flares due to masks. Hence, we conducted a multicenter study to clarify the possibility of increased SeBD and PsO flares in association with mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinical and radiographic characteristics of diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-wildtype, with molecular features of glioblastoma: a single institution review.

Purpose: Genetic analyses of gliomas have identified key molecular features that impact treatment paradigms beyond conventional histomorphology. Despite at-times lower grade histopathologic appearances, IDH-wildtype infiltrating gliomas expressing certain molecular markers behave like higher-grade tumors. For IDH-wildtype infiltrating gliomas lacking traditional features of glioblastoma, these markers form the basis for the novel diagnosis of diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-wildtype (wt), with molecular features of glioblastoma (GBM), WHO grade-IV (DAG-G).

Interpreting physical sensations to guide health-related behavior : An introductory review on psychosomatic competence.

From a biopsychosocial perspective, maintaining health requires sufficient autoregulatory and self-regulatory capacity to both regulate somatic physiology and manage human-environment interactions. Increasing evidence from neuroscientific and psychological research suggests a functional link between so called interoceptive awareness and self-regulatory behavior. Self-regulation can, again, influence autoregulatory patterns as it is known from biofeedback training or meditation practices.

A Stakeholder-Engaged Approach to Development of an Animal-Assisted Intervention for Obesity Prevention Among Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Pet Dogs.

Stakeholder involvement in research has been demonstrated to increase the effectiveness, validity, and quality of a study. This paper describes the engagement of a stakeholder panel in the development and implementation of an animal-assisted intervention (AAI) assessment and program for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Canines for Autism Activity and Nutrition (CAAN) aims to promote physical activity and wellness among children diagnosed with ASD by integrating activities with their pet dog during the child's ongoing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) in-home therapy sessions.

Incidence and risk factors for mucormycosis in renal transplant patients.

Background: Renal transplant patients are at increased risk for mucormycosis. Diabetes, neutropenia, deferoxamine therapy, and immunosuppressive medications have been associated with increased risk of mucormycosis in studies of solid organ transplant recipients. To focus on renal transplant patients, the US Renal Data System (USRDS) was queried to determine the incidence and risk factors for mucormycosis.

Assessing the Impact of a Pilot Nutrition Curriculum on Students' Confidence and Ability to Perform Nutritional Assessments on Overweight Dogs and Cats for Use in a Veterinary Outreach Program.

Obesity is a growing concern for dogs and cats. Although veterinary input is critical to prevent and manage obesity, conversations addressing overweight pets are challenging and require training to perform effectively. This study assessed the impact of a nutrition curriculum developed for use in a veterinary outreach program on student confidence and ability to perform nutritional assessments, particularly on overweight pets.