Persistent Alterations in Microglial Enhancers in a Model of Chronic Pain.

Chronic pain is a common and devastating condition that induces well-characterized changes in neurons and microglia. One major unanswered question is why these changes should persist long after the precipitating injury has healed. Here, we suggest that some of the longer-lasting consequences of nerve injury may be hidden in the epigenome.

Numerical simulation of breast reduction with a new knitting condition.

Breast reduction is one of the most common procedures in breast surgery. The aim of this work is to develop a computational model allowing one to forecast the final breast geometry according to the incision marking parameters. This model can be used in surgery simulators that provide preoperative planning and training, allowing the study of the origin of the errors in breast reduction.

Knee joint position sense of roller hockey players: a comparative study.

This study aimed to compare knee joint position sense of roller hockey players with an age-matched group of non-athletes. Forty-three male participants voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study: 21 roller hockey players (mean age: 23.2 ± 4.

Risk Factors for Ischemic Complications following Pipeline Embolization Device Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: Results from the IntrePED Study.

Background And Purpose: Risk factors for acute ischemic stroke following flow-diverter treatment of intracranial aneurysms are poorly understood. Using the International Retrospective Study of Pipeline Embolization Device (IntrePED) registry, we studied demographic, aneurysm, and procedural characteristics associated with postoperative acute ischemic stroke following Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) treatment.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients in the IntrePED registry with post-PED-treatment acute ischemic stroke.

Different Occlusal Schemes in a Persistent Protruding Complete Denture Wearer.

Different types of artificial teeth and occlusal designs can be used in complete dentures. Bilateral balanced occlusion, lingualized occlusion, canine guidance, and monoplane are the main occlusal designs; however there is no agreement on which tooth arrangement is ideal for achieving success in complete dentures. This report presents an alternative for persistent involuntary protruding complete denture wearers through the use of artificial teeth with higher cusps.

Effects of Gold Salt Speciation and Structure of Human and Bovine Serum Albumins on the Synthesis and Stability of Gold Nanostructures.

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of albumin structure and gold speciation on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The strategy of synthesis was the addition of HAuCl4 solutions at different pH values (3-12) to solutions of human and bovine serum albumins (HSA and BSA) at the same corresponding pH values. Different pH values influence the GNP synthesis due to gold speciation.

Sociosexuality, Commitment, Sexual Infidelity, and Perceptions of Infidelity: Data From the Second Love Web Site.

This study explored the association between sociosexuality (behavior, attitudes, and desire) and commitment to understand sexual infidelity in current relationships. We also explored how these variables were associated with attitudes toward infidelity. Participants were romantically involved heterosexuals (N = 252; 51 women, 201 men; M = 41.

The independent effect of chronic diseases, sociodemographic and behavioral factors related to disability in older people living in Ribeirão Preto, SP, 2007 - The EPIDCV Project.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and correlates of functional disability in elderly people living in Ribeirão Preto, SP.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional population-based epidemiological study with multistage sampling. Design effect was corrected using a weighted sample composed by 536 elderly people.

The Use of Reverse Vaccinology and Molecular Modeling Associated with Cell Proliferation Stimulation Approach to Select Promiscuous Epitopes from Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosomiasis remains an important parasitic disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Despite the availability of chemotherapy, the occurrence of constant reinfection demonstrates the need for additional forms of intervention and the development of a vaccine represents a relevant strategy to control this disease. With the advent of genomics and bioinformatics, new strategies to search for vaccine targets have been proposed, as the reverse vaccinology.

Progressive Deconstruction of a Distal Posterior Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Using Competitive Flow Diversion.

Progressive deconstruction is an endovascular technique for aneurysm treatment that utilizes flow diverting stents to promote progressive thrombosis by diverting blood flow away from the aneurysm's parent vessel. While the aneurysm thromboses, collateral blood vessels develop over time to avoid infarction that can often accompany acute parent vessel occlusion. We report a 37-year-old woman with a left distal posterior cerebral artery aneurysm that was successfully treated with this strategy.

Alternative Physical Therapy Protocol Using a Cycle Ergometer During Hospital Rehabilitation of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: a Clinical Trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a cycle ergometer-based exercise program to a standard protocol on the increment of the maximum distance walked during the six-minute walk test in the postoperative rehabilitation of patients submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: A controlled clinical trial pilot, blinded to the outcome, enrolled subjects who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in a hospital from Southern Brazil. Subjects were designated for the standard physical rehabilitation protocol or to an alternative cycle ergometer-based protocol through simple random sampling.

Cardiotoxicity of Senna occidentalis in sheep (Ovis aries).

The cardiotoxicity of Coffee senna (Senna occidentalis) was investigated in sheep that were fed diets containing its seeds, which are recognized as the most poisonous part of such weed. Dianthrone, the main toxic component of S. occidentalis, is known to impair mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, leading to myofiber degeneration.

Epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in Northern Portugal: Frequency estimates and clinical epidemiological distribution of cases.

Introduction: In this study we estimated the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of myasthenia gravis (MG) in northern Portugal and characterized the clinical features of the patients identified.

Methods: We used 2 data sources: clinical records from the hospitals and pyridostigmine prescription registers.

Results: On December 31, 2013, we estimated a point prevalence of 111.

Minimally invasive evacuation of intraventricular hemorrhage with the Apollo vibration/suction device.

Intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) can occur as a consequence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, aneurysm rupture, arteriovenous malformation hemorrhage, trauma, or coagulopathy. IVH is a known risk factor for poor clinical outcome with up to 80% mortality. The current standard treatment strategy for IVH consists of the placement of an external ventricular drain.

Analysis of Ultrafiltration Failure Diagnosed at the Initiation of Peritoneal Dialysis with the Help of Peritoneal Equilibration Tests with Complete Drainage at Sixty Minutes. A Longitudinal Study.

Unlabelled: ♦

Background: Ultrafiltration failure (UFF) diagnosed at the initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been insufficiently characterized. In particular, few longitudinal studies have analyzed the time course of water transport in patients with this complication. ♦

Objective: To investigate the time course of peritoneal water transport during the first year on PD in patients presenting UFF since the initiation of this therapy (study group).

Bioconversion of Isoflavones into Bioactive Equol: State of the Art.

Background: Soy isoflavones, an important class of phytoestrogens, are suggested to be responsible for a number of biological activities associated with health benefits, including defense against various chronic diseases, including breast and prostate cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and osteoporosis, and they may alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

Methods: However, current researches (including patents) have shown that the clinical efficacy of these phenolic compounds is related to the ability of an individual to biotransform isoflavones into equol, which is a metabolite of daidzein formed exclusively by the intestinal microbiota.

Results: This biologically active metabolite presents greater effects than other isoflavones; however, only about 30-50 % of people have a microbiota that is able to produce equol from dietary daidzein.

Evaluation of artemether-lumefantrine efficacy in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria and its association with pfmdr1, pfatpase6 and K13-propeller polymorphisms in Luanda, Angola.

Background: Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum has posed an obstacle to effective treatment and challenges many malaria control programmes in endemic areas. In Angola, until 2003, chloroquine (CQ) was used as first-line therapy for uncomplicated malaria. It was replaced initially by amodiaquine and, in 2006, by artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) with artemether-lumefantrine (AL, Coartem(®)).

Evaluation of Antiplasmodial activity of extracts and constituents from Ampelozizyphus amazonicus.

Background: Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke, a plant that is widely used by the population of the Amazonian region to prevent and treat malaria, was investigated in this work, which describes, for the first time, the antiplasmodial activity of its extracts and associates this activity with its isolated constituents.

Methods: Different extracts with solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, chloroform, ethanol, and water) were obtained of the root bark. This procedure resulted in extracts that were characterized for their constituents.

Advanced stable lipid-based formulations for a patient-centric product design.

Multiparticulate dosage forms are a recent strategy to meet the special needs of children, elderly people and patients suffering from dysphagia. Our study presents a novel and cost-efficient approach for the manufacturing of a taste-masked multiparticulate system with a stable immediate release profile by applying lipid-based excipients in a solvent-free hot melt coating process. The thermosensitive N-acetylcysteine (N-ac) was used as model drug and hot-melt coated with a mixture of tripalmitin and polysorbate 65.

New combined CFH/MCP mutations and a rare clinical course in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, life-threatening, chronic, genetic disease due to uncontrolled alternative pathway complement activation. In this report, we discuss the case of a heterozygous carrier of a mutation on both factor H and membrane cofactor protein, who persistently presents haemolytic anaemia without need for blood transfusions, normal platelet count, normal renal function and no signs or symptoms of organ injury due to thrombotic microangiopathy 4 years after the diagnosis of aHUS.

The Protective Role of HLA-DRB1(∗)13 in Autoimmune Diseases.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are characterized by a multifactorial aetiology and a complex genetic background, with the MHC region playing a major role. We genotyped for HLA-DRB1 locus 1228 patients with AIDs-213 with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), 166 with Psoriasis or Psoriatic Arthritis (Ps + PsA), 153 with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), 67 with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), 536 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and 93 with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) and 282 unrelated controls. We confirmed previously established associations of HLA-DRB1(∗)15 (OR = 2.

Treatment of Distal Anterior Circulation Aneurysms With the Pipeline Embolization Device: A US Multicenter Experience.

Background: Utilization of the Pipeline embolization device (PED) to treat distal carotid circulation aneurysms has not been well studied.

Objective: To report the collective experience of using PED to treat distal anterior circulation aneurysms.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiographic records of all patients who underwent Pipeline embolization of distal anterior circulation aneurysms at 10 US neurosurgical centers between 2011 and 2013.

Trypanosoma cruzi P21: a potential novel target for chagasic cardiomyopathy therapy.

Chagas disease, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiomyopathy in Latin America. It is estimated that 10%-30% of all infected individuals will acquire chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). The etiology of CCC is multifactorial and involves parasite genotype, host genetic polymorphisms, immune response, signaling pathways and autoimmune progression.