Altered Pain Perception and Nociceptive Thresholds in Major Depression and Anxiety Disorders: A Meta-Analysis.

Psychiatric conditions can affect the experience of pain. Several reports indicate that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with an increased pain threshold, while Anxiety Disorders (ADs) may amplify the perception of pain. However, available data on the nociceptive threshold in these psychiatric conditions are controversial.

Unraveling the Molecular Basis for G-Quadruplex-Binders to ALS/FTD-Associated G4C2 Repeats of the C9orf72 Gene.

The most recurrent familial cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the presence of an abnormal number of intronic GGGGCC (GC) repetitions in the C9orf72 gene, which has been proposed to drive ALS/FTD pathogenesis. Recently, it has been shown that such GC repetitions can fold into G-quadruplex (G4) secondary structures. These G4s have been selectively stabilized by small-molecule binders, furnishing proof-of-principle that targeting these non-canonical nucleic acid sequences represents a novel and effective therapeutic strategy to tackle neurodegenerative disorders.

Resolution of Lipemia Retinalis With Lifestyle Modification.

To describe a case of lipemia retinalis, a rare ocular manifestation of hypertriglyceridemia that is characterized by a creamy-white to salmon-colored appearance to the fundus. A 55-year-old man was referred for an evaluation for diabetic retinopathy and was subsequently found to have marked lipemia retinalis. The patient's triglyceride levels were 3141 mg/dL; therefore, treatment was initiated with high-intensity statin therapy and lifestyle modifications.

Comparison of microbiological and molecular diagnosis for identification of respiratory secondary infections in COVID-19 patients and their antimicrobial resistance patterns.

We report the use of a new multiplex Real-Time PCR platform to simultaneously identify 24 pathogens and 3 antimicrobial-resistance genes directly from respiratory samples of COVID-19 patients. Results were compared to culture-based diagnosis. Secondary infections were detected in 60% of COVID-19 patients by molecular analysis and 73% by microbiological assays, with no significant differences in accuracy, indicating Gram-negative bacteria as the predominant species.