Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in the Heart of the Middle East: Analysis of Mohs Micrographic Surgery Cases From a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is considered the most effective technique for treating nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Recurrence rate after MMS for treating NMSC ranges from 1.

The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in outpatient dermatology clinics: a systematic review.

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition involving a preoccupation with physical appearance disproportionate to physical findings, which are often absent altogether. Previously published data have estimated its prevalence at approximately 11.3-11.

Sustained Activation of the Anterior Thalamic Neurons with Low Doses of Kainic Acid Boosts Hippocampal Neurogenesis.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is prone to modulation by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The anterior nucleus (AN) of the thalamus has extensive connections with the hippocampus, and stimulation of this region may play a role in altering neurogenesis. We have previously shown that electrical stimulation of the AN can substantially boost hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rats.

Clinical assessment of head injuries in motorcyclists involved in traffic accidents: A prospective, observational study.

Objective: to review the clinical assessment of head injuries in motorcyclists involved in traffic accidents.

Method: prospective observational study, including adult motorcyclists involved in traffic accidents in a period of 12 months. Patients sustaining signs of intoxication were excluded.

Urinary Tract Infections Impair Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis.

Previous studies have suggested a link between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and cognitive impairment. One possible contributing factor for UTI-induced cognitive changes that has not yet been investigated is a potential alteration in hippocampal neurogenesis. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of UTI on brain plasticity by specifically examining alterations in neurogenesis.

Health Literacy Levels and Predictors Among Lebanese Adults Visiting Outpatient Clinics in Beirut.

Background: To date, there has been a dearth of research on health literacy in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and in particular Lebanon.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study assessed the levels and correlates of health literacy in Lebanese adults.

Methods: A total of 587 participants (54.

Advances in Ultra-Trace Analytical Capability for Micro/Nanoplastics and Water-Soluble Polymers in the Environment: Fresh Falling Urban Snow.

Discarded micro/nano-plastic inputs into the environment are emerging global concerns. Yet the quantification of micro/nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices is still a major challenge, notably for soluble ones. We herein develop in-laboratory built nanostructures (zinc oxide, titanium oxide and cobalt) coupled to mass spectrometry techniques, for picogram quantification of micro/nanoplastics in water and snow matrices, without sample pre-treatment.

Long-term stimulation of the anteromedial thalamus increases hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial reference memory in adult rats.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown positive clinical results in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous work from our group showed that a single session of DBS to the anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMN) in awake rats, increased proliferation of stem/progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. We thought to examine the effect of single versus multiple sessions of DBS to the AMN in modulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Quantification and Reliability of Hip Internal Rotation and the FADIR Test in Supine Position Using a Smartphone Application in an Asymptomatic Population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify and report the intrarater and interrater reliability of hip internal rotation (IR) range of motion supine with the hip and knee at 90° of flexion and for the flexion-adduction-internal rotation (FADIR) test. Hip internal rotation measured in a lying supine position with the hip and knee at 90° of flexion revealed information on hip impairments. To date no simple quantification approach has been presented in this position; therefore, the FADIR test has not been quantified yet.

Intranigral Injection of Endotoxin Suppresses Proliferation of Hippocampal Progenitor Cells.

Brain inflammation can result in functional disorders observed in several neurodegenerative diseases and that can be also associated with reduced neurogenesis. In this study, we investigate the effect of mild inflammation, induced by unilateral injection of Endotoxin (ET) in the substantia nigra (SN)/Ventral Tegmental Area, on the proliferation and survival of stem/progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Adult female rats received unilateral injection of ET (2 μg/2 μl saline) or sterile saline (2 μl) in the right SN followed by 5'-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) injections (66 mg/kg/injection).

Effect of denervation on burn wound healing.

The skin is a natural barrier between the interior milieu of the organism and its environment. This barrier has multiple physiological functions and may be affected by an array of pathologies including wounds and burns. The present study aims to determine the effect of the nervous system on wound healing.

Targeting inflammatory components in neuropathic pain: The analgesic effect of thymulin related peptide.

Neuropathic pain is considered to be pathological in nature and has been shown to involve, at least partially, dysregulated inflammatory processes. It is a severe chronic disease that can develop following lesions to the central nervous system or to peripheral nerves. The peripheral nerve damage can be caused by either diseases such as diabetes, or by trauma.

Inhibitory effect of luminal saccharides on glucose absorption from an adjacent jejunal site in rats: a newly described intestinal neural reflex.

Nutrients in the lumen of the small intestine are sensed by special cells in the epithelial lining. The ensuing neurohumoral reflexes affect gastrointestinal absorption/secretion, motility, and vascular perfusion. To study in vivo the effect of a monosaccharide (glucose) or polysaccharide (starch) present in the jejunum on glucose absorption from an adjacent part of the intestine and investigate the possible underlying mechanisms.

Contribution of capsaicin-sensitive innervation to the continuous eruption of the rat mandibular incisors.

A major component of tooth innervation is made of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents (CSPA). These fibers play a key role in tooth pain and inflammation; little is known, however, about the role of CSPA in tooth eruption. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the capsaicin-sensitive afferents in the process of eruption of intact rat incisors.

Analysis of direct costs of decompressive craniectomy in victims of traumatic brain injury.

Background: Decompressive craniectomy is a procedure required in some cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This manuscript evaluates the direct costs and outcomes of decompressive craniectomy for TBI in a developing country and describes the epidemiological profile.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed using a five-year neurosurgical database, taking a sample of patients with TBI who underwent decompressive craniectomy.

Modulation of incisor eruption in rats by sympathetic efferents.

Introduction: Intact neural supply is necessary for tooth eruption. Sympathetic denervation accelerates or decelerates the eruption rate depending on the tooth condition (intact or injured). The aim of this study is to reexamine the role of the sympathetic innervation, through the observation of the effects of pre or post ganglionic chemical sympathectomy on the eruption of intact rat incisors.

Intracerebroventricular injections of endotoxin (ET) reduces hippocampal neurogenesis.

Physio-pathological conditions such as neuroinflammation can modulate neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The aim of this study is to follow the time course of inflammation-induced effects on the neurogenic niche and the counter-effects of an anti-inflammatory drug. Rats received intracerebroventricular injections of lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin (ET) and intraperitoneal injections of 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, then perfused at different time intervals.

Differential effect of motor cortex stimulation on unit activities in the ventral posterior lateral thalamus in cats.

Although motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is being increasingly used to treat chronic refractory neuropathic pain in humans, its mechanisms of action remain elusive. Studies in animals have suggested the involvement of subcortical structures, in particular, the thalamus. Most of these studies have been performed in rats, a species presenting significant differences in thalamic anatomy and function relative to primates, in particular, a very limited number of thalamic GABA interneurons.

Impairment of Small Intestinal Function in Ulcerative Colitis: Role of Enteric Innervation.

Small intestinal dysfunction has been described in patients with ulcerative colitis and in experimental animal models of colitis. This is demonstrated by a decrease in fluid, electrolyte, amino acid, fat and carbohydrate absorption as well as by deranged intestinal motility. Histopathological changes in the small intestines in colitis have not been consistently demonstrated, but there is evidence of structural and biochemical alterations as shown by increased intestinal permeability and a decrease in the expression of multiple brush border membrane enzymes such as disaccharidases and aminopetidases, in both humans and experimental animals.

Experimental colitis in rats induces de novo synthesis of cytokines at distant intestinal sites: role of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent fibers.

Increased levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were observed in various segments of histologically-intact small intestine in animal models of acute and chronic colitis. Whether these cytokines are produced locally or spread from the inflamed colon is not known. In addition, the role of gut innervation in this upregulation is not fully understood.

Transcriptional expression of inflammatory mediators in various somatosensory relay centers in the brain of rat models of peripheral mononeuropathy and local inflammation.

Contradictory results have been reported regarding the role of inflammatory mediators in the central nervous system in mediating neuropathic pain and inflammatory hyperalgesia following peripheral nerve injury or localized inflammation. The present study aims to correlate between the mRNA expression and protein secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and nerve growth factor (NGF), in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), spinal cord, brainstem and thalamus, and pain-related behavior in animal models of peripheral mononeuropathy and localized inflammation. Different groups of rats (n=8, each) were subjected to either lesion of the nerves of their hindpaws to induce mononeuropathy or intraplantar injection of endotoxin (ET) and were sacrificed at various time intervals.

Thalamic Stimulation in Awake Rats Induces Neurogenesis in the Hippocampal Formation.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) provides clinical benefits for a variety of movement disorders and lately emerged as a potential treatment for cognitive and mood disorders. Modulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis may play a role in mediating its effects.

Objective: To investigate the effects of unilateral anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMN) stimulation on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in awake and unrestrained rats.

Contusion Contrast Extravasation Depicted on Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography Predicts Growth and Mortality in Traumatic Brain Contusion.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the main cause of death in trauma victims and causes high rates of disability and neurological sequelae. Approximately 38-65% of traumatic brain contusions (TBC) demonstrate hemorrhagic expansion on serial computed tomography (CT) scans. Thus far, however, no single variable can accurately predict the hemorrhage expansion of a TBC.

Targeting α-synuclein as a therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: α-Synuclein, a neuronal protein, plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. Cases of PD have increased tremendously over the past decade necessitating the identification of new therapeutic targets to reduce patient morbidity and to improve PD patients' quality of life.

Areas Covered: The purpose of this article is to provide an update on the role of α-synuclein in fibrils formation and review its role as an effective immunotherapeutic target for PD.