Merkel cell carcinoma and the eye.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor with a poor five-year survival rate. Yearly cases have risen nearly 350% since the early 1980s, and these are predicted to increase as the overall US population ages. MCC of the eyelid is uncommon and can be misdiagnosed as other benign inflammatory and neoplastic eyelid disorders.

A Case of Herpes Simplex Virus Colitis in an Immunosuppressed Patient.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can cause severe disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. Gastrointestinal tract involvement seldom includes the colon. We present a rare case of disseminated cutaneous HSV infection with concomitant colonic involvement in an immunosuppressed patient.

Safety and target engagement of an oral small-molecule sequestrant in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: an open-label phase 1b/2a trial.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by hallmark behaviors involving reduced communication and social interaction as well as repetitive activities and restricted interests. ASD represents a broad spectrum, from minimally affected individuals to those requiring intense support, with additional manifestations often including anxiety, irritability/aggression and altered sensory processing. Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are also common in ASD, and studies have identified changes in the gut microbiome of individuals with ASD compared to control populations, complementing recent findings of differences in gut-derived metabolites in feces and circulation.

Effect of COVID-19 on presentations of decompensated liver disease in Scotland.

Background And Aims: SARS-CoV-2 and consequent pandemic has presented unique challenges. Beyond the direct COVID-related mortality in those with liver disease, we sought to determine the effect of lockdown on people with liver disease in Scotland. The effect of lockdown on those with alcohol-related disease is of interest; and whether there were associated implications for a change in alcohol intake and consequent presentations with decompensated disease.

Nivolumab-induced localized genital bullous pemphigoid in a 60-year-old male.

A 60-year-old man with metastatic renal cell carcinoma presented with a 6-month history of a pruritic, exquisitely painful genital eruption appearing 3 months after initiation of nivolumab. Examination demonstrated a poorly defined, lichenified scrotal plaque studded with erosions, yellow crust, and tense vesicles. There was no other lesion on the body or mucosae.

Plasma and Fecal Metabolite Profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with hallmark behavioral manifestations including impaired social communication and restricted repetitive behavior. In addition, many affected individuals display metabolic imbalances, immune dysregulation, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and altered gut microbiome compositions.

Methods: We sought to better understand nonbehavioral features of ASD by determining molecular signatures in peripheral tissues through mass spectrometry methods (ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) with broad panels of identified metabolites.

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Following Prone Transcranial Surgery for Craniosynostosis and Discussion of Risk Factors.

Vision loss is a known rare complication of prone positioning during surgery. Vision loss following prone surgery is most commonly attributed to direct pressure on the eye but can also be caused by central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in the absence of pressure on the eye. Central retinal artery occlusion has not been previously described following prone transcranial surgery for craniosynostosis.

The histopathological features of the nail plate in pachyonychia congenita.

Background: Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of keratinization mediated by genetic mutations in KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16, or KRT17. While nail dystrophy in PC has a significant impact on quality of life, the histopathological features of the nail plate in PC have not been previously reported. We report the histopathological features of nail plates provided by 19 patients with genetically confirmed PC.

Validation of Image Quality and Diagnostic Accuracy Using a Mobile Phone Camera Microscope Adaptor Compared With Glass Slide Review in Teledermatopathology.

New modalities of evaluating histopathology, such as whole-slide imaging, have been validated in the field of dermatopathology but are often unfeasible and unavailable in developing countries. Widely available across the globe, mobile phone camera technology represents a potential simple and inexpensive method of imaging histologic slides through the use of a mobile phone camera microscope adaptor. This study aims to validate the use of a commercially available adaptor in the diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious conditions in dermatopathology.

Negative Thermal Expansion of Ni-Doped MnCoGe at Room-Temperature Magnetic Tuning.

Compounds that exhibit the unique behavior of negative thermal expansion (NTE)-the physical property of contraction of the lattice parameters on warming-can be applied widely in modern technologies. Consequently, the search for and design of an NTE material with operational and controllable qualities at room temperature are important topics in both physics and materials science. In this work, we demonstrate a new route to achieve magnetic manipulation of a giant NTE in (MnNi)CoGe via strong magnetostructural (MS) coupling around room temperature (∼275 to ∼345 K).

Sexual Partner Characteristics, Relationship Type, and HIV Risk Among a Community Venue-based Sample of Urban Adolescent and Young Adult Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Few studies have examined sexual partnerships and HIV risk in diverse samples of African American/black and Hispanic/Latino adolescent and young adult men who have sex with men (YMSM), a group that have a high burden of HIV in the U.S. A community-venue recruitment approach was used, which identified significant differences in HIV risk by sexual partner type among 1215 YMSM.

Sarcoidosis and squamous cell carcinoma: a connection documented in a case series of 3 patients.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystem disease characterized by the formation of noncaseating granulomas in multiple organs, including the skin. An association between multisystem sarcoidosis and an increased risk for malignancy has been established. Dermatologists should be aware of the increased risk for nonmelanoma skin cancers in patients with sarcoidosis.

Opioid suppression of conditioned anticipatory brain responses to breathlessness.

Opioid painkillers are a promising treatment for chronic breathlessness, but are associated with potentially fatal side effects. In the treatment of breathlessness, their mechanisms of action are unclear. A better understanding might help to identify safer alternatives.

Brain tissue oxygen tension and its response to physiological manipulations: influence of distance from injury site in a swine model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE The optimal site for placement of tissue oxygen probes following traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains unresolved. The authors used a previously described swine model of focal TBI and studied brain tissue oxygen tension (PO) at the sites of contusion, proximal and distal to contusion, and in the contralateral hemisphere to determine the effect of probe location on PO and to assess the effects of physiological interventions on PO at these different sites. METHODS A controlled cortical impact device was used to generate a focal lesion in the right frontal lobe in 12 anesthetized swine.