State-Dependent Biomechanical Behavior of Oropharyngeal Structures in Apneic and Control Subjects: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Apneic individuals have reduced airway caliber during sleep. The biomechanical changes in upper airway anatomy contributing to this airway narrowing are largely unknown. We sought to investigate the state-dependent (wake vs.

Postoperative mometasone irrigations improve quality of life in skull base tumor patients.

Objectives: The use of topical corticosteroids to manage postoperative sinonasal symptoms after endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) has not been well studied. We quantified long-term impact of postoperative steroid irrigations (SIs) on quality of life of patients after ESBS.

Methods: Retrospective review of patients at the University of Pennsylvania undergoing ESBS from 2010 to 2019.

In-Hospital Cost Comparison for Open Versus Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Meningioma Resection.

Objective: To determine the in-hospital cost implications of an endoscopic expanded endonasal approach (EEEA) for meningioma resection relative to the open transcranial approach.

Methods: All anterior skull base meningioma surgeries performed over a period from January 1, 2015 to October 31th, 2017 were evaluated. The electronic medical record was reviewed for patient factors, tumor characteristics, and cost variables associated with each hospital stay and univariate analysis was performed using R software.

In-Hospital Costs for Open versus Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Craniopharyngioma Resection.

Objective: To determine the in-hospital cost implications of an expanded endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA) for craniopharyngioma resection relative to the traditional open transcranial approach.

Methods: All craniopharyngioma surgeries performed at a single institution over a period from January 1st 2001 to October 31th 2017 were evaluated. The electronic medical record was reviewed for patient factors, tumor characteristics, and cost variables associated with each hospital stay and univariate regression analysis was performed using R software.

A Brief Educational Intervention to Increase ED Initiation of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

Background: Despite the evidence in support of the use of buprenorphine in the treatment of OUD and increasing ability of emergency medicine (EM) clinicians to prescribe it, emergency department (ED)-initiated buprenorphine is uncommon. Many EM clinicians lack training on how to manage acute opioid withdrawal or initiate treatment with buprenorphine. We developed a brief buprenorphine training program and assessed the impact of the training on subsequent buprenorphine initiation and knowledge retention.

Economic Evaluation of Dupilumab Versus Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for the Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

Background: Dupilumab is a novel monoclonal antibody that recently received US Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has been the mainstay of treatment for patients refractory to initial medical therapy. Data comparing the cost-effectiveness of these treatments are scarce.

Effectiveness of endoscopic sinus surgery and aspirin therapy in the management of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Aspirin therapy and/or type 2 (T2) biologics are used in the management of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). To identify the number of patients with AERD who tolerated aspirin therapy, yet due to persistent symptoms, incorporated T2 biologic management. A retrospective review was performed between July 2016 and June 2019.

The impact of endoscopic sinus surgery and aspirin desensitization on psychological burden in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Background: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is an aggressive inflammatory disorder of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), aspirin (ASA) desensitization, and biological immunomodulators are currently used to treat the disorder.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the psychosocial impact of ESS and ASA desensitization on AERD patients.

Major complications of aspirin desensitization and maintenance therapy in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Background: Treatment of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) includes endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and aspirin desensitization (AD) with aspirin therapy after desensitization (ATAD). The objective of this study was to determine the rate of major complications associated with aspirin use that resulted in the discontinuation of aspirin therapy.

Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients with AERD who underwent ESS, AD, and ATAD at a single AERD tertiary center between July 2016 and February 2019.

Coronary Sinus Rupture Repair: Patency Is Important.

We report a case of coronary sinus (CS) injury with a retrograde cardioplegia catheter and repair that compromised CS patency. This resulted in acute global cardiac dysfunction shortly after weaning from bypass, which reversed after patch repair with confirmed CS patency. The case report shows that acute CS occlusion may not be tolerated in some humans.

Sleep deprivation enhances peripheral serotonin secretion to regulate the large follicle steroidogenesis of rats.

Objective: Sleep deprivation (SD) leads to the disturbance of the estrous cycle. Serotonin, the levels of which increase with SD, has been shown to inhibit luteinizing hormone production and the receptor has been found in the follicles. In this study, the serotonin effect on preovulatory follicular steroidogenesis is investigated and the underlying mechanisms are elucidated.

Interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6 stimulate matrix metalloproteinase-9 secretion in cultured myenteric glia.

Western blotting of culture media of myenteric glia stained positive for GFAP revealed increased secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) stimulated cells (10 ng/mL) versus control (142 +/- 19 versus 42 +/- 19, P < 0.05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulated cells also showed increased expression of MMP-9 (10 ng/mL) versus control (69 +/- 14 versus 4 +/- 2, P < 0.

Stimulation of neurogenesis in rat nucleus of the solitary tract by ghrelin.

Ghrelin, a gastric hormone, regulates growth hormone secretion and energy homeostasis. The present study shows that ghrelin promotes neural proliferation in vivo and in vitro in the rat nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Systemic administration of ghrelin significantly increased 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in the NTS in adult rats with cervical vagotomy.

Ghrelin stimulates neurogenesis in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus.

Ghrelin, a gastric peptide hormone, has been reported to regulate growth hormone secretion and energy homeostasis. Here we show that ghrelin promotes neural proliferation in vivo and in vitro in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV). Ghrelin receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity were detected in tissues from DMNV.

Inhibition of adipogenesis by ghrelin.

Ghrelin, a novel gastric hormone, regulates food intake and energy metabolism via central mechanisms. The peripheral effect of ghrelin on adiposity is poorly understood. We established a stable 3T3-L1 cell line expressing ghrelin to study the direct effect of ghrelin on adipogenesis.

Activation of c-fos expression in the rat inferior olivary nucleus by ghrelin.

Ghrelin, a novel 28-amino-acid hormone secreted by gastric oxyntic glands, stimulates food intake and induces adiposity. We examined whether ghrelin activates the inferior olivary nucleus. Systemic administration of ghrelin (37 nmol/kg) induced the expression of c-fos immunoreactivity in inferior olive neurons (n=6 rats).

Stimulation of rat pancreatic exocrine secretion by urocortin and corticotropin releasing factor.

Neural and hormonal mechanisms control pancreatic secretion. The effects of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) related neuropeptide urocortin (UCN) on pancreatic exocrine secretion were examined. In anesthetized male rats, pancreatic secretion volume and total protein were assayed.

Amplification and overexpression of the dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation regulated kinase 2 (DYRK2) gene in esophageal and lung adenocarcinomas.

Genomic amplification can lead to the activation of cellular proto-oncogenes during tumorigenesis, and is observed in most, if not all, human malignancies, including adenocarcinomas of lung and esophagus. Using a two-dimensional restriction landmark genomic scanning technique, we identified five NotI/HinfI fragments with increased genomic dosage in an adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. Four of these amplified fragments were matched within three contigs of chromosome 12 using the bioinformatics tool, Virtual Genome Scan.

Intercellular calcium waves in cultured enteric glia from neonatal guinea pig.

Enteric glia are important participants in information processing in the enteric nervous system. However, intercellular signaling mechanisms in enteric glia remain largely unknown. We postulated that intercellular calcium waves exist in enteric glia.