Home sweet home? Home physical environment and inflammation in children.

The home environment includes important social and physical contexts within which children develop. Poor physical home environments may be a potential source of stress for children through difficult daily experiences. Using a sub-sample from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (N = 425), we consider how the home physical environment affects stress-related immune system dysregulation in children ages 3-18 years.

MicroRNAs-208b-3p, 204-5p, 129-2-3p and 3065-5p as predictive markers of oral leukoplakia that progress to cancer.

Leukoplakia is the most common precursor lesion of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Currently, the risk of progression to OSCC is assessed based on histopathologic examination alone. However, this method fails to identify the subset of microscopically innocuous leukoplakia that ultimately transforms to OSCC.

Interaction of resistance training, electroacupuncture and Huang Qi supplementation on skeletal muscle function and GLUT4 protein concentration in rats.

Objective: To determine the effects and potential synergy of resistance training (RT), Huang Qi (HQ) herbal supplementation, and electroacupuncture (EA) on skeletal muscle mass, contractile properties, and components of the insulin signalling pathway in healthy Sprague Dawley rats.

Methods: Female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of five groups (n=8 each): control (CON), RT only, RT with EA (RT-EA), RT with HQ (RT-HQ), and RT combined with both EA and HQ (RT-EA-HQ). RT was performed using ladder climbing every other day for 8 weeks.

Socioeconomic status inequalities in low-grade inflammation during childhood.

Background: Family socioeconomic status (SES) is an important source of child health disparities in the USA. Chronic stress is one way SES may impact children's physiology with implications for later health inequalities. These processes may work differently across childhood due to differences in exposure and susceptibility to stressors at different ages.

Evolving lessons on nanomaterial-coated viral vectors for local and systemic gene therapy.

Viral vectors are promising gene carriers for cancer therapy. However, virus-mediated gene therapies have demonstrated insufficient therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials due to rapid dissemination to nontarget tissues and to the immunogenicity of viral vectors, resulting in poor retention at the disease locus and induction of adverse inflammatory responses in patients. Further, the limited tropism of viral vectors prevents efficient gene delivery to target tissues.

Cystathionine: A novel oncometabolite in human breast cancer.

In this study, we have identified cystathionine (CTH), a sulfur containing metabolite, to be selectively enriched in human breast cancer (HBC) tissues (∼50-100 pmoles/mg protein) compared with undetectable levels in normal breast tissues. The accumulation of CTH, specifically in HBC, was attributed to the overexpression of cystathionine beta synthase (CBS), its synthesizing enzyme, and the undetectable levels of its downstream metabolizing enzyme, cystathionine gamma lyase (CGL). Interestingly both CBS and CGL could not be detected in normal breast tissues.

Long-term Outcomes of MRI Stage IIB Cervical Cancer.

Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to assess parametrial invasion (PMI) in cervical cancer. Discordance between MRI findings and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging is not uncommon because FIGO staging depends on physical examination. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the long-term outcomes of MRI stage IIB cervical cancer.

Bio-Anthropological Studies on Human Skeletons from the 6th Century Tomb of Ancient Silla Kingdom in South Korea.

In November and December 2013, unidentified human skeletal remains buried in a mokgwakmyo (a traditional wooden coffin) were unearthed while conducting an archaeological investigation near Gyeongju, which was the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE- 660 CE) of ancient Korea. The human skeletal remains were preserved in relatively intact condition. In an attempt to obtain biological information on the skeleton, physical anthropological, mitochondrial DNA, stable isotope and craniofacial analyses were carried out.

Double-gated myocardial ASL perfusion imaging is robust to heart rate variation.

Purpose: Cardiac motion is a dominant source of physiological noise (PN) in myocardial arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion imaging. This study investigates the sensitivity to heart rate variation (HRV) of double-gated myocardial ASL compared with the more widely used single-gated method.

Methods: Double-gating and single-gating were performed on 10 healthy volunteers (n = 10, 3F/7M; age, 23-34 years) and eight heart transplant recipients (n = 8, 1F/7M; age, 26-76 years) at rest in the randomized order.

Idiopathic Gingival Fibromatosis: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Gingival fibromatosis (GF) is a condition characterized by a progressive, normal colored enlargement of the gingiva caused by an increase in the size of submucosal connective tissue. Both familial and idiopathic variants of the condition exist. The authors present a case report of a 38-year-old African American man who presented with an impressive overgrowth of the maxillary and mandibular gingivae, subsequently diagnosed as idiopathic GF.

Isolated congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with dextroversion discovered incidentally in a patient with cocaine-induced acute myocardial infarction.

Complex cardiac congenital anomalies can occasionally be found in adult patients who have no knowledge of their condition. Here we present the case of a 27-year-old man with cocaine-induced acute myocardial infarction in whom an isolated congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with dextroversion was discovered incidentally.

Impact of Prior Tissue Expander/Implant on Postmastectomy Free Flap Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Implant-based breast reconstructions can result in unsatisfactory results requiring surgical revision or salvage reconstructive surgery with autologous tissue. This study compares the outcomes and complications of salvage (tertiary) flap reconstruction after failed prosthesis placement to those of primary/secondary flap reconstruction.

Methods: All patients undergoing free flap breast reconstruction after failed prosthesis between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2014, were identified.

Discovery and characterization of Isofistularin-3, a marine brominated alkaloid, as a new DNA demethylating agent inducing cell cycle arrest and sensitization to TRAIL in cancer cells.

We characterized the brominated alkaloid Isofistularin-3 (Iso-3), from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba, as a new DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1 inhibitor. Docking analysis confirmed our in vitro DNMT inhibition data and revealed binding of Iso-3 within the DNA binding site of DNMT1. Subsequent increased expression of tumor suppressor gene aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) could be correlated to decreased methylation of CpG sites within the essential Sp1 regulatory region of its promoter.

Redirecting adenovirus tropism by genetic, chemical, and mechanical modification of the adenovirus surface for cancer gene therapy.

Introduction: Despite remarkable advancements, clinical evaluations of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated cancer gene therapies have highlighted the need for improved delivery and targeting.

Area Covered: Genetic modification of Ad capsid proteins has been extensively attempted. Although genetic modification enhances the therapeutic potential of Ad, it is difficult to successfully incorporate extraneous moieties into the capsid and the engineering process is laborious.

Antitumor effect and safety profile of systemically delivered oncolytic adenovirus complexed with EGFR-targeted PAMAM-based dendrimer in orthotopic lung tumor model.

Adenovirus (Ad)-mediated cancer gene therapy has been proposed as a promising alternative to conventional therapy for cancer. However, success of systemically administered naked Ad has been limited due to the immunogenicity of Ad and the induction of hepatotoxicity caused by Ad's native tropism. In this study, we synthesized an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-specific therapeutic antibody (ErbB)-conjugated and PEGylated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer (PPE) for complexation with Ad.

Comparison of immediate postoperative pain in implant-based breast reconstructions.

Background: Implant-based techniques represent the most common form of breast reconstruction. However, substantial postoperative pain has been associated with implant-based breast reconstruction.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate immediate postoperative pain in implant-based breast reconstruction.

Canine Staphylococcus pseudintermedius sinonasal infection in human hosts.

Background: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a gram-positive bacterium commonly found as part of the normal skin and nasal flora of healthy dogs. It may act as an opportunistic pathogen in dogs, but has also been shown to colonize the nasal mucosa of humans. We report 4 cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) refractory to aggressive medical management with cultures that grew S.

Establishment of a mammalian expression system for recombinant [-2]proPSA and a specific antibody against the truncated leader peptide.

A truncated precursor form of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), [-2]proPSA, is a well-known biomarker for prostate cancer. To develop a biomarker assay, highly purified [-2]proPSA is required as a standard reference and for generation of a specific antibody. In this study, we generated an efficient mammalian expression system for producing a recombinant [-2]proPSA-human kappa constant domain (C ) fusion protein.

Chicken scFvs with an Artificial Cysteine for Site-Directed Conjugation.

For the site-directed conjugation of chemicals and radioisotopes to the chicken-derived single-chain variable fragment (scFv), we investigated amino acid residues replaceable with cysteine. By replacing each amino acid of the 157 chicken variable region framework residues (FR, 82 residues on VH and 75 on VL) with cysteine, 157 artificial cysteine mutants were generated and characterized. At least 27 residues on VL and 37 on VH could be replaced with cysteine while retaining the binding activity of the original scFv.

Efficacy of Maxillomandibular Advancement Examined with Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy and Computational Fluid Dynamics Airflow Modeling.

Objectives: To use drug-induced sedation endoscopy (DISE) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to study dynamic airway and airflow changes after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA), and how the changes correlate with surgical success based on polysomnography parameters.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: University medical center.

Pan-Cardiac Cycle Fixed Mitral Valve Opening in an LVAD Patient Presenting with Hemorrhagic Shock.

We present the case of a patient with a HeartMate II left ventricular assist device (LVAD) who underwent an elective cholecystectomy and abruptly decompensated on postoperative day 9. We highlight the uncommon echocardiogram finding of mitral valve leaflets fixed widely open throughout the cardiac cycle during an LVAD suction event. Bedside echocardiographic confirmation of a suction event enabled the rapid diagnosis and intervention for hemorrhagic shock before blood tests and radiographic results were available.