Electroconvulsive therapy with a memory reactivation intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often does not respond to available treatments. Memories are vulnerable to disruption during reconsolidation, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has amnestic effects OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To test the use of ECT to disrupt the reconsolidation of traumatic memories as a potential treatment for PTSD METHODS: Participants were adults from the civilian population and were referred for ECT treatment for severe depression with comorbid PTSD symptoms. Twenty-eight participants were randomly assigned to reactivation of a traumatic or non-traumatic memory using audio script driven imagery prior to each ECT treatment.

Disease burden from foodborne illnesses in Taiwan, 2012-2015.

Background/purpose: Foodborne disease is a global health problem. We aim to provide the first national estimate on disease burden from foodborne illnesses in Taiwan.

Methods: We adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) methodology framework, and used a hazard-based incidence approach to calculate disability-adjusted life year (DALY) lost to foodborne diseases.

Increase in use of protective earplugs by Rock and Roll concert attendees when provided for free at concert venues.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hearing protection use among attendees of Rock and Roll concerts at baseline and in concerts where earplugs are provided for free at concert venue entrances.

Design: Six concerts performed at two music venues in Toronto, Canada were evaluated. Study personnel observed and recorded the use of hearing protection at three concerts where no earplugs were distributed, and three concerts where earplugs were provided for free at the concert venue entrance.

Disrupting the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis disturbs the characteristics of glioblastoma stem-like cells of rat RG2 glioblastoma.

Background: Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSC) have been shown to promote tumor growth, tumor-associated neovascularization, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis. CXCR4 receptors have been found involved in the proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug-resistant characteristics of glioblastoma. However, the role of CXCR4 in modulating the stem-like cell properties of rat glioblastoma remains ambiguous.

Vascular progenitor recruitment in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury.

Purpose: Endothelial-like vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) are blood-derived angiogenic precursors that can facilitate vascular repair. The mobilization of peripheral blood VPCs and their role in recovery were investigated in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting.

Methods: Blood samples were drawn on days 0, 3, 7 and 14 in 38 patients admitted to ICU: 30 with AKI and in eight controls with normal renal function.

Screening large numbers of expression patterns of transcription factors in late stages of the mouse thymus.

Transcription factor families are well known to be involved in the intrinsic pathways that regulate the organogenesis, early development, and microenvironment of the thymus. However, identification of the transcription factors (TFs) involved in the late development of the thymus, particularly later than embryonic day 15.5 (E15.