Unique Case of Disseminated Plague With Multifocal Osteomyelitis.

Plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis. Septicemic and pneumonic plague have a high mortality rate if untreated. Here we describe the challenges of accurately diagnosing a nonfatal pediatric case of septicemic plague with involvement of multiple organs; to our knowledge, the first documented case of multifocal plague osteomyelitis.

Lysophosphatidic Acid Triggers Apoptosis in HeLa Cells through the Upregulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily Member 21.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a naturally occurring bioactive phospholipid, activates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), leading to regulation of diverse cellular events including cell survival and apoptosis. Despite extensive studies of the signaling pathways that mediate LPA-regulated cell growth and survival, the mechanisms underlying the apoptotic effect of LPA remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated this issue in HeLa cells.

The Structure of the Synaptic Vesicle-Plasma Membrane Interface Constrains SNARE Models of Rapid, Synchronous Exocytosis at Nerve Terminals.

Contemporary models of neurotransmitter release invoke direct or indirect interactions between the Ca sensor, synaptotagmin and the incompletely zippered soluble, N-ethyl-maleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex. However, recent electron microscopic (EM) investigations have raised pragmatic issues concerning the mechanism by which SNAREs trigger membrane fusion at nerve terminals. The first issue is related to the finding that the area of contact between a "fully primed" synaptic vesicle and the plasma membrane can exceed 600 nm.

Salinomycin Abolished STAT3 and STAT1 Interactions and Reduced Telomerase Activity in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in most developed countries. This mortality is mainly due to the metastatic progression to the liver with frequent recurrence. Colorectal cancer remains a therapeutic challenge and this has intensified the search for new drug targets.

Aberrant Phosphorylation of SMAD4 Thr277-Mediated USP9x-SMAD4 Interaction by Free Fatty Acids Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis.

Obesity increases the risk of distant metastatic recurrence and reduces breast cancer survival. However, the mechanisms behind this pathology and identification of relevant therapeutic targets are poorly defined. Plasma free fatty acids (FFA) levels are elevated in obese individuals.

Lactate, a Neglected Factor for Diabetes and Cancer Interaction.

Increasing body of evidence suggests that there exists a connection between diabetes and cancer. Nevertheless, to date, the potential reasons for this association are still poorly understood and currently there is no clinical evidence available to direct the proper management of patients presenting with these two diseases concomitantly. Both cancer and diabetes have been associated with abnormal lactate metabolism and high level of lactate production is the key biological property of these diseases.

SYNTAX Score Derived From Coronary CT Angiography for Prediction of Complex Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

Rationale And Objectives: SYNTAX score is a useful metric determined at the time of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) to assess the complexity of coronary artery disease, and improves prediction of complications at the time of percutaneous complex intervention (PCI). We aimed to determine whether SYNTAX score can be reliably determined from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and whether a CCTA-derived SYNTAX score can predict complex PCI.

Materials And Methods: SYNTAX scores were calculated on per-patient, per-vessel, and per-segment basis in 154 consecutive patients who underwent CCTA and ICA.

Bone Age and Mineral Density Assessments Using Plain Roentgenograms in Tenofovir-exposed Infants in Malawi and Brazil Enrolled in HIV Prevention Trials Network 057.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) use during pregnancy has been increasing, and studies linking bone toxicity with exposure to TDF have raised concern for its use in infants.

Methods: Hand/wrist and spine radiographs were obtained at 3 days and 12 weeks of age in infants born to HIV-infected pregnant women enrolled in the HIV Prevention Trials Network 057 pharmacokinetic study of TDF conducted in Malawi and Brazil assigned to 3 TDF dosing cohorts. In cohort 1, mothers received 600 mg of TDF during labor.

An LXR-Cholesterol Axis Creates a Metabolic Co-Dependency for Brain Cancers.

Small-molecule inhibitors targeting growth factor receptors have failed to show efficacy for brain cancers, potentially due to their inability to achieve sufficient drug levels in the CNS. Targeting non-oncogene tumor co-dependencies provides an alternative approach, particularly if drugs with high brain penetration can be identified. Here we demonstrate that the highly lethal brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) is remarkably dependent on cholesterol for survival, rendering these tumors sensitive to Liver X receptor (LXR) agonist-dependent cell death.

Biosimilars in rheumatic diseases: structural and functional variability that may impact clinical and regulatory decisions.

Biologics as therapeutic interventions for human disease represent both a distinctly modern novelty and an echo of ancient, or at least old, medical practice. The similarity lies in the sense that in both the synthetic effort occurs in living organisms (an extract of a plant, animal tissue, or a cell culture) while the difference is apparent in the bioengineering required in modern methods and the corresponding flexibility to customize the therapeutic product. Although the concept of looking to living systems as a source of medically useful compounds either for research or for actual patient care has never vanished, the development of biochemistry and advances in medicinal chemistry made production by total synthesis the standard for a safe, reliable, and commercial drug production at sufficient scale.

Volume correction in the aging hand: role of dermal fillers.

The hands, just like the face, are highly visible parts of the body. They age at a similar rate and demonstrate comparable changes with time, sun damage, and smoking. Loss of volume in the hands exposes underlying tendons, veins, and bony prominences.

Understanding Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses [Formula: see text].

Systematic reviews should be distinguished from narrative reviews. In the latter, an editor asks an expert to sum up all of the information that is known about a particular topic. However, the expert is under no constraints regarding what he or she does, or does not, choose to include in the review.

Community-Based Management of Child Malnutrition in Zambia: HIV/AIDS Infection and Other Risk Factors on Child Survival.

(1) BACKGROUND: Supplementary feeding programs (SFPs) are effective in the community-based treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and prevention of severe acute malnutrition (SAM); (2) METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on a sample of 1266 Zambian malnourished children assisted from 2012 to 2014 in the Rainbow Project SFPs. Nutritional status was evaluated according to WHO/Unicef methodology. We performed univariate and multivariate Cox proportional risk regression to identify the main predictors of mortality.

An assessment of option B implementation for the prevention of mother to child transmission in Dschang, Cameroon: results from the DREAM (Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition) cohort.

Introduction: Scaling up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV+ pregnant women is crucial for the elimination of HIV infection in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of triple ART for Prevention of Mother-to Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Cameroon.

Methods: HIV-positive pregnant women attending the DREAM Centre of Dschang, Cameroon for prenatal care were enrolled in a prospective cohort study, and received ART until the end of breastfeeding or indefinitely if their CD4 count was <350mm(3).

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in HIV-infected Pregnant Women and Adverse Infant Outcomes.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy such as Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) may lead to adverse infant outcomes.

Methods: Individual urine specimens from HIV-infected pregnant women diagnosed with HIV during labor were collected at the time of infant birth and tested by polymerase chain reaction for CT and NG. Infant HIV infection was determined at 3 months with morbidity/mortality assessed through 6 months.

The lack of documentation of preferences in a cohort of adults who died after ischemic stroke.

Objective: To measure the extent and timing of physicians' documentation of communication with patients and families regarding limitations on life-sustaining interventions, in a population cohort of adults who died within 30 days after hospitalization for ischemic stroke.

Methods: We used the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Patient Discharge Database to identify a retrospective cohort of adults with ischemic strokes at all California acute care hospitals from December 2006 to November 2007. Of 326 eligible hospitals, a representative sample of 39 was selected, stratified by stroke volume and mortality.