Extracellular ubiquitin increases expression of angiogenic molecules and stimulates angiogenesis in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells.

Extracellular Ub is an immune modulator that plays a role in suppression of inflammation, organ injury, myocyte apoptosis, and fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extracellular Ub on the process of cardiac angiogenesis. CMECs and aortic tissue were isolated from rats to measure changes in angiogenic protein levels and to assess angiogenic responses to extracellular Ub.

Case report and review of literature: coronary artery fistulae.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare disease. In more than 90 percent of cases, a single fistula drains into the right heart chambers or into the pulmonary artery. Fistulae draining into the left ventricle are uncommon; further, multiple CAF involving the three major coronary artery vessels are very rare.

Spontaneous resolution of a giant pulmonary bulla: what is the role of bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory therapy?

Spontaneous resolution of giant pulmonary bullae occurs infrequently. The mechanisms responsible for the natural elimination of giant bullae are variable. We report a patient who experienced spontaneous total regression of his giant bulla following intensification of his inhaled bronchodilator and airway anti-inflammatory therapies.

Style preference survey: a report on the psychometric properties and a cross-validation experiment.

Background: Several self-report measures exist that target different aspects of outcomes for hearing aid use. Currently, no comprehensive questionnaire specifically assesses factors that may be important for differentiating outcomes pertaining to hearing aid style.

Purpose: The goal of this work was to develop the Style Preference Survey (SPS), a questionnaire aimed at outcomes associated with hearing aid style differences.

Exogenous ubiquitin modulates chronic β-adrenergic receptor-stimulated myocardial remodeling: role in Akt activity and matrix metalloproteinase expression.

β-Adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation increases extracellular ubiquitin (UB) levels, and extracellular UB inhibits β-AR-stimulated apoptosis in adult cardiac myocytes. This study investigates the role of exogenous UB in chronic β-AR-stimulated myocardial remodeling. l-Isoproterenol (ISO; 400 μg·kg(-1)·h(-1)) was infused in mice in the presence or absence of UB (1 μg·g(-1)·h(-1)).

Tim-3 pathway controls regulatory and effector T cell balance during hepatitis C virus infection.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is remarkable at disrupting human immunity to establish chronic infection. Upregulation of inhibitory signaling pathways (such as T cell Ig and mucin domain protein-3 [Tim-3]) and accumulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) play pivotal roles in suppressing antiviral effector T cell (Teff) responses that are essential for viral clearance. Although the Tim-3 pathway has been shown to negatively regulate Teffs, its role in regulating Foxp3(+) Tregs is poorly explored.

Word recognition for temporally and spectrally distorted materials: the effects of age and hearing loss.

Objectives: The purpose of Experiment 1 was to measure word recognition in younger adults with normal hearing when speech or babble was temporally or spectrally distorted. In Experiment 2, older listeners with near-normal hearing and with hearing loss (for pure tones) were tested to evaluate their susceptibility to changes in speech level and distortion types. The results across groups and listening conditions were compared to assess the extent to which the effects of the distortions on word recognition resembled the effects of age-related differences in auditory processing or pure-tone hearing loss.

Β-adrenergic receptor stimulation induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in adult cardiac myocytes: role in apoptosis.

Accumulation of misfolded proteins and alterations in calcium homeostasis induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, leading to apoptosis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that β-AR stimulation induces ER stress, and induction of ER stress plays a pro-apoptotic role in cardiac myocytes. Using thapsigargin and brefeldin A, we demonstrate that ER stress induces apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs).

Development of the self-efficacy for tinnitus management questionnaire.

Background: Self-efficacy refers to the beliefs (i.e., confidence) individuals have in their capabilities to perform skills needed to accomplish a specific goal or behavior.

Negative image of blastomyces on diff-quik stain.

Background: Blastomycosis is caused by a dimorphic fungus that can be difficult to diagnose in certain situations. The disease is sometimes serious and can be deadly. Diagnosis by fungal serology and urinary antigens is not easy to establish and unreliable.

β-Adrenergic Receptor-Stimulated Cardiac Myocyte Apoptosis: Role of β1 Integrins.

Increased sympathetic nerve activity to the myocardium is a central feature in patients with heart failure. Accumulation of catecholamines plays an important role in the pathogenesis of heart disease. Acting via β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR), catecholamines (norepinephrine and isoproterenol) increase cardiac myocyte apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

Development of the Listening Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (LSEQ).

Objective: Listening self-efficacy refers to the beliefs, or confidence, that listeners have in their capability to successfully listen in specific situations, which may influence audiologic rehabilitation outcomes. The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Listening Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (LSEQ), which quantifies listening self-efficacy in a variety of situations where the goal of the listener is to understand speech.

Study Sample: Older listeners with hearing loss (N = 169) participated in the study.

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase plays a protective role in β-adrenergic receptor-stimulated cardiac myocyte apoptosis and myocardial remodeling.

β-Adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation induces cardiac myocyte apoptosis and plays an important role in myocardial remodeling. Here we investigated expression of various apoptosis-related genes affected by β-AR stimulation, and examined first time the role of ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) in cardiac myocyte apoptosis and myocardial remodeling following β-AR stimulation. cDNA array analysis of 96 apoptosis-related genes indicated that β-AR stimulation increases expression of ATM in the heart.

Use of negative pressure wound therapy in the management of infected abdominal wounds containing mesh: an analysis of outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical outcomes of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) using reticulated open-cell foam (ROCF) in the adjunctive management of abdominal wounds with exposed and known infected synthetic mesh. A non randomised, retrospective review of medical records for 21 consecutive patients with infected abdominal wounds treated with NPWT was conducted. All abdominal wounds contained exposed synthetic mesh [composite, polypropylene (PP), or knitted polyglactin 910 (PG) mesh].

Rhabdomyolysis in a patient receiving ranolazine and simvastatin.

Purpose: A case of rhabdomyolysis occurring shortly after the addition of ranolazine to a stable simvastatin regimen is reported.

Summary: A 63-year-old Caucasian man with a history of hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease arrived at an urgent care center with complaints of worsening bilateral lower-extremity weakness over three days. He was admitted to a hospital within 24 hours.

Comparative activity of telavancin and other antimicrobial agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from 1991 to 2006.

Background: Increasingly frequent reports of vancomycin treatment failures for serious methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections provide impetus for comparative in vitro studies to assess the activity of newer antimicrobial agents against a range of MRSA isolates.

Methods: A sample of 168 MRSA derived from a long-term MRSA collection was subjected to susceptibility testing to telavancin, daptomycin, linezolid, tigecycline and vancomycin by broth micro-dilution. Data were reviewed for sporadic occurrence of isolates with reduced susceptibility.

Extracellular ubiquitin inhibits beta-AR-stimulated apoptosis in cardiac myocytes: role of GSK-3beta and mitochondrial pathways.

Aims: Beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) stimulation induces apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs) via the activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) and mitochondrial pathways. However, beta-AR stimulation induces apoptosis only in a fraction ( approximately 15-20%) of ARVMs. We hypothesized that ARVMs may secrete/release a survival factor(s) which protects 80-85% of cells from apoptosis.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma arising in long-standing multinodular goiter following radioactive iodine therapy: report of a case diagnosed by fine needle aspiration.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a highly aggressive, undifferentiated carcinoma that may arise on top of normal or abnormal thyroid. Making the diagnosis by fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the thyroid with a long-standing history of multinodular goiter (MNG) is not uncommon. We report a case discussing the cytopathologic findings and the relationship with long-standing goiter and thyroid exposure to radioactive iodine treatment.

Osteopontin: role in extracellular matrix deposition and myocardial remodeling post-MI.

Remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) associates with left ventricular (LV) dilation, decreased cardiac function and increased mortality. The dynamic synthesis and breakdown of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins play a significant role in myocardial remodeling post-MI. Expression of osteopontin (OPN) increases in the heart post-MI.

Dilemmas in measuring and using pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence: an international consensus.

Pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence data are increasingly being used as indicators of quality of care and the efficacy of pressure ulcer prevention protocols. In some health care systems, the occurrence of pressure ulcers is also being linked to reimbursement. The wider use of these epidemiological analyses necessitates that all those involved in pressure ulcer care and prevention have a clear understanding of the definitions and implications of prevalence and incidence rates.

Dacryocystitis: an unusual form of Mucorales infection.

Mucormycosis is an acute fungal infection in humans that is often fulminant and potentially fatal. It occurs most frequently in immunocompromised individuals. We report a diabetic patient who presented in ketoacidosis with lacrimal sac infection from this organism.

Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases improves left ventricular function in mice lacking osteopontin after myocardial infarction.

Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) by promoting collagen synthesis and accumulation. This study tested the hypothesis that MMP inhibition modulates post-MI LV remodeling in mice lacking OPN. Wild-type (WT) and OPN knockout (KO) mice were treated daily with MMP inhibitor (PD166793, 30 mg/kg/day) starting 3 days post-MI.

Glutathione peroxidase 1-deficient mice are more susceptible to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity is thought to be mediated by the generation of superoxide anion radicals (superoxide) from redox cycling of DOX in cardiomyocyte mitochondria. Reduction of superoxide generates H(2)O(2), which diffuses throughout the cell and potentially contributes to oxidant-mediated cardiac injury. The mitochondrial and cytosolic glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) primarily functions to eradicate H(2)O(2).

Interleukin-1beta-mediated inhibition of the processes of angiogenesis in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries from preexisting vessels, plays an essential role in revascularization of the myocardium following myocardial infarction (MI). Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), a proinflammatory cytokine increased in the heart following MI, is shown to be essential for angiogenesis in the invasiveness of tumor cells, the progression of arthritic conditions and endometriosis, and the promotion of wound healing. Here we studied the steps of angiogenesis in response to IL-1beta in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) and aortic tissue.

Methadone.

Methadone hydrochloride is an old drug that has been in vogue off and on. It has complex pharmacodynamics and can be potentially fatal in inexperienced settings. Drug switching from an opioid to methadone or vice versa requires knowledge of equianalgesic dosing.