Cutaneous Plasmacytosis: A Rare Dermatological Condition Mimicking Systemic Plasma Cell Disorders.

Cutaneous plasmacytosis (CP) is a rare condition characterized by benign proliferation of mature plasma cells in the skin. It presents as reddish-brown macules, papules, or plaques, typically located on the neck, face, and trunk. The etiology remains unknown, though it is believed to be reactive rather than malignant.

Insights And Questions For Success In A Pharmacy Academic Career.

An individual's insights for success during an academic career are enhanced by observing successful long-term career academicians and staff members within our colleges/schools of pharmacy and across the academy. What are the reasons for these individual's success? Based upon observing these successful individuals, we propose five simple insights that can aid in navigating organizational subcultures and cultures. These insights include knowing their WHY, utilizing the 24-48-hour rule to maintain resilience, demonstrating basic courtesy and politeness in their interpersonal interactions, recognizing the impact of words in written communications, and optimizing the use of communication methods beyond email and text messages.

BLENDED LEARNING COURSE IN MEDICAL AFFAIRS TO IMPROVE EXPOSURE AND INTEREST IN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY CAREERS.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate student knowledge and perceptions regarding career options and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry based on pre-post module quizzes, reflections and team presentations in a hybrid medical affairs elective certificate course.

Methods: A qualitative research design was utilized to analyze reflections from 19 students enrolled in the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA) Pharmaceutical Industry Training Certificate elective at Marshall University during Spring 2023. The course utilized seven modules from the Medical Affairs Competency Certificate (MACC) offered by ACMA.

Functional Deficits in Non-elite Soccer (Football) Players: A Strength, Balance, and Movement Quality Assessment After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) is the gold standard for treating ACL injuries, particularly in soccer players who are at a high risk of knee injury. While professional athletes often return to sport (RTS) within 7-10 months after ACLR, non-elite players experience significant delays. There is a need to investigate neuromuscular deficits and functional asymmetries in the non-elite group, which may persist even after clearance for RTS.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling of Material Transport through Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Cell-laden, scaffold-based tissue engineering methods have been successfully utilized for the treatment of bone fractures. In such methods, the rate of scaffold biodegradation, transport of nutrients, and removal of cell metabolic wastes are critical fluid-dynamics factors, affecting tissue regeneration. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify the underlying material transport mechanisms associated with stem cell-driven, scaffold-based bone tissue regeneration.

Evaluation of Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Combined with Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy as a Strategy to Treat Locally Advanced and Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Immunotherapy has made recent improvements in disease-free survival (DFS) and/or overall survival (OS) in all stages of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we review the tumor microenvironment and its immunosuppressive effects and discuss how anti-angiogenic therapies may potentiate the anti-carcinogenic effects of immunotherapy. We also review all the past literature and discuss strategies of combining anti-angiogenic therapy and immunotherapy +/- chemotherapy and hypothesize how we can use this strategy for non-small-cell lung cancer in metastatic previously untreated/previously treated settings in previously treated EGFR-mutated NSCLC for the upfront treatment of brain metastases prior to radiation therapy and for the incorporation of this strategy into stage III unresectable disease.

Regulation of human Th9 cell differentiation by lipid modulators targeting PPAR-γ and acetyl-CoA-carboxylase 1.

CD4 T cell activation induces dramatic changes to cellular metabolism for supporting their growth and differentiation into effector subsets. While the cytokines IL-4, TGF-β and IL-21 promote differentiation into Th9 cells, metabolic factors regulating this process remain poorly understood. To assess the role of lipid metabolism in human Th9 cell differentiation, naïve CD4 T cells were purified from blood of healthy volunteers and cultured in the presence or absence of compounds targeting PPAR-γ, acetyl-CoA-carboxylase 1 (ACC1), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) for four days.

Functional large-conductance calcium and voltage-gated potassium channels in extracellular vesicles act as gatekeepers of structural and functional integrity.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are associated with intercellular communications, immune responses, viral pathogenicity, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer progression. EVs deliver proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids into recipient cells to effectively alter their physiological and biological response. During their transportation from the donor to the recipient cell EVs face differential ionic concentrations, which can be detrimental to their integrity and impact their cargo content.

Interactions between Insomnia, Sleep Disordered Breathing and Cardiometabolic Risk in Patients Complaining of Pain in the Orofacial Region.

The existence of intersected pathways between the mechanisms of insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing and persistent/chronic pain has been documented. Such concurrence will eventually contribute to a higher burden of cardiometabolic diseases, a main cause of death worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions between insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, cardiometabolic risk, and psychosocial stress in patients seeking care at an orofacial pain clinic.

Thymidine Phosphorylase Promotes Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm via VSMC Modulation and Matrix Remodeling in Mice and Humans.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) promotes platelet activation and thrombosis while suppressing vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Both processes are central to the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). We hypothesize that TYMP plays a role in AAA development.

Acute Hepatitis B Infection in a Patient With Confirmed Immunity on Long-Acting Cabotegravir/Rilpivirine.

Long-acting injectable formulation of cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) is a promising novel maintenance therapy for HIV infection. However, coinfection with active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a contraindication to initiating this therapy. Despite guidelines, patients with HBV immunity can still contract acute HBV infection.

Comparative survival of sleeve gastrectomy versus Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in adults with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The difference in survival between sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) remains controversial.

Objective: To investigate the comparative survival difference between SG and RYGB in adults with morbid obesity.

Setting: A meta-analysis.

Smoking-associated electrocardiographic abnormalities predict cardiovascular mortality.

Background -Smoking is associated with arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, but the biological mechanisms remain unclear. In electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings abnormal durations of ventricular repolarization (QT interval), atrial depolarization (P wave), and atrioventricular depolarization (PR interval and segment), predict cardiac arrhythmia and mortality. Previous analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for associations between smoking and ECG abnormalities were incomplete.

Isolation and Characterization of Probiotic Bacteria from Traditional Foods.

A probiotic is a live bacterium that, when given in sufficient proportions, helps to improve the host's gut health. Kimchi and pearl millet, two traditional foods, were used to isolate probiotic bacterial strains. This study's primary goals were to isolate, identify and analyse the microorganisms for potential probiotic traits, tolerance to gastrointestinal environments, and antimicrobial activity, and produce probiotic capsule.

Prosthetic Joint Infection by Streptococcus lutetiensis (Bovis) With Noncancerous Polyps and Negative Blood Cultures: A Case Report.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI), caused by Streptococcus bovis group (SBG), is uncommon and related to colorectal cancer. We present here a case of an 84-year-old male who had a past medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, iron deficiency anemia, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, gout, hypertension, bilateral knee replacement with left knee pain and swelling. We initially suspected gout and treated him with prednisolone, but it did not relieve him.

Perturbations in the gut microbiome of C57BL/6 mice by the sobriety aid Antabuse® (disulfiram).

Aims: Disulfiram (Antabuse®) is an oral alcohol sobriety medication that exhibits antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive facultative anaerobes. The aims of this study were to measure the antimicrobial activity against anaerobic bacteria of the gut human microbiome and establish the extent that disulfiram alters the microbial composition of the ileum, cecum, and feces using C57BL/6 mice.

Methods And Results: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the microdilution method revealed that disulfiram inhibits the in vitro growth of gut anaerobic species of Bacteroides, Clostridium, Peptostreptococcus, and Porphyromonas.

Return to Swimming After Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Background: Swimming is one of the most common sporting activities in the United States, and often popular among shoulder arthroplasty patients. While return to sport has become a popular topic recently, the literature focused on swimming is limited. The purpose of this study is to report the rate of return to swim after primary shoulder arthroplasty and evaluate changes in performance after surgery.

Intraperitoneal delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ-tetrahydocannabinol (THC) promotes papillomavirus infections in athymic nude mice.

We used our mouse papillomavirus (MmuPV1) model to test the hypothesis that two primary psychoactive ingredients of marijuana, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), promote papillomavirus persistence in the oral mucosa of infected mice. We conducted intraperitoneal (ip) injections of a moderate dose (3 mg/kg) of either CBD and/or THC in both male and female athymic nude mice and followed the mice up to 20 weeks post-infection. These doses are comparable to what is estimated for human conventional cannabis consumption.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism prevents coronary microvascular dysfunction in intermittent hypoxia independent of blood pressure.

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH), and is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality that may not be reduced by standard therapies. Inappropriate activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system occurs in IH, and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade has been shown to improve vascular outcomes in cardiovascular disease. Thus, we hypothesized that MR inhibition prevents coronary and renal vascular dysfunction in mice exposed to chronic IH.

Nitrous Oxide-Induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Myelopathy in Whippets Abusers: A Report of Two Cases.

Whippets abuse, prevalent among recreational drug users, poses significant health risks, particularly through the inactivation of vitamin B12 by nitrous oxide (NO). This deficiency can lead to myelopathy, resulting in serious neurological complications. We present two female patients, aged 22 and 35, with a history of regular whippet use over the past three years, who exhibited clinical symptoms of myelopathy, including motor weakness, rigidity, sensory changes, and gait abnormalities.

The Effects of a 12-Week Training Multicomponent Exercise Program on Landing Mechanics in Recreational Athletes.

Background/objectives: This study investigated the impacts of a 12-week training program on kinetic parameters during landings in non-professional recreational athletes.

Methods: Fifty-seven non-elite recreational athletes performed three unilateral-landing trials from a 30 cm high structure on a force platform. The following outcome measures were analyzed: the ground reaction forces at initial ground contact (PF1) and the highest value (PF2), impulse (change in the moment of force during landing), stabilization time, and ankle and knee accelerations.