Chlamydia trachomatis Enhances HIV Infection of Non-Activated PBMCs.

Sexual contact is the most common route of HIV transmission, and the concurrent presence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as (CT) and (gonococcus, GC) is known to increase the HIV risk. Antibiotic treatment decreases the incidence of STIs but not HIV. CT and GC activate Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4, which act as sensors of microbial infection are critical for initiating immune responses to control infection.

Number and Replating Capacity of Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells are Telomere Length Dependent: Implication for Human Atherogenesis.

Background Short leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Endothelial repair plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis. The objective was to examine associations between TL and proliferative dynamics of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), which behave as progenitor cells displaying endothelial repair activity.

#EBUSTwitter: Novel Use of Social Media for Conception, Coordination, and Completion of an International, Multicenter Pathology Study.

Context.—: Social media sites are increasingly used for education, networking, and rapid dissemination of medical information, but their utility for facilitating research has remained largely untapped.

Objective.

An Update on the Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells.

The seeming setbacks noted for stem cells underscore the need for experimental studies for safe and efficacious application to patients. Both clinical and experimental researchers have gained valuable knowledge on the characteristics of stem cells, and their behavior in different microenvironment. This introductory chapter focuses on adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) based on the predominance in the clinic.

Dealing with the loss of a resident: An analysis of burnout rates in a reduced complement training program.

Background: Residents in all fields of medicine experience high levels of burnout and less job-related satisfaction due to the stress experienced during training. Reduced complement residency classes often experience increased workloads due to the need to compensate for the fewer number of classmates.

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine whether residency classes of reduced size experience higher levels of burnout.

Safe Zone Quantification of the Third Sacral Segment in Normal and Dysmorphic Sacra.

Objective: To quantify the osseous anatomy of the dysmorphic third sacral segment and assess its ability to accommodate internal fixation.

Design: Retrospective chart review of a trauma database.

Setting: University Level 1 Trauma Center.

Should I stay or should I go? A prospective investigation examining individual factors impacting employment status among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Background: Rates of unemployment among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are as high as 80%. While several factors for such high rates of unemployment have been identified, they do not account for the majority of the variance.

Objective: This study examines person-specific factors such as personality and coping, which may better account for individuals leaving the workforce.

Assessment of depression in epilepsy: the utility of common and disease-specific self-report depression measures.

Objectives: Depression is common in epilepsy, with rates ranging from 20 to 55% in most samples and reports as high as 70% in patients with intractable epilepsy. However, some contend that depression may be over- and/or under-reported and treated in this population. This may be due to the use of common self-report depression measures that fail to take into account the overlap of disease and depressive symptoms and also the host of side effects associated with antiepileptic medication, which may also be construed as depression.

The role of computed tomography scans in diaphyseal femur fractures following gunshot injuries: A survey of orthopaedic traumatologists.

Unlabelled: The objective of this study was to analyze if the addition of CT changed the management of femoral shaft fractures caused by gunshot wounds when compared to those managed with plain radiography alone.

Methods: A multiple-choice, single-answer electronic survey was created to compare utility of advanced imaging when treating femur fractures resulting from gunshot injury. A total of ten femoral shaft fracture cause by gunshot injuries were selected for an online survey to be administered to orthopeaedic traumatologists.

Glomangiomatosis: a case report.

Glomangiomatosis is a benign vascular variant of a glomus tumor. The lesion represents only 5% of glomus tumors with unusual or atypical features and even fewer glomus tumors with typical features. The lesions are most commonly located in the distal extremities and are multiple, deep, extensive, and often pain producing.

Advice for my chief resident.

I have been privileged to have served as a division of rheumatology chief and/or program director for 18 years and as a department of medicine chair and medicine residency program director for another 22 years. During the latter, I collected and codified advice for my chief residents. Selected highlights are presented as follows.

Human CD39 T Cells Express Th17-Associated Surface Markers and Suppress IL-17 via a Stat3-Dependent Mechanism.

Human CD4 T regulatory cells (T) are a population of phenotypically and functionally diverse cells that downregulate inflammatory and autoimmune responses. As Th17 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, it is critical to elucidate the mechanisms regulating these cells. In this study, we examined the molecular basis underlying the phenotypic and functional diversity of human T expressing the ectonucleotidase CD39.

Who Gets Testosterone? Patient Characteristics Associated with Testosterone Prescribing in the Veteran Affairs System: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: There has been concern about the growing off-label use of testosterone. Understanding the context within which testosterone is prescribed may contribute to interventions to improve prescribing.

Objective: To evaluate patient characteristics associated with receipt of testosterone.

Effects of early surgical decompression on functional and histological outcomes after severe experimental thoracic spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE In acute traumatic brain injury, decompressive craniectomy is a common treatment that involves the removal of bone from the cranium to relieve intracranial pressure. The present study investigated whether neurological function following a severe spinal cord injury improves after utilizing either a durotomy to decompress the intradural space and/or a duraplasty to maintain proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid. METHODS Sixty-four adult female rats (n = 64) were randomly assigned to receive either a 3- or 5-level decompressive laminectomy (Groups A and B), laminectomy + durotomy (Groups C and D), or laminectomy + duraplasty with graft (Group E and F) at 24 hours following a severe thoracic contusion injury (200 kilodynes).

Unemployment among women with multiple sclerosis: the role of coping and perceived stress and support in the workplace.

Unemployment is high among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Certain disease variables and demographics have been found to distinguish employed and unemployed individuals. However, these variables only account for 14-20% of the variance.

Traumatic atlantoaxial dislocation with Hangman fracture.

Background Context: Traumatic bilateral-atlantoaxial dislocations are rare injuries. Hangman fractures, conversely, represent 4% to 7% of all cervical fractures and frequently involve a combination C1-C2 fracture pattern. Presently, there is no report in the English literature of a traumatic C2-spondylolisthesis associated with a C1-C2 rotatory dislocation.

Hypertension in African Americans with heart failure: progression from hypertrophy to dilatation; perhaps not.

Aim: Concentric hypertrophy is thought to transition to left ventricular (LV) dilatation and systolic failure in the presence of long standing hypertension (HTN). Whether or not this transition routinely occurs in humans is unknown.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled African American patients hospitalized for acute decompensated volume overload heart failure (HF) in this retrospective study.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy surgical trial: randomized, controlled trial design and rationale.

Background: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in the world. There are significant practice variation and uncertainty as to the optimal surgical approach for treating CSM.

Objective: To determine whether ventral surgery is associated with superior Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary outcome at the 1-year follow-up compared with dorsal (laminectomy/fusion or laminoplasty) surgery for the treatment of CSM, to investigate whether postoperative sagittal balance is an independent predictor of overall outcome, and to compare health resource use for ventral and dorsal procedures.

Assessment of neglect dyslexia with functional reading materials.

Background: Spatial neglect is a neurocognitive disorder that affects perception, representation, and/or motor planning. Neglect dyslexia in spatial neglect after right hemisphere damage may co-occur with, or be dissociated from, other spatial neglect signs. Previous neglect dyslexia research focused on word-level stimuli and reading errors.

Giant cell tumor of bone with secondary aneurysmal bone cyst-like change producing β-human chorionic gonadotropin.

Giant cell tumor of bone is a benign, locally aggressive neoplasm that is composed of sheets of neoplastic mononuclear cells interspersed amongst non-neoplastic, uniformly distributed, osteoclast-like giant cells. They represent approximately 4-5% of primary bone tumors. Rarely, bone tumors have been noted to produce human chorionic gonadotropin, a finding most often reported in osteosarcoma.

Malpractice suits in chest radiology: an evaluation of the histories of 8265 radiologists.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present rates of claims, causes of error, percentage of cases resulting in a judgment, and average payments made by radiologists in chest-related malpractice cases in a survey of 8265 radiologists.

Materials And Methods: The malpractice histories of 8265 radiologists were evaluated from the credentialing files of One-Call Medical Inc., a preferred provider organization for computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in workers' compensation cases.