Sweet or Bland Dreams? Taste Loss in Isolated REM-Sleep Behavior Disorder and Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Hyposmia and isolated REM sleep behavior disorder are well-established features of prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether taste loss (reported in PD and possibly suggesting brain stem involvement) is present at the isolated REM sleep behavior disorder stage.

Methods: We assessed taste function using the Taste Strip Test (evaluating 4 concentrations of bitter, sweet, sour, and salty) in 44 participants with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder, 19 with PD, and 29 controls.

Elaboration and refinement of a motivational communication training program for healthcare professionals in pediatric oncology: a feasibility and acceptability study.

Introduction: A healthy lifestyle could have a positive impact in reducing the incidence of some long-term sequelae secondary to pediatric cancer treatments. Motivational communication (MC) is effective at improving healthy lifestyle habits, especially when patients experience change as a challenge. To date, there is no available intervention program using MC that promotes healthy lifestyles in pediatric oncology.

Transgastric Abdominal Ultrasonography in Anesthesia and Critical Care: Review and Proposed Approach.

The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the operating room and intensive care unit can provide invaluable information on cardiac as well as abdominal organ structures and function. This approach may be particularly useful when the transabdominal ultrasound examination is not possible during intraoperative procedures or for anatomical reasons. This review explores the role of transgastric abdominal ultrasonography (TGAUS) in perioperative medicine.

Putting ATM to BED: How Adipose Tissue Macrophages Are Affected by Bariatric Surgery, Exercise, and Dietary Fatty Acids.

With increasing adiposity in obesity, adipose tissue macrophages contribute to adipose tissue malfunction and increased circulating proinflammatory cytokines. The chronic low-grade inflammation that occurs in obesity ultimately gives rise to a state of metainflammation that increases the risk of metabolic disease. To date, only lifestyle and surgical interventions have been shown to be somewhat effective at reversing the negative consequences of obesity and restoring adipose tissue homeostasis.

Evaluation of the severe preeclampsia classification criterion for antiphospholipid syndrome in a study of 40 patients.

Background: The criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) include severe preeclampsia and/or placental insufficiency leading to preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation, but this APS manifestation has been rarely studied. Thus, we report a series of severe preeclampsia occurred in patients with APS.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed data of women with APS (Sydney criteria) who experienced severe preeclampsia with delivery before 34 weeks' gestation between 2000 and 2017 at five French internal medicine departments and one Italian rheumatology unit.

Trigeminal impairment in treatment-refractory chronic nasal obstruction.

Background: Patients with anatomically unexplained, chronic nasal obstruction (CNO) that is refractory to medical treatment pose a challenge for clinicians. A surgical solution, addressing mechanical obstacles, is unsuited for these patients. CNO may result from disrupted airflow perception due to activation of the intranasal trigeminal system; therefore, aim of this study is to evaluate if intranasal trigeminal function of these CNO patients is decreased.

Olfactory-Trigeminal Interactions in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a highly frequent early non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). An important step to potentially use OD for the development of early diagnostic tools of PD is to differentiate PD-related OD from other forms of non-parkinsonian OD (NPOD: postviral, sinunasal, post-traumatic, and idiopathic OD). Measuring non-olfactory chemosensory modalities, especially the trigeminal system, may allow to characterize a PD-specific olfactory profile.

Effect of simulation on cognitive load in health care professionals and students: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this review is to assess the effect of simulation activities and their design features on cognitive load in health care professionals and students.

Introduction: Simulation activities are now widely implemented in health care professionals' education. However, the mechanisms by which simulations and their design features lead to health care professionals' and students' learning remains unclear.

Late sequelae of osteoarticular infections in pediatric patients: A single-center study.

To review the orthopedic sequelae of pediatric patients diagnosed with osteoarticular infections (OAIs) and identify significant differences between those with and without sequelae. Medical charts between 2010 and 2016 from a tertiary-care pediatric hospital were reviewed to collect demographic and clinical data for this retrospective case series. The main inclusion criteria were: 1.

Age and multimorbidities as poor prognostic factors for COVID-19 in hemodialysis: a Lebanese national study.

Background: Hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 have been reported to be at higher risk for death than the general population. Several prognostic factors have been identified in the studies from Asian, European or American countries. This is the first national Lebanese study assessing the factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Clinical Olfactory Working Group consensus statement on the treatment of postinfectious olfactory dysfunction.

Background: Respiratory tract viruses are the second most common cause of olfactory dysfunction. As we learn more about the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with the recognition that olfactory dysfunction is a key symptom of this disease process, there is a greater need than ever for evidence-based management of postinfectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD).

Objective: Our aim was to provide an evidence-based practical guide to the management of PIOD (including post-coronavirus 2019 cases) for both primary care practitioners and hospital specialists.

Targeting Uric Acid Prevents Brain Injury and Anxiety in a Rat Model of Hemorrhagic Shock.

Secondary brain injury following hemorrhagic shock (HS) is a frequent complication in patients, even in the absence of direct brain trauma, leading to behavioral changes and more specifically anxiety and depression. Despite preclinical studies showing inflammation and apoptosis in the brain after HS, none have addressed the impact of circulating mediators. Our group demonstrated an increased uric acid (UA) circulation in rats following HS.

Aortic Injuries Following Stent Deployments in Bariatric Surgery-Review of Literature.

Consecutive to an increase in the number of bariatric surgeries worldwide, the number of articles reporting complications have also increased. The most dreadful bariatric complication is represented by the leak, and the endoscopic stent is still the standard treatment for some bariatric teams despite the poor quality of life and associated complications. The purpose of this review was to identify the very rare cases of aortic injuries associated with stent use in bariatric surgery.

Comparison of the Outcomes of Early Versus Late Tracheostomy in the Treatment of Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Multicenter Measurement Study Done in Two Hospital Centers in Lebanon.

Background  Benefits of early tracheostomy (ET) versus late tracheostomy (LT) while treating critically ill patients have been a matter of big debate in the last few years. Several meta-analyses tried to prove the benefits of ET in decreasing the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and the mortality rates. However, no clear guidelines are available yet.

Successful treatment of drug-resistant cataplexy with the anticholinergic drug tropatepine.

Narcolepsy type 1 is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, as well as hypocretin deficiency. Cataplexy (the loss of voluntary postural muscle tone, often in response to emotional stimuli) is one of the most disabling features and is associated with significant social impairment and risk of injury. Cataplexy is usually alleviated by antidepressants sodium oxybate and pitolisant.

Orofacial pain education in dentistry: A path to improving patient care and reducing the population burden of chronic pain.

Dentists stand in an optimal position to prevent and manage patients suffering from chronic orofacial pain (OFP) disorders, such as temporomandibular disorders, burning mouth syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic dentoalveolar pain, among others. However, there are consistent reports highlighting a lack of knowledge and confidence in diagnosing and treating OFP among dental students, recent graduates, and trained dentists, which leads to misdiagnosis, unnecessary costs, delay in appropriate care and possible harm to patients. Education in OFP is necessary to improve the quality of general dental care and reduce individual and societal burden of chronic pain through prevention and improved quality of life for OFP patients.

Olfactory bulb surroundings can help to distinguish Parkinson's disease from non-parkinsonian olfactory dysfunction.

Background: The olfactory bulb is one of the first regions of insult in Parkinson's disease (PD), consistent with the early onset of olfactory dysfunction. Investigations of the olfactory bulb may, therefore, help early pre-motor diagnosis. We aimed to investigate olfactory bulb and its surrounding regions in PD-related olfactory dysfunction when specifically compared to other forms of non-parkinsonian olfactory dysfunction (NPOD) and healthy controls.

Left gastric artery pseudo-aneurysm post sleeve gastrectomy: A case report.

Introduction: Bleeding in the context of sleeve gastrectomy could be caused by a variety of diseases however pseudo-aneurysm is an overlooked complication.

Case: For instance, we present case of a 25 year-old Lebanese woman that undergone sleeve gastrectomy and presented 3 weeks later with a bleeding left gastric artery pseudo-aneurysm.

Conclusion: Angiography followed by embolization is best for diagnosing and treating the pseudo-aneurysm by coiling.

The effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on sleep disturbances among different neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions: A systematic review.

Sleep disturbances (e.g., difficulty to initiate or maintain sleep) and poor sleep quality are major health concerns that accompany several neurological and neuropsychiatric clinical conditions where different brain circuitries are affected (e.

Periacetabular triple osteotomy by single anterior approach for children under 6-years-old with severe acetabular deficiency: prevention of retroversion and anterior impingement.

The aim of this study was to perform periacetabular triple osteotomy (PATO) in children under 6-years-old with severe acetabular deficiency aiming to obtain important correction and avoid excessive pressure on epiphysis, anterior overcorrection and acetabular retroversion. This is a retrospective study of 29 PATO using single anterior approach in 24 patients under 6-years-old with dysplasia of the hip. Clinical examination and radiographic evaluation were done pre-op, post-op and at last follow-up.

Autograft remodeling after the Ross procedure by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: Aortic stenosis versus insufficiency.

Background: Studies suggest that patients undergoing the Ross procedure for aortic insufficiency are at greater risk of autograft dilatation than those with aortic stenosis. By using a tailored Ross technique to mitigate autograft dilatation in patients with aortic insufficiency, we aimed to compare the biomechanical and morphologic remodeling of the autograft at 1 year between patients with aortic insufficiency and patients with aortic stenosis.

Methods: A total of 210 patients underwent a Ross procedure (2011-2016).

Medical student education in transfusion medicine, part II: Moving forward to building up a "Know How" education program in transfusion medicine for under-graduate medical students.

There is a general trend in changing paradigm in teaching medicine; the emerging concept relies on a competence-based approach. Transfusion is either a discipline or a subsidiary of others depending on the countries and systems; this variability can be explained because transfusion is a medical care that is transdisciplinary. As a collective of professionals in both transfusion medicine practice and education, authors aim to propose a revision of the way education in transfusion medicine is delivered in this era of the 'global competency approach'.