Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum: Influence of Activity on Lesion Location Within a Zone of Propensity.

Background: There may be an association between repetitive stress on the elbow and capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (COCD). The influence of activity on the characteristics or specific location of the lesion within a capitellar zone of propensity remains unclear.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate COCD in gymnasts and baseball players compared with a non-upper extremity (non-UE) sport COCD cohort.

Design of CONQUEST, a novel, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase 2b platform clinical trial to investigate new treatments for patients with early active systemic sclerosis with interstitial lung disease.

Objective: Safe, effective therapies are urgently needed for patients with systemic sclerosis. However, clinical trial recruitment is challenging given the limited number of people with systemic sclerosis and further restrictions imposed by eligibility criteria. Innovative approaches are needed to accelerate development of new therapies.

Mesalamine loaded ethyl cellulose nanoparticles: optimization andevaluation of antioxidant potential in ulcerative colitis.

This study aimed to optimize mesalamine (MES)-nanoparticles (NPs) using Box Behnken Design and investigate itsantioxidant potential in colon drug targeting. The formulation was prepared using oil/water (O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation technique for time dependent colonic delivery. The optimal formulation with the following parameters composition was selected: polymer concentration (% w/w) (A) = 0.

Clinicopathological Factors as Predictors for Establishment of Patient Derived Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Organoids.

Introduction: Patient derived organoids (PDOs) are 3D in vitro models and have shown to better reflect patient and tumor heterogeneity than conventional 2D cell lines. To utilize PDOs in clinical settings and trials for biomarker discovery or drug response evaluation, it is valuable to determine the best way to optimize sample selection for maximum PDO establishment. In this study, we assess patient, tumor and tissue sampling factors and correlate them with successful PDO establishment in a well-documented cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Alzheimer incidence and prevalence with and without asthma: A Medicare cohort study.

Background: International data suggest that asthma, like other inflammatory diseases, might increase Alzheimer disease (AD) risk.

Objective: We sought to explore risk pathways and future mitigation strategies by comparing diagnostic claims-based AD incidence and prevalence among US patients with asthma with those without asthma.

Methods: This cohort study included a national Medicare 20% random sample (2013-2015).

Molecular pathways underlying lung-brain axis signaling in asthma: Relevance for psychopathology and neuroinflammation.

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that asthma has systemic effects and affects brain function. Although airway inflammation is proposed to initiate afferent communications with the brain, the signaling pathways have not been established.

Objective: We sought to identify the cellular and molecular pathways involved in afferent lung-brain communication during airway inflammation in asthma.

Rhinoviruses A and C elicit long-lasting antibody responses with limited cross-neutralization.

Rhinoviruses (RVs) can cause severe wheezing illnesses in young children and patients with asthma. Vaccine development has been hampered by the multitude of RV types with little information about cross-neutralization. We previously showed that neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to RV-C are detected twofold to threefold more often than those to RV-A throughout childhood.

p-mTOR, p-ERK and PTEN Expression in Tumor Biopsies and Organoids as Predictive Biomarkers for Patients with HPV Negative Head and Neck Cancer.

Background: Survival rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have only marginally improved in the last decades. Hence there is a need for predictive biomarkers for long-time survival that can help to guide treatment decisions and might lead to the development of new therapies. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is the most frequently altered pathway in HNSCC, genes are often mutated, amplificated and overexpressed causing aberrant signaling affecting cell growth and differentiation.

Understanding the Neural Mechanisms of General Anesthesia from Interaction with Sleep-Wake State: A Decade of Discovery.

The development of cutting-edge techniques to study specific brain regions and neural circuits that regulate sleep-wake brain states and general anesthesia (GA), has increased our understanding of these states that exhibit similar neurophysiologic traits. This review summarizes current knowledge focusing on cell subtypes and neural circuits that control wakefulness, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, non-REM sleep, and GA. We also review novel insights into their interactions and raise unresolved questions and challenges in this field.

Early Catheter Ablation Versus Initial Medical Therapy for Ventricular Tachycardia Storm.

Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) storm is associated with significantly increased morbidity, mortality, and exponential healthcare utilization. Although catheter ablation (CA) may be curative, there are limited data directly comparing outcomes of early CA with initial medical therapy.

Methods: We compared outcomes of patients presenting with VT storm treated with initial CA versus those treated with initial medical therapy during their first storm presentation in an observational study.

Asthma exacerbations: the Achilles heel of asthma care.

Asthma exacerbations significantly impact millions of patients worldwide to pose large disease burdens on affected patients, families, and health-care systems. Although numerous environmental factors cause asthma exacerbations, viral respiratory infections are the principal triggers. Advances in the pathophysiology of asthma have elucidated dysregulated protective immune responses and upregulated inflammation that create susceptibility and risks for exacerbation.

Beta-amyloid Deposition in Biliary Atresia Reduces Liver Regeneration by Inhibiting Energy Metabolism and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling.

Introduction: Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating obstructive bile duct disease found in newborns. This study aims to investigate the roles and involved mechanisms of beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the pathogenesis of BA.

Methods: We examined the distribution of Aβ protein and its precursor in the livers of patients with BA.

Association of Hyperuricemia with Impaired Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Preserved Kidney Function: Analysis of the POL-AF Registry Cohort.

Hyperuricemia is associated with the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure. However, coexisting chronic kidney disease and certain cardiovascular drugs make it difficult to determine whether hyperuricemia is a risk factor or merely a marker of pathology. We retrieved data from the Polish Atrial Fibrillation (POL-AF) registry, which included consecutive patients hospitalized with AF from January to December, 2019.

Phosphonoacetate Modifications Enhance the Stability and Editing Yields of Guide RNAs for Cas9 Editors.

CRISPR gene editing and control systems continue to emerge and inspire novel research and clinical applications. Advances in CRISPR performance such as optimizing the duration of activity in cells, tissues, and organisms, as well as limiting off-target activities, have been extremely important for expanding the utility of CRISPR-based systems. By investigating the effects of various chemical modifications in guide RNAs (gRNAs) at defined positions and combinations, we find that 2'--methyl-3'-phosphonoacetate (MP) modifications can be substantially more effective than 2'--methyl-3'-phosphorothioate (MS) modifications at the 3' ends of single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to promote high editing yields, in some instances showing an order of magnitude higher editing yield in human cells.

What Is a ?

The historical 1975 Reference Man is a ‘model’ that had been used as a basis for the calculation of radiation doses, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, sizes for organ transplantation and ergonomic optimizations in the industry, e.g., to plan dimensions of seats and other formats.

Integrated Application of Thiourea and Biochar Improves Maize Growth, Antioxidant Activity and Reduces Cadmium Bioavailability in Cadmium-Contaminated Soil.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of croplands jeopardizes sustainable crop production and human health. However, curtailing Cd transfer and mobility in the rhizosphere-plant system is challenging. Sole application of biochar (BC) and thiourea (TU) has been reported to restrain Cd toxicity and uptake in plants.

Effects of Bacillus methylotrophicus SY200 Supplementation on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status, Intestinal Morphology, and Immune Function in Broiler Chickens.

The present study was focused on evaluating the effects of Bacillus methylotrophicus SY200 in broiler production. A total of 120 healthy 7-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, which included basal diet supplemented with 0%, 0.10%, 0.

Characterization and Kinetic Studies of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) Polymer Inclusion Membrane for the Malachite Green Extraction.

Textile industry effluent contains a high amount of toxic colorants. These dyes are carcinogenic and threats to the environment and living beings. In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-co-HFP) was used as the based polymer for PIMs with bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BEHP) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the carrier and plasticizer.

Cockroach-induced IL9, IL13, and IL31 expression and the development of allergic asthma in urban children.

Urban children who develop allergic sensitization and asthma have persistently elevated gene expression of the type 2 cytokines IL9, IL13, and IL31 in cockroach allergen stimulated PBMCs from age 2 through 7 years old.

Predictive Value of EGFR-PI3K-AKT-mTOR-Pathway Inhibitor Biomarkers for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

Background: Understanding molecular pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) has considerably improved in the last decades. As a result, novel therapeutic strategies have evolved, amongst which are epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies. With the exception of cetuximab, targeted therapies for HNSCC have not yet been introduced into clinical practice.

On the impact of absorbed dose specification, tissue heterogeneities, and applicator heterogeneities on Monte Carlo-based dosimetry of Ir-192, Se-75, and Yb-169 in conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of dose reporting schemes and tissue/applicator heterogeneities for Ir-, Se-, and Yb-based MRI-guided conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: Treatment plans using a variety of dose reporting and tissue/applicator segmentation schemes were generated for a cohort (n = 10) of cervical cancer patients treated with Ir-based Venezia brachytherapy. Dose calculations were performed using RapidBrachyMCTPS, a Geant4-based research Monte Carlo treatment planning system.

Modernizing and designing evaluation frameworks for connected sensor technologies in medicine.

This manuscript is focused on the use of connected sensor technologies, including wearables and other biosensors, for a wide range of health services, such as collecting digital endpoints in clinical trials and remotely monitoring patients in clinical care. The adoption of these technologies poses five risks that currently exceed our abilities to evaluate and secure these products: (1) validation, (2) security practices, (3) data rights and governance, (4) utility and usability; and (5) economic feasibility. In this manuscript we conduct a landscape analysis of emerging evaluation frameworks developed to better manage these risks, broadly in digital health.

Efficacy of Bacillus methylotrophicus SY200 strain as feed additive against experimental Salmonella typhimurium infection in mice.

To investigate the effects of Bacillus methylotrophicus SY200 on Salmonella typhimurium (STM) infection in mice, a total of 36 three-week-old male mice were selected and randomly divided into 3 equal groups (N = 12). Group A and group B were fed with basal diet while group C was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% (w/w) B.

A Review of Imaging Biomarkers of the Ocular Surface.

A biomarker is a "characteristic that is measured as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or responses to an exposure or intervention, including therapeutic interventions." Recently, calls for biomarkers for ocular surface diseases have increased, and advancements in imaging technologies have aided in allowing imaging biomarkers to serve as a potential solution for this need. This review focuses on the state of imaging biomarkers for ocular surface diseases, specifically non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), tear meniscus measurement and corneal epithelial thickness with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT), meibomian gland morphology with infrared meibography and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), ocular redness with grading scales, and cellular corneal immune cells and nerve assessment by IVCM.