Is Electroconvulsive Therapy a Treatment for Depression Following Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by blunt or penetrating injury to the head. The pathophysiological evolution of TBI involves complex biochemical and genetic changes. Common sequelae of TBI include seizures and psychiatric disorders, particularly depression.

The Great London Smog of 1952.

: The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life.

Quality of Life in Individuals with Erythematotelangiectatic and Papulopustular Rosacea: Findings From a Web-based Survey.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of rosacea on self-perception, emotional, social, and overall well-being and quality of life in individuals with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR) and papulopustular rosacea (PPR). We distributed a cross-sectional email invitation for participants in the United States to fill out a web-based survey. We included adults who reported having previously received a diagnosis of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea or papulopustular rosacea.

Low dose radiation prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

This study aimed to develop a novel and non-invasive approach, low-dose radiation (LDR, 75 mGy X-rays), to prevent doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups, Control, LDR (a single exposure), Sham (treated same as LDR group except for irradiation), DOX (a single intraperitoneal injection of DOX at 7.5 mg/kg), and LDR/DOX (received LDR and 72 h later received DOX).

The beneficial effects of Zn on Akt-mediated insulin and cell survival signaling pathways in diabetes.

Zinc is one of the essential trace elements and participates in numerous physiological processes. Abnormalities in zinc homeostasis often result in the pathogenesis of various chronic metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and its complications. Zinc has insulin-mimetic and anti-diabetic effects and deficiency has been shown to aggravate diabetes-induced oxidative stress and tissue injury in diabetic rodent models and human subjects with diabetes.

Activating adenosine A1 receptor accelerates PC12 cell injury via ADORA1/PKC/KATP pathway after intermittent hypoxia exposure.

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with the neurocognitive deficits as a result of the neuronal cell injury. Previous studies have shown that adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA1) played an important role against hypoxia exposure, such as controlling the metabolic recovery in rat hippocampal slices and increasing the resistance in the combined effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia. However, little is known about whether ADORA1 takes part in the course of neuronal cell injury after intermittent hypoxia exposure which was the main pathological characteristic of OSAHS.

Inhibition of p53 prevents diabetic cardiomyopathy by preventing early-stage apoptosis and cell senescence, reduced glycolysis, and impaired angiogenesis.

Elevated tumor suppressor p53 expression has been associated with heart diseases, including the diabetic heart. However, its precise role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains unclear. We hypothesized that the development of DCM is attributed to up-regulated p53-mediated both early cardiac cell death and persistent cell senescence, glycolytic and angiogenetic dysfunctions.

E-Cigarette Toxicity?

Tobacco smoking is the most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. In just a few short years, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become increasingly popular, especially for younger individuals. Many people believe that e-cigarettes are safe.

Exacerbation of diabetic cardiac hypertrophy in OVE26 mice by angiotensin II is associated with JNK/c-Jun/miR-221-mediated autophagy inhibition.

Both diabetes and angiotensin II (Ang II) excess trigger cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that cardiac hypertrophy associated with the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy is worsened by increased Ang II. Male type 1 diabetic OVE26 and wild-type mice were given Ang II (sc.

Molecular insights: Suppression of EGFR and AKT activation by a small molecule in non-small cell lung cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation events and the mammalian target of rampamycin (mTOR) are considered important therapeutic targets in alleviating cancer conditions. The current treatment paradigm has shifted to personalized treatment strategies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors, due to low survival rates in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in terms of the prevailing platinum-based therapy. In the present study, we examined the anticancer potential of Verrucarin J (VJ), a small molecule, in NSCLC cell lines (H460 and A549).

Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this paper is to review the epidemiology of obesity and the most recent literature on popular fad diets and exercise regimens that are used for weight loss. The weight loss plans that will be discussed in this article include juicing or detoxification diets, intermittent fasting, the paleo diet, and high intensity training.

Recent Findings: Despite the growing popularity of fad diets and exercise plans for weight loss, there are limited studies that actually suggest these particular regimens are beneficial and lead to long-term weight loss.

Development, Prevention, and Treatment of Alcohol-Induced Organ Injury: The Role of Nutrition.

Alcohol and nutrition have the potential to interact at multiple levels. For example, heavy alcohol consumption can interfere with normal nutrition, resulting in overall malnutrition or in deficiencies of important micronutrients, such as zinc, by reducing their absorption or increasing their loss. Interactions between alcohol consumption and nutrition also can affect epigenetic regulation of gene expression by influencing multiple regulatory mechanisms, including methylation and acetylation of histone proteins and DNA.

Screening Guidelines for Thyroid Function in Children With Alopecia Areata.

Importance: The incidence of thyroid disease in children with alopecia areata (AA) has been widely studied with no consensus on whether a true association with AA exists. In addition, screening practices for thyroid dysfunction in children with AA vary widely among clinicians.

Objective: To reduce health care costs, eliminate unnecessary testing, and standardize clinical practices, we sought to characterize thyroid function in children with AA to establish guidelines for screening.

Despite Increased Insurance Coverage, Nonwhite Sexual Minorities Still Experience Disparities In Access To Care.

Previous studies suggest that members of sexual minority groups have poorer access to health services than heterosexuals. However, few studies have examined how sexual orientation interacts with gender and race to affect health care experience. Moreover, little is known about the role in health care disparities played by economic strains such as unemployment and poverty, which may result from prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Common Elements in Rare Kidney Diseases: Conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference.

Rare kidney diseases encompass at least 150 different conditions, most of which are inherited. Although individual rare kidney diseases raise specific issues, as a group these rare diseases can have overlapping challenges in diagnosis and treatment. These challenges include small numbers of affected patients, unidentified causes of disease, lack of biomarkers for monitoring disease progression, and need for complex care.

Preliminary Monte Carlo Investigation of Using Ir-192 as the Source for Real Time Imaging Purpose.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential use of Ir-192 as the source for real time imaging during HDR (High Dose Rate) brachytherapy treatment. Phantom measurement was performed to determine outside of the body dose. Monte Carlo code, EGSnrcMP egs_inprz, was used for the simulation to calculate the outside of the body x-ray signal for CT reconstruction.

Vulnerability for Alcohol Use Disorder and Rate of Alcohol Consumption.

Objective: Although several risk factors have been identified for alcohol use disorder, many individuals with these factors do not go on to develop the disorder. Identifying early phenotypic differences between vulnerable individuals and healthy control subjects could help identify those at higher risk. Binge drinking, defined as reaching a blood alcohol level of 80 mg%, carries a risk of negative legal and health outcomes and may be an early marker of vulnerability.