A 25-year-old man presented to the otolaryngology clinic with hypernasal speech and regurgitation of food into the nasal cavity that had been present since childhood. He had no history of recurrent ear infections or delays in growth or language development. Physical examination revealed a bifid…
Thu May 28, 2020 03:00
A 69-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to the ophthalmology clinic for a routine ocular examination. Three years earlier, he had undergone cataract surgery and vitrectomy of the right eye for a retinal detachment. Clinical examination of the right eye showed a white substance…
Thu May 28, 2020 03:00
The present study assessed the effect of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity, a chronic and inflammatory autoimmune disease, on the sinusoidal uptake transporter OATP1B1 using atorvastatin (ATV) as a probe drug. Fifteen healthy subjects, 13 patients with controlled SLE (SLEDAI 0–4), and 12 patients with uncontrolled SLE (SLEDAI from 6 to 15), all women, were investigated. Apparent total clearance of midazolam (MDZ), a marker of CYP3A4 activity, did not vary among the three investigated groups....
Thu May 28, 2020 16:30
Thu May 28, 2020 20:53
Summary Deregulation of cytokine signaling is frequently associated with various pathological conditions, including malignancies. In patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), recurrent somatic mutations in the calreticulin (CALR ) gene, which encodes a molecular chaperone that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum, have been reported. Studies have defined mutant CALR as an oncogene promoting the development of MPN, and deciphered a novel molecular mechanism by which mutant CALR constitutively...
Thu May 28, 2020 22:31
Abstract Chemoresistance is a hallmark of cancer stem cells (CSCs). To develop novel therapeutic strategies that target CSCs, we established osteosarcoma‐initiating (OSi) cells by introducing the c‐Myc gene into bone marrow stromal cells derived from Ink4a/Arf knockout mice. These OSi cells include bipotent committed cells (similar to osteochondral progenitor cells) with a high tumorigenic activity as well as tripotent cells (similar to mesenchymal stem cells) of low tumorigenicity. We recently...
Thu May 28, 2020 22:29
Abstract Oncocytic cell tumor of the thyroid is composed of large polygonal cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm that is rich in mitochondria. These tumors frequently have the mutations in mitochondrial DNA encoding the mitochondrial electron transport system complex I. However, the mechanism for accumulation of abnormal mitochondria is unknown. A non‐canonical mitophagy system has recently been identified, and mitochondria‐eating protein (MIEAP) plays a key role in this system. We therefore hypothesized...
Wed May 27, 2020 11:23
Abstract Unprecedented times call for extraordinary measures. While surgeons across the globe try to comprehend the evolving facade of the COVID‐19 pandemic and improvise surgical practice to the best of their ability, the psychological impact of the stress on their own mental health and well‐being has been underestimated. This paper aims to review the indirect and overt factors that may affect the mental health of a surgeon in the present circumstances. Furthermore, it will aim to highlight key...
Thu May 28, 2020 22:15
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The...
Wed May 27, 2020 14:45
Objectives To compare patient‐graded facial and social/well‐being function with physician‐graded facial function in Bell's palsy over time. Study Design A prospective follow‐up study at two tertiary otorhinolaryngological centers. Methods A total of 96 patients, 36 women and 60 men, aged 18–77 years, were included. Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) scale and Facial Disability Index (FDI) scores were compared with Sunnybrook and House‐Brackmann scores. Results Inclusion was on...
Thu May 28, 2020 20:44
Objectives To examine survival endpoints in patients with tumor (T)4b oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) with pathologically proven masticator space invasion treated with primary surgery followed by adjuvant therapy. Study Design Retrospective review at an academic cancer center. Methods Twenty‐five patients with T4b OCSCC with pathologic masticator space invasion were treated with primary surgery from May 2012 to December 2016. Only patients with ≥ 2 years follow‐up from date...
Wed May 27, 2020 12:36
Key points Endothelial cell TRPV4 (TRPV4EC) channels exert a dilatory effect on the resting diameter of resistance mesenteric and pulmonary arteries. Functional IK/SK channels and eNOS are present in the endothelium of mesenteric and pulmonary arteries. TRPV4EC sparklets preferentially couple with IK/SK channels in mesenteric arteries and with eNOS in pulmonary arteries. TRPV4EC channels co‐localize with IK/SK channels in mesenteric arteries, but not in pulmonary arteries, which may explain...
Thu May 28, 2020 12:24
Key points ATP‐sensitive K+ (KATP) channels mediate hypoxia‐induced cerebral vasodilatation and hyperperfusion in animals. We then tested whether KATP channels blockade affects the increase in human cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the maintenance of oxygen delivery (CDO2) during hypoxia. Hypoxia‐induced increases in the anterior circulation and total cerebral perfusion were attenuated under KATP channels blockade affecting the relative changes of brain oxygen delivery. Therefore, in humans, KATP...
Thu May 28, 2020 12:04
Thu May 28, 2020 12:04
Key points Activation of oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) facilitates neuronal excitability in rat lateral nucleus of central amygdala (CeL) OXTR‐induced excitation is mediated by inhibition of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels PLCβ is necessary for OXTR‐mediated excitation of CeL neurons and depression of Kir channels OXTR‐elicited depression of Kir channels and excitation of CeL neurons require the function of Ca2+‐dependent PKC Abstract Oxytocin (OXT) is a nonapeptide that exerts anxiolytic...
Wed May 27, 2020 11:20
A 425-million-year-old millipede fossil from the Scottish island of Kerrera is the world's oldest 'bug' -- older than any known fossil of an insect, arachnid or other related creepy-crawly.
Thu May 28, 2020 18:58
Mapping the distribution of life on Earth, from genes to species to ecosystems, is essential in informing conservation policies and protecting biodiversity. Researchers developed models based on long-standing evolutionary and ecological theories to explain and map genetic diversity globally, a basal, but up-to-now hidden dimension of biodiversity.
Fri May 22, 2020 16:55
The CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors work like a fine surgical instrument and can be used to modify genetic information in plants. Research teams have now not only exchanged single genes, but recombined entire chromosomes with the CRISPR/Cas technology. In this way, desired properties can be combined in crops.
Wed May 27, 2020 23:43
More like mom or dad? Human babies always get this curious look in their faces combined with the question of whom the child resembles most. The answers vary depending on the degree of kinship, gender and the time of assessment. Mandrills, monkeys living in Equatorial Africa, may recognize facial features coding relatedness better than humans. Scientists showed by using up-to-date artificial intelligence (AI) that half-sisters, who have the same father look more alike than half-sisters who share the...
Wed May 27, 2020 22:01
Background The objective of this study was to validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Leukemia (FACT‐Leu) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are not candidates for intensive therapy. Methods A sample of 317 patients with AML who were not eligible for intensive chemotherapy completed the FACT‐Leu and EuroQol 5‐Dimension (EQ‐5D) measures (Utility Index and Visual Analogue Scale) every 28 days until the end of treatment. Internal consistency reliability was estimated...
Thu May 28, 2020 20:53
Background Greater than one‐half of patients with melanoma who are treated with antibodies blocking programmed cell death protein 1 receptor (anti–PD‐1) experience disease progression. The objective of the current study was to identify prognostic factors and outcomes in patients with metastatic melanoma that progressed while they were receiving anti–PD‐1 therapy. Methods The authors evaluated 383 consecutively treated patients who received anti–PD‐1 for advanced melanoma between 2009 and 2019....
Thu May 28, 2020 17:28
The treatment of patients with cancer who test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) poses unique challenges. In this commentary, the authors describe the ethical rationale and implementation details for the creation of a novel, multidisciplinary treatment prioritization committee, including physicians, frontline staff, an ethicist, and an infectious disease expert. Organizational obligations to health care workers also are discussed. The treatment prioritization...
Thu May 28, 2020 15:59
Background Long‐term treatment‐free remission (TFR) represents a new goal for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In clinical practice, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) dose reductions can be considered a means of preventing adverse effects and improving quality of life. We hypothesized that administration of low‐dose TKIs before treatment discontinuation does not impair TFR in patients with CML who have a deep molecular response (DMR, ≥MR4). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 77...
Wed May 27, 2020 16:20
Background A primary objective of Children's Oncology Group study AREN0534 (Treatment for Patients With Multicentric or Bilaterally Predisposed, Unilateral Wilms Tumor) was to facilitate partial nephrectomy in 25% of children with bilaterally predisposed unilateral tumors (Wilms tumor/aniridia/genitourinary anomalies/range of developmental delays [WAGR] syndrome; and multifocal and overgrowth syndromes). The purpose of this prospective study was to achieve excellent event‐free survival (EFS) and...
Wed May 27, 2020 16:18
Wed May 27, 2020 16:17
Background Assessing quality of life is essential for individuals with advanced cancer, but lengthy assessments can be burdensome. The authors investigated the psychometric characteristics of the FACT‐G7, a 7‐item quality‐of‐life measure derived from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐General (FACT‐G) scale, in advanced cancer. Methods Data were obtained from outpatients with advanced cancer who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of early palliative care. At baseline,...
Wed May 27, 2020 16:17
Background Unlike the traditional method of overall survival prediction in patients with cancer, conditional survival predicts the survival of patients dynamically throughout the course of disease, identifying how a prognosis evolves over time. Methods The authors assessed 815 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma through the German Study Group on Multiple Myeloma (Deutsche Studiengruppe Multiples Myelom; DSMM) incentive. Over 10 variables, including patient‐specific and multiple myeloma–specific...
Wed May 27, 2020 16:16
Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, causing death of motor neurons controlling voluntary muscles. The pathological mechanisms of the disease are only partially understood. The hSOD1‐G93A ALS rat model is characterized by an overexpression of human mutated SOD1, causing increased vulnerability by forming intracellular protein aggregates, inducing excitotoxicity, affecting oxidative balance, and disturbing axonal transport. In this study we followed the...
Thu May 28, 2020 16:11
ABSTRACT A rapid and reliable intraoperative diagnostic technique to support clinical decisions was developed using Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Twenty‐six fresh tissue samples were collected intraoperatively from patients undergoing gynecological surgeries. Frozen section (FS) histopathology aimed to discriminate between malignant and benign tumors was performed, and attenuated total reflection (ATR) FTIR spectra were collected from these samples. Digital dehydration and principal...
Thu May 28, 2020 16:10
We demonstrate a reconnectable implantable ultraslim fiber‐optic microendoscope that integrates a branching fiber bundle (BFB) with gradient‐index fiber lenses, enabling a simultaneous fluorescence imaging of individual cells in distinctly separate brain regions, including brain structures as distant as the neocortex and hippocampus. We show that fluorescence images of individual calcium‐indicator‐expressing neurons in the brain of freely moving transgenic mice can be recorded, via the implanted...
Wed May 27, 2020 11:14
The aim of this study was to examine the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) parenchyma, myotendinous junction, and tendon in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results were compared with findings reported in the literature, in which the LPM has been attributed a major role in triggering TMD. 3T MRI was used for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) imaging. The MRI images of 63 patients were analysed for muscle contracture and atrophy, tendon rupture, signal...
Thu May 28, 2020 03:00
Prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) stromal markers have recently gained attention as complementary diagnostic tools. The DNA reparation complex protein FANCM has been shown to express in the normal prostate stroma and FANCM gene alterations to be associated with PCa susceptibility; this has led to the hypothesis that an insufficient level of FANCM expression may provide additional information for the evaluation of PCa. The study cohort comprised 60 radical prostatectomy specimens. The controls involved...
Thu May 28, 2020 22:51
Thu May 28, 2020 16:05
Thu May 28, 2020 15:50
Aim. To study “patterns” and connections of signaling pathways derived from the rat arterial pulse waveform (APW) under the condition of transient NO increase. Methods and Results. The right jugular vein of anesthetized Wistar rats was cannulated for administration of NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione. The left carotid artery was cannulated to detect APW. From rat APW, 35 hemodynamic parameters (HPs) and several their crossrelationships were evaluated. We introduced a new methodology to study “patterns”...
Thu May 28, 2020 15:20
High-efficiency monoculture severely inhibits the growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge and decreases the yield and quality of crude drug, thus resulting in serious economic losses in China. Here, we selected four replanted field soils with 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of monoculture history to investigate the influence of continuous monocropping soil on the property of medicinal materials by pot experiments. Results showed that the commodity appearance and active ingredient contents of Salvia miltiorrhiza were...
Thu May 28, 2020 13:50
Objective. To evaluate ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) characteristics and the effect of different treatment strategies. Patients and Methods. Using data with known hormone receptor (HoR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status obtained by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from 2010-2014, the study was conducted to investigate tumor subtype-specific differences in various characteristics, overall survival (OS), and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM)....
Thu May 28, 2020 13:20
YuPingFeng (YPF) granules are a classic herbal formula extensively used in clinical practice in China for the treatment of COPD. However, the pathological mechanisms of YPF in COPD remain undefined. In the present research, a network pharmacology-based strategy was implemented to elucidate the underlying multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway modes of action of YPF against COPD. First, we identified putative YPF targets based on TCMSP databases and constructed a network containing interactions...
Thu May 28, 2020 12:50
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