Recent Articles

Murine osteoarthritis (OA) models are important for exploring OA pathology and treatment in the pre-clinical study. Longitudinal in vivo imaging modalities, including X-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, are commonly used diagnostic tools in OA clinic, while end-point histomorphometry analysis is the major outcome measurement in the pre-clinical study because clinical imaging modalities have limited resolution for small animals.

Evans syndrome is a rare haematological disease characterised by concurrent occurrence of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The autoimmune haemolysis can lead to hyperbilirubinaemia, profound anaemia and haemodynamic instability. It can be difficult to treat and when refractory to medical treatment it could necessitate emergency splenectomy. Plasmapheresis is used in refractory haemolytic anaemia to aid removal of disease causing autoimmune complexes whilst immunomodulators act to reduce autoantibody response and effectiveness. However, this is an expensive and resource intensive process that is limited to tertiary referral centres. In this case study we present a successful novel alternative for life threatening AIHA in Evans Syndrome using haemofiltration with on-going fresh frozen plasma transfusion when resources are limited or it is not an accessible method.

Analytical cross-sectional study using data from the SB Brazil 2010. The dependent variable was malocclusion (absent, set, severe, very severe). Independent variables were classified into: individual (socio-demographic, oral health problems; education, utilization of dental services; self-perception, impact on activities) and contextual (Family Financial Grant, National Health System Development Index (IDSUS), Human Development Index (HDI) and interaction of Gross National Product (GNP) with fluoridated water). A multilevel analysis was executed.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of airway tract characterized by airway obstruction and hyper responsiveness presenting with symptoms of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and dyspnoea. It is a serious health issue with the worldwide occurrence. Antiasthmatic drugs have unfavorable effects on oral health causing dental caries, xerostomia, dental erosion, periodontal disease and orofacial deformities. This review concludes that asthma drastically affects oral health but preventive measures can help to improve quality of life.

A major issue in adherence to medical treatment in nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is mothers’ fear of perceived teratogenic damage. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of adherence to medication treatment in NVP. A prospective cohort study based on telephone interviews among women who experienced NVP and counseled by Motherisk Israel NVP Helpline, located in a teratology information service. The consultation was divided into pharmacological and non-pharmacological recommendations. Data on adherence to medications and pregnancy outcomes were collected during telephone follow up interviews which were carried out soon after the birth of the child.

Darunavir (DRV) boosted with ritonavir (RTV) is currently among the preferred antiretroviral agents. Cobicistat (COBI), a new cytochrome P450 inhibitor is replacing RTV as pharmacoenhancer. Coformulated DRV/COBI has been approved based on bioequivalence data; however, results on efficacy and safety in clinical practice are scarce. COBI inhibits creatinine tubular secretion, thus raising concerns about its renal safety.

Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy (JIE) is a self-limiting neurological disorder with a suspected genetic predisposition affecting young Arabian foals of the Egyptian lineage. The condition is characterized by tonic-clonic seizures with intermittent post-ictal blindness, in which most incidents are sporadic and unrecognized. This study aimed to identify genetic components shared across a local cohort of Arabian foals diagnosed with JIE via a combined whole genome and targeted resequencing approach: Initial whole genome comparisons between a small cohort of nine diagnosed foals (cases) and 27 controls from other horse breeds identified variants uniquely shared amongst the case cohort.

It is widely held that older adults are unlikely to self-report their abusive situation to officials such as adult protective services (APS). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which older adults self-report or alternatively, disclose to informal sources of support who in turn place official reports. Interviews were conducted with 71 APS caseworkers, 55 of their older clients, and 32 non-abusive persons familiar with the situation. The same person who detected also reported the abuse in only 69% of the cases. While 39.5% of the older victims detected their abuse, only 18.3% also reported the abuse. The remaining older victims disclosed to someone who in turn placed a report. By listening to victim’s voices, it was revealed that at least some older adults exercise considerably more self-efficacy in their abusive situation than official reporting statistics indicate. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly population. Aspirin usage has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of developing this disease. This study aims to determine whether the increased risk of AMD with chronic aspirin usage is related to genetic polymorphisms in the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) genes.

I present some key considerations of the biofilm disease as part of two complex pathologies such as bone and joint infections and prosthetic joint infections, taking into account the bacterial pathogenic factors to understand the particular nature of these infections, and to achieve an accurate diagnosis and management beyond the antimicrobial therapy. I mention some personal experience of many years in the medical microbiology laboratory and next to the patient’s bed.

This work is a pilot study that introduces an improved method for estimation of a chronological age of a human being using the incremental lines in a dental cementum. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of longitudinal sections of the tooth roots were subject to SEM analysis. The protocol allows accurate age estimation even if the SEM images reveal a limited number of distinct incremental lines. Micrographs were analyzed with a calibrated thickness measuring tool, such as ImageJ. The study was based on fifteen freshly extracted teeth from adult males and females of a known age. An average cementum thickness (C) and average incremental line thickness (IL) was calculated for each chosen perpendicular level of the tooth root from the SEM image.

This work is a pilot study that introduces an improved method for estimation of a chronological age of a human being using the incremental lines in a dental cementum. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of longitudinal sections of the tooth roots were subject to SEM analysis. The protocol allows accurate age estimation even if the SEM images reveal a limited number of distinct incremental lines. Micrographs were analyzed with a calibrated thickness measuring tool, such as ImageJ. The study was based on fifteen freshly extracted teeth from adult males and females of a known age. An average cementum thickness (C) and average incremental line thickness (IL) was calculated for each chosen perpendicular level of the tooth root from the SEM image.

A sixty-five-years-old male patient with history of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the right orbit and a fifty-years-old female patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with peripheral lymphocytosis were treated on TomoTherapy. In the first case, a 1 cm beam was used for planning a delivery of 30.6 Gy in 17 fractions with a sequential boost of 9 Gy in 5 fractions. Tumor involvement of the ipsilateral lens and lacrimal gland in the planning target volume necessitated a compromise between preserving patient’s vision and delivery of tumoricidal dose to the target. In the second case, 30 Gy in 20 fractions delivery was planned with a 2.5 cm beam. The tumor extended anteriorly and this technique allowed sparing more orbital tissue and required a high modulation factor.

Acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia is an unusual hematological disorder characterized by severe thrombocytopenia in association with a marked decrease, or the absence, of megakaryocytes in bone marrow. Its pathogenesis is not well understood and its clinical course is variable. Several treatments have been used, producing different responses. We present a case that was successfully treated with a calcineurin inhibitor combined with a thrombopoiesis-stimulating agent.

Malignancies of the thyroid gland are common in certain parts of the world. In Ghana there are no available data on the trends and gender characteristics of thyroid malignancies (TMs). The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the trends and gender characteristics of TMs in the Department of Pathology.

A 72-h fast results in a rapid decrease in circulating glucose to a lower level without a change in non-water body mass. Several metabolic adjustments are necessary. A nutrient-sufficient, carbohydrate (CHO)-free diet also has been reported to result in a decrease in glucose, and similar metabolic perturbations. However, direct comparisons are not available in subjects without, or with, type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

This study employed a case-series design with infants aged between 1 and 4 months. Infants with symptoms of constipation were recruited at two paediatric clinics in Barcelona, Spain. At the time of recruitment, all infants were fed a standard formula made with cow milk protein. Infants were provided with a formula based on goat milk protein and 55% of total fat from goat milk. After 3 weeks, stool consistency, stool frequency, crying and infant behaviour were measured. Fat, nitrogen, water and carbohydrates in the stools were also determined by NIRA (near-infrared reflectance analysis).

Intrinsic noise embedded in stochastic gene regulation due to low copy number of species has been studied using the approach of theoretical modeling and computational simulation, including the standard methods of stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and linear noise approximation (LNA). At average cell level, Hill functions are widely used as a compact format to represent gene regulation involving multi-transcription-factor binding and cooperativity. Heuristic SSA and LNA methods (hSSA and hLNA) have been applied to study stochastic models employing Hill functions. It is however unclear which modeling and simulation method is suitable to characterize intrinsic noise of Hill-type gene regulation with sufficient accuracy and computational efficiency. In this work, we perform noise analysis of two gene regulatory models represented by second-order activating and inhibitory Hill functions, seeking to evaluate the performance of five existing noise modeling methods.

Allergenic diseases are on the rise in the United States and already affect 50 million Americans. Ambrosia pollen is one of the most allergenic forms of pollen, partially due to the shear volume of pollen that each Ambrosia plant generates. This paper describes a machine learning approach used to forecast the Ambrosia pollen levels in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Machine learning along with comprehensive environmental data (reflectance values derived from Landsat satellite images and parameters from the NASA MERRA meteorological analysis) are utilized to predict Ambrosia pollen levels. The outcome shows an improvement over previous studies and gives new information that could be advantageous for future pollen forecasting. In this study, 21 different machine learning approaches for predicting the ragweed pollen levels were tested. These studies highlighted several Landsat variables were useful in forecasting the ragweed pollen levels, including the shortwave infrared (SWIR1) and near-infrared (NIR) reflectance of various time lags.

The microbiological quality of coastal or river waters can be affected by faecal pollution from human or animal sources. Contamination of fresh produce with pathogenic bacteria can be attributed directly or indirectly to the raw wastewater (domestic, industrial effluents, human and animal excrement). This includes water sources that are routinely used for crop irrigation and produce washing. An efficient MST (Microbial Source Tracking) toolbox consisting of several host-specific markers would, therefore, be valuable for identifying the origin of the faecal pollution in the environment and thus for effective resource management and remediation. As a result, the need for expanding from traditional techniques to molecular methods has been highly recommended.