Combsgriffin0523

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a brain malignancy with worst survival. Low dose progesterone stimulates GBM growth, while progesterone receptor (PR)-antagonist mifepristone was shown to reduce growth and to enhance temozolomide sensitivity in GBM cells. Mifepristone is not available in all countries due to ethical reasons and may cause adrenal insufficiency and pelvic infections. Ulipristal is also a PR-antagonist used in treatment of uterine leiomyomas with higher biosafety. Ulipristal is demonstrated to suppress growth of breast cancer, yet it is not tested as yet whether it can also block growth and sensitize to temozolomide in glioblastoma as it was previously shown with mifepristone. Our first aim was to detect whether ulipristal exerts antiproliferative and chemotherapy-sensitizing effects in glioblastoma. Hydroxyurea inhibits DNA replication via blocking ribonucleotide reductase (RR) and it was demonstrated to increase temozolomide antineoplasticity in GBM. Progesterone receptor-activation in the u. All these 3 agents tend to reduce the expression of immunosuppressive and/or GBM-growth stimulating cytokines TGFβ, IL-10 and IL-17 while increasing the expression of GBM-growth suppressing cytokine IL-23.

Repurposal of these agents in treatment of GBM would be a plausible approach if future studies prove their efficacy.

Repurposal of these agents in treatment of GBM would be a plausible approach if future studies prove their efficacy.

Long constructs have always been widely recommended for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, due to their biomechanical stability and minimal postoperative loss of correction. However, short constructs have significant advantages, since they enable for better postoperative lumbar mobility and reduce the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hybrid screw/sublaminar bands short constructs, used for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.

From June 2015 until November 2017, 20 consecutive patients (14 male, 6 female) with an average age of 52.9 years, exhibiting at least one traumatic fracture in the thoracolumbar region, were treated with hybrid screw/sublaminar bands short constructs. The data for analysis included duration of the intervention, intraoperative blood loss, complications, and clinical and radiographic postoperative results, compared with the standard for thoracolumbar fixation.

The use of this type of construct allolaminar bands short constructs seem to be effective in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, providing the same clinical results of the state-of-the-art pedicular screw/rod long constructs, but in addition they allow for better postoperative lumbar mobility and subsequently reduce the risk of adjacent segments degeneration. The results of this clinical case series might support the initiation of prospective randomized trials with more patients, a longer follow-up period, and control groups.

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) represents a devastating complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and is a significant predictor of morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have implicated inflammatory processes in the pathogenesis of DCI.

aSAH patient data were retrospectively obtained from the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU CRD). Multivariable logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were employed to assess the association between low serum albumin (< 3.4 g/dL) and clinical endpoints DCI and in-hospital mortality.

Among 276 aSAH patients included in the analysis, 35.5% (n=98) presented with low serum albumin levels and demonstrated a higher incidence of DCI (18.4% vs. 8.4%, OR=2.45, 95% CI 1.17, 5.10; p=0.017) and in-hospital mortality (27.6% vs. 16.3%, OR=1.95, 95% CI 1.08, 3.54; p=0.027) compared to patients with normal admission albumin values. In a multivariable model controlling for age and World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade, low serum albumin remained significantly associated with DCI (OR=2.52, 95% CI 1.18, 5.36; p=0.017), but not with in-hospital mortality. A combined model for prediction of DCI, encompassing known risk factors in addition to low serum albumin, achieved an area under the curve of 0.65 (sensitivity=0.55, specificity=0.75).

Serum albumin, a routine and inexpensive laboratory measurement, can may potentially aid in the identification of patients with aSAH at risk for the development of DCI.

Serum albumin, a routine and inexpensive laboratory measurement, can may potentially aid in the identification of patients with aSAH at risk for the development of DCI.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is one of the most common causes of low back pain. The aim of our study was to determine whether combined injection (intra and periarticular) of sacroiliac joint provides greater pain relief than only intraarticular injection.

This is a randomized controlled trial between two groups. The first group involved thirty patients treated with combined injection (intra and periarticular) of a mixture of methylprednisolone acetate 40 mg and local anesthetic into a symptomatic sacroiliac joint. The second group (30 patients) received the same mixture only intraarticular. Diagnostic block was done for all cases. All patients failed to respond to medical treatment before proceeding to the injection procedure.

Over 6 months of follow-up, there were statistically significant improvements in patients who received combined sacroiliac joint injection according to pain visual analogue scale (VAS) compared with intraarticular group. Comparing both groups, there was significant difference in the 1 month VAS (one month after the procedure) as the P value was 0.010, and in the 6 months VAS (6 months after the procedure) as the P value was 0.007. There was no significant difference in the pre VAS (P value was 0.795) and immediate post VAS (one week after the procedure) as the P value was 0.145. No complications were reported after the procedure.

Although both groups provide statistically significant pain relief, patients who received combined sacroiliac joint injection have significantly greater clinical improvement as regard to those who received only intraarticular injection.

Although both groups provide statistically significant pain relief, patients who received combined sacroiliac joint injection have significantly greater clinical improvement as regard to those who received only intraarticular injection.Objective This study aimed to examine the outcomes of COVID-19 and a collapsing economy on the mental well-being (MWB) of the general Lebanese population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted online in May 2020 and enrolled 502 adults. Results Mental well-being had a mean of 14.80 (14.37; 15.24). A lower MWB was associated with female gender (beta=-1.533 [-2.324; -0.743]), university education (beta=-2.119 [-3.353;-0.885]), fear of COVID-19 (beta=-0.131 [-0.199; -0.063]), fear of poverty (beta=-0.232 [-0.402;-0.063]), verbal violence at home (beta=-3.464 [-5.137; -1.790]), and chronic disease (beta=-1.307 [-2.283; -0.330]). Better family satisfaction (beta=0.380 [0.235; 0.525]) and better financial situation (beta=0.029 [0.003; 0.055]) were significantly correlated with better MWB. In the subsample of workers/looking for a job, additional factors affected MWB physical exercise (beta =1.318 [0.370; 2.265]) was associated with better QOL, while being a previous waterpipe smoker, being self-employed before the crisis (beta=-1.22 [-2.208;-0.231]), working from home since the economic crisis (-1.853 [-3.692; -0.013]), and worrying about the long-term effects of the crisis on one's employment status (beta=-0.433 [-0.650; -0.216]) were associated lower MWB. selleck chemical It is noteworthy that closure of the institution yielded a borderline result (B = -1.2; p = .094), while the fear of COVID-19 was not significantly associated with MWB (B = -0.054; p =0.192). Conclusion This study showed that, during the pandemic, economic and other factors, directly or indirectly related to COVID-19, significantly affected quality of life. The fear of COVID-19 and fear of poverty mainly impacted the MWB of the general population. However, the fear of COVID-19 lost its significance among workers, who reported that factors negatively affecting their MWB are directly related to their employment and the already collapsing economy in Lebanon.

It is generally believed that a 1-mm axial length (AL) elongation of the eye corresponds to a -3.00 D spherical equivalent (SE) progression, but this is disputed.

To investigate the association between AL elongation and SE progression among children and adolescents.

A prospective cohort study of 710 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years was included. Ophthalmic examinations, including cycloplegic SE, AL and corneal curvature, were performed at baseline and 1-year follow-up. The ratio of SE change (ΔSE) to AL change (ΔAL) (ΔSE/ΔAL) was calculated, and its association with age and refractive status was explored using a general linear model.

Among all participants, 396 (55.77%) were male, with 265 (37.32%) myopes at baseline. The average 1-year ΔSE and ΔAL were 0.61 ± 0.40 D and 0.33 ± 0.22 mm, respectively. Both ΔSE and ΔAL gradually decreased with age (p < 0.001). In the general linear model analyses, age and refractive status were independently associated with ΔSE/ΔAL after adjustment for covariates (age











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=0.04, p < 0.05; myopia vs nonmyopia











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=0.28, p < 0.05). Based on the developed formula ΔSE/ΔAL=1.74 + 0.05*age (for myopes), mean ΔSE/ΔAL in myopes increased from 2.06 D/mm in the 6-year-olds to 2.59 D/mm in the 16-year-olds. In nonmyopes, ΔSE/ΔAL=1.33 + 0.05*age, and the ratio increased from 1.65 D/mm in the 6-year-olds to 2.18 D/mm in the 16-year-olds.

The ratio of ΔSE/ΔAL varied with age and refractive status in children and adolescents. The age-specific ΔSE/ΔAL could be used to estimate SE progression through the actual AL change.

The ratio of ΔSE/ΔAL varied with age and refractive status in children and adolescents. The age-specific ΔSE/ΔAL could be used to estimate SE progression through the actual AL change.The underlying mechanism of immunosenescence and compromised responses to environmental stressors in alveolar macrophages is a result of epigenetic dysregulation, rather than loss of subtypes.

Inflammation of the urinary bladder may cause burdensome pain also called bladder pain syndrome (BPS). A limitation in understanding BPS pathophysiology is the lack of appropriate preclinical model. Previously published clinical and preclinical studies revealed positive impact of Cernitin™ on pain relief in chronic prostatitis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Cernitin™ on induced inflammation of the urinary bladder in rats. We also sought to identify biomarkers which might play a role in the management of BPS.

Cystitis was induced by injection of cyclophosphamide (CYP) in female rats. Thereafter, animals were randomly divided into four treatment groups and two control groups. Evaluation of pain scores was assessed by von Frey assay. Expression of pain- and pro-inflammatory biomarkers was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry.

Treatments with Cernitin™ displayed significant anti-nociceptive effects on CYP-induced visceral pain (

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