Dupuytren's contracture -- Genetic aspects, Dupuytren's contracture -- Development and progression, and Dupuytren's contracture -- Care and treatment

Byline: Lohrasb R. Sayadi, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Danah Alhunayan, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Nikolaos Sarantopoulos, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Christina Kong, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Shreya Condamoor, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Jamasb Sayadi, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.; Derek A. Banyard, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Ashkaun Shaterian, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Amber Leis, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Gregory R. D. Evans, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange; Alan D. Widgerow, From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Center for Tissue Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Orange Abstract BACKGROUND: Ever since the classification of Dupuytren disease into the proliferative, involutional, and residual stages, extensive research has been performed to uncover the molecular underpinnings of the disease and develop better treatment modalities for patients. The aim of this article is to systematically review the basic science literature pertaining to Dupuytren disease and suggest a new approach to treatment. METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, a systematic review was conducted using the MEDLINE database to identify basic science literature on Dupuytren pathophysiology falling under 1 or more of the following categories: (1) Molecular alterations, (2) Structural alterations, and (3) Genetic predisposition. RESULTS: A total of 177 articles were reviewed of which 77 studies met inclusion criteria. Articles were categorized into respective sections outlined in the study methods. CONCLUSION: The pathophysiological changes involved in Dupuytren's disease can be divided into a number of molecular and structural alterations with genetic predisposition playing a contributory role. Understanding these changes can allow for the development of biologics which may disrupt and halt the disease process.

Government regulation, Refugees -- Laws, regulations and rules, Anger management -- Laws, regulations and rules, and Medical law

Pre- and post-migratory factors have been implicated in refugee children's mental health. However, findings regarding their unique and joint roles are inconsistent or nonexistent. We examined the main and interactive relations of pre-migratory life stressors and post-migratory daily hassles and routines to emotion regulation--a key marker of mental health--in 5- to 13-year-old Syrian refugee children (N=103) resettling in Canada. Mothers and children completed questionnaires assessing pre-migratory life stressors and post-migratory daily hassles. Mothers also reported their children's adherence to family routines and emotion regulation abilities (i.e., anger and sadness regulation) via questionnaire. Overall, children who more frequently engaged in family routines showed better anger regulation. Pre- and post-migratory factors also interacted, such that greater post-migratory daily hassles were associated with worse sadness regulation for children with lower levels of pre-migratory life stressors, but were unassociated with the sadness regulation of children who experienced higher levels of pre-migratory life stressors. Results suggest that pre- and post-migratory factors play unique and joint roles in refugee children's emotion regulation during resettlement.

Skin -- Genetic aspects

Isotretinoin -- Usage, Acne -- Care and treatment, Antiacne agents, and Women college students

Background: The most effective treatment for severe acne is isotretinoin. However, it carries major side effects, such as teratogenicity, depression, and increased lipid profiles. It is advised to monitor the [...]

Cell differentiation -- Research, Biological control systems -- Research, and Transcription factors -- Research

Numerous physiological and pathological events, from organ development to cancer and fibrosis, are characterized by an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereby adherent epithelial cells convert to migratory mesenchymal cells. During cardiac development, proepicardial organ epithelial cells undergo EMT to generate fibroblasts. Subsequent stress or damage induces further phenotype conversion of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, causing fibrosis via synthesis of an excessive extracellular matrix. We have previously shown that the transcription factor scleraxis is both sufficient and necessary for the conversion of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and found that scleraxis knockout reduced cardiac fibroblast numbers by 50%, possibly via EMT attenuation. Scleraxis induced expression of the EMT transcriptional regulators Twistl and Snai 1 via an unknown mechanism. Here, we report that scleraxis binds to E-box consensus sequences within the Twistl and Snail promoters to transactivate these genes directly. Scleraxis upregulates expression of both genes in A549 epithelial cells and in cardiac myofibroblasts. Transforming growth factor-[beta] induces EMT, fibrosis, and scleraxis expression, and we found that transforming growth factor-[beta]-mediated upregulation of Twistl and Snail completely depends on the presence of scleraxis. Snail knockdown upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin; however, this effect was lost after scleraxis overexpression, suggesting that scleraxis may repress E-cadherin expression. Together, these results indicate that scleraxis can regulate EMT via direct transactivation of the Twist 1 and Snail genes. Given the role of scleraxis in also driving the myofibroblast phenotype, scleraxis appears to be a critical controller of fibroblast genesis and fate in the myocardium and thus may play key roles in wound healing and fibrosis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The molecular mechanism by which the transcription factor scleraxis mediates Twist1 and Snai1 gene expression was determined. These results reveal a novel means of transcriptional regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and demonstrate that transforming growth factor-[beta]-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is dependent on scleraxis. providing a potential target for controlling this process. epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; epithelial cells; fibroblasts; gene regulation; transcription doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00092.2018.

Blood clot -- Diagnosis, Blood clot -- Prognosis, Thrombosis -- Diagnosis, Thrombosis -- Prognosis, Stroke (Disease) -- Risk factors, Medical research, and Medicine, Experimental

Objective: Our study aims to evaluate the etiologic and clinical features of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in Saudi Arabia, and secondarily whether gender plays a role in CVST. Materials [...]

Vitamin E -- Analysis and Hypoglycemic agents -- Analysis

Byline: Nawal M. Al-Rasheed, Nouf M. Al-Rasheed, Danah A. AL-Rabeeah, Heba S. AL-Barrak, Salma A. AL-Salman, Shahd A. Ibrahim, Sulafa A. AL-Hassab,Maha A. Al-Amin, Iman H. Hasan, Hanaa N. Al-Ajmi, Tahani K. AL-Shammari Abstract Several studies have reported that metformin is cardioprotective for diabetic and non-diabetic ischemic hearts through mechanisms that cannot be entirely attributed to its anti-hyperglycemic effect. This study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of metformin with and without vitamin E after induction myocardial infarction (MI) in rats, using isoproterenol. Administration of metformin or vitamin E significantly reduced the cardiac mass index (P<0.01), ameliorated the changes to cardiac biomarkers, and attenuated oxidative stress levels compared to the isoproterenol group. Interestingly, combination therapy showed a slight synergistic effect. Histopathological analysis suggested that metformin treatment reduced NF-[PHI]B expression and protected against isoproterenol-induced MI. Our results indicate that metformin mediates a cardioprotective effect against isoproterenol-induced MI via antioxidant activity and modulation of the NF-[PHI]B signaling pathway. This suggests that metformin would be beneficial in MI treatment.

Anticonvulsants -- Dosage and administration, Epilepsy -- Diagnosis, Epilepsy -- Drug therapy, Epilepsy -- Research, and Prevalence studies (Epidemiology) -- Analysis

Context: Medication nonadherence is a significant barrier in achieving seizure freedom in patients with epilepsy. There is a deficiency of data about the reasons for nonadherence in Saudi population. Aims: [...]

Blood donors -- Social aspects, Health behavior -- Evaluation, Medical research, and Medicine, Experimental

INTRODUCTION Blood donation (BD) is an imperative element of health care [1]. It is a process of collection of blood, plasma or other blood components from a donor and then [...]
Background and Aims: Blood donation (BD) is described as altruistic behavior and one of the life-saving practices. The deficit of blood supply from BD has become a global concern. Knowledge, attitude, practice, and motivation play a key role in BD. This study is aimed to determine the factors that hinder the healthy individuals who have not donated blood yet from BD, by exploring the demographic and other variables among the citizens of Jeddah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at Faculty of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU), Jeddah, KSA, between June 01, 2016 to June 30, 2016. The study included 327 participants who were selected by convenient random sampling in the Jeddah City. The data was collected by using the online distribution of the previously validated questionnaire. Results: Half of the participants (51.1%) have good knowledge about BD. More than two-thirds of participants showed a positive attitude towards BD. Majority of participants (87.7%) claimed that they will donate blood if the recipient is a friend or relative. The most chosen reasons for not donating blood among participants were BD did not cross their minds (23.9%), no time for BD (17.1%) and fear of needles (13.8%). Mobile blood campaign (84.4%) and one day off (83.2%) were important motivating factors for most of the participants. Almost half of the participants (52.29%) mentioned that BD should be non-remunerable, 26.61% agreed that remuneration is a motive and 21.10% believe that any form of gift is acceptable as a motivating factor for BD. Conclusion: Although most of the participants have good knowledge and positive attitude towards BD, still numerous potential and eligible donors evade BD. More awareness and motivational programmes are required to bring more individuals to the pool of regular donors. Keywords: Attitude, blood donation, knowledge, motivation, practice, Saudi Arabia.

Composite materials -- Usage, Composite materials -- Health aspects, Carbon fibers -- Usage, Carbon fibers -- Health aspects, and Cell adhesion -- Models

INTRODUCTION Carbon fibers are defined as a fiber materials containing at least 92 wt % carbon in composition, however the fiber containing at least 99 wt % carbon is usually [...]
Background: The performance of composites profoundly depends on the quality of the fiber-matrix interface. Good interfacial adhesion provides composites with structural integrity and efficient load transfer between fiber and matrix. Nevertheless, untreated carbon fibers are extremely inert and hence have low adhesion to resin matrices. In the meantime, the relatively weak transverse and interlaminar properties significantly limit the composite performance and service life. To overcome these barriers, a fiber-based reinforcement which has strong interfacial adhesion to the matrix is highly desired to improve the overall composite properties. Aim of the study: was to assess the Effect of different surface Treatments of Carbon fibers and their influence on the interfacial properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites. Methods: A review of the scientific literature (from 1970 to 2017). Pubmed, Embase and CENTRAL were searched to identify studies that investigated the different types of surface treatment of carbon fibers and how this can affect the quality of carbon fiber composite. Identification of papers and data extraction were performed by different independent researchers. Conclusion: Various combinations of surface treatment of carbon fibers are crucial to improve its adhesion with various matrices. Treatment significantly influences fiber characteristics. Nevertheless, optimization is required to select appropriate treatment method per application and desired properties. Keywords: Carbon fibers, surface treatment, composites.

Dyslipidemias -- Development and progression, Dyslipidemias -- Care and treatment, Primary health care -- Methods, Medical research, and Medicine, Experimental

INTRODUCTION Managing dyslipidemia is an essential part of most practice guidelines with several variations between these guidelines. However, usually these guidelines are not followed widely on the level of primary [...]
Introduction: Management of dyslipidemia is an important part of most practice guidelines with many variations between these guidelines. Unfortunately, usually these guidelines are not followed widely on the level of primary care, possibly due to insufficient qualification of health care staff in primary care, non-participation in recent guidelines, and unrealistic target assigned to patients that leads them to non-compliance with medication and follow-up. Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 2001, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: dyslipidemia, primary health care dyslipidemia management, follow-up of dyslipidemia. Aim: In this review, we aimed at evaluating the management expected from primary health care for risk assessment, treatment and follow-up of patients with dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Many guidelines exist for the proper management of dyslipidemia in the primary care setting. Screening is crucial for preventing the cardiovascular sequelae of dyslipidemia. Management modalities include lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy, while the significance of follow-up cannot be neglected. Keywords: primary health care dyslipidemia management, follow-up of dyslipidemia, statin therapy, non-statin therapy

Company business management, Women -- Health aspects, Women -- Management, Medical research, and Medicine, Experimental

INTRODUCTION Nowadays, ionizing radiation has become an important technique used for patients' imaging in many diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine procedures (1)..In the United States alone, use of Computed Tomography [...]
Background: Radio-diagnostics has become widespread nowadays for identification of diseases, however, a lot of patients, especially females of reproductive age lack awareness of risk factors involved with ionizing radiations. This study aimed to assess the awareness regarding the risk of radiation exposure to female patients and evaluation of the medical staffs' efforts to exclude pregnancy prior to sending patients for radiology examination. Methods: Three-part questionnaires were used for evaluation of reproductive aged female patients who were undergoing investigations with ionizing radiations in January 2017 at Radiology Department in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: 43.7%, 65.3%, and 89.6% of physicians, radiologists and receptionists respectively, ask about pregnancy while only a few of them asked about possibility of pregnancy and the first day in last menstrual cycle of the patient. Overall, 91% and 75.2% of patients estimated the risk of cancer from chest radiography and CT respectively; being very small. However, 76.6% of patients correctly thought that CT gave more amounts of radiation than X-rays and 61.3% of patients agreed that it is more important for their physician to diagnose their condition with CT than to worry about the radiation exposure. Conclusion: These data suggests that females have incomplete understanding about risks associate with radiations, in addition to which most of clinical practitioners also do not ask about the possibility of pregnancy which puts patients at a greater risk. Keywords: Awareness; Females; Pregnancy; Risks; Radiation.

Company business management and Elementary schools -- Surveys

Introduction Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in school-age children and adolescents have been recognized as a serious issue globally because of their alarmingly high frequency and the nature of treatment, which [...]
Aim: This study investigated the knowledge of elementary school staff regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children. Methods: The present cross-sectional study analyzed data collected between September 2016 and April 2017. The sample consisted of 2,027 elementary school staff members in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A stratified cluster random sampling technique was used to select the required sample. Those who agreed to participate in the study completed a 4-part self-administered questionnaire comprising questions regarding demographic data, knowledge on management of tooth fracture, and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases. Results: The majority of the school staff showed inadequate basic knowledge regarding the importance of saving the broken piece of the tooth and identifying the tooth involved in the trauma (67% and 66.3%, respectively), P<0.05. However, they had a significantly high number of correct responses regarding the immediate management of TDIs for the 2 case scenarios presented in the questionnaire (P<0.05), and the majority (41%) reported normal saline as a suitable storage medium (P<0.01). Conclusion: This study revealed a lack of knowledge in certain aspects of TDIs among elementary school staff. Keywords: school staff, knowledge, traumatic dental injuries

Company business management, Home and school -- Surveys, Primary health care -- Surveys, Education -- Parent participation, and Education -- Surveys

Introduction One of the most common dental problems seen in children is injury to both primary and permanent dentition and supporting structures, typically caused by accidental falls. (1,2) Such injuries [...]
Objective: This study investigated the knowledge of Saudi mothers regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires was employed for mothers chosen by stratified-cluster random sampling technique from primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a period of 12 months (July 2016-June 2017). The questionnaire surveyed mothers' background and knowledge on management of tooth fracture and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases. Results: The sample consisted of 3,367 Saudi mothers. More than half of the mothers (55.3%) gave the correct response, which was to send the child with tooth fracture immediately to the dentist (p<0.01). The majority of mothers (41.6%) gave the correct response for the immediate mode of action, which was to save the avulsed tooth in storage medium and send the child to the dentist immediately (p<0.001). However, they prioritized the immediate management of TDIs, and most reported saline as a suitable storage medium (p<0.001). The mothers expressed a positive interest in further education. Conclusion: Educational programs and TDI protocols must be implemented to increase mothers' awareness and improve the prognosis of children with TDIs. Keywords: mothers, knowledge, traumatic dental injuries

Fibrosis -- Physiological aspects, Fibrosis -- Care and treatment, Heart diseases -- Physiological aspects, Heart diseases -- Care and treatment, and Cardiac patients -- Physiological aspects

Introduction Tissue fibrosis occurs when synthesis of the collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM), primarily by cardiac fibroblasts, occurs at a higher rate than degradation, resulting in net ECM deposition, alterations in [...]
Cardiac fibrosis is a significant global health problem that is closely associated with multiple forms of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. Fibrosis increases myocardial wall stiffness due to excessive extracellular matrix deposition, causing impaired systolic and diastolic function, and facilitating arrhythmogenesis. As a result, patient morbidity and mortality are often dramatically elevated compared with those with cardiovascular disease but without overt fibrosis, demonstrating that fibrosis itself is both a pathologic response to existing disease and a significant risk factor for exacerbation of the underlying condition. The lack of any specific treatment for cardiac fibrosis in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease is a critical gap in our ability to care for these individuals. Here we provide an overview of the development of cardiac fibrosis, and discuss new research directions that have recently emerged and that may lead to the creation of novel treatments for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Such treatments would, ideally, complement existing therapy by specifically focusing on amelioration of fibrosis. Key words: cardiac fibrosis, extracellular matrix, fibrosis therapy, fibroblast, myofibroblast. A l'echelle mondiale, la fibrose cardiaque est un important probleme de sante etroitement lie a diverses formes de maladies cardiaques, y compris l'infarctus du myocarde, la cardiomyopathie dilatee et le diabete. La fibrose entraine une augmentation de la rigidite de la paroi myocardique en raison du depot d'un exces de matrice extracellulaire, ce qui affecte les fonctions systolique et diastolique et qui favorise l'arythmogenese. En consequence, les taux de morbidite et de mortalite des patients sont souvent considerablement plus eleves qu'en absence de fibrose manifeste, ce qui montre que la fibrose elle-meme est a la fois une reaction pathologique a une maladie existante et un important facteur de risque de l'exacerbation de l'affection sous-jacente. Le manque de tout traitement specifique de la fibrose cardiaque chez les patients atteints de maladie cardiovasculaire constitue une lacune cruciale dans notre capacite de soigner ces personnes. Nous presentons ici un apercu de la formation de fibrose cardiaque, et nous discutons de nouvelles avenues de recherche emergentes qui pourraient mener au developpement de nouveaux traitements pour les patients atteints de maladies cardiovasculaires. Idealement, de tels traitements pourraient apporter un complement aux traitements existants en se centrant specifiquement sur des ameliorations en matiere de fibrose. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: fibrose cardiaque, matrice extracellulaire, traitement de la fibrose, fibroblaste, myofibroblaste.

Adults

Byline: Danah Aljaafari, Alfonso Fasano, Fabio A. Nascimento, Anthony E. Lang, Danielle M. Andrade Keywords: Epileptic encephalopathy; Epilepsy; SCN1A mutation; Dravet; Lennox-Gastaut syndrome Summary Distinguishing adult patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome from those with Dravet syndrome is challenging. We have previously reported that patients with Dravet syndrome present a very peculiar motor phenotype. Here we sought to confirm that this association was not linked to the chronic use of antiepileptic drugs or the many lifetime seizures. To this aim, we studied 14 adult patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and 14 adults with Dravet syndrome because both conditions share similar seizure severity. We found that antecollis and parkinsonian gait were significantly more common in the Dravet group, thus suggesting that these features are part of the Dravet syndrome adult phenotype.

Orthodontists -- Practice, Laser therapy -- Usage, Teeth -- Impaction, Teeth -- Care and treatment, and Teeth -- Roots

Purpose: The effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with light-emitting diode (LED) delivery (Biolux OrthoPulse[R] device) were tested for no differences from sham-controlled conventional orthodontics in maxillary anterior alignment treatment [...]

Online game, Online games, and Violence

Objectives

Protein-protein interactions -- Observations and Binding proteins -- Health aspects

Introduction Our understanding of biological processes at the cellular level has been underpinned by the traditional disciplines of genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Over the last decade, focus has shifted [...]
Molecular recognition reagents are key tools for understanding biological processes and are used universally by scientists to study protein expression, localisation and interactions. Antibodies remain the most widely used of such reagents and many show excellent performance, although some are poorly characterised or have stability or batch variability issues, supporting the use of alternative binding proteins as complementary reagents for many applications. Here we report on the use of Affimer proteins as research reagents. We selected 12 diverse molecular targets for Affimer selection to exemplify their use in common molecular and cellular applications including the (a) selection against various target molecules; (b) modulation of protein function in vitro and in vivo; (c) labelling of tumour antigens in mouse models; and (d) use in affinity fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy. This work shows that Affimer proteins, as is the case for other alternative binding scaffolds, represent complementary affinity reagents to antibodies for various molecular and cell biology applications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24903.001 eLife digest Many of the molecules that are essential for life are too small to be visible inside cells. So, scientists use large complex proteins called antibodies that bind to these molecules to detect whether they are present and show where they are in a cell. As well as being useful tools in experiments, these antibodies can be used to help identify and treat diseases. The body produces antibodies in response to an infection. The antibodies used in experiments are purified from animal blood, but this method of producing antibodies has flaws. For example, it can be difficult to make identical batches of antibody that always behave in the same way. So scientists have developed 'alternative binding proteins' that can be made in the laboratory. These proteins are much less complicated and can be developed more quickly than antibodies, and can easily be adapted for a variety of uses. An alternative binding protein called an Affimer behaves in a similar way to an antibody by binding tightly to its target molecule, but is much more stable to acidity and high temperature. Tiede et al. have now tested how well the Affimer works in a wide range of different experiments that normally use antibodies to analyse the amount of a particular molecule inside a cell. The results of the tests show that the Affimer behaves in the same way as antibodies, and sometimes works more effectively. Tiede et al. show that an Affimer can help to reveal how a particular molecule works within a cell, to create detailed pictures of molecules in cells and tissues, and to identify a tumour. It can also be used alongside a new technique called 'super-resolution microscopy' that allows researchers to watch the activity of individual molecules. Future challenges are to test the Affimer in even more applications and to encourage its wider use by researchers, alongside other alternative binding proteins, as as replacements for some antibodies. This could ultimately lead to the development of faster and more efficient diagnostic, imaging and therapeutic tests. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24903.002

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjo.2016.11.011 Byline: Danah Albreiki (*), Miso Gostimir ([dagger]), Vivek Patel ([double dagger]), James Farmer (*)(AaAeAeAs.) Author Affiliation: (*) Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont ([dagger]) University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ont ([double dagger]) USC Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif (AaAeAeAs.) Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont Article History: Received 11 July 2016; Accepted 9 November 2016