BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has recently markedly increased, incurring greater health care-associated costs and hospitalizations especially in vitamin D deficient patients. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the…
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased in incidence and severity worldwide, causing direct costs estimated to range from US $3.2 billion to $4.8 billion. The aim of this study was to investigate and identify factors that…
Chronic inflammation in aging is characterized by increased inflammatory cytokines, bone loss, decreased adaptation, and defective tissue repair in response to injury. Aging leads to inherent changes in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation,…
We previously reported on the importance of osteoactivin (OA/Gpnmb) in osteogenesis. In this study, we examined the role of OA in osteoclastogenesis, using mice with a nonsense mutation in the Gpnmb gene (D2J) and wild-type controls (D2J/Gpnmb(+)).…
Trauma during childhood and adolescence is a common event among people with a serious psychological disorder. Few studies assess a wide range of stressors for this population. This is surprising given that these stressful events are implicated in…
BACKGROUND: Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally, amounting to 48.5 million couples. Males are found to be solely responsible for 20-30% of infertility cases and contribute to 50% of cases overall. However, this number does not…
OBJECTIVE: Hedgehog (HH) signaling has recently been associated with cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis (OA). Because interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) has been implicated as a principal instigator of OA, we sought to determine whether
Mast cells (MCs) are important effector cells in asthma and pulmonary inflammation, and their proliferation and maturation is maintained by stem cell factor (SCF) via its receptor, c-Kit. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys-LTs) are potent inflammatory…
Much work has been done to unveil the mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis (DM) - mainly those involving certain pathogenic cytokines, termed "pathokines" as the principal cytokines involved. Recently, it has become clear that a…
INTRODUCTION: Establishing a boot camp curriculum is pertinent for emergency medicine (EM) residents in order to develop proficiency in a large scope of procedures and leadership skills. In this article, we describe our program's EM boot camp…
Aim: Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and IRAK4 play essential roles in the induction of inflammatory gene products. We aimed to investigate the effect of the inhibition of IRAK1 and IRAK4 kinase activities on neointimal formation…
Cetacean evolution was shaped by an extraordinary land-to-sea transition in which the ancestors of whales became fully aquatic. As part of this transition, these mammals evolved unusually thick blubber which acts as a metabolic reservoir as well as…
Adaptations to divert the attacks of visually guided predators have evolved repeatedly in animals. Using high-speed infrared videography, we show that luna moths (Actias luna) generate an acoustic diversion with spinning hindwing tails to deflect…
The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound convened a panel of specialists from radiology, hepatology, pathology, and basic science and physics to arrive at a consensus regarding the use of elastography in the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic…
The breast section of these Guidelines and Recommendations for Elastography produced under the auspices of the World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) assesses the clinically used applications of all forms of elastography used…
PURPOSE: To determine whether addition of quality measure (QM) of shear-wave (SW) velocity (Vs) estimation can increase SW elastography sensitivity for breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With written informed consent, this institutional review…
A 53-year-old man with a history of diabetic foot ulcer, osteomyelitis, coronary artery disease, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, presented with chest pain of 3 weeks duration. Eleven days earlier, the patient had had a drug-eluting stent (DES)…
Problems paying medical bills have been reported to be associated with increased stress, bankruptcy, and forgone medical care. Using the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations developed by Gelberg et al as a framework, as well as data from the…
Organizational characteristics may impede the uniform adoption of advance care planning (ACP) best practices. We conducted telephone interviews with site directors of a Midwestern state's Medicaid waiver program administered by the Area Agencies on…
Nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in the motoric and glutamate releasing action of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-antagonist stimulants. Earlier studies utilized neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (nNOS) for studying the neurobehavioral…
INTRODUCTION: The elderly population has proven to be vulnerable in times of a disaster. Many have chronic medical problems for which they depend on medications or medical equipment. Some older adults are dependent on caregivers for managing their…
OBJECTIVE: Two common mass casualty triage algorithms are Simple Triage Algorithm and Rapid Treatment (START) and Sort, Assess, Lifesaving, Interventions, Treatment, and Transportation (SALT). We sought to determine the START and SALT efficacy in…
BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography is considered the most appropriate initial imaging study in the evaluation of acute appendicitis in children but has recently come under criticism with reports of low specificity and high indeterminate study rates,…
It would be unusual to find a current medical school administrator or faculty member who has not heard the phrase "literature and medicine" or who does not know that literature is taught in various forms-short stories, novels, poems, essays-at many…
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common disorder with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly for older adults. Risk factors include comorbid conditions commonly found in older patients as well as immunocompromising conditions such…
Pharmacy residency programs have become increasingly competitive in recent years, and changes to the residency search and application process have altered the process for matching with a residency. In this article, major residency topics, from the…