ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among the aging population. The "response-to-injury" model proposed by Dr. Russell Ross in 1999 emphasizes inflammation as a critical factor in atherosclerosis development, with atherosclerotic plaques forming due to endothelial cell (EC) injury, followed by myeloid cell adhesion and invasion into the blood vessel walls. Recent evidence indicates that cancer and its treatments can lead to long-term complications, including CVD. Cellular senescence, a hallmark of aging, is implicated in CVD pathogenesis, particularly in cancer survivors. However, the precise mechanisms linking premature senescence to CVD in cancer survivors remain poorly understood. This article aims to provide mechanistic insights into this association and propose future directions to better comprehend this complex interplay.
ABSTRACT
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a rare and complex progression of the disease due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). In this case report, we present the findings of a 53-year-old male who was diagnosed with obstructing respiratory papillomatosis of the trachea and underwent several procedures until the disease progressed to squamous cell carcinoma. Our objective with this case report is to contribute to a broader understanding of this disease by reporting a clinical case.
ABSTRACT
The present report describes the case of a 27-year-old male with a longstanding diagnosis of melanoma with metastatic disease treated with nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. He presented with a chronic cough of unknown etiology, not responsive to standard of care treatment with cough suppressants. In view of this, a bronchoscopy was done, and biopsies were taken. The patient was diagnosed with eosinophilic tracheitis secondary to nivolumab. His symptoms improved with steroids and cessation of the immune checkpoint inhibitor. Prescribing physicians should be aware of these rare and potentially life-threatening toxic effects.
ABSTRACT
Quantification of gait changes in response to altered environmental stimuli may allow for improved understanding of the mechanisms that influence gait changes and fall occurrence in older adults. This study explored how systematic manipulation of a single dimension of one's environment affects spatiotemporal gait parameters. A total of 20 older adult participants walked at a self-selected pace in a constructed research hallway featuring a mobile wall, which allowed manipulation of the hallway width between three conditions: 1.14 m, 1.31 m, and 1.48 m. Spatiotemporal data from participants' walks were captured using an instrumented GAITRite mat. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed older adults spent significantly more time in double support in the narrowest hallway width compared to the widest, but did not significantly alter other spatiotemporal measures. Small-scale manipulations of a single dimension of the environment led to subtle, yet in some cases significant changes in gait, suggesting that small or even imperceptible environmental changes may contribute to altered gait patterns for older adults.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To characterize extracellular vesicles (EVs) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva samples from healthy/gingivitis and periodontitis patients and correlate them with clinical inflammatory periodontal parameters. MATERIAL AND METHOD: An exploratory study, including 86 subjects, was conducted. Clinical and periodontal data were recorded, and oral fluid samples were obtained. EVs were precipitated by ExoQuick-TC™ and characterized by nanoparticle tracking (NanoSight™), Western blot (WB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ELISA analysis. RESULTS: TEM showed nanoparticles morphologically compatible with EVs, and WB analysis revealed bands of specific EV markers (CD9, TSG101, and Alix) in both oral fluids of periodontitis and healthy/gingivitis subjects. The total concentration of EVs in GCF was increased in periodontitis patients compared to healthy/gingivitis subjects (p = .017). However, we did not observe differences in the EV concentration of saliva samples (p = .190). The size of GCF-EVs was 144.2 nm in periodontitis and 160.35 nm in healthy/gingivitis patients (p = .038). The CD63 exosome marker was increased in GCF of periodontitis patients (p = .00001). The total concentration of EVs in GCF was correlated with bleeding on probing (rho = 0.63, p = .002), periodontal probing depth (rho = 0.56, p = .009), and clinical attachment level (rho = 0.48, p = .030). CONCLUSION: Periodontitis patients have an increased concentration of EVs in GCF, and their role in periodontitis should be clarified.
ABSTRACT
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability worldwide, with 70 percent of survivors exhibiting residual impairments of the upper limb that require frequent in-person visits to rehabilitation clinic over several months. This study explored rehabilitation clinician's preferences for design features to be included in an mHealth-enabled app for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation. Data were collected via online survey, sampling participants from Ethiopia (n = 69) and the United States (n = 75). Survey results indicated that Ethiopian and US rehabilitation clinicians have different opinions about the importance of design features that should be included in a stroke tele-rehabilitation system which are likely due to differences in culture, the availability of human and physical resources, and how the field of rehabilitation is organized and managed. Our results, thus, indicate that mHealth technologies must be tailored to the geographical and cultural context of the end users.
