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Background: To evaluate the safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of bone metastases in oligometastatic disease and to investigate prognostic factors of local control (LC), progression/disease-free survival (PDFS), and overall survival (OS)., Methods: Eligibility criteria were number of metastates ≤5, controlled primary tumor without evidence of progression under systemic therapy, exclusion of surgery, and no previous radiotherapy of the lesion of interest. Oligometastatic status was classified into only bone (BOD) and outside bone disease (OBOD), whereas SBRT was delivered to bone lesions using 2 different schedules: 24 Gy/1 fraction or 27 Gy/3 fractions. A positron emission tomography study of the lesion of interest was performed at baseline and at 3 months after SBRT to evaluate metabolic response according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria. A Cox regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis., Results: Between January 2010 and December 2013, 40 patients were enrolled. Only 1 patient experienced severe late toxicity (radiation-related fracture). Local control was longer among responders' than nonresponders' lesions (94.2% and 91.2% versus 63% and 35% at 1 and 2 years, respectively) (p = 0.004; hazard ratio = 9.958). The multivariate analysis of PDFS showed a significant correlation with planning target volume (PTV) size (p = 0.003) and oligometastatic status (p = 0.002). The multivariate analysis of OS confirmed a statistically significant value of the oligometastatic status (p = 0.002) and a significant trend for PTV size (p = 0.065)., Conclusions: Stereotactic body radiotherapy is safe with a low incidence of severe toxicity. Positron emission tomography response was a strong prognostic factor of LC whereas BOD status and small PTV size could identify a subset of oligometastatic patients at better prognosis.

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) plays an important role as exclusive treatment in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Unfortunately, in some cases, benefit for patients is not recorded and only treatment-related complications are registered., Materials and Methods: Data relating to Akt1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and response to treatment of 46 patients treated with exclusive RT or RT-CT for HNSCC were evaluated., Results: For heterozygous patients median overall survival was 28.5 months, while for the wild-type group median overall survival was 10.9 (p=0.019). Three-year survival was 85% for mutated Akt1 homozygosis and 40% for patients with a heterozygous status (p=0.019, hazard ratio (HR)=7.960)., Conclusion: SNP of rs2498804 can recognize patients resistant to RT-CT. Further studies are needed to confirm our data and to investigate the role of Akt SNPs in HNSCC patients., (Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

The physical properties induced by layer stacking in two dimensional materials are fascinating. Here, a hexagonal Kagome lattice V2Se3 is constructed to investigate the dependence of the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) and the phase transition on the different stacking. Based on first principles calculations, the tight-binding model, and the irreducible representations, it is found that QAHE with a Chern number of 1 can be realized in the V2Se3 monolayer. While the V2Se3 bilayer is constructed, the interlayer interaction affects the Dirac cone, so QAHE with Chern number changes from −1 to 2 can be obtained by changing the different stacking patterns. On the other hand, applying biaxial tensile strain and changing stacking patterns in the V2Se3 bilayer will affect the d orbitals of the V atoms. In bilayer V2Se3, applying biaxial tensile strain affects the d orbitals of the V atoms that constitute the Dirac cone, and then a topological phase transition appears. Moreover, changing the stacking patterns induces the hybridization competition of the d orbitals, which leads to a magnetic phase transition. Constructing a Kagome bilayer and changing their stacking patterns paves a pathway in exploring quantum effects of topology and magnetism in layered materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) stands as the most prevalent metabolic disorder globally. T2DM entails numerous cardiovascular complications, which contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality, and increased public spending worldwide. The real challenge for new diabetes drugs lies not only in reducing blood glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin but also in preventing cardiovascular risk. Emerging receptor agonists for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1RAs) have demonstrated a pivotal role in diabetes management and mitigating cardiovascular risk., Methods: We conducted a 12-month longitudinal investigation evaluating the cardio-metabolic effects of GLP-1RAs on a cohort of 65 Caucasian patients diagnosed with T2DM who were scheduled for treatment with GLP-1RAs. Fifty-four T2DM patients successfully completed the 12-month study period, with 30 receiving dulaglutide and 24 receiving semaglutide., Results: In our study population, GLP-1RAs resulted in several positive changes beyond the observed weight loss: a shift in fat distribution, indicated by a reduction in the percentage of visceral fat (1.21 vs. 1.17, p < 0.05); a significant decrease in LDL cholesterol levels (p < 0.05) and triglycerides (p < 0.01); and a significant increase in serum adiponectin levels (p < 0.05), potentially indicating a reduction in insulin resistance and inflammation. Additionally, we observed a significant decrease in microalbuminuria and media-intimal thickness at the carotid vessel level (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: In patients with T2DM 1-year therapy with GLP-1RAs has a positive effect on the main determinants of cardiovascular risk including body weight, visceral fat, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. Moreover, the increase in adiponectin may play a pivotal role in controlling the inflammatory state and the mechanisms of vascular damage., Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was performed in line with the principles of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for the study protocol (ID 14783/19). All the study patients gave their written informed consent to participate in the study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Suicide research and suicide prevention have given comparatively little attention to the older adult residents of nursing homes. This population is characterized by advanced age, significant infirmity, limited autonomy and social connections, and other factors associated with high suicide risk such as self-neglect. However, little is known of the actual incidence and prevalence of suicide in older adults in such residential care settings, partly because of how such deaths are reported. Suicide risk screenings are nominal, facility staff lack training to identify signs of suicidality, and suicide prevention programs are not common in the nursing home industry. These deficits can be remedied by increasing awareness among family members, facility caregivers, contracted providers, community aging services, accrediting and regulatory agencies, and residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

30 Dachet L, Ravits S. Predicting disease stage specific spinal motor neurons and glia in sporadic ALS patients. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2012; 32 Song C, Ravits L. Activation of microglial neuregulin1 signaling in the corticospinal tracts of ALS patients with upper motor neuron signs. Monocytes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis linked to gene mutations display altered TDP-43 subcellular distribution. [Extracted from the article]

The deposition of vanadium metal on SrTiO3 results in the spontaneous scavenging of oxygen ions from SrTiO3 to oxidize vanadium to VOx, where x = 0.3–1.1, depending on the deposition temperature. At temperatures above 700 °C, an epitaxial film of the rock salt compound vanadium monoxide is formed on both SrTiO3 (111) and SrTiO3 (100) substrates. Surprisingly, oxygen scavenging and epitaxy persist for thicknesses over 800 Å with no sign of degradation. We describe the growth process and layer-by-layer characterization of the films using in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as ex situ in-plane and out-of-plane x-ray diffraction and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy. This easy method of growing vanadium monoxide with controlled stoichiometry can provide new opportunities to study this normally hard to synthesize material known for the highly correlated nature of its electronic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibrating macrophages for lung homeostasis: Dysregulation of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the lung results in the accumulation of surfactant, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and respiratory failure if left untreated. Shoger et al. found that CISH, a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family, was increased in abundance in response to the homeostatic cytokine GM-CSF. Loss of CISH led to increased GM-CSF signaling, the generation of enlarged, foamy AMs, the increased abundance and activity of the transcriptional regulator GATA2, and dysregulation of genes responsible for AM function. These findings suggest that the fine-tuning of cytokine signaling is required to regulate tissue-specific pathways that maintain macrophage identity and function. Tissue-specific cytokine stimuli orchestrate specialized homeostatic functions of resident macrophages. In the lung, steady-state signaling by the cytokine GM-CSF is critical for alveolar macrophage (AM) development and function. Here, we showed that CISH, a suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family member that is acutely induced by diverse cytokine stimuli in many tissues, was expressed constitutively in AMs in response to steady-state GM-CSF signaling. Cish deficiency led to the generation of foamy AMs and the accumulation of pulmonary surfactant. These phenotypic changes were associated with enhanced activation of STAT5, AKT, and ERK and increased expression of the gene encoding the transcription factor GATA2. RNA-seq analysis of Cish−/− AMs revealed a set of dysregulated immune and lipid-process modules, including the increased expression of genes enriched for GATA2-binding motifs. Last, Cish-deficient, bone marrow–derived macrophages showed increased Gata2 expression and accumulated more lipid upon incubation with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with Cish-sufficient cells. Thus, CISH is part of a feedback loop that constrains homeostatic cytokine signaling and Gata2 expression to maintain AM identity and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study reports the results of a monocentric prospective analysis conducted with the aim of evaluating the impact of XRCC1 rs25487, XRCC3 rs861539, XRCC3 rs1799794, RAD51 rs1801320 and GSTP-1 rs1695 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on patients with high-grade glioma treated with concomitant radio-chemotherapy. From October 2010 to August 2019, a total of 75 patients aged ≥18 years, with histological diagnosis of high-grade glioma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1/2 wild type and treated with radio-chemotherapy and sequential chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) were prospectively recruited. The local ethic committee approved this study (Comitato Etico di Area Vasta Nord Ovest [CEAVNO]; protocol 3304/2011). After a median follow up of 25 months (range: 7–98 months), median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 11 months (CI95%: 8–14 months) and 18 months (CI95%: 15–21 months), respectively. In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, a statistically significant association with PFS and OS was found with XRCC3 rs1799794 SNP. The study suggests that XRCC3 rs1799794 SNP can be associated with different PFS and OS in glioblastoma patients treated with radio-chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is a technique for delivering high doses of radiation to tumors while preserving the normal tissues located around this area. Bone metastases are frequent in cancer patients. They can be distressingly painful or may cause pathological fractures. Radiation therapy is a fundamental aspect of treatment for bone metastases. The objective of this study is to analyze the literature on non-spine bone metastasis treated with SBRT, including immobilization, volume delineation, dose and fractionation, local control, side effects, and assessment of response after treatment. Full-text articles written in English language and published in the last 10 years were included in this review and were accessible on PubMed and MEDLINE. We examined 78 articles. A total of 40 studies were included in this review. Most were retrospective studies. The articles included were evaluated for content and validation. The immobilization systems and imaging tests used for tumor delimitation were variable between studies. The use of CTV (Clinical Target Volume) has not been defined. Doses and fractions were variable from 15 to 24 Gy/1 fraction to 24-50 Gy in 3-5 fractions, with local control being around 90% with a low rate of side effects. We review state of the art in SBRT non-spine metastases. SBRT can result in better local control and pain management in non-spine bone metastases patients. We need more research in volume delineation determining whether or not to use CTV and the role of MRI in volume contouring, optimal doses, and fractionation according to histology and a reliable response assessment tool. Studies that compare SBRT to conventional radiotherapy in local control and pain control are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by genetic variety. The 3020insC variant of the NOD2/CARD15 gene results in the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. Chronic inflammation and abnormal function of the proteasome system may lead to MM development. The polymorphism (-8C>G) in the PSMA6 gene affects proteasome activity. The aim of our study was to analyze the possible relationship of NOD/CARD15 and PSMA6 genes with the risk of development and outcome of MM, as well as the sensitivity to bortezomib (proteasome inhibitor) in cell cultures derived from MM patients. Objects and Methods. Genomic DNA from 100 newly diagnosed MM patients and 100 healthy blood donors was analyzed by methods such as PCR-RFLP (for PSMA6 genotyping) and automated DNA sequencing (for NOD2/CARD15 genotyping). In a subgroup of 50 MM patients, nucleated bone marrow cells were treated with bortezomib in vitro. Results. Patients with PSMA6 CG+GG genotypes had higher chances for progressive disease (OR = 5.0 , 95% CI 1.07-23.16, p = 0.05), shorter overall survival taking into account the type of treatment (p = 0.039), and increased risk of death due to MM at the level of tendency (OR = 4.74 , 95% CI 1.02-21.97, p = 0.06). The presence of NOD2/CARD15 3020insC decreased the risk of renal dysfunction in MM (OR = 0.23 , 95% CI 0.07-0.74, p = 0.009). The analyzed changes in NOD2/CARD15 and PSMA6 genes did not impact the MM risk. In an in vitro study, bortezomib increased the number of apoptotic cells at 8 nM and 12 nM between wild-type and 3030insC variants of NOD2/CARD15 (p = 0.018 and p = 0.03 , respectively). Conclusion. The presented results suggest a possible impact of PSMA6 CG+GG genotypes on the MM outcome and the association of the NOD2/CARD15 variant with bortezomib in vitro sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to develop and prioritize recommendations for prevention of suicide among nursing home residents. The study employed a nominal group technique, comprising three rounds, including two forums and a follow-up survey to prioritize recommendations for prevention. Participants included experts and stakeholders in aged care, geriatric psychiatry, suicide prevention, and public policy. The study was conducted and described in accordance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ). Nine participants (n = 6 males, 66%) developed eleven recommendations for prevention. The top three prioritized recommendations included expanding state and national suicide prevention frameworks, aligning nursing home life with community living, and improving residents' access to mental health services. The recommendations provide a foundation for suicide prevention strategies in Australian nursing homes and contribute to the limited international knowledge base on prevention of suicide among nursing home residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 24, 1998, Remicade® (infliximab), the first tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) inhibitor, received its initial marketing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Crohn's disease. Subsequently, Remicade was approved in another five adult and two pediatric indications both in the USA and across the globe. In the 20 years since this first approval, Remicade has made several important contributions to the advancement of science and medicine: 1) clinical trials with Remicade established the proof of concept that targeted therapy can be effective in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; 2) as the first monoclonal antibody approved for use in a chronic condition, Remicade helped in identifying methods of administering large, foreign proteins repeatedly while limiting the body's immune response to them; 3) the need to establish Remicade's safety profile required developing new methods and setting new standards for postmarketing safety studies, specifically in the real-world setting, in terms of approach, size, and duration of follow-up; 4) the study of Remicade has improved our understanding of TNF's role in the immune system, as well as our understanding of the pathophysiology of a range of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation; and 5) Remicade and other TNF inhibitors have transformed treatment practices in these chronic inflammatory diseases: remission has become a realistic goal of therapy and long-term disability resulting from structural damage can be prevented. This paper reviews how, over the course of its development and 20 years of use in clinical practice, Remicade was able to make these contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (GCM) has a fulminant course and typically presents in middle-aged adults with acute heart failure or ventricular arrhythmia. It is a rare disorder which involves T lymphocyte-mediated myocardial inflammation. Diagnosis is challenging and requires a high index of suspicion since therapy may improve an otherwise uniformly fatal prognosis. Case Summary. A previously healthy 54-year-old female presented with hemodynamically significant ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and was found to have severe left ventricular dysfunction. Cardiac MRI demonstrated acute myocarditis, and endomyocardial biopsy showed giant cell myocarditis. She was treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy as well as guideline-directed medical therapy. A secondary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was implanted. Discussion. GCM is a rare, lethal myocarditis subtype but is potentially treatable. Combined immunosuppression may achieve partial clinical remission in two-thirds of patients. VA is common, and patients should undergo ICD implantation. More research is needed to better understand this complex disease. Learning Objectives. Giant cell myocarditis is an incompletely understood, rare cause of myocarditis. Patients present predominately with heart failure and dysrhythmia. Diagnosis is confirmed by histopathology, and immunosuppression may improve outcomes. ICD implantation should be considered. In the absence of treatment, prognosis is poor with a median survival of three months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine associations between health status and care needs of nursing home residents and risk of death from suicide compared to other causes through a retrospective data linkage cohort study examining nursing home resident deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2013. Data linkage was performed between aged care assessment tools-Resident Classification System and Aged Care Funding Instrument-and the National Coronial Information System. A competing risks survival analysis was performed to determine the association between care assessment variables (activities of daily living (ADL), behavior, and complex health care) and the risk of death from suicide and any other cause. Of the 146 nursing home residents who died from suicide, 130 (89%) were matched to their assessment data, with comparable information available for 95 residents (65%). Residents who required high levels of care with ADL, physical health care, and cognitive and behavioral issues had a higher risk of dying from all other causes, yet lower risk of dying from suicide. The study findings demonstrate the feasibility and value of linking these two data sets; highlight a need for improved data collection processes; and support a person-centered care approach for prevention of suicide among nursing home residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to treat non-spine bone metastases (NSBM) is becoming increasingly common in clinical practice. The clinical advantages of SBRT include good pain control and high local control rates, although only limited data are available. The Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) SBRT group recently convened a task force of experts in the field to address key questions related to SBRT for NSBM, including treatment indications, planning, techniques, and dose fractionation. The task force reviewed the available literature to develop evidence-based recommendations for the safe application of NSBM SBRT and to standardize and optimize SBRT processes. The present document provides a comprehensive analysis of the available data, including ongoing clinical trials and controversies, providing clinically applicable recommendations., (© 2021. Federación de Sociedades Españolas de Oncología (FESEO).)

Objective: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), caused by the rupture of intracranial aneurysms, is a devastating event with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) plays a critical role in the potential loss of life as its sufferers are usually of a young age. We aimed to investigate the incidence of aSAH along with the patients’ characteristics over five consecutive years in Fars, a large province located in Southern Iran. Methods: In this prospective study, anonymous data of all patients diagnosed with aSAH in Fars province were collected after patient admission and surgery. Data from the last national census in 2011 were used to calculate the incidence. The data were analysed using SPSS software version 18 using independent sample t test, chi square test and ANOVA. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The number of aSAH cases identified in Fars, Iran, each year varied between 78 (2011) and 98 (2015) for a total of 421 aSAH cases within the 5-year study period. The annual aSAH incidence estimates showed no differences and were 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58–1.72], 1.70 (95%CI: 1.68–1.72), 1.71 (95%CI: 1.63–1.78), 1.82 (95%CI: 1.74–1.9), and 2.05 (95%CI: 1.97–2.13) per 100,000 persons, respectively, for the five consecutive years from 21 March 2011 to 20 March 2016. Hypertension was the most common risk factor, and was found in 198 (48%) aSAH patients. Ninety-four (22.5%) patients had moderate hydrocephalus on admission. Middle cerebral artery and anterior communicating artery were the most common sites of aneurysms. On admission, 351 (83%) patients had a Glasgow Coma Scale score >7, 197 (47%) presented with Hunt and Hess score of 1, and 365 (87%) had a Fisher score of ≤3. Multiple aneurysms were found in 59 (14%) of the 421 cases and the most common risk factors in multiple aneurysms were hypertension in 30 (51%) and smoking in 26 (44%) cases. Survival data were available only on patients diagnosed in year 2015, and the six-month survival rate was 89.8%. Conclusions: This study revealed that although the incidence of aSAH remained stable, the survival of aSAH patients who reached the hospital alive and were operated on, improved in Shiraz (the six-month survival rate was 89.8% in year 2015). The incidence and survival study on aSAH in other geographic areas of Iran as a multi-centre study is recommended. There is a need to inform primary healthcare workers regarding the possibility of aSAH in a patient with signs of the sentinel headache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐associated mortality worldwide. Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is a prevalent and serious complication. The most common treatment for brain metastasis (BM) is still radiation therapy (RT). An increasing number of drugs have been shown to have intracranial activity or to sensitize tumours to radiotherapy. Methods: Consecutive advanced multiline therapy failure in patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with BM at the authors' hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients were divided into two groups: Apatinib+RT group and RT group. Intracranial progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analysed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The median intracranial PFS for the RT group and Apatinib+RT group was 5.83 months and 11.81 months (p = 0.034). The median OS for the RT group and Apatinib+RT group was 9.02 months and 13.62 months (p = 0.311). The Apatinib+RT group had a better intracranial PFS, but there were no significant differences between the two arms in OS. The Apatinib+RT group had significantly reduced symptoms caused by BM. Conclusion: RT combined with apatinib could help to control intracranial metastases. The Apatinib+RT group had significantly reduced symptoms caused by BM and improved quality of life for patients, the safety of the two treatments was similar. Advances in knowledge: Here, we propose that RT combined with apatinib can significantly relieve brain symptoms and tolerate side‐effects without affecting OS in patients with BM following failure of multiline therapy for NSCLC. Of course, this paper is a retrospective origin study, and more powerful evidence is needed to demonstrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks into the mobilization of progenitor cell in patients with acute and chronic coronary artery disease. Significantly, tissue ischemia is considered as a major trigger for progenitor cell mobilization due to the massive release of reactive molecules brought about by myocardial necrosis and tissue inflammation. The results of the study have indicated that patients with acute chronic ichemic heart disease have a higher absolute number of circulating CD34+ cells than healthy ones. Furthermore, those patients with acute coronary syndromes have higher absolute number of circulating progenitor cells observed in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Sirolimus (SRL) and everolimus (EVR) are mammalian targets of rapamycin inhibitors (mTOR-I) largely employed in renal transplantation and oncology as immunosuppressive/antiproliferative agents. SRL was the first mTOR-I produced by the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus and approved for several medical purposes. EVR, derived from SRL, contains a 2-hydroxy-ethyl chain in the 40th position that makes the drug more hydrophilic than SRL and increases oral bioavailability. Their main mechanism of action is the inhibition of the mTOR complex 1, the regulation of factors involved in a several crucial cellular functions including: protein synthesis, regulation of angiogenesis, lipid biosynthesis, mitochondrial biogenesis and function, cell cycle, and autophagy. Most of the proteins/enzymes belonging to the aforementioned biological processes are encoded by numerous and tightly regulated genes. However, at the moment, the polygenic influence on SRL/EVR cellular effects is still not completely defined, and its comprehension represents a key challenge for researchers. Therefore, to obtain a complete picture of the cellular network connected to SRL/EVR, we decided to review major evidences available in the literature regarding the genetic influence on mTOR-I biology/pharmacology and to build, for the first time, a useful and specific "SRL/EVR genes-focused pathway", possibly employable as a starting point for future in-depth research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is an important risk factor for the development of many cardiovascular diseases as atherosclerosis and is accompanied by the decline of endothelial function. Senescence of endothelial cells has been proposed to be involved in endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis. Therefore, the study of new target therapies to prevent or reverse this process represents a field of great interest. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short RNAs, play key roles in various biological processes and in the development of human disease through specific posttranscriptional downregulation of gene expression. In particular, miRNAs that are highly expressed by endothelial cells can be detected in high concentration in human atherosclerotic plaques and in the circulation, suggesting their potential translation to bedside to determine the dysfunction of specific signaling pathways which play a role in coronary artery disease in the individual patient, a path towards a stratified medicine approach for early preventive treatment of disease. Here, we review the most recent advances in the field of atherosclerosis that implicate a role for miRNAs with a special emphasis on endothelial senescence and its involvement in the atherosclerotic process. Finally, we briefly discuss the potential use of miRNAs signatures to map atherosclerosis progression and in particular underlying the relevance of circulating plasma miRNAs that can be used clinically as biomarkers of vascular pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the satisfaction of three groups of nursing home customers, the family, and long-stay resident and short-stay residents, covering 14 aspects of nursing home life. We examine what makes customers feel positively about their nursing home, what prompts them to advocate for it, where their viewpoints converge, and why they may perceive common experiences differently. We draw on customer satisfaction data collected in 2010 and 2011, from 2,104 nursing homes around the nation. With qualitative data as a guide, we quantitatively analyze 191,452 responses. The three groups express high satisfaction with their nursing homes, especially satisfied with the staff with respect to their competence, their care and concern, and their respectful ways. They are dissatisfied with managers for being unresponsive to their concerns. We interpret the findings within the humanistic paradigm that views human behavior as the interplay between mind, self, and society that is spurred by a search for meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant thymoma is rarely associated with giant cell myocarditis. We present a case study that illustrates this association and cardiogenic shock with underlying tamponade. The dramatic presentation of this scenario has not been previously described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The people and places of importance to the history of chemistry in Italy have been reviewed with particular reference to Analytical Chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Previous cases of significant secondary liver disease associated with infliximab treatment have been reported in patients with RA, CD, and psoriatic arthritis. Two additional patients with RA who developed a serious liver disease associated with infliximab treatment are reported here. A 39-year old RA patient was admitted with cholestatic liver disease after 8 months of treatment with infliximab. She had no history of hepatic diseases, exposure to hepatotoxic or illicit drugs, or alcohol abuse. A liver biopsy showed severe ductal proliferation with collapse and enucleation of the hepatocytes. Despite aggressive treatment with oral prednisolone, she developed hepatic failure. On the 45th day, a liver transplant was performed. The second patient, a 54-year old RA patient, was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis after 12 infliximab infusions. She fulfilled autoimmune hepatitis type 1 criteria. A liver biopsy disclosed an altered lobulillar structure with chronic inflammation and the formation of collagen bands. She was treated with prednisolone and azatioprine and a complete recovery was noted 1 month later. These cases should alert rheumatologists to the possibility of new adverse reactions (liver injury) associated with the use of TNFα blockers in an autoimmune setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]