“Heart failure in COVID-19 patients: Critical care experience”: A letter to the editor

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) of all categories of ejection fraction (EF), but mainly in patients with HF with reduced EF. Moreover, cardiac transplant patients exhibit worse cardiovascular prognosis, high mortality, and more admissions to the intensive care unit. In general, COVID-19 seems to de-teriorate the clinical status of HF and favors the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiorgan failure, especially in the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, kidney dysfunction, and older age. COVID-19 may induce new-onset HF with complex mechanisms that involve myocardial injury. Indeed, myocardial injury comprises a large category of detrimental effects for the myocardium, such as myocardial infarction type 1 or type 2, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, microvascular dysfunction and myocarditis, which are not easily distinguished by HF. The pathophysiologic mechanisms mainly involve direct myocardial damage by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, cytokine storm, hypercoagulation, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The proper management of patients with COVID-19 involves careful patient evaluation and ongoing monitoring for complications such as HF.     

Changes of the concentration of sodium and potassium ions in human urine and saliva during “elevations” in a barochamber to the altitude of 5000 and 6000 m

Summary The method of flame photometry was used for studying the sodium, and potassium concentration in the saliva and urine of men elevated in a barochamber to the altitudes of 5,000 and 6,000 m. A definite regularity was noted in the shifts of concentration of the substances studied. The concentration of potassium ions has a tendency to rise, and that of sodium to drop. In repeated elevations these shifts become more regular.Presented by Active Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSSR, S. E. Severin Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny., Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 63–65, January, 1962     

Letter to the editor regarding Gholamzad et al., “A comprehensive review on the treatment approaches of multiple sclerosis: currently and in the future”

Inflammation Research -     

Targeting the ecology within: The role of the gut–brain axis and human microbiota in drug addiction

Despite major advances in our understanding of the brain using traditional neuroscience, reliable and efficacious treatments for drug addiction have remained elusive. Hence, the time has come to utilize novel approaches, particularly those drawing upon contemporary advances in fields outside of established neuroscience and psychiatry. Put another way, the time has come for a paradigm shift in the addiction sciences.Apropos, a revolution in the area of human health is underway, which is occurring at the nexus between enteric microbiology and neuroscience. It has become increasingly clear that the human microbiota (the vast ecology of bacteria residing within the human organism), plays an important role in health and disease. This is not surprising, as it has been estimated that bacteria living in the human body (approximately 1 kg of mass, roughly equivalent to that of the human brain) outnumber human cells 10 to 1. While advances in the understanding of the role of microbiota in other areas of human health have yielded intriguing results (e.g., Clostridium difficile, irritable bowel syndrome, autism, etc.), to date, no systematic programs of research have examined the role of microbiota in drug addiction.The current hypothesis, therefore, is that gut dysbiosis plays a key role in addictive disorders. In the context of this hypothesis, this paper provides a rationale for future research to target the “gut–brain axis” in addiction. A brief background of the gut–brain axis is provided, along with a series of hypothesis-driven ideas outlining potential treatments for addiction via manipulations of the “ecology within.”     

The reflex to “time” in the artificial electrodefensive reactions of dogs

Summary Experimental investigation of reflex to the time of presentation of defensive signal stimuli (sound and light) was carried out by V.P. Petropavlovskii's method. Experiments were performed on 5 dogs over a period of 3 years. It was established that the reflex to time was revealed at first in the voval and respiratory components and only then in the motor component of the conditioned reaction (the raising of the right forepaw).In the absence of a definite sequence of signal stimulations, but with fixed intervals between them, the conditioned reflex to the time of their presentation appeared irrespective of the position of the stimuli in the experiment. With fixed sequence of the positive and inhibitory stimuli the reflex to time appeared only before the positive stimuli.It was established that not only the time of presentation of the stimulus had a signal action, but also time of the reinforcement (current) acted as a signal.Presented by Active Member Acad. Med. Sci. USSR V.N. Chernigovskii     

Arterial anatomy of the lateral orbital and cheek region and arterial supply to the “peri-zygomatic perforator arteries” flap

Arterial anatomy of the lateral orbital and cheek region and subsequently of the “peri-zygomatic perforator arteries” flap is described, based upon the dissection of the 24 human cadaver head halves. Each specimen was dissected in subdermal, first fascial and deep level. The subdermal vascular network of lateral orbital and cheek region, its orientation and contributing arteries were studied. Origin, perforation sites and diameters of transverse facial, zygomaticoorbital, zygomaticofacial and zygomaticotemporal arteries were also described and measured. Our findings support the view that the cheek island flap used for lower eyelid is a reverse flow axial pattern flap. It includes arterioles of the transverse facial artery, which are part of the subdermal vascular plexus and are uniformly longitudinally oriented. The flap receives its blood supply via perforators of the zygomaticoorbital, zygomaticofacial and zygomaticotemporal arteries, which are connected via their terminal branches with transverse facial artery.     

E. coli: resistance to quinolones and beta-lactams of clinical strains isolated in the Franche-Comté region of France

AIM OF THE STUDY: Numerous European studies have reported an increase of resistance to quinolones among E. coli. We conducted a regional study to update our knowledge on this evolution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the resistance phenotype and genotype of 115 clinical strains of E. coli. We collected data on individual treatment with fluoroquinolones, and the evolution of the use of these antimicrobial agents. RESULTS: Resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin was 13.0 and 6.9, respectively. The frequency of resistance increased from 1999 to 2001, from 7.5% to 13.0% for nalidixic acid and from 5.4% to 6.9% for fluoroquinolones. Resistance to quinolones was significantly associated to beta-lactams resistance and was slightly higher for nosocomial isolates compared to community-acquired isolates. Previous treatment with fluoroquinolones was the major risk factor associated to E. coli resistance. From 1997 to 2001, fluoroquinolones use has increased in our hospital and particularly in the community. Analysis of molecular epidemiology shows a large clonal diversity among E. coli isolates. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the evolution through resistance to quinolones of E. coli isolates. This observation is not due to dissemination of resistant clonal strains and the selective pressure exerted by fluoroquinolones influences this evolution. Therapeutic alternatives, surveillance, and restriction of fluoroquinolones use are needed to control this spread of resistance.     

Polymorphism of the 5′ terminal region of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) RNA: Incidence of three sequence types in isolates of different origin and pathogenicity

Sequences of the 5' terminal region of the genomic RNA from eight isolates of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) were previously classified into three types (I, II and III), with intragroup sequence identity higher than 88% and intergroup sequence identity as low as 44%. Sequencing of an additional 58 cDNA clones from 15 virus isolates showed that all sequences could be unequivocally assigned to one of the three types previously established. The relative frequency of each sequence type was assessed in 57 CTV isolates of different geographic origin and pathogenic characteristics by RT-PCR with sets of type-specific primers using CTV dsRNA as template. None of the isolates yielded amplification of the type I or II sequences alone, but in 19 of them type III sequences were the only amplification product detected. Within isolates containing more than one sequence type, eight had type II and III sequences, 11 had type I and III sequences, and 19 had sequences of the three types. Isolates containing only type III sequences caused only mild to moderate symptoms in Mexican lime, an indicator species for most CTV isolates, whereas isolates causing stem pitting in sweet orange an/or grapefruit, generally contained sequences type II. None of the sequence types could be traced to a precise geographic area, as all types were detected in isolates from at least nine of the 12 countries from which samples were taken.     

The bottle and the glass say to me: “Pour!”

The present study aimed at determining whether the observation of two functionally compatible artefacts, that is which potentially concur in achieving a specific function, automatically activates a motor programme of interaction between the two objects. To this purpose, an interference paradigm was used during which an artefact (a bottle filled with orange juice), target of a reaching-grasping and lifting sequence, was presented alone or with a non-target object (distractor) of the same or different semantic category and functionally compatible or not. In experiment 1, the bottle was presented alone or with an artefact (a sphere), or a natural (an apple) distractor. In experiment 2, the bottle was presented with either the apple or a glass (an artefact) filled with orange juice, whereas in experiment 3, either an empty or a filled glass was presented. In the control experiment 4, we compared the kinematics of reaching-grasping and pouring with those of reaching-grasping and lifting. The kinematics of reach, grasp and lift was affected by distractor presentation. However, no difference was observed between two distractors that belonged to different semantic categories. In contrast, the presence of the empty rather filled glass affected the kinematics of the actual grasp. This suggests that an actually functional compatibility between target (the bottle) and distractor (the empty glass) was necessary to activate automatically a programme of interaction (i.e. pouring) between the two artefacts. This programme affected the programme actually executed (i.e. lifting). The results of the present study indicate that, in addition to affordances related to intrinsic object properties, “working affordances” related to a specific use of an artefact with another object can be activated on the basis of functional compatibility.     

Relationship of the changes of cervical MRI,TCD and BAEP in patients with “isolated” vertigo

Objective: To study the relationship and changes of cervical MRI, TCD and BAEP in patients with “isolated” vertigo. Methods: The relationship and changes of cervical MRI, TCD and BAEP were investigated respectively in 125 patients with “isolated” vertigo and 100 healthy controls. Results: There were statistically significant differences between two groups for overall abnormalities of TCD (X² = 61.96, P<0.01), BAEP (X² = 97.99, P<0.01), and cervical MRI severity scale (Z = -8.71, P<0.01). In vertigo group, results showed significant correlations between TCD and cervical MRI, TCD and BAEP as well. And analysis on TCD PI and some items of BAEP demonstrated positive linear correlations. There were no statistical differences or correlations in control group. Conclusions: TCD is a sensitive method of “isolated” vertigo screening. A combined test protocol of cervical MRI, TCD and BAEP has superiorities to assess “isolated” vertigo.