Instrument-based Tests for Measuring Anterior Chamber Cells in Uveitis: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Purpose

New instrument-based techniques for anterior chamber (AC) cell counting can offer automation and objectivity above clinician assessment. This review aims to identify such instruments and its correlation with clinician estimates.     

Current and emerging osteoporosis pharmacotherapy for women: state of the art therapies for preventing bone loss

Introduction: Pharmacological options to address the imbalance between bone resorption and accrual in osteoporosis include anti-resorptive and osteoanabolic agents. Unique biologic pathways such as the Wnt/β-catenin pathway have been targeted in the quest for new emerging therapeutic strategies.

Areas covered: This review provides an overview of existing pharmacotherapy for osteoporosis in women and explore state-of–the-art and emerging therapies to prevent bone loss, with an emphasis on the mechanism of action, indications and side effects.

Expert opinion: Bisphosphonates appear to be a reliable and cost-effective option, whereas denosumab has introduced a simpler dosing regimen and may achieve a linear increase in bone mineral density (BMD) with no plateau being observed, along with continuous anti-fracture efficacy. Abaloparatide, a parathyroid-hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)-analogue, approved by the FDA in April 2017, constitutes the first new anabolic osteoporosis drug in the US for nearly 15 years and has also proven its anti-fracture efficacy. Romosozumab, a sclerostin inhibitor, which induces bone formation and suppresses bone resorption, has also been developed and shown a significant reduction in fracture incidence; however, concerns have arisen with regard to increased cardiovascular risk.     

Developing a Point-of-Sale Health Communication Campaign for Cigarillos and Waterpipe Tobacco

ABSTRACT

Adolescents and young adults smoke waterpipe tobacco (WT) and cigarillos, at least in part, based on erroneous beliefs that these products are safer than cigarettes. To address this challenge, we used a systematic, three-phase process to develop a health communication campaign to discourage WT and cigarillo smoking among at-risk (tobacco users and susceptible non-users) 16- to 25-year-olds. In Phase 1, we used a national phone survey (N = 896) to determine salient message beliefs. Participants reported constituents (i.e., harmful chemicals) emitted by the products were worrisome. In Phase 2, we developed and evaluated four message executions, with varying imagery, tone, and unappealing products with the same constituents, using focus groups (N = 38). Participants rated one execution highly, resulting in our development of a campaign where each message: (1) identified a tobacco product and constituent in the smoke; (2) included an image of an unappealing product containing the constituent (e.g., pesticides, gasoline) to grab attention; and (3) used a humorous sarcastic tone. In Phase 3, we tested the campaign messages (17 intervention and six control) with a nationally representative online survey (N = 1,636). Participants rated intervention and control messages highly with few differences between them. Exposure to messages resulted in significant increases in all risk beliefs from pre to post (p < 0.05). For WT, intervention messages increased beliefs about addiction more than control messages (p < 0.05). This systematic, iterative approach resulted in messages that show promise for discouraging WT and cigarillo use.     

Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology

Introduction

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice.

Clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease in female SLE patients: Interplay between body mass index and bone mineral density

Background and aims

Since accelerated atherosclerosis has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), predictive biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are needed. Among non-traditional risk factors, bone mineral density (BMD) has been related to CVD. However, its role in SLE remains controversial. This study aims to analyze the associations of subclinical atherosclerosis with traditional and non-traditional CV risk factors.

A population-based analysis of pediatric breast cancer

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in demographics and outcomes of pediatric breast cancer in a United States population-based cohort.

Knowledge of the Brain Death Concept in Dominican Immigration Residents in Spain and Florida

The Latin American population has a double way of immigration, one toward the United States by proximity and another toward Spain by sociocultural affinity. This population increase is affecting organ donation and transplantation in receiving countries.

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels inversely correlate with lung function improvement (delta FEV1) in cystic fibrosis patients receiving ivacaftor treatment

Background

We have recently shown that human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels correlate with the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. However, there are no data on how HE4 levels alter in patients receiving CFTR modulating therapy.

Short History of Interventional Neuroradiology What about the Future？

1 Short historical background of interventional neuroradiology Even if a number of us were among the pioneers of Interventional Neuroradiology, this specialty has now reached its period of maturity. Schematically, the era of the pioneers began forty years ago and lasted about 15 years, between 1960 and 1975. During that period, on the initiative of Fedor Serbinenko （Russia） and Ren6 Djindjian （France）, ＂intracerebral navigation ＂ using small balloons, which became gradually ＂detachable＂, has been invented. At the same time, we discovered how to use these balloons to occlude intracranial vascular lesions, inaccessible or hardly accessible to traditional open skull neurosurgery, for example, carotid cavernous fistulas. Very rapidly, a lot of different embolic particles were successively tested, ranging at first from pieces of muscle, to small glass or silastic beads, gelfoam and dura mater pieces... During this period, parallel progress of hyperselective catheterization and consequently of microangiography allowed to establish new classifications of main vascular pathologies （distinction between brain arteriovenous malformations and dural fistulas ... ）. These new classifications allowed a better understanding of physiopathology. This first period was thus primarily devoted to development of very precise diagnosis and techniques of hyperselective endovascular occlusion.