Investigation of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptors genes and migraine susceptibility

Background  

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of severe headache, affecting around 12% of Caucasian populations. It is well known that migraine has a strong genetic component, although the number and type of genes involved is still unclear. Prior linkage studies have reported mapping of a migraine gene to chromosome Xq 24–28, a region containing a cluster of genes for GABA A receptors (GABRE, GABRA3, GABRQ), which are potential candidate genes for migraine. The GABA neurotransmitter has been implicated in migraine pathophysiology previously; however its exact role has not yet been established, although GABA receptors agonists have been the target of therapeutic developments. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of the potential candidate genes reported on chromosome Xq 24–28 region in migraine susceptibility. In this study, we have focused on the subunit GABA A receptors type ε (GABRE) and type θ (GABRQ) genes and their involvement in migraine.     

Formation and specification of ventral neuroblasts is controlled by vnd in Drosophila neurogenesis

During Drosophila neural development, neuroblasts delaminate from the neuroectoderm of each hemisegment in a stereotypic orthogonal array of five rows and three columns (ventral, intermediate, and dorsal). Prevailing evidence indicates that the individual neuroblast fate is determined by the domain-specific expression of genes along the dorsoventral and anteroposterior axis. Here, we analyze the role of Vnd, a NK-2 homeodomain protein, expressed initially in the ventral neuroectoderm adjacent to the ventral midline, in the dorsoventral patterning of the neuroectoderm and the neuroblasts. We show that in vnd null mutants most ventral neuroblasts do not form and the few that form do not develop ventral fates, but instead develop intermediate-like fates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Vnd influences the gene expression patterns in the ventral proneural clusters and neuroectoderm, and that its action in neuroblast formation includes, but is not exclusive to the activation of proneural AS-C genes. Through the use of GAL4/UAS gene-expression system we show that ectopic Vnd expression can promote ventral-like fates in intermediate and dorsal neuroblasts and can suppress certain normal characteristics of the intermediate and dorsal neuroectoderm. Our results are discussed in the context of the current evidence in dorsoventral patterning in the Drosophila neuroectoderm.     

Beyond empathy decline: Do the barriers to compassion change across medical training?

Advances in Health Sciences Education - Background: Despite being a mandated, foundational value in healthcare, research on compassion remains limited. Studying the individual, patient, clinical,...     

Gastrointestinal Contributions to the Postprandial Experience

Food ingestion induces homeostatic sensations (satiety, fullness) with a hedonic dimension (satisfaction, changes in mood) that characterize the postprandial experience. Both types of sensation are secondary to intraluminal stimuli produced by the food itself, as well as to the activity of the digestive tract. Postprandial sensations also depend on the nutrient composition of the meal and on colonic fermentation of non-absorbed residues. Gastrointestinal function and the sensitivity of the digestive tract, i.e., perception of gut stimuli, are determined by inherent individual factors, e.g., sex, and can be modulated by different conditioning mechanisms. This narrative review examines the factors that determine perception of digestive stimuli and the postprandial experience.     

Pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma: first case report on penis

Pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma, also called pseudovascular, pseudoangiomatoid or adenoid pseudovascular carcinoma, is an uncommon and highly aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, it is characterized by proliferation of atypical keratinocytes with acantholysis and formation of pseudovascular spaces, forming anastomosed channels lined with neoplastic cells that invade the dermis. These cells are positive for cytokeratin and negative for vascular markers such as CD31 and CD34. There are few reports of this variant in the literature. Skin, breast, lung and vulva involvement have been described, but to the best of our knowledge, no cases involving the penis has been described. This study aims to describe the first case of angiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. The patient presented with a painful lesion in the penis associated with urinary retention. Macroscopic findings exhibited an ulcerative vegetating lesion that involving the entire glans and part of the penile body, as well as infiltration of penile structures and scrotal skin. Microscopy shows atypical proliferation of sarcomatous keratinocyte pattern mimicking vascular spaces. Human papilloma virus (HPV) biomarkers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were all negative. Advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with aggressive lymph node metastasis. This report presents the first case of penile pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma, as an important differential diagnosis.     

Local anaesthesia for fibreoptic bronchoscopy: transcricoid injection or the "spray as you go" technique?

Local anaesthesia for fibreoptic bronchoscopy should be given by a safe technique that is not unpleasant to the patient and should provide acceptable conditions for the bronchoscopist. Single injection transcricoid local anaesthesia was compared with the "spray as you go" technique in patients having day case fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Patients were randomised to receive either 100 mg lignocaine by a single cricothyroid puncture or 240 mg lignocaine instilled through the bronchoscope under direct vision. Further doses were given by the operator to both groups as required. The 30 patients receiving transcricoid lignocaine coughed less (3.56 (SD 3.1) coughs/min) than the 32 patients receiving lignocaine through the bronchoscope (5.89 (4.8)/min) despite receiving a lower total dose of lignocaine (322 (25.9) v 451 (20.9) mg). Cricothyroid puncture was not associated with any complications and was not unpleasant for the patients.     

The impact of the amended Ontario Mental Health Act (Bill 7) on patients discharging themselves from hospital against medical advice (AMA): a preliminary study

Bill 7, the most recent amendment to the Ontario Mental Health Act was introduced in December 1986. It has resulted in some major changes to the practice of psychiatry, especially in provincial hospitals. We compared patients who had discharged themselves against medical advice (AMA) during the six months before the Bill was enacted, with those who discharged themselves AMA in the 12 months following. Significantly more patients discharged themselves AMA in the post- than the pre-Bill period. The majority of these were potentially treatable, acutely ill individuals with schizophrenia or affective disorder. We argue that Bill 7 has largely failed in its objective to improve the overall "quality of care" to psychiatric patients, at least in the short term.     

Characterization and prediction of IVF cycles generating “slow-cleaving” embryos

Purpose To characterize and predict cycles generating slowcleaving embryos in in vitro fertilization, 86 cycles were retrospectively divided into two groups (slow, n=41, and fast, n=45 according to whether the number of blastomeres per embryo on day 3 was or > than the mean of the distribution, respectively.Results Cycles generating slowcleaving embryos were treated with luteinizing hormonereleasing hormone agonist before ovarian stimulation for a shorter period (12.1±0.5 versus 15.6±1.1 days; P0.01) and had higher immaturity grade of oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes which resulted in embryos (1.6±0.1 vs 1.3±0.1; P0.05) when compared to cycles producing fastcleaving embryos. Both variables entered in a logistic regression model applied in order to predict the probability of a cycle generating slowcleaving embryos (goodness-of-fit chisquare=180.0, degrees of freedom (df)=80, P=0.4786. This model predicted correctly 86.7% (13 of 15) of cycles generating slowcleaving embryos and 83.3% (10 of 12) of cycles producing fastcleaving embryos when the estimated probability of a cycle producing slowcleaving embryos was 0.7 or 0.3, respectively.Conclusion Shorter treatment with hormone-releasing hormone agonist before ovarian stimulation and higher immaturity grade of oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes which result in embryos are predictive characteristics of in vitro fertilization cycles generating slow-cleaving embryos.