Consider Myocarditis When Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Present with Ocular Symptoms

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been associated with neurological immune related adverse events (irAE-N) and patients with ICI toxicity may present with neurological or ocular symptoms. Furthermore, patients on ICI may initially present to oncology or neurology. We report a case series of 3 patients treated with ICIs presenting with diplopia or ptosis, found to have concurrent myocarditis in addition to immune-related myopathy (irMyopathy) or myasthenia gravis (irMG). None of the patients described cardiac symptoms, underscoring the importance of screening for myocarditis in patients presenting with diplopia and/or other neuromuscular symptoms which may suggest either irMyopathy or irMG.     

Regulation of the metastatic cell phenotype by sialylated glycans

Tumor cells exhibit striking changes in cell surface glycosylation as a consequence of dysregulated glycosyltransferases and glycosidases. In particular, an increase in the expression of certain sialylated glycans is a prominent feature of many transformed cells. Altered sialylation has long been associated with metastatic cell behaviors including invasion and enhanced cell survival; however, there is limited information regarding the molecular details of how distinct sialylated structures or sialylated carrier proteins regulate cell signaling to control responses such as adhesion/migration or resistance to specific apoptotic pathways. The goal of this review is to highlight selected examples of sialylated glycans for which there is some knowledge of molecular mechanisms linking aberrant sialylation to critical processes involved in metastasis.     

Measurement of deoxyinosine adduct: Can it be a reliable tool to assess oxidative or nitrosative DNA damage?

Adenosine deaminases (ADA) are key enzymes that deaminate adenosine (A) or deoxyadenosine (dA) and produce inosine or deoxyinosine (dI), respectively. While ADA only deaminates free dA, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) or reactive oxygen species (ROS) deaminate adenine base on the DNA and leave dI, which is a pre-mutagenic lesion. Therefore, dI adduct in the genomic DNA has been considered a biomarker of DNA damage caused by RNS or by ROS.     

A systematic scoping review of measures of participation in disability and rehabilitation research: A preliminary report of findings

Purpose/objectiveThe concept of participation is emerging as a gold-standard of outcome measurement in disability and rehabilitation. We aimed to assess the status of methods to measure this new concept.Method/designWe conducted a scoping review and a content analysis to assess the literature on participation.ResultsWe identified 586 articles addressing participation. Seventy-two articles passed all exclusion criteria. Twenty-four articles cited the International Classification of Function as their conceptual foundation. Most studies included individuals with a broad range of impairments (cross disability). Most instruments relied on self-report in a cross-sectional design. We noted three levels of measurement (static, interactional, and dynamic). Few studies reported collecting data on the environment along with participation. Subjective aspects of participation emerged as an important consideration but few articles reported measuring it.ConclusionsThe concept of participation represents more than a “shift from negative to more positive language.” It represents a transformational concept that requires new, dynamic measures collected in context.     

Future Directions in Research,Treatment and Prevention of HPV-Related Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Benign smooth muscle proliferations are relatively rare in the oral cavity. Most are classified as angioleiomyomas, some as hamartomatous growths and a few as cutaneous-type leiomyomas. We present two cases of benign smooth muscle proliferations in the tongue, provide a review, briefly discuss histogenesis and offer a clinico-pathological differential diagnosis.     

The Potential of Alcohol “Heat-of-the-Moment” Scenarios in HIV Prevention: A Qualitative Study Exploring Intervention Implications

Scenarios simulating real-world risk situations have proven effective for substance use intervention methods and could potentially prove useful as an HIV-prevention method. This study explored qualitatively the development and use of such “in-the-moment” methods. We interviewed 97 moderate-drinking women (50 % Caucasian) after participation in an experiment requiring that they project themselves into a risky-sex scenario. Most participants (58 %) reported experiencing the scenario as a reflective tool characterized by two primary themes: (1) increased awareness of risk and (2) contemplation of behavior change. Findings suggest that “in-the-moment” methods depicting real-world risk situations and providing opportunities to reflect about behavioral choices and subsequent outcomes could prove a useful adjunct to HIV/AIDS-prevention interventions. Such methods could potentially augment existing prevention protocols.