Infant with right hemiplegia due to acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD): A case report

Rationale:Acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD) is a condition characterized by biphasic convulsions and disturbance of consciousness. In Japan, the most common pediatric cases of acute encephalopathy are associated with infection. AESD usually occurs in early childhood, with the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance called “bright tree appearance.” The disease often has neurological sequelae and interferes with the schooling of children and their activities of daily living; however, there are few clinical case reports of hemiplegia caused by AESD.Patient concerns:A case with right-sided hemiplegia due to AESD in an 11-month-old girl who was followed up to 30 mo of age.Diagnoses:The patient was diagnosed with overlap AESD and hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome (HHE syndrome), based on the clinical course and imaging findings. DNA tests of her blood and cerebrospinal fluid revealed the presence of human herpesvirus 6.Interventions:Pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation therapy.Outcome:Gross motor function has recovered considerably, but she had a mild developmental delay at 30 mo old.Lessons:Hemiplegia due to AESD was extremely rare, and appropriate rehabilitation treatment resulted in recovery of physical function. However, as mild developmental delay was observed, the patient was referred to a specialized facility before entering school.     

Natural Compounds Interacting with Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: From Low-Molecular Weight Ones to Peptides and Proteins

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) fulfill a variety of functions making identification and analysis of nAChR subtypes a challenging task. Traditional instruments for nAChR research are d-tubocurarine, snake venom protein α-bungarotoxin (α-Bgt), and α-conotoxins, neurotoxic peptides from Conus snails. Various new compounds of different structural classes also interacting with nAChRs have been recently identified. Among the low-molecular weight compounds are alkaloids pibocin, varacin and makaluvamines C and G. 6-Bromohypaphorine from the mollusk Hermissenda crassicornis does not bind to Torpedo nAChR but behaves as an agonist on human α7 nAChR. To get more selective α-conotoxins, computer modeling of their complexes with acetylcholine-binding proteins and distinct nAChRs was used. Several novel three-finger neurotoxins targeting nAChRs were described and α-Bgt inhibition of GABA-A receptors was discovered. Information on the mechanisms of nAChR interactions with the three-finger proteins of the Ly6 family was found. Snake venom phospholipases A₂ were recently found to inhibit different nAChR subtypes. Blocking of nAChRs in Lymnaea stagnalis neurons was shown for venom C-type lectin-like proteins, appearing to be the largest molecules capable to interact with the receptor. A huge nAChR molecule sensible to conformational rearrangements accommodates diverse binding sites recognizable by structurally very different compounds.     

Lifestyle changes as a result of COVID-19 containment measures: Bodyweight and glycemic control in patients with diabetes in the Japanese declaration of a state of emergency

To clarify the association between lifestyle changes as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 containment measures and changes in metabolic and glycemic status in patients with diabetes, a cross-sectional, single-center, observation study was carried out. A self-reported questionnaire was provided to ascertain the frequency of various lifestyle activities before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 containment measures in Japan. Among 463 patients, change in glycated hemoglobin was significantly associated with change in bodyweight. After stratification by age 65 years, binary logistic regression analysis showed that increased frequency of snack eating increased bodyweight (odds ratio 1.709, P = 0.007) and glycated hemoglobin (odds ratio 1.420, P = 0.025) in the younger group, whereas in the older patients, reduced walking activities resulted in weight gain (odds ratio 0.726, P = 0.010). In conclusion, changes in eating behavior and physical activity increased bodyweight and reduced glycemic control among diabetes patients, but by different processes depending on age under the coronavirus disease 2019 containment measures in Japan.     

Hydrogel Arrays and Choroidal Neovascularization Models for Evaluation of Angiogenic Activity of Vital Pulp Therapy Biomaterials

Introduction

This study intended to evaluate the angiogenic properties of vital pulp therapy materials including white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA), calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH]₂), Geristore (Den-Mat, Santa Maria, CA), and nano WMTA biomaterials.

Dental radiographic findings in 18 individuals with SATB2-associated syndrome

Clinical Oral Investigations - To characterize the radiographic dental phenotype of individuals with SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS). Participants were evaluated by a multidisciplinary team during...     

Relations of drug use and socioeconomic factors with adherence to dental treatment among adolescents

Background

Adolescents are vulnerable to behaviors that weaken health, by adopting habits that interfere with adherence to treatment. The aims of the present study were to investigate adolescents’ adherence to dental treatment and the relations between this behavior and socioeconomic factors and consumption of licit and illicit chemical substances.

Methods

A longitudinal study was conducted with 474 adolescents from Piracicaba/SP/Brazil, who initially underwent a dental examination to verify the adherence for dental treatment. After 18?months, 325 adolescents were reassessed. Valid questions about socioeconomic conditions and use of alcohol and drugs were applied to participants. The chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used. The prevalence ratios were estimated with the respective 95% confidence intervals, using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution.

Results

Eighteen (18) months after the first consultation, 325 adolescents were reassessed: 161 (49%) did not adhere to the treatment, and 164 (51%) adhered to it and answered the socioeconomic and alcohol and illicit drug questionnaires. Their mean age was 15?±?1?years; of them, 189 (58%) were female. The prevalence of adherence to treatment decreased in patients without their own home (p?=?0.034). In the individual analysis of the variables, drinking alcohol alone, experimenting with drugs, and proximity of friends who consumed illicit substances were associated with the outcome (p?<?0.05). However, in the joint analysis, only proximity of friends who consumed drugs was the factor related to low adherence to dental treatment among the adolescents (p?=?0.035).

Conclusion

Adolescents who consumed alcohol and socialized with friends who used illicit drugs had greater difficulty in adhering to dental treatment.

     

Evolution and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains with Reduced Susceptibility to Vancomycin and Daptomycin,Based on Determination of the Complete Genome

We obtained a series of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, including both daptomycin-susceptible strain TD1 and daptomycin-resistant strain TD4, from a patient. We determined the complete genome sequences of TD1 and TD4 using next-generation sequencing, and only four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, one each in capB (E58K), rpoB (H481Y), lytN (I16V), and mprF (V351E). We determined that these four SNPs were sufficient to cause the strains to develop daptomycin, vancomycin, and rifampin resistance.     

The role of mastery and social resources in the associations between disability and depression in later life

PURPOSE: Although disability is widely acknowledged as a risk factor for late-life depression, few studies have studied the potential of psychosocial factors to alter the association between disability and depression. The present study assessed the impacts of mastery and social resources (social network, social support, and satisfaction with support) on depression and, in particular, whether they modify the link between disability and depression. DESIGN AND METHODS: The direct and moderating effects of mastery and social resources were empirically tested using a sample of 406 community-dwelling older adults who were cognitively intact (mean age = 72.3). RESULTS: Higher level of mastery and greater satisfaction with support had significant direct effects on depression and also buffered the adverse impact of disability on depression. IMPLICATIONS: The findings support the importance of psychosocial factors in modifying the association between disability and depression and suggest that efforts to enhance positive psychosocial attributes should be emphasized in interventions for older adults.