Social support among Afro-Trinidadian women experiencing intimate partner violence

This study examines the types of, availability of, use of, and satisfaction with informal and formal social supports among Afro-Trinidadian women who have experienced intimate partner violence. A total of 17 women participated in a 2-hour, face-to-face interview. The findings suggest that despite male dominance and control, women were able to maintain some contact with family and friends. Although some women felt they had family and friends to turn to, many were dissatisfied with the support. Women also expressed dissatisfaction with legal and social services.     

Cytokines and cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome

Cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome is frequent yet still a not well understood cancer-related problem. The pathophysiology of cancer cachexia is multifactorial. It is suggested to be the result of tumor-host interactions and studies of the disturbances seen during cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome, such as anorexia, hyper-metabolism, tissue wasting, metabolic abnormalities, and hormonal changes, all point to the involvement in one way or another of one key factor: cytokines. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest developments in the field of cytokines and their role in cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome. The emphasis is on the role of cytokines in anorexia and tissue wasting.     

Alcohol and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Male Central Asian Labor Migrants and Non-migrants in Kazakhstan: Implications for HIV Prevention

This paper examines the association between alcohol consumption and sexual risk behaviors (unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, sex under influence of drugs or alcohol and commercial sex) in a sample of Central Asian migrant and non-migrant laborers in the largest marketplace in Kazakhstan. We used data from The Silk Road Health Project, conducted from 2010 to 2013 with 1342 male migrant and non-migrant market workers. Participants were selected through respondent driven sampling at the Baraholka Market in Almaty, Kazakhstan. We used regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual risk behavior. We found that hazardous drinking was associated with an increase in the odds of sex under the influence of drugs (aOR = 6.09, 95% CI 3.48, 10.65; p < .001) and purchasing commercial sex (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.02, 4.02; p < .05). We identified potential targets for HIV interventions to reduce sexual risk behaviors among this key population.     

Curcumin,Silybin Phytosome® and α‐R‐Lipoic Acid Mitigate Chronic Hepatitis in Rat by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokines Production

Chronic hepatitis is recognized as a worldwide health problem that gradually progresses towards cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the large number of experiments using animal models for allergic hepatitis, it is still difficult to produce a picture of chronic hepatitis. Therefore, this study was conducted to introduce an animal model approximating to the mechanism of chronicity in human hepatitis. The study also aimed to examine the hepatoprotective effects of curcumin, silybin phytosome^® and α‐R‐lipoic acid against thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced chronic hepatitis in rat model. TAA was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 200 mg/kg three times weekly for 4 weeks. At the end of this period, a group of rats was killed to assess the development of chronic hepatitis in comparison with their respective control group. TAA administration was then discontinued, and the remaining animals were subsequently allocated into four groups. Group 1 was left untreated, whereas groups 2–4 were allowed to receive daily oral doses of curcumin, silybin phytosome^® or α‐R‐lipoic acid, respectively, for 7 weeks. Increases in hepatic levels of malondialdehyde associated with TAA administration were inhibited in groups receiving supplements. Furthermore, glutathione depletion, collagen deposition, macrophage activation and nuclear factor κappa‐B expression as well as tumour necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐6 levels were significantly decreased in response to supplements administration. Serological analysis of liver function and liver histopathological examination reinforced the results. The above evidence collectively indicates that the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities of curcumin, silybin phytosome^® and α‐R‐lipoic acid may confer therapeutic efficacy against chronic hepatitis.     

Applicability of apparent diffusion coefficient ratios in preoperative diagnosis of common pediatric cerebellar tumors across two institutions

Introduction

The purpose of our study was to test the accuracy and applicability of decision rules utilizing apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratios on accurate preoperative diagnosis of common pediatric cerebellar tumors across two institutions.

Methods

In this HIPAA-compliant, IRB-approved study, performed at two institutions, 140 pediatric cerebellar tumors were included. Two separate reviewers placed regions of interest on the solid components of 140 tumors (98 at site A and 42 at site B) and normal brain on the ADC maps. The third reviewer who was blinded to the histopathological diagnoses made the same measurements on 140 patients to validate the data. Tumor to normal brain ADC ratios were calculated. Receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis was performed to generate thresholds to discriminate tumors. Utility of decision rules based on these thresholds was tested.

Results

While ADC values of medulloblastomas were different between the sites, there was no difference among the ADC ratios of medulloblastomas, pilocytic astrocytomas, ependymomas, and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors between the sites. ADC ratio of ≥1.8 correctly discriminated pilocytic astrocytomas from ependymomas with a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.78. ADC ratio of <1.2 correctly discriminated ependymomas from embryonal tumors with a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.83. The proposed decision rules correctly discriminated 120 of the 140 tumors (85.71 %). Age ≥2 years criterion correctly sorted medulloblastomas in 84.48 % of patients and age <2 years correctly distinguished atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors in 90.00 % of patients with embryonal tumors.

Conclusions

Decision rules based on ADC ratios are applicable across two institutions in the accurate preoperative diagnosis of common pediatric cerebellar tumors.     

TNF-α-mediated anxiety in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes a variety of motor and sensory deficits and it is also associated with mood disturbances. It is unclear if anxiety and depression in MS entirely reflect a subjective reaction to a chronic disease causing motor disability or rather depend on specific effects of neuroinflammation in neuronal circuits. To answer this question, behavioral, electrophysiological, and immunofluorescence experiments were performed in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which models MS in mice. First, we observed high anxiety indexes in EAE mice, preceding the appearance of motor defects. Then, we demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has a crucial role in anxiety associated with neuroinflammation. In fact, intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of etanercept, an inhibitor of TNF-α signaling, resulted in anxiolytic-like effects in EAE-mice. Accordingly, icv injection of TNF-α induced per se overt anxious behavior in control mice. Moreover, we propose the striatum as one of the brain regions potentially involved in EAE anxious behavior. We observed that before disease onset EAE striatum presents elevated TNF-α levels and strong activated microglia, early signs of inflammation associated with alterations of striatal excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). Interestingly, etanercept corrected the synaptic defects of pre-symptomatic EAE mice while icv injection of TNF-α in non-EAE mice altered EPSCs, thus mimicking the synaptic effects of EAE. In conclusion, anxiety characterizes EAE course since the very early phases of the disease. TNF-α released from activated microglia mediates this effect likely through the modulation of striatal excitatory synaptic transmission.     

Anterior single flap external dacryocystorhinostomy: outcome in 200 Sudanese patients

AIM: To present the outcome of anterior single flap external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in Sudanese patients. METHODS: The data of 200 consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed, who had anterior single flap external DCR with a minimum of one year follow-up. The surgeries were performed by the same surgeon (the first author) and patients were followed up for one year postoperatively. Presence of epiphora at the end of one year and no response to syringing and probing was considered failure. RESULTS: The mean age of the study sample was 29.7 years (ranged 4-65 years). The ratio of male to female was 1∶2. The success rate was 98%. Failure was reported in 4 patients, two of them were traumatic cases with preexisting orbital disfigurement. CONCLUSION: This study adds on to the evidence of the usefulness of anterior single flap DCR. Although it is simpler and easier to master the technique, this procedure showed a success rate comparable to that of the conventional method in literature.     

The alarm anti-protease, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, is a proliferation and survival factor for ovarian cancer cells

Alarm anti-proteases are secreted locally in response to inflammation and have been shown to be elevated in cancers. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), an alarm anti-protease, is amplified in ovarian carcinoma and is induced and binds to and protects progranulin (prgn) in inflammation. We reported prgn is a survival protein in ovarian cancer and now hypothesize that SLPI/prgn would promote proliferation and survival. Neutralizing anti-SLPI antibody treatment of HEY-A8 and OVCAR3 ovarian cancer cells decreased cell number (P < 0.001), induced apoptosis and reduced prgn quantity. This was confirmed using SLPI small interfering RNA. Prgn and SLPI were co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized by confocal microscopy. Prgn is a substrate of the serine protease elastase and SLPI is an inhibitor of elastase. Elastase reduced prgn expression, inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P 相似文献