Differential modulation of activity related to the anticipation of monetary gains and losses across the menstrual cycle

Estradiol and progesterone interact with the dopaminergic and other neurotransmitter systems that are involved in the processing of rewards. On the systems level, these hormones modulate responses to stimulants as well as neuronal activity related to the anticipation of monetary gains. As different mechanisms might underlie the processing of gains and losses, the current study aims to investigate whether neural correlates of gain and loss anticipation are differentially modulated by menstrual cycle phases. Therefore, young, naturally cycling women were examined by means of functional neuroimaging during performing a modified version of the ‘Monetary Incentive Delay’ task in the early follicular and in the luteal menstrual cycle phase. During the low hormone early follicular phase, the anticipation of high vs. low gains and losses was associated with activity in a largely overlapping network of brain areas. However, high hormone levels in the luteal phase affected brain activity in these areas differentially during the anticipation of high vs. low gains and losses. In particular, the orbitofrontal cortex showed a reduced sensitivity to gain magnitude, whereas the ventral striatum and the anterior cingulate showed a reduced sensitivity to loss magnitude. In summary, the high amount of progesterone and estradiol in the luteal phase decreased activity related to the anticipation of monetary gains and losses in different brain areas, suggesting that hormones modulate different processes during the anticipation of gain and loss magnitude.     

Symptoms and healthcare contact preceding sudden cardiac death in persons aged 1–49 years

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is a leading cause of death among persons in their youth and early middle-age. To prevent SCD it is crucial to identify persons at high-risk of SCD. Knowledge of symptoms and medical contact prior to SCD could potentially aid in the identification of high-risk persons in the general population who would benefit from further investigation. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of symptoms and healthcare contact preceding SCD in persons aged 1–49 years, and to explore how the symptoms differ according to SCD cause and age of the deceased.There was a high frequency of both cardiac and non-specific symptoms prior to SCD. Additionally, many SCD victims contacted the healthcare system prior to death on the basis of their symptoms and only a few were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. This information underlines that young persons reporting potential cardiac symptoms should also be thoroughly examined. Furthermore, such symptoms could be used in combination with other easily accessible information in non-invasive prediction models aiming at identifying persons at high risk of SCD that would benefit from further investigation and possibly treatment.     

Concomitant MDS with isolated 5q deletion and MGUS: case report and review of molecular aspects

Patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) have a higher risk for the development of concomitant primary cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We report the case of patient initially suffering from MGUS of the IgG lambda subtype for more than 10 yr, which evolved to MM and MDS with deletion (5q) with severe pancytopenia. Due to pancytopenia, he received dose‐reduced treatment with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. He achieved an ongoing transfusion independency after about 1 month of treatment. Bone marrow taken 14 months after start of treatment showed a complete cytogenetic response of the del(5q) clone and a plasma cell infiltration below 5%. In contrast to the development of MM in MGUS patients, the subsequent occurrence of MDS after diagnosis of MGUS is infrequent. Moreover, the biological association of MDS with MGUS is not sufficiently understood, but the non‐treatment‐related occurrence supports the pathogenetic role of pre‐existing alterations of stem cells. Here, we summarize data on concomitant MDS and MGUS/MM with particular emphasis on molecular aspects.     

Left Ventricular Morphology of the Giraffe Heart Examined by Stereological Methods

The giraffe heart has a relative mass similar to other mammals, but generates twice the blood pressure to overcome the gravitational challenge of perfusing the cerebral circulation. To provide insight as to how the giraffe left ventricle (LV) is structurally adapted to tackle such a high afterload, we performed a quantitative structural study of the LV myocardium in young and adult giraffe hearts. Tissue samples were collected from young and adult giraffe LV. Design‐based stereology was used to obtain unbiased estimates of numbers and sizes of cardiomyocytes, nuclei and capillaries. The numerical density of myocyte nuclei was 120 × 10³ mm^?3 in the adult and 504 × 10³ mm^?3 in the young LV. The total number (N) of myocyte nuclei was 1.3 × 10¹¹ in the adult LV and 4.9 × 10¹⁰ in the young LV. In the adult LV the volume per myocyte was 39.5 × 10³ µm³ and the number of nuclei per myocyte was 4.2. The numerical density of myocytes was 24.1 × 10⁶ cm^?3 and the capillary volume fraction of the adult giraffe ventricle was 0.054. The significantly higher total number of myocyte nuclei in the adult LV, the high density of myocyte nuclei in the LV, and the number of nuclei per myocyte (which was unusually high compared to other mammalian, including human data), all suggest the presence of myocyte proliferation during growth of the animal to increase wall thickness and normalize LV wall tension as the neck lengthens and the need for higher blood pressure ensues. Anat Rec, 296:611–621, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Detection of acute pulmonary embolism: feasibility of diagnostic accuracy of MRI using a stepwise protocol

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has become the imaging method of choice in patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE) but has the inherent limitation of radiation dose and the side effects of contrast agents. The purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility of a stepwise MRI protocol in the clinical setting of acute PE. The stepwise approach should make it possible to diagnose acute PE in critically ill patients using fast MR sequences and included the option to add comprehensive sequences when patients were stable. Forty-five patients with acute PE (26 men, 19 women; 41?±?16 years) were included in this prospective study. The diagnosis was initially confirmed by MDCT as gold standard. MRI at 1.5 T was subsequently performed without any delay in medical treatment. The MRI protocol proceeded stepwise from robust to detailed imaging techniques (i.e., from TrueFISP and single shot HASTE sequence to MR perfusion and 3D-MR angiography) if the patient was able to tolerate additional imaging time. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated on the central (lobar) and peripheral (segmental) levels. The complete MR protocol was applied in 40 of the 45 patients (88 %). In the remaining five patients with severe dyspnea the diagnosis of acute PE was established by using fast TrueFISP sequences that were insensitive to respiratory movement. All five patients suffered from a major central PE. Highest sensitivity was achieved by MR perfusion (lobar, 98 %; segmental, 95 %). Real-time TrueFISP and MR angiography showed the highest specificity (lobar, 90–100 %; segmental, 95–97 %). The combination of all MR sequences matched closely the results of MDCT (lobar: sensitivity 98 %, specificity 100 %; segmental: sensitivity 95 %, specificity 97 %). MRI using a stepwise protocol is a promising approach for diagnosing acute PE. The protocol can be tailored for dyspneic patients with central PE using real-time MRI sequences. The diagnostic accuracy for peripheral PE can be improved by using combined MR techniques, achieving comparable results to MDCT.     

Dental case manager encounters: the association with retention in dental care and treatment plan completion

Little is known about dental case managers as few programs have been scientifically evaluated. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of dental case manager on retention in dental care and completion of treatment plans, while specifically exploring the number of dental case manager encounters. Fourteen programs enrolled people with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in dental care and a longitudinal study between 2007 and 2009. The 758 participants had a total of 2715 encounters with a dental case manager over twelve months: 29% had a single encounter; 21% had two; 27% had 3–4 and; 23% had 5–29 encounters. Adjusting for baseline characteristics, participants receiving more encounters were significantly more likely to complete their Phase 1 treatment plan, be retained in dental care, and experience improvements in overall oral health status. Organizations considering efforts to improve the oral health of vulnerable, hard‐to‐engage populations should consider these findings when planning interventions.