Rapid identification of nonblood sterile site broth cultures using the FilmArray blood culture identification panel

The FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel was validated for nonblood sterile site specimens with clinical impact of rapid identification compared to conventional diagnostics. The panel accurately identified target organisms from 98% of positive broth cultures a median 1.1?day faster than conventional techniques (P?<?0.0001) with potential clinical impact in 22% of cases.     

The Tricky Tear Trough: A Review of Topical Cosmeceuticals for Periorbital Skin Rejuvenation

There is a growing demand for noninvasive anti-aging products for which the periorbital region serves as a critical aspect of facial rejuvenation. This article reviews a multitude of cosmeceutical ingredients that have good scientific data, specifically for the periorbital region. Topical treatment options have exponentially grown from extensively studied retinoids, to recently developed technology, such as growth factors and peptides. With a focus on the periorbital anatomy, the authors review the mechanisms of action of topical cosmeceutical ingredients, effectiveness of ingredient penetration through the stratum corneum, and validity of clinical trials.Due to the Baby Boomer’s continual pursuit to maintain a youthful appearance, there is a new paradigm in treating the signs of aging. The periorbital region serves as a window to a person’s chronological age. Aging photodamaged skin demonstrates epidermal atrophy, pigmentary changes, and the formation of dynamic and resting rhytides. Patients are commonly concerned about the appearance of dark circles, crow’s feet, eyelid bags, dry skin, thin skin, and just “looking tired.” They often seek advice about which treatments are most effective for periorbital rejuvenation. Although aging is inevitable, there are certain features of the periorbital skin that can be addressed to minimize the aged appearance.There are many effective treatment options including surgical measures and nonsurgical modalities, such as fillers, neuromodulators, lasers, and light technology, but these are costly and have the potential for greater side effects. Therefore, a minimally invasive treatment, such as a topical cosmeceutical, is often the desired first line of defense.A search for “crow’s feet” on Amazon.com revealed 2,471 products. The upper limit of the price range was more than $1,000 for a 15mL eye serum claiming to “eliminate wrinkles, reduce dark circles, and hydrate the skin around the eyes.” This helps elucidate the demand for products to address these common concerns in the periorbital region.What follows is a review of the common ingredients in topical cosmeceuticals utilized for periorbital rejuvenation.     

Striatal Morphology is Associated with Tobacco Cigarette Craving

The striatum has a clear role in addictive disorders and is involved in drug-related craving. Recently, enhanced striatal volume was associated with greater lifetime nicotine exposure, suggesting a bridge between striatal function and structural phenotypes. To assess this link between striatal structure and function, we evaluated the relationship between striatal morphology and this brain region''s well-established role in craving. In tobacco smokers, we assessed striatal volume, surface area, and shape using a new segmentation methodology coupled with local shape indices. Striatal morphology was then related with two measures of craving: state-based craving, assessed by the brief questionnaire of smoking urges (QSU), and craving induced by smoking-related images. A positive association was found between left striatal volume and surface area with both measures of craving. A more specific relationship was found between both craving measures and the dorsal, but not in ventral striatum. Evaluating dorsal striatal subregions showed a single relationship between the caudate and QSU. Although cue-induced craving and the QSU were both associated with enlarged striatal volume and surface area, these measures were differentially associated with global or more local striatal volumes. We also report a connection between greater right striatal shape deformations and cue-induced craving. Shape deformations associated with cue-induced craving were specific to striatal subregions involved in habitual responding to rewarding stimuli, which is relevant given the habitual nature of cue-induced craving. The current findings confirm a relationship between striatal function and morphology and suggest that variation in striatal morphology may be a biomarker for craving severity.     

Cannabis and symptoms of PMS and PMDD

Cannabis has been found to alleviate a wide array of medical symptoms, including those that overlap with physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), including insomnia, irritability, depression, and joint pain. Little work has addressed the use of cannabis as a treatment for PMS or PMDD or the role of women’s cannabis treatment expectancies as a predictor of consumption. Women who reported having experienced PMS and PMDD and endorsed lifetime cannabis use (N?=?145), completed an online survey assessing their frequency of cannabis use, PMS/PMDD symptoms, expectancies of cannabis-induced relief from symptoms, as well as cannabis-related problems. Women were found to hold meaningful expectancies that cannabis would treat all PMS/PMDD symptoms, except for overeating/food cravings. Cannabis treatment expectancies were positively associated with PMS/PMDD symptoms and with monthly cannabis use, and were negatively associated with cannabis-related problems. Research should further examine the relationship of cannabis treatment expectancies with individuals’ cannabis use, as findings indicate the potential for these expectancies to serve a punitive or protective role in the development of cannabis-related problems. Increased research on how cannabis might ameliorate symptoms of PMS and PMDD could help establish an alternative treatment plan that offers relief with fewer negative side effects.     

Contact area affects frequency-dependent responses to vibration in the peripheral vascular and sensorineural systems

Repetitive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration is associated with development of peripheral vascular and sensorineural dysfunctions. These disorders and symptoms associated with it are referred to as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Although the symptoms of the disorder have been well characterized, the etiology and contribution of various exposure factors to development of the dysfunctions are not well understood. Previous studies performed using a rat-tail model of vibration demonstrated that vascular and peripheral nervous system adverse effects of vibration are frequency-dependent, with vibration frequencies at or near the resonant frequency producing the most severe injury. However, in these investigations, the amplitude of the exposed tissue was greater than amplitude typically noted in human fingers. To determine how contact with vibrating source and amplitude of the biodynamic response of the tissue affects the risk of injury occurring, this study compared the influence of frequency using different levels of restraint to assess how maintaining contact of the tail with vibrating source affects the transmission of vibration. Data demonstrated that for the most part, increasing the contact of the tail with the platform by restraining it with additional straps resulted in an enhancement in transmission of vibration signal and elevation in factors associated with vascular and peripheral nerve injury. In addition, there were also frequency-dependent effects, with exposure at 250 Hz generating greater effects than vibration at 62.5 Hz. These observations are consistent with studies in humans demonstrating that greater contact and exposure to frequencies near the resonant frequency pose the highest risk for generating peripheral vascular and sensorineural dysfunction.     

People,Pets, and Parasites: One Health Surveillance in Southeastern Saskatchewan

Residents of remote and Indigenous communities might experience higher exposure to some zoonotic parasites than the general North American population. Human sero-surveillance conducted in two Saulteaux communities found 113 volunteers exposed as follows: Trichinella (2.7%), Toxocara canis (4.4%), Echinococcus (4.4%), and Toxoplasma gondii (1.8%). In dogs, 41% of 51 fecal samples were positive for at least one intestinal parasite, 3% of 77 were sero-positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, and 21% of 78 for T. gondii. Echinococcus exposure was more likely to occur in non-dog owners (odds ratio [OR]: 11.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–107, P = 0.03); while T. canis was more likely to occur in children (ages 4–17) (OR: 49, 95% CI: 3.9–624; P = 0.003), and those with a history of dog bites (OR: 13.5, 95% CI: 1.02–179; P = 0.048). Our results emphasize the use of dogs as sentinels for emerging pathogens such as Lyme disease, and the need for targeted surveillance and intervention programs tailored for parasite species, cultural groups, and communities.     

Influenza Virus Infection in Nonhuman Primates

To determine whether nonhuman primates are infected with influenza viruses in nature, we conducted serologic and swab studies among macaques from several parts of the world. Our detection of influenza virus and antibodies to influenza virus raises questions about the role of nonhuman primates in the ecology of influenza.