Department Of Medical Sciences Research Articles

Longitudinal assessment of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in Sardinian psychotic patients (LABSP): a protocol for a prospective observational study

IntroductionBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity and neuronal function and survival. Serum and plasma BDNF levels are moderately, but consistently, decreased in patients with...

Advancing gender equality through the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science: an exploratory study of women\u2019s and men\u2019s perceptions

BackgroundWhile in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, higher education and research institutions are widely engaged with the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science to advance gender equality, empirical research on this process and its impact is rare. This study combined two data sets (free- text comments from a survey and qualitative interviews) to explore the range of experiences and perceptions of participation in Athena SWAN in medical science departments of a research-intensive university in Oxford, United Kingdom.MethodsThe study is based on the secondary analysis of data from two projects: 59 respondents to an anonymous online survey (42 women, 17 men) provided relevant free-text comments and, separately, 37 women participated in face-to-face narrative interviews. Free-text survey comments and narrative interviews were analysed thematically using constant comparison.ResultsBoth women and men said that participation in Athena SWAN had brought about important structural and cultural changes, including increased support for women’s careers, greater appreciation of caring responsibilities, and efforts to challenge discrimination and bias. Many said that these positive changes would not have happened without linkage of Athena SWAN to government research funding, while others thought there were unintended consequences. Concerns about the programme design and implementation included a perception that Athena SWAN has limited ability to address longstanding and entrenched power and pay imbalances, persisting lack of work-life balance in academic medicine, questions about the sustainability of positive changes, belief that achieving the award could become an end in itself, resentment about perceived positive discrimination, and perceptions that further structural and cultural changes were needed in the university and wider society.ConclusionsThe findings from this study suggest that Athena SWAN has a positive impact in advancing gender equality, but there may be limits to how much it can improve gender equality without wider institutional and societal changes. To address the fundamental causes of gender inequality would require cultural change and welfare state policies incentivising men to increase their participation in unpaid work in the family, which is beyond the scope of higher education and research policy.

The occurrence of alveolar bone resorption with oral bacterial infection

Fatima Malik Abood1, Ghassan A. Abbas HD. Conserv1, Luma Jasim Witwit1, Nada Khazal Kadhim Hindi2, Halah Khaleel Ahmed Abu Khmra3, Mohmmed R. Abid Ali2; 1College of Dentistry, Babylon University, Iraq; 2Basic and Medical science Department, College of Nursing, Babylon University, Babylon Province, Iraq.; 3B.D.S College of Dentistry. Babylon University, Babylon Province, Iraq.; *Corresponding Author

Letter to the Editor] Isolation of mitochondria is necessary for precise quantification of mitochondrial DNA damage in human carcinoma samples

Address correspondence to Carlo Vascotto, Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, 33100, Italy. E-mail: carlo.vascotto@uniud.it.

Determination of Human Parasitic Infestation on Fruits and Vegetables Sold in Ekpoma Markets, Edo State, Nigeria

Fruits and vegetables commonly brought for sale in markets within Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State were screened for human parasites in medical laboratory science department Research and diagnostic laboratory in College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. Two hundred and fifty (250) samples of seven different vegetable types which include cabbage, carrot, spinach, pumpkin, cucumber tomatoes and waterleaf and two different types of fruits which are pineapple and garden egg were obtained in three different markets within Ekpoma and screened using centrifugation method (Simple Sedimentation) and Floatation method. Cysts, ova, larvae and trophrozoites of intestinal Protozoa and helminthes were recovered. 106 (42.4%) of the samples were positive for different species of parasites. The parasites implicated were <em>Entamoeba coli</em> 21 (20.5%), <em>Entamoiba histolytica</em> 11 (10.4%), 4(3.6%), <em>Giardia lablia</em> 4 (3.6%), <em>Hymenolepis nana</em> 1 (0.9%), <em>Trichuris trichiura</em> 2 (1.9%), <em>Ascaris lumbricoides</em> 12 (11.3%), Hookworm 14 (13.2%), <em>Strongyloides stercoralis</em> 34 (32.1%), <em>Gastrodiscoides hominis</em> 1(0.9%) <em>and Faciola species</em> 1 (0.9%). <em>Strongyloides</em>. <em>stercoralis</em> with 34 (32.1%) of the positive cases has the highest occurrence, while <em>H. nana</em>, <em>G. hominis</em> and <em>Faciola species</em> with1 (0.9%) had the least occurrences. The study also showed that water-leaf with 83.3% infestation rate has the highest parasitic infestation, while cucumber with 0 (0.0%) has zero infestation. Spinach was found to have the highest multiple parasitic infestation of seven (7) species, whereas, cucumber had none. Infestation of different vegetables and fruits by various species of parasites was statistically significant (p<0.05; X² = 108.41). The infestation of medical important parasites and non-medical important parasites that were recovered in this project was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05; X = 9.845). Results from this current study however show high level of fruit and vegetables infestation with intestinal parasites and also indicate a great risk of acquiring intestinal parasites by eating improperly processed fruits and vegetables, but it can be excluded from the cycle of transmission of parasitic infections by properly and hygienically prepared fruits and vegrtables before consumption and proper waste management.

Analysis of projects funded by NSFC in field of Chinese material medica resource in recent three years

The paper reviewed the sponsorship and final reports of projects focus on Science of Chinese materia medica resource in Medical Science Department, National Natural Science Foundation of China. The applicant and supportive organizations were analyzed. The progress and results of some projects were summarized by research fields including formation mechanism of Dao-di herbs, research of plant taxonomy, breeding and cultivation of medical plants, ecological and environmental adaptability of Chinese materia medica resource, quality assessment of Chinese materia medica resource, and biosynthesis and regulation of active compounds. In addition, the potential problems and the most and least focused areas in the application were summarized for reference.

067 - Dose-Response Relationships between Exercise Intensity, Mood States, and Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients

Copyeditor: Patricia Llenado Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing Vol. 00, No. 0, pp 00Y00 x Copyright B 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Dose-Response Relationship Between Exercise Intensity, Mood States, and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure AQ1 Lorraine S. Evangelista , PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN; Marysol Cacciata, MSN, RN, CCRN-K; Anna Stromberg, PhD, RN, NFESC, FAAN; Kathleen Dracup, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN Background: We conducted a secondary analysis to (1) compare changes in mood disorders and quality of life (QOL) among 4 groups of patients with heart failure in a home-based exercise program who had varying degrees of change in their exercise capacity and (2) determine whether there was an association between exercise capacity, mood disorders, and QOL. Methods: Seventy-one patients were divided into 4 groups based on changes in exercise capacity from baseline to 6 months: group 1showed improvements of greater than 10% (n = 19), group 2 showed improvements of 10% or less (n = 16), group 3 showed reductions of 10% or less (n = 9), and group 4 showed reductions of greater than 10% (n = 27). Results: Over time, patients in all 4 groups demonstrated significantly lower levels of depression and hostility (P G .001) and higher levels of physical and overall quality of life (P = .046). Group differences over time were noted in anxiety (P = .009), depression (P = .015), physical quality of life (P G .001), and overall quality of life (P = .002). Greater improvement in exercise capacity was strongly associated with lower depression scores (r = j0.49, P = .01). Conclusions: An improvement in exercise capacity with exercise training was associated with a decrease in depression and anxiety and an increase in QOL in patients with heart failure. KEY WORDS: dose-response, exercise, heart failure, mood states, quality of life H eart failure (HF) is a debilitating chronic con- dition that affects an estimated 5.7 million Americans, and the projections show that the preva- lence will increase 46% from 2012 to 2030, resulting in more than 8 million Americans 18 years or older with heart failure. 1 Most individuals with heart fail- ure experience deficits in physical functioning and fatigue and report decreased quality of life (QOL). 2Y4 A common finding in patients with heart failure is exercise intolerance, which causes progressive func- tional deterioration. 5 In addition to physical impair- Lorraine S. Evangelista, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN Professor and Associate Director of the PhD Program, Program in Nursing Science, University of California, Irvine. Marysol Cacciata, MSN, RN, CCRN-K Doctoral Student, Program in Nursing Science, University of California, Irvine. Anna Stromberg, PhD, RN, NFESC, FAAN Professor, Department of Medical and Health Sciences and Department of Cardiology, Linkoping University, Sweden. Kathleen Dracup, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. This research was partially supported by a grant from the American Heart Association Western Division (NCR 133-09; PI, K. Dracup). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. AQ2 Correspondence Marysol Cacciata, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, UCI Program in Nursing Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (cacciatm@uci.edu). DOI: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000407 ments, patients with heart failure also exhibit psychological challenges, specifically anxiety and de- pression, and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. 6 Recent heart failure guidelines advise regular exercise for patients with heart failure to improve their functional capacity and decrease their symptoms. 2,7 Research supports the importance of pro- moting exercise training to reduce mortality, hospitali- zations, and risk for other chronic diseases in patients with heart failure. 8Y10 Controlled clinical trials have also shown that exercise training programs improve aer- obic capacity, delay onset of anaerobic metabolism, and improve autonomic balance. 11Y13 Furthermore, improve- ments in exercise capacity in this patient population led to increased metabolism, strength, and vitality 14Y17 and significant reductions in depressive symptoms. 18 The HF-ACTION (‘‘Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training’’) trial also showed that greater physiological and clinical benefits seem likely in patients with heart failure who adhere to a higher volume of exercise. 15 Although previous exercise research indicate that regular exercise represents an effective therapy in the management of patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction, the benefits of exer- cise training on mood disorders and quality of life re- main inconsistent. Likewise, the relationship between

Development and characterization of functionalized self-assembling nanopeptide on the effect of angiogenesis for injured brain tissue regeneration

Event Abstract Back to Event Development and characterization of functionalized self-assembling nanopeptide on the effect of angiogenesis for injured brain tissue regeneration Kai-Chiech Chang1, Yung-Jen Chuang2, Wen-Han Chang3, Ming-Yuan Huang3 and Tzu-Wei Wang1 1 National Tsing Hua University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiwan 2 National Tsing Hua University, Department of Medical Science & Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, Taiwan 3 Mackay Memorial Hospital, Department of Emergency, Taiwan Introduction: Tissue and organ regeneration has been regarded as an optimal therapeutic strategy for traumatic brain injury. In this study, we proposed a three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel matrix to facilitate neoangiogenesis around damaged brain wound region[1]-[3]. A functionalized peptide, RADA16-SVVYGLR (AcN-RADARADARADARADASVVYGLR-CONH2), is designed, synthesized, and self-assembles into nanofibers network to form hydrogel with fiber entanglements[4]. The hydrogel with mechanical stiffness provides a suitable substrate for encapsulated neural stem cells adhesion and differentiation. The functional peptide, SVVYGLR, had been shown to regulate growth of hemopoietic stem cells and to induce angiogenesis[5],[6]. From previous in vitro and in vivo study, the hydrogel made of RADA16-SVVYGLR was compatible for cells proliferation in zebrafish embryos development. We expect that functionalized peptide hydrogel would create a favorable microenvironment for neural tissue repair and serve as a potential therapeutic application in traumatic brain damages. Method: Peptide solution: All aqueous peptide solutions were prepared by dissolving in Milli-Q water, stored at 4°C. Physiochemical properties analyses: Peptide secondary structure, nanofibers morphology and hydrogel rheology were analyzed by circular dichroism (CD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheometer, respectively. In vivo study: Zebrafish line (Tg(kdr:EGFP)) were used to perform zebrafish embryo toxicity test (zFET) including analysis of the survival rate and the development of intersegmental vessels (ISVs). Results and Discussion: The CD spectrum showed RADA16 and RADA16-SVVYGLR were in the form of beta sheet with minimum at 216 nm and maximum at 196 nm (Fig. 1). Morphology of both peptides were nanofibers network, developing scaffolds favorable to cellular processes and molecules transportation (Fig. 2). As the CD and TEM results, the self-assembling mechanism was not changed dramatically after linking the motif on the terminal of RADA16. The rheology of hydrogels showed that G’ was higher than G’’, indicating the gel-like property. (Fig. 3) The survival rate of fish embryos treated with peptide hydrogel was similar to that in the control group (Fig. 4). After 72 hours post-fertilization, the phenotypic traits of ISVs growth were identical in fish treated with hydrogel and that in control group, showing the normal physiological growth of ISVs to the DLAVs and PCVs. (Fig. 5) The zFET showed toxicity was not observed. Conclusion: The self-assembling peptides in our study, characterized as beta sheet secondary structure with angiogenic sequence, formed into a gel-like 3D scaffold with nanofibers network which was a suitable matrix for NSCs proliferation and a biocompatible biomaterial by zebrafish animal model. The hydrogel scaffold by functionalized self-assembling peptide has a potential role in clinical application to improve tissue regeneration. Dr. Wen-Han Chang; Dr. Ming-Yuan Huang; Prof. Yung-Jen Chuang; NTHU-Mackay Memorial Hospital Joint Research Program (103N2770E1); Research funding support of Ministry of Science and Technology, R.O.C. (104-2628-E-007-002-MY3)

Estimation of relationship between eating habits and body mass index of students in Mount Kenya University, Rwanda

Background: Eating habits are a major concern among university students especially due to the transition from home environment where parents determine what to be eaten, to new environments where they or their peers choose the diet. Eating habits are considered determinants of health conditions and has been linked to death from Non-communicable diseases. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in school of Health Sciences at Mount Kenya University. A total of 630 students from entire school of health science constituted the target population for the study. Sample size of 245 students was established. Stratified sampling technique was used to select students from department of Medical laboratory science, Nursing, Pharmacy and Public health who formed sample size for the study. Close-ended questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Results: The study found that majority of students had normal weight (65%) but there is a fairly high occurrence of overweight (20%) among the students. Further, female students skipped the three main meals i.e. breakfast, lunch and supper more frequently than male students. In addition, this study found that, the P-values of the chi-square test were greater than 0.05 hence there was not conclusive evidence of a statistical significant relationship between frequency of taking breakfast (P = 0.070), lunch (P = 0.167), or supper (P = 0.217) and body mass index of the students. Further the study found that food availability (61%), friends (6%), cost (1%) and accessibility of food (32%) were the factors that influenced students eating behaviors. The finding showed no statistical relationship between eating home cooked food (P = 0.114), eating self-cooked food (P = 0.056), frequency of taking sweet beverages per week (P = 0.567). However there was statistically significant relationship between frequency of taking fast food per week (P = 0.000), frequency of consuming snacks per week (P = 0.001), frequency of consuming vegetables per week (P = 0.000), frequency of consuming fruits per week (P = 0.033), frequency of consuming deep fried food per week (P = 0.026), frequency of consuming chicken per week (P = 0.008) and body mass index of the students. Additionally the study found out that students considered either the cost of food 29%, availability of food for purchase, 22%, favorite meals 15% or balanced diet when making food choices. A significant relationship between meals planning and BMI (P = 0.000) was realized as well as between living arrangement of the students and body mass index (P = 0.000). Conclusions: The study concluded that the frequency of taking breakfast, lunch and supper has no relationship with body mass index of the students. However, frequency of taking fast food, frequency of consuming snacks, frequency of consuming vegetables, frequency of consuming fruits, frequency of consuming deep fried food and frequency of consuming chicken per week is statistically related to body mass index of students. The study also concluded that meal planning and living arrangement relates with student’s body mass index significantly.

Role of Calcium in Vomiting: Revelations from the Least Shrew Model of Emesis

Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA *Corresponding author Nissar A. Darmani, PhD Department of Basic Medical Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Western University of Health Sciences 309 East Second Street Pomona, CA 91766, USA Tel. 1 909 469 5654 Fax: 1 909 469 5577 E-mail: ndarmani@westernu.edu

Safinamide and glutamate release: New insights

s / Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 22 (2016) e149ee192 e177 Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Consultant, Gallarate, Varese, Italy; RD Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Consultant, Gallarate, Varese, Italy Objectives: Safinamide (Xadago®) is a novel drug recently approved as add-on therapy to levodopa in midto late-stage Parkinson's disease. Xadago® shows a unique dual mechanism of action: it has both dopaminergic properties (highly selective, potent and reversible inhibition of monoamine oxidase-B) and non-dopaminergic properties (state and usedependent sodium channel blockade causing inhibition of excessive glutamate release). The study aim was to evaluate the effect of safinamide on stimulated glutamate release in rat hippocampus at doses giving free brain concentrations able to block sodium channels and to provide a PK/PD approach to support its clinical relevance on overactive glutamate release inhibition. Methods: Glutamate release, stimulated by veratridine in the hippocampus of rats, was measured by in vivo microdialysis. Results: Safinamide was able to significantly inhibit the glutamate release in a dose-dependent manner and the relative measured free brain concentrations (0.3-2.2 mM) support the inhibition of sodium channels (2050% Ki. A functional blockade of sodium channels suggests that pharmacodynamically active concentrations of safinamide are available at the target sites in the brain: in rodents significant protection (50-70%) from convulsions was found when free brain concentration of 0.37-1.4 mM was reached. At the recommended clinical doses (50 and 100 mg) the estimated human free brain safinamide concentrations (0.21-1.92 mM) overlap the range of measured free brain concentrations effective in inhibiting overactive glutamate release in animals. Conclusions: These results clearly support the non-dopaminergic aspects of Xadago® mode of action in rats, likely relevant also in humans. P 6.004. 4I (N-(3-CHLORO-2-METHYLPHENYL) QUINOXALIN-2-CARBOXAMIDE), A NOVEL 5-HT3 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST ALLEVIATES DEPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR EVOKED IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC MICE: ROLE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS Deepali Gupta, Mahesh Radhakrishnan. Department of Pharmacy, Pilani,

A unique dermoscopy pattern of primary cutaneous nodular amyloidosis mimicking a granulomatous disease

the Department of Health Sciences, IRCSS-AOU S.MartinoT, DISSAL, Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa; the epartment of Surgical and Morphological Sciences, Anatomic thology Division, IRCSS-AOU S.Martino, University of Genoa; e Mario Aresu Department of Medical Science, Section of ermatology, University of Cagliari; and SC of Dermatology, OU Cagliari, Italy. ing sources: None. Conf Repri M Vi J Am 0190 a 20 http: licts of interest: None declared. nt requests: Franco Rongioletti, MD, Unit of Dermatology . Aresu Department of Medical Science University of Cagliari, a ospedale, Cagliari, Italy. E-mail: franco.rongioletti@me.com. Acad Dermatol 2016;74:e9-10. -9622/$36.00 15 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. //dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2015.09.026

Performance Evaluation of Public Hospitals in Tamil Nadu

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to investigate the relative efficiency of a set of decision-making units (DMUs). Government departments, such as, medical sciences, public health and preventive medicine, are providing primary and secondary care to the people of Tamil Nadu. The units of these departments are expected to function as health centres in terms of preventive medicine, hygiene and other public health issues. This study aims to obtain the technical efficiency (TE) of 31 district hospitals in the state, which come under the department of medical sciences. Here, district hospitals in the state of Tamil Nadu are considered as DMUs. The variables chosen included number of beds, staff nurses, assistant surgeons/civil surgeons as inputs, and outpatients treated, major surgeries and total deliveries performed as outputs. An output-oriented Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) model was considered for DEA, allowing variable return to scale (VRS), and units were marked according to the benchmarking approach. Results indicate that nine of the 31 hospitals (29 per cent) are efficient, while the remaining 22 (71 per cent) are relatively inefficient, and they need to improvise their performance with that of their peer group.

J-wave duration and slope as potential tools to discriminate between benign and malignant early repolarization

Yvonne Cristoforetti, MD, Luigi Biasco, MD, Carla Giustetto, MD, Ole De Backer, MD, PhD, Davide Castagno, MD, Piero Astegiano, MD, Gianpasquale Ganzit, MD, Carlo Gabriele Gribaudo, MD, Marco Moccetti, MD, Fiorenzo Gaita, MD From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, Citta della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy, Fondazione Cardiocentro Ticino, University of Zurich, Lugano, Switzerland, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Institute of Sports Medicine, Turin, Italy.

Epigenetic mechanisms elicited by butyrate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children with IGE-mediated cow milk allergy

L. Paparo1,∗, R. Nocerino1, R. Aitoro1, V. Granata1, L. Cosenza1, I. Langella1, A. Amoroso1, G. Gioielli 1, R. Berni Canani2 1 Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy 2 Department of Translational Medical Science and European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food-Induced Diseases and CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

The development and highlighted questions of reproductive biology research

The Shuangqing Forum themed as Challenges and strategies on the development of reproductive was held at the end of 2014. This forum was co-sponsored by the Department of Life Sciences, the Department of Medical Sciences and the Bureau of Policy of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Sixty-eight scientists from twenty-two research institutes and universities attended this forum and presented their view on the current status and development trends of the reproductive biology research. Highlighted areas and key questions in the future were suggested based on the current research, unique feature and strength areas of our country.

Schistosoma mansoni Eggs in Spleen and Lungs, Mimicking Other Diseases.

1 Center for Tropical Diseases, Ospedale Sacro-Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar, Verona, Italy, 2 Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Ospedale S. Orsola-Malpighi, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 3 Acute and Chronic Viral Hepatitis Department, Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, Italy, 4 Department of Pathology, Ospedale Sacro-Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar, Verona, Italy

Assessment of aortic valve stenosis severity using intelligent phonocardiography

a Physiological Measurements, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden b Department of Clinical Physiology, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden c Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden d Division of Medical Imaging and Technology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden e Department of Clinical Physiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden f Department of Medical Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden g School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Genetic and potential autoimmune triggers of primary aldosteronism.

Hypertension is a major life-threatening disease of high morbidity and mortality, which affects between 10% to 40% of the general population in an age-dependent manner. The pathogenesis of essential hypertension is multifactorial, with various underlying contributory mechanisms. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the leading cause of secondary hypertension that affects 4.3% of patients in the general hypertensive population and 9.5% of patients referred to hypertension units.1 The 2 predominant causes of the constitutive aldosterone secretion that define PA is either aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH, also called idiopathic hyperaldosteronism). Exome sequencing has unraveled the pathogenetic basis of around half of APA, but the underlying cause of the aldosterone excess in BAH remains an enigma. The diagnosis of PA is made by a multistep process, recommended by the Endocrine Society guidelines,2 that ends with the invasive protocol of adrenal venous sampling. Once diagnosed, it is imperative to distinguish the surgically correctable forms (APA) from those that should be treated pharmacologically with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (BAH). With the application of wider screening for PA, >70% of cases of aldosterone excess have been defined as caused by BAH, with APA making up most of the remainder. APA and BAH are sporadic forms of PA, but 3 rarer familial forms of PA also exist called familial hyperaldosteronism (FH) types I, II, and III, described in more detail below. Three familial forms of PA with distinct clinical characteristics have been described.3,4 FH type I or glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism is caused by a hybrid gene resulting from the unequal crossing-over between the adjacent genes CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 .5,6 Only few families (≈50) have been identified worldwide. FH type II seems to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. A locus has been mapped on chromosome 7p22 …

Increased fatty infiltration of the multifidus muscle in individuals with severe disability due to chronic whiplash-associated disorders

A. Peolsson1, A. Karlsson2,3, J. West 2,4, U. Aslund1, O. Smedby2, P. Zsigmond5, O. Dahlqvist Leinhard 2,4 1Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; 2 Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linkoping University and Linkoping University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden; 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Informatics, Faculty of Technology, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; 4 Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; 5 Department of Neurosurgery, Linkoping University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden