by Brett W. Sadowski  and Coleman I. Smith

Received: 14 May 2020;  Published: 20 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.2003049

The combination of broad screening initiatives and development of effective antiviral therapies have led to a revolution in the treatment of hepatitis C virus and has reduced the proportion of patients with the virus who develop a need for liver transplantation in favor of other etiologies, such as alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. However, the opioid epidemic and rise in injection drug use in the United States has simultaneously led to otherwise healthy hepatitis C viremic patients d [...]

by Kokila Jeyamurugan  and Ratna B Basak

Received: 12 May 2020;  Published: 17 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2003034

Child life specialists (CLS) are trained providers who form part of a pediatric multidisciplinary and pediatric palliative care team. Their role is invaluable to mitigate the stress and anxiety of children during hospitalization. They may use various strategies in children like play, art and music therapy and pet therapy, to help self-express and cope with painful procedures. We present a brief narrative on CLS with a case of a 10- year- old Hispanic boy who had metastatic osteosarcoma. The case illustration is f [...]

by Cristóbal Coronel-Rodríguez  and Alejandro Rodríguez-Martínez

Received: 07 May 2020;  Published: 17 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2003066

Gluten-related disorders (GRDs) represent a spectrum of diverse clinical manifestations triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. The most common and widely recognized diseases within this spectrum are celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. The clinical manifestations are intestinal, but extraintestinal manifestations may also appear, such as neurological or psychiatric. This work will specifically review the neurological or psychiatric manifestations that are more freq [...]

by Temitope Akinjogbin  , Jacob Parnell  and Maria C. Duggan

Received: 05 May 2020;  Published: 13 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003128

Delirium is an acute change in mental status with key features of inattention and disorganized thinking. It is particularly common in older adults, with multiple and varied causes. Delirium increases the risk of morbidity, mortality, institutionalization, and healthcare costs; however, it is often missed because it is difficult to recognize without the use of a validated screening tool. The Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) initiative highlights the need for implementation of a delirium monitoring program in hospi [...]

by Demelza Emmerton  , Samra Khan  , Joanne Conway  , Daniel Mosby  and Ahmed H. Abdelhafiz

Received: 31 May 2020;  Published: 10 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003127

With life-expectancy rising globally, the prevalence of ageing, comorbidity and frailty is likely to increase especially in the low and middle income countries. The emergence of the new COVID-19 pandemic has been concentrated in this group of patients and has led to worse outcomes compared to younger and less comorbid populations. This group of patients is at an increased risk of multi-organ consequences of systemic disease. Therefore, systemic assessment of these patients from the outset and optimisation of their [...]

by Jamie Zhen  and M. Ines Pinto-Sanchez

Received: 17 May 2020;  Published: 10 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2003065

Celiac disease (CeD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestion and affects nearly 1% of the population worldwide. CeD has typically been associated with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain; however, its extra-intestinal manifestations are becoming widely recognized. In particular, CeD patients may present with various neurological manifestations and oftentimes, without evidence of gastrointestinal symptoms. The pathophysiology behind these manifestations is not well k [...]

by Maya Kudo  , Misa Hayashi  , Peng Tian  , Danyang Liu  , Lili Wu  , Wei Li  , Zhaoyang Hong  , Yitang Zhao  , Toshiaki Nishigaki  , Masaaki Nishihara  , Kazuo Koike  , Tonghua Liu  and Ming Gao

Received: 13 April 2020;  Published: 09 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2003033

Increased body fat mass can lead to lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increases the onset of multiple diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, which are closely related to lipid metabolism; therefore, new prevention approaches and treatments are needed. Our study investigated the effects and mechanism of YNCRG on anti-obesity in metabolic syndrome model SHR.Cg-Leprcp/NDmcr (SHRCP) rats. Eight-week- [...]

by Enrico Facco

Received: 04 February 2020;  Published: 08 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2003032

The topic of resilience is of paramount importance. Although the term resilience was coined in the fields of physics and engineering, its use has spread to the fields of social sciences, biology, psychology, and psychiatry, as well as to the industry. Moreover, the term is now endowed with a wide range of meanings. The topic of resilience plays a central role in all critical life events. It is of paramount importance in medicine as well as in psychology and psychotherapy, where it is involved in both psychiatric di [...]

by Khawla F. Ali  and Betul Hatipoglu

Received: 07 June 2020;  Published: 07 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2003115

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a rapidly evolving field. It has been increasingly regarded as a promising approach for the correction of dysglycemia associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus (allogenic islet transplantation), or the prevention of surgical diabetes in chronic pancreatitis subjects undergoing total pancreatectomy (autologous islet transplantation). In this review, we discuss the latest literature pertaining to metabolic outcomes of autologous and allogenic islet transplantation, shedding close li [...]

by Dominic Emerson  , Jon Kobashigawa  , Ryan Levine  , Jamie Moriguchi  , Dominick Megna  , Joshua Chung  , Dany Ramzy  , Alfredo Trento  and Fardad Esmailian

Received: 14 April 2020;  Published: 06 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2003114

In advanced heart failure, orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) remains the standard for definitive treatment. Patients with heart failure and concomitant pulmonary hypertension (PH) represent a challenging subgroup, with poor outcomes following OHT. Recently, Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) devices have been utilized as a bridge to OHT for these patients. Patients with MCS devices who underwent OHT were evaluated at a single center. Patients were stratified into three groups, depending on baseline pulmonary [...]