by Susana Ruiz-Ruiz  , Carolina A Ponce  , Nicole Pesantes  , Rebeca Bustamante  , Gianna Gatti  , Viviana San Martin  , Mireya Gutierrez  , Mariana Izquierdo  , Sergio L Vargas  , Fabien Magne  and Vicente Pérez-Brocal

Received: 30 January 2019;  Published: 18 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1901066

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii colonization in patients is associated with a low organism burden, which supports the need to use highly sensitive molecular techniques, such as nested-PCR to determine the presence of the organism. However, few studies have considered the effect of nucleic acid extraction methods on the detection of P. jirovecii. Here, we evaluate how pre-treatment affects microbial detection. Methods: Lung tissue samples from fifteen autopsied infants were processed using two different DNA extra [...]

by Natalia Sylvia Ramos Díaz

Received: 23 August 2018;  Published: 14 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901017

One of the objectives of psychological intervention is to help patients manage their emotions effectively by providing them with the necessary skills to accompany their own emotional states. To this regard, there seems to be a current lack of therapeutic resources aimed at helping patients assimilate and regulate emotions. This article proposes the application of a new technique which incorporates mindfulness, building on the premises of the model of psychological flexibility which defines "mindfulness" as a practi [...]

by Ramareddy V Guntaka

Received: 20 December 2018;  Published: 13 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1901014

Liver fibrosis leading to cirrhosis and cancer affects millions of people and causes thousands of deaths all over the world. Many signaling pathways could be targeted to block fibrosis but these are not successful. Reviewing recent literature and from our own studies we identified novel target, such as YB-1, which is implicated in inflammation, angiogenesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition we observed and showed that the end product of fibrosis, collagen gene, itself is a direct target fo [...]

by Tina Zhou  , Sara Khan  , Ron Firestein  , Peter Downie  and Jason E Cain

Received: 29 November 2018;  Published: 12 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1901022

Pediatric brain tumors account for approximately 25% of all cancers in children and are currently the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the pediatric population with an estimated incidence of 5.14 cases per 100,000 person years [1]. Up to 10-15% of all pediatric brain tumors arise in the brainstem, with the majority of these classified as the diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) subtype [2]. The outcome of children with DIPG remains dismal with a median survival of <1 year. Owing to the unique locatio [...]

by Sofia Oliveira Correia  , Catarina Eusébio  , Ana Sofia Cipriano  , Virginia Lopes  , José Ramón Vizcaíno  , António Cabrita  , Manuela Almeida  , Sofia Pedroso  , Leonidio Dias  , La Salete Martins  and António Castro Henriques

Received: 18 October 2018;  Published: 07 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901057

Mucormycosis is an angioinvasive and potentially fatal fungal infection caused by ubiquitous filamentous fungi. Cutaneous mucormycosis is an emerging infection and potentially lethal. Our aim was to review the literature on cutaneous mucormycosis. We present a case of a renal transplant patient with a surgical wound infection 20 days after kidney transplant. This case is an example on how early diagnosis is crucial and, since culture is less sensitive, microscopic evaluation of the characteristic broad hyphae is th [...]

by Katharina Tigges-Limmer  , Stephan Ensminger  , Yvonne Brocks  , Scott Stock Gissendanner  and Jan Gummert

Received: 28 October 2018;  Published: 05 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901056

Background: The participation of mental health professionals in multidisciplinary care teams for heart transplantation has become an international standard practice. The contribution of these professionals in this setting, which involves assessment and interventions, has not been the subject of systematic study. Methods: This paper explores how psychotherapists contribute to multidisciplinary decision making and care in transplant teams before, during, and after transplantation. To illustrate, it uses the case of a [...]

by Christine A. Beamish  and Omaima M. sabek

Received: 08 November 2018;  Published: 05 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901055

Pancreatic islet transplantation holds promise for patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, but is severely limited by a shortage of cadaveric donor islets, and more so because of stringent inclusion criteria for organ donation including donor metabolic function, age, and comorbidities. The impact of these diverse factors on islet health has led to a broad investigation of global influences on islet biology, not least of all, characterization of mature, functional cellular identity and maintenance of appropriate e [...]

by Ali Al-Ragawi  , Sergey Zyryanov  , Elena Ushkalova  , Olga Butranova  and Anton Pereverzev

Received: 10 October 2018;  Published: 05 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901038

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in the elderly and often have serious clinical and economic consequences. Prediction of ADRs is a valuable tool to improve pharmacotherapy and outcomes in this category of patients. Objective: Prediction of ADRs in patients ≥ 65 years old, based on GerontoNet risk score with emphasis on polypharmacy. Methods: Pharmacoepidemiological retrospective study of medical records of patients admitted to the Russian Gerontology Clinical Research Center (RGCRC) between 1 [...]

by Jeffery Jonathan Joshua (ישוע) Davis  , Florian Schübeler  and Robert Kozma

Received: 26 November 2018;  Published: 04 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901015

Background: Psychophysiological coherence has been widely studied as a bodily state associated with general well-being and cognitive clarity. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been shown to be a good biomarker to assess psychophysiological coherence. This paper presents the first general set of results concerning a study that is part of a team effort between a body of researchers in 5 countries led by the HeartMath Institute under the name, International Heart Rate Variability Synchronization (IHRVS) Study. This stu [...]

by Cynthia M.A. Geppert  and Ronald W. Pies

Received: 01 March 2019;  Published: 04 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901016

Compassion in Clinical Care

by Alberto Feletti  , Elena Bianchini  , Anna De Gaetano  , Lara Gibellini  , Sara De Biasi  , Giacomo Pavesi  , Anna Vittoria Mattioli  , Milena Nasi  , Andrea Cossarizza  and Marcello Pinti

Received: 26 November 2018;  Published: 04 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1901021

Hemangioblastomas (HBs) are benign, highly vascularized tumors of the central nervous system. Approximately 75% of HBs are sporadic, while 25% are associated with von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease. HBs consist of two main components: a rich capillary network composed of vascular endothelia and pericytes, within large vacuolated stromal cells, which harbor the genetic defect. The mechanism by which the VHL gene product (pVHL) causes HB is not completely clear. Wild-type pVHL is involved in the response to hypoxia, tar [...]

by Khalid Saidov  , Anna Tiunova  , Oksana Subach  , Fedor Subach  and Konstantin Anokhin

Received: 12 October 2018;  Published: 04 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1901065

Background: The method of cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescent in situ hybridization (catFISH) is widely used in cellular and behavioral neurobiology. This technique exploits stimulus-induced expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) and allows identification of two neuronal populations activated in the brain of the same animal in response to neural or behavioral events separated by 25–30 min. The differential labeling is based on the visualization of nuclear RNA and cytoplasmic [...]

by Dagan Coppock  , Caytlin Deering  , Shara Epstein  and Dong Heun Lee

Received: 23 December 2018;  Published: 01 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901054

Infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients. Procalcitonin (PCT) has garnered attention as an inflammatory marker that has been shown to be a valuable marker for early identification of systemic bacterial infection. However, interpretation of PCTs value in the different types of infections, transplanted organs, and post-operative courses can be challenging. We review the role of PCT in the management of infections in SOT recipients. First, the PCT level c [...]

by Kristopher M. Struckmeyer  , Alex J. Bishop  , Brenda J. Smith  and Brandt C. Gardner

Received: 27 August 2018;  Published: 27 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901037

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine discrepancies in self-proxy agreement of biopsychosocial factors and the influence of objective well-being and psychosocial resources self and proxy appraisals of subjective well-being in older adults. Methods: Seventy-two older adult-proxy dyads rated the biopsychosocial health of non-cognitively impaired older adults. Results: Proxies underestimated functional ability, psychosocial factors, and overrated negative health outcomes compared to older adults. Older [...]

by Vincenza Frisardi  , Sara Faroni  , Angela Bellani  , Felice Biagi  , Emanuela Galante  , Alida Balzanelli  , Erika Talassi  , Lorella Frittoli  , Giancarla Capiluppi  , Claudia D'angelis  , Antonella Taragnani  , Donatella Terzi  , Elena Podavini  , Graziana Gazzoni  , Graziana Simoncelli  , Carmine Matarazzo  , Mirko Avesani  , Antonio Ventura  , Consuelo Basili  , Maurizio Galavotti  , Carlo Maria Stucchi  , Maria Cristina Cilia  and Alfonso ciccone

Received: 31 October 2018;  Published: 27 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901036

The WHO global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025 stressed the need to have a comprehensive approach with deep interconnections and cross-cutting elements through several action areas. As the elderly population grows worldwide, the number of patients with dementia increases rapidly because age is an important risk factor for developing late-onset dementia. Currently, dementia syndrome represents a true emergency. Once a diagnosis of dementia was made, informal caregivers, patients and t [...]

by James David Adams

Received: 25 February 2019;  Published: 27 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901014

The nervous system is everywhere in the body, especially in the skin. Ancient Chinese acupuncture charts show us that the nerves are all connected and can work together to promote health. This connection occurs through the brain and brain stem. It is clear that acupuncture is analgesic by inhibition of transient receptor potential cation channels in the skin [1]. The role of chemokines in pain is becoming understood. Chemokines promote pain in the skin and activate ascending neural pathways that regulate chemo [...]

by Raquel López-Vilella  , Alba Cecilia Ruiz Gaitán  , José Ricardo Gimeno Costa  , Elena Marqués-Sulé  , Rosario Vicente Guillén  , Javier Pemán García  , Ignacio Sánchez-Lázaro  and Luis Almenar Bonet

Received: 15 October 2018;  Published: 27 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901053

In recent years, several agencies have issued warnings about the spread of Candida auris infections, a multidrug-resistant yeast that is associated with serious infections and with a mortality rate that can reach 70%. This problem is especially serious in transplant recipients receiving intense immunosupressive therapy. There are no established criteria on the relevance of this colonization or on when the transplant should be contraindicated in these cases. Five cases of colonization and two of candidemia have been [...]

by Steven R. Brenner

Received: 29 August 2018;  Published: 26 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901035

Alzheimer Disease may result from excessive stimulation of the innate immune system from development of underlying opportunistic infections and impaired age related self-recognition as non-self, due to immunodeficiency and immunosenescence, resulting in excessive inflammation and runaway Beta-amyloid production (a component of the innate immune system) causing cytosolic calcium overload. Excessive cytosolic calcium may cause over activation of calcineurin and inactivation of cis-trans prolyl isomerase (Pin1), with [...]

by Istvan Széchenyi

Received: 16 October 2018;  Published: 26 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901013

Background: In the international auriculotherapy practice there are relatively big differences in the exact localization of the same ear acupuncture point. On one hand, there are specialists who devote their efforts to find the active points. In that case it becomes intriguing that there may be another point (at 1-2 mm distance) near the point to be treated, indicating a relatively strong, even stronger activity than the one they were initially aiming to find. That point may be active because of another health prob [...]

by David W. Scharp  , Jayagowri Arulmoli  , Kelly Morgan  , Hannah Sunshine  and Ergeng Hao

Received: 15 October 2018;  Published: 26 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901052

Background: This presentation of a six-year study processing human islets for research and transplantation includes a review of multi-center transplant studies identifying key variables critical for successful islet processing and defines standardized processing procedures required to provide highly purified, functional Human Islets. Methods: Human islet processing methods are defined in detail with pancreas retrieval, shipping, trimming for processing, collagenase distension, controlled digestion by digestion/filt [...]

by Gunnel Berry

Received: 13 April 2018;  Published: 25 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901012

Chronic pain is notoriously multifactorial, multifaceted and difficult to manage. Twenty per cent of reported whiplash-injured persons go on to develop a Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) where persistent pain becomes chronic with no prospect of change [1]. Paucity of effective therapies to address the effect of WAD enforces new approaches. This case report, with a patient’s perspective, illustrates a novel therapy, Adapted Reflextherapy (AdRx), which is akin to reflexology and has been used, developed and revised [...]

by Paul D. Loprinzi  , Emily Frith  and Faith Harris

Received: 17 December 2018;  Published: 21 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1901011

Background: Learning and memory, unquestionably, are critical for many aspects of life, including acquisition and retention of educational material. The purpose of this brief narrative review is to provide a primer on empirical-based, learning and memory techniques. Methods: A narrative review approach is employed. Results: This review is structured by first discussing contextual factors that influence learning and memory, followed by addressing several specific techniques to help facilitate learning and memory ret [...]

by Jill Gualdoni  , Jeff Ritzenthaler  , Ibrahim Elkhawas  , Gerene Bauldoff  , David Nunley  and Jesse Roman

Received: 29 November 2018;  Published: 20 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901051

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been associated with the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction following lung transplantation. While the mechanisms are unclear, it is postulated that microaspiration of gastrointestinal material (GIM) leads to inflammation and airway remodeling that culminates in obliterative bronchiolitis. As the expression of the matrix glycoprotein fibronectin has been shown to be an early marker of this fibroproliferative process, its induction could suggest a causal [...]

by Jin-Ho Lee  , Florence Laure Djiki Tchetgna  , Matthias Krufczik  , Eberhard Schmitt  , Christoph Cremer  , Felix Bestvater  and Michael Hausmann

Received: 14 September 2018;  Published: 19 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1901064

Background: Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) has become routine for bio-medical research and medical diagnosis, thereby offering a variety of probes and ready-to-use kits that fulfil requirements for many applications. However, conventional FISH relies on chemical and/or thermal denaturation to improve target accessibility and uses huge amounts of DNA that needs to be bonded to the target site. COMBinatorial Oligo-nucleotide FISH (COMBO-FISH) offers possibilities to circumvent these shortcomings. Methods: [...]

by Michael Fossel

Received: 31 December 2018;  Published: 15 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901034

The consensus that cell senescence plays a role in age-related disease has prompted a number of potential clinical interventions, including attempts to reset cell senescence and attempts to remove senescent cells from aging tissues. The latter approach, senolytic therapy, has attracted considerable attention, but both theoretical considerations and published data suggest that the clinical benefits will be transient and that senolytic therapies will likely accelerate long-term degenerative disease. We review the ove [...]