Soluble CD40 ligand and prolactin levels in migraine patients during interictal period

The relationship of migraine with cardiovascular diseases has been clarified by many studies, and currently, migraine is suggested to be a systematic vasculopathy. Inflammation, thrombosis and impaired vascular reactivity are the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the vasculopathy. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between prolactin levels and subclinical atherosclerosis risk factors such as soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) in migraine patients during interictal period. Fifty female migraine patients and age-matched 25 female control cases were enrolled in the study. Migraine diagnosis was settled according to the ICHD-II diagnostic criteria. A questionnaire was completed about the existence of vascular risk factors. Serum samples were used to measure sCD40L, hsCRP and prolactin levels. No difference was found between the prolactin levels of the migraine patients and the controls. The sCD40L levels were significantly higher in migraine patients (p < 0.001). High-sensitivity CRP levels showed no difference between the groups. There was no correlation between prolactin, sCD40L, and hs-CRP levels in migraine patients. We consider that the migraine patients are prone to subclinical atherosclerosis, but this tendency is independent of prolactin levels

Effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of wild Mediterranean edible plant extracts

The recent interest in wild edible plants is associated with their health benefits, which are mainly due to their richness in antioxidant compounds, particularly phenolics. Nevertheless, some of these compounds are metabolized after ingestion, being transformed into metabolites frequently with lower antioxidant activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the digestive process on the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of extracts from four wild edible plants used in the Mediterranean diet (Beta maritima L., Plantago major L., Oxalis pes-caprae L. and Scolymus hispanicus L.). HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that S. hispanicus is characterized by the presence of caffeoylquinic acids, dicaffeoylquinic acids and flavonol derivatives, P. major by high amounts of verbascoside, B. maritima possesses 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin derivatives and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and O. pes-caprae extract contains hydroxycinnamic acids and flavone derivatives. Total phenolic contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and antioxidant activity by the ABTS, DPPH, ORAC and FRAP assays. Phenolic contents of P. major and S. hispanicus extracts were not affected by digestion, but they significantly decreased in B. maritima after both phases of digestion process and in O. pes-caprae after the gastric phase. The antioxidant activity results varied with the extract and the method used to evaluate the activity. Results showed that P. major extract has the highest total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity, with considerable values even after digestion, reinforcing the health benefits of this species.European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE)European Union (EU)European Union (FEDER)European Union (EU)Programa de Cooperacion Interreg V-A Espana - Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 [0377_IBERPHENOL_6_E]project INTERREG - MD. Net: When Brand Meets PeopleFCT Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technolog

Copeptin for risk stratification in non-traumatic headache in the emergency setting: a prospective multicenter observational cohort study

In the emergency setting, non-traumatic headache is a benign symptom in 80% of cases, but serious underlying conditions need to be ruled out. Copeptin improves risk stratification in several acute diseases. Herein, we investigated the value of copeptin to discriminate between serious secondary headache and benign headache forms in the emergency setting.; Patients presenting with acute non-traumatic headache were prospectively enrolled into an observational cohort study. Copeptin was measured upon presentation to the emergency department. Primary endpoint was serious secondary headache defined by a neurologic cause requiring immediate treatment of the underlying disease. Secondary endpoint was the combination of mortality and hospitalization within 3 months. Two board-certified neurologist blinded to copeptin levels verified the endpoints after a structured 3-month-telephone interview.; Of the 391 patients included, 75 (19%) had a serious secondary headache. Copeptin was associated with serious secondary headache (OR 2.03, 95%CI 1.52-2.70, p &lt; 0.0001). Area under the curve (AUC) for copeptin to identify the primary endpoint was 0.70 (0.63-0.76). After adjusting for age &gt; 50, focal-neurological abnormalities, and thunderclap onset of symptoms, copeptin remained an independent predictive factor for serious secondary headache (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.26-2.39, p = 0.001). Moreover, copeptin improved the AUC of the multivariate logistic clinical model (p-LR-test &lt; 0.001). Even though copeptin values were higher in patients reaching the secondary endpoint, this association was not significant in multivariate logistic regression.; Copeptin was independently associated with serious secondary headache as compared to benign headaches forms. Copeptin may be a promising novel blood biomarker that should be further validated to rule out serious secondary headache in the emergency department.; Study Registration on 08/02/2010 as NCT01174901 at clinicaltrials.gov

System and method of measuring cell viability and growth

A novel SH-SAW biosensor capable of non-invasive and touch-free detection of cancer cell viability and growth or proliferation in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures as well as stem cell regeneration as it pertains to cancer cell biology and anti-cancer drug development is presented. The biosensor includes two pairs of resonators including interdigital transducers reflecting fingers to quantify mass loading by the cells in suspension as well as within a tumoroid culture platform. The biosensor can be part of a perfused 3PNS-tumoroid system that is amenable to real-time non-invasive monitoring of the cell proliferation, viability, and multiplexed detection of key physiologic and clinical biomarkers

Perturbation Analysis of a Multiple Layer Guided Love Wave Sensor in a Viscoelastic Environment

Surface acoustic wave sensors have the advantage of fast response, low-cost, and wireless interfacing capability and they have been used in the medical analysis, material characterization, and other application fields that immerse the device under a liquid environment. The theoretical analysis of the single guided layer shear horizontal acoustic wave based on the perturbation theory has seen developments that span the past 20 years. However, multiple guided layer systems under a liquid environment have not been thoroughly analyzed by existing theoretical models. A dispersion equation previously derived from a system of three rigidly coupled elastic mass layers is extended and developed in this study with multiple guided layers to analyze how the liquid layer&rsquo;s properties affect the device&rsquo;s sensitivity. The combination of the multiple layers to optimize the sensitivity of an acoustic wave sensor is investigated in this study. The Maxwell model of viscoelasticity is applied to represent the liquid layer. A thorough analysis of the complex velocity due to the variations of the liquid layer&rsquo;s properties and thickness is derived and discussed to optimize multilayer Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor design. Numerical simulation of the sensitivity with a liquid layer on top of two guided layers is investigated in this study as well. The parametric investigation was conducted by varying the thicknesses for the liquid layer and the guided layers. The effect of the liquid layer viscosity on the sensitivity of the design is also presented in this study. The two guided layer device can achieve higher sensitivity than the single guided layer counterpart in a liquid environment by optimizing the second guided layer thickness. This perturbation analysis is valuable for Love wave sensor optimization to detect the liquid biological samples and analytes

Finite Element Analysis for Surface Acoustic Wave Device Characteristic Properties and Sensitivity

The most vital step in the development of novel and existing surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based sensors and transducers is their design and optimization. Demand for SAW devices has been steadily increasing due to their low cost, portability, and versatility in electronics, telecommunications, and biosensor applications. However, a full characterization of surface acoustic wave biosensors in a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model has not yet been developed. In this study, a novel approach is developed for analyzing shear horizontal Love wave resonator devices. The developed modeling methodology was verified using fabricated devices. A thorough analysis of the 3D model and the experimental device was performed in this study including scattering parameters (S-parameters), reflection coefficient parameters, transmission parameters, and phase velocity. The simulated results will be used as a design guideline for future device design and optimization, which has thus far resulted in close matching between prediction and experimental results. This manuscript is the first to demonstrate a 3D finite element model to correlate the sensitivity of the SAW device with the magnitude of the phase shift, the real and imaginary part of the response, insertion loss, and the frequency shift. The results show that the imaginary part of the response shift has a higher sensitivity compared to other parameters

Management of endocrine surgical disorders during COVID-19 pandemic: expert opinion for non-surgical options

2-s2.0-85104137941Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented conditions for overall health care systems by restricting resources for non-COVID-19 patients. As the burden of the disease escalates, routine elective surgeries are being cancelled. The aim of this paper was to provide a guideline for management of endocrine surgical disorders during a pandemic. Methods: We used Delphi method with a nine-scale Likert scale on two rounds of voting involving 64 experienced eminent surgeons and endocrinologists who had the necessary experience to provide insight on endocrine disorder management. All voting was done by email using a standard questionnaire. Results: Overall, 37 recommendations were voted on. In two rounds, all recommendations reached an agreement and were either endorsed or rejected. Endorsed statements include dietary change in primary hyperparathyroidism, Cinacalcet treatment in secondary hyperparathyroidism, alpha-blocker administration for pheochromocytoma, methimazole ± ?-blocker combination for Graves’ disease, and follow-up for fine-needle aspiration results of thyroid nodules indicated as Bethesda 3–4 cytological results and papillary microcarcinoma. Conclusion: This survey summarizes expert opinion for the management of endocrine surgical conditions during unprecedented times when access to surgical treatment is severely disrupted. The statements are not applicable in circumstances in which surgical treatment is possible. © 2021, Italian Society of Surgery (SIC)

Evaluation of receiver-stimulator migration in cochlear implantation using the subperiosteal pocket technique: a prospective clinical study.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate migration of the receiver-stimulator after cochlear implantation using the subperiosteal pocket technique