Comparing Velscope VX and Traditional Oral Exams in Shisha (Hookah) Smokers: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to compare oral findings using two exam types, the VELscope Vx® screening device versus a modified oral examination in detecting oral potentially malignant lesions in shisha smokers. Methods: Thirty-one participants who reported currently smoking shisha and tobacco were recruited. Participants were identified for smoking habits to include two groups, to include those who reported smoking shisha exclusively and those who reported smoking shisha and tobacco. Each group received both exam types; examiners used a standardized protocol. A health history questionnaire was also collected to assess participant\u27s oral cancer risk factors such as age, race, history of cancer, history of human papillomaviru.s, alcohol use, and length of time smoking. This demographic information was collected and compared across the two groups. Results: Of the 31 participants, 58% smoked shisha exclusively and 42 % smoked shisha and tobacco. Seventy-two percent of exclusive shisha smokers were male, 61 % were Asian, and the majority of study participants (89%) were between the ages of 19 and 34. No oral lesions were observed using VELscope Vx ® technology or modified oral examination. Conclusion: Due to the majority (89%) of the population being under 35 years of age, this population was not in an age group high risk for oral cancer. Exclusive shisha smokers were predominately Asian males. Alcohol was not found to be a significant risk factor for this study. Overall, a larger sample size is needed to determine the effectiveness of the VELscope compared to the traditional clinical oral cancer examination in shisha smokers

Peripheral blood leukocyte response and macrophage function during Eimeria adenoeides infection in turkey poults

Intestinal coccidiosis, caused by various species of Eimeria, is an economically important disease of chickens and turkeys. The peripheral blood leukocyte response and macrophage functions during a coccidial infection in turkeys have not been defined. To examine these aspects of innate immunity during primary Eimeria infection in turkeys, 4-week-old poults were orally inoculated with either 50,000 E. adenoeides oocyst (24 infected poults) or water (24 control poults). To monitor the concentrations and proportions of white blood cells (WBC) throughout the course of infection, heparinized blood was collected from 12 infected and 12 control poults prior to inoculation (day 0), and on days 4, 7, and 11 post-inoculation (PI). To study macrophage function, Sephadex-elicited abdominal exudate cells (macrophages) were collected on day 7 PI from 12 infected and 12 control poults. Macrophages were used to study phagocytosis of unopsonized and antibody-opsonized sheep red blood cells (SRBC), production of nitric oxide, and production of cytotoxic factors. E. adenoeides infection was associated with alterations in the concentration of WBC, including a decrease in the numbers of circulating lymphocytes on day 4 and a rise in lymphocytes and heterophils on day 11. Although phagocytic activity was not different in macrophages from infected and control poults, macrophages from infected poults exhibited greater cytotoxic activity. Data from these studies strongly suggest that components of innate immunity were recruited and activated during this primary infection of turkey poults with E. adenoeides. Further investigations are needed to determine the role of these components in limiting primary infection by E. adenoeides

Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D(3 )adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients

BACKGROUND: For adults, vitamin D intake of 100 mcg (4000 IU)/day is physiologic and safe. The adequate intake (AI) for older adults is 15 mcg (600 IU)/day, but there has been no report focusing on use of this dose. METHODS: We compared effects of these doses on biochemical responses and sense of wellbeing in a blinded, randomized trial. In Study 1, 64 outpatients (recruited if summer 2001 25(OH)D <61 nmol/L) were given 15 or 100 mcg/day vitamin D in December 2001. Biochemical responses were followed at subsequent visits that were part of clinical care; 37 patients completed a wellbeing questionnaire in December 2001 and February 2002. Subjects for Study 2 were recruited if their 25(OH)D was <51 nmol/L in summer 2001. 66 outpatients were given vitamin D; 51 completed a wellbeing questionnaire in both December 2002 and February 2003. RESULTS: In Study 1, basal summer 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] averaged 48 ± 9 (SD) nmol/L. Supplementation for more than 6 months produced mean 25(OH)D levels of 79 ± 30 nmol/L for the 15 mcg/day group, and 112 ± 41 nmol/L for the 100 mcg/day group. Both doses lowered plasma parathyroid hormone with no effect on plasma calcium. Between December and February, wellbeing score improved more for the 100-mcg/day group than for the lower-dosed group (1-tail Mann-Whitney p = 0.036). In Study 2, 25(OH)D averaged 39 ± 9 nmol/L, and winter wellbeing scores improved with both doses of vitamin D (two-tail p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The highest AI for vitamin D brought summertime 25(OH)D to >40 nmol/L, lowered PTH, and its use was associated with improved wellbeing. The 100 mcg/day dose produced greater responses. Since it was ethically necessary to provide a meaningful dose of vitamin D to these insufficient patients, we cannot rule out a placebo wellbeing response, particularly for those on the lower dose. This work confirms the safety and efficacy of both 15 and 100 mcg/day vitamin D(3 )in patients who needed additional vitamin D

What causes hidradenitis suppurativa? - 15 years after

The 14 authors of the first review article on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) pathogenesis published 2008 in EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY cumulating from the 1st International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Research Symposium held March 30?April 2, 2006 in Dessau, Germany with 33 participants were prophetic when they wrote "Hopefully, this heralds a welcome new tradition: to get to the molecular heart of HS pathogenesis, which can only be achieved by a renaissance of solid basic HS research, as the key to developing more effective HS therapy." (Kurzen et al. What causes hidradenitis suppurativa? Exp Dermatol 2008;17:455). Fifteen years later, there is no doubt that the desired renaissance of solid basic HS research is progressing with rapid steps and that HS has developed deep roots among inflammatory diseases in Dermatology and beyond, recognized as ?the only inflammatory skin disease than can be healed?. This anniversary article of 43 research-performing authors from all around the globe in the official journal of the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation e.V. (EHSF e.V.) and the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation, Inc (HSF USA) summarizes the evidence of the intense HS clinical and experimental research during the last 15 years in all aspects of the disease and provides information of the developments to come in the near future

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

What causes hidradenitis suppurativa ?—15 years after

The 14 authors of the first review article on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) pathogenesis published 2008 in EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY cumulating from the 1st International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Research Symposium held March 30–April 2, 2006 in Dessau, Germany with 33 participants were prophetic when they wrote “Hopefully, this heralds a welcome new tradition: to get to the molecular heart of HS pathogenesis, which can only be achieved by a renaissance of solid basic HS research, as the key to developing more effective HS therapy.” (Kurzen et al. What causes hidradenitis suppurativa? Exp Dermatol 2008;17:455). Fifteen years later, th

Reactivation of HIV by H37Ra, PIM6, and H37Rv lysate in a primary T_CM model of latency.

<p>Cultured T_CM cells following 72-hour incubation with test conditions or co-stimulation with αCD3/αCD28. (A) Levels of intracellular p24 Gag were measured by flow cytometry. The horizontal line within the box represents the median, the boundaries of the box represent the 25^th- and 75^th-percentile, and the whiskers represent the maximum and minimum values. Significance for intracellular p24 Gag was determined using a 2-tailed, paired Student’s t-test versus PBS (*p<0.05). (B) Relative luminescence was measured from supernatant of cultured T_CM cells following 72-hour incubation with conditions or co-stimulation with αCD3/αCD28. The horizontal line within the box represents the median, the boundaries of the box represent the 25^th- and 75^th-percentile, and the whiskers represent the maximum and minimum values. Significance was determined using a 2-tailed, paired Student’s t-test versus PBS (*p<0.05). Significance of individual test conditions are as follows: αCD3/αCD28 (p≤0.01), PIM6 (p<0.05), H37Ra (p≤0.01), and <i>M</i>. <i>smegmatis</i> (p≤0.01).</p

PIM6 and H37Rv lysate induce GFP expression through TLR-2.

<p>A) JLAT cells were incubated for 16 hours and GFP expression was measured by flow cytometry. Data represent mean ± SD of four independent experiments run in triplicate. *p<0.05 compared to PBS control. B) JLAT-TLR2 cells were incubated for 16 hours and GFP expression was measured by flow cytometry. Data represent mean ± SD of ten independent experiments run in triplicate. *p<0.05 compared to PBS control. <b>C</b>) JLAT-TLR2 cells were pre-incubated with the TLR-2 neutralizing antibody, PAb-hTLR2, for 30 minutes prior to addition of test conditions. Cells were subsequently incubated for 16 hours and GFP expression was measured by flow cytometry. Data represent mean ± SD. *p<0.05 test condition in the absence of TLR-2 neutralizing antibody compared to test condition in the presence of TLR-2 neutralizing antibody. D) JLAT-TLR2 cells pre-incubated with BAY 11–7082 for 30 minutes prior to addition of conditions. Cells were subsequently incubated for 16 hours and GFP expression was measured by flow cytometry. Data represent mean ± SD. *p<0.05 test condition in the absence of BAY 11–7082 compared to test condition in the presence of BAY 11–7082.</p

Patient Interactions With an Automated Conversational Agent Delivering Pretest Genetics Education: Descriptive Study

BackgroundCancer genetic testing to assess an individual’s cancer risk and to enable genomics-informed cancer treatment has grown exponentially in the past decade. Because of this continued growth and a shortage of health care workers, there is a need for automated strategies that provide high-quality genetics services to patients to reduce the clinical demand for genetics providers. Conversational agents have shown promise in managing mental health, pain, and other chronic conditions and are increasingly being used in cancer genetic services. However, research on how patients interact with these agents to satisfy their information needs is limited. ObjectiveOur primary aim is to assess user interactions with a conversational agent for pretest genetics education. MethodsWe conducted a feasibility study of user interactions with a conversational agent who delivers pretest genetics education to primary care patients without cancer who are eligible for cancer genetic evaluation. The conversational agent provided scripted content similar to that delivered in a pretest genetic counseling visit for cancer genetic testing. Outside of a core set of information delivered to all patients, users were able to navigate within the chat to request additional content in their areas of interest. An artificial intelligence–based preprogrammed library was also established to allow users to ask open-ended questions to the conversational agent. Transcripts of the interactions were recorded. Here, we describe the information selected, time spent to complete the chat, and use of the open-ended question feature. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative measures, and thematic analyses were used for qualitative responses. ResultsWe invited 103 patients to participate, of which 88.3% (91/103) were offered access to the conversational agent, 39% (36/91) started the chat, and 32% (30/91) completed the chat. Most users who completed the chat indicated that they wanted to continue with genetic testing (21/30, 70%), few were unsure (9/30, 30%), and no patient declined to move forward with testing. Those who decided to test spent an average of 10 (SD 2.57) minutes on the chat, selected an average of 1.87 (SD 1.2) additional pieces of information, and generally did not ask open-ended questions. Those who were unsure spent 4 more minutes on average (mean 14.1, SD 7.41; P=.03) on the chat, selected an average of 3.67 (SD 2.9) additional pieces of information, and asked at least one open-ended question. ConclusionsThe pretest chat provided enough information for most patients to decide on cancer genetic testing, as indicated by the small number of open-ended questions. A subset of participants were still unsure about receiving genetic testing and may require additional education or interpersonal support before making a testing decision. Conversational agents have the potential to become a scalable alternative for pretest genetics education, reducing the clinical demand on genetics providers