Perceptions and Reflections of a Professional Pianist: A Case Report on Learning Human Anatomy through Cadaveric Dissection

Anatomical knowledge of the human body is a prerequisite for effortless and expressive movement for musicians.  A 35-year-old professional pianist, with no prior experience in the medical field, voluntarily completed a cadaveric dissection module of the upper extremity and spine.  The pianist was able to explore the intricate connections between human anatomy and the performance of piano music, gaining knowledge to enhance music quality and to manage and prevent injuries.  This case describes the pianist’s perceptions and reflections and highlights the potential value of anatomical education for individuals in non-medical fields.  This is, to our knowledge, the first documented case of a musician learning anatomy through cadaveric dissection

Material Support: Counternarcotics vs. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan

Microeconomic analysis of counternarcotics strategies in Afghanistan suggests that current policies lend material support to the enemy. Vigorous enforcement can increase the flow of funds to insurgents and other parties that profit from trafficking. Rural-development programs, promoted as elements of a counternarcotics strategy, are open to some of the same objections. The benefits of drug-fighting in Afghanistan for consumer countries in Europe and North America are likely to be modest. Anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan and demand-reduction programs both in Afghanistan and in consumer countries, insofar as they are feasible, could serve both counternarcotics and counterinsurgency objectives

Duplicated Palmaris Longus Muscle With Insertion Onto The Transverse Carpal Ligament: A Case Report

The palmaris longus muscle is one of the most anatomically variable muscles in the human body, with incidence ranging from 0-63.9%.  While these anatomical variations are typically benign, they are of clinical importance as they can contribute to neurovascular and biomechanical dysfunction.  We report here a duplicated palmaris longus muscle with an insertion onto the transverse carpal ligament found during cadaveric dissection in a graduate anatomy course for physical and occupational therapy students.&nbsp

Flexor Carpi Radialis Brevis: A Case Report

The flexor carpi radialis brevis is a rare anomalous muscle, with incidence ranging from 1.6-7.5%.  While this anatomical variation is typically benign, it is of clinical importance as it can contribute to neurovascular and musculoskeletal dysfunction.  Surgeons should be made aware of this variation during distal radius volar plating procedures and carpal tunnel releases.  The flexor carpi radialis brevis muscle may also cause confusion when interpreting imaging results.  We report here a rare case of bilateral flexor carpi radialis brevis muscles that travel through the carpal tunnel found during cadaveric dissection in a graduate course for physical therapy students.  To our knowledge, this is the second published example of a flexor carpi radialis brevis muscle traveling through the carpal tunnel

A Communicating Branch Between the Musculocutaneous Nerve and the Median Nerve: A Case Report

Anatomical variations of peripheral nerves are commonly reported in the literature.  While typically benign, they are of clinical importance as they can contribute to atypical clinical presentations, cause difficulty with imaging and nerve conduction studies, and lead to surgical challenges for surgeons.  We report here a communicating branch between the musculocutaneous nerve and median nerve found during cadaveric dissection in a Doctor of Nursing Practice course in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia at Samford University.  Although the case described here is among the most common anatomical variations of the peripheral nerves, there are classification systems for this variation that need to be recognized and applied by anatomists, clinicians, and surgeons

Bilateral Long Head of the Triceps Brachii Muscle Innervation via Axillary Nerve: A Case Report

The radial nerve has traditionally been considered the innervation of the long head of the triceps brachii (LHT). However, cadaveric studies have discovered LHT innervation via the axillary nerve in roughly 6-15 % of shoulders. A cadaver with exclusive axillary nerve innervation to the LHT bilaterally was discovered during cadaveric dissection in a graduate course at Samford University. This anatomical variation may have clinical implications for surgeries, shoulder dislocations, and quadrilateral space syndrome. Axillary nerve injuries may additionally present with shoulder extension and elbow extension weakness if this variation is present.&nbsp

School-based prevention for adolescent Internet addiction: prevention is the key. A systematic literature review

Adolescents’ media use represents a normative need for information, communication, recreation and functionality, yet problematic Internet use has increased. Given the arguably alarming prevalence rates worldwide and the increasingly problematic use of gaming and social media, the need for an integration of prevention efforts appears to be timely. The aim of this systematic literature review is (i) to identify school-based prevention programmes or protocols for Internet Addiction targeting adolescents within the school context and to examine the programmes’ effectiveness, and (ii) to highlight strengths, limitations, and best practices to inform the design of new initiatives, by capitalizing on these studies’ recommendations. The findings of the reviewed studies to date presented mixed outcomes and are in need of further empirical evidence. The current review identified the following needs to be addressed in future designs to: (i) define the clinical status of Internet Addiction more precisely, (ii) use more current psychometrically robust assessment tools for the measurement of effectiveness (based on the most recent empirical developments), (iii) reconsider the main outcome of Internet time reduction as it appears to be problematic, (iv) build methodologically sound evidence-based prevention programmes, (v) focus on skill enhancement and the use of protective and harm-reducing factors, and (vi) include IA as one of the risk behaviours in multi-risk behaviour interventions. These appear to be crucial factors in addressing future research designs and the formulation of new prevention initiatives. Validated findings could then inform promising strategies for IA and gaming prevention in public policy and education

Type 2 Diabetes Variants Disrupt Function of SLC16A11 through Two Distinct Mechanisms

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects Latinos at twice the rate seen in populations of European descent. We recently identified a risk haplotype spanning SLC16A11 that explains ∼20% of the increased T2D prevalence in Mexico. Here, through genetic fine-mapping, we define a set of tightly linked variants likely to contain the causal allele(s). We show that variants on the T2D-associated haplotype have two distinct effects: (1) decreasing SLC16A11 expression in liver and (2) disrupting a key interaction with basigin, thereby reducing cell-surface localization. Both independent mechanisms reduce SLC16A11 function and suggest SLC16A11 is the causal gene at this locus. To gain insight into how SLC16A11 disruption impacts T2D risk, we demonstrate that SLC16A11 is a proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporter and that genetic perturbation of SLC16A11 induces changes in fatty acid and lipid metabolism that are associated with increased T2D risk. Our findings suggest that increasing SLC16A11 function could be therapeutically beneficial for T2D. Video Abstract [Figure presented] Keywords: type 2 diabetes (T2D); genetics; disease mechanism; SLC16A11; MCT11; solute carrier (SLC); monocarboxylates; fatty acid metabolism; lipid metabolism; precision medicin

Determinants of penetrance and variable expressivity in monogenic metabolic conditions across 77,184 exomes

Penetrance of variants in monogenic disease and clinical utility of common polygenic variation has not been well explored on a large-scale. Here, the authors use exome sequencing data from 77,184 individuals to generate penetrance estimates and assess the utility of polygenic variation in risk prediction of monogenic variants

High Tax States: Options for Gleaning Revenue from Legal Cannabis

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