Hypomagnesemia and vitamin D deficiency complicating bisphosphonate induced hypocalcaemia

Zolendronic acid is a potent bisphosphonate that is used to treat patients with metastatic cancer by reducing bone pain and preventing skeletal complications of bone metastasis. We reported the case of a lady suffering from metastatic breast cancer who developed seizures secondary to severe hypocalcaemia after being treated with Zolendronic acid. Hypocalcaemia was unresponsive to treatment until vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies were corrected. This case highlights the importance of taking serum magnesium and vitamin D levels in patients presenting with resistant hypocalcaemia following bisphosphonate administration, especially in those with underlying bone malignancy.peer-reviewe

New records of mites (Acari) and harvestmen (Opiliones) from Malta with a preliminary checklist of Maltese Arachnida

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Orthogeriatrics in Malta : a 3 year experience

The orthogeriatric service in Malta started in 2012 and expanded in 2014. From admission, the patient is offered a ward based hip fracture programme that includes orthogeriatric assessment, management and co-ordinated multidisciplinary review. 457 patients were seen by the orthogeriatric service when this study was done. Mean age was 83 and 69% of patients were female. The Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS) is a scoring system that reliably predicts 30-day and 1-year mortality for patients after hip fracture. It is made up of seven independent predictors of postoperative mortality that have been incorporated into a risk score. The score ranges from 0-10 and the mean score for this cohort was 5.1. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and high NHFS scores. 30 day mortality was 5.9% and 1 year mortality was 24.4%. Compared with the Nottingham data both 30 day and 1 year mortality were less for the orthogeriatric department in Malta. The orthogeriatric service in Malta achieved better results when comparing mortality with the UK. In the future expansion of data collected should be considered to better evaluate standards of care in the department.peer-reviewe

Co-design of the Medical Assistive and Transactional Technologies system

National audienceThis paper could argue that the co-design method is strongly needed to design acceptable and usable assistive technologies. It describes the co-design of the Medical Assistive and Transactional Technologies (MATT) system. This method was implemented for Matthieu a quadriplegic and a non verbal person. The paper reports how the collaborative design was running between Matthieu, his occupational therapists, his family and the designer team

Apport de l’approche géoarchéologiqueà l’étude du gisement néolithique du Monte Revincu (Santo Pietro di Tenda, Corse)

Les recherches archéologiques récentes menées sur le secteur du Monte Revincu (Désert de l’Agriate, Haute-Corse) ont révélé l’existence d’une cinquantaine de structures à vocation domestique ou funéraire disséminées sur une dizaine d’hectares. La plupart d’entre elles sont attribuées au dernier tiers du Ve millénaire av. J.-C (4 350-3 950 av. J.-C.). Les données collectées durant neuf campagnes de fouilles permettent d’apporter de nouvelles informations sur le fonctionnement de ce village néolithique et ses liens avec les monuments funéraires « pré-mégalithiques ». Les travaux pionniers que nous présentons dans cet article sont basés sur l’analyse de quatre coupes stratigraphiques localisées dans les vallons et versants adjacents au site archéologique du Monte Revincu. Les mesures de granulométrie (obtenues par tamisage mécanique), de la teneur en matière organique et de la susceptibilité magnétique (Lf = 958 Hz, Bartington MS2EI) mettent en évidence une sédimentation caractérisée par une alternance hétérométrique de niveaux grossiers et de niveaux fins. Les 12 datations par 14C réalisées sur des niveaux riches en charbons permettent de reconstituer les phases principales de sédimentation et de hiatus et de proposer une chronostratigraphie de référence depuis la fin du VIe millénaire av. J.-C. pour le nord de la Corse. Deux principales phases d’apports détritiques sont ainsi attestées durant le Néolithique moyen et le début du Chalcolithique (entre 5 000 et 3 100 av. J.-C.) et à partir du Moyen-Âge (~1 100 ap. J.-C.). Cependant, des crises érosives ont pu faire disparaitre certaines séquences sédimentaires, notamment au cours du Chalcolithique et de l’Âge du Bronze (~3 100 av. J.-C. - ~1 600 av. J.-C.). Cette étude géoarchéologique révèle ainsi d’importantes modifications hydro-sédimentaires des vallons de la partie orientale de l’Agriate qui peuvent être corrélées à l’histoire de l’occupation du site archéologique du Monte Revincu. Ces études, réalisées à proximité immédiate du site archéologique du Monte Revincu, devront être couplées avec l’étude plus régionale des bassins versants de l’Agriate.Recent archaeological research undertaken in the Monte Revincu area (the Desert of the Agriate, NW Corsica) revealed the existence of fifty structured installations with domestic or funerary vocation dispatched on over ten hectares. Most of them are dated to the last third of the Vth millennium BC (4 350-3 950 BC). Data collected during nine archaeological excavations allowed to provide new information on the activities of this Neolithic occupation (4 350-3 950 BC) and its relationships with the “pre-megalithic” monuments. The pioneer work that we propose to present in this article is based on the study of four stratigraphic sections, located in the valleys and slopes adjacent to the archaeological site of Monte Revincu. Grain size measurements, organic matter content and magnetic susceptibility measurements (Lf=958 Hz, Bartington MS2EI) show a heterometric sediment accretion characterized by alternating layers composed by coarse and fine material. The 12 14C dating performed on charcoal can trace the chronology of these deposits and provide a chronostratigraphy of reference since the end of the VIth millennium BC for the North of Corsica. Two main phases of detrital contribution are documented during middle Neolithic-early Chalcolithic (between 5 000 and 3 100 BC) and from the Middle Ages (~ 1 100 AD). This geoarchaeological study reveals, for the first time, significant hydro-sedimentary changes in valleys of the eastern part of the Agriate which can be correlated to the history of the occupation of the Monte Revincu archaeological site. These studies, realized in the vicinity of the archaeological settlement of the Monte Revincu will be compared to the more regional study of the water catchments of the Agriate

The Phytochemical Constitution of Maltese Medicinal Plants – Propagation, Isolation and Pharmacological Testing

Fourteen Maltese medicinal plants, that were significantly used in tradition, were studied for their phytochemical constitution and pharmacological activities. These include Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn, Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich., Mentha pulegium L., Salvia officinalis L., Verbena officinalis L., Hedera helix L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Calendula officinalis L., Melissa officinalis L., Olea europea L., Urtica dubia Forsk., Capparis spinosa L., Ephedra fragilis Desf. and Nicotiana glauca RC Graham. Cultivation and micropropagation practices, in relation to secondary metabolite production, were also considered for some these plants. This article highlights the main findings for these plants.peer-reviewe

MATT, un dispositif de domotique et d'aide à la communication : un cas d'étude de co-conception

Introduction : Les aides techniques (AT) sont considérées comme une réponse aux besoins des personnes en situation de handicap. Néanmoins, celles-ci délaissent souvent leurs aides même lorsque les barrières technologiques sont surmontées. De nombreuses études ont ainsi rapporté un taux d'abandon élevé dû à l’incompréhension de fonctionnement des AT, à son inadéquation aux besoins des personnes en situation de handicap, et aux faibles performances en raison de leur inaptitude à s’adapter à l’aggravation des déficiences. Une patiente LIS (Locked-In Syndrome) avec de faibles capacités motrices des doigts de sa main gauche a participé activement à la co-conception et à l’évaluation de MATT

NQO2 is a reactive oxygen species generating off-target for acetaminophen

[Image: see text] The analgesic and antipyretic compound acetaminophen (paracetamol) is one of the most used drugs worldwide. Acetaminophen overdose is also the most common cause for acute liver toxicity. Here we show that acetaminophen and many structurally related compounds bind quinone reductase 2 (NQO2) in vitro and in live cells, establishing NQO2 as a novel off-target. NQO2 modulates the levels of acetaminophen derived reactive oxygen species, more specifically superoxide anions, in cultured cells. In humans, NQO2 is highly expressed in liver and kidney, the main sites of acetaminophen toxicity. We suggest that NQO2 mediated superoxide production may function as a novel mechanism augmenting acetaminophen toxicity

Intracellular immune sensing promotes inflammation via gasdermin D–driven release of a lectin alarmin

Inflammatory caspase sensing of cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers pyroptosis and the concurrent release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Collectively, DAMPs are key determinants that shape the aftermath of inflammatory cell death. However, the identity and function of the individual DAMPs released are poorly defined. Our proteomics study revealed that cytosolic LPS sensing triggered the release of galectin-1, a β-galactoside-binding lectin. Galectin-1 release is a common feature of inflammatory cell death, including necroptosis. In vivo studies using galectin-1-deficient mice, recombinant galectin-1 and galectin-1-neutralizing antibody showed that galectin-1 promotes inflammation and plays a detrimental role in LPS-induced lethality. Mechanistically, galectin-1 inhibition of CD45 (Ptprc) underlies its unfavorable role in endotoxin shock. Finally, we found increased galectin-1 in sera from human patients with sepsis. Overall, we uncovered galectin-1 as a bona fide DAMP released as a consequence of cytosolic LPS sensing, identifying a new outcome of inflammatory cell death.Fil: Russo, Ashley J.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vasudevan, Swathy O.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Mendez Huergo, Santiago Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Kumari, Puja. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Menoret, Antoine. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Duduskar, Shivalee. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Wang, Chengliang. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Pérez Sáez, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Fettis, Margaret M.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Li, Chuan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Liu, Renjie. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Wanchoo, Arun. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Chandiran, Karthik. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Ruan, Jianbin. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vanaja, Sivapriya Kailasan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bauer, Michael. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Sponholz, Christoph. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Hudalla, Gregory A.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Vella, Anthony T.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Zhou, Beiyan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Deshmukh, Sachin D.. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rathinam, Vijay A.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Integrated care models for managing and preventing frailty: A systematic review for the European Joint Action on Frailty Prevention (ADVANTAGE JA)

Frailty requires concerted integrated approaches to prevent functional decline. Although there is evidence that integrating care is effective for older people, there is insufficient data on outcomes from studies implementing integrated care to prevent and manage frailty. We systematically searched PubMed and Cochrane Library database for peerreviewed medical literature on models of care for frailty, published from 2002 to 2017. We considered the effective and transferable components of the models of care and evidence of economic impact, where available. Information on European Unionfunded projects or those registered with the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, and grey literature (including good practices) were also considered. We found 1,065 potential citations and 170 relevant abstracts. After excluding reports on specific diseases, processes or interventions and service models that did not report data, 42 full papers met the inclusion criteria. The evidence showed that few models of integrated care were specifically designed to prevent and tackle frailty in the community and at the interface between primary and secondary (hospital) care. Current evidence supports the case for a more holistic and salutogenic response to frailty, blending a chronic care approach with education, enablement and rehabilitation to optimise function, particularly at times of a sudden deterioration in health, or when transitioning between home, hospital or care home. In all care settings, these approaches should be supported by comprehensive assessment and multidimensional interventions tailored to modifiable physical, psychological, cognitive and social factors