Striving for Modernity: Layout and Abstracts in the Biomedical Literature

Most academic journals have a fairly consistent look: they are structured similarly, their text is divided into similar sections; for example, they have an abstract at the beginning of the manuscript, and their text is usually organized in two columns. There may be different reasons for this similarity, ranging from the need to contain publication costs by using less page space to conforming to an internationally well-accepted format that may be perceived as the hallmark of academic articles. We surveyed 35 medical journals founded before 1960 and looked for their change in format over time and how this was experienced by and explained to readers. We then discussed what recent research has shown about the effects of layout on reading, looking for further explanations as to why this format was so successful

Ultrafast broadband optical modulation in indium tin oxide/titanium dioxide 1D photonic crystal

Photonic crystals can integrate plasmonic materials such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) in their structure. Exploiting ITO plasmonic properties, it is possible to tune the photonic band gap of the photonic crystal upon the application of an external stimuli. In this work, we have fabricated a one-dimensional multilayer photonic crystal alternating ITO and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) via radio frequency sputtering and we have triggered its optical response with ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. Upon photoexcitation, we observe a change in the refractive index of ITO. Such an effect has been used to create a photonic crystal that changes its photonic bandgap in an ultrafast time scale. All optical modulation in the visible region, that can be tuned by designing the photonic crystal, has been demonstrated

Hyaluronic acid enhance polynucleotides effect on cultured dermal fibroblasts

Polynucleotides (PNs) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) are compounds widely used to promote tissue regeneration, mainly in cutis and cartilage. PNs efficacy has been demonstrated in vitro on cultured dermal fibroblasts and osteoblasts, and in animal models where it has been demonstrated to increase dermal regeneration. PNs effects are mediated mainly through the activation of P2P purinergic receptors, which are expressed on fibroblasts and on mesenchymal-derived cells. HA, the most abundant and non solphorate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) produced by fibroblasts, is envolved in several biological effects which are different in response of the sizes of HA molecules. When used as non fragmented, (about 2 Kd) HA has both an anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects and it stimulates cell migration. In this study we have analyzed the effect of a mixture of PNs and HA, in order to verify a possible synergic effect, on human dermal fibroblasts. Effects on cell proliferation were evaluated with MTT assay and cell culture protein content. Dose-response curves showed higher effects on cell proliferation when PNs were used in the presence of HA. In particular we observed that, the addiction of HA determined a peak of activity with a reduction of of about a third of PNs dose. These preliminary data are suggesting for a joint use of HA and PN in tissue regeneration, mainly in clinical situation, like for example cutaneous burn in with the presence of PN induce a more rapid regeneration by means of more rapid cell ingrowth, collagen and VEGF production. At the same time HA support cell migration and contribute to reduce inflammatory processes

HIV-1-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders: Is HLA-C Binding Stability to β2-Microglobulin a Missing Piece of the Pathogenetic Puzzle?

AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are complications of HIV-1 infection. Viral infections are risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Aging is associated with low-grade inflammation in the brain, i.e., the inflammaging. The molecular mechanisms linking immunosenescence, inflammaging and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease, are largely unknown. ADC and HAND share some pathological features with AD and may offer some hints on the relationship between viral infections, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. β2-microglobulin (β2m) is an important pro-aging factor that interferes with neurogenesis and worsens cognitive functions. Several studies published in the 80–90s reported high levels of β2m in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with ADC. High levels of β2m have also been detected in AD. Inflammatory diseases in elderly people are associated with polymorphisms of the MHC-I locus encoding HLA molecules that, by associating with β2m, contribute to cellular immunity. We recently reported that HLA-C, no longer associated with β2m, is incorporated into HIV-1 virions, determining an increase in viral infectivity. We also documented the presence of HLA-C variants more or less stably linked to β2m. These observations led us to hypothesize that some variants of HLA-C, in the presence of viral infections, could determine a greater release and accumulation of β2m, which in turn, may be involved in triggering and/or sustaining neuroinflammation. ADC is the most severe form of HAND. To explore the role of HLA-C in ADC pathogenesis, we analyzed the frequency of HLA-C variants with unstable binding to β2m in a group of patients with ADC. We found a higher frequency of unstable HLA-C alleles in ADC patients, and none of them was harboring stable HLA-C alleles in homozygosis. Our data suggest that the role of HLA-C variants in ADC/HAND pathogenesis deserves further studies. If confirmed in a larger number of samples, this finding may have practical implication for a personalized medicine approach and for developing new therapies to prevent HAND. The exploration of HLA-C variants as risk factors for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders may be a promising field of study

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Might Increase the Effect of Enamel Matrix Derivative on Periodontal Tissues

Periodontal regeneration is a complex goal, which is commonly pursued with a combination of surgical techniques, biomaterials, and bioactive compounds. One such compound is enamel matrix derivative (EMD), a medical substance that is extracted from porcine tooth germs and which contains several protein fractions with BMP- and TGF-β-like action. Activation of TGF-β signaling is required for EMD activity on cells and tissues, and a growing body of evidence indicates that EMD largely relies on this pathway. As low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have long been investigated as a tool to promote bone formation and osteoblast activity, and because recent studies have reported that the effects of EMFs on cells require primary cilia, by modulating the presence of membrane-bound receptors (e.g., for BMP) or signal mediators, it can be hypothesized that the application of EMFs may increase cell sensitivity to EMD: as TGFBR receptors have also been identified on primary cilia, EMFs could make cells more responsive to EMD by inducing the display of a higher number of receptors on the cellular membrane

Change in Format, Register and Narration Style in the Biomedical Literature: A 1948 Example

Scientific communication has evolved over time and the formats of scientific writing, including its stylistic modules, have changed accordingly. Research articles from the past fit a research world that had not been taken over by the internet, electronic searches, the new media and even the science mass production of today and reflect a reality where scientific publications were designed to be read and appreciated by actual readers. It is therefore useful to have a look back to what science looked like in the past and examine the biomedical literature from older archives because several features of those publications may actually harbor vital insights for today’s communication. Maintaining a vivid awareness of the evolution of science language and modalities of communication may ensure a better and steadfast progression and ameliorate academic writing in the years to come. With this goal in mind, the present commentary set out to review a 1948 scientific report by I.L. Bennett Jr, entitled “A study on the relationship between the fevers caused by bacterial pyrogens and by the intravenous injection of the sterile exudates of acute inflammation”, which appeared in the Journal of Experimental Medicine in September 1948