Epidemiology and molecular characterization of the re-emerging measles virus among children and adults in the Haut-Ogooue, Gabon

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases with a high mortality rate worldwide. It is caused by the measles virus (MeV) which is a single stranded RNA virus with genetic diversity based on the nucleoprote...

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Norovirus strain types found within the second infectious intestinal diseases (IID2) study an analysis of norovirus circulating in the community

Norovirus is the commonest cause of infectious intestinal disease (IID) worldwide. In the UK community incidence of norovirus has been estimated at 59/1000 population, equating to four million cases a year. Wh...

http://bit.ly/2FQ1LNC

Improving natural ventilation in hospital waiting and consulting rooms to reduce nosocomial tuberculosis transmission risk in a low resource setting

TB transmission in healthcare facilities is an important public health problem, especially in the often-overcrowded settings of HIV treatment scale-up. The problem is compounded by the emergence of drug resist...

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The respiratory microbiota: new insights into pulmonary tuberculosis

Previous studies demonstrated that the diversity and composition of respiratory microbiota in TB patients were different from healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of the present analysis was to estimate the...

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How gum disease could lead to Alzheimer's

Researchers find that an oral bacterium usually linked to gum disease also plays a role in Alzheimer's. This finding has led to a new therapeutic approach.

http://bit.ly/2FTttJo

Effects of a Fragmenting Handgun Bullet: Considerations for trauma care providers

Publication date: Available online 25 January 2019

Source: Injury

Author(s): Lynn Hakki, Alison Smith, Jonathan Babin, John Hunt, Juan Duchesne, Patrick Greiffenstein

Abstract

Introduction

Expanding or fragmenting bullets have been known to cause extensive injuries since they became available in the late 19^th century. Although these bullets are now banned from international warfare, their use by civilians and law enforcement is still legal in the US. In this case report, we describe the complex injuries and subsequent complicated hospital course of a civilian trauma patient who was shot with a newly-designed fragmenting bullet, known as a Radically Invasive Projectile (RIP) bullet.

Case Report

A 22-year-old man presented as a trauma activation after a gunshot wound to his left chest. He subsequently underwent chest tube placement, an emergent thoracotomy, and an exploratory laparotomy. In the operating room, the patient had multiple ballistic fragments lodged within his left thoracic cavity and left upper abdomen. These fragments caused multiple penetrating injuries resulting in an 18 day hospital stay with numerous complications. He underwent 4 emergency operations, 2 separate admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU), and the placement of 4 chest tubes. He was ultimately discharged home in stable condition.

Conclusion

Expanding or fragmenting bullets are designed to inflict significantly more tissue damage than non-deformable bullets. This type of ammunition is prohibited in international warfare on the basis that it does not serve a military advantage but can result in excessive wounding and unnecessary suffering. There is no such ban for handgun ammunition for domestic use in most countries including the United States. Ammunition manufacturers have recently released a fragmenting bullet that is designed to inflict a maximum amount of tissue damage. In this case report, we described the devestating effects of this bullet on a civilian trauma patient.

http://bit.ly/2S76d0h

Cancers, Vol. 11, Pages 146: Cholesterol Metabolism: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Glioblastoma

Cancers, Vol. 11, Pages 146: Cholesterol Metabolism: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Glioblastoma

Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers11020146

Authors: Fahim Ahmad Qian Sun Deven Patel Jayne M. Stommel

Glioblastoma is a highly lethal adult brain tumor with no effective treatments. In this review, we discuss the potential to target cholesterol metabolism as a new strategy for treating glioblastomas. Twenty percent of cholesterol in the body is in the brain, yet the brain is unique among organs in that it has no access to dietary cholesterol and must synthesize it de novo. This suggests that therapies targeting cholesterol synthesis in brain tumors might render their effects without compromising cell viability in other organs. We will describe cholesterol synthesis and homeostatic feedback pathways in normal brain and brain tumors, as well as various strategies for targeting these pathways for therapeutic intervention.

http://bit.ly/2Wl3tvB