Hughlings Jackson's neurological ideas are scientifically valid and practically useful. He began by emphasizing the focal lesion as the key to analysing patients' symptoms. He proclaimed that 'Epilepsy is the name for occasional, sudden, excessive, rapid, and local discharge of grey matter.' He eliminated any need for a direct appeal to metaphysical agents by asserting that the nervous system i...

Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) of Gram-negative bacteria are spherical membrane-enclosed entities of endocytic origin. Reported in the consortia of different bacterial species, production of OMVs into extracellular milieu seems essential for their survival. Enriched with bioactive proteins, toxins, and virulence factors, OMVs play a critical role in the bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-host inter...

The adult heart is able to activate cardioprotective programmes and modifies its architecture in response to physiological or pathological changes. While mammalian cardiac remodelling often involves hypertrophic expansion, the adult zebrafish heart exploits hyperplastic growth. This capacity depends on the responsiveness of zebrafish cardiomyocytes to mitogenic signals throughout their entire l...

Coronary flow reserve (CFR) is markedly reduced in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS), but the exact mechanisms underlying this impairment of CFR in AS remain unclear. Reduced CFR is the key mechanism leading to myocardial ischemia symptoms and adverse outcomes in AS patients. The objective of this study was to develop an explicit mathematical model formulated with a limited number...

PURPOSE Rhabdomyolysis (RML) following cardiac surgery and its relationship with acute kidney injury (AKI) require investigation. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our hospital were enrolled in this prospective study during a 1-year period. To investigate the occurrence of RML and its association with AKI, all patients in the study underwent serial assessment of ...

Migfilin, a protein component of focal adhesions, has been implicated in regulation of cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and motility but the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. In this study, we have determined the functions of migfilin in esophageal cancer cells and the mechanisms involved. We show that the expression level of migfilin is negatively associated with clinical metas...

BACKGROUND Ciglitazone belongs to the thiazolidinediones class of antidiabetic drug family and is a high-affinity ligand for the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ (PPARγ). Apart from its antidiabetic activity, this molecule shows antineoplastic effectiveness in numerous cancer cell lines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using RT4 (derived from a well differentiated grade I papillary...

A large percentage of patients with hypertension suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF). The concomitance of both conditions in the same patient markedly increases cardiovascular risk. Therefore, prevention of new-onset AF in hypertensive population should be a relevant target. High blood pressure promotes structural and electrophysiological changes in the heart that promote the develop- ment of ...

BACKGROUND Nivolumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the programmed death-1 receptor, is indicated in locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, with progression after platinum-based chemotherapy. Up-to-now, few data are available concerning brain activity of this treatment and concomitant use of corticosteroids. CASE PRESENTATION A 64-year-old caucasian man with a pulmonary ...

Studies on monocyte and macrophage biology and differentiation have revealed the pleiotropic activities of these cells. Macrophages are tissue sentinels that maintain tissue integrity by eliminating/repairing damaged cells and matrices. In this M2-like mode, they can also promote tumor growth. Conversely, M1-like macrophages are key effector cells for the elimination of pathogens, virally infec...