Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-4215.1510004

Improvement of the Muscle Strength, Gait, and Functional Parameters with Rehabilitation Program in a Patient with Type-IV Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Mustafa Turgut Yildizgoren, Timur Ekiz, Kasim Osmanoglu, Onur Velioglu and Hayal Guler

Article Type: Letter to Editor | First Published: March 09, 2016

A 52-year-old man was seen due to weakness and gait disorder. The patient declared that symptoms started eight years ago and worsened over time. The medical and family history was otherwise unremarkable. Physical examination revealed weakness (4/5) bilaterally of both upper and lower extremity muscles (prominent in the proximal group muscles). He was able to walk with a lofstrand crutch on level surfaces, but not on stairs....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5866/1510009

Diagnostic Challenge of Ovarian Teratoma Related Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis in a Patient with Giant Arachnoid Cyst

Kilinc O, Gulatar B, Gonul O, Yildizhan B and Midi I

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: January 26, 2016

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) encephalitis is well-characterized and treatable subtype of inflammatory encephalitis. This type of encephalitis is often associated with ovarian teratoma in young women and characterized by memory deficits, seizures, confusion and psychological disturbances. In this report, we presented a case of anti-NMDAr encephalitis in a woman with a previously asymptomatic, giant posterior fossa arachnoid cyst (AC). With our report, we present our clinical approac...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-3308.1510011

Therapeutic Strategies towards Allergic Diseases

Lin Kun and Li Li

Article Type: Review Article | First Published: January 10, 2016

Allergic disease is a prevalent clinical and public health problem, and is among the most common health issues worldwide. The therapeutic strategies include two major categories: allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) and non-specific therapies. AIT is associated with improved tolerance to allergen challenge, with a decrease in immediate-phase and late-phase allergic inflammation....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2572-3987.1510004

Case Report: Addition of Naltrexone and Bupropion to Lorcaserin to Manage Olanzapine-induced Weight Gain

Kevin Bera, Eric Tran and Charles T. Nguyen

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: January 25, 2016

Antipsychotic medications, both typical and atypical, share the potential side effect of weight gain with atypical agents carrying a greater risk. Atypical antipsychotics, such as clozapine and olanzapine, which antagonize the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) subtype 5-HT2C receptor, have been associated with a higher likelihood to induce weight gain....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3656/1410090

Tetanus: A Case Report following an Upper Extremity Injury

John D. Hill, Eric Wombwell, Jelyn Miller and Gina M. Rochetti

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: February 20, 2016

Clostridium tetani is a spore-forming, toxin-producing, anaerobic, gram-positive bacillus which enters the CNS causing painful muscle contractions within the host. These painful spasms and stiffness typically manifest initially in the form of trismus, or lockjaw. According to the CDC, tetanus treatment includes the administration of Tetanus Immune Globulin (TIG), a tetanus toxoid booster, agents to control muscle spasms (benzodiazepines), and antibiotics (metronidazole)....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5793/1510024

Acute Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Cocaine Intoxication

Gargantilla Madera P, Martin Cabrejas BM and Pintor Holguin E

Article Type: Short Commentary | First Published: January 21, 2016

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition resulting from the release of large quantities of myocyte breakdown products into the circulation, following injury to striated muscles. It is a clinical and biochemical syndrome, defined as an elevation of serum creatine kinasa activity (sCK) to at least 10 times the normal upper limit followed by a rapid decrease of the sCK level back to normal values....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5793/1510023

Laennec and the Stethoscope

Gargantilla P, Martin BM and Pintor E

Article Type: Short Commentary | First Published: January 16, 2016

On the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of the stethoscope we pay homage to this brilliant invention. The stethoscope may be the one instrument common to all doctors and also several health professionals, no other symbol so strongly identifies a doctor than a stethoscope dangling around the neck. Until 1816 physicians used direct auscultation (placing the ear on the chest wall), it was known to Hippocrates but little practiced. It was hard to perform this act on obese or endowed females....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-3634/1410053

African-origin Mitochondrial DNA Variants as a Contributing Factor to Susceptibilities for Diabetes and Age-related Diseases

Kenney MC, Falatoonzadeh P, Atilano SR, Chwa M, Caceres-del-Carpio J, Malik D, Boyer DS, Nesburn AB and Kuppermann BD

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: January 13, 2016

African-origin populations are more susceptible to diabetes and other age-related diseases compared to European-origin populations, but mechanisms for the differential susceptibility remain unknown. Human mitochondrial (mt) DNA haplogroups are maternally inherited ancient polymorphisms representing different geographic origins of populations. Haplogroups are defined by accumulations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), some of which cause changes in amino acids and rates of mtDNA replicati...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-3634/1410052

Association of Uncontrolled Glycemia with Periodontal, Urinary Tract and Cervical Vaginal Infections in a Group of Type 2 Diabetic Women during Pregnancy and during the Postnatal Period

Rosa Maria Diaz-Romero, Gerardo Casanova-Roman, and Manuel Salvador Robles-Andrade

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: January 13, 2016

To determine whether periodontal infections (PI), urinary tract infections (UTI) and cervical vaginal infections (CVI) are associated with the incidence of uncontrolled glycemia (UCG) in type 2 diabetics in the third trimester of their pregnancy and during the postnatal period. An observational, prospective, longitudinal, comparative study was carried out. Patient selection was carried out through consecutive non-probability sampling....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-3634/1410051

Quantitative Models for Evaluating the Correlation between Baseline Hba1c Levels and Sitagliptin as Monotherapy or Dual Therapy Treatment in Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Regression Analysis

Jiajing Yin, Yi Lin, Mingyu Gu and Yongde Peng

Article Type: Research Article | First Published: January 04, 2016

Baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is critical in assessing anti-diabetic agent efficacy due to its ability to alter the response of HbA1c reduction to dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors. With meta-regression, we aim to investigate the quantitative relationship between baseline HbA1c levels and HbA1c reduction in response to sitagliptin as a monotherapy or metformin + sitagliptin as dual therapy. Additionally, we intend to study the slope difference between monotherapy and dual therap...