Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) is a rear disease in pediatric age group which constitute a unique manifestation associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorder in children. However, this diagnosis has carried a lot of controversies, related mainly to its management. Here we are presenting one case of PANDAS syndrome who was treated successfully with full coarse of antibiotic for 10 days, where all his symptoms disappeared completely in subsequent days including suicidal attempts. PANDAS should be considered in children with neuropsychiatric disorders (tics, obsessive behavior etc.) especially if symptoms associated within a period of infection such as febrile illness or sore throats.

A Real Data-Driven Analytical Model for Testing for the Novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19

To address the testing of the horrific pandemic disease that has terrified our global society, COVID-19, we have developed an analytical model that an individual can easily apply to determine if he or she tested positive or negative with a very high degree of accuracy. Our analytical model is real data-driven utilizing data obtained from the World Health Organization, WHO, and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC guidelines. Both WHO and CDC have identified several symptoms or risk factors from individuals diagnosed with the disease, COVID-19. They have identified and published nine symptoms that are associated with the disease, COVID-19. However, our structured analytical model identified only seven of the nine symptoms to statistically significantly contribute to the subject disease. They are fever, tiredness, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, pain, and nasal congestion. Each of the symptoms shows highly likelihood of having COVID-19. Our analytical model was carefully developed, very well-validated, and statistically tested to achieve a 93% accuracy in the testing result. If a person is tested positive, we recommend that he/she seek medical evaluation and treatment. That is, once we receive the categorical data from a given individual, and we input into the proposed model, the output result will be the individual is tested positive or negative for COVID-19. The developed model identifies (estimated) the different weights of each of the seven symptoms or risk factors that play a major role in the decision process of the testing results. Our findings seek to enhance testing efficiency, treatment, control, and prevention strategy for the COVID-19 disease.

The Retino-Hypothalamic Ultrastructural Changes in Traumatic Optic Neuropathy

Aim: To study the retino-hypothalamic ultrastructural changes in traumatic optic neuropathy’s pathogenesis and treatment. Methods: Four groups of mature rabbits were included in this experiment, 30 in each group, 120 in total. The traumatic crush to the optic nerves was reproduced by surgical clips to 90 mature rabbits. The first group (I) included intact/control animals, the second (II) included animals with traumatic optic neuropathy and two other traumatized groups (III and IV) who were given two different doses of treatment. The animals in group III were given infusions of Methylprednisolone 30mg/kg/day for three days. The group IV animals received infusion of 15mg/kg/ day of Methylprednisolone for 3 days in combination with phosphine electric stimulation (PES), starting from the third until the 13th day of the experiment. The electrical pulse which was used on the affected side of the animal was 800 mА and 300 mА on the opposite side. The morphological analysis of the retina and suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus of all the four groups of animals included electron microscopy of the semi-thin and ultrathin sections. This analysis was performed a month following the initial injury while the animals were removed from the experiment. The levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the blood of all experimental animals was tested up to one month following the injury to the optic nerves. Results: We found that trauma to the orbital part of the optic nerve causes collocative necrosis of ganglion cells and swelling of the nerve fiber layer of the ipsilateral retina. In addition, such traumatic damage causes structural changes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Combined treatment of methylprednisolone with phosphine electro stimulation in traumatized rabbits reduced the thickness of the retina, reduced the cytokaryometric indices and the regeneration processes of bipolar and ganglion cells of the retina. Histopathologically we found an increased number of neurosecretory granules in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. ACTH levels in the blood of the group III rabbits were found to be lower, while the cortisol levels higher, and these hormone levels in the IV group rabbits were quite similar to those of the group which was not treated. Conclusion: The combined treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy in rabbits with phosphine electrostimulation and methylprednisolone can be considered a useful treatment, having a beneficial neuroprotective effect.

The Impact of Sequencing Genomes on The Human Longevity Project

Treating old age diseases to achieve human longevity is the greatest challenge. This abstract describes how human longevity is shortened by three old aged deadly diseases namely Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases and Alzheimer. To prolong human life beyond one hundred years, we focus on the rational drug design to treat one old age disease one at a time. Our work began on Cancers starting in England and completed in America. More research fund is available by both The Royal Cancer Hospital of the University of London, England, and The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of America to develop drugs to treat Cancer than any other diseases. We describe below how novel drugs, like Aziridine Dinitro-benzamide (CB1954) was developed in England to treat Cancer in animals, such as Walker Carcinoma 256, a solid aggressive tumor in Rats and how the animal work is translated in humans, by developing AZQ (US Patent 4,146,622) a rationally designed drug to treat Glioblastoma, a solid aggressive brain tumor in human at the NCI. For the discovery of AZQ, our work was honored with, “The 2004, NIH Scientific Achievement Award” one of America’s highest awards in medicine.” Using the same rational approach, this abstract also describes how novel drugs could be developed on rational basis to treat Breast and Prostate Cancer to achieve human Longevity. Ethical issues achieving longevity are also described.

Analysis of Impact Factors Affecting Sleep Quality among Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals in The Chinese Community in Shanghai

Context: Insomnia is prevalent among elderly individuals and has become a public health problem receiving increasing concern. Low sleep quality is related to a number of negative health outcomes. Objective: This research aims to investigate the sleep status of community-dwelling elderly individuals (aged 60 years or older) in Shanghai, China, to explore the impact factors affecting sleep quality. Methods: One street in Shanghai city was randomly selected, and 50% of the elderly residents were randomly selected as participants for a total number of 9,616 people. Investigations were conducted by indoor surveys through home doctors and paper questionnaires. For statistical analysis, univariate and multivariate regression analysis and the Spearman correlation model were performed using SAS 9.4 to analyze the effects of the impact factors on the sleep quality of elderly individuals. Results: Sleep quality is greatly affected by physical pain in both the elderly individual and the individual’s spouse. Healthy elderly people tend to have better sleep quality, and the more chronic diseases an elderly individual suffers, the worse their sleep quality is. In addition, the physical pain of a cohabiting spouse is one of the most significant impact factors influencing sleep quality. Conclusion: We suggest that community-dwelling elderly people maintain moderate outdoor activities and a healthy mental state, which will improve their sleep quality.

Tran's Arterial Embolization of an Unusual Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adulthood for Better Preoperative Conditioning

Rhabdomyosarcomas, being the most common sarcomas of childhood, have an extremely poor prognosis, and pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcomas occur very rarely in adults. Despite advanced diagnostics, it is not uncommon for such tumours to be misinterpreted. The 73-year-old patient was diagnosed with a swelling on the inner side of the left thigh 3 years previously after a minor trauma, which was interpreted as a small well-revascularised haemangioma in original CT angiography. While this mass showed little change over the last 2.5 years, a sudden progression of growth occurred 6 months ago. With the working diagnosis of a haemangioma, differential diagnosis of a schwanoma, the vessels supplying the tumour from profunda femoral artery were visualised preoperatively in a selective angiography and embolised. Shortly before the operation, dupex sonography revealed a renewed hypervasculariasis of the tumour. The supplied vessels from the superficial femoral artery and from the main left profunda trunc were embolised with Embosphere Microspheres 500-700 (Merit). Complete devascularisation of the tumour was achieved, so that the tumour could be resected very effectively in accordance with the compartment. The histological work-up of the tumour resulted in the diagnosis of a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma grade II with tumor-free margins. Preoperative embolisation could be an effective method for preoperative conditioning of such rhabdomyosarcoma. Using this example, this study discusses the current diagnostic and therapeutic options for adult rhabdomyosarcomas.

COVID-19 Vaccine Associated Parkinson's Disease, A Prion Disease Signal in the UK Yellow Card Adverse Event Database

Many have argued that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its mRNA sequence, found in all COVID-19 vaccines, are priongenic. The UK’s Yellow Card database of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports was evaluated for signals consistent with a pending epidemic of COVID vaccine induced prion disease. Adverse event reaction rates from AstraZeneca’s vaccine were compared to adverse event rates for Pfizer’s COVID vaccines. The vaccines employ different technologies allowing for potential differences in adverse event rates but allowing each to serve as a control group for the other. The analysis showed a highly statistically significant and clinically relevant (2.6-fold) increase in Parkinson’s disease, a prion disease, in the AstraZeneca adverse reaction reports compared to the Pfizer vaccine adverse reaction reports (p= 0.000024). These results are consistent with monkey toxicity studies showing infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in Lewy Body formation. The findings suggest that regulatory approval, even under an emergency use authorization, for COVID vaccines was premature and that widespread use should be halted until full long term safety studies evaluating prion toxicity has een complete. Alternative vaccines like the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine should be explored for those desiring immunization against COVID-19.Many have argued that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its mRNA sequence, found in all COVID-19 vaccines, are priongenic. The UK’s Yellow Card database of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports was evaluated for signals consistent with a pending epidemic of COVID vaccine induced prion disease. Adverse event reaction rates from AstraZeneca’s vaccine were compared to adverse event rates for Pfizer’s COVID vaccines. The vaccines employ different technologies allowing for potential differences in adverse event rates but allowing each to serve as a control group for the other. The analysis showed a highly statistically significant and clinically relevant (2.6-fold) increase in Parkinson’s disease, a prion disease, in the AstraZeneca adverse reaction reports compared to the Pfizer vaccine adverse reaction reports (p= 0.000024). These results are consistent with monkey toxicity studies showing infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in Lewy Body formation. The findings suggest that regulatory approval, even under an emergency use authorization, for COVID vaccines was premature and that widespread use should be halted until full long term safety studies evaluating prion toxicity has been complete. Alternative vaccines like the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine should be explored for those desiring immunization against COVID-19.

Effect of Tongue and Lip Motor Training for Cognitive Function in Older People: -The Relationship of Oral Function and Cognitive Function

Introduction: The oral function with many teeth affects the health maintenance of the whole body and brain activation of the older people. This study investigates the relationship between cognitive and oral functions, and the effect of tongue and lip motor training on cognitive function. Methods: One hundred subjects (age > 65) were investigated Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), their number of present teeth, masticatory function, occlusal force, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK), and correlations between their MMSE scores and the other factors were discussed. Fifteen subjects (5 non-impairment group: NIG, 10 impairment group: IG) participated in tongue and lip motor training three times daily for 15 months. Their MMSE scores, masticatory function, occlusal force, and ODK times were measured every three months. Results: Their MMSE scores correlated with age, number of present teeth, masticatory function, and ODK. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that MMSE scores were strongly related to age and ODK. MMSE scores of IG were significantly higher after 15 months of pronunciation than before training and three months after training started. In both groups, ODK times after 15 months of training were significantly higher than before the training and three months training started. Their masticatory function and occlusal force in the IG showed no significant differences during the 15 months of training. Conclusions: The findings suggest that cognitive function may be related to oral function, especially pronunciation, and those 15 months of tongue and lip motor training is effective in improving cognitive and pronunciation functions.

Intradural Spinal Cord Tumors Surgical Experience with Modified Sheehan Technique

Background: Primary spinal cord tumors are rare neoplasms that lead to significant morbidities. They representing about 2–4% of all tumors that affect the central nervous system. According to their relation to the dura, and spinal cord they are classified into extradural, intradural extramedullary and intradural intramedullary tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging is the radiological investigation of choice for the diagnosis of intradural tumors both intra and extramedullary. Surgical excision is the best treatment modality in the majority of patients. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of thirty patients, fifteen males, and fifteen females suffering spinal cord tumors. Median age at diagnosis 41years. Follow up period range from 6months to 43 months with average 24 months. Neurological assessment of the patients carried out by ASIA (American spinal injury association) scoring. Radiological evaluation occurs through MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) with contrast. Of the studied group seven cases were intradural intramedullary and twenty-three cases were intradural extramedullary. The utilized surgical approach was modified Sheehan technique and all the cases were operated by a single surgeon to avoid the inter surgeon variability. Histopathological assessment was done for the excised specimen for all patients. Results: Thoracic region most affected 53.3%, followed by cervical 23.4%, then lumbar (20%) regions. 76.7% intradural extramedullary, and 23.3% intradural intramedullary. Schwannoma 43.3% and Meningioma (20%) were the most pathology. ASIA group C decreased from 40% to 6.7%, and ASIA group D decreased from 60% to 26.7%, and we got a new ASIA group E 66.7% didn’t exist before surgery. Conclusion: The utilized surgical technique is very effective and safe as we get wide corridor for tumor excision, so increasing the effectiveness of operative microscopy and other operative tools, and improve the surgical outcome as noticed in postoperative neurological status.