Rejected

Patients often experience scar-related pruritus, which negatively affects quality of life. Triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) is widely used to treat pathological scars, and botulinum toxin type-A (BTX-A) reportedly improves scarring and associated discomfort.

Neuroimaging studies show that nociceptive stimuli elicit responses in an extensive cortical network. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allows for functional assessment of changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO), an indirect index for cortical activity. Unlike functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), fNIRS is portable, relatively inexpensive, and allows subjects greater function. No systematic review or meta-analysis has drawn together the data from existing literature of fNIRS studies on the effects of experimental pain on oxyhemoglobin changes in the superficial areas of the brain.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most widely used classes of medicines in the treatment of inflammation, fever, and pain. However, evidence has demonstrated that these drugs can induce significant toxicity. In the search for innovative strategies to overcome NSAID-related problems, the incorporation of drugs into cyclodextrins (CDs) has demonstrated promising results. This study aims to review the impact of cyclodextrin incorporation on the biopharmaceutical and pharmacological properties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. A systematic search for papers published between 2010 and 2020 was carried out using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol and the following search terms: "Complexation"; AND "Cyclodextrin"; AND "non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug". A total of 24 different NSAIDs, 12 types of CDs, and 60 distinct inclusion complexes were identified, with meloxicam and β-CD appearing in most studies. The results of the present review suggest that CDs are drug delivery systems capable of improving the pharmacological and biopharmaceutical properties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Scrolling is a perceived barrier in the use of bring your own device (BYOD) to capture electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROs). This study explored the impact of scrolling on the measurement equivalence of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in the presence and absence of scrolling.

The objective was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions for interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) with direct and indirect evidence from randomized trials.

The safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) have been established, but its outcome has not been compared to that of open surgery.

The prognosis of patients with advanced or unresectable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is poor. More than 50% of patients with jaundice are inoperable at the time of first diagnosis. Endoscopic treatment in patients with obstructive jaundice ensures bile duct drainage in preoperative or palliative settings. Relief of symptoms (pain, pruritus, jaundice) and improvement in quality of life are the aims of palliative therapy. Stent implantation by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is generally preferred for long-term palliation. There is a vast variety of plastic and metal stents, covered or uncovered. The stent choice depends on the expected length of survival, quality of life, costs and physician expertise. This review will provide the framework for the endoscopic minimally invasive therapy in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Moreover, additional therapies, such as brachytherapy, photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy, molecular-targeted therapy and/or immunotherapy by the endoscopic approach, are the nonsurgical methods associated with survival improvement rate and/or local symptom palliation.

Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 (TRPM8) is a Ca non-selective ion channel implicated in a variety of pathological conditions, including cancer, inflammatory and neuropathic pain. In previous works we identified a family of chiral, highly hydrophobic β-lactam derivatives, and began to intuit a possible effect of the stereogenic centers on the antagonist activity. To investigate the influence of configuration on the TRPM8 antagonist properties, here we prepare and characterize four possible diastereoisomeric derivatives of 4-benzyl-1-[(3'-phenyl-2'-dibenzylamino)prop-1'-yl]-4-benzyloxycarbonyl-3-methyl-2-oxoazetidine. In microfluorography assays, all isomers were able to reduce the menthol-induced cell Ca entry to larger or lesser extent. Potency follows the order 342' > 342' 342' 342' with the most potent diastereoisomer showing a half inhibitory concentration (IC) in the low nanomolar range, confirmed by Patch-Clamp electrophysiology experiments. All four compounds display high receptor selectivity against other members of the TRP family. Furthermore, in primary cultures of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, the most potent diastereoisomers do not produce any alteration in neuronal excitability, indicating their high specificity for TRPM8 channels. Docking studies positioned these β-lactams at different subsites by the pore zone, suggesting a different mechanism than the known -(3-aminopropyl)-2-[(3-methylphenyl)methoxy]–(2-thienylmethyl)-benzamide (AMTB) antagonist.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with postural control impairments and is highly prevalent in elderly people. The objective of this study is to verify whether anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and compensatory postural adjustments (CPAs) are affected by CLBP in elderly people by assessing their postural control during a self-initiated perturbation paradigm induced by rapid upper arm movement when pointing to a target. The participants' lower limb muscle onset and center of pressure (COP) displacements were assessed prior to perturbation and throughout the entire movement. T moment (i.e., the beginning of the movement) was defined as the anterior deltoid (DEL) onset, and all parameters were calculated with respect to it. The rectus femoris (RT), semitendinosus (ST), and soleous (SOL) showed delayed onset in the CLBP group compared with the control group: RF (control: - 0.094 ± 0.017 s; CLBP: - 0.026 ± 0.012 s, t = 12, p < 0.0001); ST (control: - 0.093 ± 0.013 s; CLBP: - 0.018 ± 0.019 s, t = 12, p < 0.0001); and SOL (control: - 0.086 ± 0.018 s; CLBP: - 0.029 ± 0.015 s, t = 8.98, p < 0.0001). In addition, COP displacement was delayed in the CLBP group (control: - 0.035 ± 0.021 s; CLBP: - 0.015 ± 0.009 s, t = 3; p = 0.003) and presented a smaller amplitude during APA COP [control: 0.444 cm (0.187; 0.648); CLBP: 0.228 cm (0.096; 0.310), U = 53, p = 0.012]. The CLBP group required a longer time to reach the maximum displacement after the perturbation (control: 0.211 ± 0.047 s; CLBP 0.296 ± 0.078 s, t = 3.582, p = 0.0013). This indicates that CLBP elderly patients have impairments to recover their postural control and less efficient anticipatory adjustments during the compensatory phase. Our results suggest that people with CLBP have altered feedforward hip and ankle muscle control, as shown from the SOL, ST, and RT muscle onset. This study is the first study in the field of aging that investigates the postural adjustments of an elderly population with CLBP. Clinical assessment of this population should consider postural stability as part of a rehabilitation program.

The femoral nerve block (FNB) may be used for analgesia in hip fracture surgery. The pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block is a novel regional technique and may provide better pain reduction while preserving motor function, but these blocks have not been directly compared.