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Descriptive morphology of tooth roots traditionally focuses on number of canals and roots. However, how or if canal and root number are related is poorly understood. While it is often assumed that canal number is concomitant with root number and morphology, in practice canal number and morphology do not always covary with external root features. To investigate the relationship between canal and root number, fully developed, adult post-canine teeth were examined and quantified from computerized tomography scans from a global sample of 945 modern humans. We tested the hypotheses that root and canal number do not follow a 1:1 ratio, that canal to root ratios differ between teeth, and that canal to root ratios differ across major human geographical groups. Results indicate that not only is root number dependent on canal number, but that this relationship becomes more variable as canal number increases, varies between individual teeth and by major geographical group, and changes as these groups increase in geographical distance from Sub-Saharan Africa. These results show that the ratio of canal number to root number is an important indicator of variation in dental phenotypes.

Background Knee corticosteroid injection (KCSI) and physical therapy (PT) are two efficacious treatments for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, poor adherence to PT in resource-limited communities might limit its effectiveness. KCSI prior to PT might improve adherence in this population. Methodology This was a retrospective cohort analysis of patients referred to PT for KOA from January 01, 2018 to December 31, 2019 from an adult primary care resident clinic in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Patients were divided into two groups, namely, those who had a KCSI around the time of the referral versus those who did not. PT adherence was evaluated in both groups. Results A total of 143 patients referred to PT were selected, and 11 patients were excluded. In total, 38/132 patients had a KCSI within a four-month window of the PT referral. Patients were mostly Hispanic (no injection 79.8% vs. injection 78.9%) females (80.9% vs. 71.1%), the average age was in the 60s, and over 90% were insured by either Medicaid or Medicare. In the injection group, 18/38 patients completed at least one PT visit (47.4%) versus 21/94 patients (22.3%) in the noninjection group. The odds ratio of undergoing PT was 1.38 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-1.69; p = 0.002), and the rate ratio of PT visits was 2.50 (95% CI = 1.82-3.42; p = 1.36 × 10-8), both adjusted for age, sex, and severity. Among those who attended at least one session, the mean number of PT visits was 5.4 in both injection and noninjection groups (median 5 versus 4). Conclusions In a predominantly Hispanic patient population, those who underwent KCSI were more likely to undergo PT and, as a group, attend more sessions.

Anticholinergic toxicity is a relatively uncommon occurrence. When it does occur, it is usually attributed to an overdose of anticholinergic agents, especially in the elderly population. In younger patients, anticholingeric toxicity is usually due to an intentional overdose in a suicide attempt, accidental exposure to jimson weed or deadly nightshade plant, or the combination of anticholinergic drugs with recreational drugs (psilocybin mushroom). Over-the-counter cold medicines are well known to contain a variety of anticholinergic substances, the most well-known being diphenhydramine. Uncommonly, these readily available substances can produce anticholinergic toxicity in elderly patients, even when appropriate dosages are consumed. Younger patients are less likely to develop this clinical picture, due to higher renal clearance and lower drug volume of distribution. Nonetheless, clinical suspicion should remain high in the younger population. Patients can present with fever, tachycardia, diplopia, urinary retention, dry mucous membranes, and altered mental status. This case provides awareness to the unlikely complication of over-the-counter cold medicines in a young 19-year-old patient, while highlighting the need for diligent history taking and deliberate use of physostigmine in patients with altered mental status.

Severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is well known for causing respiratory and other extrapulmonary manifestations. Patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may demonstrate atypical presentations with gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinicians managing these patients should reserve a high index of suspicion for the rare complication of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). It is a challenging diagnosis that is often missed when presenting symptoms are subtle and nonspecific like nausea, emesis, or diarrhea. Outcomes are typically catastrophic and fatal as bowel ischemia progresses to necrosis but may be averted with timely diagnostic and therapeutic methods to swiftly restore blood flow.

Oxygen concentration varies tremendously within the body and has proven to be a critical variable in cell differentiation, proliferation, and drug metabolism among many other physiological processes. Currently, researchers study the gas’s role in biology using low-throughput gas-control incubators or hypoxia chambers in which all cells in a vessel are exposed to a single oxygen concentration. Here, we introduce a device which can simultaneously deliver 12 unique oxygen concentrations to cells in a 96-well plate and seamlessly integrate into biomedical research workflows. The device inserts into 96-well plates and delivers gas to the headspace thus avoiding undesirable contact with media. This simple approach isolates each well using gas-tight pressure resistant gaskets effectively creating 96 “mini-incubators”. Each of the twelve columns of the plate is supplied by a distinct oxygen concentration from a gas-mixing gradient generator supplied by two feed gases. The wells within each column are then supplied by an equal flow-splitting distribution network. Using equal feed flow rates, concentrations ranging from 0.6% to 20.5% were generated within a single plate. A549 lung carcinoma cells were then used to show that O2 levels below 9% caused a stepwise increase in cell death for cells treated with the hypoxia-activated anti-cancer drug Tirapirizamine (TPZ). Additionally, the 96-well plate was further leveraged to simultaneously test multiple TPZ concentrations over an oxygen gradient and generate a 3D dose response landscape. The results presented here show how microfluidic technologies can be integrated into, rather than replace, ubiquitous biomedical labware allowing for increased throughput oxygen studies.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target the BCR/ABL mutation have been used as therapies of BCR/ABL positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with significant results. Dasatinib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor with significant activity in Philadephia positive ALL which is resistant to imatinib, as well as in treatment-naïve patients. We present a case of an elderly patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL, who presented with acute hypoxic respiratory failure in the setting of active immunotherapy with dasatinib.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a relatively uncommon occurrence. Although unlikely, asthma exacerbations can produce enough barotrauma to produce this complication. In cases of SPM, the gas has the opportunity to track between fascial planes, making its way to subcutaneous tissues, usually of the neck and chest, resulting in subcutaneous emphysema (SE). In anomalous situations, this gas can track its way into the retropharyngeal space. This presentation is usually self-limiting, requiring supportive therapy. Severe cases can lead to airway compromise warranting invasive supportive airway maneuvers. Retropharyngeal emphysema, SE, and pneumomediastinum have rarely been described together in the literature. This case provides awareness of these three complications of asthma, while highlighting the need for deliberate chest imaging, including radiograph and non-contrast CT, in patients with severe asthma exacerbations.

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgA vasculitis) is a small-vessel vasculitis usually triggered by bacterial or viral infections, antibiotics, and vaccinations. Although it is a disease of the pediatric population, it can occur in adults as well. We present a case of IgA vasculitis that was triggered by underlying infective endocarditis (IE). IE is a rare and fatal cause of the vasculitis that requires timely diagnosis and management to prevent catastrophic outcomes. Our patient was treated with antibiotics for IE, which led to the resolution of vasculitis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by repetitive cycles of epithelial cell injury and dysregulated repair. Although most cases of pulmonary fibrosis are idiopathic, a detailed history that includes medications, comorbidities, tobacco use, environmental exposures, and family history should be taken to rule out secondary etiology. We present a case of flavocoxid-induced pulmonary toxicity which progressed from hypersensitivity pneumonitis to pulmonary fibrosis even after discontinuation of the offending drug.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019 after an outbreak of flu-like illness. The disease came to be known as the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). It has spread quickly, spanning many countries, and has become a global pandemic. As this is a novel virus, its varied manifestations and symptomatology are coming to light daily. Although most threatening to the respiratory system, this virus has the propensity to affect multiple organ systems quickly leading to multi-organ dysfunction. Many dermatologic manifestations have been reported with no clear pattern. Most data have been anecdotal. Here we present a 78-year-old male who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with no usual symptoms that would alert one of the possibilities of COVID-19. He did, however, have a diffuse morbilliform rash most notable on the trunk and back. He went on to develop fever thereafter but did not develop any respiratory complications. The rash was short-lived and was treated with topical steroids and oral antihistamines. It is important to know and report new findings of novel diseases not only for diagnosis and treatment but also to place appropriate isolation precautions and containment. Rash may be the initial and sometimes the only manifestation of COVID-19.

Paraneoplastic manifestations are frequently seen in patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and can present as diverse clinical entities ranging from endocrinopathies to neurological conditions. Anti-Hu encephalitis is a rare paraneoplastic manifestation most commonly seen in patients with SCLC. This case highlights an SCLC patient who presented with behavioral changes, cognitive deficits, and memory issues, and was found to have anti-Hu encephalitis. The subacute course of this clinical entity should be kept in mind and prompt further investigation in SCLC patients with these symptoms, especially when the laboratory workup of the major culprits is negative or inconclusive.

Cancer patients treated in community hospitals receive less guideline-recommended care and experience poorer outcomes than those treated in academic medical centers or National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers. The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network (MCCAN) was designed to address this issue in Kentucky, the state with the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the U.S. Using data obtained from the Kentucky Cancer Registry, the study evaluated the impact of patients treated in MCCAN hospitals on four evidence-based Commission on Cancer (CoC) quality measures using a before-and-after matched-cohort study design. Each group included 13 hospitals matched for bed size, cancer patient volume, community population, and region (Appalachian vs. non-Appalachian). Compliance with quality measures was assessed for the 3 years before the hospital joined MCCAN (T1) and the 3 years afterward (T2). In T1, the control hospitals demonstrated greater compliance with two quality measures than the MCCAN hospitals. In T2, the MCCAN hospitals achieved greater compliance in three measures than the control hospitals. From T1 to T2, the MCCAN hospitals significantly increased compliance on three measures (vs. 1 measure for the control hospitals). Although most of the hospitals were not accredited by the CoC in T1, 92% of the MCCAN hospitals had achieved accreditation by the end of T2 compared with 23% of the control hospitals. After the MCCAN hospitals joined the Network, their compliance with quality measures and achievement of CoC accreditation increased significantly compared with the control hospitals. The unique academic/community-collaboration model provided by MCCAN was able to make a significant impact on improvement of cancer care. Future research is needed to adapt and evaluate similar interventions in other states and regions.

Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) is a common acquired disease entity belonging to the idiopathic photodermatoses that is uncommonly considered in the Hispanic population. The pathogenesis of the disease and the mechanism of adaptation in skin (hardening phenomenon) have yet to be elucidated. PMLE is characterized by recurrent abnormal delayed reactions to sunlight ranging from pruritic erythematous papules, papulovesicles and plaques to erythema multiforme. It commonly occurs in the spring or early summer with a predilection for females. A Pubmed review of the literature shows no case reports or literature regarding PMLE in Hispanics. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of a 41-year-old Hispanic female diagnosed with PMLE. A high index of suspicion must remain in this group. Additional studies reviewing epidemiology in this group and detailing similar cases may be suggested.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is the principal growth factor regulating the production of neutrophils, yet its role in lineage commitment and terminal differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells is controversial. In this study, we describe a system to study the role of G-CSF receptor (G-CSFR) signals in granulocytic differentiation using retroviral transduction of G-CSFR–deficient, primary hematopoietic progenitor cells. We show that ectopic expression of wild-type G-CSFR in hematopoietic progenitor cells supports G-CSF–dependent differentiation of these cells into mature granulocytes, macrophages, megakaryocytes, and erythroid cells. Furthermore, we show that two mutant G-CSFR proteins, a truncation mutant that deletes the carboxy-terminal 96 amino acids and a chimeric receptor containing the extracellular and transmembrane domains of the G-CSFR fused to the cytoplasmic domain of the erythropoietin receptor, are able to support the production of morphologically mature, chloroacetate esterase-positive, Gr-1/Mac-1–positive neutrophils in response to G-CSF. These results demonstrate that ectopic expression of the G-CSFR in hematopoietic progenitor cells allows for multilineage differentiation and suggest that unique signals generated by the cytoplasmic domain of the G-CSFR are not required for G-CSF–dependent granulocytic differentiation.