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Introduction Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are reported to cause neuroendocrine impairment with a prevalence of 15% with confirmatory testing. Pituitary dysfunction (PD) may have detrimental effects on vital parameters as well as on body composition, cardiovascular functions, cognition, and quality of life. Therefore, much effort has been made to identify predictive factors for post-TBI PD and various screening strategies have been offered.Areas covered We searched PubMed and reviewed the recent data on clinical perspectives and long-term outcomes as well as predictive factors and screening modalities of post-TBI PD. Inconsistencies in the literature are overviewed and new areas of research are discussed.Expert opinion Studies investigating biomarkers that will accurately predict TBI patients with a high risk of PD are generally pilot studies with a small number of participants. Anti-pituitary and anti-hypothalamic antibodies, neural proteins, micro-RNAs are promising in this field. As severity of TBI has been the most commonly associated risk factor for post-TBI PD, we suggest prospective screening based on severity of head trauma until new evidence emerges. There is also a need for more studies investigating the clinical effects of hormone replacement in TBI patients with PD.Objectives The purpose of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the Brief Aging Perception Questionnaire (B-APQ) for older persons with chronic disease living in Taiwan.Methods This study recruited older patients with chronic diseases from outpatient departments of a medical center in southern Taiwan. Five steps were used to develop the Chinese version of the B-APQ, including assessment of item quality, testing of the original model by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), establishing the new model by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and CFA, testing the correlation between the new model and criterion instrument, and evaluating the reliability.Results A total of 415 participants completed the survey. The structure of the original version was not suitable for the Taiwanese elderly. We developed a Chinese version of the B-APQ from outpatient dimensions and one additional item that accounted for cultural differences (for a total of 18 items). The indicators of construct validity were Chi-square (387.79), GFI (0.91), AGFI (0.88), RMSEA (0.07), and SRMR (0.054). For the convergent validity, the correlation coefficient was -0.07-0.39 for the Physical Activity Scale and -0.07-0.71 for the scale of the World Health Organization Quality of Life. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.86-0.91.Conclusions The Chinese version of the B-APQ has good validity and reliability and is suitable for the measurement of the aging perceptions of older persons with chronic diseases in Taiwan.Introduction Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the result of X-chromosome-linked mutations to the dystrophin protein gene that prevent the normal development and repair of muscles leading to muscle deterioration. The condition affects nearly 1 in 3,500 males worldwide. Current therapeutics have not been sufficient in providing a cure or resulting in a significant extension in life expectancy, but many therapeutic options are currently under investigation.Areas covered This article provides an overview of the current and emerging therapies for DMD giving particular focus to synthetic therapeutic options. The authors further provide their expert opinion.Expert opinion Many discrepancies in primary outcomes of trials have led to questions of efficacy for medications, as well as difficulty in securing FDA approval. A standardization of primary outcome strategies, as well as better access to investigational medications, may alleviate some of the controversy and pressures that exist on medication approvals. Many trials have identified cohorts who responded more favorably to medications, despite a lack of significance in the overall intent-to-treat populations. This indicates that more medication screening and personalized treatment with patient-specific targeting might deliver more clinically significant results.Introduction An estimated 5-10% of people with asthma have disease which remains uncontrolled despite maximal treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. Benralizumab is currently licensed for use in patients with severe asthma who have an eosinophilic phenotype. Benralizumab depletes eosinophils by binding to the anti-IL5 receptor on the surface of eosinophils, mitigating the effect of IL-5 on eosinophil proliferation and survival, and induces natural killer cell-mediated eosinophil apoptosis.Areas covered The authors review the mechanism of action and pharmacokinetic profile of Benralizumab and summarize the scientific data supporting its clinical efficacy and safety in severe asthma. Further, the authors highlight future studies of Benralizumab in asthma and other diseases.Expert opinion Benralizumab lowers exacerbation rates, symptom burden, and oral glucocorticoid use, and improves lung function, in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Benralizumab is well tolerated and is an attractive choice for patients and physicians due to its eosinophil-depleting mechanism of action and less frequent dosing schedule. More data is needed to guide the selection of biologic therapy in severe asthma patients.OBJECTIVES Gaining an understanding of postoperative patients’ environmental needs, barriers, and facilitators for optimal healing. BACKGROUND An optimal hospital environment (the “healing environment”) can enhance patients’ postoperative recovery and shorten length of stay. see more However, insights lack into patients’ lived environmental needs for optimal healing after surgery and how these needs are being met. METHOD A qualitative study was conducted between August 2016 and August 2017 with 21 patients who underwent elective major abdominal surgery in a Dutch university hospital. Data were collected through context-mapping exercises and interviews to capture patients’ lived experiences and explore the meaning of these experiences. Data were systematically analyzed according to the principles of thematic content analysis. RESULTS Three themes were identified. First, participants want a sense of control over their treatment, ambient features, privacy, nutrition, and help requests. Participants described the need for positive distractions personalizing the room, connecting with the external environment, and the ability to undertake activities.