Nasal packing constitutes a common step in nasal procedures. A correct fixation is of uttermost importance to avoid posterior dislocation and aspiration. This case report highlights the risk of acute airway situations involving nasal packs and discuses common errors that should be avoided to prevent this life-threatening complication.

The use of electrochemical methods to study living systems, including cells, has been of interest to researchers for a long time. Thus, controlling the polarization of the electrode contacting living cells, one can influence, for example, their proliferation or the synthesis of specific proteins. Moreover, the electrochemical approach formed the basis of the biocompatibility improvement of the materials contacting with body tissues that use in carbon hemosorbents and implants development. It became possible to reach a fundamentally new level in the study of cell activity with the introduction of optically transparent electrodes in this area. The use of such materials allowed approaching to the study of the influence of the electrode potential on adhesion activity and morphology of the different cell types (HeLa cells, endothelial cell, etc.) more detailed. There are a negligible number of publications in this area despite the obvious advantages of the usage of optically transparent electrodes to study living cells. This mini review is devoted to some aspects of the interaction of living cells with conductive materials and current advances in the use of optically transparent electrodes for the study of living cells, as well as the prospects for their use in cellular technologies.

Individuals with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who are palliated to a Fontan circulation are at risk for heart failure and liver disease, with recurrent ascites being one potentially debilitating cause of late morbidity. Although ascites associated with heart failure or liver failure is usually characterized by a high serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), we have observed multiple instances of ascites in Fontan patients with low SAAG, suggesting an inflammatory process. We present three cases in which recalcitrant ascites severely and adversely impacted quality of life, and describe our initial experience with intraperitoneal corticosteroids in this setting.

The growth of silica nanoparticles by agglomeration and viscous flow sintering is studied from free molecular to transition regime at high temperatures by discrete element method simulations. The effect of temperature on the aggregate mobility and gyration radii, particle morphology and collision frequency function is elucidated as function of the number of primary particles. The ratio between the characteristic sintering time and characteristic collision time controls the particle size and structure, quantified by the mass fractal dimension. The effect of this ratio of characteristic times on aggregate morphology is illustrated at various temperatures. Finally, when sintering is negligible, the overall collision frequency is 90% larger than that predicted by the classic Fuchs collision kernel for monodisperse agglomerates in the near free molecular and transition regime. For comparable coagulation and sintering rates, where aggregates with sinter bonds are formed, the overall collision frequency increases an enhancement of <90% is observed.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the chronic inflammatory disorder that affects both in childhood and adulthood. Mounting evidence indicates that gut dysbiosis contributes to AD via the gut-skin axis. Constipation can result in alteration of the gut microflora. The clinical impact of constipation on AD has not been researched. Therefore, we aim to assess the risk of AD in constipated patients by the population-based cohort study. Methods We collected 87015 constipated people and 87015 people without constipation between 1999 and 2013 from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. Propensity score analysis was administrated to match age, gender, comorbidities, and medications at a ratio of 1:1. Multiple Cox regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the adjusted hazard ratio of AD. In addition, sensitivity tests and a stratified analysis were conducted. Results The incidence of AD was 4.7 per 1,000 person-years in the constipation group, which was higher than the rate of 2.2 per 1,000 person-years observed in the non-constipation group. After adjustment for age, gender, comorbidities, corticosteroids, and antihistamine, constipated people had a 2.11-fold greater risk of AD compared to those without constipation (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 2.11 (95% C.I. 1.98-2.24). Moreover, constipated people had a higher likelihood of AD, regardless of gender, comorbidities, as well as the usage of corticosteroids, and antihistamines. Conclusion Constipation is associated with a significantly risk factor of AD. Clinicians should be careful of the possibility of AD in constipated people. Further study is warranted to investigate the possible pathological mechanisms of this relationship.

Nutritional geometry has advanced our understanding of how macronutrients (e.g., proteins and carbohydrates) influence the expression of life history traits and their corresponding trade-offs. For example, recent work has revealed that reproduction and immune function in male decorated crickets are optimized at very different protein:carbohydrate (P:C) dietary ratios. However, it is unclear how an individual’s macronutrient intake interacts with its perceived infection status to determine investment in reproduction or other key life history traits. Here, we employed a fully factorial design in which calling effort and immune function were quantified for male crickets fed either diets previously demonstrated to maximize calling effort (P:C = 1:8) or immune function (P:C = 5:1), and then administered a treatment from a spectrum of increasing infection cue intensity using heat-killed bacteria. Both diet and a simulated infection threat independently influenced the survival, immunity, and reproductive effort of males. If they called, males increased calling effort at the low infection cue dose, consistent with the terminal investment hypothesis, but interpretation of responses at the higher threat levels was hampered by the differential mortality of males across infection cue and diet treatments. A high protein, low carbohydrate diet severely reduced the health, survival, and overall fitness of male crickets. There was, however, no evidence of an interaction between diet and infection cue dose on calling effort, suggesting that the threshold for terminal investment was not contingent on diet as investigated here.

Phenotypic variation among individuals and species is a fundamental principle of natural selection. In this review, we focus on numerous experiments involving the model species Daphnia (Crustacea) and categorize the factors, especially secondary ones, affecting intraspecific variations in inducible defense. Primary factors, such as predator type and density, determine the degree to which inducible defense expresses and increases or decreases. Secondary factors, on the other hand, act together with primary factors to inducible defense, or without primary factors on inducible defense. The secondary factors increase intra-species variation in inducible defense, and thus the level of adaptation of organisms varies within species. Future research will explore the potential for new secondary factors, as well as the relative importance between factors needs to be clarified.

Background: Elevated Pre-discharge capillary blood gas partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) has been associated with increased adverse events including readmission. This study aimed to determine if pre-discharge pCO2 or 36-week pCO2 was associated with increased respiratory readmissions or other pulmonary healthcare utilization in the year after NICU discharge for infants with BPD discharged with home oxygen, using a standardized outpatient oxygen weaning protocol. Methods: This was a secondary cohort analysis of infants born <32 weeks gestational age with BPD, referred to our Pulmonary clinic for home oxygen therapy either from our level IV NICU or local level III NICUs between 2015-17. Infants with major non-respiratory comorbidities were excluded. Subject information was obtained from electronic health records. Results: Of 125 infants, 120 had complete 1-year follow-up. Twenty three percent of infants experienced a respiratory readmission after NICU discharge. There was no significant association between pre-discharge or 36-week pCO2 and respiratory readmissions, emergency room visits, new or increased bronchodilators or diuretics. Higher 36-week pCO2 was associated with a later corrected age when oxygen was discontinued (<6 months, median 54 mm Hg, Interquartile range (IQR) 51-61; 6-11 months, median 62 mm Hg IQR 57-65; ≥12 months, median 66 mm Hg, IQR 58-73; p=0.006). Conclusions: Neither pre-discharge pCO2 nor 36-week pCO2 was associated with one-year respiratory readmissions. Higher pCO2 at 36 weeks was associated with longer duration of home oxygen. Neonatal illness measures like 36-week pCO2 may be useful in communicating expectations for home oxygen therapy to families.

Autonomous dishwasher loading is a benchmark problem in robotics that highlights the challenges of robotic perception, planning and manipulation in an unstructured environment. Current approaches resort to a specialized solution, however, these technologies are not viable in a domestic setting. Learning-based solutions seem promising for a general purpose solutions, however, they require large amounts of catered data, to be applied in real-world scenarios. This paper presents a novel solution based on pre-trained object detection networks. By developing a perception, planning and manipulation framework around an off-the-shelf object detection network, we are able to develop robust pick-and-place solutions that are easy to develop and general purpose requiring only a RGB feedback and a pinch gripper. Analysis of a real-world canteen tray data is first performed and used for developing our in-lab experimental setup. Our results obtained from real-world scenarios indicate that such approaches are highly desirable for plug-and-play domestic applications with limited calibration. All the associated data and code of this work is shared in a public repository.

It is known that LIMA-to-LAD is the major determinant of the patient’s prognosis and long term survival for a large percentage of the population with coronary artery disease Off pump, minimally invasive LIMA-to-LAD provides excellent long-term results ). As Awad et al state, this pandemic has disrupted and challenged delivery of health care services worldwide ). LIMA-to-LAD can be performed with minimal resources in an isolated area from COVID-19 facilities within the hospital.Hybrid treatment of coronary heart disease is another option for patients under these circumstances . Surgeons must take the lead and play an active role in the decision process. . As the authors conclude, given fluidity of the current situation, there is need for new processes and clinical decision – making that will allow patients to receive appropriate treatment,

E. coli BL21 (DE3) is an excellent and widely used host for recombinant protein production. Many variant hosts were developed from from BL21 (DE3), but improving the expression of specific proteins remains a major challenge in biotechnology. In this study, we found that when BL21 (DE3) overexpressed glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), a significant industrial enzyme, serious autolysis was induced. Subsequently, we observed this phenomenon in the expression of 10 other recombinant proteins. This precludes a further increase of the produced enzyme activity by extending the fermentation time, which is not conducive to the reduction of industrial enzyme production costs. The membrane structure and mRNA expression analysis showed that cells suffered programmed cell death (PCD) during autolysis period. However, blocking three known PCD pathway in BL21 (DE3) cannot alleviate autolysis completely. Furthermore, we attempted to develop a strong expression host resistant to autolysis by controlling the speed of recombinant protein expression. To find a more suitable protein expression rate, the high- and low-strength promoter lacUV5 and lac were shuffled and recombined to yield the promoter variants lacUV5-1A and lac-1G. The results showed that only one base in lac promoter needs to be changed, and the A at the +1 position was changed to a G, resulting in a host of BL21 (DE3-lac1G), which successfully withstand the PCD of the host. The GDH activity at 43h was greatly increased from 37.5 U/mL to 452.0 U/mL. In scale-up fermentation, the new host was able to produce the model enzyme with a high rate of 89.55 U/mL/h at 43h, compared to the 3 U/mL/h of BL21 (DE3). Importantly, BL21 (DE3-lac1G) also successfully improved the production of other 10 enzymes. The engineered E. coli strain in the study conveniently optimizes recombinant protein overexpression by suppressing cell autolysis, and shows potential industrial applications.

The use of biota to analyze the spatial range and distribution of biogeographic regions is essential to gain a better understanding of the ecological processes that cause biotic differentiation and biodiversity at multiple spatiotemporal scales. Recently, the collection of high-resolution biological distribution data (e.g., specimens) and advances in analytical theory have led to their quantitative analysis and more refined spatial delineation. This study was conducted to redefine floristic zones in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and to better understand the eco-evolutionary significance of the spatial distribution patterns. Based on the distribution data of 309,333 vascular plant species in the Korean Peninsula, we derived floristic zones using self-organizing maps. We compared the characteristics of the derived regions with those of historical floristic zones and ecologically important environmental factors (climate, geology, and geography). In a clustering analysis of the floristic assemblages, four distinct regions were identified, namely, the cold floristic zone (Zone I) in high-altitude regions at the center of the Korean Peninsula, cool floristic zone (Zone II) in high-altitude regions in the south of the Korean Peninsula, warm floristic zone (Zone III) in low-altitude regions in the central and southern parts of the Korean Peninsula, and maritime warm floristic zone (Zone IV) including the volcanic islands of Jejudo and Ulleungdo. A total of 1,099 taxa were common to the four floristic zones. Zone IV had the highest abundance of specific plants (those found in only one zone), with 404 taxa. This study improves floristic zone definitions using high-resolution regional biological distribution data. It will help better understand and re-establish regional species diversity. In addition, our study provides key data for hotspot analysis techniques required for the conservation of plant diversity.

Differentiating plasmablastic lymphoma and plasmablastic myeloma is challenging due to overlapping morphological and immunophenotypical features. This case demonstrates the difficulty to distinguish a non-secretor myeloma with plasmablastic morphology from a plasmablastic lymphoma and the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to make an accurate diagnosis because the treatment protocols are different.

Nephronophthisis is a pediatric genetic disease. The kidney effect is characterized by a CTN leading to ESRD. Many syndromes could be associated with NPHP. We reported a child affected by NPHP with dextrocardia, LSVC and LAV where the diagnostic was done by fluoroscopy after encountering unusual difficulties to perform CVC.

A 52-year-old female with a recently diagnosed esophageal cancer presented with hematemesis that needed emergent endotracheal intubation (ETT). Two-days later following respiratory compromised, computed tomography imaging showed an abnormally placed ETT which traversed from esophagus to trachea resulting in tracheoesophageal fistula. There was no pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax.

Acne associates with increased sebum production, bacterial colonization, and ongoing inflammation. Fluorescent light energy has reported clinical effect on acne. The complexity of acne often makes combination therapy highly beneficial. We here show that combining FLE with low-dose isotretinoin or tetracycline leads to clearance of acne without significant adverse effects.

A 23-year-old gentleman came to Emergency Department with first episode of sudden collapse. He had a right pelvic Ewing's sarcoma surgically resected 6 years ago. MRI of the head demonstrated a lesion in right temporal lobe, extending into infratemporal fossa. He was referred to oncology for further management with chemotherapy.

Α 59-year-old female presented to our hospital with epigastric pain. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a foreign body in the head of pancreas. A laparoscopic surgery was performed and the foreign body was safely removed. The foreign body was identified as a 3-cm-long fish bone.