A novel rat model for assessment of laryngotracheal injury following transoral intubation.

Objective: Laryngotracheal damage is a well-described complication of endotracheal intubation and animal models are essential for studying the underlying cellular injury cascade. This novel rat model is based on transoral intubation and aims to simulate the common clinical scenario of tube-related airway damage.

Methods: Prospective randomized control pilot study.

Effect of 2- vs. 3-Minute Interrepetition Rest Period on Maximal Clean Technique and Performance.

Ammar, A, Riemann, BL, Abdelkarim, O, Driss, T, and Hökelmann, A. Effect of 2- vs. 3-minute interrepetition rest period on maximal clean technique and performance.

Predictors of myocardial functional recovery following successful reperfusion of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Following acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), restoration of large-vessel patency does not mean complete perfusion recovery. Little is known regarding the predictors of successful myocardial reperfusion for the STEMI patients undergoing pharmacologic and mechanical reperfusion strategies.

Aim Of The Work: The aim of this clinical study was to find out the predictors of myocardial functional recovery following reperfusion of acute STEMI, represented by 3-month global longitudinal strain (GLS) value assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography.

Obesity may be erythropoietin dose-saving in hemodialysis patients.

Background: In dialysis patients, the obesity-survival paradox still requires an explanation. Anemia and high doses of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are associated with worse outcomes in the hemodialysis (HD) population. In the present study, we explored the relation between obesity and anemia control in a sample of maintenance HD patients in Egypt.

Exploratory Analysis into Reasonable Timeframes for the Provision of Neurosurgical Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 11.8% of the need for neurosurgical care is met. Delays in seeking and receiving care may further exacerbate this situation.

Identification, Cloning, and Characterization of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Coagulase.

Coagulase activation of prothrombin by staphylococcus induces the formation of fibrin deposition that facilitates the establishment of infection by species. Coagulase activity is a key characteristic of ; however, no coagulase gene or associated protein has been studied to characterize this activity. We report a recombinant protein sharing 40% similarity to coagulase produced from a putative coagulase gene.

Bullying Among Tunisian Middle School Students: the Prevalence, Psychosocial Associated Factors and Perceived Involvement of Parents, Teachers and Classmates.

Background: Bullying is a serious public health concern remarkably common among youth. Involvement in bullying can lead to deleterious effect on the emotional well-being of pupils. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of bullying, its psychosocial associated factors and the perceived involvement of parents, teachers, and classmates to counteract this behavior.

The Legacy of Dr. Khalaf Al Mouteary (July 1948- January 2018).

We are hereby not only presenting and documenting the achievements of Dr. Khalaf Al Mouteary, which are great and unprecedented, but drawing lessons from his life and striving to develop and improve a system of neurosurgery practice and training in Saudi Arabia. Over 30 years of his dreams, sacrifices, hard work, vision, successes and failures in neurosurgical medical services, training and education have brought us to the position where we are in today, as one of leading countries in neurosurgery in the whole Middle East.

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of L. leaf extracts growing in East of Algeria.

Aim: This work aimed to evaluate the biological activity of the leaf extracts of L., which is an Algerian endemic tree that belongs to the family of Cupressaceae.

Materials And Methods: The plant leaves were extracted in solvents of increasing polarity to obtain different extracts such as methanol, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts (MeE, PEE, ChlE, EtAE, and AqE).

Large central lumbar disc herniation causing acute cauda equina syndrome with loss of evoked potentials during prone positioning for surgery.

Background: Few studies in the literature discuss operative positioning for lumbar surgery precipitating acute cauda equina syndromes (CES).

Case Description: A 56-year-old male with a large L2-3-disc herniation was placed prone on a Jackson table. He immediately lost all motor and sensory evoked potentials.

Electrochemical Study of Polymer and Ceramic-Based Nanocomposite Coatings for Corrosion Protection of Cast Iron Pipeline.

Coating is one of the most effective measures to protect metallic materials from corrosion. Various types of coatings such as metallic, ceramic and polymer coatings have been investigated in a quest to find durable coatings to resist electrochemical decay of metals in industrial applications. Many polymeric composite coatings have proved to be resistant against aggressive environments.

Virtual modeling, stereolithography, and intraoperative CT guidance for the optimization of sagittal synostosis reconstruction: a technical note.

Introduction: Sagittal synostosis affects 1 in 1000 live births and may result in increased intracranial pressure, hindrance of normal neural development, and cosmetic deformity due to scaphocephaly. Historically, several approaches have been utilized for surgical correction and recently, computed tomography (CT)-guided reconstruction procedures are increasingly used. In this report, the authors describe the use of a CT-derived virtual and stereolithographic (3D printed) craniofacial models, which are used to guide intraoperative bone placement, and intraoperative CT guidance for confirmation of bone placement, to ensure the accuracy of surgical correction of scaphocephaly, as demonstrated to parents.

Effect of adding midazolam to bupivacaine during rectus sheath block: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Various adjuvants have been tried to improve quality and increase duration of local anaesthetics during various nerve blocks. We aimed to evaluate the effect of adding midazolam to bupivacaine on rectus sheath (RS) block in patients undergoing umbilical or epigastric hernia repair.

Methods: In all, 60 adult patients were divided into two equal groups, each group included 30 patients.

Local delivery of mometasone furoate from an eluting endotracheal tube.

Laryngeal and tracheal morbidity is a common complication of endotracheal tube (ETT)-based airway management, and manifests as local irritation, inflammation, and edema. Systemic corticosteroids are commonly administered to manage these conditions; however, their efficacy is inadequate and limited by potential severe side effects. In the present study, a steroid delivery system for local therapy was developed to generate relatively high local drug concentrations and to improve drug efficacy.

Propidium Monoazide Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for Enumeration of Some Viable but Nonculturable Foodborne Bacteria in Meat and Meat Products.

Foodborne infections due to bacterial pathogens are increasing worldwide. Given the surreptitious nature of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria, they largely remain a threat to public health and food safety due to their non-detectability through conventional plate count techniques. Hence, species-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (qPCR) alone and combined with the use of propidium monoazide (PMA) was used along with the plate count method to quantify VBNC Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, and Enterobacteriaceae in fresh and processed meat samples.

IL-6 and IL-10 are associated with good prognosis in early stage invasive breast cancer patients.

Macrophage-associated cytokines play an important role in cancer metastasis; however, the functions of interleukins (IL) 6 and 10 in breast cancer (BC) progression and metastasis are not clear. In this study the roles of IL-6/IL-10 in regulating vascular invasion and their prognostic significance in BC are investigated. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 migration (± IL-6 or IL-10) was assessed by scratch wound assay.

Characterization of type IV antifreeze gene in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and influence of cold and hot weather on its expression and some immune-related genes.

The aim of this work is to study the effect of the thermal stress of ambient temperature during winter and summer on the expression of type IV antifreeze gene (ANF IV) in different tissues of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as well as some immune-related genes. At first, genomic ANF IV gene was characterized from one fish; 124 amino acids were identified with 92.7% similarity with that on the gene bank.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Intra-Aortic Adenosine Infusion Before Release of the Aortic Cross-Clamp During Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility, safety, and potential useful effect of adenosine as a postconditioning agent in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgeries.

Design: Prospective randomized controlled study.

Setting: University hospital.

Hemorrhagic intracranial follicular dendritic cell sarcoma: A case report.

Background: Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is an extremely rare neoplasm, which has only been reported once in the literature with an intracranial occurrence. Neither hemorrhagic presentation of an intracranial instance of FDC sarcoma nor its rapid recurrence has yet been published in the literature.

Case Description: We report the case of a 61-year-old female who presented with confusion and headaches secondary to a right frontal hemorrhagic lesion, and her subsequent presentations for recurrence of the lesion and finding of a new intracranial lesion.

Selective dorsal rhizotomy for the treatment of severe spastic cerebral palsy: efficacy and therapeutic durability in GMFCS grade IV and V children.

Background: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has been established as an effective surgical treatment for spastic diplegia. The applicability of SDR to the full spectrum of spastic cerebral palsy and the durability of its therapeutic effects remain under investigation. There are currently limited data in the literature regarding efficacy and outcomes following SDR in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) IV and V patients.

A Method for Reconstruction of Severely Damaged Spinal Cord using Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Platelet-rich Protein as a Biological Scaffold.

Introduction: There have been attempts to alter the prognosis of severe spinal cord injury in different centers, but none of which have reliably altered the outcome. Some trials use stem cells (SCs) that produced widely differing results. We hereby add our experience in our center of a surgical reconstruction of the damaged spinal cord using a mixture of SCs and Platelet-Rich Protein (PRP) with fibrin coated as a biological scaffold.

A new multi-stage combined kernel filtering approach for ECG noise removal.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are contaminated with different artifacts and noise sources which increase the difficulty in analyzing the ECG signals and obtaining accurate diagnosis of heart diseases. In this paper, a new multi-stage combined adaptive filtering design based on Kernel Recursive Least Squares Tracker (KRLST) and Kernel Recursive Least Squares with Approximate Linear Dependency (ALDKRLS) algorithms is proposed for removing artifacts and noise sources, while preserving the low frequency components and the tiny features of the ECG signal. The capability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by investigating several ECG signals from the MIT-BIH database and comparing the results with other adaptive filtering techniques.

Comparison of the effectiveness of a PAMG-1 test and standard clinical assessment in the prediction of preterm birth and reduction of unnecessary hospital admissions.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to first compare the performance of the PAMG-1 biomarker test to that of standard clinical assessment (SCA) for the risk assessment of spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) among women with symptoms of preterm labor (PTL) and then calculate the potential impact on unnecessary admission reduction.

Materials And Methods: Patients of gestational age 24-36 with PTL symptoms, cervical dilatation ≤3 cm, no intercourse within 24 h, and clinically intact membranes were recruited consecutively into this prospective observational study. Specificity (SP), sensitivity (SN), positive-predictive value (PPV), and negative-predictive value (NPV) for the PAMG-1 test and SCA, for which a positive result was defined as patient admission, for predicting spontaneous delivery ≤7 and ≤14 d of presentation were calculated.