Exploring the behavioural determinants of compliance in resilient high-caries-risk patients who improved caries severity.

Background: The caries severity in childhood may predict caries conditions in the future and even in adulthood in caries risk models. Nevertheless, the rate of recurrent caries after treatment of severe early childhood caries is high and correlated with behavioural factors, rather than clinical indicators. Compliance with the caries control programme has been demonstrated to prevent root caries development in head and neck cancer patients, suggesting that compliance with treatment protocols is a more important key to bringing about successful outcomes than treatment protocols themselves.

Improved tracking of corneal immune cell dynamics using confocal microscopy.

confocal microscopy (IVCM) is a widely used technique for imaging the cornea of the eye with a confocal scanning light ophthalmoscope. Cellular resolution and high contrast are achieved without invasive procedures, suiting the study of living humans. However, acquiring useful image data can be challenging due to the incessant motion of the eye, such that images are typically limited by noise and a restricted field of view.

Subcostal uniportal robotic anatomic lung resection: A pilot trial.

Objective: Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery typically necessitates the use of multiple ports. The new single-port robotic system (da Vinci SP system) platform is designed to perform uniportal surgery. The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of the da Vinci SP system when used for anatomical lung resection.

Single-Port Robotic Trans-Subxiphoid Surgery for Anterior Mediastinal Disease: A Pilot Trial.

Objective: In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on minimally invasive mediastinal surgery using a trans-subxiphoid single-port thoracoscopic approach. Despite its potential advantages, the widespread adoption of this method has been hindered by the intricate surgical maneuvers required within the confined retrosternal space. Robotic surgery offers the potential to overcome the limitations inherent in the thoracoscopic technique.

A Preclinical Feasibility Study of Single-Port Robotic Subcostal Anatomical Lung Resection and Subxiphoid Thymectomy Using the da Vinci SP System.

Despite the recent introduction of technologically advanced single-port (SP) robotic systems, their use in the field of thoracic surgery has been rarely explored. Here, we report our preclinical experience concerning SP robotic thoracic surgery using the da Vinci SP system. The da Vinci SP system was used to perform subcostal anatomical lung resection and subxiphoid thymectomy in three cadavers.

Topographical Distribution and Phenotype of Resident Meibomian Gland Orifice Immune Cells (MOICs) in Mice and the Effects of Topical Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK).

Meibomian gland orifices (MGOs) are located along the eyelid margin and secrete meibum into the tear film. The profile of resident innate immune cells (ICs) at this site is not well understood. The distribution and phenotype of resident ICs around MGOs in mice was investigated and herein defined as MGO-associated immune cells (MOICs).

Comparative early results of a robotics-assisted endoscope holder in single port thoracoscopic surgery in the era of COVID-19.

Background: Innovations in surgical instruments have made single-port surgery more widely accepted and lead to a reduced demand for surgical assistants. As COVID-19 has ravaged the world, maintaining minimum medical staffing requirements and proper social distancing have become major topics of interest. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of applying the unisurgeon approach in single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery aided by a robotic camera holder.

Stroke injury induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion is resistant to N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonism in FVB/NJ mice.

Although N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect in many preclinical stroke models, the efficacy of this antiexcitotoxicity strategy in clinical trials in stroke patients has been disappointing. Interestingly, it has been reported that NMDAR antagonism is not neuroprotective in C57BL/6 mice subjected to distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO), supporting the notion that whether these treatments are neuroprotective depends on the type of cerebral ischemia. However, because C57BL/6 mice are inherently resistant to excitotoxicity, the reported lack of neuroprotection could also be explained by the difference in the mouse strain studied rather than the stroke model used.

Corneal immune cell morphometry as an indicator of local and systemic pathology: A review.

The corneal epithelium contains a population of resident immune cells commonly referred to as dendritic cells (DCs), or Langerhans cells. A unique advantage of the transparent cornea being situated at the surface of the eye is that these cells can be readily visualised using in vivo confocal microscopy. Over the past decade, interest in the involvement of corneal DCs in a range of ocular and systemic diseases has surged.

Effects of solvation shell relaxation on chain association mechanisms in poly(3-hexylthiophene) solutions.

Using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a model conjugated polymer and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations with carefully verified force fields, we performed in-depth investigations of solvation shell properties of P3HT chains (15 repeating units per chain) in two representative groups of non-polar (or aprotic) organic solvents (better solvents: ortho-dichlorobenzene, bromobenzene, and chlorobenzene; poorer solvents: chloroform, para-xylene, and toluene). We demonstrated that solvation shell relaxation properties in P3HT solutions dictate the formation of regular π-π associations and, hence, crystallinity through the initial chain association and subsequent chain sliding. In contrast, the mean features of polymer-solvent interactions, including solvation free energy and radial distribution function, present little or no difference for all solvent media investigated.

Microglia depletion by PLX3397 has no effect on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in male mice.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs are known to stimulate microglia, and microglia in turn have been shown to play roles in both the development and mitigation of drug dependence. For instance, cocaine can directly bind to surface receptors on microglia and trigger their release of interleukin-1β, which promotes addictive behaviors; however, cocaine also indirectly stimulates microglia by elevating dopamine, which causes microglia to impair long-lasting neuronal changes related to cocaine use. The seemingly opposing roles of microglia beg the question of what the net effect of microglial presence is on cocaine-induced behavioral changes.

Novice training: The time course for developing competence in single port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy.

The competency in video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy is expected to be achieved after surgeons practiced 30 to 50 cases according to previous reports. Does single port video-assisted thoracoscopic (SPVATS) lobectomy have a steeper learning curve and being harder to perform correctly, leading to long development times and high defect rates?From January, 2014 to February, 2017, 8 individual surgeons (3 were novices, 5 were pioneers in SPVATS surgery) submitted their cases chronologically to evaluate the learning curve of SPVATS lobectomy. Operating time (OT) was set as a surrogate marker for surgical competency.

Hypothermia but not NMDA receptor antagonism protects against stroke induced by distal middle cerebral arterial occlusion in mice.

Excitotoxicity mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is believed to be a primary mechanism of neuronal injury following stroke. Thus, many drugs and therapeutic peptides were developed to inhibit either the NMDAR at the cell surface or its downstream intracellular death-signaling cascades. Nevertheless, the majority of focal ischemia studies concerning NMDAR antagonism were performed using the intraluminal suture-induced middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO) model, which produces a large cortical and subcortical infarct leading to hypothalamic damage and fever in experimental animals.

Limited Antioxidant Effect of Rosemary in Lipid Oxidation of Pan-Fried Salmon.

Consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) rich fatty fish is known to provide an array of health benefits. However, high temperature in food preparation, such as pan-frying, potentially degrades eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of the n-3 PUFAs by heat oxidation. The addition of antioxidant condiments, and herbs in particular, may retard PUFA peroxidation and preserve EPA and DHA during pan-frying.

Separation of biologically relevant isomers on an Orbitrap mass spectrometer using high-resolution drift tube ion mobility and varied drift gas mixtures.

Rationale: Atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility is a powerful addition to the Orbitrap mass spectrometer enabling direct separation of isomers. Apart from offering high resolving power in a compact design, it also facilitates optimization of the separation gas, as shown here for a series of biologically relevant isomer pairs.

Methods: An Excellims MA3100 High-Resolution Atmospheric Pressure Ion Mobility Spectrometer (HR-IMS) was coupled to a Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ Focus hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer, using an Excellims Directspray™ Electrospray Ionization source and a gas mixture setup to provide various drift gases (air, CO and mixtures).

The relationship of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibody and C5a complement with disease activity and short-term outcome in idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

Background: The binding of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R) antibody to podocyte and complement activation is the mechanisms of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). C5a, a complement activation end product, is a strong inflammatory cell stimulator and can influence the behavior of T cells and dendritic cells. This study examined the etiology-disease relationship and significance of auto-antibody and C5a with short-term remission.

Predictive factors of postoperative complications in single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomical resection: Two center experience.

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for adverse events during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic (SPVATS) anatomical resections.We retrospectively reviewed patients who had undergone SPVATS anatomic resections between January 2014 and February 2017 in Coruña University Hospital's Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Unit (CHUAC, Spain) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH, Taiwan). Four hundred forty-two patients (male: 306, female: 136) were enrolled in this study.

Management of intra-operative major bleeding during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomic resection: two-center experience.

Background: Our objective is to report on two centers' experience of intra-operative management of major vascular injury during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic (SPVATS) anatomic resections, including bleeding control techniques, incidence, results, and risk factor analysis.

Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 442) who received SPVATS anatomic lung resections in two centers were enrolled. The different clinical parameters studied included age, previous thoracic surgery, obesity (BMI > 30), tumor location, neoadjuvant therapy, and pleural symphysis.

Mid-term survival outcome of single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic anatomical lung resection: a two-centre experience.

Objectives: Single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (SPVATS) anatomical resection has been shown to be a feasible technique for lung cancer patients. Whether SPVATS has equivalent or better oncological outcomes for lung cancer patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perioperative and mid-term survival outcomes of SPVATS in 2 different medical centres.

Technological aids in uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

With the evolution of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), the technological aids have come to help skill surgeons to improve the results in thoracic surgery and feasible to perform a complex surgery. The technological aids are divided into three important groups, which make surgical steps easy to perform, besides reducing surgical time and surgical accidents in the hands of experienced surgeons. The groups are: (I) conventional thoracoscopic instruments; (II) sealing devices using in uniportal VATS; (III) high definition cameras, robotic arms prototype and the future robotic aids for uniportal VATS surgery.