Recent Advancements in Harnessing Lactic Acid Bacterial Metabolites for Fruits and Vegetables Preservation.

Postharvest losses in fruits and vegetables exert substantial economic and environmental repercussions. Chemical interventions are being widely utilized for the past six decades which may lead to significant health complications. Bioprotection of fruits and vegetables is the need of the hour in which use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with GRAS status predominantly stands out.

Appropriate Delivery of Antitachyarrhythmia Therapy Despite Magnet Placement Over Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillator: A Case Report.

The fundamental perioperative concern for patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) is the potential for electromagnetic interference (EMI) from monopolar electrosurgery. The ICD may interpret electromagnetic signals as a tachyarrhythmia and deliver an inappropriate shock to the patient. Magnet placement is often used to avoid this problem since a magnet will often deactivate an ICD's tachyarrhythmia therapy.

Management of complications with hand fractures.

Both operative and nonoperative treatment of hand fractures can result in numerous complications, including stiffness, malunion, nonunion, arthritis, infection, and complex regional pain syndrome. These complications are frequently encountered and are often challenging to treat. This article systematically outlines the diagnosis and treatment of each of these complications to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient's overall hand function.

Terrible triad elbow fracture-dislocation with triceps and flexor-pronator mass avulsion.

Terrible triad elbow injuries, consisting of fractures of the radial head and coronoid with ulnohumeral dislocation, are challenging to treat. They require a comprehensive understanding of the complex anatomy of the elbow to effectively treat all of the pathology and create a stable, congruent joint. The authors present a case of a terrible triad injury with avulsion of the triceps and flexor-pronator mass after a low-energy fall in a young patient.

Multiple collagenase injections are safe for treatment of Dupuytren's contractures.

The authors report the case of a 65-year-old, right-hand-dominant man who had severe Dupuytren's disease with multiple cords and flexion contractures of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of both hands and underwent repeated collagenase injections for treatment. Collagenase has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of Dupuytren's contractures when administered as a single dose, but the results of multiple injections over a prolonged period are unknown. Antibodies to collagenase develop in all patients after several treatments, raising concerns about safety and efficacy as a result of sensitization from repeated exposures.

The effect of suture coated with mesenchymal stem cells and bioactive substrate on tendon repair strength in a rat model.

Purpose: Exogenously administered mesenchymal stem cells and bioactive molecules are known to enhance tendon healing. Biomolecules have been successfully delivered using sutures that elute growth factors over time. We sought to evaluate the histologic and biomechanical effect of delivering both cells and bioactive substrates on a suture delivery vehicle in comparison with sutures coated with bioactive substrates alone.

Is the fibronectin-aggrecan complex present in cervical disk disease?

Objective: To investigate the presence of inflammatory cytokines and the fibronectin-aggrecan complex (FAC) in persons undergoing surgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy caused by disk herniation.

Design: Single-center, prospective, consecutive case series.

Setting: A single large academic institution.

Surgical technique: Methods for removing a Compress® compliant prestress implant.

Background: The Compress® device uses a unique design using compressive forces to achieve bone ingrowth on the prosthesis. Because of its design, removal of this device may require special techniques to preserve host bone. DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUES: Techniques needed include removal of a small amount of bone to relieve compressive forces, use of a pin extractor and/or Kirschner wires for removal of transfixation pins, and creation of a cortical window in the diaphysis to gain access to bone preventing removal of the anchor plug.

Biomechanical comparison of double-row locking plates versus single- and double-row non-locking plates in a comminuted metacarpal fracture model.

Purpose: Open or unstable metacarpal fractures frequently require open reduction and internal fixation. Locking plate technology has improved fixation of unstable fractures in certain settings. In this study, we hypothesized that there would be a difference in strength of fixation using double-row locking plates compared with single- and double-row non-locking plates in comminuted metacarpal fractures.

Corrective osteotomy for deformity of the distal radius using a volar locking plate.

Dorsally angulated malunions of the distal radius have historically been corrected with an opening wedge osteotomy fixed with a dorsal plate. Volar locking plates may facilitate a less morbid approach to corrective osteotomies of the wrist. Eight consecutive patients with an average age of 40 years (range, 15-52 years) underwent correction of a distal radius deformity through a volar approach.

Unusual Variant of the Nutcracker Fracture of the Calcaneus and Tarsal Navicular.

A 62-year-old woman with severe seizure disorder presented with right ankle and foot pain after being found down, presumably following a seizure recurrence. Imaging showed an acute comminuted fracture of the anterolateral aspect of the right calcaneus, as well as an acute avulsion fracture of the right navicular tuberosity at the site of insertion of the tibialis posterior tendon. This fracture pattern suggests forced abduction of the midfoot or forefoot with severe compression of the lateral column and failure of the medial column under tension, an entity that has previously been described as the nutcracker fracture.

Long-term outcomes of dorsal intercarpal ligament capsulodesis for chronic scapholunate dissociation.

Purpose: Chronic scapholunate dissociation is the most common cause of symptomatic wrist instability. In an attempt to restore normal carpal mechanics and prevent wrist arthrosis, we developed and tested biomechanically the dorsal intercarpal ligament capsulodesis (DILC). Previously, we reported good early clinical results for this procedure at an average follow-up period of 25 months.

An application of bioinformatics and text mining to the discovery of novel genes related to bone biology.

The treatment and management of complex genetic diseases such as osteoporosis can greatly benefit from the integration of relevant research across many different disciplines. We created a text mining tool that analyzes the PubMed literature database and integrates the available genomic information to provide a detailed mapping of the genes and their interrelationships within a particular network such as osteoporosis. The results obtained from our text mining program show that existing genomic data within the PubMed database can effectively be used to predict potentially novel target genes for osteoporosis research that have not previously been reported in the literature.

Testicular cancer patterns in African-American men.

Objectives: To compare the testicular cancer incidence, pathologic grade, stage, and survival between African Americans and whites. African Americans had a worse outcome relative to whites with regard to a number of different malignancies.

Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we extracted all testicular cancer cases among white and African-American males for 1985 to 2000.

Natural radioactivity measurements in beach-rock samples of south-east coast of Tamilnadu, India.

The concentration of primordial radionuclides in beach-rock samples of the south-east coast of Tamilnadu, India has been measured using gamma ray spectrum of rock. The mean activities of 232Th, 238U and 40K are 144.18, 29.

Natural radionuclide distribution in soils of Gudalore, India.

The concentration of primordial radionuclides in soil samples of Gudalore Taluk in the Udagamandalam district has been measured from the gamma ray spectrum of the soil. The mean activities of 232Th, 238U and 40K are 75.3 +/- 44.

The proportional decrease in prostate specific antigen level best predicts the duration of survival after hormonal therapy in patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.

Objective: To examine the usefulness of a test for prostate specific antigen (PSA) to predict survival in hormonally treated patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Patients And Methods: The study comprised 49 patients (mean age 72 years, SD 6) who underwent orchidectomy for metastatic prostate cancer. PSA was measured before orchidectomy and after 6 months, and the absolute, differential and proportional decreases calculated.

Epididymo-orchitis after cryoablation of prostate for prostate cancer.

We report two cases of acute epididymo-orchitis developing 4 to 6 weeks after cryoablation for prostate cancer. One patient required a simple orchiectomy for epididymal abscess; the other responded to treatment with antibiotics. Since the occurrence of these two cases, we routinely perform bilateral vasectomy prior to prostate cryoablation.

The role of transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy-based staging, preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen, and biopsy Gleason score in prediction of final pathologic diagnosis in prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of ultra sound-guided systematic and lesion-directed biopsies, biopsy gleason score, preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as three objective and reproducible variables to provide a reliable combination in preoperative identification of risk of extraprostatic extension in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

Methods: The case records of 813 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer were analyzed. All had multiple systematic biopsies, two to three from each lobe, in addition to lesion-directed biopsies.

Differential suppression of serum prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate-specific antigen by 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of finasteride (Proscar) on the serum levels of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Patients And Methods: Thirty patients on finasteride therapy for BPH formed the study group. Serum PSA and PAP levels were monitored for 2 years while the patients were receiving finasteride.

Utility of preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen concentration and biopsy Gleason score in predicting risk of pelvic lymph node metastases in prostate cancer.

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of the preoperative serum concentration of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) plus the Gleason pathology score of biopsy specimens in predicting the presence of disease in the pelvic lymph nodes in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: The medical records of all patients treated for prostate cancer at eight medical centers from January 1988 to June 1993 were reviewed. There were 932 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer for whom all relevant data were available who had undergone pelvic lymphadenectomy with (n = 912) or without (n = 20) radical prostatectomy.

Fistula-in-ano: treatment by fistulectomy, primary closure and reconstitution.

One hundred and twenty cases of fistula-in-ano were treated in 11 years by fistulectomy and primary closure. Injection of dye into the tract helped in identifying the tract and its ramifications which were excised. A lateral sphincterotomy was added in most cases for relief of postoperative pain and to promote good healing.

Surgical reconstruction of the sequelae of penile and scrotal gangrene: a plea for simplicity.

Gangrene of the scrotum with or without involvement of the penile skin and occasionally beyond these limits, is not an uncommon problem in some parts of the world. Various workers have used different techniques to provide skin cover including transplantation of testes, free skin grafts, axial groin flaps and myocutaneous flaps. This study brings out our experience with the treatment of 43 cases in the last 11 years.

Meatoplasty for gross urethral stenosis: a technique of repair and a review of 32 cases.

This paper is a review of the treatment of 32 cases of meatal stenosis arising as a complication of recurrent balanoposthitis (26 cases) or balanitis xerotica obliterans (six cases). There was gross scarring of the glans and the terminal urethra resulting in a contracted glans and a pinhole meatus. These deformities were treated successfully by segmental excision of all the scar on the glans and resurfacing the raw area with a local preputial or penile skin flap.