Use of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange and Intravenous Immunoglobulin to Prevent Complications in a K+ Sensitized Pregnancy.

The K antigen is a major cause of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). K-HDFN is unique in that it can result in destruction of not just mature erythrocytes but fetal erythrocyte progenitors, causing severe fetal anemia earlier in pregnancy than other antigens. This poses a danger to fetal health as intrauterine transfusion (IUT), the preferred method of managing HDFN, becomes riskier earlier in pregnancy.

More than one millennium (2nd-16th century CE) of the White Plague in the Carpathian Basin - New cases, expanding knowledge.

The causative agent of tuberculosis is still a widespread pathogen, which caused the death of ca. 1.6 million people globally in 2021.

Delayed acute myocarditis with COVID-19 infection.

Myocardial injury occurs in 20% to 30% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection, and cardiovascular complications contribute to approximately 40% of all COVID-19-related deaths. Most cases of myocarditis related to COVID-19 infection occur in the acute phase of infection and are self-limited. We describe a case of delayed-onset fulminant myocarditis that developed 5 weeks after mild COVID-19 infection leading to cardiogenic shock and the need for mechanical circulatory support.

Primary Cutaneous Leiomyosarcoma of the Lower Extremity: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma that appears non-specific clinically and often is misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. We report the case of a 59-year-old Caucasian male with a grade I leiomyosarcoma tumor on his lower extremity with no previous history of local trauma. The tumor is composed of highly atypical spindle cells with pleomorphic nuclei and mitotic activity on hematoxylin and eosin stains.

A Comparative Report on Intracranial Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis and Collision Tumors.

Background: The incidence of 2 distinct tumor types occupying the same anatomic location is rarely observed and may be accounted for by 2 separate mechanisms: tumor-to-tumor metastasis and collision tumors, where 2 adjacent tumors invade one another. These rare phenomena arise from distinct mechanisms, which may affect their preoperative recognition, surgical approach, and postoperative care. We review 2 cases, highlighting their identification and perioperative management.

Cerebral Epidural Abscess Secondary to Blastomyces Masquerading as an Epidermoid Tumor.

There have been infrequent reports of isolated central nervous system blastomycosis. We report a case of intracranial epidural abscess secondary to in a patient residing in Rhode Island with a history of remote travel to an endemic area. The clinical, radiographic, and pathologic features of this unique case are reviewed.

Mutations in eight small DFNB genes are not a frequent cause of non-syndromic hereditary hearing loss in Czech patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of eight small NSHL-AR (non-syndromic deafness, autosomal recessive) genes to hereditary hearing loss in Czech patients.

Patients And Methods: Unrelated Czech patients, adults and children, diagnosed with pre-lingual hereditary hearing loss with at least one similarly affected deaf sibling and with previously excluded mutations in the GJB2 gene were investigated by Sanger sequencing of the selected eight small NSHL-AR associated genes (CABP2 - 51 patients, CIB2 - 45 patients, PJVK/DFNB59 - 53 patients, GJB3 - 46 patients, ILDR1 - 48 patients, LHFPL5 - 66 patients, LRTOMT - 60 patients, TMIE - 64 patients).

Results: Mutations were detected in the LHFPL5 (DFNB67) gene.

Balloon dilatation of pediatric subglottic laryngeal stenosis during the artificial apneic pause: experience in 5 children.

Introduction: Balloon dilatation is a method of choice for treatment of laryngeal stenosis in children. The aim of procedure in apneic pause is to avoid new insertion of tracheostomy cannula.

Patients And Methods: The authors performed balloon dilatation of subglottic laryngeal strictures (SGS) in 5 children (3 girls and 2 boys) without tracheotomy.

Bioactive glasses with improved processing. Part 1. Thermal properties, ion release and apatite formation.

Bioactive glasses, particularly Bioglass® 45S5, have been used to clinically regenerate human bone since the mid-1980s; however, they show a strong tendency to undergo crystallization upon heat treatment, which limits their range of applications. Attempts at improving their processing (by reducing their tendency to crystallize) have included increasing their silica content (and thus their network connectivity), incorporating intermediate oxides or reducing their phosphate content, all of which reduce glass bioactivity. Therefore, bioactive glasses known for their good processing (e.

Hearing function in heterozygous carriers of a pathogenic GJB2 gene mutation.

The most frequent hereditary hearing loss is caused by mutations in the GJB2 gene coding for the gap junction beta 2 protein Connexin 26 (Cx26). In contrast to many studies performed in patients with bi-allelic mutations, audiometric studies on heterozygotes are sparse and often contradictory. To evaluate hearing function in heterozygous carriers of the GJB2 c.

A longitudinal investigation of the predictability of the three-factor model of the Important People Inventory.

Objective: Because of psychometric limitations and varied adaptations of the Important People Inventory (IP; a measure of alcohol social support), Groh et al. (7) performed factor analyses and created a three-factor model (i.e.

Bacterial infection complications in children with cochlear implants in the Czech Republic.

Objective: Studies describing wound infections after cochlear implantation are rare. Meticulous operative techniques and sufficient surgical skill can help to avoid severe postoperative complications. Minor complications such as seromas, superficial wound infections, skin emphysema, and swelling can all be successfully treated using conservative methods.

Abstinence Social Support: The Impact of Children in Oxford House.

The present study compared the characteristics of individuals living with (42 men, 52 women) and without children (561 men, 241 women) residing in an communal-iving recovery program called Oxford Houses.. Results indicated that men living with children and women living without children had more general social support, compared to men living without children and women living with children.

Self-reports of Substance Abusers: The Relation between Social Desirability and Social Network Variables.

It is important to examine social desirability when interpreting self-report data from substance abusers. Social desirability is the tendency to respond on surveys that make people appear more favorable to others; thus, a strong desire for social approval is related to minimized reports of substance use. In the present study, the relationship between social desirability and different types of social support was examined within 582 residents of communal-living recovery homes (i.

Oxford House and Alcoholics Anonymous: The Impact of Two Mutual-help Models on Abstinence.

Two examples of mutual-help approaches for substance abuse recovery are 12-step groups (AA and NA) and Oxford House. The present study examined the combined effects of AA and Oxford House residence on abstinence over a 24-month period with 150 individuals randomly assigned to either an Oxford House or to usual after-care. Among individuals with high 12-step involvement, the addition of Oxford House residence significantly increased the odds of abstinence (87.

Hope and Substance Abuse Recovery: The Impact of Agency and Pathways within an Abstinent Communal-living Setting.

Hope is commonly divided into two constructs: agency, defined as goal-directed energy, and pathways, defined as the ability to create paths to a goal. To date, only two studies have examined the utility of hope in substance abuse recovery, and the present investigation buildings on this small literature by assessing hope beliefs within a larger and more diverse sample of adults in recovery. This study examined how two hope constructs of agency and pathways related to substance use abstinence among 90 new residents of communal-living recovery homes (i.

The Neighborhood Environments of Mutual-help Recovery Houses: Comparisons by Perceived Socio-economic Status.

This study examined the setting/House-level characteristics of 160 self-governed, mutual-support substance abuse recovery homes (OHs) across the U.S. These dwellings were located in four different neighborhood types: upper/middle class (n = 23 Houses), urban working/lower class (n = 71 Houses), suburban upper/middle-class (n = 39 Houses), and suburban working/lower class (n = 27 Houses).

Coming to Terms With Reality: Predictors of Self-deception Within Substance Abuse Recovery.

Objectives: It is argued that drug and alcohol addiction centers on denial and self-delusion, and successful recovery depends on coming to terms with such problems. Mutual-help programs for substance abuse recovery (eg, 12-step programs) and self-run recovery homes (eg, Oxford House) might decrease self-deception through emphasis on facing reality, strict abstinence rules, and empowering people to direct their own course of recovery.

Methods: The present study examined how recovery processes (12-step programs vs.

Counteracting 'Not in My Backyard': The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-help Recovery Homes.

Group homes sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. This study examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents' outcomes. Larger homes (i.

Social network variables in alcoholics anonymous: a literature review.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most commonly used program for substance abuse recovery and one of the few models to demonstrate positive abstinence outcomes. Although little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms that make this program effective, one frequently cited aspect is social support. In order to gain insight into the processes at work in AA, this paper reviewed 24 papers examining the relationship between AA and social network variables.

A factor analysis of the important people inventory.

Aims: For well over a decade, the Important People Inventory (IP, Clifford and Longabaugh, 1991; Clifford et al., 1992) has been used to collect a wide range of valuable information regarding network support for alcohol use. However, because of psychometric limitations and varied adaptations of the IP, the following study performed factor analyses to develop a more structurally consistent model of the scaleas compared to the existing model.

Friends, family, and alcohol abuse: an examination of general and alcohol-specific social support.

Social support may be considered from several different dimensions. While general social support promotes well-being, specific social support is tied to particular functions, such as alcohol use. Not only may the form of social support vary, but also the source (ie, friends vs.

Age-related changes in cochlear and brainstem auditory functions in Fischer 344 rats.

Auditory function in Fischer 344 (F344) and Long Evans (LE) rats was monitored during their lifespan by evaluating hair cell loss, middle-ear compliance and the recording of otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses. The results revealed a faster deterioration of hearing function in F344 rats compared with LE rats, resulting in larger hearing threshold shifts, a decrease in the latency and amplitude of click-evoked auditory brainstem responses, diminution of the distortion product otoacoustic emissions and a decrease in middle-ear compliance. However, hair cell loss, observed only at the most basal and apical parts of the organ of Corti, was comparable in older individuals of both rat strains.

Changes in otoacoustic emissions and high-frequency hearing thresholds in children and adolescents.

With the aim of characterizing the loss of high frequency hearing sensitivity in children, hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emissions were measured in a group of 126 normal hearing children and adolescents aged from 6 to 25 years. The subjects were divided into four 5-year age groups. Hearing thresholds over a range of 125 Hz-12.