Maleation of Biodegradable Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) by Reactive Extrusion: Effect of Initiator Concentration and a Chain Extender on Grafting Percentage and Thermal and Rheological Properties.

Recently, there has been immense interest in using biodegradable polymers to replace petro-derived polymers. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), which is gaining popularity due to its biodegradability, is used in developing blends and composites for a variety of applications. To enhance the miscibility between different components of a material with PHBV, functionalization of the PHBV chain can be done.

Evaluation of Trans-Anal Endorectal Pull-Through Outcomes in Hirschsprung's Disease in Different Age Groups: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Background: The timing of trans-anal endorectal pull-through (TAEPT) for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is controversial. Early endorectal pull-through avoids the occurrence of preoperative enterocolitis. However, delayed pull-through (≥31 days) enables postnatal maturation of the anal canal and sphincter complex.

Pediatric Surgery Workforce Around the World: A Need to Revise Residency Programs?

The study aimed to address the shortage of pediatric surgery specialists globally by investigating the discrepancies in training programs and population metrics across different countries and regions. An international survey of pediatric surgeons gathered data on training duration, examination procedures, certification, and population metrics like mortality rate and surgeon-to-population ratio. The study included 44 countries.

Intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) monitoring: an updated position statement by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are used to assess the functional status of somatosensory pathways during surgical procedures and can help protect patients' neurological integrity intraoperatively. This is a position statement on intraoperative SEP monitoring from the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring (ASNM) and updates prior ASNM position statements on SEPs from the years 2005 and 2010. This position statement is endorsed by ASNM and serves as an educational service to the neurophysiological community on the recommended use of SEPs as a neurophysiological monitoring tool.

Intraoperative Testing During the Mapping of the Language Cortex.

Intracranial lesions, particularly in the language-eloquent areas of the brain, can affect one's speaking ability. Despite advances in surgery, the excision of these lesions can be challenging. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during awake craniotomies can help identify language-eloquent areas and minimize postoperative impairments.

Scoliosis Corrective Surgery With Continuous Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM).

Scoliosis is a spine deformity that presents as Cobb's angle greater than 10 degrees. Pedicle screw placement can be employed in scoliosis corrective procedures but poses a danger of disrupting the motor and sensory pathways by injuries to the nerves, spinal cord, and vasculature. Occasionally traction weight is applied before the instrumentation for correction.

Results of Port-A-Cath Implantation: A Cross-Sectional Study about a Single Tertiary Cancer Center Experience.

Identifying possible complications accompanying central venous catheterization may improve the results. The current study was conducted to clarify the complication rate among port-a-cath implantation in children referred to Ali-Asghar hospital from 2011 to 2015. This study was designed to determine complication rates among the pediatric population who underwent port-a-cath implantation for chemotherapy.

Deep Brain Stimulation and Microelectrode Recording for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder in which nigrostriatal pathways involving the basal ganglia experience a decrease in neural activity regarding dopaminergic neurons. PD symptoms, such as muscle stiffness and involuntary tremors, have an adverse impact on the daily lives of those affected. Current medical treatments seek to decrease the severity of these symptoms.

Method for tissue clearing: temporal tissue optical clearing.

Light absorption and scattering in biological tissue are significant variables in optical imaging technologies and regulating them enhances optical imaging quality. Optical clearing methods can decrease light scattering and improve optical imaging quality to some extent but owing to their limited efficacy and the potential influence of optical clearing agents on tissue functioning, complementing approaches must be investigated. In this paper, a new strategy of optical clearing proposed as time-dependent or temporal tissue optical clearing (TTOC) is described.

Carotid Endarterectomy Surgeries: A Multimodality Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring Approach.

Patients with untreated carotid artery stenosis remain at high risk for stroke. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical procedure for the treatment of symptomatic and severe asymptomatic carotid stenosis. A small percentage of patients who do not have good collateral circulation are at high risk of cerebral ischemia during the cross-clamping of the carotid artery.

Trends in the Prevalence of Amphotericin B-Resistance (AmBR) among Clinical Isolates of Aspergillus Species.

The challenges of the invasive infections caused by the resistant Aspergillus species include the limited access to antifungals for treatment and high mortality. This study aimed to provide a global perspective of the prevalence of amphotericin B resistance (AmBR), geographic distribution, and the trend of AmBR from 2010 to 2020. To analyze the prevalence of in vitro AmBR in clinical Aspergillus species, we reviewed the literature and identified a total of 72 articles.

Motor Mapping of the Brain: Taniguchi Versus Penfield Method.

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) techniques continue to prove useful as an adjunct in select surgeries for reducing the incidence of various postoperative deficits in motor function through the monitoring of motor evoked potentials (MEPs). The Penfield and Taniguchi methods of direct electrical cortical stimulation (DECS) stand in contrast to each other. Penfield's method uses lower-frequency stimulation over a longer duration, while Taniguchi's method uses a relatively higher frequency over a short duration.

ASNM and ASN joint guidelines for transcranial Doppler ultrasonic monitoring: An update.

Today, it seems prudent to reconsider how ultrasound technology can be used for providing intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring that will result in better patient outcomes and decreased length and cost of hospitalization. An extensive and rapidly growing literature suggests that the essential hemodynamic information provided by transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography neuromonitoring (TCDNM) would provide effective monitoring modality for improving outcomes after different types of vascular, neurosurgical, orthopedic, cardiovascular, and cardiothoracic surgeries and some endovascular interventional or diagnostic procedures, like cardiac catheterization or cerebral angiography. Understanding, avoiding, and preventing peri- or postoperative complications, including neurological deficits following abovementioned surgeries, endovascular intervention, or diagnostic procedures, represents an area of great public and economic benefit for society, especially considering the aging population.

Topical spray of Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord accelerates diabetic wound healing.

Background And Aim: Cell-based therapy utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is currently being investigated as a therapeutic agent for chronic wounds. There is no evidence regarding effectiveness of the spray and local transfer of this cellular product in diabetic wound healing. Accordingly, the present study, using clinical, pathological and biometric parameters, investigated the effectiveness of the spray of these cells in the healing of diabetic wounds in rats.

A Review of Feasible Applications of THz Waves in Medical Diagnostics and Treatments.

Terahertz (THz) waves with frequencies in the range of 0.1 to 10 THz are electromagnetic radiation with growing applications in various fields of science and technology. Attractive features of this radiation have brought out many novel possibilities for medical diagnostics and treatments with considerable advantages compared to other conventional methods.

Emerging Super-specialty of Neurology: Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) and Experience in Various Neurosurgeries at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Doha, Qatar.

Introduction Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) helps in better patient outcomes by minimizing risks related to the functional status of the nervous system during surgical procedures. An IONM alert to the surgical team during the surgery can help them identify the cause and take immediate corrective action. IONM confers possible benefits, including improved surgical morbidity and mortality, better patient care, minimal neurological deficits, reduced hospital stay, medical costs, and litigation risk.

Regenerative terahertz wave parametric amplifier based on four-wave mixing in asynchronously pumped graphene oxide integrated TOPAS.

A widely tunable regenerative terahertz parametric amplifier is proposed based on degenerate four-wave mixing in an asynchronously pumped highly nonlinear medium. To enhance the Kerr nonlinearity, a hybrid structure of cyclic olefin co/polymer (COC/P) TOPAS integrated by a graphene oxide film is utilized as the gain medium and embedded into a cavity. A low-power terahertz seed wave is injected inside the cavity and sequentially pumped by four asynchronous coupled beams of identical powers.

Tuning single-walled aligned carbon nanotubes for optimal terahertz pulse generation through optical rectification of ultrashort laser pulses.

Terahertz radiation by optical rectification in single-walled highly aligned chiral carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses is comprehensively studied. We take into account the structural properties of SWCNTs, including the filling factor, alignment, and chirality, as well as the laser pulse parameters including the pulse duration and the wavelength. The second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor and, consequently, polarization responsible for optical rectification in SWCNTs are derived based on symmetrical features.

Transplantation of autologous fat, stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cell, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for cell therapy of atrophic acne scars: Clinical evaluation and biometric assessment.

Background: Scarring is an unfortunate result of acne because it causes the psychological and cosmetic problems for the patients. Unfortunately, no single treatment is suitable, and using multiple methods may have a better result. The autologous fat and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells and their secretory factors can enhance the angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and migration of fibroblasts, therefore regenerate hurt tissues.

Mapping of the Language Cortex.

Awake craniotomy with intraoperative neurophysiological language mapping (INLM) is an established procedure for patients undergoing surgery to resection tumors in the language cortex area. INLM and continuous neurophysiological monitoring allow assessment of the language function, which is not possible under general anesthesia. INLM of the brain areas provides a helpful tool to the operating surgeon in reducing the risks associated with tumor resection in the motor and language cortex.

Promising results for hypospadias repair using alloderm® (Regen): A randomized controlled trial.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION;: Hypospadias is a congenital disorder of urethra in which meatus is not at its correct place and occurs in 1 of 250 live male birth. Many techniques have been used for the repair of hypospadias and to decrease the incidence of fistula. Alloderm has been recently used for the repair of urologic congenital defects, and reconstructive surgeries, but not used in hypospadias in a randomized controlled trial.

Distal Stimulation Site at the Medial Tibia for Saphenous Nerve Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (DSn-SSEPs) in Lateral Lumbar Spine Procedures.

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedures are performed with multimodality neuromonitoring of the femoral nerve to prevent lumbosacral plexus and peripheral nerve injury from positioning, dilation, retraction, and hardware implantation. The integrity of the femoral nerve can be continuously assessed during these procedures by Somatosensory Evoked Potentials of the Saphenous nerve (Sn-SSEPs). Sn-SSEPs are technically challenging to acquire and necessitate advanced troubleshooting skills with a more rigid anesthetic regimen and physiological parameters.