Temporal dynamics of range expander and congeneric native plant responses during and after extreme drought events.

Climate change is causing range shifts of many species to higher latitudes and altitudes and increasing their exposure to extreme weather events. It has been shown that range-shifting plant species may perform differently in new soil than related natives; however, little is known about how extreme weather events affect range-expanding plants compared to related natives. In this study we used outdoor mesocosms to study how range-expanding plant species responded to extreme drought in live soil from a habitat in a new range with and without live soil from a habitat in the original range (Hungary).

Early surgery determines prognosis in patients with infective endocarditis: outcome in patients managed by an Endocarditis Team-a prospective cohort study.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) in South Africa is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, despite occurring in younger patients with fewer co-morbidities. Possible contributors include the high rates of blood culture negative endocarditis, high rates of mechanical valve replacement and the lack of inter-disciplinary coordination during management.

Methods: The Tygerberg Endocarditis Cohort (TEC) study prospectively enrolled patients with IE between November 2019 and April 2021.

Foreign body aspiration in two young infants: The devil in the carpet.

Foreign body aspiration is rare in children below 6 months of age. Very young children presenting with stridor, atypical croup presentation, and not responding accordingly, subglottic foreign body aspiration should be considered. These may not always be visible with bedside flexible endoscopy and may need investigation under anesthesia.

Pulmonary Echinococcus in children: A descriptive study in a LMIC.

Background: Echinococcus granulosus is a major public health problem in lower middle-income countries (LMIC). Children are commonly diagnosed with cysts in the lungs and/or the liver.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe a pediatric cohort diagnosed with pulmonary Cystic Echinococcus (CE) and treated with a combination of medical and surgical therapy.

A case report of an aorto-pulmonary-venacaval fistula after penetrating cardiac injury.

Background: Penetrating cardiac injury (PCI) is an accepted burden in high violent crime areas. Traumatic intracardiac fistulae are however not that commonly detected on initial presentation, with most of these injuries being detected post-operatively or at routine follow-up. The literature is devoid of general principles around the pre-operative planning and intra-operative management in these cases, and thus warrant documented case reports by clinical units experienced in the management of these challenging clinical scenarios.