Deep Learning-Based Diagnostic System for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Based on Videofluoroscopy in Patients With Repaired Cleft Palates.

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which is the incomplete closure of the velopharyngeal valve during speech, is a typical poor outcome that should be evaluated after cleft palate repair. The interpretation of VPI considering both imaging analysis and perceptual evaluation is essential for further management. The authors retrospectively reviewed patients with repaired cleft palates who underwent assessment for velopharyngeal function, including both videofluoroscopic imaging and perceptual speech evaluation.

Association Between Postoperative Body Temperature and All-Cause Mortality After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is common in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). We investigated the association between early postoperative body temperature and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing OPCAB.

Methods: We reviewed the electronic medical records of 1714 patients who underwent OPCAB (median duration of follow-up, 47 months).

Anaphylactic reaction after local lidocaine infiltration for retraction of retained teeth.

Although allergic reactions are not rare complications in drug use, anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reactions to some widely used drugs can embarrass clinicians because anaphylaxis is not easily diagnosed at the time of the event and treatment is unfamiliar to many. Lidocaine is a very popular drug in dental procedures and anaphylactoid reaction to it has been rarely reported. Clinicians who use lidocaine daily should, however, be aware of the possibility of anaphylaxis after its use.

Clinical outcome of percutaneous lumbar foraminoplasty using a safety-improved device in patients with lumbar foraminal spinal stenosis.

Lumbar foraminal spinal stenosis (LFSS) is defined as the narrowing of the nerve root exit associated with a herniated intervertebral disc, osteoarthritic changes in the facet joints, or a hypertrophied ligamentum flavum, which can provoke neurogenic claudication. To achieve effective and safe decompression of the lumbar spinal foramen, a specially designed instrument (Claudicare, SEAWON Meditech, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea) for percutaneous lumbar foraminoplasty (PLF) was invented. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the newly devised instrument in patients with LFSS.

Intraoperative glucose variability, but not average glucose concentration, may be a risk factor for acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Altered perioperative glycemic control may contribute to the development of renal dysfunction in cardiac surgery patients. Nevertheless, whether it is intraoperative hyperglycemia or increased glucose variability that affects postoperative outcomes is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to assess the association of intraoperative glucose concentration and variability with acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery.

Predictive Factors of Successful Percutaneous Cervical Nucleoplasty for the Treatment of Pain with Cervical Herniated Disk.

Background: Percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty (PCN) is an effective treatment for cervical herniated intervertebral disc (C-HIVD). In this retrospective study, we evaluated clinical predictors that affect the successful outcome of PCN.

Methods: Fluoroscopically guided PCN was conducted for C-HIVD by one pain physician.

Single-stage reconstruction of skin-involving nasal paraffinoma with pericraniosubgaleal flap.

Background: The removal of a paraffinoma over the nasal bridge may result in thinning and even loss of involved skin as well as a saddle nose deformity. For nasal reconstruction, a variety of techniques using a free graft of autogenous tissue such as fascia, dermofat, or cartilage have been used, either in immediate, single-stage or in delayed, multiphase treatment. However, such reconstructions can be challenging largely due to absorption of the grafted tissue and poor blood supply to the surrounding nasal tissue infiltrated with paraffin.

Cellular uptake mechanism and intracellular fate of hydrophobically modified glycol chitosan nanoparticles.

Polymeric nanoparticle-based carriers are promising agents for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to the intracellular site of action. To optimize the efficacy in delivery, often the tuning of physicochemical properties (i.e.

In vivo time-dependent gene expression of cationic lipid-based emulsion as a stable and biocompatible non-viral gene carrier.

To make stable and biocompatible non-viral gene carriers for therapeutic gene therapy, we developed a cationic lipid-based emulsion (CLE) prepared by an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion method, wherein squalene oil was used as an oil core and the cationic lipid, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), was employed as an emulsifier. To evaluate in vivo characteristics such as toxicity and time-dependent gene expression, a bioluminescence reporter gene in pCMV-luc plasmid DNA was simply mixed with CLE in aqueous condition, resulting in a CLE/DNA complex. The CLE/DNA complex was optimized to form a compact and stable nano-sized particle by adding different amounts of plasmid DNA, and an optimal cationic lipid-to-DNA (C/D) weight ratio of 4 was identified.

In vivo gene therapy of type I diabetic mellitus using a cationic emulsion containing an Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) based plasmid vector.

A cationic emulsion containing an insulin expression plasmid was prepared for the treatment of type 1 diabetic mellitus (DM) in vivo. A rat proinsulin-1 gene was inserted to EBV-based plasmid vectors containing CAG promoter. Cationic emulsion composed of DOTAP and squalene was complexed with the plasmid DNA.

Cationic lipid emulsions containing heavy oils for the transfection of adherent cells.

A new cationic emulsion system with high density was prepared increasing in vitro transfection efficiencies of adherent cells. Lipiodol with a density of 1.3 (g/ml) was selected to increase the density of the DNA/emulsion complex.