Odontogenic Actinomycotic Necrotizing Fasciitis of Cervicothoracic Region: A Case Report.

We report an uncommon odontogenic actinomycotic cervicothoracic Nectrotizing Fasciitis (NF), treated with tracheostomy, immediate surgical debridement and antibiotics. Red flags for early identification, LRINEC scoring for prognostication, surgical debridement with aerobic & anaerobic culture specific antibiotics to improve survival in this life-threatening cervicothoracic NF in a young diabetic is discussed.

Hormone replacement therapy - Current recommendations.

Menopause is a major life event that can affect women in several ways. Its onset marks the end of the reproductive life cycle, and its impact can be both short and long term. Menopause is often a gradual process, preceded by a transitional period known as perimenopause.

Strategies in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary public hospital for Otorhinolaryngology services in Perak, Malaysia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant shift in the practice of almost all medical fields. Surgical specialities were particularly hard hit as these services had to give way to the more urgent management of COVID-19 patients both in-ward and in intensive care units. In otorhinolaryngology (ORL) practice, an additional issue to be dealt with was a relatively higher risk of being exposed to viral droplets from aerosol-generating procedures and examination of oral and nasal cavities of patients.

Socioeconomic status and fertility treatment outcomes in high-income countries: a review of the current literature.

The association between socioeconomic status and fertility is a subject that has received much attention. Yet, little is known as to whether the socioeconomic status has an impact on the outcomes of fertility treatment. This systematic review aims to assess any possible relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and treatment outcomes.

YAP/TAZ Transcriptional Coactivators Create Therapeutic Vulnerability to Verteporfin in EGFR-mutant Glioblastoma.

Purpose: Glioblastomas (GBMs), neoplasms derived from glia and neuroglial progenitor cells, are the most common and lethal malignant primary brain tumors diagnosed in adults, with a median survival of 14 months. GBM tumorigenicity is often driven by genetic aberrations in receptor tyrosine kinases, such as amplification and mutation of EGFR.

Experimental Design: Using a glioma model and human patient-derived GBM stem cells and xenograft models, we genetically and pharmacologically tested whether the YAP and TAZ transcription coactivators, effectors of the Hippo pathway that promote gene expression via TEA domain (TEAD) cofactors, are key drivers of GBM tumorigenicity downstream of oncogenic EGFR signaling.

Use of Navigated Ultrasonic Bone Cutting Tool for En Bloc Resection of Thoracic Chondrosarcoma: Technical Report.

Background: En bloc surgical resection with wide margins offers the best local control rates for chondrosarcoma of the spine.

Objective: To describe the surgical technique for en bloc resection of a large thoracic chondrosarcoma using image guidance for a complex osteotomy with an ultrasonic bone cutting device (Misonix, Farmingdale, New York).

Methods: A 2-stage procedure was performed for resection of a thoracic chondrosarcoma involving the T3-T7 vertebral bodies.

Does the saltatory pattern on cardiotocograph (CTG) trace really exist? The ZigZag pattern as an alternative definition and its correlation with perinatal outcomes.

Background: The saltatory pattern (SP) has been defined by guidelines as a uniformly increased bandwidth of >25 beats per min lasting for 30 min. However, previous research suggest that it is very unusual to observe such a "uniform" increase in the bandwidth persisting for >30 min. Baseline fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) on cardiotocography reflects the integrity of the central nervous system.

Drak/STK17A Drives Neoplastic Glial Proliferation through Modulation of MRLC Signaling.

Glioblastoma (GBM) and lower grade gliomas (LGG) are the most common primary malignant brain tumors and are resistant to current therapies. Genomic analyses reveal that signature genetic lesions in GBM and LGG include copy gain and amplification of chromosome 7, amplification, mutation, and overexpression of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) such as EGFR, and activating mutations in components of the PI3K pathway. In , constitutive co-activation of RTK and PI3K signaling in glial progenitor cells recapitulates key features of human gliomas.

Correction of Progressive Severe Cervical Kyphosis in a 21-Month-Old Patient With NF1: Surgical Technique and Review of Literature.

Background: Severe cervical kyphosis in the setting of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare manifestation of the disease in the pediatric population. Dystrophic and immature bone complicate the placement of hardware necessary for surgical correction of alignment and a review of the literature yields 4 cases of pediatric patients with NF1 requiring surgical intervention in which the youngest patient was 10 yr old.

Objective: To report the case of an 11-mo-old female with NF1 who presented with a plexiform cervical neurofibroma and focal cervical kyphosis.

Fibroids and Infertility.

The precise impact of fibroids, which are the most common benign gynaecological tumours in women, on reproductive function and infertility is unknown. The need to treat submucosal fibroids is widely accepted, but fibroids in other locations and sizes continue to present a clinical conundrum. This article examines the mechanisms by which fibroids affect implantation and fertility, and stratifies their impact on basis of size, location and nature.

Beyond the World Health Organization grading of infiltrating gliomas: advances in the molecular genetics of glioma classification.

Background: Traditional classification of diffuse infiltrating gliomas (DIGs) as World Health Organization (WHO) grades II-IV is based on histological features of a heterogeneous population of tumors with varying prognoses and treatments. Over the last decade, research efforts have resulted in a better understanding of the molecular basis of glioma formation as well as the genetic alterations commonly identified in diffuse gliomas.

Methods: A systematic review of the current literature related to advances in molecular phenotypes, mutations, and genomic analysis of gliomas was carried out using a PubMed search for these key terms.

Biomechanical, biochemical, and histological characterization of canine lumbar facet joint cartilage.

Object: Tissue engineering appears to be a promising strategy for articular cartilage regeneration as a treatment for facet joint arthritis. Prior to the commencement of tissue engineering approaches, design criteria must be established to determine the required functional properties of the replacement tissue. As characterization of the functional properties of facet joint cartilage has not been performed previously, the objective of this study was to determine the biomechanical, biochemical, and histological properties of facet joint cartilage.

Presynaptic establishment of the synaptic cleft extracellular matrix is required for post-synaptic differentiation.

Formation and regulation of excitatory glutamatergic synapses is essential for shaping neural circuits throughout development. In a Drosophila genetic screen for synaptogenesis mutants, we identified mind the gap (mtg), which encodes a secreted, extracellular N-glycosaminoglycan-binding protein. MTG is expressed neuronally and detected in the synaptic cleft, and is required to form the specialized transsynaptic matrix that links the presynaptic active zone with the post-synaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) domain.