Mini Atrial Septal Defect Closure In Dextrocardia With Situs Inversus By Left Anterolateral Thoracotomy(Lalt) Approach - A Surgical Challenge.

Background: ASD is a relatively rare subset among patients with situs inversus dextrocardia with concordant AV connection and a minimally invasive approach in dextrocardia has yet to be standardized. The present case describes a case surgical closure of ostium secundum ASD by left mini-thoracotomy approach in patient with dextrocardia and situs inversus.

Case Presentation: The present case describes a 44-year female patient of ostium secundum ASD in dextrocardia with situs inversus.

Scratch Scoring by a Sheet-shaped Body Vibrometer in Nocturnal Sleep: A Pilot Study Compared with Infrared Video Recording.

Itching tends to worsen at night in patients with itchy skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. Unconscious scratching during sleep can exacerbate symptoms, cause sleep disturbances, or reduce quality of life. Therefore, evaluating nocturnal scratching behaviour is important for better patient care.

What Does it Cost to Provide Free Maternal and Child Health Services in Primary Health Centres? A Case Study of Imo State, Southeast Nigeria.

Background: This study estimated the cost of providing free maternal and child health (MCH) services at the primary health centre (PHC) level in southeast Nigeria. The costs of providing an essential benefit package of maternal and child health (MCH) services are unknown. Such information is required for optimal resource allocation decisions and for replicating similar programmes in different settings.

Evaluating convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is a form of passive immunization which has been used as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CP therapy in patients with severe COVID-19.

Methodology: In this retrospective cohort study, 50 patients with severe COVID-19 treated with CP at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, in 2019 were evaluated.

Epidemiologic threats and outcome of evolving COVID-19-associated mucormycosis from a referral hospital in Egypt.

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the epidemiologic threats and factors associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) epidemic that emerged in Egypt during the second COVID-19 wave. The study also aimed to explore the diagnostic features and the role of surgical interventions of CAM on the outcome of the disease in a central referral hospital.

Methodology: The study included 64 CAM patients from a referral hospital for CAM and a similar number of matched controls from COVID-19 patients who did not develop CAM.

COVID-19 mortality among solid organ transplant recipients and candidates before specific vaccine availability in Colombia.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a life-threatening disease that was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Organ transplant recipients are vulnerable to infection and complications from COVID-19. The objective of this study was to investigate the rates of infection, mortality, and case-fatality ratios (CFR) in solid organ transplant recipients and patients on the waiting list for organ allocation in the period prior to the availability of specific vaccines.

Effectiveness of levamisole in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Inflammation plays a role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathophysiology and anti-inflammatory drugs may help reduce the disease severity. Levamisole is an anthelmintic drug with immunomodulatory and possible antiviral effects. This study aimed to evaluate the role of levamisole in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Evaluation of long-term pulmonary functions after COVID-19 infection in children: a longitudinal observational cohort study.

Introduction: We aimed to present the changes that may occur in pulmonary functions in children who experienced more severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during long-term follow-up.

Methodology: A prospective longitudinal observational cohort study was conducted with 34 pediatric patients (7-18 years) who were hospitalized with COVID-19 infection (moderate n = 25, severe n = 9), and followed up at our Pediatric Infection Outpatient Clinic for approximately two years. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed using spirometry.

Experiences of patients who retest positive for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after discharge: a qualitative study.

Introduction: In this study, we analyzed the psychological aspects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who were discharged from the hospitals in Shanghai, China, and later had positive nucleic acid retest results for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection (re-positive COVID-19). The purpose was to gain clarity on the patients' needs and to provide evidence for the medical staff to deliver scientific and targeted health care to the patients.

Methodology: We screened patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection by nucleic acid testing after having previously recovered from a COVID-19 infection and being discharged from Shanghai shelter hospitals or COVID-19-designated hospitals from April 3, 2022, to May 10, 2022.

An overview of progress in establishing a diagnostic tool for non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Introduction: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) is a common disorder characterized by symptoms resembling those of irritable bowel syndrome. In recent years there has been progress in the understanding of the pathogenic pathways and data suggest that NCGS has a distinct immunological profile that differs from celiac disease (CeD). This has fostered the search for a specific biomarker of NCGS.

TRAF1 promotes osteoclastogenesis by enhancing metabolic adaptation to oxidative phosphorylation in an AKT-dependent manner.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) is a crucial signaling adaptor involved in multiple cellular events. However, its role in regulating osteoclastogenesis and energy metabolism remains unclear. Here, we report that TRAF1 promotes osteoclastogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).

Pharmacological blocking of microfibrillar-associated protein 4 reduces retinal neoangiogenesis and vascular leakage.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema are leading causes of vision-loss evoked by retinal neovascularization and vascular leakage. The glycoprotein microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an integrin αβ ligand present in the extracellular matrix. Single-cell transcriptomics reveal MFAP4 expression in cell-types in close proximity to vascular endothelial cells including choroidal vascular mural cells and retinal astrocytes and Müller cells.

A Comprehensive Atlas of AAV Tropism in the Mouse.

Gene therapy with Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors requires knowledge of their tropism within the body. Here we analyze the tropism of ten naturally occurring AAV serotypes (AAV3B, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAVrh8, AAVrh10 and AAVrh74) following systemic delivery into male and female mice. A transgene expressing ZsGreen and Cre recombinase was used to identify transduction in a cell-dependent manner based on fluorescence.

Adhesion-driven vesicle translocation through membrane-covered pores.

Translocation across barriers and through constrictions is a mechanism that is often used in vivo for transporting material between compartments. A specific example is apicomplexan parasites invading host cells through the tight junction that acts as a pore, and a similar barrier crossing is involved in drug delivery using lipid vesicles penetrating intact skin. Here, we use triangulated membranes and energy minimization to study the translocation of vesicles through pores with fixed radii.

A typical NLR recognizes a family of structurally conserved effectors to confer plant resistance against adapted and non-adapted Phytophthora pathogens.

Plants possess remarkably durable resistance against non-adapted pathogens in nature. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance remain poorly understood, and it is unclear how the resistance is maintained without coevolution between hosts and the non-adapted pathogens. In this study, we used Phytophthora sojae (Ps), a non-adapted pathogen of N.

Impact of Periodontal Treatment on Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Role of Porphyromonas gingivalis Antibody Titers.

BACKGROUND Periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are closely related, and periodontal therapy can potentially improve RA activity. However, it is not clear in which RA patient populations are more effective periodontal therapy for RA treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment for periodontal disease in 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the titers of antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.

Suppression of METTL3 expression attenuated matrix stiffness-induced vaginal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and abnormal modulation of the extracellular matrix in pelvic organ prolapse.

Background: Fibrosis of the connective tissue in the vaginal wall predominates in pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which is characterized by excessive fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and abnormal deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Our study aimed to investigate the effect of ECM stiffness on vaginal fibroblasts and to explore the role of methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) in the development of POP.

Methods: Polyacrylamide hydrogels were applied to create an ECM microenvironment with variable stiffness to evaluate the effects of ECM stiffness on the proliferation, differentiation, and expression of ECM components in vaginal fibroblasts.

The developmental lipidome of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

Background: Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-a nematode of rodents-is commonly used as a model to study the immunobiology of parasitic nematodes. It is a member of the Strongylida-a large order of socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes of animals. Lipids are known to play essential roles in nematode biology, influencing cellular membranes, energy storage and/or signalling.

Metabolic adaptations to acute glucose uptake inhibition converge upon mitochondrial respiration for leukemia cell survival.

One hallmark of cancer is the upregulation and dependency on glucose metabolism to fuel macromolecule biosynthesis and rapid proliferation. Despite significant pre-clinical effort to exploit this pathway, additional mechanistic insights are necessary to prioritize the diversity of metabolic adaptations upon acute loss of glucose metabolism. Here, we investigated a potent small molecule inhibitor to Class I glucose transporters, KL-11743, using glycolytic leukemia cell lines and patient-based model systems.

Light and dark biofilm adaptation impacts larval settlement in diverse coral species.

Background: Recovery of degraded coral reefs is reliant upon the recruitment of coral larvae, yet the mechanisms behind coral larval settlement are not well understood, especially for non-acroporid species. Biofilms associated with reef substrates, such as coral rubble or crustose coralline algae, can induce coral larval settlement; however, the specific biochemical cues and the microorganisms that produce them remain largely unknown. Here, we assessed larval settlement responses in five non-acroporid broadcast-spawning coral species in the families Merulinidae, Lobophyllidae and Poritidae to biofilms developed in aquaria for either one or two months under light and dark treatments.

Negative association between 15 obesity- and lipid-related indices and testosterone in adult males: a population based cross-sectional study.

Background: An association exists between obesity and reduced testosterone levels in males. The propose of this research is to reveal the correlation between 15 indices linked to obesity and lipid levels with the concentration of serum testosterone, and incidence of testosterone deficiency (TD) among adult American men.

Methods: The study utilized information gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) carried out from 2011 to 2016.

Multiple gene-deletion vaccinia virus Tiantan strain against mpox.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an important zoonotic pathogenic virus, which poses serious threats to public health. MPXV infection can be prevented by immunization against the variola virus. Because of the safety risks and side effects of vaccination with live vaccinia virus (VACV) strain Tian Tan (VTT), we constructed two gene-deleted VTT recombinants (TTVAC7 and TTVC5).

A Nomogram utilizing ECG P-wave parameters to predict recurrence risk following catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the predictive utility of perioperative P-wave parameters in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) undergoing catheter ablation, and to develop a predictive model using these parameters.

Methods: A total of 213 patients with PAF undergoing catheter ablation were retrospectively analyzed. P-wave parameters were measured within 3 days preoperatively and on the day postoperatively to determine their predictive significance for postoperative PAF recurrence.

The feasibility of assessing prognosis over 3 years in persons with a previous stroke/transient ischemic attack in general practice.

Background: Stroke has devastating consequences for survivors. Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor, and its management largely takes place in primary care. However, most stroke-based research does not occur in this setting.

Association between the hemoglobin A1c/High-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and stroke incidence: a prospective nationwide cohort study in China.

Background: Stroke has emerged as an escalating public health challenge among middle-aged and older individuals in China, closely linked to glycolipid metabolic abnormalities. The Hemoglobin A1c/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HbA1c/HDL-C) ratio, an integrated marker of glycolipid homeostasis, may serve as a novel predictor of stroke risk.

Methods: Our investigation utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study cohort (2011-2018).