Tracking down the recent surge of polio virus in endemic and outbreak countries.

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Tracking down the recent surge of polio virus in endemic and outbreak countries. via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Continuous and progressive efforts are being made globally to eradicate the incidence of polio virus. The detrimental nature of polio calls for action of global vaccination. Owing to large scale vaccination efforts, many countries have been declared polio-free and the people are fully vaccinated against polio virus. However, concern still remains as new cases are being identified in countries declared polio free. This scenario is particularly noticed due to the comprised healthcare system in the past three years of the Corona pandemic. Conditions for lower middle income countries are more problematic, where there are meager healthcare resources and the burden on the healthcare system is higher. Studies indicate some cases of non-paralytic species of polio including cVDPV1, cVDPV2, and cVDPV3 in the group of outbreak countries. However, the major problem is associated with wild type polio virus i.e. WPV1 that leads to paralytic disease and is still present in endemic countries, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. The incidence rate of wild polio cases has significantly decreased in comparison to the past years but the problem needs to be dealt with at the grass-roots level. In this article, the most recent data has been collected pertaining to the incidence of multi-variant species of polio virus, with a special focus on endemic and outbreak countries. A short overview of challenges to vaccination and a recommendatory overview has also been included for dealing with polio surges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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An Endoscopic Cap Electrode for Posterior Cricoarythenoid Muscle Stimulation in a Porcine Model

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader An Endoscopic Cap Electrode for Posterior Cricoarythenoid Muscle Stimulation in a Porcine Model via The Laryngoscope The article describes the development of a diagnostic procedure with a novel endoscopic cap to identify patients with vocal fold immobility who are eligible for implantation of future laryngeal pacing systems. The concept aims at transferring the examination to a gastroscopy setting. Objective Laryngeal pacing (LP) is a highly anticipated therapeutic option for patients suffering from bilateral vocal fold paralysis with synkinesis. Identification of candidate patients requires confirmation of a stimulable posterior cricoidarythenoid muscle (PCA) by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). A silicone endoscopic cap electrode (ECE50) was designed to be operated as an endoscopic extension tip for selective PCA stimulation and confirmation of a glottic opening movement in a setting comparable to a gastroscopy procedure. Methods A porcine animal model (n = 6) was applied to develop and test endoscopic cap prototypes in general anesthesia and sedation at a biomedical research center. Two ENT endoscopy experts evaluated and refined the cap design and performance in regard to procedure safety, endoscope handling, accessibility of the PCA by the transoral approach and selective muscle stimulation. Results Vocal fold opening movements could be evoked by the investigators in 9 of 12 PCA muscles to stimulate with similar electric parameters. The endoscopic approach using the ECE50 proved to be atraumatic and sufficiently controlled under sedation to locate the required hotspot for NMES of the PCA. Conclusion The functionality of the novel endoscopic cap concept has been proven in a porcine model. It can be expected to be transferable to human application and to be of diagnostic importance in the screening and identification of LP candidate patients in future. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Exploring Patient's Preference of Patient‐Reported Outcome Measures in Laryngeal Movement Disorders

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Exploring Patient's Preference of Patient‐Reported Outcome Measures in Laryngeal Movement Disorders via The Laryngoscope Background Despite many available patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for laryngeal movement disorders, there is a lack of patient input regarding which PROM most accurately and conveniently captures aspects related to their vocal disease. This study aimed to assess patients' preferences among a selection of voice-related PROMs (Voice Handicap Index-10 [VHI-10], OMNI-Vocal Effort Scale [OMNI-VES], Communicative Participation Item Bank-General Short Form [CPIB-10], and Visual Analog Scales [VAS]) within the laryngeal movement disorder population and investigate associations between selected instruments. Methods Prior to botulinum toxin A injection, patients with laryngeal dystonia and/or essential tremor of the vocal tract were administered the VHI-10, OMNI-VES, CPIB-10, and three novel VAS questions in a randomized order. Patients rank ordered the four PROMs based on the PROMs' reflection of their voice problems. Pearson's correlation coefficients evaluated pairwise associations among PROM scores. Fisher's exact test compared the preferred PROM rankings. Results Seventy patients (53 female, mean age = 60.7 years) participated. The VHI-10 and CPIB-10 were most preferred at 33.9% and 27.4% respectively. The OMNI-VES and VAS scales were less favored (19.4%, each). When analyzed by age ≥60 years, the CPIB-10 was most favored (33.3%), but for age <60 years, VHI-10 was most preferred (42.3%). There was a strong correlation between scores of all administered PROMs (strongest correlation between OMNI-VES and VAS, r = 0.8, p < 0.001; the weakest correlation between OMNI-VES and VHI-10, r = 0.6, p < 0.001). Conclusions With an increasing trend in PROMs usage and a strong correlation between all evaluated outcome instruments, insight regarding patients' PROM preferences is an area for further consideration. Level of Evidence N/A Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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“Alexa, lock my front door”: An empirical study on factors affecting consumer's satisfaction with VCA‐controlled security devices

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader “Alexa, lock my front door”: An empirical study on factors affecting consumer's satisfaction with VCA‐controlled security devices via Psychology & Marketing Abstract Voice conversation agents (VCAs) have moved beyond simple tasks such as information gathering. The integration of VCAs in smart technologies for security has grown in the consumer market. This paper investigates consumers' motivation to use smart technologies controlled by voice conversational agents and how that impacts their perceived hedonic and utilitarian value, which eventually leads to their satisfaction with smart technologies usage. Two cross-sectional studies and a netnography were conducted. The findings showed that the variables measuring technology acceptance mediate the relationship between consumers' motivation and the perceived value of the VCA-controlled smart technologies. Study 1 results show that ease of use and usefulness of the VCA-controlled smart technologies have a more substantial mediating effect between motivation and hedonic value than utilitarian value. For study 2, results show that the mediators had a stronger influence on hedonic and utilitarian va lues for outdoor voice conversational agent-controlled smart technologies than indoor smart technologies. Study 3 showed that smart technologies have both risks and benefits and depend on whether they are being used for themselves or others. The results suggest that marketers need to consider consumer's emphasis on the products' features including its ease of use and usefulness, and strategically complement it with consumers' prevention and promotion focus for each product. View on Web

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Validation of a modified bedside Pediatric Early Warning System score for detection of clinical deterioration in hospitalized pediatric oncology patients: A prospective cohort study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Validation of a modified bedside Pediatric Early Warning System score for detection of clinical deterioration in hospitalized pediatric oncology patients: A prospective cohort study via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Background Hospitalized pediatric oncology patients are at risk of severe clinical deterioration. Yet Pediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) scores have not been prospectively validated in these patients. We aimed to determine the predictive performance of the modified BedsidePEWS score for unplanned pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in this patient population. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study in an 80-bed pediatric oncology hospital in the Netherlands, where care has been nationally centralized. All hospitalized pediatric oncology patients aged 0–18 years were eligible for inclusion. A Cox proportional hazard model was estimated to study the association between BedsidePEWS score and unplanned PICU admissions or CPR. The predictive performance of the model was internally validated by bootstrapping. Results A total of 1137 patients were included. During the study, 103 patients experienced 127 unplanned PICU admissions and three CPRs. The hazard ratio for unplanned PICU admission or CPR was 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.59–1.72) for each point increase in the modified BedsidePEWS score. The discriminative ability was moderate (D-index close to 0 and a C-index of 0.83 [95% CI: 0.79–0.90]). Positive and negative predictive values of modified BedsidePEWS score at the widely used cutoff of 8, at which escalation of care is required, were 1.4% and 99.9%, respectively. Conclusion The modified BedsidePEWS score is significantly associated with requirement of PICU transfer or CPR. In pediatric oncology patients, this PEWS score may aid in clinical decision-making for timing of PICU transfer. View on Web

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A congenital CSF3R mutation in chronic neutropenia reveals a vital role for a cytokine receptor extracellular hinge motif in the response to granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader A congenital CSF3R mutation in chronic neutropenia reveals a vital role for a cytokine receptor extracellular hinge motif in the response to granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract We describe a patient with congenital neutropenia (CN) with a homozygous germline mutation in the colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor gene (CSF3R). The patient's bone marrow shows lagging neutrophil development with subtle left shift and unresponsiveness to CSF3 in in vitro colony assays. This patient illustrates that the di-proline hinge motif in the extracellular cytokine receptor homology domain of CSF3R is critical for adequate neutrophil production, but dispensable for in vivo terminal neutrophil maturation. This report underscores that CN patients with inherited CSF3R mutations should be marked as a separate clinical entity, characterized by a failure to respond to CSF3. View on Web

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Selenium ameliorates inflammation by decreasing autophagic flux and mitogen‐activated protein kinase signalling on experimentally induced rat periapical lesions

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Selenium ameliorates inflammation by decreasing autophagic flux and mitogen‐activated protein kinase signalling on experimentally induced rat periapical lesions via International Endodontic Journal Abstract AIM To reveal the molecular mechanisms that targets mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling and the autophagic flux and to investigate the possible effects of the systemic administration of selenium (Se) on experimentally induced rat periapical lesions. METHODOLOGY Thirty adult Sprague Dawley rats were divided equally into negative control, positive control and Se groups. In the positive control and Se groups, the pulp chambers of their mandibular first molars were exposed to the oral environment to induce periapical lesions The Se group received daily intraperitoneal injections of Se at a dose of 0.1 mg kg−1. After 28 days, the amount of bone destruction; severity of inflammation; penetration of microorganisms along the root canal; collagen degradation in periodontal ligament; interleukin (IL)-6, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and caspase-3 expression; autophagic flux; and p38 MAPK signalling were evaluated using radiographic, histopathological, Gram staining, picrosirius red stain, immunohistochemical, quantitative real-time polymerase chain (qRT–PCR) and western blot methods, respectively. The data was analysed through the Kruskal–Wallis and Dunnett's tests (p<0.05). RESULTS The area of radiographic periapical bone loss, histopathological scores, the area of periapical bone loss and the scores for the bacteria localisation, the intensity of immunohistochemical staining for IL-6, HIF-1, COX-2 and caspase-3 in the Se group was significantly less than those of the positive control group (p<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of Beclin-1, Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, and Atg16L1 were lower in the Se group than in the positive control group (p<0.01). The protein expressions of Beclin-1, Atg5 and LC3-II, the phosphorylation ratio of the p38 MAPK and the ratios of LC3II/LC3I were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the positive control and Se groups. On the other hand, the expression of the p62/SQSTM1 protein was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the positive control and Se groups than in the negative control group. CONCLUSION The induction of periapical lesions in rats increased autophagic flux and activated p38 MAPK signal transduction processes. Se suppressed the inflammatory process, reduced bone destruction and both the autophagic flux and p38 MAPK activation. View on Web

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In vitro inflammatory modulation of bioceramic endodontic sealer in macrophages stimulated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader In vitro inflammatory modulation of bioceramic endodontic sealer in macrophages stimulated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide via International Endodontic Journal Abstract Aim To evaluate the effects of AH Plus (Dentsply, Germany), Sealer 26 (Dentsply), and Sealer Plus BC (Produtos Médicos e Odontológicos, Brazil) on cytotoxicity and inflammation in macrophage cultures exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methodology After initial setting, the sealers were conditioned with serum-free culture medium for 24 h (1mL/cm 2 ). Macrophages from the RAW 264.7 strain were exposed to sealer extracts in a 1:16 ratio in a culture medium with or without LPS. Cell morphology, viability, mitochondrial activity, oxidative stress, and gene expression of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were evaluated. Data on mitochondrial activity, oxidative stress, and TNF-α were analysed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, followed by the Student -Newman -Keuls post-test. IL-1β data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, followed by SNK, and the t-test was used for intragroup comparison. The significance level was set at 5%. Results In the absence of LPS, only AH Plus and Sealer 26 showed a reduction in cell density, while in the presence of LPS, Sealer 26 had the lowest density compared to the other groups. In terms of mitochondrial activity, at 24 and 48 h, Sealer Plus BC had significantly higher mean values than Sealer 26 and AH Plus (p< 0.05). Sealer 26 exhibited the lowest levels of oxidative stress and IL-1β and TNF-α expression, regardless of the presence of LPS (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although all sealers interfere with the response of macrophages to LPS, contact with epoxy resin-based sealers can impair cell activity in vitro, while bioceramic sealer seems to favour the inflammatory functions of these cells. View on Web

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Survey the effect of drug treatment on modulation of cytokines gene expression in Allergic Rhinitis

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Survey the effect of drug treatment on modulation of cytokines gene expression in Allergic Rhinitis via Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology Abstract Allergic rhinitis as common airway disease has high prevalence in all peoples worldwide. In allergic diseases, Th2 cells release type 2 cytokines which support the inflammation in airways. All the drugs used for allergic rhinitis, do not cure completely, and the choice of drugs according to cost and efficacy is very important in all groups of atopic patients. Therefore, in this study, the effect of commercial drugs on cytokine gene expression has been studied. Male Balb/c mice were divided into six groups. Allergic rhinitis was induced in five of the six groups with ovalbumin, and four of these five groups were treated with salbutamol, budesonide, theophylline and montelukast. The 5th group was used as positive control group and the 6th group as negative control group. For the survey, RNA was extracted, cDNA was synthesized, and quantitative real time PCR was done for 21 genes. The four drugs had different effect on mRNA expression of cytokines (IL-1b, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 , 17, 18, 22, 25, 31, 33, 37, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β1 and Eotaxin) in the allergic rhinitis groups. Salbutamol can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but it has some side effects. Budesonide in the inhaled form is generally safe in pregnancy. Theophylline cannot control allergic attack in the long run. Montelukast is not useful in the treatment of acute. Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of drugs in control of allergic rhinitis via Th2 cytokines can be new approaches in molecular medicine. View on Web

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Association of preoperative low skeletal muscle mass with postoperative complications after selective neck dissection

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of preoperative low skeletal muscle mass with postoperative complications after selective neck dissection via International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery via MedWorm.com Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is an emerging predictive and prognostic factor in head and neck cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of low SMM for postoperative complications in clinically T1 –2 oral cavity cancer patients undergoing selective neck dissection. A retrospective study in clinically T1–2 oral cavity cancer patients who underwent selective neck dissection between 2011 and 2017 was performed. The predictive value of low SMM for the occurrence of postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay was evaluated. (Source: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) View on Web

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