Helicobacter pylori results in lysis and death after exposure to water

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Helicobacter pylori results in lysis and death after exposure to water via Helicobacter Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori has a high infection rate, and it is possible that more than half of the world's population is infected. The route of transmission of H. pylori has not been completely elucidated yet. The coccoid form of H. pylori is generally considered to be in a VBNC (viable but nonculturable) state, and this form in the environment is thought to play an important role in infection and transmission, but its stability and survivability are still unknown. Materials and methods In order to promote its changing to coccoid form, the spiral form of H. pylori grown in a culture medium was exposed to sterile distilled water, and we investigated the bacterial cell number and the morphological changes by using fluorescence staining methods and electron microscopic observation. We also examined the dynamics of its growth ability by measuring the colony forming unit on an agar-plate medium. Results After exposure to sterile distilled water, the H. pylori spiral form rapidly lost its growth ability at 37°C. One day after exposure, approximately 95% of the spiral form disappeared and the proportion of the coccoid form increased. The total number of bacteria also decreased to less than half and continued to decrease over time. Epi-microscopic and electron microscopic observations revealed that deformation of bacterial cells, collapse, and leaking out of cell contents were promoted in exposure to sterile distilled water. Conclusion Helicobacter pylori quickly begins to transform into the coccoid form after exposure to sterile distilled water, rapidly loses its growth ability, and then lyses and dies. Water-exposure is lethal for H. pylori and it is unlikely to survive in the VBNC state in water. View on Web

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A Rare Case of Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Misplacement Into the Posterior Semicircular Canal

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader A Rare Case of Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Misplacement Into the Posterior Semicircular Canal via The Laryngoscope In this report, we present a case of an elderly patient who suffered cochlear implant electrode array misplacement into the posterior semicircular canal, resulting in vestibular symptoms and severe downstream sequelae. The risk of misplacement may be higher in patients with a history of chronic otitis media or prior otologic surgery, and with the use of pre-curved electrode arrays. Electrophysiological testing and intraoperative imaging may allow for early detection and intervention in these cases. Cochlear implant electrode array misplacement is a rare but serious complication that may result in failure of hearing rehabilitation, non-auditory percepts, vestibular disturbance, or damage to adjacent neurovascular structures. We present a case of an elderly patient who suffered electrode array misplacement into the posterior semicircular canal, resulting in vestibular symptoms and severe downstream sequelae. The risk of misplacement may be higher in patients with a history of chronic otitis media or prior otologic surgery, and with the use of pre-curved electrode arrays. Electrophysiological testing and intraoperative imaging may allow for early detection and intervention in these cases. Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Dynamic Prediction of Survival for Sinonasal Extranodal Natural Killer/T‐cell Lymphoma

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Dynamic Prediction of Survival for Sinonasal Extranodal Natural Killer/T‐cell Lymphoma via The Laryngoscope This study developed a prognostic model and a web-based calculator specifically focussed on SN-ENKTL for otolaryngologists to use to facilitate timely treatment decisions for the disease. Background Extranodal natural killer/ T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is a rare malignant tumor. This study aimed to develop a predictive nomogram and a web-based survival rate calculator for dynamically predicting the survival of patients with sinonasal ENKTL (SN-ENKTL). Methods This study investigated patients (n = 134) with SN-ENKTL who had been initially treated in our hospital between Jan 2008 and Dec 2016. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts, in a 7:3 ratio. Independent prognostic factors were identified and integrated to build a predictive nomogram and a web-based calculator using the Cox-regression model. The nomogram was evaluated by consistency index and calibration curve. Results Age, lactate dehydrogenase, hemoglobin, Epstein–Barr virus DNA, and Ann Arbor stage were identified as independent risk factors. We constructed a predictive nomogram for survival and a web-based calculator (https://taiqinwang.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/). Conclusion This study developed a prognostic model and a web-based calculator specifically focused on SN-ENKTL for otolaryngologists to use to facilitate timely treatment decisions for the disease. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Complexity analysis of head movements in autistic toddlers

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Complexity analysis of head movements in autistic toddlers via Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Background Early differences in sensorimotor functioning have been documented in young autistic children and infants who are later diagnosed with autism. Previous research has demonstrated that autistic toddlers exhibit more frequent head movement when viewing dynamic audiovisual stimuli, compared to neurotypical toddlers. To further explore this behavioral characteristic, in this study, computer vision (CV) analysis was used to measure several aspects of head movement dynamics of autistic and neurotypical toddlers while they watched a set of brief movies with social and nonsocial content presented on a tablet. Methods Data were collected from 457 toddlers, 17–36 months old, during their well-child visit to four pediatric primary care clinics. Forty-one toddlers were subsequently diagnosed with autism. An application (app) displayed several brief movies on a tablet, and the toddlers watched these movies while sitting on their caregiver's lap. The front-facing camera in the tablet recorded the toddlers' behavioral responses. CV was used to measure the participants' head movement rate, movement acceleration, and complexity using multiscale entropy. Results Autistic toddlers exhibited significantly higher rate, acceleration, and complexity in their head movements while watching the movies compared to neurotypical toddlers, regardless of the type of movie content (social vs. nonsocial). The combined features of head movement acceleration and complexity reliably distinguished the autistic and neurotypical toddlers. Conclusions Autistic toddlers exhibit differences in their head movement dynamics when viewing audiovisual stimuli. Higher complexity of their head movements suggests that their movements were less predictable and less stable compared to neurotypical toddlers. CV offers a scalable means of detecting subtle differences in head movement dynamics, which may be helpful in identifying early behaviors associated with autism and providing insight into the nature of sensorimotor differences associated with autism. View on Web

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Lack of complete response pretransplant is not associated with inferior overall survival for stage 4a metastatic retinoblastoma

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Lack of complete response pretransplant is not associated with inferior overall survival for stage 4a metastatic retinoblastoma via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Background Stage 4a metastatic retinoblastoma (RB) is curable with intensive multimodality therapy including myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant (HDC-ASCT) and involved field radiation therapy (IFRT). To our knowledge, no data exist on the impact of (a) pre-ASCT disease status, and (b) IFRT to sites of metastatic disease post ASCT on survival. Procedure We retrospectively reviewed patients with stage 4a metastatic RB who underwent induction chemotherapy followed by HDC-ASCT, with or without IFRT, to residual tumor sites at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) (n = 24). Results The degree of postinduction response prior to ASCT did not affect outcome, with 5-year overall survival (OS) of 68% and 86% in patients who achieved complete response (CR) and very good partial response (VGPR)/partial response (PR) prior to ASCT, respectively. IFRT administered post ASCT in patients with possible residual bony metastatic disease increases the likelihood of developing osteosarcoma in the radiation field. Conclusion OS for patients with stage 4a metastatic RB treated with ASCT with VGPR or PR to pretransplant chemotherapy was not significantly different from patients with CR. In addition, IFRT does not seem to be required for bony disease control and increased the likelihood of developing osteosarcoma. View on Web

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ELANE neutropenia and solid tumors: Four cases from the French severe chronic neutropenia registry

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader ELANE neutropenia and solid tumors: Four cases from the French severe chronic neutropenia registry via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Neutropenia related to ELANE gene mutations predisposes patients to infection and leukemia/myelodysplasia, but little is known about the predisposition to cancer. Among a cohort of 147 patients, we identified four with malignant solid tumors (papillary thyroid cancer, anal squamous cell cancer, papillary renal cell carcinoma, and adrenocortical carcinoma), all aged 25–50 years. Three occurred with cyclic neutropenia, and one occurred with severe chronic neutropenia. Previous radiotherapy was identified as a risk factor in one patient. No genetic predisposition was identified in the three other patients. View on Web

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Effect of periodontal treatment on glycated hemoglobin and metabolic syndrome parameters: a randomized clinical trial.

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effect of periodontal treatment on glycated hemoglobin and metabolic syndrome parameters: a randomized clinical trial. via Journal of Clinical Periodontology Abstract Aim to assess the effect of periodontal treatment on HbA1c and diagnostic parameters of patients with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Material and Methods A hundred and fifty-eight patients with MetS, and moderate and severe periodontitis were included. They were randomized into a test group (n=79), which received non-surgical periodontal treatment, and a control group (n=79), which received no treatment. Medical treatment was delivered to both groups. Clinical periodontal, anthropometric, and serological parameters were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The main outcome was glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and the secondary outcomes were changes in the MetS parameters, C-reactive protein and HOMA indexes. Results Significant reductions in all the periodontal parameters were observed in the test group, compared with the control group, at 3 and 6 months (p<0.001). HbA1c levels, MetS parameters, C-reactive protein and HOMA indexes showed no significant differences between the test group and the control group at 3 and 6 months. Conclusion(s) periodontal treatment led to a substantial reduction in periodontal inflammation, although there was no significant effect on the parameters used for MetS diagnosis in patients with early-diagnosed and well-controlled MetS. Registration number NCT02012842, www.clinicaltrials.gov. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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