Effect of gender on the reliability of COVID-19 rapid antigen test among elderly

Defining con-founders that affect the reliability of diagnostic tests for coronavirus disease 2019 is vital to breaking the chain of infection. The elderly population is a higher risk group for the emerging virus. However, gender seems to exert a critical role in modifying the infection risk among women owing to hormonal changes. The menopause transition is an exceptional period for older women where the protective and immunomodulatory effects of the estrogen hormone are lost. Accordingly, attention should be given to postmenopausal women since they will have an increased risk compared to their pre-menopausal peers.     

The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the growth of dermatophytes.

Dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) is frequently used as a solvent for antifungal drugs in various studies to determine their MICs. Reports on comparative evaluation of methods for the susceptibility testing of antifungal drugs have shown there is poor agreement among methods. Besides other factors which could cause variability in the results, one important factor might be the effect of DMSO on the growth of fungi. The effect of DMSO on the growth of some species of Candida has been reported in the literature. The present study aimed at determination of the effect of different concentrations of DMSO (0.125 to 10%) on the growth of dermatophytes by agar diffusion method. There was no growth of fungi in 10% DMSO, between 1.25 and 5% there was a rather linear dose-related inhibitory effect on the growth, significantly different from the controls, and below 1% there was a variable effect among the species. DMSO down to 0.25% significantly inhibited the growth of most strains of M. canis. The lower concentrations of DMSO, which apparently do not affect the growth of fungi, may potentiate the effect of antifungal drugs.     

Ebselen prevents noise-induced excitotoxicity and temporary threshold shift

This investigation tested the hypothesis that a noise-induced temporary threshold shift (TTS) can be attenuated by a peroxynitrite scavenger, ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one). Guinea pigs received an oral dose of the vehicle or 10 mg/kg ebselen 1 h before exposure to 115 dB SPL 4-kHz octave band noise for 3 h. In controls, auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds increased by 25–45 dB immediately after noise and returned to pre-exposure baseline thresholds 7 days later. Ebselen eliminated this ABR threshold shift following noise exposure. In controls, swelling of the afferent dendrites beneath the inner hair cells was evident immediately after noise, whereas ebselen significantly reduced this pathology. These findings suggest that scavenging peroxynitrite can attenuate noise-induced excitotoxicity and, thereby, TTS.     

Intrathecal immune response and virus-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies in laboratory diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis.

The intrathecal immune response in 114 patients with clinically diagnosed acute poliomyelitis was studied by measuring poliovirus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by a mu-capture immunoassay and by assessing the ratio between levels of poliovirus-neutralizing antibodies in serum and CSF. Fecal specimens were used for attempts to isolate the causative agents. Eighty-five percent of CSF specimens collected during the first 15 days of disease contained virus-specific IgM antibodies. Forty-five of 48 tested children (94%) also showed virus-specific IgM responses in their sera. Later on, the antibody levels decreased, and positive results after 30 days of onset of paralytic symptoms were rare. If the presence of poliovirus-specific IgM antibodies in the CSF was considered diagnostic, more cases were confirmed by this test than by virus isolation. A relative increase in poliovirus-neutralizing antibodies in the CSF was observed in about one-third of the cases; in all but three cases the increase was observed together with the presence of virus-specific IgM antibodies. A systemic virus-specific response can be seen and poliovirus can be isolated from a subclinically infected individual suffering from a concomitant poliomyelitis-like disease, while positive results by the two methods demonstrating an intrathecal immune response are likely to indicate a true causal relationship between infection and disease. Demonstration of poliovirus-specific IgM antibodies in the CSF thus appears to be a sensitive and specific method for laboratory confirmation of clinically diagnosed poliomyelitis.     

Povidone-iodine sclerotherapy of primary symptomatic lymphocele after kidney transplantation

International Urology and Nephrology - To report the efficacy and safety of povidone-iodine sclerotherapy of primary symptomatic lymphocele after kidney transplantation in a large contemporary...     

Differentiation and proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells using a three-dimensional decellularized testicular scaffold: a new method to study the testicular microenvironment in vitro

International Urology and Nephrology - Successful in vitro transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) demands effective culture systems for SSCs proliferation and differentiation. Natural...     

Impact of Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy on Final Outcome in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty: Our Experience and Technique in Pakistan

BackgroudDue to extensive fibrosis during revision surgery, adequate exposure is essential and it can be achieved with several extensile approach options, such as tibial tubercle osteotomy. Information regarding surgical exposure during revision arthroplasty is limited in developing countries, such as Pakistan, due to the lack of adequate data collection and follow-up. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of tibial tubercle osteotomy on final outcome of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA).MethodsA total of 231 revision TKAs were performed between January 2008 and December 2017. Twenty-nine patients underwent tibial tubercle osteotomy for adequate exposure during revision surgery. Of these, 27 patients with complete follow-up were included in our study. Factors examined include age at the time of revision surgery, gender, comorbidities, arthroplasty site (right or left), body mass index (BMI), and primary indications for the tibial tubercle osteotomy during revision TKA. Functional outcome was measured by using Knee Society score (KSS) at 3 months and the final follow-up. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0 with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.ResultsOut of 27 patients, 6 patients (22.2%) were men and 21 patients (77.7%) were women. Right knee revision arthroplasty was performed in 15 patients (55.5%), left knee revision arthroplasty was performed in 12 patients (44.4%), and bilateral revision surgery was performed in only 1 patient (3.7%). The mean BMI was 29.2 kg/m². We used a constrained condylar knee in 20 patients (74%), a rotating hinge knee in 5 patients (18.5%), and mobile bearing tray plus metaphyseal sleeves in 2 patients (7.4%). The KSS was 52.21 ± 4.05 preoperatively, and 79.42 ± 2.2 and 80.12 ± 1.33 at 3 months and 12 months, respectively. Radiological union was achieved in all patients at 3 months. Of 27 patients, only 1 patient (3.7%) had proximal migration of the osteotomy site at 6 months: the patient was asymptomatic and union was also achieved and, therefore, no surgical intervention was performed.ConclusionsTibial tubercle osteotomy during revision TKA can be a safe and reliable technique with superior outcomes and minimal complication rates.