Anterior Retroperitoneal Lumbosacral Spine Exposure: Operative Technique and Results

We review our two-team operative technique and results of anterior retroperitoneal lumbosacral spine exposure for diskectomy, partial corpectomy, and spinal instrumentation. Seventy-two patients with lumbar spondylosis and associated symptomatic radiculopathy had this exposure between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2002. A single disc space was isolated in 54 patients. Multilevel exposure was achieved in 18 patients. Main outcome measures included intra- and postoperative complications, blood transfusion requirements, duration of ileus, incidence of erectile/sexual dysfunction, and length of hospital stay. A single small bowel enterotomy and iliac vein laceration, both repaired primarily, were the only intraoperative complications. Perioperative blood transfusions were required in 13 patients (18%). Mean length of postoperative ileus was 3.5 days and average length of hospital stay was 5 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 7 patients (9.7%). These included erectile dysfunction (2), transient unilateral lower extremity paresis (1), acute acalculous cholecystitis (1), femoral vein thrombosis (1), pneumonia (1), and acute myocardial infarction (1). There were no genitourinary or other major vascular injuries. A two-team approach for lumbosacral spine instrumentation via anterior retroperitoneal exposure capitalizes on unique specialty-specific surgical skills. This paradigm facilitates safe lumbosacral spine surgery and major perioperative complications are rare.     

Seroprevalence of turkey coronavirus in North American turkeys determined by a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on recombinant antigen

Turkey coronavirus (TCoV) causes diarrhea in young turkey poults, but little is known about its prevalence in the field. To address this, the complete nucleocapsid gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Expressed nucleocapsid gene produced two distinct proteins (52 and 43 kDa); their specificity was confirmed by Western blotting using two different monoclonal antibodies. Recombinant N protein was purified and used as an antigen to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serological detection of TCoV that was then validated using experimentally derived turkey serum. The N-based ELISA showed (97%) sensitivity and (93%) specificity for TCoV, which was significantly higher than an infectious bronchitis coronavirus-based commercial test for TCoV. To assess the utility of this recombinant ELISA, 360 serum samples from turkey farms in Ontario, Canada, and 81 serum samples from farms in Arkansas were tested for TCoV-specific antibodies. A high seroprevalence of TCoV was found in turkeys from the Ontario farms with 73.9% of breeders and 60.0% of meat turkeys testing seropositive using the N-based ELISA. Similarly, a high field prevalence was found in the turkeys from Arkansas, for which 64.2% of the serum samples tested seropositive.     

Antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics of phenolic extracts of locally produced honey in Saudi Arabia

The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of 30 selected honey samples produced in Saudi Arabia have been studied. The inhibitory action of the total phenolic content of the honey samples has been tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli. The MIC values of the ten selected honey samples against S. aureus, M. luteus and E. coli were in the range 0.5?±?0.2?-?3.6?±?0.3; 0.45?±?0.05?-?5.0?±?0.6 and 0.6?±?0.2?-?4.4?±?0.4?mg?mL(-?1). The antioxidant activities of the ethyl acetate extracts based on their anti-radical power using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay and their ferric reducing antioxidant power were in the ranges 50.78?±?1.4% to 99.52?±?0.2% and 0.85?±?0.13 to 1.167?±?0.13?mg/ml, respectively. The total phenolic content was in the range 84.97?±?0.57 to 317.39?±?0.76?mg/100?g.     

Cone beam computed tomography findings in temporomandibular joint of chronic qat chewers: Dimensional and osteoarthritic changes

The social habit of chewing qat (also known as khat) is widely practised in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It has been linked with various oro-facial conditions, including temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). This cross-sectional, comparative study sought to investigate the effects of qat chewing on temporomandibular joint (TMJ), using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). A total of 85 Yemeni males were included. The participants were divided into two groups: Qat chewers (QC; n = 41) and non-qat chewers (NQC; n = 44). Relevant data were obtained using a structured questionnaire and standardised clinical examination. Additionally, CBCT images of the TMJs were obtained, and then, osteoarthritic changes and TMJ dimensions were analysed. SPSS 21 was used for statistical analyses, with a significant level was set at 0.05. Compared to NQC, a significantly higher proportion of QC presented with clinical signs of TMDs. The qualitative CBCT findings revealed significantly higher osteoarthritic changes in QC than in NQC: osteophyte (51.2% vs 22.7%; P = .008), subcortical sclerosis (48.8% vs 27.3%; P = .047), articular surface flattening (46.3% vs 6.8%; P = .009) and subcortical cysts (43.9% vs 4.5%; P < .001). However, CBCT quantitative findings (condylar dimensions) did not show significant differences between the two groups. The chewing side of the QC group showed slightly more changes compared to the non-chewing side. The results demonstrate that qat chewing has detrimental effects on TMJ manifested mainly as osteoarthritic changes. Further large-scale studies are recommended.     

Three-dimensional analysis of temporomandibular joint in Chinese adults with normal occlusion and harmonious skeleton

Oral Radiology - This study aimed to analyze the detailed three-dimensional measurements of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in Chinese adults with normal occlusion and harmonious skeleton. In 51...     

Phylogenetic Analysis of MERS-CoV in a Camel Abattoir,Saudi Arabia, 2016–2018

We detected Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) RNA in 305/1,131 (27%) camels tested at an abattoir in Al Hasa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, during January 2016–March 2018. We characterized 48 full-length MERS-CoV genomes and noted the viruses clustered in MERS-CoV lineage 5 clade B.