Case report of open appendectomy in treating acute perforated appendicitis with necrotizing fasciitis of the abdominal wall: A rare complication of a common disease

Acute appendicitis can be associated with uncommon complications such as necrotizing fasciitis. We present a case of a 37‐year‐old woman referred to our hospital with a 1‐week history of significant weakness, anorexia, and mild abdominal pain. According to laboratory and radiographic data, the patient was diagnosed with perforated appendicitis and gangrene.     

Areca catechu—From farm to food and biomedical applications

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.     

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Highlighting medicinal plants toward biomolecules discovery for upcoming drugs formulation

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) can be triggered by a various types of gynecological, gastrointestinal, urological, and musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, the role of the central nervous system has proven to be an integral part on the development of any chronic pain syndrome, including CPPS. However, owing to the complex and heterogeneous etiology and pathophysiology of CPPS, the establishment of effective therapeutic interventions remains challenging for both physicians and patients. Nonetheless, recent studies have pointed that medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites can be effectively used in CPPS therapy, besides contributing to restore the patients' quality of life and potentiate the conventional CPPS management. In this sense, this review aims to provide a careful overview on the biomedical data for the use of medicinal plants use and their secondary metabolites on CPPS management.     

Association Analysis Between the rs1899663 Polymorphism of HOTAIR and Risk of Psychiatric Conditions in an Iranian Population

Journal of Molecular Neuroscience - Recent studies have shown contribution of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of a number of psychiatric disorders. In the current study, we...     

Assessment of Left Ventricular Viscoelastic Components Based on Ventricular Harmonic Behavior

Background: Assessment of left ventricular (LV) function with an emphasis on contractility has been a challenge in cardiac mechanics during the recent decades. The LV function is usually described by the LV pressure-volume (P-V) relationship. Based on this relationship, the ratio of instantaneous pressure to instantaneous volume is an index for LV chamber stiffness. The standard P-V diagrams are easy to interpret but difficult to obtain and require invasive instrumentation for measuring the corresponding volume and pressure data. In the present study, we introduce a technique that can estimate viscoelastic properties, not only the elastic component but also the viscous properties of the LV based on oscillatory behavior of the ventricular chamber and it can be applied non-invasively as well. Materials and Methods: The estimation technique is based on modeling the actual long axis displacement of the mitral annulus plane toward the cardiac base as a linear damped oscillator with time-varying coefficients. Elastic deformations resulting from the changes in the ventricular mechanical properties of myocardium are represented as a time-varying spring while the viscous components of the model include a time-varying viscous damper, representing relaxation and the frictional energy loss. To measure the left ventricular axial displacement ten healthy sheep underwent left thoracotomy and sonomicrometry transducers were implanted at the apex and base of the LV. The time-varying parameters of the model were estimated by a standard Recursive Linear Least Squares (RLLS) technique. Results: LV stiffness at end-systole and end-diastole was in the range of 61.86–136 dyne/g.cm and 1.25–21.02 dyne/g.cm, respectively. Univariate linear regression was performed to verify the agreement between the estimated parameters, and the measured values of stiffness. The averaged magnitude of the stiffness and damping coefficients during a complete cardiac cycle were estimated as 58.63±12.8 dyne/g.cm and 0 dyne.s/g.cm, respectively. Conclusion: The results for the estimated elastic coefficients are consistent with the ones obtained from force-displacement diagram. The trend of change in the estimated parameters is also in harmony with the previous studies done using P-V diagram. The only input used in this model is the long axis displacement of the annulus plane, which can also be obtained non-invasively using tissue Doppler or MR imaging.     

Comparison of chest CT scan findings between COVID-19 and pulmonary contusion in trauma patients based on RSNA criteria: Established novel criteria for trauma victims

ProposeIn this study, we re-assessed the criteria defined by the radiological society of North America (RSNA) to determine novel radiological findings helping the physicians differentiating COVID-19 from pulmonary contusion.MethodsAll trauma patients with blunt chest wall trauma and subsequent pulmonary contusion, COVID-19-related signs and symptoms before the trauma were enrolled in this retrospective study from February to May 2020. Included patients (Group P) were then classified into two groups based on polymerase chain reaction tests (Group Pa for positive patients and Pb for negative ones). Moreover, 44 patients from the pre-pandemic period (Group PP) were enrolled. They were matched to Group P regarding age, sex, and trauma-related scores. Two radiologists blindly reviewed the CT images of all enrolled patients according to criteria defined by the RSNA criteria. The radiological findings were compared between Group P and Group PP; statistically significant ones were re-evaluated between Group Pa and Group Pb thereafter. Finally, the sensitivity and specificity of each significant findings were calculated. The Chi-square test was used to compare the radiological findings between Group P and Group PP.ResultsIn the Group PP, 73.7% of all ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and 80% of all multiple bilateral GGOs were detected (p < 0.001 and p = 0.25, respectively). Single bilateral GGOs were only seen among the Group PP. The Chi-square tests showed that the prevalence of diffused GGOs, multiple unilateral GGOs, multiple consolidations, and multiple bilateral consolidations were significantly higher in the Group P (p = 0.001, 0.01, 0.003, and 0.003, respectively). However, GGOs with irregular borders and single consolidations were more significant among the Group PP (p = 0.01 and 0.003, respectively). Of note, reticular distortions and subpleural spares were exclusively detected in the Group PP.ConclusionWe concluded that the criteria set by RSNA for the diagnosis of COVID-19 are not appropriate in trauma patients. The clinical signs and symptoms are not always useful either. The presence of multiple unilateral GGOs, diffused GGOs, and multiple bilateral consolidations favor COVID-19 with 88%, 97.62%, and 77.7% diagnostic accuracy.     

Should we change our approach to resuscitating victims of femoral fracture?A clinical experience in a busy trauma hospital in Shiraz,Iran

Purpose Traumatic hemorrhagic shock is a life-threatening event worldwide.Severe brain trauma accompanying femoral fractures can trigger inflammatory responses in the body and increase pre-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α,IL-1.The primary treatment in these cases is hydration with crystalloids,which has both benefits and complications.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fluid therapy on the hemodynamics,coagulation profiles,and blood gases in such patients.Methods In this cross-sectional study,patients were divided into two groups:femoral fracture group and non-femoral group.The hemodynamic status,coagulation profile,and blood gases of patients in both groups were evaluated upon arrival at the hospital and again 2 h later.Data were analyzed by t-test and ANOVA with repeated data and paired samples t-test.Results A total of 681 trauma patients(605 men and 76 women)participated in this study,including 69(86.3%)men and 11(13.8%)women in femoral fracture group and 536 men(89.2%)and 65 women(10.8%)in non-femoral group.The laboratory parameters were evaluated in response to the equal amount of crystalloid fluid given upon arrival and 2 h later.Blood gases decreased in the fracture group despite fluid therapy(p<0.003),and the coagulation profile worsened although the change was not statistically significant.Conclusion The treatment of multiple-trauma patients with femoral bone fractures should be more concerned with the need for the infusion of vasopressors such as norepinephrine.If there is evidence of clinical shock,excessive crystalloid infusion(limited to 1 L)should be avoided,and blood and blood products should be started as soon as possible.     

Increased Radioresistance to Lethal Doses of Gamma Rays in Mice and Rats after Exposure to Microwave Radiation Emitted by a GSM Mobile Phone Simulator

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-irradiation with microwaves on the induction of radioadaptive response. In the 1^st phase of the study, 110 male mice were divided into 8 groups. The animals in these groups were exposed/sham-exposed to microwave, low dose rate gamma or both for 5 days. On day six, the animals were exposed to a lethal dose (LD). In the 2^nd phase, 30 male rats were divided into 2 groups of 15 animals. The 1^st group received microwave exposure. The 2^nd group (controls) received the same LD but there was no treatment before the LD. On day 5, all animals were whole-body irradiated with the LD. Statistically significant differences between the survival rate of the mice only exposed to lethal dose of gamma radiation before irradiation with a lethal dose of gamma radiation with those of the animals pre-exposed to either microwave (p=0.02), low dose rate gamma (p=0.001) or both of these physical adapting doses (p=0.003) were observed. Likewise, a statistically significant difference between survival rates of the rats in control and test groups was observed. Altogether, these experiments showed that exposure to microwave radiation may induce a significant survival adaptive response.