Endoscopic plantar fasciotomy: a retrospective analysis of results in 53 patients.

This retrospective study analyzes satisfaction of patients who had undergone an isolated endoscopic plantar fasciotomy (EPF) between January 1994 and January 1997. A subjective survey was completed and returned by 53 patients (a total of 69 feet), and a chart review was performed to determine final outcome. Postoperative follow-up averaged 7.2 months (range, 4-42 months). Postoperative pain levels were scored on a 7-point scale at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. Forty-three patients (81.1%) were satisfied with the EPF procedure and 10 patients (18.9%) were unsatisfied.     

The use of stress echocardiography in the assessment of mitral valvular disease

Stress echocardiography plays an important role in evaluating asymptomatic patients with significant mitral stenosis and symptomatic patients with only mild disease at rest, as it correlates the exercise-induced symptoms with changes in transmitral gradients, pulmonary pressures, and mitral valve area. In patients with mitral regurgitation (MR), exercise or dobutamine protocols assess for the change in the degree of regurgitation and the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in response to high flow states, and detect underlying left ventricular (LV) dysfunction prior to valvular surgery. Exercise echocardiography also helps in the prognostic assessment of patients with mitral valve prolapse as new MR, or latent LV dysfunction may be provoked to identify a group of high risk individuals with normal resting echocardiographic parameters. Finally, it evaluates the proper functioning of prosthetic mitral valves and helps on the monitoring of transmitral gradients and PAPs after mitral valve surgery.     

The Effect of Different Morphologies of WO3/GO Nanocomposite on Photocatalytic Performance

Tungsten trioxide/graphene oxide (WO₃/GO) nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized using in situ and ex situ chemical approaches. Graphite and tungsten carbide (WC) were employed to perform in situ synthesis, and WO₃ and GO were employed to perform the ex situ synthesis of WO₃/GO nanocomposites. GO, which was required for ex situ synthesis, is synthesized via the modified and improved Hummers method. XRD, SEM/EDS, and FTIR are used for the characterization of the nanocomposite. From the XRD of the WO₃/GO nanocomposites, it was observed that WO₃ distributed uniformly on graphene oxide sheets or was incorporated between the sheets. The photocatalytic activities of WO₃/GO nanocomposites were evaluated by methylene blue (MB) adsorption and visible light photocatalytic degradation activities by UV-vis spectroscopy. The results showed that the efficiency of the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite depends on different synthesis methods and the morphology resulting from the changed method. WO₃/GO nanocomposites synthesized by both methods exhibited much higher photocatalytic efficiencies than pure WO₃, and the best degradation efficiencies for MB was 96.30% for the WO₃/GO in situ synthesis nanocomposite.     

Sports and Energy Drink Consumption,Oral Health Problems and Performance Impact among Elite Athletes

Frequent consumption of sports and energy drinks among athletes is of concern due to its detrimental impact on oral health. The present study aimed to assess sports and energy drink consumption, oral health status and impacts on daily activities and sports performance among elite athletes from Pakistan. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics, sports and energy drink consumption, oral health and hygiene practices, self-reported oral health and psychosocial and performance impact was assessed using a self-administered, structured questionnaire followed by clinical oral examination by a single, experienced dentist. A total of 104 athletes, a majority of whom were male (80.8%), participated in the study. Around two third of the participants reported consumption of sports and energy drinks, energy gels or bars at least once a week, the commonest being Sting. Despite good oral hygiene practices, the athletes generally had poor oral health with high prevalence of dental caries (63.5%), gingivitis (46.1%), irreversible periodontitis (26.9%) and erosive tooth wear (21.2%). More than a quarter (28.8%) of the athletes rated their oral health as fair—very poor. Four in five athletes (80%) also experienced at least one oral problem with negative impacts on daily activities (64.4%) and participation training and sports performance (36.5%). Regression analyses revealed a significant association between periodontal disease and impact on both daily activities and sports performance. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting that high-prevalence sports and energy drink consumption and oral problems among elite athletes from Pakistan has a negative impact on daily activities and sports performance. These findings may have important implications for oral health education programs, and the need to create awareness among the athletes regarding the use of sports and energy drinks, as well as regular oral health screening of athletes to minimize the impact on performance.     

Prevalence of Human Coronaviruses in Children and Phylogenetic Analysis of HCoV-OC43 during 2016–2022 in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, routine surveillance combined with sequence and phylogenetic analysis of coronaviruses is urgently required. In the current study, the four common human coronaviruses (HCoVs), OC43, NL63, HKU1, and 229E, were screened in 361 clinical samples collected from hospitalized children with respiratory symptoms during four winter seasons. RT-PCR-based detection and typing revealed different prevalence rates of HCoVs across the four seasons. Interestingly, none of the four HCoVs were detected in the samples (n = 100) collected during the winter season of the COVID-19 pandemic. HCoV-OC43 (4.15%) was the most frequently detected, followed by 229E (1.1%). Partial sequences of S and N genes of OC43 from the winter seasons of 2015/2016 and 2021/2022 were used for sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Multiple sequence alignment of the two Saudi OC43s strains with international strains revealed the presence of sequence deletions and several mutations, of which some changed their corresponding amino acids. Glycosylation profiles revealed a number of O-and N-glycosylation sites in both genes. Based on phylogenetic analysis, four genotypes were observed with Riyadh strains grouped into the genotype C. Further long-term surveillance with a large number of clinical samples and sequences is necessary to resolve the circulation patterns and evolutionary kinetics of OC43 in Saudi Arabia.     

Selenium and high dose vitamin E administration protects cisplatin-induced oxidative damage to renal, liver and lens tissues in rats

Cisplatin is one of the most active cytotoxic agents in the treatment of cancer but its clinical use is associated with nephrotoxicity. Several studies suggest that supplementation with antioxidant can influence cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of selenium with high dose vitamin E administration on lipid peroxidation (MDA) and scavenging enzyme activity in kidneys, liver and lens of cisplatin-induced toxicity in rats. Forty female Wistar rats were used. They were randomly divided into five groups. The first and second groups were used as control and cisplatin (6 mg/kg BW) intraperitoneally administrated groups. Groups III, IV and V received intraperitoneally five doses of selenium (1.5 mg/kg BW) and a high dose of vitamin E (1000 mg/kg BW) combination before, simultaneously and after with cisplatin, respectively. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), vitamin E and beta-carotene levels in the kidney, lens and liver, vitamin A and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in the kidney were significantly (P<0.05 to <0.001) lower in the cisplatin group than in the control whereas there was a significant increase in kidney, liver and lens MDA levels in rats treated with cisplatin. The decreased antioxidant enzymes and vitamins and increased MDA levels in the kidney, lens and liver of animals administered with cisplatin were significantly (P<0.05 to <0.001) improved with selenium and a high dose vitamin E injection. In conclusion, this data demonstrates that there is an increase in lipid peroxidation in the kidney, liver and lens of animals administered with cisplatin whereas there is a decrease in antioxidant vitamins and enzymes. However, intraperitoneally injected selenium combined with a high dose of vitamin E seem to produce a significant improvement on antioxidants concentrations in rats treated before, simultaneously and after with cisplatin. The selenium with high dose vitamin E injection may play a role in preventing cisplatin-induced nephropathy and cataract formation in cancer patient.     

Proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells is suppressed by the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression of interferon-γ–treated skin cells in a co-culture system

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an intracellular tryptophan-oxidizing enzyme possessing various immunosuppressive characteristics. In this study, we report the possible use of this enzyme in an allogenic skin substitute to suppress the proliferation of immune cells. Human fetal skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes were treated with the cytokine interferon-gamma to induce expression of IDO mRNA and protein. IDO enzyme activity was evaluated by measurement of kynurenine levels in the interferon-gamma-treated and -untreated cells. Results of Northern analysis showed a dose-dependent response in expression of IDO mRNA to the various concentrations of interferon-gamma used. Northern blot analysis also showed a time-dependent expression of IDO in response to different durations of interferon-gamma treatment. The level of kynurenine measured, as the bioactivity of IDO enzyme, was significantly higher in the interferon-gamma-treated fibroblasts and keratinocytes compared to those of controls (p < 0.001). To illustrate the immunosuppressive effects of IDO on immune cell proliferation, IDO-expressing fibroblasts were cocultured with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells for a period of 5 days. Results of 3H-thymidine incorporation assays showed a significant reduction in proliferation of the mononuclear cells cocultured with IDO-expressing skin cells compared to monocytes cocultured with control (non-IDO-expressing) skin cells (p < 0.001). Furthermore, addition of the IDO-inhibitor (1-methyl-D-tryptophan) significantly reversed the immunosuppressive effects of IDO on monocyte proliferation (p < 0.001). In conclusion, suppression of peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation due to interferon-gamma-induced IDO-expression in allogenic human skin cells might shed new light on developing a nonrejectable allogenic skin substitute.