Improved pulmonary function after concave rib resection and posterior instrumentation for idiopathic scoliosis

The authors conducted a prospective study in order to evaluate the effect'of concave rib osteotomy on pulmonary function, in the context of posterior instrumentation for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Concave rib osteotomy improves the flexibility of the spine, especially in very rigid curves above 70. Seventy-eight consecutive children with a Cobb angle above 70 degrees were included in the study. Pulmonary function was measured preoperatively and at 12 months postoperatively. After surgery, all patients took part at an intense pulmonary rehabilitation program. The mean preoperative Cobb angle of 91.70 improved to an average of 29.50. Unexpectedly, the postoperative pulmonary function, measured as an absolute value after one year, was significantly better than the preoperative pulmonary function. Very probably the concave rib osteotomy had allowed expansion of the thoracic cage. Most other studies about scoliosis surgery with disruption of the rib cage have reported a stabilized or a diminished pulmonary function. An exception might be the use of expansion thoracostomy with insertion of vertical expandable prosthetic titanium ribs in congenital scoliosis.     

Instrumented in situ posterolateral fusion for low-grade lytic spondylolisthesis in adults

Lytic olisthesis is an accepted cause of low back pain and may also be associated with leg pain. When conservative treatment fails, operative management with fusion and if necessary decompression is considered. Most reports regarding surgical management in the literature relate to children or adolescents. This paper reviews 75 adult cases treated by in situ pedicular fixation and posterolateral fusion with simultaneous decompression in 55 cases. The mean follow-up was 72 months. Ninety-six percent of the cases had a satisfactory clinical outcome, and this correlates closely with a solid fusion. This approach therefore appears to be safe and successful in the treatment of symptomatic low-grade lytic spondylolisthesis in adults.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">L</Emphasis>-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients

Poor physical fitness is a common problem among thalassemic patients. l-Carnitine plays an essential role in fatty acid β-oxidation, a process especially important in the organs that preferentially use fatty acid as a source of energy such as the myocardium and the skeletal muscles. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of the administration of oral l-carnitine on exercise tolerance and physical fitness in patients with thalassemia major. Thirty patients followed up at the New Cairo University Children Hospital were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed before and after 6 months of oral l-carnitine therapy (50 mg/kg/day). The oxygen consumption, cardiac output, and oxygen pulse at maximal exercise significantly increased after l-carnitine therapy (p<0.001, p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). However, there was no significant change in minute ventilation and ventilatory equivalent of carbon dioxide (p=0.07 and p=0.06, respectively). A weak but positive correlation between the age of the patients and the degree of improvement in exercise parameters was noted. There was also significant increase in the blood transfusion intervals after l-carnitine administration (p=0.008). However, there was no significant change in hemoglobin concentration (p=0.4). l-Carnitine seems to be a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach in thalassemic patients. It improves their cardiac performance and physical fitness. The younger the patients are, the higher is the degree of improvement in their exercise parameters.     

Botulinum toxin A for palmar hyperhidrosis: assessment with sympathetic skin responses evoked by train of stimuli

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Carbon dots conjugated nanocomposite for the enhanced electrochemical performance of supercapacitor electrodes

Naturally, a combination of metal oxides and carbon materials enhances the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor (SC) electrodes. We report on two different materials with highly conductive carbon dots (CDs) and a Co_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ nanocomposite with a high power density, a high specific surface area, and a nanoporous structure to improve power and energy density in energy storage devices. A simple and low-cost process for synthesizing the hybrid SC electrode material Co_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂/CDs, known as CDs-nanocomposite, was performed via a layer-by-layer method; then, the CDs-nanocomposite was loaded on a nickel foam substrate for SC electrochemical measurements. A comparative study of the surface and morphology of CDs, the Co_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ nanocomposite and CDs-nanocomposite was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), BET surface area, and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized CDs-nanocomposite electrode material displayed enhanced electrochemical performance, having a high specific capacitance of 913.7 F g⁻¹ at a scan rate of 5 mV s⁻¹ and capacitance retention of 72.2%, as well as remarkable long-life cyclic stability over 3000 cycles in the three-electrode setup and 1 M KOH electrolyte. It also demonstrated a superior energy density of 130.7 W h kg⁻¹. The improved electrochemical behavior of the CDs-nanocomposite for SC electrodes, together with its fast and simple synthesis method, provides a suitable point of reference. Other kinds of metal oxide nanocomposites can be synthesized for use in energy storage devices.

Schematic diagram for the detailed steps of loading CDs-nanocomposite on nickel foam (NF) substrate to enhance the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor (SC) electrodes.     

Current aspects of blastocyst cryopreservation

Cryopreservation of human gametes and embryos has become an essential part of assisted reproduction. Successful cryopreservation of human blastocysts is increasingly relevant as extended in-vitro culture of human embryos becomes more common, permitting routine use of blastocyst transfer in IVF programmes. This reduces the number of embryos transferred, thereby reducing multiple pregnancies and maximizing cumulative pregnancy rates per oocyte retrieval. The superiority of blastocyst freezing over earlier stage freezing in terms of implantation per thawed embryo transferred improves overall expectations for the cryopreservation programme. Therefore, a reliable procedure for the cryopreservation of blastocysts is needed because, after transfer, only a small number of supernumerary blastocysts are likely to be available for cryopreservation. Since the early 1980s, two common techniques have been used in cryopreservation: the conventional slow cooling method and the more recent rapid procedure known as vitrification. Vitrification has become an attractive alternative to slow freezing, since it appears to result in significantly higher survival and pregnancy rates. The aim of this review is to focus on the cryopreservation of human blastocysts using slow and rapid protocols and to assess the impact of the crypreservation protocol used on the survival, implantation and pregnancy rates.     

Reactions with acetoacetanilide: Synthesis and antibacterial activity of some new pyran,pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c]-pyridine derivatives

The reaction of acetoacetanilide (1) with the α-cyanocinnamonitrile derivatives2 yielded the Michael adducts4 which could be converted into the pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives5 via their reaction with hydrazine hydrate. Cyclisation of4 afforded the cyanoaminopyrans9 which could in turn be converted into the corresponding pyridine derivatives10. The pyranopyrazoles9 reacted with different activated nitrile derivatives (3a-c) to give the pyrano[2,3-c]pyridine derivatives13, 16 and19 respectively. The biological activity of the synthesised heterocyclic derivatives was investigated and discussed.