Retrospective analysis on prognosis of oral cancer patients according to surgical approaches for effective cancer ablation: swing approach versus visor approach.

BACKGROUND: For the surgical treatment of oral cancer, it is sometimes necessary to expand intraoral access within the oral cavity. The "swing approach" that involves lip splitting of the mandible and temporary mandibular osteotomy and the "visor approach" that does not split the lower lip and mandible are mainly used. This study analyzed postoperative outcomes such as complications, recurrence rate, and survival rate by these two approaches. The goal of this study is to evaluate the surgical outcomes of patients using these two approaches, to propose effective perioperative management for oral cancer surgery, and to compare the prognosis of oral cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2005 to 2020, 29 patients who underwent surgery at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Pusan National University Dental Hospital for oral cancer lesions occurred in the mandible, floor of mouth, and tongue were selected for the study. Based on the surgical approach used, a chart review was conducted on various prognostic clinical factors such as the patients' sex and age, primary site, TNM stage, histopathologic grade, recurrence and metastasis, postoperative survival rate, adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy, satisfaction with aesthetics/function/swallowing, length of hospital stay, tracheostomy and its duration, and neck dissection and its type. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) through Fisher's exact t-test. RESULT: There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in terms of clinical and pathological findings, such as survival rate, the need for adjuvant therapies, and the local recurrence rate. Although better outcomes were observed in terms of function, aesthetics, and postoperative complications in the group with visor approach, there was still no statistically significant difference between two groups. However, the duration of hospital stay was shorter in the visor approach group. CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference in clinical prognostic factors between the swing approach and the visor approach. Therefore, when choosing between the two approaches for the ablation of oral cancer, it is considered to select the surgical priority approach that can be easy access based on the size and location of the lesion. The visor approach had advantages of aesthetics and healing period.

Irreducible Ankle Fracture Dislocation Because of Tibialis Posterior and Flexor Digitorum Longus Tendon Entrapment in the Interosseous Membrane: A Case Report.

CASE: We describe the case of a 63-year-old man with anterior ankle dislocation and fracture confirmed by x-ray. Postreduction x-ray and computed tomography (CT) revealed Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) type 44C3 and Lauge-Hansen pronation-external rotation-type ankle fractures. CONCLUSION: This was a rare case of ankle fracture dislocation because of entrapment of the tibialis posterior and flexor digitorum longus tendons in the interosseous membrane. Tendon entrapment should be suspected in cases of high-energy injuries, Weber type C fractures, Lauge-Hansen pronation-external rotation fractures, syndesmosis widening, and irreducible fractures using manual closed reduction. Fractures and soft tissues should be evaluated by changing the CT settings.

Saccharin and aspartame excite rat retinal neurons.

Retinal sensitivity to a variety of artificial sweeteners was tested by monitoring changes in internal free calcium in isolated retinal neurons using Fluo3. Several ligands, including aspartame and saccharin elevated internal free calcium. The effects of these ligands were mediated by both ligand-gated membrane channels and G-protein coupled receptors. We explored the receptors responsible for this phenomenon. Surprisingly, mRNA for subunits of the sweet taste receptor dimer (T1R2 and T1R3) were found in retina. Interestingly, knockdown of T1R2 reduced the response to saccharin but not aspartame. But TRPV1 channel antagonists suppressed the responses to aspartame. The results indicate that artificial sweeteners can increase internal free calcium in the retinal neurons through multiple pathways. Furthermore, aspartame reduced the b-wave, but not the a-wave, of the electroretinogram, indicating disruption of communication between photoreceptors and second order neurons.

Surgical outcomes of acetabular fracture of elderly patients with superomedial dome impaction.

This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of elderly acetabular fractures according to the reduction of impacted dome fragments. A retrospective cohort study was performed in two institutions. Fifty-four patients aged ≥ 60 years with acetabular fractures were enrolled. Data for dome impaction and postoperative reduction was collected. Patients were divided into the good reduction group (displacement ≤ 3 mm) and poor reduction group (displacement > 3 mm). Postoperative osteoarthritis (OA), Harris hip score (HHS), total hip arthroplasty conversion, good/poor outcomes were compared between the two groups. The good reduction group (N = 45) demonstrated a lower proportion of radiographic OA (18 vs. 77%, P = 0.001), higher HHS (82.1 vs. 68.6, P = 0.022), and higher proportion of good outcomes than the poor reduction group (N = 9) (89 vs. 22%, P < 0.001). In a subgroup analysis of the patients with dome impaction, the good reduction group had a higher proportion of good outcomes (80 vs. 20%, P = 0.031). On comparing within the good reduction group, dome impaction did not influence clinical outcomes. Elderly acetabular fractures demonstrated favorable outcomes when adequate reduction was achieved even with dome impaction. Well-reduced dome impaction could achieve satisfactory outcomes in elderly acetabular fractures.

Aortic Injury After Shoulder Reduction in a Patient with Multiple Rib Fractures: A Case Report.

CASE: A 74-year-old woman presented with multiple rib fractures, hemothorax, spleen rupture, and right shoulder dislocation. Shoulder joint reduction was performed using the traction-countertraction method. An injury to the descending aorta, caused by the seventh rib, was confirmed. CONCLUSION: The authors encountered an aortic injury, a rare complication of shoulder joint reduction, in a patient with a posterior rib fracture. When managing patients with posterior fractures of the fourth to ninth ribs on the left side, the reduction method should be carefully selected depending on the status of the patient to avoid aortic injuries.

Femoral head fracture with large crushed defect in weight-bearing area treated with autologous osteochondral transplantation (repositionplasty): A case report.

RATIONALE: Femoral head fracture is a rare type of fracture commonly associated with hip dislocation. Femoral head fracture treatments include conservative treatment, fragment excision, open reduction, internal fixation, and arthroplasty. In cases of young patients, open reduction and internal fixation are preferred over arthroplasty. Pipkin type 2 fractures are treated with open reduction and internal fixation in most cases because the fracture line extends upward of the fovea and includes the femoral head-acetabular weight-bearing joint surface. However, if the fracture is severely comminuted or crushed, good results are difficult to obtain with open reduction and internal fixation. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 23-years-old male patient presented to the emergency room with right hip pain after 4-m fall. DIAGNOSIS: In initial image work up, he was diagnosed with right posterior hip dislocation and a Pipkin type 2 femoral head fracture with an ipsilateral superior ramus fracture. After manual reduction, simple radiography and computed tomography showed reduction of the hip joint and a large osteochondral defect of approximately 6 cm2 in the weight-bearing area on the superomedial side of the femoral head. INTERVENTIONS: This was treated with a novel surgery named autologous osteochondral transplantation (repositionplasty), devised by the authors. OUTCOMES: The congruent reduction was confirmed by radiography and computed tomography immediately after the surgery. At 5 years postoperatively, the Harris Hip Score was 100 points and no discomfort, femoral head collapse, osteonecrosis, or traumatic arthritis were observed on follow-up radiographs. LESSONS: We think this method "repositionplasty" will be a good treatment method for young patients with a large defect in the weight-bearing part of the femoral head who cannot undergo open reduction and internal fixation.

Development of a machine learning model for the prediction of the short-term mortality in patients in the intensive care unit.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a machine learning model that predicts short-term mortality in the intensive care unit using the trends of four easy-to-collect vital signs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary training cohort included 1968 patients at the Veterans Health Service Medical Center. The external validation cohort comprised 409 patients at Seoul National University Hospital. Datasets of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) measured every hour for 10 h were used. The performances of mortality prediction models generated using five machine learning algorithms, Random Forest (RF), XGboost, perceptron, convolutional neural network, and Long Short-Term Memory, were calculated and compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values and an external validation dataset. RESULTS: The machine learning model generated using the RF algorithm showed the best performance. Its AUROC was 0.922, which is much better than the 0.8408 of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II. The machine learning model developed using SpO2 showed the best performance (AUROC, 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: This simple yet powerful new mortality prediction model could be useful for early detection of probable mortality and appropriate medical intervention, especially in rapidly deteriorating patients.

Sequential treatment from mandibulectomy to reconstruction on mandibular oral cancer - Case review II: mandibular anterior and the floor of the mouth lesion of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and clear cell odontogenic carcinoma.

Preoperative patient analysis for oral cancer involves multiple considerations that are based on multiple factors; these include TNM stages, histopathologic findings, and adjacent anatomical structures. Once the decision is made to excise the lesion, the margin of dissection and its extent should be considered along with the best form of reconstruction and airway management. Treatment methods include surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Although the combined method of treatment is controversial, surgical resection is considered predominantly, and immediate reconstruction after surgical resection follows. The choice of treatment is dictated by the anticipated functional and esthetic results of treatment and also by the availability of a surgeon with the required expertise. Segmental mandibulectomy with primary reconstruction has been shown to have advantages in both functional and esthetic results. A 52-year-old male patient with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth, and the anterior portion of the mandible was treated with surgical procedures that included segmental mandibulectomy with both supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) at Levels I-III and mandible reconstruction with a left fibula free flap. A 55-year-old male patient with clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of the oral cavity underwent segmental mandibulectomy with both SOHND at Levels I-III and mandible reconstruction with a left fibula free flap. The purpose of this study was to review the anatomic and functional results of patients after immediate reconstruction with a fibula free flap following resection of carcinoma in the anterior portion of the mandible and floor of the mouth.

3D printed device for epitachophoresis.

Polyacrylamide or agarose gels are the most frequently used sieving and stabilizing media in slab gel electrophoresis. Recently, we have introduced a new electrophoretic technique for concentration/separation of milliliter sample volumes. In this technique, the gel is used primarily as an anticonvection media eliminating liquid flow during the electromigration. While serving well for the liquid stabilization, the gels can undergo deformation when exposed to a discontinuous electrolyte buffer system used in epitachophoresis. In this work, we have explored 3D printing to form rigid stabilizing manifolds to minimize liquid flow during the epitachophoresis run. The whole device was printed using the stereolithography technique from a low water-absorbing resin. The stabilizing manifold, serving as the gel substitute, was printed as a replaceable composite structure preventing electrolyte mixing during the separation. Different geometries of the 3D printed stabilizing manifolds were tested for use in concentrating ionic sample components without spatial separation. The presented device can focus analytes from 3 or 4 mL of the sample to 150 µL or less, depending on the collection cup size. With the 150 µL collection cup, this represents the enrichment factor from 20 to 27. The time of concentration was from 15 to 25 min, depending on stabilization media and power used.

Epitachophoresis is a novel versatile total nucleic acid extraction method.

Epitachophoresis is a novel next generation extraction system capable of isolating DNA and RNA simultaneously from clinically relevant samples. Here we build on the versatility of Epitachophoresis by extracting diverse nucleic acids ranging in lengths (20 nt-290 Kbp). The quality of extracted miRNA, mRNA and gDNA was assessed by downstream Next-Generation Sequencing.

The Development of a Novel Device Based on Loss of Guidewire Resistance to Identify Epidural Space in a Porcine Model.

Background: The application of additive manufacturing (3D printing) has been recently expanded to various medical fields. The new technique named loss of guide wire resistance (LOGR) was developed via 3D printing for the detection of epidural space using a guide wire instead of air or saline used in the loss of resistance (LOR) technique. Methods: The prototype model of epidural space finder consists of a polyactic acid (PLA) or a resin. It was manufactured with 3D printing. Biocompatibility test (eluate and sterility tests) was performed in both products. The advantage of the newly developed device was compared with conventional loss of resistance (LOR) technique in a porcine model. Results: Eluate and sterility tests revealed that the PLA was more biocompatible than the resin. The LOGR technique facilitated rapid access to epidural space compared with the LOR technique (41.64 ± 32.18 vs. 92.28 ± 61.46 seconds, N = 14, p=0.0102, paired sample t-test), without any differences in success rate (87.5%). Conclusion: We conclude that LOGR technique is comparable to LOR technique to access the epidural space, although the advantage of either technique in terms of complications such as dural puncture or epidural hematoma is unknown. We demonstrated the potential benefit of 3D printer for the development of a new medical device for anesthesia.

A fiberoptic orotracheal intubation successfully performed using a modified Guedel airway in a sedated emergency patient - A case report.

BACKGROUND: Fiberoptic intubation is a powerful and safe technique to deal with airway difficulty, but it requires a lot of training to be able to perform correctly. There are various specialized oral airways for fiberoptic intubation, but none of them have perfect functionality. CASE: A 75-year-old male (body weight 71.6 kg, height 159.3 cm, body mass index 28.22 kg/m2) was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, and it was decided to do a laparoscopic appendectomy. After the induction of general anesthesia, it was impossible to insert the direct laryngoscope deep enough for vocal cord visualization without damaging the teeth because of limited mouth opening. We successfully performed fiberoptic intubation with a newly modified Guedel airway via a longitudinal channel on the convex side and a distal opened lingual end. CONCLUSIONS: Our modified Guedel airway can be useful in assisting fiberoptic intubation in unexpectedly difficult airway situations.

Caffeine inhibition of ionotropic glycine receptors.

We found that caffeine is a structural analogue of strychnine and a competitive antagonist at ionotropic glycine receptors (GlyRs). Docking simulations indicate that caffeine and strychnine may bind to similar sites at the GlyR. The R131A GlyR mutation, which reduces strychnine antagonism without suppressing activation by glycine, also reduces caffeine antagonism. GlyR subtypes have differing caffeine sensitivity. Tested against the EC(50) of each GlyR subtype, the order of caffeine potency (IC(50)) is: alpha2beta (248 +/- 32 microm) alpha3beta (255 +/- 16 microm) > alpha4beta (517 +/- 50 microm) > alpha1beta(837 +/- 132 microm). However, because the alpha3beta GlyR is more than 3-fold less sensitive to glycine than any of the other GlyR subtypes, this receptor is most effectively blocked by caffeine. The glycine dose-response curves and the effects of caffeine indicate that amphibian retinal ganglion cells do not express a plethora of GlyR subtypes and are dominated by the alpha1beta GlyR. Comparing the effects of caffeine on glycinergic spontaneous and evoked IPSCs indicates that evoked release elevates the glycine concentration at some synapses whereas summation elicits evoked IPSCs at other synapses. Caffeine serves to identify the pharmacophore of strychnine and produces near-complete inhibition of glycine receptors at concentrations commonly employed to stimulate ryanodine receptors.

Reversible Horner's syndrome after cervical spinal cord stimulator implantation in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome.

We successfully performed cervical spinal cord stimulator (SCS) surgery in a 27-year-old man with complex regional pain syndrome to control intractable pain. The SCS trial was performed twice to adjust the SCS coverage region. After permanent implantation surgery, the patient developed Horner's syndrome when the region near the C4 spinal dorsal root was stimulated. However, Horner's syndrome disappeared after changing the stimulation leads. This case report suggests that cervical SCS can be associated with superior cervical ganglion stimulation.

Necrosis of the thumb after inadvertent injection of diclofenac in the radial artery: a case report.

Inadvertent intra-arterial drug injection occurs rarely, but it can cause very serious clinical complications, and thus, awareness of inadvertent intra-arterial drug injection is needed. The complications mainly result from iatrogenic reasons and can occur because of vascular variations in the arteries, under circumstances where normal intravenous injection is difficult, or in drug abusers who perform self-injection. The adverse effect associated with intra-arterial drug injection is serious and may lead to necrosis, requiring amputation of the affected extremity, infection, pseudoaneurysm, rhabdomyolysis, compartment syndrome, and permanent disability. However, the etiology of such adverse effects has not been clearly identified and treatment methods have not yet been established. We encountered a patient who developed necrosis of the thumb after an inadvertent injection of diclofenac sodium in the radial artery due to variations in the forearm arteries. Here, we report the prevention and treatment of, and precautions against, the dangers of intra-arterial drug injection.

Blu-ray based optomagnetic aptasensor for detection of small molecules.

This paper describes an aptamer-based optomagnetic biosensor for detection of a small molecule based on target binding-induced inhibition of magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) clustering. For the detection of a target small molecule, two mutually exclusive binding reactions (aptamer-target binding and aptamer-DNA linker hybridization) are designed. An aptamer specific to the target and a DNA linker complementary to a part of the aptamer sequence are immobilized onto separate MNPs. Hybridization of the DNA linker and the aptamer induces formation of MNP clusters. The target-to-aptamer binding on MNPs prior to the addition of linker-functionalized MNPs significantly hinders the hybridization reaction, thus reducing the degree of MNP clustering. The clustering state, which is thus related to the target concentration, is then quantitatively determined by an optomagnetic readout technique that provides the hydrodynamic size distribution of MNPs and their clusters. A commercial Blu-ray optical pickup unit is used for optical signal acquisition, which enables the establishment of a low-cost and miniaturized biosensing platform. Experimental results show that the degree of MNP clustering correlates well with the concentration of a target small molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in this work, in the range between 10µM and 10mM. This successful proof-of-concept indicates that our optomagnetic aptasensor can be further developed as a low-cost biosensing platform for detection of small molecule biomarkers in an out-of-lab setting.

Risk Factors of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Progression after Conservative Management of Cases with Initially Acute Subdural Hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) patients are treated conservatively or surgically according to the guidelines for surgical treatment. Many patients with thin ASDH and mild neurologic deficit are managed conservatively, but sometimes aggravation of thin ASDH to chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) results in exacerbated clinical symtoms and consequently requires surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate risk factors that indicate progression of initially non-operated ASDH to CSDH. METHODS: We divided 177 patients, presenting with ASDH (managed conservatively initially) between January 2008 to December 2013, into two groups; 'CSDH progression group' (n=16) and 'non-CSDH progression group' (n=161). Patient's data including age, sex, past medical history, medication were collected and brain computed tomography was used for radiologic analysis. RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that no significant intergroup difference with respect to age, sex ratio, co-morbid conditions, medication history, ischemic heart disease, liver disease and end-stage renal disease was found. However, Hounsfield unit (hematoma density) and mixed density was higher in the 'ASDH progression group' (67.50±7.63) than in the 'non-CSDH progression group' (61.53±10.69) (p=0.031). Midline shifting and hematoma depth in the 'CSDH progression group' were significantly greater than the 'non-CSDH progression group' (p=0.067, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the risk factors that are related to progression of initially non-operated ASDH to CSDH are higher Hounsfield unit and hematoma depth. Therefore, we suggest that ASDH patients, who have bigger hematoma depth and higher Hounsfield unit, should be monitored and managed carefully during the follow-up period.

Anesthetic management of a patient with polycythemia vera undergoing emergency repair of a type-A aortic dissection and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting: a case report.

Polycythemia vera is a chronic progressive myeloproliferative disease characterized by increased circulating red blood cells, and the hyperviscosity of the blood can lead to an increased risk of arterial thrombosis. In a previous survey regarding postoperative outcomes in polycythemia vera patients, an increased risk of both vascular occlusive and hemorrhagic complications have been reported. Aortic surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass may be associated with the development of a coagulopathy, and as a result, the occurrence of thrombotic complications should be avoided after coronary anastomosis. Thus, optimizing the hemostatic balance is an important concern for anesthesiologists. However, only a few cases of anesthetic management in polycythemia vera patients undergoing concomitant aorta and coronary arterial bypass surgery have ever been reported. Here, we experience a polycythemia vera patient who underwent an emergency repair of a type-A aortic dissection and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting, and report this case with a review of the relevant literature.

Mathematical Model for Biomolecular Quantification Using Large-Area Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Mapping.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on nanostructured platforms is a promising technique for quantitative and highly sensitive detection of biomolecules in the field of analytical biochemistry. Here, we report a mathematical model to predict experimental SERS signal (or hotspot) intensity distributions of target molecules on receptor-functionalized nanopillar substrates for biomolecular quantification. We demonstrate that by utilizing only a small set of empirically determined parameters, our general theoretical framework agrees with the experimental data particularly well in the picomolar concentration regimes. This developed model may be generally used for biomolecular quantification using Raman mapping on SERS substrates with planar geometries, in which the hotspots are approximated as electromagnetic enhancement fields generated by closely spaced dimers. Lastly, we also show that the detection limit of a specific target molecule, TAMRA-labeled vasopressin, approaches the single molecule level, thus opening up an exciting new chapter in the field of SERS quantification.

An aptameric graphene nanosensor for label-free detection of small-molecule biomarkers.

This paper presents an aptameric graphene nanosensor for detection of small-molecule biomarkers. To address difficulties in direct detection of small molecules associated with their low molecular weight and electrical charge, we incorporate an aptamer-based competitive affinity assay in a graphene field effect transistor (FET), and demonstrate the utility of the nanosensor with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), a small-molecule steroid hormone, as the target analyte. In the competitive affinity assay, DHEA-S specifically binds to aptamer molecules pre-hybridized to their complementary DNA anchor molecules immobilized on the graphene surface. This results in the competitive release of the strongly charged aptamer from the DNA anchor and hence a change in electrical properties of the graphene, which can be measured to achieve the detection of DHEA-S. We present experimental data on the label-free, specific and quantitative detection of DHEA-S at clinically appropriate concentrations with an estimated detection limit of 44.7 nM, and analyze the trend observed in the experiments using molecular binding kinetics theory. These results demonstrate the potential of our nanosensor in the detection of DHEA-S and other small molecules in biomedical applications.