Review of the measles epidemic in children from Central Eastern Europe in the third millennium

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Review of the measles epidemic in children from Central Eastern Europe in the third millennium Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Aug;22(2):816. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10248. Epub 2021 Jun 2. ABSTRACT Measles is an extremely contagious viral disease. Even though a safe vaccine exists for this disease, it remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in infants and young children. We aimed to create a retrospective descriptive study in which to analyze the evolution of the measles epidemic at the European level. The documentation was carried out using European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. At the same time, we present the epidemic's evolution in Romania, using data provided by the Romanian National Institute of Public Health and Ministry of Health. European statistical data indicate a high number of patients diagnosed with measles both among children and adults. All European countries benefit from the measles vaccination in the form of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR ) trivaccine included in their National Vaccination Programme. The vaccination schedule varies from country to country. In the vaccination scheme, most European countries include two doses of the MMR vaccine among the pediatric population. Romania registered a limited number of cases of measles between 1980 and 2015 following the introduction of the measles vaccination in the National Vaccination Programme. Since 2005, the Romanian vaccination schedule includes two doses of MMR trivaccine, administered at 12 months and at 6-7 years. After 2015, as a result of a significant decrease in the number of vaccinated children, Romania is facing a major increase in the cases of measles. Consecutively, a measles epidemic was declared in 2016 and an additional dose of mandatory MMR trivaccine was introduced at the age of 9 months. After 4 years of this schedule of administration, starting with August 2020, the additional dose of MMR administered during infancy has been discontinued. We propose an analysis of the factors that influenced the downward evolution of the measles epidemic in Romania at the beginning of the third millennium. Issues related to the limitation of interpersonal contact in the context of the social distancing imposed by the Sars-CoV-2 virus pandemic are discussed. We consider necessary a detailed documentation of the percentage of new disease cases that will appear in the pediatric population in the near future, in the context of the resumption of daily activity after the reopening of nurseries, kindergartens and schools. PMID:34131439 | PMC:PMC8193220 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10248 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Using Ultrasound to Document the Effects of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) on the Geniohyoid Muscle

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Using Ultrasound to Document the Effects of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) on the Geniohyoid Muscle Via swallowing exercises Dysphagia. 2021 Jun 16. doi: 10.1007/s00455-021-10328-x. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is an exercise program designed to strengthen the muscles of expiration by increasing expiratory load during breathing exercises using either resistive or pressure threshold devices. Previous research has shown that EMST may increase submental suprahyoid muscle activity as measured with surface electromyography. The impact of EMST on submental muscles is of interest to those who treat dysphagia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cross-sectional area of the geniohyoid muscle changes as observed with ultrasound during a 5-week EMST program performed at 75% of maximum expiratory strength using the EMST150 device in healthy adults. Ten healthy adults participated in the 5-week program. Maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) and cross-sectional area of the geniohyoid muscle were measured weekly. Geniohyoid cross-sectional area was measured from ultrasound images recorded in the coronal plane. Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to determine whether there were significant changes among the dependent variables over the study period. Both MEP and geniohyoid area increased significantly in response to a 5-week program of EMST. EMST in healthy adults is effective at strengthening the geniohyoid muscle as reflected by significantly increased cross-sectional area measured with B-mode ultrasound. This is the first study to docume nt weekly change in muscle morphology as a result of EMST. Increasing geniohyoid muscle mass and consequent strength through a program of EMST may be beneficial for persons with pharyngeal stage dysphagia resulting from reduced hyolaryngeal elevation, reduced laryngeal closure, or reduced UES opening. PMID:34132896 | DOI:10.1007/s00455-021-10328-x View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Biologics in Otolaryngology: Triumphs, Challenges, and New Possibilities

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Biologics in Otolaryngology: Triumphs, Challenges, and New Possibilities Via Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America Therapeutic agents derived from living sources, including microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans, are known as "biologics." These agents have had a major impact on all subspecialties of otolaryngology in recent decades. For example, botulinum toxin has diverse applications in laryngology, facial plastic surgery, and the treatment of some salivary gland disorders. Monoclonal antibodies targeting specific cytokines have become indispensable to rhinologists for the treatment of nasal polyposis. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Benefiting Otolaryngology Patients with Biologics

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Benefiting Otolaryngology Patients with Biologics Via Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America Biologics, or biological medications, are used to prevent, treat, and cure disease. These drugs are developed from blood, proteins, viruses, and living organisms and from a variety of living sources, including mammals, birds, insects, plants, and bacteria. They can be made of tiny components like sugars, proteins, or DNA, or can be from whole cells or tissues. They have been used commonly in Medicine. We are all familiar with the biological medications such as Botox (botulinum toxin or onabotulinumtoxina) used for muscle tension, migraines, and wrinkles, and Lantus (long-acting insulin or insulin glargine) used for diabetes mellitus. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The Dysphonia Severity Index as a mediator for the relationship between the Vocal Fatigue Index and the Voice-Related Quality of Life among Elementary Teachers with Voice Complaint

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader The Dysphonia Severity Index as a mediator for the relationship between the Vocal Fatigue Index and the Voice-Related Quality of Life among Elementary Teachers with Voice Complaint Via Journal of Voice The multi-causal nature of voice disorders is required to be evaluated systematically and in different ways to determine the exact nature of the disorder. Given the importance of voice for teachers, the present study was designed to investigate the causal relationship between vocal fatigue index (VFI) and the voice-related quality of life (VRQOL) with the mediating role of the dysphonia severity index (DSI) among teachers with voice complaints. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Postoperative functional evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by computational fluid dynamics

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Postoperative functional evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by computational fluid dynamics Via Otolaryngology Indian Abstract The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and the corresponding postoperative airflow. Eleven patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome who complained of snoring and apnea were enrolled in this study. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was implemented. CFD could be accomplished in nine cases. Airflow analysis was not possible in cases with a high respiratory event index (REI) score. Before surgery, stenosis was identified in the oropharynx and epiglottic area. And the airflow velocity and pressure were found to have significantly decreased in the oropharynx postoperatively, while in the epiglottic area, those data had increased postoperatively in some cases. The velocity and pressure of the oropharynx are related to REI score. From the CFD analysis, airflow analysis is important for evaluating the apnea state. It is suggested that the postoperative function can now be predicted preoperatively. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

An MRI study of typical anatomical variants of the anterior communicating artery complex

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader An MRI study of typical anatomical variants of the anterior communicating artery complex Via radiol anat Surg Radiol Anat. 2021 Jun 16. doi: 10.1007/s00276-021-02782-x. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: This magnetic resonance imaging study examined the most frequent anatomical variants of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex of the cerebral arterial circle, and aimed to determine whether they were associated with ACoA complex aneurysm. METHODS: The study enrolled 669 patients. Using three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography, 617 p atients were classified into the following groups based on the anatomical variation in the ACoA complex: no ACoA complex anomaly; ACoA complex aneurysm; and vascular anomaly distant from the cerebral arterial circle. RESULTS: Of the 617 classified subjects, the classical anatomical description applied to 48.73% in the no ACoA complex anomaly group and 37.5% in the ACoA complex aneurysm group. One variant (left anterior cerebral artery segment A1 hypoplasia) was significantly more frequent in the ACoA complex aneurysm group. There was no sex difference in the prevalence of any variant. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomical variants of the ACoA complex of the cerebral arterial circle were found in almost half of the subjects. One variant seemed to be associated with a higher likelihood of an aneurysm, but causality could not be inferred. PMID:34132869 | DOI:10.1007/s00276-021-02782-x View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Defect Engineering of Nanoscale Hf-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient Iodine Capture

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Defect Engineering of Nanoscale Hf-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient Iodine Capture Via radioactive iodine Inorg Chem. 2021 Jun 16. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01120. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT With the rapid development of the nuclear industry, how to deal with radioactive iodine waste in a timely and effective manner has become an important issue to be solved urgently. Herein, the defect-engineering strategy has been applied to develop a metal-organic framework (MOF)-based solid adsorbent by using the classical UiO-type Hf-UiO-66 as an example. After simple acid treatment, the p roduced defect-containing Hf-UiO-66 (DHUN) not only retains its topological structure, high crystallization, and regular shape but also shows a great increase in the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller value and pore size in comparison with the original Hf-UiO (HUN). These formed defects within DHUN have been demonstrated to be important for the great enhancement of the iodine capture and following application in computed tomography imaging in vitro. This present work gives a new insight into the control and formation of defect sites, and this simple and efficient defect-engineering strategy also shows great promise for the development of novel solid adsorbents and other functional MOF materials. PMID:34133146 | DOI:< a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01120" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="underlink bluelink" tabindex="-1">10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01120 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The kidnapping of mitochondrial function associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader The kidnapping of mitochondrial function associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection Via Cellular and Molecular Biology Histol Histopathol. 2021 Jun 16:18354. doi: 10.14670/HH-18-354. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) leads to multi-organ failure associated with a cytokine storm and septic shock. The virus evades the mitochondrial production of interferons through its N protein and, from that moment on, it hijacks the functions of these organelles. The aim of this study was to show how the virus kidnaps the mitochondrial machinery for its benefit and survival, leading to alterations of serum parameters and to nitrosative stress (NSS). In a prospective cohort of 15 postmortem patients who died from COVID-19, six markers of mitochondrial function (COX II, COX IV, MnSOD, nitrotyrosine, Bcl-2 and caspase-9) were analyzed by the immune colloidal gold technique in samples from the lung, heart, and liver. Biometric laboratory results from these patients showed alterations in hemoglobin , platelets, creatinine, urea nitrogen, glucose, C-reactive protein, albumin, D-dimer, ferritin, fibrinogen, Ca²⁺, K⁺, lactate and troponin. These changes were associated with alterations in the mitochondrial structure and function. The multi-organ dysfunction present in COVID-19 patients may be caused, in part, by damage to the mitochondria that results in an inflammatory state that contributes to NSS, which activates the sepsis cascade and results in increased mortality in COVID-19 patients. PMID:34132382 | DOI:10.14670/HH-18-354 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Special MRI Techniques to Suss out Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Special MRI Techniques to Suss out Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks Via leak of cerebrospinal fluid Top Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Jun 1;30(3):159-166. doi: 10.1097/RMR.0000000000000281. ABSTRACT Anterior skull base cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas result from skull base osteodural defects, allowing subarachnoid space CSF to escape into pneumatized cavities such as the paranasal sinuses and nasal fossa. Precise localization, characterization, and effective treatment of CSF leaks is essential to prevent meningitis, treatment failure, or recurrence. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging have improved radiologists' ability to localize and characterize anterior skull base CSF fistulas. This article reviews new imaging techniques enabling diagnostic location of CSF fistulas, with an emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging-based techniques. PMID:34096899 | DOI:10.1097/RMR.0000000000000281 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

DNAH11 compound heterozygous variants cause heterotaxy and congenital heart disease

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader <i>DNAH11</i> compound heterozygous variants cause heterotaxy and congenital heart disease Via Nasal diseases by Hong Xia, Xiangjun Huang, Sheng Deng, Hongbo Xu, Yan Yang, Xin Liu, Lamei Yuan, Hao Deng Heterotaxy (HTX), a condition characterized by internal organs not being arranged as expected relative to each other and to the left-right axis, is often accompanied with congenital heart disease (CHD). The purpose was to detect the pathogenic variants in a Chinese family with HTX and CHD. A non-consanguineous Han Chinese family with HTX and CHD, and 200 unrelated healthy subjects were enlisted. Exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were applied to identify the genetic basis of the HTX family. Compound heterozygous variants, c.3426-1G>A and c.4306C>T (p.(Arg1436Trp)), in the dynein axonemal heavy chain 11 gene (DNAH11) were identified in the proband via exome sequencing and further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Neither c.3426-1G>A nor c.4306C>T variant in the DNAH11 gene was detected in 200 healthy controls. The DNAH11 c.3426-1G>A variant was predicted as altering the acceptor splice site and most likely affecting splicing. The DNAH11 c.4 306C>T variant was predicted to be damaging, which may reduce the phenotype severity. The compound heterozygous variants, c.3426-1G>A and c.4306C>T, in the DNAH11 gene might be the pathogenic alterations resulting in HTX and CHD in this family. These findings broaden the variant spectrum of the DNAH11 gene and increase knowledge used in genetic counseling for the HTX family. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.