Most Viewed Articles

Rheumatic heart disease persists as a significant concern in developing regions, often resulting in multivalvular heart conditions. Treatment options are limited, though percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy effectively addresses rheumatic mitral stenosis. Non-surgical interventions for aortic stenosis include balloon aortic valvotomy and Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), tailored to patient factors like age and comorbidities.We describe two cases of Rheumatic multivalvular disease which were managed non-surgical. The first case is a pioneering procedure performed on a young patient combined percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy with balloon aortic valvotomy, guided by 4-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (4D TEE). This represents the first documented instance in medical literature, showcasing the potential of integrated interventions and advanced imaging techniques. In the second challenging case involving a heavily calcified, retrovirus, and Hepatitis B positive 55-year-old, a staged approach was adopted, involving percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy followed by Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Despite complexities, this sequential strategy demonstrates the adaptability of transcatheter techniques in managing complex valvular pathologies. These cases highlight the evolving landscape of interventional cardiology and underscore the importance of tailored, multidisciplinary approaches in optimizing outcomes for patients with rheumatic heart disease and multivalvular involvement, especially in resource-limited settings. Further exploration and dissemination of such innovative strategies hold promise for enhancing cardiac care quality and expanding treatment options globally.

Increased levels of bilirubin in blood serum may result from numerous physical conditions including hepatitis, cirrhosis, enzyme deficiency, drug reactions, autoimmune disorders and physiological trauma. No presumptive test for high bilirubin levels in blood serum stains currently exists, which could prove useful in the assessment of crime scenes involving victims with one of the above disorders. Here, the use of ultraviolet 365 (UV 365) is described as a simple, nondestructive method for the detection of blood serum containing elevated levels of bilirubin.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare condition that may congest bowel venous drainage and cause mesenteric ischemia. In acute settings, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is rare, and acute abdominal pain is the most common clinical presentation. A 24-year-old man who presented with acute abdominal pain and a single episode of hematemesis is reported. Workups revealed evidence of thrombosis in the portal vein, but upper endoscopy was incapable to detect the source of the bleeding. We discuss the possible scenarios for the GIB in this case and review similar reports in the literature.

Internet has become an important part of our life, including during pregnancy where it is broadly used to find information (84%). The aims of this study were (1) to describe the proportion of women using Internet Social Networks (ISN) concerning their pregnancy, during pre or postpartum hospital stay, (2) to define how ISN users refer to their pregnancy and delivery on these social networks, (3) to compare anxiety level, social sustain level, sociodemographic characteristics of the both population (4) and to determine profiles of the ISN users with multiple correspondence analysis. Methods: 399 questionnaires were distributed in the postpartum wards of two academic hospitals in Paris, and 258 fully filled were retrieved. Tools: Anxiety scale (STAI- A and B), Cutrona Social Provisions Scale, sociodemographic and obstetrical questionnaire. Results: 76% (n = 195) were ISN users. We compared ISN users versus ISN non users women. Demographically, the two populations were comparable. Anxiety scores were similar in both groups, whereas social support scores showed a statistical difference in social integration. In the global population, 84% use Internet for information concerning pregnancy; this rate is higher for ISN users than ISN non users (tendency 0.058). ISN were used in priority for sharing with relatives, and 10% with other pregnant women. Concerning pregnancy, patients posted in priority the birth announcement (28%), the pregnancy announcement (23%), and the newborn’s pictures (12%). 6% posted their fetuses’ ultrasound pictures. Three clusters of ISN users were extracted with statistically different social support scores (p = 0.019) and comparable anxiety scores. The third one, with at risk profile, used ISN as social support. For all women, but specifically for younger and more socially fragile women, Internet gives to professional new perspectives to develop information and prevention tools during the perinatal period.

DNA identification is very important in cases of high decomposition of dead bodies, in which the bodies cannot be identified by physical means.To compare the results of DNA typing, it is necessary to have related subjects with which to perform comparative analyses. Such tests are normally performed by comparing DNA profiles from people known to be immediate family members of the presumptive victim, such as parents or children because they share half of their genetic material with the unidentified.We report on how DNA analysis was used to solve a case of mixed-up bodies at a local mortuary in Ghana, West Africa. Two families and three buried human remains were in contention in this case. The first body (E9) was buried three months before exhumation. The second body (E11) was buried two and a half months before exhumation whiles the third body (E10) was buried a month before exhumation. Exhibit E5 was taken from an alleged child of the deceased, E11. Toenails of the exhumed bodies were sampled by a pathologist and used for DNA extractions using the QIAamp DNA Investigator Kit. Profiles from relatives were generated for comparison purposes. All samples gave a quality amount of genomic DNA after quantification. DNA was amplified with a GlobalFiler PCR amplification kit. Profiles from relatives were generated for comparison purposes.The human remains (exhibit E11) cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child (exhibit E5) because they share common alleles at all 23 genetic loci. The applicable combined paternity index was 17218125604.492 assuming a prior probability of 0.5. The probability of paternity is 99.99999999%. Based on this relationship testing, one of the bodies was successfully identified and handed over to the family for re-burial.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, resulting in the emergence of various concerning variants with unique biological characteristics. As the pandemic continues, it will be crucial to promptly evaluate the potential of any new variant to cause severe illness. The severity of the latest Omicron sublineages, including BA.5, XBB, BQ.1.18, BA.2, BA.2.75, and EG.5.1, is currently under assessment. This system provides valuable and essential information for rapidly assessing the threat posed by new versions of the virus.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of dietary components, physical activity, smoking and Obesity in colorectal cancer.Materials and methods: With a population-based case-control study, 49 colorectal cancer patients and 72 controls were interviewed with uniform questionnaires. Conditional logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of colorectal cancer. A total of 121 pairs of case controls were interviewed.Results: Relationship between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer was shown in this study, obesity was shown in 21 patients (42.86) before cancer and in 0% of patients during colorectal cancer. Physical activity was a significant risk factor p < 0.0001. Malnutrition was noted in 48 patients (97. 96%) according to Brachial muscular circumference in patients with colorectal cancer (p = 0.002). Daily consumption of sugar Khi² of Wald (5.423) and butter Khi² of Wald (7.694) is higher in cases than in controls.  During that time, high daily consumption of pasta (p = 0.018) and vegetables (p = 0.045) was a protective factor for colorectal cancer.Conclusion: Colorectal cancer in Algeria was related to dietary and environmental factors. The research results support the colorectal cancer etiological hypothesis of deficiency vegetable and high consumption of lipids and sugar.  Obesity and lack of physical activity were also correlated with colorectal cancer.

The Human three-dimensional (3D) musculoskeletal model is based on motion analysis methods and can be obtained by particular motion capture systems that export 3D data with coordinate 3D (C3D) format. Unique cameras and specific software are essential for analyzing the data. This equipment is quite expensive, and using them is time-consuming. This research intends to use ordinary video cameras and open source systems to get 3D data and create a C3D format due to these problems. By capturing movements with two video cameras, marker coordination is obtainable using Skill-Spector. To create C3D data from 3D coordinates of the body points, MATLAB functions were used. The subject was captured simultaneously with both the Cortex system and two video cameras during each validation test. The mean correlation coefficient of datasets is 0.7. This method can be used as an alternative method for motion analysis due to a more detailed comparison. The C3D data collection, which we presented in this research, is more accessible and cost-efficient than other systems. In this method, only two cameras have been used.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a severe multiorgan hypersensitivity reaction mostly caused by several eliciting drugs in patients with a genetic predisposition. Incidence of DRESS in children is very variable, frome 1:1000 to 1:10.000, and the mortality rate seems to be lower than 10%. Anti-convulsants are the main drugs involved both in adults and in children. The treatment of choice is the prompt withdrawn of the offending drug and using intravenous immunoglobulins and corticosteroids used in synergy. In recent years, emerging studies have outlined the disease more clearly. We present a pediatric case in which the patient developed DRESS syndrome as a result of exposure to lamotrigine before and carbamazepine after and a relapse after exposure to omeprazole. Starting from this case report we provide an overview on DRESS Syndrome.

Certain carotenoid aggregates provide scaffolds of moderate stability characterized by their CD spectra. The interaction of the scaffold with small lipid molecules either destabilize, or reinforce its structure. The idea can be applied to open-chain fatty acids and some analogues. Fatty acids and fatty alcohol decrease exciton intensity of the aggregate, while esters of both alcohol and acids increase it. Moreover, the stabilizing effect depends on chain-length. Thus, the scaffold distinguishes compounds that either loosen its structure, or reinforce it.