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Clinical Case Reports Jan 2024Abdominal cocoon syndrome and Chilaiditi syndrome are rare etiologies of bowel obstruction which have to be considered in patients with obstructive symptoms. Patients...
KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE
Abdominal cocoon syndrome and Chilaiditi syndrome are rare etiologies of bowel obstruction which have to be considered in patients with obstructive symptoms. Patients can profit from surgical management rather than non-surgical approach.
ABSTRACT
Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis or abdominal cocoon syndrome (ACS) is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstructions associated with encapsulation of the small bowel by a fibro collagenous sac. Clinical presentations of ACS are unspecific and most patients are diagnosed intraoperatively. Moreover, Chilaiditi syndrome is another rare cause of bowel obstruction defined by interposition of colon and liver. There is no reported relation between these two conditions and surgical intervention is the suggested approach for severe bowel obstruction following them individually. We present a case with both conditions and describe our approach. A 47-year-old male presented with complaints of colic abdominal pain and distention, nausea and several attacks of bilious and nonbilious vomiting, anorexia, and constipation in the last 10 days before his admission. Laboratory data were normal and abdominal X-ray showed large dilation at the distal part of the bowel without air fluid level. The patient underwent explorative laparotomy and a mass-like lesion containing necrotic bowel and a whitish spleen accompanied by a complete anterior-rotated liver was found. The encapsulated bowel and the spleen were resected followed by the complete resolution of symptoms in the patient. The intestinal obstruction caused by ACS is mostly approached by surgery to prevent the fatal sequela of this condition.
PubMed: 38161623
DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8363 -
Primates; Journal of Primatology Mar 2024In human speech, the close back rounded vowel /u/ (the vowel in "boot") is articulated with the tongue arched toward the dorsal boundary of the hard palate, with the...
In human speech, the close back rounded vowel /u/ (the vowel in "boot") is articulated with the tongue arched toward the dorsal boundary of the hard palate, with the pharyngeal cavity open. Acoustic and perceptual properties of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) hoo's are similar to those of the human vowel /u/. However, the vocal tract morphology of chimpanzees likely limits their phonetic capabilities, so that it is unlikely, or even impossible, that their articulation is comparable to that of a human. To determine how qualities of the vowel /u/ may be achieved given the chimpanzee vocal tract, we calculated transfer functions of the vocal tract area for tube models of vocal tract configurations in which vocal tract length, length and area of a laryngeal air sac simulacrum, length of lip protrusion, and area of lip opening were systematically varied. The method described is principally acoustic; we make no claim as to the actual shape of the chimpanzee vocal tract during call production. Nonetheless, we demonstrate that it may be possible to achieve the acoustic and perceptual qualities of back vowels without a reconfigured human vocal tract. The results, while tentative, suggest that the production of hoo's by chimpanzees, while achieving comparable vowel-like qualities to the human /u/, may involve articulatory gestures that are beyond the range of the human articulators. The purpose of this study was to (1) stimulate further simulation research on great ape articulation, and (2) show that apparently vowel-like phenomena in nature are not necessarily indicative of evolutionary continuity per se.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Pan troglodytes; Speech Acoustics; Speech; Phonetics; Tongue
PubMed: 38110671
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01107-3 -
Annual International Conference of the... Jul 2023Crackles are explosive breathing patterns caused by lung air sacs filling with fluid and act as an indicator for a plethora of pulmonary diseases. Clinical studies...
Crackles are explosive breathing patterns caused by lung air sacs filling with fluid and act as an indicator for a plethora of pulmonary diseases. Clinical studies suggest a strong correlation between the presence of these adventitious auscultations and mortality rate, especially in pediatric patients, underscoring the importance of their pathological indication. While clinically important, crackles occur rarely in breathing signals relative to other phases and abnormalities of lung sounds, imposing a considerable class imbalance in developing learning methodologies for automated tracking and diagnosis of lung pathologies. The scarcity and clinical relevance of crackle sounds compel a need for exploring data augmentation techniques to enrich the space of crackle signals. Given their unique nature, the current study proposes a crackle-specific constrained synthetic sampling (CSS) augmentation that captures the geometric properties of crackles across different projected object spaces. We also outline a task-agnostic validation methodology that evaluates different augmentation techniques based on their goodness of fit relative to the space of original crackles. This evaluation considers both the separability of the manifold space generated by augmented data samples as well as a statistical distance space of the synthesized data relative to the original. Compared to a range of augmentation techniques, the proposed constrained-synthetic sampling of crackle sounds is shown to generate the most analogous samples relative to original crackle sounds, highlighting the importance of carefully considering the statistical constraints of the class under study.
Topics: Humans; Child; Respiratory Sounds; Lung; Auscultation; Lung Diseases; Sound
PubMed: 38083624
DOI: 10.1109/EMBC40787.2023.10340579 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023(MG) is recognized as a principal causative agent of avian chronic respiratory disease, inflicting substantial economic losses upon the poultry industry. However, the...
(MG) is recognized as a principal causative agent of avian chronic respiratory disease, inflicting substantial economic losses upon the poultry industry. However, the extensive use of conventional antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of drug resistance and various challenges in their clinical application. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify effective therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of mycoplasma-induced respiratory disease in avian species. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) holds significant importance as a regulator of cellular energy metabolism and possesses the capacity to exert an anti-inflammatory effect by virtue of its downstream protein, SIRT1. This pathway has shown promise in counteracting the inflammatory responses triggered by pathogenic infections, thus providing a novel target for studying infectious inflammation. Quercetin possesses anti-inflammatory activity and has garnered attention as a potential alternative to antibiotics. However, there exists a gap in knowledge concerning the impact of this activation on MG-induced inflammatory damage. To address this knowledge gap, we employed AlphaFold2 prediction, molecular docking, and kinetic simulation methods to perform a systematic analysis. As expected, we found that both quercetin and the AMPK activator AICAR activate the chicken AMPKγ1 subunit in a similar manner, which was further validated at the cellular level. Our project aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms of quercetin's action as an agonist of AMPK against the inflammatory damage induced by MG infection. Accordingly, we evaluated the effects of quercetin on the prevention and treatment of air sac injury, lung morphology, immunohistochemistry, AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway activity, and inflammatory factors in MG-infected chickens. The results confirmed that quercetin effectively inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, leading to improved respiratory inflammation injury. Furthermore, quercetin was shown to enhance the levels of phosphorylated AMPK and SIRT1 while reducing the levels of phosphorylated P65 and pro-inflammatory factors. In conclusion, our study identifies the AMPK cascade signaling pathway as a novel cellular mediator responsible for quercetin's ability to counter MG-induced inflammatory damage. This finding highlights the potential significance of this pathway as an important target for anti-inflammatory drug research in the context of avian respiratory diseases.
Topics: Animals; NF-kappa B; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Quercetin; Mycoplasma gallisepticum; Sirtuin 1; Molecular Docking Simulation; Chickens; Inflammation; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37959807
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217388 -
Heliyon Nov 2023This paper investigates the effectiveness of an indirect solar dryer (ISD) specifically designed for the geographical and climatic conditions of Meknes (Morocco). The...
This paper investigates the effectiveness of an indirect solar dryer (ISD) specifically designed for the geographical and climatic conditions of Meknes (Morocco). The constructed ISD system incorporates a solar air collector (SAC) inclined at 34° to the ground, reaching a maximum outlet temperature of 58 °C. During the drying process, banana slices experienced a substantial reduction in mass, decreasing from 549.76 g to 138.41 g. The calculated mean efficiency of both the SAC and the dryer stood at 23.37 % and 18.8 %, respectively. In terms of moisture removal, ISD outperformed open solar drying (OSD), achieving a substantial moisture reduction of 74.83 %, whereas OSD yielded a reduction of 39.08 %. The process of drying resulted in a decrease in the moisture content (MC) of banana slices from an initial value of 3.5771 kg/kg (db) to a final value of MC varied depending on the tray used for drying, with values of 0.0397, 0.1292, 0.1745, and 0.2597 kg/kg (db) recorded for trays 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. By focusing on the development and evaluation of an ISD system optimized for the local conditions, this research contributes valuable insights into efficient and sustainable food drying.
PubMed: 37954255
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21299 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023The lack of data on the species-specific Target Strength (TS) on ancillary species limits the application of acoustic surveys in assessing their abundance and...
The lack of data on the species-specific Target Strength (TS) on ancillary species limits the application of acoustic surveys in assessing their abundance and distribution worldwide. The TS values of Scomber colias and Trachurus mediterraneus in use in the Mediterranean Sea rely on studies conducted on other species in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Nevertheless, the application of backscattering models offers the possibility to overcome the absence of empirical data handling the parameters that most affect the TS. X-ray scans were performed on 82 specimens to get digital representations of the swimbladder and the fish body which were used as input for the application of the Kirchhoff Ray Mode model to measure the TS as a function of frequency and tilt angle. The morphometric differences between the two species produced divergent relative frequency responses and broadband TS patterns. Moreover, comparing the results with one ex-situ experiment, we found a good agreement considering a mean tilt angle of - 10°, standard deviation = 12°. Our results provide the first theoretical insights into the use of backscattering models as a tool to distinguish between species in the Mediterranean Sea by acoustic method, increasing the knowledge of the acoustic reflectivity of ancillary species.
Topics: Animals; Fishes; Acoustics; Air Sacs; Knowledge; Mediterranean Sea
PubMed: 37704690
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42326-4 -
Nature Communications Sep 2023The six species of lungfish possess both lungs and gills and are the closest extant relatives of tetrapods. Here, we report a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the West...
The six species of lungfish possess both lungs and gills and are the closest extant relatives of tetrapods. Here, we report a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the West African lungfish (Protopterus annectens). This species manifests the most extreme form of terrestrialization, a life history strategy to survive dry periods that can last for years, characterized by dormancy and reversible adaptive changes of the gills and lungs. Our atlas highlights the cell type diversity of the West African lungfish, including gene expression consistent with phenotype changes of terrestrialization. Comparison with terrestrial tetrapods and ray-finned fishes reveals broad homology between the swim bladder and lung cell types as well as shared and idiosyncratic changes of the external gills of the West African lungfish and the internal gills of Atlantic salmon. The single-cell atlas presented here provides a valuable resource for further exploration of the respiratory system evolution in vertebrates and the diversity of lungfish terrestrialization.
Topics: Animals; Acclimatization; Respiratory System; Gills; Air Sacs; Ascomycota; Salmo salar
PubMed: 37699889
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41309-3 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Aug 2023This study aims to report the clinical signs, therapeutic strategy, necropsy results, and histopathological findings of airsacculitis caused by enterobacteria and the...
This study aims to report the clinical signs, therapeutic strategy, necropsy results, and histopathological findings of airsacculitis caused by enterobacteria and the occurrence of eggs from the superfamily Diplotriaenoidea in the feces of in the Amazon biome. A tropical screech owl nestling was rescued and admitted for hand-rearing. The animal was kept hospitalized for five months. It was fed a diet based on larvae and thawed chicken breast meat with vitamin and mineral supplements. On the 37th day of hacking training for release, the owl showed weakness, lack of appetite, regurgitation, cachexia, dyspnea, ruffled feathers, dry droppings in the vent and pericloaca, and diarrhea. The parasitological examination showed eggs of the Diplotriaenoidea superfamily in the feces. The therapy employed included oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, mebendazole, Potenay, sodium chloride 0.9%, and Mercepton. However, five days after starting the treatment, the bird died. Upon necropsy, prominence of the keel, pieces of undigested food in the oral cavity and proventriculus, intestinal gas, and thickened and turbid air sacs were found. The microbiological analysis of air sacs identified , , and . Histopathological examination showed heterophilic bacterial airsacculitis.
PubMed: 37685014
DOI: 10.3390/ani13172750 -
The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2023Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PI) is a rare but important condition in which widespread air sacs are found in the submucosa, and subserosa of the bowel wall....
Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis mimicking free intraabdominal air following chemotherapy for relapsed acute myeloblastic leukemia in a transplanted neutropenic child: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PI) is a rare but important condition in which widespread air sacs are found in the submucosa, and subserosa of the bowel wall. Although it has several etiologies, children receiving chemotherapy are at risk for PI. Preferred imaging tools for the diagnosis are abdominal direct radiography and computed tomography. In patients with PI, rupture of intramural air sacs is the source of benign pneumoperitoneum, causing free air without true intestinal perforation. Intestinal perforation or obstruction are indications for surgical intervention.
CASE
Here, we present a 4-year-old patient diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a matched sibling donor (MSD) and developed PI after HSCT. The patient was consulted to the pediatric surgery department, and her oral feeding was stopped. Broad spectrum antibiotics (teicoplanin, metronidazol and vancomycin) were initiated. Her fever increased during the 24-hour monitoring, there was no stool passage, CRP ( > 25 mg/dL, normal value < 1 mg/dL) and abdominal distension increased and there was prolonged neutropenia and radiologic investigations could not rule out intestinal perforation, so the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. No intestinal perforation was found. There was no sign in the intestinal wall and numerous gas-filled cysts of various sizes.
CONCLUSIONS
PI is an uncommon complication, and direct radiography/computed tomography scans are very helpful in making the diagnosis in suspicious cases. PI, should be kept in mind, especially in transplanted or relapsed leukemia patients receiving intensive chemotherapy.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Child; Child, Preschool; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Tissue Donors; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37661686
DOI: 10.24953/turkjped.2023.116 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic (APEC), is an important infectious disease in chickens and a major cause of mortality in young chicks. Therefore, protecting...
Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic (APEC), is an important infectious disease in chickens and a major cause of mortality in young chicks. Therefore, protecting young chickens from colibacillosis is important for improving welfare and productivity in the poultry industry. Recently, we developed a novel enterobactin (Ent) conjugate vaccine that could induce high titers of anti-Ent immunoglobulin Y (IgY) in chicken serum and consequently mitigate the organ lesions caused by APEC infection. Considering that maternal immunization is a practical approach to confer instant immune protection to the hatchlings, in this study, we immunized breeder hens with the Ent conjugate vaccine and evaluated the maternal immune protection on the progenies challenged with APEC. Three doses of the vaccine induced high titers of anti-Ent IgY in the hens (about 16- and 64-fold higher than the control group in the sera and egg yolks, respectively), resulting in an eight-fold of increase in anti-Ent IgY in the sera of progenies. However, the anti-Ent maternal immunity did not display significant protection against APEC challenge in the young chicks as there was no significant difference in APEC load (in liver, lung, and spleen) or organ lesions (in heart, liver, spleen, lung, and air sac) between the vaccinated and control groups. In future studies, the APEC infection model needs to be optimized to exhibit proper pathogenicity of APEC, and the maternal immunization regimen can be further improved to boost the maternally derived anti-Ent IgY in the hatchlings.
PubMed: 37623962
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081002