-
Plant Disease Apr 2024Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., commonly known as Indian jujube or ber, is a popular fruit crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of China. It is commonly stored at...
Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., commonly known as Indian jujube or ber, is a popular fruit crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of China. It is commonly stored at 4℃, relative humidity of about 90%, combined with waxing or sealing with film bag. In January 2023, a postharvest fruit rot was observed on Indian jujube in three markets located in Nanchang city of Jiangxi province, China, with a disease incidence of 4 to 10%. Initially, brown spots appeared on the surface or base of the fruit, which gradually expanded into irregular brown lesions. Gray-white hyphae developed in the center of the lesions, and ultimately the fruit rotted. To isolate the pathogen, small pieces (5 × 5 mm) of ten infected fruits were surface-sterilized in 75% ethanol for 15 s and then 1% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s, rinsed three times in sterile water, plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C for 3 days. Eight strains with similar morphological characteristics were isolated, and one representative isolate (JXAA-1) was used for morphological and molecular characterization. The colonies on PDA were initially olive green with white margins, and later turned dark olive or black with profuse sporulation. Conidia were borne singly or in a chain, brown, with 1 to 5 transverse septa and 0 to 3 longitudinal septa, obclavate to obpyriform, and measured 12.9 to 33.7 × 7.5 to 12.9 μm (n = 30). On the basis of morphological characteristics, the isolates were tentatively identified as Alternaria spp. (Simmons 2007). To confirm the identification, genomic DNA was extracted from the isolate JXAA-1 with the Fungi Genomic DNA Extraction Kit (Solarbio Biotech, China). The 18S nrDNA (SSU), 28S nrDNA (LSU), internal transcribed spacer of the rDNA (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), Alternaria major allergen gene (Alt a 1), endopolygalacturonase (EndoPG) and an anonymous gene regions (OPA 10-2) were amplified and sequenced using primers NS1/NS4, LR7/LR0R, ITS5/ITS4, gpd1/gpd2, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, Alt-for/Alt-rev, PG3/PG2b, OPA10-2L/OPA10-2R, respectively (Woudenberg et al. 2015). The obtained DNA sequences (SSU: PP190241; LSU: PP190242; ITS: PP189927; GAPDH: PP196557; TEF1: PP196558; Alt a 1: PP196559; EndoPG: PP196560; and OPA 10-2: PP196561) showed 100% homology with those of A. alternata (GenBank accession nos. MT000349 [1020/1020 bp]; KP940477 [1312/1312 bp]; MK972909 [583/583 bp]; MN615421 [593/593 bp]; MN046379 [280/280 bp]; MN304714 [490/490 bp]; MN698284 [458/458 bp] and MH975214 [701/701 bp]). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed by combining all sequenced loci in IQTREE web servers. The isolate JXAA-1 clustered with Alternaria alternata (CBS 121336). The fungus associated with postharvest fruit rot on Z. mauritiana was thus identified as A. alternata. To evaluate the pathogenicity, six surface sterilized fruits were wounded by a sterile scalpel and inoculated with a 10 μl drop of spore suspension (1 × 105 conidia/ml) of isolate JXAA-1. Another six fruits were inoculated with sterilized ddH2O as control and the experiment was repeated three times. All fruits were incubated at 25°C and 80% relative humidity. After 5 days, all the wounded fruit inoculated with A. alternata showed similar symptoms to those observed previously, while the control fruits remained healthy. A. alternata was consistently reisolated from infected fruit and confirmed by morphological and molecular data, fulfilling Koch's postulates. A. alternata has previously been reported causing leaf spot and fruit rot on Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) in China (Bai et al. 2015; Li et al. 2021). But to our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata causing postharvest fruit rot on Indian jujube (Z. mauritiana) in China. Therefore, managers should pay more attention to postharvest fruit rot of jujube caused by A. alternata, the foam bag is put on after the membrane bag is sealed, the broken or infected fruit is picked out in time to reduce the spread of pathogenic fungus.
PubMed: 38616395
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0233-PDN -
World Journal of Surgical Oncology Apr 2024To compare the efficacy of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in the treatment of axillary lymph nodes during radical surgery for breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in the treatment of axillary lymph nodes during radical surgery for breast cancer.
METHODS
A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Breast Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University. A total of 128 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer who were treated by the same surgeon from July 2023 to November 2023 were included in the analysis. All breast operations were performed using electrocautery, and surgical instruments for axillary lymph nodes were divided into ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel group and electrocautery group using a random number table. According to the extent of lymph node surgery, it was divided into four groups: sentinel lymph node biopsy, lymph node at station I, lymph node at station I and II, and lymph node dissection at station I, II and III. Under the premise of controlling variables such as BMI, age and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the effects of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in axillary surgery were compared.
RESULTS
Compared with the electrosurgical group, there were no significant differences in lymph node operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative axillary drainage volume, axillary drainage tube indwelling time, postoperative pain score on the day after surgery, and the incidence of postoperative complications (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
There is no significant difference between ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in axillary lymph node treatment for breast cancer patients, which can provide a basis for the selection of surgical energy instruments.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Prospective Studies; Lymph Node Excision; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Surgical Instruments; Electrocoagulation; Lymph Nodes; Axilla
PubMed: 38600546
DOI: 10.1186/s12957-024-03381-x -
Journal of Endovascular Therapy : An... Apr 2024Electrosurgery has been long used in endovascular procedures, with only case reports in the aortic field. Our aim is to present a case series with the use of an...
OBJECTIVES
Electrosurgery has been long used in endovascular procedures, with only case reports in the aortic field. Our aim is to present a case series with the use of an electrified wire to perform catheter-based electrosurgery by applying external current through an electrocautery pen.
METHODS
Single-center retrospective case series of all patients undergoing complex aortic surgery from October 2020 to August 2023, in whom the electrified wire technique was used: (1) Perforation of a dissection flap or left subclavian artery (LSA) in situ endograft fenestration-a 0.014" polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulated guidewire is detached from the insulation with a scalpel at the end and a cautery pen is here attached with a clamp. A curved tip catheter or sheath is positioned against the aortic flap or the endograft (through a left brachial access in this case) and the wire pushed, crossing the flap by activating the electrocautery pen and (2) slicing a dissection flap ("powered cheese-wire technique")-after same preparation as above, the middle section of the 0.014 guidewire is removed from the PTFE and bent into a V-shape. Once in the aorta, the guidewire crosses from the true lumen (TL) to the false lumen (FL) and a through-and-through access is obtained. Sheaths are positioned against the flap from both sides and moved up or down while the electricity is activated, slicing the flap and communicating both lumens. Technical success and technical-related complications were evaluated.
RESULTS
Eleven cases concerning aortic dissections and 1 case of aortic atresia were treated. Four patients presented urgently, whereas the rest were planned procedures. Seven cases underwent perforation of a dissection flap, 2 cases underwent the powered cheese-wire technique, in 2 cases for an LSA in situ fenestration, and in 1 case to cross an aortic atresia at the aortic isthmus. The technique was in all cases successfully applied. No complications related to the technique occurred.
CONCLUSIONS
The "electrified wire" technique is a feasible and ready-available tool that can be safely used in complex aortic interventions, especially to perforate aortic tissue like dissection flaps or to perform in situ fenestrated repairs by perforation of the endograft fabric.
CLINICAL IMPACT
The electrified wire technique described herein is a straightforward technique that uses readily available tools to perform electrosurgery. We present its use in complex aortic procedures. However, it could be envisioned for any vascular procedure that requires crossing of the vessel or even prosthetic material. As we have described in this series, when used along with an adequate properative planning, it can be a safe tool of great utility, as has already been demonstarted in the field of the interventional cardiology.
PubMed: 38597263
DOI: 10.1177/15266028241245341 -
Indian Journal of Dermatology,... Apr 2024
PubMed: 38594977
DOI: 10.25259/IJDVL_738_2023 -
Cureus Mar 2024The frenum is a mucous membrane fold that connects the lip and cheek to the gingiva, periosteum, and alveolar mucosa. When the frena are linked too closely to the...
The frenum is a mucous membrane fold that connects the lip and cheek to the gingiva, periosteum, and alveolar mucosa. When the frena are linked too closely to the gingival border, there may be issues with plaque removal, and the overall gingiva may be affected. In addition, the maxillary frenum may provide aesthetic difficulties or interfere with the aesthetic outcome in cases of midline diastema, which may result in a recurrence after treatment. A labial frenectomy, a frequently performed surgical operation in the specialty of dentistry, is used to address such an abnormal frenum. This article describes a case study of a maxillary labial frenectomy using a traditional scalpel approach and topical application of ozonated olive oil.
PubMed: 38576654
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.55522 -
Journal of Pharmacopuncture Mar 2024Phlebotomy, a therapeutic method of bloodletting typically performed using a needle, has a traditional technique known as "Fasd." In this method, blood is extracted by...
Phlebotomy, a therapeutic method of bloodletting typically performed using a needle, has a traditional technique known as "Fasd." In this method, blood is extracted by creating a longitudinal incision on a vein (3-5 mm) with a surgical scalpel blade, usually blade No. 11. Due to the incision in the vessel wall, establishing hemostasis is more challenging compared to conventional methods. Hemostasis is usually achieved within minutes after Fasd. We present a case highlighting an uncommon yet significant complication of traditional phlebotomy. A 55-year-old man with no prior medical conditions underwent traditional phlebotomy at an academic traditional medicine clinic. Senior MD-PhD students in Iranian Traditional Medicine, under professor supervision, performed Fasd. A sterile scalpel blade No. 11 was used to create a longitudinal incision of approximately 4 mm on the patient's median basilic vein in the right hand. After removing 400 cc of blood, a pressure dressing was applied to the incision site. Despite attempts such as hand elevation, ice pack application, prolonged direct pressure, and tight elastic bandaging, bleeding from the incision persisted. After an hour of supportive therapy, hemostasis was eventually achieved within a few minutes using burnt cotton dressing (a traditional method for blood hemostasis). Following intravenous hydration, the patient was discharged in stable condition and reported no issues during the one-month follow-up. The traditional phlebotomy (Fasd) carries the risk of serious complications, including uncontrolled and prolonged bleeding. Further research on the efficacy and safety of burnt cotton dressing for controlling hemostasis is recommended.
PubMed: 38560341
DOI: 10.3831/KPI.2024.27.1.47 -
Plant Disease Mar 2024Members of Botryosphaeria s.l. have an extensive history as cankering pathogens of stressed and declining oak trees in the eastern United States (Ferreira et al. 2021)....
Members of Botryosphaeria s.l. have an extensive history as cankering pathogens of stressed and declining oak trees in the eastern United States (Ferreira et al. 2021). The host range, distribution, and virulence among two closely related species, Diplodia corticola and D. gallae, remains unclear (Brazee et al. 2023). On 15 August 2023, a survey was conducted at a declining natural hardwood site in Shenandoah County, Virginia (GPS coordinates 38.922089, -78.606125). One mature Quercus coccinea tree that displayed scorched leaf margins and branch dieback was felled and a cankered branch from the crown was sampled (Fig. 1A and B). A 4-mm piece of necrotic tissue was selected from the margin of the canker, disinfected with 2.5% NaOCl, again with 70% ethanol, and air-dried before being placed on half-strength acidified PDA medium (pH 4.8) and incubated in the dark at 22 ± 2°C. After 5 days, four colonies were transferred to full-strength PDA medium and incubated in the dark at 22 ± 2°C. After 10 days, all four colonies displayed thick, gray, floccose mycelium and pigmented hyphae (Fig. 1C). Mycelia was harvested from 10-day-old colonies with a sterile pin and DNA was extracted using a Qiagen DNeasy Plant Pro Kit (Germantown, MD) according to the manufacturer's instructions. A fragment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) loci were amplified using ITS4/ITS5 (White et al. 1990) and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999) primer sets, respectively. The PCR amplicons were purified with ExoSap-IT (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) and sequenced at Eurofins (Louisville, KY).&xa0; The raw nucleotide sequences were analyzed using Geneious 11.1.5 software (Biomatters, Auckland, NZ). All four colonies had identical ITS sequences. A 523 and 276-bp fragment of the ITS and tef1 loci, respectively, from isolate R1.2 was deposited into the GenBank database (accessions OR934498 and OR961039). A dataset of 43 strains consisting of 38,658 characters was aligned using MAFFT v7.49 (Katoh et al. 2013), and a concatenated ITS + tef1 maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree (1000 bootstraps) was built with PhyML 3.0 (Guindon et al. 2010) using the GTR substitution model. Isolate R1.2 was grouped with isolates of D. gallae although the species failed to form a well-supported clade (BS = 67) due to intraspecific variation (Fig. 1D). Koch's postulates were fulfilled by inoculating five healthy, containerized Q. coccinea trees (average stem caliper 5.3 cm) with isolate R1.2, with five plants as controls. After disinfecting the bark with 70% ethanol, a 0.5 mm section of the bark was removed 13 cm above the soil line with a sterile scalpel, and a 0.5 mm agar plug taken from the edge of a 10-day-old PDA culture was placed in the wound with the mycelium facing the cambial tissue, sealed with Parafilm, and maintained at 22 ± 4°C. The same procedure was performed on the control plants using sterile PDA plugs. After five weeks the bark was removed, and all five stems treated with R1.2 had necrotic lesions with a mean linear growth ([length+width]/2) of 9.2 ± 2.72 mm from the edge of the wound, which was significantly larger (P = 0.003) than the controls (1 ± 0.66 mm; Fig. 1E - L). Necrotic stem tissue was sampled as previously described, and the isolate recovered was confirmed as D. gallae based on morphology and 100% ITS sequence homology to isolate R1.2. D. gallae was not recovered from the control plants. In the United States, D. gallae has been isolated from Q. rubra and Q. velutina twig cankers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont (Brazee et al. 2023). This is the first report of the species in Virginia causing branch cankers on Q. coccinea.
PubMed: 38537141
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-12-23-2781-PDN -
PloS One 2024Only 34% of Canadian surgeons in 2022 were female. The protracted length of surgical residency training, concerns regarding infertility, and increased rates of...
INTRODUCTION
Only 34% of Canadian surgeons in 2022 were female. The protracted length of surgical residency training, concerns regarding infertility, and increased rates of obstetrical complications have been shown to contribute to the disproportionate lack of females in surgical specialties.
METHODS
A novel online survey was sent to all surgical residents in Canada. Respondents were asked about perceptions of pregnancy and parenthood during surgical training, and parents were asked about parental leave, accommodations they received, and pregnancy complications. Chi squared tests were used to compare opinions of male and female residents.
RESULTS
A total of 272/2,419 (11.2%) responses were obtained, with a high response from females (61.8%) and orthopaedic residents (29.0%). There were 56 women reporting 76 pregnancy events during training, 62.5% of which had complications. Notably, 27.3% of men and 86.7% of women 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that surgeons have higher pregnancy complication rates than the general population (p<0.001). Men were much less likely to believe that pregnant residents should be offered modified duties (74.2% of men, 90.0% of women, p = 0.003). Women were much more likely to experience significant stigma or bias due to their status as a parent (43% of women, 0% of men, p<0.001). Women reported negative comments from others at a higher rate (58.5% of women, 40.7% of men, p = 0.013). Women believe there is negative stigma attached to being pregnant during training (62.7% of women, 42.7% of men, p = 0.01). The limitations of our study include a small sample size and response bias.
CONCLUSION
Challenges and negative perceptions exist around pregnancy and parenthood in surgical residency, which disproportionately affect women trainees.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Male; Female; Internship and Residency; Canada; Surveys and Questionnaires; Surgeons; Orthopedics
PubMed: 38536844
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301190 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Mar 2024Isolated gastrocnemius contracture has been associated with more than 30 lower limb disorders, including plantar heel pain/plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis,...
BACKGROUND
Isolated gastrocnemius contracture has been associated with more than 30 lower limb disorders, including plantar heel pain/plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis, equinus foot, adult flatfoot, and metatarsalgia. Although many techniques are available for gastrocnemius recession, potential anesthetic, cosmetic, and wound-related complications can lead to patient dissatisfaction. Open and endoscopic recession techniques usually require epidural or general anesthesia, exsanguination of the lower extremities and stitches and can damage the sural nerve, which is not under the complete control of the surgeon at all stages of the procedure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical results of a surgical technique for gastrocnemius lengthening with a needle, as previously described in cadaver specimens.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We performed a prospective study of ultrasound-guided gastrocnemius tendon lengthening in level II using a needle in 24 cases (19 patients) of gastrocnemius contracture. The study population comprised 12 males and 7 females. Mean age was 41 years (18-64). All but 5 recessions were bilateral and occurred simultaneously. The indication for the procedure was gastrocnemius contracture; although the patients also presented other conditions such as non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy in 6 patients (2 were bilateral), insertional Achilles calcifying enthesitis in 4 (1 was bilateral), metatarsalgia in 4, flexible flat foot in 1 and plantar fasciitis in 5 (2 were bilateral). The inclusion criteria were the failure of a previous conservative protocol, that the Silfverskiöld test was positive, and that the pathology suffered by the patient was within the indications for surgical lengthening of the patients and were described in the scientific literature. The exclusion criteria were that the inclusion criteria were not met, and patients with surgical risk ASA 3 or more and children. In these patients, although possible, it is preferable to perform the procedure in the operating room with monitoring, as well as in children since they could be agitated during the procedure at the office. We used the beveled tip of an Abbocath needle as a surgical scalpel. All patients underwent recession of the gastrocnemius tendon, as in an incomplete Strayer release. We evaluated pre- and postoperative dorsiflexion, outcomes, and procedural pain (based on a visual analog scale and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society scores), as well as potential complications. No damage was done to the sural bundle.
RESULTS
Ankle dorsiflexion increased on average by 17.89°. The average postoperative visual analog score for pain before surgery was 5.78, 5.53 in the first week, 1.89 at 1 month, and 0.26 at 3 months, decreasing to 0.11 at 9 months. The mean postoperative American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot score the average was 50.52 before surgery, 43.42 at 1 week, 72.37 at 1 month, 87.37 at 3 months, and 90.79 at 9 months.
CONCLUSION
Ultrasound-guided needle lengthening of the gastrocnemius tendon is a novel, safe, and effective technique that enables the surgeon to check all the structures clearly, thus minimizing the risk of neurovascular damage. The results are encouraging, and the advantages of this approach include absence of a wound and no need for stitches. Recovery is fast and relatively painless. A specific advantage of ultrasound-guided needle lengthening of the gastrocnemius tendon is the fact that it can be performed in a specialist's office, with a very basic instrument set and local anesthesia, thus reducing expenses.
Topics: Adult; Male; Female; Child; Humans; Achilles Tendon; Prospective Studies; Fasciitis, Plantar; Tendinopathy; Muscle, Skeletal; Contracture; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Metatarsalgia
PubMed: 38532430
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-024-04685-0 -
Case Reports in Dentistry 2024Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a benign swelling of the gingival connective tissue commonly associated with dental biofilm and biofilm-retentive dental...
Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a benign swelling of the gingival connective tissue commonly associated with dental biofilm and biofilm-retentive dental appliances. In the present case report, we described three cases of POF with different clinical presentations and treatment approaches. The treatment consisted of the removal of supra- and subgingival calculus, followed by a flap surgery with excision of the entire lesion ensuring the inclusion of the periosteal bed. The first patient developed POF during her pregnancy that remained clinically noticeable postpartum. The second case represented a rare case of POF appearing on the palatal aspect of the anterior maxilla of an African American male. The third case represented POF that developed on the mandible, and contrary to the first two cases, it was excised using a diode laser and not a scalpel blade. All patients showed uneventful healing during follow-up appointments; however, poor patient compliance did not allow for evaluation of long-term healing responses and possible recurrence of the lesion. Within the limitations of this clinical report, it is evident that the periodontal surgical approach was effective in managing POF with stable short-term clinical outcomes.
PubMed: 38501031
DOI: 10.1155/2024/3683561