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Caudal nasal septal deviation is an important condition altering nasal obstruction and cosmetic appearance and many surgical techniques have been published on how to correct caudal septal deviation, as successful management of caudal septal deviation is challenging. The goal of our study was to explore the effect of endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft for managing caudal septal deviation. We tested 26 participants with caudal septal deviation who received endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft from 1 April 2019 to 29 June 2022, and followed up for at least 6 months. Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale and visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months after surgery. Valid samples were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and paired sample t-test. Average participant age was 36.15 ± 11.02 years old. The preoperative, 1-month postoperative, and 6-month postoperative NOSE scale decreased significantly (75.38 ± 15.62, 13.85 ± 7.79, and 14.04 ± 9.90; p < 0.001), while preoperative, 1-month postoperative, and 6-month postoperative VAS (convex/concave side) also improved (7.50 ± 0.81/3.38 ± 0.94, 2.27 ± 0.53/1.54 ± 0.58, and 2.31 ± 0.55/1.58 ± 0.58; p < 0.001). Our results showed that endonasal septoplasty using a septal cartilaginous batten graft had good surgical outcomes without an open scar or severe complications.

This article investigates the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on hearing impairment in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This retrospective and observational study took place from September 2016 to February 2021, accumulating 77 subjects with SNHL and SDB (60.7 ± 11.1 years). Of which, 28 received CPAP treatment (63.0 ± 8.5 years). In our methodology, hearing thresholds at low, medium, high, and average frequencies are assessed by pure-tone audiometry at baseline (BL), three (3 m), six (6 m), and 12 (12 m) months. Our results show that the BL of at least three frequencies in all subjects is positively associated with old age, males, smoking, alcohol, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] (all p &lt, 0.05). Moreover, low, medium, and average frequencies are negatively correlated at CPAP-6 m (−5.60 ± 2.33, −5.82 ± 2.56, and −5.10 ± 2.26 dB, all p &lt, 0.05) and CPAP-12 m (−7.97 ± 2.74, −8.15 ± 2.35, and −6.67 ± 2.37 dB, 0.01) against corresponding measures of CPAP-BL. High, medium, and average frequencies positively correlated with age (p &lt, 0.001 for high and average frequencies and &lt, 0.01 for medium frequencies). We conclude that in SNHL patients with SDB, hearing thresholds at low and medium frequencies improves under CPAP use after six months, which persists at least to the end of one year.

This purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of shoulder joint mobilization generated by an innovative servomotor joint mobilization apparatus that was developed in this research for patients suffering from frozen shoulder. Forty-eight patients with frozen shoulder were recruited and stratified randomly assigned into one of two groups: joint mobilization apparatus (posterior and inferior gliding, 80 N, 5 Hz, 30 min) combined with regular therapy (experimental group, EG) versus a regular therapy alone group (control group, CG), three times a week for eight weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and shoulder range of motion (ROM) were measured before, during, and the end of the treatment. Results showed that the shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation of the EG improved by 36%, 51%, 81%, and 88%, respectively, while VAS pain scores decreased by 62% when compared with the baseline. Furthermore, the shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation, and pain score of the EG was 11%, 25%, 41%, 24%, and 34% better than those of the CG, respectively. No complaint as well as no side effects were found during or after usage of the joint mobilization apparatus in EG. This study suggests that the joint mobilization apparatus operated by a very small amount of professional manpower and combined with physical therapy further improves shoulder ROM and pain in patients with frozen shoulder compared to regular physical therapy alone and could be one of the new therapeutic regimens in the future.

Objectives: To find an objective diagnostic tool for the superficial veins in legs. Methods: This study included 137 patients who underwent TRANCE-MRI from 2017 to 2020 (IRB: 202001570B0). Among them, 53 with unilateral leg venous diseases underwent a QFlow scan and were classified into the reflux and non-reflux groups according to the status of the great saphenous veins. Results: The QFlow, namely stroke volume (SV), forward flow volume (FFV), mean flux (MF), stroke distance (SD), and mean velocity (MV) measured in the external iliac, femoral, popliteal, and great saphenous vein (GSV). The SV, FFV, SD, MF, SD, and MV in the GSV (morbid/non-morbid limbs) demonstrated a favorable ability to discriminate reflux from non-reflux in the ROC curve. The SD in the GSV and GSV/PV ratio (p = 0.049 and 0.047/cutoff = 86 and 117.1) and the MV in the EIV/FV ratio, GSV, and GSV/PV ratio (p = 0.035, 0.034, and 0.025/cutoff = 100.9, 86.1, and 122.9) exhibited the ability to discriminate between reflux and non-reflux group. The SD, MV, and FFV have better ability to discriminate a reflux from non-reflux group than the SV and MF. Conclusions: QFlow may be used to verify the reflux of superficial veins in the legs. An increasing GSV/PV ratio is a hallmark of reflux of superficial veins in the legs.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to elucidate the predictors for cancer recurrence in women with clinically uterine-confined endometrial cancer in the era of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping. Methods: All consecutive women with clinically determined uterine-confined endometrial cancer who had lymph node assessment by either SLN mapping or traditional pelvic lymphadenectomy were reviewed. Results: Women in the SLN mapping group had lower total dissected pelvic nodes, lower incidence of para-aortic lymph node dissection, less intraoperative blood loss and lower complication rates, but a longer operation time compared to the traditional lymphadenectomy group. Para-aortic lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio = 7.60, p = 0.03) was the sole independent predictor for recurrence-free survival. In addition, the utilization of cytokeratin immunohistochemistry stain detected more lymph node metastases (adjusted odds ratio = 3.04, p = 0.03). Recurrence-free survival did not differ between SLN mapping and traditional lymphadenectomy groups (p = 0.24). Conclusions: Para-aortic lymph node metastasis is an important predictor of cancer recurrence. Women with negative hematoxylin and eosin stain should undergo cytokeratin immunohistochemistry stain to increase the detection rate of positive lymph node metastasis. Besides, the probabilities of recurrence seem to be similar between SLN mapping and traditional lymphadenectomy groups in women with clinically uterine-confined endometrial cancer.

To evaluate whether chronic cocaine abuse will increase cardiac Fas-dependent and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways, thirty-two male Wistar rats at 3–4 months of age were randomly divided into a vehicle-treated group (phosphate-buffered saline, PBS, 0.5 mL, SQ per day) and a cocaine-treated group (Cocaine, 10 mg/kg, SQ per day). After 3 months of treatment, the excised left ventricles were measured by H&E staining, Western blotting, DAPI staining and TUNEL assays. More cardiac TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells were observed in the Cocaine group than the PBS group. Protein levels of TNF-alpha, Fas ligand, Fas death receptor, FADD, activated caspase-8, and activated caspase-3 (Fas-dependent apoptosis) extracted from excised hearts in the Cocaine group were significantly increased, compared to the PBS group. Protein levels of cardiac Bax, cytosolic cytochrome c, t-Bid-to-Bid, Bak-to-Bcl-xL, Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio, activated caspase-9, and activated caspase-3 (mitochondria-dependent apoptosis) were significantly increased in the Cocaine group, compared to the PBS group. Chronic cocaine exposure appeared to activate the cardiac Fas-dependent and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, which may indicate a possible mechanism for the development of cardiac abnormalities in humans with chronic cocaine abuse.

In this paper, an intelligent electric power steering system is proposed to replace a traditional hydraulic power steering system and implemented in a real light hybrid electric vehicle. An intelligent fuzzy control algorithm is applied to yield basic assist logic, return compensation logic, damping compensation logic, and inertia compensation logic in an assist steering system. According to steering wheel angle and vehicle speed, the proposed fuzzy inference logic can provide needed assist motor current. Under experts’ knowledge of fuzzy control, the electric power steering system can satisfy smooth driving. In addition, four driving modes are designed to complete the control strategy. Different driving modes have corresponding fuzzy inference strategies to complete the assist and compensation logic. Finally, the intelligent electric power steering system with a new 12V/500W EPS motor is applied in a real light hybrid electric vehicle. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is reasonable and feasible.