23 results on '"Loh TL"'
Search Results
2. Patterns of sponge recruitment and growth on a shipwreck corroborate chemical defense resource trade-off
- Author
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Pawlik, JR, primary, Henkel, TP, additional, McMurray, SE, additional, López-Legentil, S, additional, Loh, TL, additional, and Rohde, S, additional
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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3. Bilateral blurry vision - a case study.
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Sharma N, Ooi JL, Loh TL, and Sharma S
- Published
- 2012
4. Intracapsular versus extracapsular tonsil surgery: Comparison of postoperative haemorrhage outcomes in the Australasian setting.
- Author
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Loh TL, Toh P, Harbhajan Singh TS, Anderson S, Kong K, Ekanayake M, Hodge JC, Hobson M, van der Meer G, Burns H, Vijayasekaran S, and Jefferson N
- Subjects
- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Male, Female, Child, Australia, New Zealand epidemiology, Child, Preschool, Adolescent, Tonsillitis surgery, Incidence, Treatment Outcome, Palatine Tonsil surgery, Palatine Tonsil pathology, Tonsillectomy adverse effects, Tonsillectomy methods, Postoperative Hemorrhage epidemiology, Postoperative Hemorrhage etiology
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the incidence and timing of postoperative haemorrhage between intracapsular (ICT) and extracapsular tonsillectomy (ECT) techniques and evaluate factors influencing haemorrhage risk and severity., Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing tonsillectomy over 5 years across otolaryngology services in Australia and New Zealand. Primary outcomes were rate and timing of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage., Results: A total of 12,275 patients were included in this study. The overall post-tonsillectomy bleed rate was 3.3 %, with 0.65 % requiring return to theatre. ICT had a significantly lower bleed rate of 1.7 % compared to 4.1 % for ECT (p < 0.001). The rate of return to theatre was markedly lower for ICT (0.08 %) compared to ECT (0.93 %, p < 0.001). Median day of bleeding was not different between the techniques. Patients undergoing surgery for recurrent tonsillitis had the highest rate of postoperative haemorrhage (15 %), while those with sleep-disordered breathing alone had the lowest (3 %, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: ICT results in significantly lower rates of postoperative haemorrhage and need for surgical intervention compared to ECT. This was most pronounced in paediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing. ICT may be considered a preferable option for certain patient groups, especially younger children with sleep-disordered breathing, though more evidence is needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in patients with recurrent tonsillitis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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5. Fourth Branchial Pouch Sinus: A Rare, Often Misdiagnosed Congenital Anomaly.
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Lim RCA, Loh TL, Yahaya Z, and Wan Hamizan AK
- Abstract
Pathologies of the branchial apparatus originate from abnormal embryological development and frequently affects the second branchial cleft. Fourth branchial cleft lesions are exceptionally few and existing literature on it is scarce. We present a case of a fourth branchial pouch sinus, masquerading as a recurrent neck abscess., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2020.)
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- 2022
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6. A Timely Burst: Tuberculous Retropharyngeal Abscess.
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Chong W, Loh ST, Kulasegarah J, Loh TL, and Tengku Kamalden TMIB
- Abstract
Tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We describe an immunocompetent teenager who has her tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess ruptured and then diagnosis confirmed by the presence of acid-fast bacilli from the gastric lavage., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2020.)
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- 2022
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7. Factors associated with high compliance behaviour against COVID-19 in the early phase of pandemic: a cross-sectional study in 12 Asian countries.
- Author
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Chua CE, Kew GS, Demutska A, Quek S, Loo EXL, Gui H, Wong S, Lau HX, Low EXS, Loh TL, Ooi SL, Hung ECW, Rahman MM, Ghoshal U, Wong H, Cheung CKY, Syam AF, Tan N, Xiao Y, Liu JS, Lu F, Chen CL, Lee YY, Maralit RM, Kim YS, Oshima T, Miwa H, Pang J, and Siah KTH
- Subjects
- COVID-19 Vaccines, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, SARS-CoV-2, Surveys and Questionnaires, COVID-19, Pandemics prevention & control
- Abstract
Introduction: Regardless of having effective vaccines against COVID-19, containment measures such as enhanced physical distancing and good practice of personal hygiene remain the mainstay of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries across Asia have imposed these containment measures to varying extents. However, residents in different countries would have a differing degree of compliance to these containment measures potentially due to differences in the level of awareness and motivation in the early phase of pandemic., Objectives: In our study, we aimed to describe and correlate the level of knowledge and attitude with the level of compliance with personal hygiene and physical distancing practices among Asian countries in the early phase of pandemic., Methods: A multinational cross-sectional study was carried out using electronic surveys between May and June 2020 across 14 geographical areas. Subjects aged 21 years and above were invited to participate through social media, word of mouth and electronic mail., Results: Among the 2574 responses obtained, 762 (29.6%) participants were from East Asia and 1812 (70.4%) were from Southeast Asia (SEA). A greater proportion of participants from SEA will practise physical distancing as long as it takes (72.8% vs 60.6%). Having safe distancing practices such as standing more than 1 or 2 m apart (AdjOR 5.09 95% CI (1.08 to 24.01)) or more than 3 or 4 m apart (AdjOR 7.05 95% CI (1.32 to 37.67)), wearing a mask when they had influenza-like symptoms before the COVID-19 pandemic, preferring online news channels such as online news websites/applications (AdjOR 1.73 95% CI (1.21 to 2.49)) and social media (AdjOR 1.68 95% CI (1.13 to 2.50) as sources of obtaining information about COVID-19 and high psychological well-being (AdjOR 1.39 95% CI (1.04 to 1.87)) were independent factors associated with high compliance., Conclusions: We found factors associated with high compliance behaviour against COVID-19 in the early phase of pandemic and it will be useful to consider them in risk assessment, communication and pandemic preparedness., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
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- 2021
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8. Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on irritable bowel syndrome.
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Quek SXZ, Loo EXL, Demutska A, Chua CE, Kew GS, Wong S, Lau HX, Low EXS, Loh TL, Lung OS, Hung ECW, Rahman MM, Ghoshal UC, Wong SH, Cheung CKY, Syam AF, Tan N, Xiao Y, Liu JS, Lu F, Chen CL, Lee YY, Maralit RM, Kim YS, Oshima T, Miwa H, Pang J, and Siah KTH
- Subjects
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, Singapore epidemiology, Surveys and Questionnaires, COVID-19 epidemiology, Irritable Bowel Syndrome epidemiology, Pandemics, Patient Compliance, SARS-CoV-2, Self Report
- Abstract
Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and social distancing measures may affect IBS patients negatively. We aimed to study the impact of COVID-19 on respondents with self-reported IBS., Methods: We conducted an anonymized survey from May to June 2020 in 33 countries. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on personal hygiene and social distancing as well as psychological impact of COVID-19 were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences in well-being and compliance to social distancing measures between respondents with and without self-reported IBS. Factors associated with improvement or worsening of IBS symptoms were evaluated., Results: Out of 2704 respondents, 2024 (74.9%) did not have IBS, 305 (11.3%) had self-reported IBS, and 374 (13.8%) did not know what IBS was. Self-reported IBS respondents reported significantly worse emotional, social, and psychological well-being compared with non-IBS respondents and were less compliant to social distancing measures (28.2% vs 35.3%, P = 0.029); 61.6% reported no change, 26.6% reported improvement, and 11.8% reported worsening IBS symptoms. Higher proportion of respondents with no change in IBS symptoms were willing to practice social distancing indefinitely versus those who deteriorated (74.9% vs 51.4%, P = 0.016). In multivariate analysis, willingness to continue social distancing for another 2-3 weeks (vs longer period) was significantly associated with higher odds of worsening IBS., Conclusion: Our study showed that self-reported IBS respondents had worse well-being and compliance to social distancing measures than non-IBS respondents. Future research will focus on occupational stress and dietary changes during COVID-19 that may influence IBS., (© 2021 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)
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- 2021
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9. Association between well-being and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures by healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study.
- Author
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Shah SU, Xiu Ling Loo E, En Chua C, Sen Kew G, Demutska A, Quek S, Wong S, Lau HX, Low EXS, Loh TL, Lung OS, Hung ECW, Rahman MM, Ghoshal UC, Wong SH, Cheung CKY, Syam AF, Tan N, Xiao Y, Liu JS, Lu F, Chen CL, Lee YY, Maralit RM, Kim YS, Oshima T, Miwa H, Siah KTH, and Pang J
- Subjects
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Global Health, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, COVID-19 epidemiology, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Personnel psychology, Pandemics prevention & control, Patient Compliance
- Abstract
Importance: Knowledge and attitude influence compliance and individuals' practices. The risk and protective factors associated with high compliance to these preventive measures are critical to enhancing pandemic preparedness., Objective: This survey aims to assess differences in mental health, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of preventive measures for COVID-19 amongst healthcare professionals (HCP) and non-healthcare professionals., Design: Multi-national cross-sectional study was carried out using electronic surveys between May-June 2020., Setting: Multi-national survey was distributed across 36 countries through social media, word-of-mouth, and electronic mail., Participants: Participants ≥21 years working in healthcare and non-healthcare related professions., Main Outcome: Risk factors determining the difference in KAP towards personal hygiene and social distancing measures during COVID-19 amongst HCP and non-HCP., Results: HCP were significantly more knowledgeable on personal hygiene (AdjOR 1.45, 95% CI -1.14 to 1.83) and social distancing (AdjOR 1.31, 95% CI -1.06 to 1.61) compared to non-HCP. They were more likely to have a positive attitude towards personal hygiene and 1.5 times more willing to participate in the contact tracing app. There was high compliance towards personal hygiene and social distancing measures amongst HCP. HCP with high compliance were 1.8 times more likely to flourish and more likely to have a high sense of emotional (AdjOR 1.94, 95% CI (1.44 to 2.61), social (AdjOR 2.07, 95% CI -1.55 to 2.78), and psychological (AdjOR 2.13, 95% CI (1.59-2.85) well-being., Conclusion and Relevance: While healthcare professionals were more knowledgeable, had more positive attitudes, their higher sense of total well-being was seen to be more critical to enhance compliance. Therefore, focusing on the well-being of the general population would help to enhance their compliance towards the preventive measures for COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2021
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10. Monitoring program design for data-limited marine biogenic habitats: A structured approach.
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Loh TL, Archer SK, and Dunham A
- Abstract
Marine biogenic habitats-habitats created by living organisms-provide essential ecosystem functions and services, such as physical structuring, nutrient cycling, biodiversity support, and increases in primary, secondary, and tertiary production. With the growing trend toward ecosystem approaches to marine conservation and fisheries management, there is greater emphasis on rigorously designed habitat monitoring programs. However, such programs are challenging to design for data-limited habitats for which underlying ecosystem processes are poorly understood. To provide guidance in this area, we reviewed approaches to benthic assessments across well-studied marine biogenic habitats and identified common themes related to indicator selection, sampling methods, and survey design. Biogenic habitat monitoring efforts largely focus on the characteristics, distribution, and ecological function of foundation species, but may target other habitat-forming organisms, especially when community shifts are observed or expected, as well as proxies of habitat status, such as indicator species. Broad-scale methods cover large spatial areas and are typically used to examine the spatial configuration of habitats, whereas fine-scale methods tend to be laborious and thus restricted to small survey areas, but provide high-resolution data. Recent, emerging methods enhance the capabilities of surveying large areas at high spatial resolution and improve data processing efficiency, bridging the gap between broad- and fine-scale methods. Although sampling design selection may be limited by habitat characteristics and available resources, it is critically important to ensure appropriate matching of ecological, observational, and analytical scales. Drawing on these common themes, we propose a structured, iterative approach to designing monitoring programs for marine biogenic habitats that allows for rigorous data collection to inform management strategies, even when data and resource limitations are present. A practical application of this approach is illustrated using glass sponge reefs-a recently discovered and data-limited habitat type-as a case study., Competing Interests: None declared.
- Published
- 2019
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11. Malignant otitis externa in Australian Aboriginal patients: A 9-year retrospective analysis from the Northern Territory.
- Author
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Loh TL, Renger L, Latis S, and Patel H
- Subjects
- Ear Neoplasms diagnosis, Female, Humans, Male, Northern Territory epidemiology, Otitis Externa diagnosis, Prevalence, Retrospective Studies, Ear Neoplasms epidemiology, Ear Neoplasms therapy, Health Services Accessibility statistics & numerical data, Otitis Externa epidemiology, Otitis Externa therapy, Rural Health Services statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objective: In the Australian Aboriginal population, type 2 diabetes occurs at a much higher prevalence, with a much younger age of onset of the disease and its complications. Despite the clear association with malignant otitis externa, no previous studies have examined malignant otitis externa in this population. This study explores the pattern of malignant otitis externa amongst Australian Aboriginal patients in the Northern Territory., Design: Retrospective case series., Setting: Otolaryngology unit in a tertiary referral hospital in Northern Territory, Australia., Participants: Patients admitted with malignant otitis externa between January 2007 and October 2016 were identified by reviewing case notes. Patients diagnosed with malignant otitis externa based on results from clinical, microbiological and radiological criteria were included., Main Outcome Measures: Complications rates, duration of hospital stay and parenteral antibiotics, age of onset and causative organisms., Results: Nine patients were included. Six were Australian Aboriginal - all from regional centres. The most common causative organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a higher-than-expected occurrence of fungal malignant otitis externa (33% of Australian Aboriginal patients), who tended to be younger at diagnosis, had longer hospital stays and had a higher disease-specific mortality. Over half of the patients did not receive follow-up gallium bone scans to monitor disease resolution, reflecting the limitations of rural health care., Conclusion: Malignant otitis externa in the Australian Aboriginal population is a challenging disease with high complication and mortality rates. Their rural and remote distribution is a significant barrier to specialist investigation and care. Providing effective care for this disease requires improved access to high-quality primary health care and tertiary specialist services., (© 2019 National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.)
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- 2019
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12. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma mimicking thyroid abscess.
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Loh TL and Zulkiflee AB
- Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a particularly fearsome form of thyroid cancer due to its extreme aggressiveness and dismal prognosis. Patients with ATC typically present with a rapidly enlarging neck mass with compressive symptoms. We report a case of ATC, mimicking a thyroid abscess; in a 52-year-old Chinese male with one month history of enlarging neck mass. Ultrasound of the neck was suggestive of a thyroid cyst and fine needle aspiration cytology was negative for malignancy. He presented again 2 weeks later with increased swelling and pain suggestive of right neck abscess. An incision and drainage was performed and histopathology result of a proximal isolated enlarged lymph node biopsied revealed metastatic carcinoma. Subsequent right thyroid wedge biopsy finding 1 month later were confirmatory of ATC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
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- 2018
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13. A review of bottom-up vs. top-down control of sponges on Caribbean fore-reefs: what's old, what's new, and future directions.
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Pawlik JR, Loh TL, and McMurray SE
- Abstract
Interest in the ecology of sponges on coral reefs has grown in recent years with mounting evidence that sponges are becoming dominant members of reef communities, particularly in the Caribbean. New estimates of water column processing by sponge pumping activities combined with discoveries related to carbon and nutrient cycling have led to novel hypotheses about the role of sponges in reef ecosystem function. Among these developments, a debate has emerged about the relative effects of bottom-up (food availability) and top-down (predation) control on the community of sponges on Caribbean fore-reefs. In this review, we evaluate the impact of the latest findings on the debate, as well as provide new insights based on older citations. Recent studies that employed different research methods have demonstrated that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and detritus are the principal sources of food for a growing list of sponge species, challenging the idea that the relative availability of living picoplankton is the sole proxy for sponge growth or abundance. New reports have confirmed earlier findings that reef macroalgae release labile DOC available for sponge nutrition. Evidence for top-down control of sponge community structure by fish predation is further supported by gut content studies and historical population estimates of hawksbill turtles, which likely had a much greater impact on relative sponge abundances on Caribbean reefs of the past. Implicit to investigations designed to address the bottom-up vs. top-down debate are appropriate studies of Caribbean fore-reef environments, where benthic communities are relatively homogeneous and terrestrial influences and abiotic effects are minimized. One recent study designed to test both aspects of the debate did so using experiments conducted entirely in shallow lagoonal habitats dominated by mangroves and seagrass beds. The top-down results from this study are reinterpreted as supporting past research demonstrating predator preferences for sponge species that are abundant in these lagoonal habitats, but grazed away in fore-reef habitats. We conclude that sponge communities on Caribbean fore-reefs of the past and present are largely structured by predation, and offer new directions for research, such as determining the environmental conditions under which sponges may be food-limited (e.g., deep sea, lagoonal habitats) and monitoring changes in sponge community structure as populations of hawksbill turtles rebound., Competing Interests: Joseph R. Pawlik is an Academic Editor for PeerJ.
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- 2018
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14. Insular carcinoma arising on a background of follicular carcinoma, thyrolipomatosis and amyloid goitre.
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Loh TL, Latis S, Ali RB, and Patel H
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- Adenocarcinoma, Follicular complications, Adenocarcinoma, Follicular radiotherapy, Adenocarcinoma, Follicular surgery, Aged, Amyloidosis complications, Goiter surgery, Humans, Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis complications, Lipomatosis complications, Male, Radiotherapy, Adjuvant, Rare Diseases, Thyroid Gland diagnostic imaging, Thyroid Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Thyroid Neoplasms radiotherapy, Thyroid Neoplasms surgery, Thyroidectomy methods, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Treatment Outcome, Ultrasonography, Adenocarcinoma, Follicular pathology, Amyloidosis diagnosis, Goiter pathology, Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis diagnosis, Lipomatosis pathology, Thyroid Gland pathology, Thyroid Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
A 67-year-old man was referred with a history of a right-sided neck lump and dysphonia, secondary to a lesion in the thyroid gland. After undergoing a total thyroidectomy, he was found to have an exceedingly rare combination of follicular carcinoma, insular carcinoma, thyrolipomatosis and an amyloid goitre in his thyroid gland. He subsequently underwent further radioactive iodine ablation and has been in remission. He was also later incidentally diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis, which explained the amyloid deposition in his thyroid gland., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)
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- 2017
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15. Disseminated melioidosis in the head and neck.
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Loh TL, Latis S, Crossland G, and Patel H
- Subjects
- Adult, Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use, Brain Abscess complications, Brain Abscess therapy, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Humans, Male, Mastoid surgery, Mastoiditis complications, Mastoiditis therapy, Melioidosis complications, Melioidosis therapy, Neurosurgical Procedures, Pneumonia, Bacterial complications, Pneumonia, Bacterial therapy, Shock, Septic etiology, Soft Tissue Infections complications, Soft Tissue Infections therapy, Temporal Lobe surgery, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Brain Abscess diagnostic imaging, Mastoid diagnostic imaging, Mastoiditis diagnostic imaging, Melioidosis diagnostic imaging, Pneumonia, Bacterial diagnostic imaging, Soft Tissue Infections diagnostic imaging, Temporal Lobe diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
A 35-year-old man was admitted to an intensive care unit with unilateral facial swelling and septic shock after multiple presentations to the emergency department with non-specific unilateral pain over the parotid area. A CT scan of his neck showed diffuse right-sided facial soft tissue infection, mastoid effusion and temporal lobe cerebritis. The upper lobes of his lungs had cannonball lesions that were suggestive of septic lung metastases. Blood cultures and ear canal swabs were positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei The temporal lobe cerebritis eventually developed into an abscess, necessitating a cortical mastoidectomy, craniectomy and temporal lobectomy. After the surgical interventions, antibiotic therapy was continued for a further 6 months. The patient remained well and had no signs of recurrence up to 7 months after the initial presentation., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (2017 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)
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- 2017
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16. New records of the Japanese seahorse Hippocampus mohnikei in Southeast Asia lead to updates in range, habitat and threats.
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Aylesworth L, Lawson JM, Laksanawimol P, Ferber P, and Loh TL
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- Animals, Asia, Southeastern, Cambodia, Conservation of Natural Resources, Endangered Species, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Ecosystem, Smegmamorpha
- Abstract
New records of the Japanese seahorse Hippocampus mohnikei from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, along with recently published studies from India and Singapore, have greatly expanded the known range of H. mohnikei within Southeast Asia. These new records reveal novel habitat preferences and threats to H. mohnikei in the region. Although the global conservation status of H. mohnikei is classified as Data Deficient according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, new sightings indicate that this species is found in similar habitats and faces similar threats as other Hippocampus species that are considered Vulnerable., (© 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)
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- 2016
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17. Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals.
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Loh TL, McMurray SE, Henkel TP, Vicente J, and Pawlik JR
- Abstract
Consumer-mediated indirect effects at the community level are difficult to demonstrate empirically. Here, we show an explicit indirect effect of overfishing on competition between sponges and reef-building corals from surveys of 69 sites across the Caribbean. Leveraging the large-scale, long-term removal of sponge predators, we selected overfished sites where intensive methods, primarily fish-trapping, have been employed for decades or more, and compared them to sites in remote or marine protected areas (MPAs) with variable levels of enforcement. Sponge-eating fishes (angelfishes and parrotfishes) were counted at each site, and the benthos surveyed, with coral colonies scored for interaction with sponges. Overfished sites had >3 fold more overgrowth of corals by sponges, and mean coral contact with sponges was 25.6%, compared with 12.0% at less-fished sites. Greater contact with corals by sponges at overfished sites was mostly by sponge species palatable to sponge predators. Palatable species have faster rates of growth or reproduction than defended sponge species, which instead make metabolically expensive chemical defenses. These results validate the top-down conceptual model of sponge community ecology for Caribbean reefs, as well as provide an unambiguous justification for MPAs to protect threatened reef-building corals. An unanticipated outcome of the benthic survey component of this study was that overfished sites had lower mean macroalgal cover (23.1% vs. 38.1% for less-fished sites), a result that is contrary to prevailing assumptions about seaweed control by herbivorous fishes. Because we did not quantify herbivores for this study, we interpret this result with caution, but suggest that additional large-scale studies comparing intensively overfished and MPA sites are warranted to examine the relative impacts of herbivorous fishes and urchins on Caribbean reefs.
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- 2015
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18. Linking land, air and sea: potential impacts of biomass burning and the resultant haze on marine ecosystems of Southeast Asia.
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Jaafar Z and Loh TL
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- Asia, Southeastern, Biomass, Eutrophication, Geologic Sediments analysis, Marine Biology, Photosynthesis radiation effects, Air Pollution adverse effects, Ecosystem, Models, Biological, Smoke adverse effects, Sunlight
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- 2014
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19. Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs.
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Loh TL and Pawlik JR
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- Animals, Population Dynamics, Regression Analysis, Species Specificity, West Indies, Coral Reefs, Perciformes physiology, Porifera chemistry, Predatory Behavior physiology
- Abstract
Ecological studies have rarely been performed at the community level across a large biogeographic region. Sponges are now the primary habitat-forming organisms on Caribbean coral reefs. Recent species-level investigations have demonstrated that predatory fishes (angelfishes and some parrotfishes) differentially graze sponges that lack chemical defenses, while co-occurring, palatable species heal, grow, reproduce, or recruit at faster rates than defended species. Our prediction, based on resource allocation theory, was that predator removal would result in a greater proportion of palatable species in the sponge community on overfished reefs. We tested this prediction by performing surveys of sponge and fish community composition on reefs having different levels of fishing intensity across the Caribbean. A total of 109 sponge species was recorded from 69 sites, with the 10 most common species comprising 51.0% of sponge cover (3.6-7.7% per species). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated that the species composition of sponge communities depended more on the abundance of sponge-eating fishes than geographic location. Across all sites, multiple-regression analyses revealed that spongivore abundance explained 32.8% of the variation in the proportion of palatable sponges, but when data were limited to geographically adjacent locations with strongly contrasting levels of fishing pressure (Cayman Islands and Jamaica; Curaçao, Bonaire, and Martinique), the adjusted R(2) values were much higher (76.5% and 94.6%, respectively). Overfishing of Caribbean coral reefs, particularly by fish trapping, removes sponge predators and is likely to result in greater competition for space between faster-growing palatable sponges and endangered reef-building corals.
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- 2014
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20. Fracture and aspiration of a tracheostomy tube.
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Loh TL, Chin R, Flynn P, and Jayachandra S
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- Aged, Bronchoscopy, Female, Foreign Bodies surgery, Humans, Polyvinyl Chloride, Radiography, Respiratory Aspiration surgery, Silicones, Equipment Failure, Foreign Bodies diagnostic imaging, Respiratory Aspiration diagnostic imaging, Tracheostomy instrumentation
- Abstract
A 70-year-old woman presented with a fracture and aspiration of her polyvinyl chloride tracheostomy tube. Her chest X-ray showed that a foreign body was lodged in the right main bronchus. She was otherwise asymptomatic. The foreign body was removed under general anaesthesia using a flexible bronchoscope. The patient developed pneumonia after the procedure and was admitted to the intensive care unit. She was discharged home 5 days after the event with no permanent complications.
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- 2014
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21. Cutaneous carcinosarcoma with metastasis to the parotid gland.
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Loh TL, Tomlinson J, Chin R, and Eslick GD
- Abstract
Cutaneous carcinosarcoma is a rare malignancy that exhibits both mesenchymal and epithelial components. It is similar to nonmelanoma skin cancers in terms of risk and prognostic factors. However, these malignancies are known to have a propensity for local recurrence and metastasis, even with adequate resection margins. Here we report a case of metastatic cutaneous carcinosarcoma to the parotid gland and review the relevant literature.
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- 2014
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22. Sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs are structured by factors that are top-down, not bottom-up.
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Pawlik JR, Loh TL, McMurray SE, and Finelli CM
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- Analysis of Variance, Animals, Florida, Population Dynamics, Species Specificity, Temperature, Water Movements, Coral Reefs, Food Chain, Porifera physiology
- Abstract
Caribbean coral reefs have been transformed in the past few decades with the demise of reef-building corals, and sponges are now the dominant habitat-forming organisms on most reefs. Competing hypotheses propose that sponge communities are controlled primarily by predatory fishes (top-down) or by the availability of picoplankton to suspension-feeding sponges (bottom-up). We tested these hypotheses on Conch Reef, off Key Largo, Florida, by placing sponges inside and outside predator-excluding cages at sites with less and more planktonic food availability (15 m vs. 30 m depth). There was no evidence of a bottom-up effect on the growth of any of 5 sponge species, and 2 of 5 species grew more when caged at the shallow site with lower food abundance. There was, however, a strong effect of predation by fishes on sponge species that lacked chemical defenses. Sponges with chemical defenses grew slower than undefended species, demonstrating a resource trade-off between growth and the production of secondary metabolites. Surveys of the benthic community on Conch Reef similarly did not support a bottom-up effect, with higher sponge cover at the shallower depth. We conclude that the structure of sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs is primarily top-down, and predict that removal of sponge predators by overfishing will shift communities toward faster-growing, undefended species that better compete for space with threatened reef-building corals.
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- 2013
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23. Mutation of the ATP-gated P2X(2) receptor leads to progressive hearing loss and increased susceptibility to noise.
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Yan D, Zhu Y, Walsh T, Xie D, Yuan H, Sirmaci A, Fujikawa T, Wong AC, Loh TL, Du L, Grati M, Vlajkovic SM, Blanton S, Ryan AF, Chen ZY, Thorne PR, Kachar B, Tekin M, Zhao HB, Housley GD, King MC, and Liu XZ
- Subjects
- Adenosine Triphosphate metabolism, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Female, Genes, Dominant, Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced etiology, Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced physiopathology, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural etiology, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural physiopathology, Heterozygote, Humans, Ion Channel Gating, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Molecular Sequence Data, Pedigree, Penetrance, Receptors, Purinergic P2X2 deficiency, Receptors, Purinergic P2X2 physiology, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Young Adult, Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced genetics, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural genetics, Mutation, Missense, Receptors, Purinergic P2X2 genetics
- Abstract
Age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss are major causes of human morbidity. Here we used genetics and functional studies to show that a shared cause of these disorders may be loss of function of the ATP-gated P2X(2) receptor (ligand-gated ion channel, purinergic receptor 2) that is expressed in sensory and supporting cells of the cochlea. Genomic analysis of dominantly inherited, progressive sensorineural hearing loss DFNA41 in a six-generation kindred revealed a rare heterozygous allele, P2RX2 c.178G > T (p.V60L), at chr12:133,196,029, which cosegregated with fully penetrant hearing loss in the index family, and also appeared in a second family with the same phenotype. The mutation was absent from more than 7,000 controls. P2RX2 p.V60L abolishes two hallmark features of P2X(2) receptors: ATP-evoked inward current response and ATP-stimulated macropore permeability, measured as loss of ATP-activated FM1-43 fluorescence labeling. Coexpression of mutant and WT P2X(2) receptor subunits significantly reduced ATP-activated membrane permeability. P2RX2-null mice developed severe progressive hearing loss, and their early exposure to continuous moderate noise led to high-frequency hearing loss as young adults. Similarly, among family members heterozygous for P2RX2 p.V60L, noise exposure exacerbated high-frequency hearing loss in young adulthood. Our results suggest that P2X(2) function is required for life-long normal hearing and for protection from exposure to noise.
- Published
- 2013
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