Nasotracheal intubation performance with the mcgrath videolaryngoscope versus macintosh laryngoscope in oral and maxillofacial surgery- An observational study

Background and Aim

Nasotracheal intubation is the main route to secure the airway in oral and maxillofacial surgery patients. This study was aimed to compare the intubation times and glottis visualization of McGrath video laryngoscope with the Macintosh laryngoscope for routine nasotracheal intubation.

Materials and Methods

Records of seventy-one ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) I-II patients were evaluated and allocated into two groups (McGrath video laryngoscope (VL) and Macintosh groups). Intubation times, modified intubation difficulty scale (MIDS) scores, and hemodynamic parameters (heart rate and mean arterial pressure) were compared after the anesthesia induction and the intubation.

Results

Mean intubation time in the McGrath group (24.9 ± 5.9 seconds) was significantly lower than that of the Macintosh group (28 ± 6.2 seconds; P = 0.037). Magill forceps were needed less in the McGrath group compared to the Macintosh group (13.89% vs. 42.86%; P = 0.009). Total MIDS scores were similar (P = 0.778). There was no significant difference in the hemodynamic parameters between the groups.

Conclusion

The McGrath VL significantly reduced the intubation time and the use of Magill forceps compared with Macintosh direct laryngoscope and can be utilised effectively for routine nasotracheal intubation.

Democracy and COVID-19 outcomes

More democratic countries are often expected to fail at providing a fast, strong, and effective response when facing a crisis such as COVID-19. This could result in higher infections and more negative health effects, but hard evidence to prove this claim is missing for the new disease. Studying the association with five different democracy measures, this study shows that while the infection rates of the disease do indeed appear to be higher for more democratic countries so far, their observed case fatality rates are lower. There is also a negative association between case fatality rates and government attempts to censor media. However, such censorship relates positively to the infection rate.

Democracy and COVID-19 outcomes

More democratic countries are often expected to fail at providing a fast, strong, and effective response when facing a crisis such as COVID-19. This could result in higher infections and more negative health effects, but hard evidence to prove this claim is missing for the new disease. Studying the association with five different democracy measures, this study shows that while the infection rates of the disease do indeed appear to be higher for more democratic countries so far, their observed case fatality rates are lower. There is also a negative association between case fatality rates and government attempts to censor media. However, such censorship relates positively to the infection rate.

How pandemics affect tourism: International evidence

•We examine how pandemics affects tourist arrivals.•The paper is the first to use newly developed "Discussion about Pandemics Index".•We find that pandemic decreases tourist arrivals.•This effect exists only for low-income economies.

Inter-country distancing, globalisation and the coronavirus pandemic

Originating in China, the coronavirus has reached the world at different speeds and levels of strength. This paper provides an initial understanding of some driving factors and their consequences. Since transmission requires people, the human factor behind globalisation is essential. Globalisation, a major force behind global well-being and equality, is highly associated with this factor. The analysis investigates the impact globalisation has on the speed of initial transmission to a country and on the scale of initial infections in the context of other driving factors. Our cross-country analysis finds that measures of globalisation are positively related to the spread of the virus, both in speed and in scale. However, the study also finds that globalised countries are better equipped to keep fatality rates low. The conclusion is not to reduce globalisation to avoid pandemics, but to better monitor the human factor at the outbreak and mobilise collaboration forces to curtail diseases.

The relationship between cryptocurrencies and COVID-19 pandemic

We examine the relationship between cryptocurrencies (namely Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Ripple (XRP)) and COVID-19 cases/deaths. This will help explore whether cryptocurrencies can serve as a hedge against COVID-19. The wavelet coherence analysis indicates that there is initially a negative relationship between Bitcoin and the number of reported cases and deaths; however, the relationship becomes positive during the later period. The findings for Ethereum and Ripple are also similar but with weaker interactions. This supports the hedging role of cryptocurrencies against the uncertainty raised by COVID-19.

Haematological and histopathological effects of apigenin, phloretin and myricetin based on uterotrophic assay in immature Wistar female albino rats

In this study, it is aimed to determine the histopathological and haematological effects of apigenin, phloretin and myricetin on Wistar immature female rats using Tier 2 of the uterotrophic assay. The female rats were divided into 17 groups with 6 rats in each group. There was a negative control group and positive control dose groups that contained 0.07 µg/kg/day, 0.7 µg/kg/day and 7 µg/kg/day of ethinyl estradiol (EE), 0.7 µg/kg/day 17α-ethinyl estradiol + 1 mg/kg/day tamoxifen and genistein. The other dose groups contain 1 mg/kg/day, 10 mg/kg/day and 100 mg/kg/day of apigenin, myricetin and phloretin. All chemicals had been given to Wistar immature female rats with oral gavage for three consecutive days. At the end of the study, blood samples were analysed for haematological parameters. Tissue samples that were taken from the liver, kidney, spleen and thyroid were histopathologically and histomorphometrically examined. There were no significant differences between oil control and other dose groups for glomerular histomorphometry. However, there were significant differences for thyroid histomorphometry. Especially, 10 and 100 mg/kg/day of phloretin dose groups had a significant increase in colloid surface area in thyroid compared with the 1 mg/kg/day of phloretin and oil control groups. Significant histopathological changes (congestion, degeneration, fibrosis and mononuclear cell infiltration) were noted in the tissue specimens obtained from the treatment groups compared with the control group. According to the results of the haematological analysis of the groups, especially the values of erythrocytes and haematocrit were increased significantly in most of the dose groups according to the oil control group.

FcgammaRIIa, IIIa and IIIb gene polymorphisms in Behçet's disease: do they have any clinical implications?

OBJECTIVE

Behçet's disease (BD) is a unique systemic vasculitis involving both arteries and veins of all sizes. Since Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) are important in mediating various immune effector functions, FcgammaR gene polymorphisms may affect the susceptibility to systemic inflammatory diseases such as BD. The aim of this study was to show the distribution of FcgammaRIIa, IIIa ve IIIb receptor gene polymorphisms in BD, and to investigate possible genotype-phenotype relationships.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, FcgammaRIIa (H/H131, H/R131, R/R131), IIIa (F/F158, F/V158, V/V158), and IIIb (NA1/NA1, NA1/NA2, and NA2/NA2) receptor gene polymorphisms were investigated in 216 unrelated Turkish BD patients (M/F: 130/86) and in 241 healthy subjects, using an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

The FcgammaRIIa R/R131 (p=0.019) and FcgammaRIIIa F/F158 genotypes (p=0.001) were found to be significantly more frequent in BD compared with healthy controls, whereas the FcgammaRIIIb genotypes were not (p=0.108). Allele analysis showed that the FcgammaRIIIa 158 (p=0.001) and FcgammaRIIIb NA2 (p=0.016) alleles were more frequent in BD than in healthy controls. In BD patients the FcgammaRIIIa V/V158 genotype was significantly associated with the presence of arthritis (p=0.002) and with an earlier disease onset (p=0.008), while the FcgammaRIIIb NA2/NA2 genotype was significantly associated with disease severity (p=0.02), vascular involvement (p=0.014), and pathergy positivity (p=0.02).

CONCLUSION

We found that the genotype frequencies and allelic distributions of the FcgammaRIIa, FcgammaRIIIa and FcgammaRIIIb gene polymorphisms were significantly different between BD patients and healthy controls. In addition, certain FcgammaRIIIa and FcgammaRIIIb gene polymorphisms appear to be associated with an early disease onset, disease severity, the presence of arthritis, and vascular involvement in BD.

Effects of retainers on the articulation of speech

Articulation abilities of 15 patients were evaluated at the end of orthodontic treatment with the initiation of removable upper and lower retainer wear. A test of articulation, based on consonants and vowels (cv), (vcv), (vc), (cvc) nonsense syllables, was used to evaluate the articulatory distortions with no retainers and with maxillary and mandibular retainers worn respectively and together. The test was performed (a) on the first day, (b) 24 hours later, and (c) 1 week later. Statistically significant articulatory distortions with the /t/ and /d/ sounds on the first day with upper retainer only and with both retainers worn together were noted. Also significant distortion of the /k/ sound with both retainers worn was observed. These distortions, due to the wearing of retainers, decreased to an insignificant level or disappeared completely on the seventh day showing the ability of tongue adaptation in a very short period of time.