Hereditary hearing loss (HHL) is a neurosensory disorder that affects every 1/500 newborns worldwide and nearly 1/3 people over the age of 65. Congenital deafness is inherited as monogenetic or ...polygenic disorder. The delicacy, tissue heterogeneity, deep location of the inner ear down the brainstem, and minute quantity of cells present in cochlea are the major challenges for current therapeutic approaches to cure deafness. Targeted genome editing is considered a suitable approach to treat HHL since it can target defective molecular components of auditory transduction to restore normal cochlear function. With the advent of CRISPR/Cas9 technique, targeted genome editing and biomedical research have been revolutionized. The robustness and simplicity of this technology lie in its design and delivery methods. It can directly deliver a complex of Cas9 endonuclease and single guide RNA (sgRNA) into zygote using either vector-mediated stable transfection or transient delivery of ribonucleoproteins complexes. This strategy induces DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) at target site followed by endogenous DNA repairing mechanisms of the cell. CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully used in model animals to edit hearing genes like calcium and integrin-binding protein 2, myosin VIIA, Xin-actin binding repeat containing 2, leucine-zipper and sterile-alpha motif kinase Zak, epiphycan, transmembrane channel–like protein 1, and cadherin 23. This review discusses the utility of lipid-mediated transient delivery of Cas9/sgRNA complexes, an efficient way to restore hearing in humans, suffering from HHL. Notwithstanding, challenges like PAM requirement, HDR efficiency, off-target activity, and optimized delivery systems need to be addressed.
Background
Abdominal cocoon syndrome is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in which loops of small bowel get entrapped inside a fibro-collagenous membrane. Condition is also known in the ...literature as sclerosing peritonitis and in the majority of cases, it has no known cause. Although the majority of patients exhibit long-standing signs and symptoms of partial bowel obstruction in an out-patient clinic, its acute presentation in the emergency room with features of sepsis is extremely rare. This case report aims to describe the emergency presentation of cocoon abdomen with septic peritonitis.
Case presentation
A 35-year-old male with no known co-morbidity and no prior history of prior laparotomy presented in emergency room first time with a 1-day history of generalized abdomen pain, vomiting, and absolute constipation. He was in grade III shock and had metabolic acidosis. The clinical impression was of the perforated appendix, but initial contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) was suggestive of strangulated internal herniation of small bowel. Emergency laparotomy after resuscitation revealed hypoperfused, but viable loops of small bowel entrapped in the sclerosing membrane. Extensive adhesiolysis and removal of the membrane were performed and the entire bowel was straightened. Postoperatively he remained well and discharged as planned. Histopathology report confirms features of sclerosing peritonitis.
Discussion
Cocoon abdomen is a very rare cause of acute small bowel obstruction presenting in an emergency with features of septic peritonitis. Condition is mostly chronic and generally mimics abdominal TB in endemic areas like India and Pakistan. A high index of suspicion is required in an emergency setting and exploratory laparotomy is diagnostic and therapeutic as well and the condition mimics internal herniation in acute cases.
Conclusion
Cocoon abdomen as a cause of septic peritonitis is extremely rare and might be an unexpected finding at laparotomy. Removal of membrane and estimation of the viability of entrapped bowel loops is the treatment of choice, which may require resection in the extreme case of gangrene.
The demand for minimally processed food is increasing across the globe. In this regard, the application of non-thermal technologies for food processing is getting more attention. The use of plasma in ...food processing offers promising potential owing to its different attributes including non-thermal, enzyme inactivation, removal of pesticides toxin, less damage to food, low nutritional loss, and high quality of the final products. Plasma ensures food safety by inactivation of potential pathogens without distressing the quality indices of the food. Plasma is an advanced technique that has attracted scientists and technologists because of its astonishing capacity and potential applications in food industries which include food decontamination, inactivation of food-borne pathogenic microbes, and food packaging. The present review summarizes the key factors in plasma generation, its characteristics and applications in different food industries. Furthermore, it also addresses the principles, practices and limitations of plasma application in food safety, decontamination and current knowledge on the subject matter. These application of plasma in food industries improves the nutritional and textural aspects of food materials
One of the most frequently encountered congenital anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract is the Meckel's diverticulum. Perforation of the diverticulum, a rare complication, can significantly hinder ...accurate diagnosis of the condition. Other common complications associated with Meckel's diverticulum include intestinal obstruction, intussusception, volvulus, inflammation, and hemorrhage. The presentation is similar to the presentation of appendicitis at times. Formation of a phlegmon around a perforated Meckel's diverticulum can mask clinical signs and symptoms. We present a case of a 59-year-old man who presented with pain in the right upper and lower quadrants. After imaging, the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy, which revealed a perforated Meckel's diverticulum. This case highlights the importance of considering Meckel's diverticulum as a possible diagnosis in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain. A thorough approach to history and physical exam combined with imaging can help in the early diagnosis of a perforated Meckel's diverticulum.
Food fortification processes are used to improve the functional and dietary characteristics of the final product. The basic aim of the current study was to evaluate the ginger (Zingiber officinalis, ...Roscoe) fortification in yogurt and to improve its functionality. For this purpose, ginger at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) was added to yogurt. The results showed a significant influence (p < .05) on physicochemical and phenolic content as well as on the sensory parameters of fortified yogurt. Moreover, the addition of 1.5% ginger powder in yogurt resulted in the best results for protein (3.30%), moisture (79.16%), and water-holding capacity (39.85%), respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic contents were also higher in T
3
(19.91 μg GAE/g); however, the total plate count tends to decrease ranging from 3.94 to 3.58 log CFU/g in different treatments. The results of the sensorial assessment revealed T
3
was appreciated the most among all treatments.
Probiotic bacteria have been well-known to provide health benefits to human beings. However, several harsh conditions have threatened their survival rate during processing, storage, and transit ...through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This study investigated the survivability of biofilm-producing Pediococcus pentosaceus encapsulated in calcium alginate gel beads (CAGBs) against harsh conditions. The present study successfully produced biofilms-in situ culture of P. pentosaceus in the CAGBs (CAGB-bio-situ). The subsequently formed biofilms showed high survivability to the GIT environment (50%–74%), refrigerator storage (88.6%), and pH 2 (30.7%). In addition, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that no new chemical bonds were formed between the sodium alginate and the bacterial cell. Furthermore, the water content of the CAGBs averaged 10.06%, which was considered acceptable. A single-step weight loss was observed in the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of CAGBs, while CAGB-bio-situ showed high thermal stability. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) displayed bacteria aggregation on the beads surface in CAGB-bio-situ. As an alternative approach, this study speculates that the ability of P. pentosaceus to form biofilm would benefit from additional protection of CAGBs, which could serve as a fourth-generation approach to protect probiotics.
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•Probiotic bacteria provide health benefits to human beings and their potent viability is worthy protecting.•Improving the survival of probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus by using their ability to form biofilms combined with encapsulating materials i.e., Calcium alginate gel beads (CAGB).•Successful production of biofilms-in situ culture of P. pentosaceus in the CAGBs (CAGB-bio-situ).•Physicochemical properties of the calcium alginate beads containing biofilm-like structures.•Biofilm encapsulation provides a new insight into a protected process of probiotic delivery, which could serve as a fourth-generation approach to protect probiotics.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a technology evolved from modified type II immune system of bacteria and archaea. Exploitation of this bacterial immune system in all eukaryotes including plants may lead to ...site-specific targeted genome engineering. Genome engineering is objectively utilized to express/silence a trait harbouring gene in the plant genome. In this review, different genetic engineering techniques including classical breeding, RNAi and genetic transformation and synthetic sequence-specific nucleases (zinc finger nucleases; ZFNs and transcription activator-like effector nuclease; TALENs) techniques have been described and compared with advanced genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9, on the basis of their merits and drawbacks. This revolutionary genome engineering technology has edge over all other approaches because of its simplicity, stability, specificity of the target and multiple genes can be engineered at a time. CRISPR/Cas9 requires only Cas9 endonuclease and single guide RNA, which are directly delivered into plant cells via either vector-mediated stable transformation or transient delivery of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and generate double-strand breaks (DSBs) at target site. These DSBs are further repaired by cell endogenous repairing pathways via HDR or NHEJ. The major advantage of CRISPR/Cas9 system is that engineered plants are considered Non-GM; can be achieved using in vitro expressed RNPs transient delivery. Different variants of Cas9 genes cloned in different plasmid vectors can be used to achieve different objectives of genome editing including double-stranded DNA break, single-stranded break, activate/repress the gene expression. Fusion of Cas9 with fluorescent protein can lead to visualize the expression of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The applications of this technology in plant genome editing to improve different plant traits are comprehensively described.
Importance There has been an emerging trend of podcast use in medical education over the past decade. With the increasing number of podcasts and learners’ interest in trauma surgery, it is vital to ...validate the quality of these podcasts. Objective To determine the quantity and quality of podcast episodes on trauma surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study identified trauma surgery podcasts published globally on the Google, Apple, and Spotify platforms as of May 31, 2023. An initial screening excluded podcasts not fulfilling the inclusion criteria (published as of May 31, 2023, and covering clinical knowledge or mentorship on general trauma surgery). A 10-item checklist developed from a modified Delphi consensus method was created to assess the podcasts’ credibility, content, and design as indicators of quality. Data extracted from each podcast episode included the duration, setting, host and guest credentials, and fulfillment of quality indicators. Data were analyzed on August 13, 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures The quality of each podcast was assessed using the 10-question checklist. A score of at least 80% in credibility (4 of 5 points), 75% in content (3 of 4 points), and 100% in design (1 of 1 point) was required to classify a podcast episode as having good quality. Results The initial search identified 204 podcasts on trauma surgery, of which 55 podcasts met the inclusion criteria. All 55 podcasts were published after 2014, with the majority hosted by males (85% 61 of 72 hosts), based in the US (91% 50 of 55 podcasts), and focused on clinical knowledge (80% 44 of 55 podcasts). Podcast hosts and guests predominantly held a Doctor of Medicine degree (83% 113 of 136), with 72% 46 of 64 of guests identifying as practicing trauma surgeons. While all 55 podcasts had excellent quality in terms of content and design, 20% (11 of 55) of podcasts were rated poorly on credibility. Credibility was further reduced for 60% (33 of 55) of podcasts because of nondisclosure of conflicts of interest. Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study of trauma surgery podcasts, most had good-quality content and design, but there was a lack of explicit conflict of interest disclosure. Content producers need to disclose their conflicts of interest appropriately to ensure credibility and improve the quality of their podcasts.
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