Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; World Health Organization

Objective: This report aims to determine the clinical manifestations and management of patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SSCDS). Methods: Design: Case series Setting: Tertiary hospitals and private clinics Participants: Out of 30 patients with vestibular vertigo or otologic symptoms, 14 patients were diagnosed with SSCDS based on high resolution computed tomographic scan (HRCT). The demographic features, incidence of specific signs and symptoms and management of these patients were described, including the audiograms, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses and ancillary tests. Results: Vertigo was the most common vestibular symptom of SSCDS. Tullio phenomenon was elicited in 50% of patients with confirmed dehiscence on HRCT scan. Low frequency (250 Hz and 500 Hz) air-bone gap was noted in 21.4% of patients. Lowered VEMP responses were also noted in 66.7% of patients with confirmed SSCDS. Severity of symptoms may determine its management. Conclusion: The diagnosis of SSCDS does not conform to a specific clinical presentation or audiologic result and good clinical correlation is needed in order to raise suspicion of the disease and prompt the clinician to order confirmatory imaging by computed tomographic scan or magnetic resonance imaging. The presence of this syndrome in a proportion of children that is greater than previously reported needs further study as these children may be genetically predisposed to have thinned out superior semicircular canals that eventually become dehisced albeit at an earlier age.

Alkaloids ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Coptis ; Research

Alkaloids ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Coptis ; Research

Esthetics, Dental ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Malocclusion ; pathology ; therapy ; Orthodontics ; Smiling

A case of rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder in a 4 year old boy was reported with review of literatures. The patient was managed by transurethral resection of the tumor, postoperative radiation and chemotherapeutic agent (cyclocytidine hydrochloride).
Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Male ; Rhabdomyosarcoma* ; Urinary Bladder*

Data from 736 patients undergoing prosthetic heart valve replacement surgery and concomitant surgery (combined surgery) from January 1998 to January 2004 at Union Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors For prolonged mechanical ventilation. The results showed that prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass duration, prolonged aortic cross clamp time and low ejection fraction less than 50 percent (50%) were found to be independent predictors for prolonged mechanical ventilation. Meanwhile age, weight, and preoperative hospital stay (days) were not found to be associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation. It was concluded that, for age and weight, this might be due to the lower number of old age patients (70 years and above) included in our study and genetic body structure of majority Chinese population that favor them to be in normal weight, respectively.

In this experiment conducted to study the inactivation dynamics of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) by binary ethylenimine (BEI) in comparison with formalin, IBDV was isolated from the bursa of infected chickens and its confirmation was done by agar gel precipitation test. Viral suspensions were subjected to inactivation with BEI and formalin for pre-set time intervals. BEI was employed at concentrations of 0.001 and 0.002 mol/L while formalin was used at 0.1% and 0.2%. Sampling was done at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of incubation and samples were tested for their inactivation status in 9-day-old embryonated eggs and 3-week-old broiler chickens. IBDV was completely inactivated by 0.001 and 0.002 mol/L BEI after 36 h of incubation at 37 ℃,whereas formalin at 0.1% and 0.2% concentrations inactivated IBDV in 24 h.