Successful Endoscopic Removal of a Swallowed Toothbrush: Case Report

Most ingested foreign bodies will pass uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, long and rigid foreign bodies are associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal impaction, perforation and bleeding. Moreover, there has been no case of spontaneous passage of a toothbrush reported. Therefore, the prompt removal of such ingested foreign objects is recommended before complications develop. This case report describes a case of an 18-year-old woman who accidentally swallowed her toothbrush. The toothbrush was successfully removed via flexible endoscopy using a polypectomy snare. A swallowed toothbrush is a special clinical challenge. Early endoscopic retrieval of the toothbrush is critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. In cases when endoscopic removal fails, a laparoscopic surgical approach may be an alternative

Nonlocal vs local vortex dynamics in the transversal flux transformer effect

In this follow-up to our recent Letter [F. Otto et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 027005 (2010)], we present a more detailed account of the superconducting transversal flux transformer effect (TFTE) in amorphous (a-)NbGe nanostructures in the regime of strong nonequilibrium in local vortex motion. Emphasis is put on the relation between the TFTE and local vortex dynamics, as the former turns out to be a reliable tool for determining the microscopic mechanisms behind the latter. By this method, a progression from electron heating at low temperatures T to the Larkin-Ovchinnikov effect close to the transition temperature Tc is traced over a range 0.26 < T/Tc < 0.95. This is represented by a number of relevant parameters such as the vortex transport entropy related to the Nernst-like effect at low T, and a nonequilibrium magnetization enhancement close to Tc. At intermediate T, the Larkin-Ovchinnikov effect is at high currents modified by electron heating, which is clearly observed only in the TFTE

Electrocatalysis of Lithium (Poly-) Sulfides in Organic Ether-Based Electrolytes

This work aims at identifying an effective electrocatalyst for polysulfide reactions to improve the electrode kinetics of the sulfur half-cell in liquid organic electrolytes for alkali-sulfur cells. To increase the charge and discharge rates and energy efficiency of the cell, functionalized electrocatalytic coatings have been prepared and their electrode kinetics have been measured. To the best of our knowledge, there is no extensive screening of electrocatalysts for the sulfur electrode in dimethoxyethane:1,3-dioxolane (DME:DOL) electrolytes. In order to identify a suitable electrocatalyst, apparent exchange current densities at various materials (Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Steel, glassy carbon, ITO, Ni, Pt, Ti, TiN, Zn) are evaluated in a polysulfide electrolyte using potentiodynamic measurements with a Butler-Volmer fit. The chemical stability and surface morphology changes after electrochemical measurements are assessed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results show that cobalt is a promising candidate with appropriate electrocatalytic properties for polysulfide reactions while being stable in the electrochemical environment, followed by chromium in terms of catalytic activity and stability. Sputtered TiN was found to be a very stable material with very low catalytic activity, a possible current collector for the cell

Dampak Ekonomi dan Sosial Alih Fungsi Lahan Pertanian Hortikultura Menjadi Kawasan Wisata Bukit Rurukan di Kecamatan Tomohon Timur, Kota Tomohon

This research aims is to describe the impact of Horticulture land conversion to farmer's economy condition and socio-cultural condition that has sold their land to be made into tourist attraction. Research carried out in May until July 2016. Data used is primary data that obtained from interview to 6 (six) respondents and secondary data obtained from Rurukan Office village. Research result shows that the cause of land conversion is high offer price and the sale of land used for opening business in the tourist attraction . the positive impact of land conversion one of them is employment, because the majority of workers and businessman in the tourist attraction is from Rurukan village. Research result also identifying negative impact to locals because of the noises from tourist attraction and the disappearing of local's cultures

LeuO regulation of adaptive responses in Vibrio cholerae

LeuO is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that is conserved among many gram negative enteric pathogens. LeuO is a bifunctional regulator that is capable of both repression and activation of gene targets. The function of LeuO has been characterized in several members of the Enterobacteriaceae where it has been found to be a global regulator of diverse phenotypes, often by functioning as an H-NS antagonist. In this work we sought to characterize LeuO in Vibrio cholerae. RNA sequencing was used to identify LeuO regulated genes, many of which appeared to be involved in environmental adaptation. Interestingly, our results suggested that LeuO did not function as an H-NS antagonist in V. cholerae, but appeared to function redundantly with H-NS at many H-NS regulated promoters. In subsequent experiments, genetic approaches were used to confirm the RNA sequencing studies and to define the function of LeuO in V. cholerae adaptive responses. We found that LeuO was part of a complex regulatory cascade in which the one-component virulence regulator ToxR directly activated leuO expression in response to environmental cues. LeuO then went on to directly regulate genes that contributed to bile resistance, acid tolerance, and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance. Our collective results suggest a model whereby LeuO contributes to temporal and spatial regulation of adaptive responses during V. cholerae passage through the host gastrointestinal tract

Integrative taxonomy of Iberian Merodon species (Diptera, Syrphidae)

The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Syrphidae, Diptera), with more than 50 European species, is primarily distributed in the Mediterranean region, there being 34 species that occur in the Iberian Peninsula. The morphological variation found within some species from the Iberian Peninsula prompted us to test their taxonomic status by integrating morphological and molecular data. We generated partial sequences of the mitochondrial, protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), the nuclear, internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region, and the D2 region of thenuclear 28S rRNA gene. COI and ITS2 sequences were obtained for most included taxa. The variability of the COI sequences showed great differences between the studied species groups, exhibiting an interspecific range from 0.29% to 12.5% between ingroup taxa. Closely related taxa of the aureus complex (e.g. M. quercetorum and M. legionensis) presented identical COI sequences. The obtained ITS2 sequences showed low intraspecific variability, and only a few taxa presented more than one genotype. Species status and delimitation were discussed for all taxa in the light of available morphological and molecular character information. Using the obtained sequence data for COI and 28S we inferred the phylogenetic relationships of the included taxa, using parsimony analysis. Separate analysis of the COI sequences identified four, quite well supportedclades within Merodon, the desuturinus, albifrons, nigritarsis and aureus groups. Combined analysis of the COI and 28S genes produced a topology similar to the COI topology.Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection of Serbia (Grant Number 143037), the Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development (Maintenance of biodiversity–“Hot spots” on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsula), the Spanish Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (MMA-040/2002), the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2005-0713/BOS and grant number AP2003-3998) and Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP06/063)