The velo-uvulo-pharyngeal lift or "roman blinds" technique for treatment of snoring: a preliminary report

Snoring is caused by vibrating anatomical structures in the upper aerodigestive tract. It can be treated surgically and non-surgically, although resective procedures are associated with high postoperative morbidity and failure rate. We describe a new non-resective surgical procedure called the velo-uvulo-pharyngeal lift in which the soft palate is lifted, shortened, advanced and stiffened by means of permanent threads anchored to fibro-osseous attachments at the level of the posterior nasal spine and both pterygoid hamuli. Four adult patients (median age 44.5 years; range 42-65) affected by snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (apneoa-hypopnoea index, AHI < 20) requiring septal surgery under general anesthesia also underwent velo-uvulo-pharyngeal lift. There were no significant intra- or post-operative complications, and all of the patients reported immediate snoring relief. The main complaints were slight pain and a sensation of local fullness, both of which spontaneously disappeared within two days. The subjective clinical improvement in snoring was confirmed during post-operative follow-up (median 15.5 months; range 6-25), as was the stable reshaping of the soft velo-uvulo-pharyngeal tissues and enlargement of the mesopharyngeal space. There was also a decrease in daytime sleepiness. Our preliminary results suggest that velo-uvulo-pharyngeal lift is a simple, cost-effective and minimally invasive means of widening the mesopharyngeal space in snoring patients with or without mild sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome. The widening of the mesopharyngeal space prevents contact-induced wall vibrations and its inspiratory obstruction causing hypopnoea and apnoea. It can also be combined with other procedures if indicated

On convergent series representations of Mellin-Barnes integrals

Multiple Mellin-Barnes integrals are often used for perturbative calculations in particle physics. In this context, the evaluation of such objects may be performed through residues calculations which lead to their expression as multiple series in powers and logarithms of the parameters involved in the problem under consideration. However, in most of the cases, several series representations exist for a given integral. They converge in different regions of values of the parameters, and it is not obvious to obtain them. For twofold integrals we present a method which allows to derive straightforwardly and systematically: (a) different sets of poles which correspond to different convergent double series representations of a given integral, (b) the regions of convergence of all these series (without an a priori full knowledge of their general term), and (c) the general term of each series (this may be performed, if necessary, once the relevant domain of convergence has been found). This systematic procedure is illustrated with some integrals which appear, among others, in the calculation of the two-loop hexagon Wilson loop in N = 4 SYM theory. Mellin-Barnes integrals of higher dimension are also considered.Comment: 49 pages, 16 figure

Microcolony detection of Mycobacterium Bovis in Middlebrook 7H11 thin layer culture

The aim of this article is to evaluate the efficiency of the cultivation technique in thin layer of Middlebrook 7H11 (TL7H11) for isolating Mycobactererium bovis from suggestive lesions of tuberculosis in cattle and to compare the results with traditional methods of cultivation. At the first step it was used M. bovis AN5 and M. tubercuolosis H37Rv standard strain. The both performance were compared between the cultivation in TL7H11 and in the Stonebrink and Petragnani media. The strains presented visible growing in TL7H11 at the third day of cultivation, while the Stonebrink and Petragnani there were growing just at the 14 day. At the 13 day of cultivation it was possible to differentiate both strains by their colony morphological characteristics. The second step was to cultivate 62 clinicals samples in TL7H11 and Stonebrink for tentative isolation of M. bovis. The isolated samples were detected in TL7H11 until 21 days of cultivation whereas none samples weregrown in Stonebrink tubes. The median time of growing in TL7H11 was 19,0 days against 49,0 days of Stonebrink (p=0,014).O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a eficiência da técnica de cultivo em camada delgada de ágar Middlebrook 7H11 (TL7H11) no isolamento de Mycobacterium bovis de lesões sugestivas de tuberculose em bovinos, comparando seus resultados com os métodos tradicionais de cultivo. Numa primeira fase foram utilizadas estirpes padrão de M. bovis AN5 e M. tuberculosis H37Rv mantidas em laboratório, para comparação de desempenho entre o cultivo em TL7H11 e nos meios de Stonebrik e Petragnani. Ambas estirpes apresentaram crescimento visível em TL7H11 no terceiro dia de cultivo enquanto que nos meios de Stonebrink e Petragnani só houve crescimento a partir do 14º dia. Aos 13 dias de cultivo em TL7H11 foi possível diferenciar as duas estirpes pelas características morfológicas das colônias. Numa segunda fase, 62 amostras de campo foram cultivadas em TL7H11 e Stonebrink para isolamento de M. bovis. As amostras isoladas foram detectadas pelo TL7H11 até os 21 dias de cultivo contra nenhum crescimento dos tubos de Stonebrink. O tempo médio de crescimento no TL7H11 foi de 19,0 dias contra 49,0 dias do meio de Stonebrink (p = 0,014)

Prognostic indicators and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients with neurological disease: An individual patient data meta-analysis

Background Neurological COVID-19 disease has been reported widely, but published studies often lack information on neurological outcomes and prognostic risk factors. We aimed to describe the spectrum of neurological disease in hospitalised COVID-19 patients; characterise clinical outcomes; and investigate factors associated with a poor outcome. Methods We conducted an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of hospitalised patients with neurological COVID-19 disease, using standard case definitions. We invited authors of studies from the first pandemic wave, plus clinicians in the Global COVID-Neuro Network with unpublished data, to contribute. We analysed features associated with poor outcome (moderate to severe disability or death, 3 to 6 on the modified Rankin Scale) using multivariable models. Results We included 83 studies (31 unpublished) providing IPD for 1979 patients with COVID-19 and acute new-onset neurological disease. Encephalopathy (978 [49%] patients) and cerebrovascular events (506 [26%]) were the most common diagnoses. Respiratory and systemic symptoms preceded neurological features in 93% of patients; one third developed neurological disease after hospital admission. A poor outcome was more common in patients with cerebrovascular events (76% [95% CI 67–82]), than encephalopathy (54% [42–65]). Intensive care use was high (38% [35–41]) overall, and also greater in the cerebrovascular patients. In the cerebrovascular, but not encephalopathic patients, risk factors for poor outcome included breathlessness on admission and elevated D-dimer. Overall, 30-day mortality was 30% [27–32]. The hazard of death was comparatively lower for patients in the WHO European region. Interpretation Neurological COVID-19 disease poses a considerable burden in terms of disease outcomes and use of hospital resources from prolonged intensive care and inpatient admission; preliminary data suggest these may differ according to WHO regions and country income levels. The different risk factors for encephalopathy and stroke suggest different disease mechanisms which may be amenable to intervention, especially in those who develop neurological symptoms after hospital admission