A Case Report Of A Giant Plunging Ranula In A 25-Year-Old Patient: A case report

Abstract This case report aims to present an unusual case of a plunging ranula that extended to the superior vertebral body of the T4 vertebrae, we will be elaborating on the patient presentation, investigations, diagnosis, and treatment of the lesion, while also talking about the adversities faced while diagnosing and treating the patient. The rarity of this condition and an atypical presentation makes this a difficult case to diagnose and vigilant treatment is needed to prevent any complications associated with the condition and ensure a successful treatment and recovery

Studies On the Role of Fungal Strains in Bioremediation of Dyes Isolated from Textile Effluents

Fungal strains are widely used for the cleaning of soil, sediments, groundwater, surface water, and the ecosystem. The presence of extracellular enzymes in fungi facilitates the process of bioremediation of textile dyes. This study was conducted to observe the quality of water being released from textile dyes industries and also the capability of some fungal strains which can remediate these dyes by showing the tendency of their resistance. Samples of water were collected from the polluted area surrounding the textile dyeing industries in Lahore. In the process of isolation, Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium was used to verify the fungal growth. Fungal strains were purified, and the morphological characterization of fungal strains was carried out at 10X and 100X by using a magnification microscope. The fungal strains, such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillusoryzae, and Aspergillusflavus were identified. The stress of four types of dyes was given to each fungal strain. The results showed that Aspergillusoryzae was one of the most stable, non-toxic, and resistant fungal species against the high stress of dyes as compared to other specie

Psychological and psychotherapeutic challenges of COVID-19

Coronavirus is a deadly disease, classified on 30th January 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO) that acknowledged the outburst of coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19), after several cases were reported from China’s 34 regions. In 2020 the virus originated from the wholesale seafood market in Wuhan (China)spreading life all around the world. Quarantine, restraints, and economic closure can change a whole psychological environment in all the countries having coronavirus. affect Although this situation should give several opportunities for personal growth and family unity, disadvantages may compensate for these benefits affecting the psychological health of children and adolescents. But in this difficult time anxiety, and stress are common due to lake of relationships and also due to a reduction in other opportunities other risk includes parents’ mental illness, domestic violence, and lack of treatment for the child during an illness. This was especially common in adolescents and children because they need special care thus causing disabilities, traumatic experiences, and mental health problems. With all these above-mentioned problems this was definitely a challenging time. In Italy where Covid-19 had severe effects on physical health but on mental health also and psychological issues are long-term and main challenges for our healthcare systems where mental health gain not as much important as other physical illnesses

Technology, privacy, and user opinions of COVID-19 mobile apps for contact tracing : systematic search and content analysis

Background: Many countries across the globe have released their own COVID-19 contact tracing apps. This has resulted in the proliferation of several apps that used a variety of technologies. With the absence of a standardized approach used by the authorities, policy makers, and developers, many of these apps were unique. Therefore, they varied by function and the underlying technology used for contact tracing and infection reporting. Objective: The goal of this study was to analyze most of the COVID-19 contact tracing apps in use today. Beyond investigating the privacy features, design, and implications of these apps, this research examined the underlying technologies used in contact tracing apps. It also attempted to provide some insights into their level of penetration and to gauge their public reception. This research also investigated the data collection, reporting, retention, and destruction procedures used by each of the apps under review. Methods: This research study evaluated 13 apps corresponding to 10 countries based on the underlying technology used. The inclusion criteria ensured that most COVID-19-declared epicenters (ie, countries) were included in the sample, such as Italy. The evaluated apps also included countries that did relatively well in controlling the outbreak of COVID-19, such as Singapore. Informational and unofficial contact tracing apps were excluded from this study. A total of 30,000 reviews corresponding to the 13 apps were scraped from app store webpages and analyzed. Results: This study identified seven distinct technologies used by COVID-19 tracing apps and 13 distinct apps. The United States was reported to have released the most contact tracing apps, followed by Italy. Bluetooth was the most frequently used underlying technology, employed by seven apps, whereas three apps used GPS. The Norwegian, Singaporean, Georgian, and New Zealand apps were among those that collected the most personal information from users, whereas some apps, such as the Swiss app and the Italian (Immuni) app, did not collect any user information. The observed minimum amount of time implemented for most of the apps with regard to data destruction was 14 days, while the Georgian app retained records for 3 years. No significant battery drainage issue was reported for most of the apps. Interestingly, only about 2% of the reviewers expressed concerns about their privacy across all apps. The number and frequency of technical issues reported on the Apple App Store were significantly more than those reported on Google Play; the highest was with the New Zealand app, with 27% of the reviewers reporting technical difficulties (ie, 10% out of 27% scraped reviews reported that the app did not work). The Norwegian, Swiss, and US (PathCheck) apps had the least reported technical issues, sitting at just below 10%. In terms of usability, many apps, such as those from Singapore, Australia, and Switzerland, did not provide the users with an option to sign out from their apps. Conclusions: This article highlighted the fact that COVID-19 contact tracing apps are still facing many obstacles toward their widespread and public acceptance. The main challenges are related to the technical, usability, and privacy issues or to the requirements reported by some users

Affective interpersonal touch in close relationships: a cross-cultural perspective

Interpersonal touch behavior differs across cultures, yet no study to date has systematically tested for cultural variation in affective touch, nor examined the factors that might account for this variability. Here, over 14,000 individuals from 45 countries were asked whether they embraced, stroked, kissed, or hugged their partner, friends, and youngest child during the week preceding the study. We then examined a range of hypothesized individual-level factors (sex, age, parasitic history, conservatism, religiosity, and preferred interpersonal distance) and cultural-level factors (regional temperature, parasite stress, regional conservatism, collectivism, and religiosity) in predicting these affective-touching behaviors. Our results indicate that affective touch was most prevalent in relationships with partners and children, and its diversity was relatively higher in warmer, less conservative, and religious countries, and among younger, female, and liberal people. This research allows for a broad and integrated view of the bases of cross-cultural variability in affective touch

Machine-based algorithm: a revolution we need for early sepsis diagnosis in hospitals

Dear Editor, Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency and one of the fundamental causes of early mortality within hospitals. WHO report of 2020 shows that nearly 11 million people worldwide die from sepsis yearly (1). It commonly affects neonates and children; however, pregnant women, the elderly, cancer patients, and bed-bound individuals are particularly at high risk of developing sepsis as well due to the immunosuppressant state of their condition. Sepsis is a clinical diagnosis; thus majorly depends upon a multitude of symptoms, clinical examinations, baseline investigations, and the expertise of the clinicians. Unfortunately, all these methods are highly non-specific, making the diagnosis difficult. Owing to its high mortality, the key to survival lies in the timely initiation of the therapy. Therefore, sepsis requires early diagnosis to help save the life of an affected individual. In this search, multiple systems and methods have been developed previously and used in various hospitals. It includes evaluating by SIRS criteria, detecting the levels of pro-inflammatory markers in the serum, and by newer techniques like diagnosing using electrochemical sensors like PCT (procalcitonin), optical and fluorometric sensors, and microfluidic sensors. These detect different biomarkers in the serum of the patients and thus help in rapid diagnosis. Regardless, the sensitivity and specificity of these systems remain low. ---Continu