Predictors of Failed Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Perforated Appendicitis

Sean Martin,Yijin Wert,Zach Lyon,Leonardo Geraci 대한외상중환자외과학회 2018 Journal of Acute Care Surgery Vol.8 No.2

Purpose: A recent internal review of a community-based hospital system revealed a 19.19% rate of conversion from a laparoscopic appendectomy to an open procedure. This study examined the preoperative risk factors for failed laparoscopic appendectomy requiring a conversion to a laparotomy.Methods: A total of 198 patients presented with perforated appendicitis. Perforation was defined as a computed tomography (CT) scan interpretation, pathology findings, or surgical findings. Of these patients, 161 underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy or laparoscopy converted to an open procedure. The preoperative risk factors in the two groups were compared through a retrospective chart review.Results: Through multivariant analysis, age greater than 45 was the greatest risk factor for the need to convert to an open procedure with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.51. A CT scan read of perforation was associated with a significant 2.65 OR. The C-reactive protein was 19.82 mg/L in the failed laparoscopic cases and 9.96 mg/L in the laparoscopic cases.Conclusion: Patients older than 45 years old with a CT radiologist’s read of a perforation in multivariant analysis have an increased risk of failed laparoscopic surgery requiring conversion to open surgery.

Vision-based Autonomous Disinfection of High-touch Surfaces in Indoor Environments

Sean Roelofs,Benoit Landry,Myra Kurosu Jalil,Adrian Martin,Saisneha Koppaka,Sindy K.Y. Tang,Marco Pavone 제어로봇시스템학회 2021 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2021 No.10

Autonomous systems have played an important role in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, there have been multiple attempts to leverage Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to disinfect surfaces. Although recent research suggests that surface transmission is less significant than airborne transmission in the spread of Covid-19, surfaces and fomites can play, and have played, critical roles in the transmission of Covid-19 and many other viruses, especially in settings such as child daycares, schools, offices, and hospitals. Employing UAVs for mass spray disinfection offers several potential advantages, including high-throughput application of disinfectant, large scale deployment, and the minimization of health risks to sanitation workers. Despite these potential benefits and preliminary usage of UAVs for disinfection, there has been little research into their design and effectiveness. In this work, we present an autonomous UAV capable of effectively disinfecting indoor surfaces. We identify relevant parameters such as disinfectant type and concentration, and application time and distance required of the UAV to disinfect high-touch surfaces such as door handles. Finally, we develop a robotic system that enables the fully autonomous disinfection of door handles in an unstructured and previously unknown environment. To our knowledge, this is the smallest untethered UAV ever built with both full autonomy and spraying capabilities, allowing it to operate in confined indoor settings, and the first autonomous UAV to specifically target high-touch surfaces on an individual basis with spray disinfectant, resulting in more efficient use of disinfectant.

Radical Intermediate Generation and Cell Cycle Arrest by an Aqueous Extract of Thunbergia Laurifolia Linn. in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Jetawattana, Suwimol,Boonsirichai, Kanokporn,Charoen, Savapong,Martin, Sean M Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.10

Thunbergia Laurifolia Linn. (TL) is one of the most familiar plants in Thai traditional medicine that is used to treat various conditions, including cancer. However, the antitumor activity of TL or its constituents has never been reported at the molecular level to support the folklore claim. The present study was designed to investigate the antitumor effect of an aqueous extract of TL in human breast cancer cells and the possible mechanism(s) of action. An aqueous crude extract was prepared from dried leaves of TL. Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assays were used to determine the total phenolic content. Antiproliferative and cell cycle effects were evaluated in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells by MTT reduction assay, cell growth inhibition, clonogenic cell survival, and flow cytometric analysis. Free radical generation by the extracts was detected using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The exposure of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells to a TL aqueous extract resulted in decreases in cell growth, clonogenic cell survival, and cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner with an $IC_{50}$ value of $843{\mu}g/ml$. Treatments with extract for 24h at $250{\mu}g/ml$ or higher induced cell cycle arrest as indicated by a significant increase of cell population in the G1 phase and a significant decrease in the S phase of the cell cycle. The capability of the aqueous extract to generate radical intermediates was observed at both high pH and near-neutral pH conditions. The findings suggest the antitumor bioactivities of TL against selected breast cancer cells may be due to induction of a G1 cell cycle arrest. Cytotoxicity and cell cycle perturbation that are associated with a high concentration of the extract could be in part explained by the total phenolic contents in the extract and the capacity to generate radical intermediates to modulate cellular proliferative signals.

High density lipoprotein mimicking nanoparticles for atherosclerosis

Chen Jun,Zhang Xixi,Millican Reid,Creutzmann Jacob Emil,Martin Sean,Jun Ho-Wook 나노기술연구협의회 2020 Nano Convergence Vol.7 No.4

Atherosclerosis is a major contributor to many cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and peripheral arterial disease, making it the leading cause of death worldwide. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol”, have been shown to demonstrate anti-atherosclerotic efficacy through the removal of cholesterol from foam cells in atherosclerotic plaques. Because of the excellent anti-atherosclerotic properties of HDL, in the past several years, there has been tremendous attention in designing HDL mimicking nanoparticles (NPs) of varying functions to image, target, and treat atherosclerosis. In this review, we are summarizing the recent progress in the development of HDL mimicking NPs and their applications for atherosclerosis.

Endoscopic Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brown Nolan J.,Pennington Zach,Kuo Cathleen C.,Lopez Alexander M.,Picton Bryce,Solomon Sean,Nguyen Oanh T.,Yang Chenyi,Tantry Evelyne K.,Shahin Hania,Gendreau Julian,Albano Stephen,Pham Martin H.,Oh M 대한척추외과학회 2023 Asian Spine Journal Vol.17 No.6

Laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion (L-ALIF), which employs laparoscopic cameras to facilitate a less invasive approach, originally gained traction during the 1990s but has subsequently fallen out of favor. As the envelope for endoscopic approaches continues to be pushed, a recurrence of interest in laparoscopic and/or endoscopic anterior approaches seems possible. Therefore, evaluating the current evidence base in regard to this approach is of much clinical relevance. To this end, a systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using the following keywords: “(laparoscopic OR endoscopic) AND (anterior AND lumbar).” Out of the 441 articles retrieved, 22 were selected for quantitative analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the radiographic fusion rate. The secondary outcome was the incidence of perioperative complications. Meta-analysis was performed using RStudio’s “metafor” package. Of the 1,079 included patients (mean age, 41.8±2.9 years), 481 were males (44.6%). The most common indication for L-ALIF surgery was degenerative disk disease (reported by 18 studies, 81.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 18.8±11.2 months (range, 6–43 months). The pooled fusion rate was 78.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.9–90.4). Complications occurred in 19.2% (95% CI, 13.4–27.4) of L-ALIF cases. Additionally, 7.2% (95% CI, 4.6–11.4) of patients required conversion from L-ALIF to open surgery. Although L-ALIF does not appear to be supported by studies available in the literature, it is important to consider the context from which these results have been obtained. Even if these results are taken at face value, the failure of endoscopy to have a role in the ALIF approach does not mean that it should not be incorporated in posterior approaches.