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Objective To assess the efficacy of otoendoscopy in the surgical management of atelectatic ear to improve the clinical and the audiological outcomes. Patients and methods A total of 38 ears in 24 patients with middle ear atelectasis and intact ossicular chain were randomly assigned into two groups: group I (27 ears) underwent endoscopic T-tube insertion and group II (11 ears) underwent endoscopic cartilage tympanoplasty. Assessment of hearing was performed for all cases preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Results There is a significant postoperative improvement of air-bone gap averages reported in the two studied groups, with mean hearing gain of 21.67±7.97 dB in group I and 19.72±5.3 dB in group II. Conclusions At 3 months postoperatively, there was a significant statistical difference concerning different audiological parameters among the two groups.

The exploitation and employment of agricultural waste in polluted water treatment is one of the most important cost-effective approaches. Therefore, a novel mesoporous spongy adsorbent/photocatalyst was successfully synthesized through the grafting of nickel and cobalt oxides nanocomposites with wheat straw-derived SiO2. Nickel and cobalt oxides were added to enhance the functionality of wheat straw-derived SiO2. This synthesis methodology presents a simplistic, cost-effective, and eco-approachable alternative to getting an adsorbent and photocatalyst for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) pollutants from wastewater. The modified wheat straw-derived SiO2 (MWSS) was characterized via XRD, SEM, EDX, TGA, FTIR, and nitrogen adsorption. Molecular dynamics computational calculations were performed to comprehend the ability of methylene blue to adjust the WSDS surface. The experiments of adsorption and photodegradation trials were performed to optimize the pH, contact time, initial MB-concentration, and temperature parameters. Furthermore, kinetics and isotherm models were checked to explain the MB-removal mechanism using mesoporous spongy MWSS. The current work indicated that the mesoporous MWSS adsorbent/photocatalyst provided efficient adsorption capability (79%), significant photocatalytic performance (93%), and higher solidity during reusability as well. This study suggests an efficient composite that contributes to getting rid of the MB pollutants from wastewater.

Background Ischemic mitral regurgitation is associated with poor outcomes. The optimal surgical strategy for management of ischemic mitral regurgitation is still debated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the early mortality and morbidity of mitral valve repair in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods We performed a retrospective, observational, cohort study on prospectively collected data on 136 consecutive coronary artery bypass graft patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve repair between January 2016 and January 2020. Perioperative echocardiogram findings, operative procedures, and outcomes were analyzed. Results The overall mortality rate was 4.4%. Mitral valve repair with a low ejection fraction had a 4-fold increase in the risk of death compared to mitral valve repair with preserved ejection fraction > 30%. However, after adjusting for preoperative risk factors, the number of grafts was not an independent risk factor for mortality (odds ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.03–2.81, p = 0.84). Multivariable analysis showed that preoperative ejection fraction (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.82–4.86, p Conclusions Mitral valve repair can be performed safely concomitantly with coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with moderate, moderately severe, and severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.