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Biomedical subjects

Yu-Te Lin

Publications and source records attributed to Yu-Te Lin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Endoscopically assisted sural nerve harvest for upper extremity posttraumatic nerve defects: an evaluation of functional outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve injuries in the upper extremity often require interposition of sural nerve grafts for reconstruction. Due to the poor donor-site appearance with standard techniques, and the potential for trauma to the nerve because of poor visualization during the harvest when the stepladder technique is used, the endoscope has been employed for nerve harvest. METHODS: From January of 1997 until December of 2003, 15 patients with an average age of 27.5 years with posttraumatic upper limb nerve defects of the ulnar, median, or posterior interosseous nerves (crush, cutting, or avulsion injuries) underwent reconstruction with endoscopically harvested sural nerve. The nerves were harvested using atraumatic techniques under video monitor visualization. The functional results of sensation and motor function were assessed using British Medical Research Council scales. RESULTS: All patients regained at least cutaneous pain and tactile sensibility, with most regaining two-point discrimination (nine patients achieved S3+). Two patients achieved complete recovery (S4). The 11 patients with motor nerve involvement achieved between M1+ and M5 after the initial reconstruction. Eight patients required a total of one immediate and nine secondary procedures to achieve the final outcome. The procedures included tenolysis (three patients), intrinsic tendon transfers (four patients), and opponensplasty (three patients). At the 4-year mean follow-up, grip power was M5 in 13 patients (86.7 percent) and M4 in two patients (13.3 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Upper extremity sensory and motor nerve defects can be reconstructed with interposition of endoscopically harvested sural nerve grafts. The procedure is reliable, quick, and atraumatic, and results in reasonable motor and sensory recovery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Nerve endings of the wrist joint: a preliminary report of the dorsal radiocarpal ligament.

As part of an investigation of the articular nerve ending populations in the wrist joint capsule associated with the anterior and posterior interosseous nerves, this study addresses the nerve ending population in the dorsal radiocarpal ligament. The ligaments were harvested from four wrists of two fresh cadavers within 12 h of death. Tissues were fixed, cryostat sectioned, and processed for fluorescence immunohistochemistry using antibody to protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), a general or pan neuronal marker, and a secondary antibody conjugated to a fluorescent tag (Alexa Fluor 488). The sections were evaluated with a confocal laser microscope and an image analyzer. Labeled nerve endings were mapped, measured, and categorized. Type I (Ruffini-like ending), Type III (Golgi-like tendon organ) and Type IV (noncorpuscular) nerve endings could be identified in all four DRC ligaments, with Types I and IV dominating. These receptors were distributed primarily over the superficial two thirds of the ligament (>80%), and near the bony attachments (>70%). The dorsal radiocarpal ligament has a rich sensory innervation from the posterior interosseous nerve terminating in nerve endings located in the superficial two-thirds of the ligaments, primarily near bony attachment sites.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

More degrees of freedom by using chimeric concept in the applications of anterolateral thigh flap.

For obliterating a dead space, especially deep and slender, it is more challenging for a reconstructive surgeon to design a musculocutaneous flap by conventional technique. Tethering at the midway of a musculocutaneous flap while inset is not unusual, and trimming of excess muscle may jeopardize the perfusion of the skin. Based on the lateral femoral circumflex system (LFCS), introducing a chimeric concept into the reconstruction of these difficult wounds will simplify the flap design and give more degrees of freedom to inset the flap. Technique of intramuscular dissection of perforators is frequently demanded. Vastus lateralis muscle based on the distal runoff of the LFCS can be included with sharp dissection. Using chimeric concept in the application of anterolateral thigh flap, the muscle and skin can be considered as individual units although they base on a single pedicle. The dimension of skin and the volume of muscle can be tailored as adequate as desired. While insetting the flap, the lengthy pedicles distal to the bifurcation enhance a three-dimensional reconstruction without difficulty. Chimeric concept of anterolateral thigh flap affords more degrees of freedom for difficult reconstructions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Free flap reconstruction of foot and ankle defects in pediatric patients: long-term outcome in 91 cases.

BACKGROUND: Free tissue transfer has not been fully adopted as the primary mode of treating foot and ankle defects in potentially indicated patients, partly because of the lack of sizable vessels and the potential in the long term of differential growth in the flap and the recipient site. Also lacking are long-term outcome studies in these growing patients. METHODS: Between 1989 and 2002, 91 children with 93 foot and ankle defects underwent microsurgical reconstructions. The patients underwent reconstruction with flaps with a cutaneous component or with muscle flaps (skin-grafted). RESULTS: Fifty-eight defects were reconstructed with cutaneous/musculocutaneous flaps (37 fasciocutaneous and 21 musculocutaneous flaps), and 35 were reconstructed with skin-grafted muscle flaps. Thirteen patients underwent secondary free flap surgery, for a total of 106 flaps used to complete the reconstructions. Twelve cases underwent reexploration, and overall survival was 95.3 percent (101 of 106). Secondary deformities were present in 37.9 percent of skin/musculocutaneous flaps and 58.9 percent of skin-grafted muscle flaps (p = 0.029). More resurfacing procedures were performed in skin-grafted muscle flaps than in skin/musculocutaneous flaps (32.4 percent versus 12.1 percent; p = 0.0386). CONCLUSIONS: Free tissue transfer in pediatric patients is a viable and reliable option. Skin/musculocutaneous flaps and skin-grafted muscle flaps both had equal survival rates; however, flaps with a skin component required fewer secondary procedures to correct deformities. Whenever a skin component was present, it provided useful tissue during the secondary procedure and minimized complications. For plantar foot reconstructions, skin-grafted muscle flaps demonstrated a higher incidence of trophic ulcers and a higher need for resurfacing procedures than flaps with a skin component. Reconstructions of tendons in the immediate setting led to fewer secondary operations than staged tendon reconstructions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Outcome comparison between free muscle and free fasciocutaneous flaps for reconstruction of distal third and ankle traumatic open tibial fractures.

BACKGROUND: The advantages of free muscle flaps for reconstruction of lower extremity defects have been largely reported to be superior to those of fasciocutaneous flaps. METHODS: One hundred seventy-four patients received 177 microsurgical free tissue transfers for distal third and ankle open tibial fractures. Patients were divided into two groups. In group I, 96 patients received 98 free muscle flaps (55.4 percent). In group II, 78 patients were treated with 79 free fasciocutaneous flaps (44.6 percent). RESULTS: Complete flap survival was 92.9 percent and 91.1 percent in groups I and II, respectively. Postoperative infection was 11.2 percent in group I and 12.7 percent in group II. Chronic osteomyelitis developed in 9.3 percent and 12.7 percent in groups I and II, respectively. The rate of primary bone union was 84.5 percent in group I and 81 percent in group II and the rate of overall bone union was 96.9 percent in group I and 98.7 percent in group II. Finally, 92 patients in group I and 77 patients in group II could walk without crutches at 2-year follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between the two flaps. CONCLUSIONS: The authors achieved equal functional outcomes in both soft-tissue transfers because of (1) preoperative adequate débridement of wounds and (2) selection of proper free flaps in appropriate defects. Defects with serious tridimensionality needed free muscle flaps because they conform better to such complex defects. However, free fasciocutaneous flaps are reliable and as effective for covering the less three-dimensional distal third and ankle traumatic open tibial fractures as free muscle flaps and can better tolerate the subsequent secondary surgical procedures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Lateral circumflex femoral artery system: warehouse for functional composite free-tissue reconstruction of the lower leg.

BACKGROUND: Microsurgical free-flap surgery has progressed from simply providing wound coverage to restoring a high level of function. The concepts and practice of using compound, composite, and chimeric flaps have recently further enhanced the versatility of free flaps in reconstructive surgery. A lateral circumflex femoral arterial (LCFA) system can provide a potential single composite free-tissue transfer for restoration of functional and structural integrity. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2003, we used 44 free flaps to restore functional and structural defects in the lower limbs. The versatility of the LCFA system allowed utilization of the anterolateral thigh, vastus lateralis, tensor fascia lata, rectus femoris, and iliac crest. Combinations of tissues from this system were employed to restore defects in the patellar tendon (14), Achilles tendon (13), extensor hallucis tendon (2), anterior compartment with/without lateral compartment muscle (11), anterior compartment muscle and segmental tibial bone (3), and composite calcaneus (1). RESULTS: The free-flap success rate was 97.7%. Four re-explorations were performed with one subsequent failure. Eight patients (18.2%) developed wound infections, of which two required secondary amputations, resulting in a limb salvage rate of 95.4%. CONCLUSION: The LCFA system provides a predictable and versatile surplus of tissue necessary to restore functional and structural integrity of the posttraumatic lower extremity in a single stage.

Femoral Artery↗
PubMed2006

Zobellella denitrificans gen. nov., sp. nov. and Zobellella taiwanensis sp. nov., denitrifying bacteria capable of fermentative metabolism.

Two denitrifying strains of heterotrophic, facultatively anaerobic bacteria, designated ZD1(T) and ZT1(T), were isolated from sediment samples collected from mangrove ecosystems in Taiwan. The isolates were Gram-negative. Cells grown in broth cultures were straight rods that were motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The isolates grew optimally in 1-3 % NaCl, but NaCl was not an absolute requirement for growth; only strain ZT1(T) grew in 13-14 % NaCl. Both isolates grew between 10 and 45 degrees C, with optimum growth at 30-35 degrees C. They were capable of anaerobic growth by denitrifying metabolism using nitrate or nitrous oxide as terminal electron acceptors or, alternatively, by fermenting glucose, sucrose or mannitol as substrates. C(18 : 1)omega7c was the most abundant fatty acid (32.6-35.7 %). The other major fatty acids included C(16 : 1)omega7c (27.5-29.4 %) and C(16 : 0) (20.1-22.0 %). The two isolates had 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 96.8 % and shared 94.1-96.8 % sequence similarity with the most closely related species, Oceanimonas doudoroffii, Oceanimonas baumannii, Oceanimonas smirnovii and Oceanisphaera litoralis. They could be distinguished from these species in that they were capable of fermentative metabolism, had relatively high DNA G+C contents (62.0-64.0 mol%) and contained C(18 : 1)omega7c instead of C(16 : 1)omega7c as the most abundant fatty acid. Characterization data accumulated in this study revealed that the two denitrifying isolates could be classified as representatives of two novel species in a new genus, Zobellella gen. nov., with Zobellella denitrificans sp. nov. (type strain ZD1(T) = BCRC 17493(T) = JCM 13380(T)) as the type species and Zobellella taiwanensis sp. nov. (type strain ZT1(T) = BCRC 17494(T) = JCM 13381(T)) as a second species.

Aeromonadaceae↗
PubMed2006

Bowmanella denitrificans gen. nov., sp. nov., a denitrifying bacterium isolated from seawater from An-Ping Harbour, Taiwan.

A heterotrophic, non-fermentative, denitrifying isolate, designated strain BD1(T), was obtained from a seawater sample collected in the shallow coastal region of An-Ping Harbour, Tainan, Taiwan. The cells of strain BD1(T) were Gram-negative. Cells grown in broth cultures were curved rods that were motile by means of a single polar flagellum. Growth occurred between 10 and 40 degrees C, with an optimum at 30-35 degrees C. Strain BD1(T) grew in NaCl levels of 0-10 %, with better growth occurring at 1-3 %. It grew aerobically and could achieve anaerobic growth by adopting a denitrifying metabolism with nitrate or nitrous oxide as the terminal electron acceptor. The major fatty acids were C(16 : 0), C(18 : 1)omega7c and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)omega7c and/or C(15 : 0) iso 2-OH). The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (56.6 %) and phosphatidylglycerol (43.4 %). The isoprenoid quinones were Q-8 (81.5 %), Q-9 (11.1 %) and Q-10 (7.4 %). The DNA G+C content was 50.0 mol%. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BD1(T) formed a distinct lineage in the Gammaproteobacteria and that it exhibited the highest level of sequence similarity with species of the genera Alteromonas (92.8-93.7 %), Aestuariibacter (93.0 %), Glaciecola (90.4-92.7 %) and Salinimonas (91.8 %). Strain BD1(T) was distinguishable from species of these genera by the presence of Q-9 and Q-10. Phenotypically, strain BD1(T) was also distinguishable from species of these genera in that it did not require NaCl for growth and was capable of denitrification. On the basis of the polyphasic data from this study, the isolate represents a novel species within a novel genus, for which the name Bowmanella denitrificans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Bowmanella denitrificans is BD1(T) (=BCRC 17491(T)=JCM 13378(T)).

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed2005

Isolated third-toe transfer: indications, technique, and reliability.

BACKGROUND: Isolated third-toe transfer is a versatile and safe technique when indicated. METHODS: Between January of 1984 and January of 2003, 37 isolated third-toe transfers were performed in 31 patients. RESULTS: Only one partial loss was noted among 37 transfers. There were 24 male and seven female patients, with an average age of 27.4 years (range, 7 to 43 years). Twenty-five patients received additional toe transfers. Secondary surgery was performed in 17 toes of 15 patients to improve the functional and cosmetic results. Patients were followed for 2 to 180 months (average, 36 months) and no significant donor-site morbidity was seen. CONCLUSIONS: Basically, the indications for isolated third-toe transfer are evaluated in two groups. Third-toe transfer is absolutely indicated when it is necessary for restoring basic hand functions in multiple-finger amputations. It is indicated because both second toes are transferred or the remaining second toe is adjacent to the previously transferred great toe. The other absolute indication is the unavailability of second toes because of trauma or deformity. Third-toe transfer is indicated relatively if it is used for additional reconstruction when basic hand functions are regained or already exist. Another relative indication is its better size match for proposed reconstruction. Second and third dorsal and plantar metatarsal arteries can be used as the pedicle artery for third toe-transfer; however, if second-toe transfer has already been performed or is planned, the third plantar or dorsal metatarsal artery should be used. Isolated third-toe transfer is a useful and reliable technique, especially in multiple-finger amputation reconstruction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Symmetry of vascular pedicle anatomy in the first web space of the foot related to toe harvest: clinical observations in 85 simultaneous bilateral second-toe transfer patients.

BACKGROUND: Toe-to-hand transfer is an accepted procedure for reconstruction of thumbs and fingers. Although the vascular anatomy of the toe has been well studied, its symmetry on both feet has not previously been reported. METHODS: A retrospective review of 85 cases of simultaneous bilateral toe-to-hand transfers, performed between 1984 and 2002, was carried out. All of the pedicles were dissected in a retrograde fashion. RESULTS: A symmetric vascular pedicle anatomy was found in 78.8 percent of the patients, whereas 21.2 percent of the patients had an asymmetric vascular pattern. CONCLUSIONS: This result cautions surgeons about the possibility of vascular pedicle asymmetry between two feet in bilateral toe harvest. It proves once more the advantage of a retrograde pedicle dissection technique, which allows for a safe and straightforward toe harvest regardless of the vascular pedicle course variations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Reconstruction of foot defects with free lateral arm fasciocutaneous flaps: analysis of fifty patients.

In this article, long-term outcomes of foot reconstruction with free lateral arm fasciocutaneous flaps were retrospectively analyzed in 50 patients. The patients, 38 men and 12 women, ranged in age from 7-73 years (mean, 43.5 years). Indications for surgery included trauma (32 patients), diabetes mellitus (7 patients), burns (7 patients), chronic ulcers (3 patients), and tumor (1 patient). The locations of defects were the dorsum (n=21), ankle (n=12), medial (n=6), lateral (n=6), posterior heel (n=2), and distal sole (n=3) Concomitant bone injury occurred in 5 cases, and the weight-bearing surface of the foot was involved in 5 patients. Defects ranged in size from 27-76 cm(2) (mean, 36.4 cm(2)). Successful reconstructions were accomplished in 46 cases (92%). Flap complications included total flap loss and below-knee amputation (1 patient) and partial flap loss (3 patients); 75% (3/4) of these cases had diabetes as a comorbid factor, and 25% (1/4) had a concomitant bone injury. Six patients with dorsum defects required debulking of the flap (11.1%). None of the patients required modified shoes. In the majority of cases, flaps provided stable coverage and a gain in protective deep-pressure sensation. In long-term follow-up (up to 4 years), patients regained their ambulation, free of pain. Even in weight-bearing areas, none of the cases experienced ulceration or skin breakdown. Free lateral arm flaps provided excellent durability, with solid bony union and successful restoration of the contour of the foot in moderate-sized foot defects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Simultaneous double second toe transfer for reconstruction of adjacent fingers.

BACKGROUND: The authors reviewed their results with simultaneous double second toe transfer for reconstruction of adjacent fingers. METHODS: From January of 1984 to January of 2003, simultaneous double second toe transfer was performed for reconstruction of adjacent fingers in 140 patients (48 before wound closure, 92 after). Functional thumbs were present in all of them. There were 104 male and 36 female patients, with an average age of 29.1 years (range, 2 to 57 years). Index and middle fingers were reconstructed in 90 patients, middle and ring fingers in 49 patients, and ring and little fingers in one patient. The average operation time was 11 hours 25 minutes, which was much shorter than double the average time of a single second toe transfer (8 hours 31 minutes; double time, 17 hours 2 minutes). Twenty-six toes were reexplored for vascular insufficiency and three of them were lost. Secondary surgery was performed in 98 patients to improve function and cosmesis. RESULTS: Patients were followed up at an average period of 47.5 months (range, 2 to 210 months). Forty-two patients had complete functional evaluation at a minimum 2-year follow-up. The mean active range of motion of the reconstructed finger joints in these patients was 69.4 degrees for metacarpophalangeal joints, 31.1 degrees for proximal interphalangeal joints, and 8.2 degrees for distal interphalangeal joints. Two-point discrimination was between 3 and 13 mm (average, 7.5 mm). All donor sites were closed primarily and no obvious donor-site morbidity was noted, except for one hallux valgus deformity that was corrected by surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The functional and aesthetic results of double second toe transfers for adjacent two-finger reconstruction are superior to those of a single second toe-to-single finger reconstruction in multiple-finger amputations. Double second toe transfer performed simultaneously reduces the cost and total time of the operation, enables faster rehabilitation, and hastens patient adaptation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The effects of continuous axillary brachial plexus block with ropivacaine infusion on skin temperature and survival of crushed fingers after microsurgical replantation.

BACKGROUND: Continuous axillary brachial plexus block with local anesthetic has been shown to improve tissue perfusion after replantation surgery of the extremity. The present study aimed to investigate whether continuous axillary brachial plexus block with ropivacaine infusion can improve the survival of the reconstructive fingers secondary to an increase in its skin temperature in patients receiving replantation surgery of the crushed fingers. METHODS: Under general anesthesia, 18 patients received replantation or toe-to-hand transplantation of their crushed digits. They were randomly divided into two groups. Under ultrasound guidance, continuous axillary brachial plexus analgesia was effected by a loading dose of 10 ml 0.75% ropivacaine, followed by an infusion of 4-5 ml per hour for up to three days (Group A). Patients who did not receive continuous analgesia postoperatively served as a control (Group B). An infrared thermometer was used to hourly assess the skin temperature of the surgical and non-surgical sites in both groups for 24 h after the surgery. In addition, the survival (the rate of re-operation or amputation) of the reconstructive digits was also evaluated in both groups. RESULTS: The skin temperature of the digits (T1) on both groups did not show any significant difference at any point of time after the surgery albeit there was a trend of increased skin temperature on the reconstructive digits in patients receiving continuous axillary brachial plexus block (Group A) as compared to those without receiving the block (Group B). Also, the difference in skin temperature (dT) differed slightly at 0, 9 and 21 hours postoperatively in Group A in comparison with Group B (0.75 +/- 0.65 vs. -2.33 +/- 1.24, 0.53 +/- 0.34 vs. -3.02 +/- 1.27, -0.125 +/- 0.55 vs. -2.33 +/- 0.91, p < 0.05). However, no patients in both groups received a second operation or amputation of the graft. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this study demonstrated that axillary brachial plexus block with continuous infusion of 0.75% ropivacaine can increase the skin temperature, an index of tissue perfusion, of the reconstructive digits for 24 h after microvascular surgery of the crushed fingers. However, graft survival was good in both groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Composite palmaris longus-venous flap for simultaneous reconstruction of extensor tendon and dorsal surface defects of the hand--long-term functional result.

Soft tissue loss in the dorsum of the hand resulting from trauma often involves the extensor mechanism due to its thin skin coverage. When such composite skin and extensor tendon defects occur, the wound could be reconstructed with an ipsilateral forearm venous flap with accompanying palmaris longus tendon. Eighteen dorsal finger defects in 12 patients underwent composite venous flap and tendon transfers in the acute stage. We used both Buck-Gram-cko and Tubiana's methods for objective functional assessments. With the former method, the average composite flexion, extension deficit, and total active motion were 207.2 degrees, 39.0 degrees, and 164.7 degrees, respectively. The average score was 12.1 points, which qualified for a "good" result. With Tubiana's method, the average active flexion was 4.9, and the average extension defect was 2.3. The average score was 7.2 point, which also qualified for a "good" result. Thus, a one-stage composite forearm venous flap could be used to reconstruct dorsal skin and tendon defects of the finger with a predictably good functional outcome.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Sixty-five clinical cases of free tissue transfer using long arteriovenous fistulas or vein grafts.

Traumatic limb injuries requiring free tissue transfer for coverage, often lack healthy recipient vessels adjacent to the defect. In these patients, vein grafts are required to bridge the gap of either the artery, vein or both. For the latter situation, a temporary arteriovenous fistula (AVF) can be created and allowed to mature and then divided and used as recipient artery and veins for the free flap. These cases are challenging and several variables including vein graft length, vein graft diameter, and arterial inflow affect the patency of the vessels and the final outcome of the reconstruction. Sixty-five defects were reconstructed with free tissue transfers using vein grafts of significant length (>20 cm for the arterial gap). The ipsilateral or contralateral great saphenous veins were used for vessel lengthening in all cases. Inflow arteries were either major arteries (superficial femoral, popliteal or brachial), or lesser arteries (sural, anterior or posterior tibial, thoracodorsal, or superior gluteal). The patients were divided into those that underwent AVF followed by free tissue transfer in two stages (n = 6), AVF followed by free tissue transfer in one stage (n = 28) and patients that underwent vein grafting for the arterial defect only with (n = 6) or without (n = 25) a simultaneous bypass graft for lower limb revascularization. In the two-stage AVF group, the rate of occlusion of the graft after AVF creation was 50% (3/6); re-exploration rate was 33.3% (2/6); free flap failure rate was 33.3% (2/6); and limb salvage rate was 83.3% (5/6). In the one-stage AVF group: re-exploration rate was 28.6% (8/28); free flap success rate was 89.3% (25/28); and limb salvage rate was 92.9% (26/28). In the long vein graft group for arterial defects only: re-exploration rate was 25.8% (8/31); free flap success rate was 96.8% (30/31); and limb salvage rate was 87.1% (27/31). In patients where the graft was anastomosed to a major artery the re-exploration rate and free flap failure rate were 22.4% (11/49) and 8.2% (4/49). In patients where the graft was anastomosed to a lesser artery, the re-exploration rate and free flap failure rate were 43.4% (7/16) and 12.5% (2/16). The limb salvage rate was comparable in both groups (89.8%, 44/49, versus 87.5%, 14/16). In all groups, patients undergoing re-exploration were noted to have a an arterial gap of 31.78 cm as compared with the patients that did not require re-exploration which had an arterial gap of 26.26 cm. Vein grafting for bridging vascular defects is a safe procedure when proper indications and techniques are followed. Although a longer graft length seemed to be associated with a higher re-exploration rate, there was no statistical significance. One-stage AVFs can be used with good results, however, two-stage AVFs are associated with a high graft occlusion rate, wound failure rate and limb amputation rate. In all cases, a large caliber graft such as the great saphenous vein provided a large (relatively low resistance) conduit for bridging the defect.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Pseudovibrio denitrificans gen. nov., sp. nov., a marine, facultatively anaerobic, fermentative bacterium capable of denitrification.

Two denitrifying strains of heterotrophic, facultatively anaerobic, marine bacteria, designated DN34(T) and DN33, were isolated from sea-water samples collected in Nanwan Bay, Kenting National Park, Taiwan. They were Gram-negative. Cells in late exponential to early stationary phase of growth were predominantly straight or curved rods, but Y- or V-shaped forms were also observed. They were motile by means of one to several lateral or subpolar flagella. Both strains required NaCl for growth and exhibited optimal growth at about 30 degrees C, pH 8 and 3 % NaCl. They were capable of anaerobic growth by carrying out denitrifying metabolism using nitrate, nitrite or nitrous oxide as terminal electron acceptors or, alternatively, by fermenting glucose, mannose, sucrose or trehalose as substrates. Anaerobic fermentative growth on glucose resulted in formation of various organic acids, including formate, lactate, acetate, pyruvate and fumarate. The major cellular fatty acids were 2-OH-14 : 0, 3-OH-14 : 0 and 16 : 0. DN34(T) and DN33 had DNA G+C contents of 51.7 and 51.6 mol%, respectively. Physiological characterization, together with phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, revealed that the two denitrifying strains could be accommodated in a novel genus, for which the name Pseudovibrio gen. nov. is proposed. Pseudovibrio denitrificans sp. nov. is the type species, with DN34(T) (=BCRC 17323(T)=JCM 12308(T)) as the type strain.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2004

Endoscopically assisted removal of tumors in the frontal region.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in endoscopic surgery, due in part to patient demands and in part to provision of superior medical care by surgeons, have significantly contributed to improvements in patients' quality of life. An endoscopic operation is minimally invasive, associated with faster recovery, and produces less postoperative morbidity. It is a well-accepted procedure in the field of plastic surgery. By applying the principle of endoscopic surgery used in facelift operations, we performed tumor excision in the forehead region. METHODS: Two 1.5-cm slit incisions were made in the anterior hairline. One incision was to allow access for the 4.0-mm, 30 degrees endoscope, and the other was for surgical instrumentation. These incisions, determined by the plane of dissection, were more superficial and below the subgaleal layer for soft tissue tumors and deeper into the subperiosteal layer for bone tumors. With good illumination and magnified monitor viewing, the tumors could clearly be visualized and were completely excised. RESULTS: Seven patients with either dermoid cysts (3), osteomas (2), or lipomas (2) underwent endoscopically assisted procedures. In all cases, tumors were successfully excised with no acute or chronic complications. The average postoperative follow-up period was 7 months. No incidence of tumor recurrence was reported. All patients were satisfied with the resultant forehead contour and surgical scars. CONCLUSIONS: The main advantage of this procedure is the fact that it is minimally invasive, thus reducing the incidence of injury to the neurovascular structures of the forehead as well as minimization of scar visibility. In conclusion, an endoscope-assisted approach is a good alternative method for managing benign soft-tissue and bone tumors in the forehead and brow region.

Adolescent↗