Locked thumb metacarpophalangeal joint due to sesamoid bone entrapment: A case report and review of literature.

Locked thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint has been known as a relatively rare condition. We present a case of a 25-year-old male presented with a traumatic locked thumb MCP joint of the right hand. Clinical presentation showed the joint was in a hyperextention position and resistant to active flexion and extension. The radial sesamoid was distally displaced on X-ray film and entrapped into the joint on CT scan. The mechanism of the locked MCP joint was thought as a "pull-hook lock" between the pointed proximal edge of the sesamoid and the deformed volar groove on the cartilaginous surface of the metacarpal head. Surgical treatment included partially releasing the insertion of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and flexor pollicis brevis (FPB) muscles to move the entrapped radial sesamoid, and resurfacing the deformed metacarpal head.

Giant schwannoma on the lower leg: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Peripheral nerve sheath tumors are common neoplasm with different biological features ranging from benign to malignant. The majority of these tumors are smaller than 5 cm, whereas those larger are termed giant schwannomas. When localized in the lower legs, the maximum length of the schwannoma is less than 10 cm. We report a case of giant schwannoma of the leg and its management. CASE PRESENTATION: A 11-year-old boy presented with a 13 cm × 5 cm firm, smooth, well-defined margin mass in the posterior-medial aspect of right leg. The tumor was fusiform, well capsulated, multi-lobulated soft tissue with 13 cm × 4 cm × 3 cm in size at the biggest region. On MRI the tumor was low signal, isointense with adjacent tissue on T1S, hyper-intense on T2-FS sequences and surrounded by a thin fat-like intense rim. Biopsy findings were considered most consistent with Schwannoma (Antoni A). Tumor resection was performed. The mass appeared capsulated, white, and glistening with 132 mm × 45 mm × 34 mm in size. Postoperative course was uneventful without neurological deficit. CLINICAL DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Schwannomas are the most common peripheral nerve sheath tumors that derived almost entirely from Schwann cells. Schwannomas usually affect the head and neck region, localization in the lower extremity is rare. When located in lower extremity, the maximum diameter of 5 cm is described in most studies. Clinical presentation of schwannomas is unclear and unspecific. Diagnosis is based on ultrasound, MRI, and histology. The recommended treatment for schwannoma is surgical enucleation or resection without damaging the involved nerve.

Preclinical Immune Response and Safety Evaluation of the Protein Subunit Vaccine Nanocovax for COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global health concern. The development of vaccines with high immunogenicity and safety is crucial for controlling the global COVID-19 pandemic and preventing further illness and fatalities. Here, we report the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, Nanocovax, based on recombinant protein production of the extracellular (soluble) portion of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that Nanocovax induced high levels of S protein-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies in three animal models: BALB/c mouse, Syrian hamster, and a non-human primate (Macaca leonina). In addition, a viral challenge study using the hamster model showed that Nanocovax protected the upper respiratory tract from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nanocovax did not induce any adverse effects in mice (Mus musculus var. albino) and rats (Rattus norvegicus). These preclinical results indicate that Nanocovax is safe and effective.

Therapeutic effect of prolonged testosterone pretreatment in women with poor ovarian response: A randomized control trial.

PURPOSE: This study compared the therapeutic effects of transdermal testosterone gel (TTG) application at 4 and 6 weeks before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in women with poor ovarian response (POR). METHODS: In this randomized control trial, infertile women with POR who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) were recruited and randomly classified into 4 week (n = 42) and 6 week (n = 38) TTG treatment groups and control group (n = 42). The primary outcome was total number of retrieved mature oocytes. The secondary outcomes were the biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the number of oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes and embryos between all groups. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) positive, clinical, and ongoing pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the TTG pretreatment groups than in the control group but no differences were observed between the 4- and 6 week groups. CONCLUSIONS: Applying TTG in infertile women with POR may ameliorate the outcomes of IVF. The extended application of TTG to 6 weeks did not improve the response to ovarian stimulation regarding the number of retrieved oocytes nor pregnancy outcomes compared to the 4 week pretreatment.

PRE-CLINICAL IMMUNE RESPONSE AND SAFETY EVALUATION OF THE PROTEIN SUBUNIT VACCINE NANOCOVAX FOR COVID-19

The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a dire global health concern. The development of vaccines with high immunogenicity and safety is crucial for control of the global COVID-19 pandemic and prevention of further illness and fatalities. Here, we report development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, Nanocovax, based on recombinant protein production of the extracellular (soluble) portion of the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that Nanocovax induced high levels of S protein-specific IgG, as well neutralizing antibody in three animal models including Balb/C mice, Syrian hamsters, and non-human primate (Macaca leonina). In addition, the viral challenge study using the hamster model showed that Nanocovax protected the upper respiratory tract from SARS-CoV-2 infection. No adverse effects were induced by Nanocovax in swiss mice (Musmusculus var. Albino), Rats (Rattus norvegicus), and New Zealand rabbits. These pre-clinical results indicated that Nanocovax is safe and effective.