Exploring wastewater treatment plant operation and performance using k-means and Gaussian mixture clustering.

Efficient wastewater treatment is critical to protecting the environment and minimizing human impacts on natural watercourses. Optimizing wastewater treatment to meet compliance objectives while avoiding excessive energy use can be challenging, particularly for plants relying on exclusively manual operation. Even when large volumes of data are available, it can be challenging to derive useful insight from this data to better understand plant behaviours.

Left-Sided Hepatic Hydrothorax in Cryptogenic Liver Cirrhosis With Portal Hypertension: A Case Report.

Hepatic hydrothorax is a known complication that occurs in 5-10% of patients with liver cirrhosis and is thought to account for approximately 2% of all pleural effusions. While patients with hepatic hydrothorax typically have ascites, this is not always true. In this case report, we present a 66-year-old female, known to have liver cirrhosis, who presented with recurrent left-side unilateral pleural effusion without ascites that required frequent therapeutic tapping for symptomatic relief.

Coblation Versus Radiofrequency for Tongue Base Reduction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety profile of coblation tongue base reduction (CBTR) compared to radiofrequency base of tongue (RFBOT) reduction on sleep-related outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases.

Review Methods: Literature search by 2 independent authors was conducted using the abovementioned databases.

Chemical conditioning approach to post-treat temperature-phased anaerobic digestate to improve resource recovery, odour reduction and biosolids quality.

Biosolids has several challenges, such as its high water content, huge volume, odour, and pathogen presence. Regulations require biosolids to be reused and disposed of safely. Polymer conditioning focuses on volume reduction, leaving pathogen and odour reduction unaddressed.

Platysma Myocutaneous Flap for Skull Base Reconstruction: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study.

As skull base defects become increasingly complex, necessitating more extensive repairs, alternative strategies are needed to address challenging reconstructions and rescue cases of failed primary reconstruction. In this study, we aimed to validate the surgical technique and assess the feasibility of using the platysma myocutaneous flap for skull base reconstruction, using cadaveric specimens in a preclinical setting. This descriptive anatomical study was conducted on 2 fresh human cadavers (4 sides).

Standardized List Evaluating Apnea (SLEAP): A Comprehensive Survey to Define the Quality of Life in OSA.

Objective: To develop and validate a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Study Design: A prospective cohort study.

Settings: Tertiary referral center.

Atypical Presentation of Oronasal Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) in an Immunocompromised Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) typically presents with characteristic mucocutaneous vesicular lesions. However, atypical manifestations can occur and can be challenging to diagnose, especially in immunocompromised individuals. This case report describes a nine-year-old immunocompromised girl who developed a left nasal vestibular ulcer covered by hemorrhagic crustation and granulation tissue, progressively worsening to a friable exophytic lesion with intact nasal mucosa.

Rasmussen's Aneurysm in Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report.

Hemoptysis is a common presenting symptom of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Rasmussen aneurysm can present with severe hemoptysis, which is usually diagnosed using computed tomography (CT) angiography. A false aneurysmal dilatation of the pulmonary artery is known as a Rasmussen aneurysm.

Patient-reported disease control versus overall symptom severity as global metrics of chronic rhinosinusitis disease status.

Background: Overall symptom severity (OSS) and patient-reported chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) control are global measures of CRS identified as consensus, essential criteria for CRS disease control assessment. We sought to determine the functional relationship between these two metrics.

Methods: Using an international multicenter mixed-methods design, 260 CRS patients were recruited.

Social inequalities in health within the City of Milan (Lombardy Region, Northern Italy): An ecological assessment.

Objectives: to document existing geographical inequalities in health in the city of Milan (Lombardy Region, Northern Italy), examining the association between area socioeconomic disadvantage and health outcomes, with the aim to suggest policy action to tackle them.

Design: the analysis used an ecological framework; multiple health indicators were considered in the analysis; socioeconomic disadvantage was measured through indicators such as low education, unemployment, immigration status, and housing crowding. For each municipal statistical area, Bayesian Relative Risks of the outcomes (using the Besag-Yorkand-Mollié model) were plotted on the city map.

Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by recurrent draining sinuses and abscesses, predominantly in skin folds carrying terminal hairs and apocrine glands. Treatment for this debilitating disease has been medical management with antibiotics and immune modulators. With the advent of better reconstructive surgical techniques, the role of surgery in the treatment of HS has expanded, from being a last resort to a modality that is deployed earlier.

Actinomyces-infected bronchopulmonary sequestration: An uncommon pathogen in a rare anomaly.

Bronchopulmonary sequestration, a rare congenital anomaly, involves a nonfunctioning lung tissue mass supplied by anomalous vessels. It is rarely infected by Actinomyces, further complicating the clinical presentation, with limited reported cases. This case highlights the distinctive clinical aspects, diagnostic challenges, and successful management strategies of such a rare clinical entity.

Prepubertal Female Bartholin's Gland Abscess: A Comprehensive Case Report Study.

Introduction: Bartholin's gland abscesses are rare in pediatric patients, with limited documented cases. This case report aims to contribute valuable insights into managing this uncommon condition in children.

Methods: A thorough examination and diagnostic workup were conducted on a 4-month-old female infant presenting with labial swelling.

Biphasic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Is a Rare Tumor and a Diagnostic Challenge: A Case Report.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare subtype of mesothelioma. There are three main histological subtypes of mesothelioma: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic (mixed). Risk factors include asbestos exposure, previous radiation, and some germline mutations.

New Medical Device and Therapeutic Approvals in Otolaryngology: State of the Art Review of 2022.

Objective: To review new drugs and devices relevant to otolaryngology approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022.

Data Sources: Publicly available FDA data on drugs and devices approved in 2022.

Review Methods: A preliminary screen was conducted to identify drugs and devices relevant to otolaryngology.

A Rare Presentation of Artery of Percheron Infarct: A Case Report.

The artery of Percheron (AOP), a variation of the thalamic vasculature, supplies both the thalamus and the midbrain. An infarct in this area is characterized by wide neurological abnormalities, the most common of which are altered mental state, decreased degree of consciousness, and memory impairment. AOP infarcts tend to be missed during the initial computed tomography (CT) scan.

The utility of testing erythropoietin level in polycythemia diagnosis.

Objectives: Polycythemia vera (PV) is classically thought to be associated with low erythropoietin (EPO) levels. Here, we present a review of the utility of using EPO levels in diagnosing polycythemia.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of the Medline data through Pubmed and Google Scholar.

Patient perspectives on recall period and response options in patient-reported outcome measures for chronic rhinosinusitis symptomatology: An international multi-centered study.

Background: Existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) use a variety of recall periods and response scales to assess CRS symptom burden. Global perspectives of CRS patients regarding optimal recall periods and response scales for CRS PROMs are unknown.

Methods: This was a multi-center, cross-sectional study recruiting 461 CRS patients from sites across the United States, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Austria.

Machine learning for modeling NO emissions from wastewater treatment plants: Aligning model performance, complexity, and interpretability.

Nitrous oxide (NO) emissions may account for up to 80 % of a wastewater treatment plant's (WWTP) total carbon footprint. Given the complexity of the pathways involved, estimating NO emissions through mechanistic models still often fails to precisely depict process dynamics. Alternatively, data-driven methods for predicting NO emissions hold substantial potential.

STIMA: Submucosal Temporary Inferior Maxillary Antrostomy: A Cadaveric Controlled Study of a Modification of the Conventional Antrostomy.

Inferior meatal antrostomy (IMA) is a safe and easy approach to the maxillary sinus. However, studies have shown disadvantages of conventional IMA, such as disruption of mucociliary transport and injury of the nasolacrimal duct (NLD). Endoscopic middle meatal antrostomy (MMA) has become the standard of care for addressing various maxillary pathologies.

Complications of endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To aimed to determine the incidence of complications of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and to investigate the factors associated with the occurrence of complications.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients who had undergone ESS at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) between January 2015 and March 2022. Patients who underwent ESS for complicated acute sinusitis, sinonasal malignancy, and cerebrospinal fluid leak repair, and those who underwent extended ESS for indications other than chronic rhinosinusitis were excluded.