Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Oncol Res Treat 2019 Apr 17;42(5):243-254. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Medical Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.

Background: Anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab is an approved therapy option for the treatment of advanced squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (SQ-NSCLC) patients. Data outside clinical trials about therapy efficacy and safety in later therapy line treatments have rarely been described until now.

Methods: We performed a retrospective data analysis of patients who were enrolled into the nivolu-mab Compassionate Use Program (CUP) in Germany. Read More

Med Princ Pract 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

determined. Liver disease severity in patients with cirrhosis was established by Child-Pugh class, MELD score and presence/absence of ascites. Results: Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than in the healthy subjects. Read More

J Phys Condens Matter 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Materials Research and Analysis, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Jorgensen Hall, 855 North 16th Str., NE 68588-0299, Lincoln, 68588-0299, UNITED STATES.

The spin crossover (SCO) transitions at both the surface and over the entire volume of the [Fe{H₂B(pz)₂}₂(bipy)] polycrystalline films on Al2O3 substrates have been studied, where pz = pyrazol-1-yl and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine. For [Fe{H₂B(pz)₂}₂(bipy)] films of hundreds of nm thick, magnetometry and x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements show thermal hysteresis in the SCO transition with temperature, although the transition in bulk [Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] occurs in a non-hysteretic fashion at 157 K. While the size of the crystallites in those films are similar, the hysteresis becomes more prominent in thinner films, indicating a significant effect of the [Fe{H₂B(pz)₂}₂(bipy)]/Al₂O₃ interface. Read More

Nanotechnology 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, UNITED STATES.

Mechanical property of two-dimensional (2D) materials is critical for their applications in functional devices as well as for strain engineering. Here, we report the Young's modulus and breaking strength of multilayered InSe, an emerging 2D semiconductors of layered group III chalcogenide. Few-layer InSe flaks were exfoliated from bulk InSe crystal onto Si/SiO2 substrate with micro-fabricated holes, and indentation tests were carried using an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe. Read More

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2019 Apr 9;95:136-142. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Bioceramics and Coating Division, CSIR-Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India. Electronic address:

Fluorine substituted hydroxyapatite (FAp) with different degree of fluorine (F) substitution, has been synthesized using hydrothermal synthesis method. In the present work, as synthesized powders were consolidated by sintering at 1200 °C in air for 1 h. The sintered specimens were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2019 Apr 9;218:213-220. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Institute of Biomedical & Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address:

Fluorescent chemosensors based on a new macrocyclic compound, multifarene[2,2], with modification by triazole-linked pyrene or anthracene were synthesized. These macrocyclic sensors exhibited high affinity and selectivity toward Ag over other metal ions, with ratiometric or enhanced response of their fluorescence emissions depending upon the substituent species for coordination to Ag, and an unexpected response to a concentration threshold of the metal cations was discovered. The experimental evidences of fluorescence spectra, H NMR titration, IR spectra, and high-resolution mass spectra suggested the coordination behaviors of the sensors with Ag, that is, the 1:1 complexes were formed with moderate association constants of about 10 L·mol, and the sulfur atoms on macrocyclic ligand should affinite to the metal cations. Read More

Water Res 2019 Apr 10;157:572-578. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia. Electronic address:

Perchlorate has been widely detected in various water environments and could cause serious health problems. Methane has been proposed as a promising electron donor to remove perchlorate from contaminated water, yet it is unclear whether and how microbial methane oxidation couples with perchlorate reduction, in particular under anoxic conditions. Here, the feasibility and performance of perchlorate reduction driven by methane in the presence and absence of oxygen were investigated and compared in a lab-scale methane-based membrane biofilm reactor. Read More

Nurse Educ Today 2019 Apr 5;78:5-9. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Tel Adashim 19315, Israel.

Background: The heterogeneous nature of the nursing profession generates encounters between members of different groups. Thus, nursing education should include programs focusing on cultural sensitivity to enhance cultural competence. Due to the ongoing conflict between Arabs and Jews, Israel is an appropriate setting for examining cultural sensitivity programs. Read More

Exp Gerontol 2019 Apr 14. Epub 2019 Apr 14.

Department of Health Sciences, Navarrabiomed, IdiSNA, CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. Electronic address:

Frailty syndrome encompasses several physical hallmarks such as loss of muscle strength, power output and mass, which leads to poor gait ability, fatigue, falls and overall difficulty to perform activities of daily living. On the other hand, physical exercise interventions induce marked improvements in frailty physical hallmarks (e.g. Read More

Endocr Pract 2019 Apr;25(4):328-334

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is characterized by favorable disease course and excellent survival. However, some histologic subtypes, known as aggressive histologic variants (AHVs), present a more aggressive behavior than conventional WDTC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of nodal involvement and factors influencing prognosis in N1b patients with AHVs. Read More

PLoS One 2019 17;14(4):e0215290. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical significance of color visual acuity (CVA) in preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Methods: A total of 123 eyes of 73 subjects (22 normal eyes, 14 PPG eyes, and 87 OAG eyes; mean age: 44.9 ± 10. Read More

PLoS One 2019 17;14(4):e0214860. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.

Objective: Extra nodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), nasal type is a rare and highly aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) commonly presented in the nasal cavity or lymphatic system. However, the common causes of mortality in ENKTL remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study to elucidate the different causes of mortality in ENKTL and illustrate the main causal and associated risk factors leading to death. Read More

PLoS One 2019 17;14(4):e0214533. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

We have developed a new method for selectively sorting droplets containing growing bacteria using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based RNA probe. Bacteria and the FRET-based RNA probe are encapsulated into nanoliter-scale droplets, which are incubated to allow for cell growth. The FRET-based RNA probe is cleaved by RNase derived from the bacteria propagated in the droplets, resulting in an increase in fluorescence intensity. Read More

PLoS One 2019 17;14(4):e0213737. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Embryology, Camel Advanced Reproductive Technologies Centre, Government of Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In this study, a modified method of handmade cloning (m-HMC), which had been originally developed in sheep, was used for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in the dromedary camel. The unique feature of m-HMC over current SCNT methods lies in the use of a simple device (a finely drawn micropipette made of Pasteur pipette) for chemically-assisted enucleation of oocytes under a stereomicroscope with improved efficiency and ease of operation. Using this system, the throughput of cloned embryo reconstitution was increased over 2-fold compared to the control SCNT method (c-NT). Read More

Lymphat Res Biol 2019 Apr;17(2):195-201

2 Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

This was a part of LIMPRINT (Lymphoedema IMpact and PRevalence-INTernational), an international study aimed at capturing the size and impact of lymphedema and chronic edema in different countries and health services across the world. The purpose of this study was to clarify the prevalence and the impact of chronic edema in Japan. This was a two-phase facility-based study to determine the prevalence and functional impact of chronic edema in the adult population in Japan between 2014 and 2015. Read More

Radiat Res 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

a   Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, FOCAS Institute, Technological University Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland.

In advanced radiotherapy, treatment of the tumor with high-intensity modulated fields is balanced with normal tissue sparing. However, the non-target dose delivered to surrounding healthy tissue within the irradiated volume is a potential cause for concern. Whether the effects observed are caused after exposure to out-of-field radiation or bystander effects through neighboring irradiated cells is not fully understood. Read More

Assist Technol 2019 Apr 17:1-7. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

a Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.

Disabled people are often the anticipated users of scientific and technological products and processes advanced and enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Disabled people are also impacted by societal impacts of AI/ML. Many ethical issues are identified within AI/ML as fields and within individual applications of AI/ML. Read More

Mol Biol Cell 2019 Apr 17:mbcE18080484. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore-560064, India.

Blood vessel formation requires endothelial cell (EC) migration that depends on dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Rudhira/Breast Carcinoma Amplified Sequence 3 (BCAS3) is a cytoskeletal protein essential for EC migration and sprouting angiogenesis during mouse development and implicated in metastatic disease. Here, we report that Rudhira mediates cytoskeleton organization and dynamics during EC migration. Read More

JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2019 Apr(3):1-10

2 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.

Purpose: Hospitalizations are a common occurrence during chemotherapy for advanced cancer. Validated risk stratification tools could facilitate proactive approaches for reducing hospitalizations by identifying at-risk patients.

Patients And Methods: We assembled two retrospective cohorts of patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced nonhematologic cancer; cohorts were drawn from three integrated health plans of the Cancer Research Network. Read More

Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Centers for Molecular Medicine and Genetics,Cardivascular Research Institute; Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the key risk factors in diabetes-related multi-organ damage. Methylglyoxal (MGO), a highly reactive dicarbonyl mainly generated as a by-product of glycolysis, is increased in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. MGO can rapidly bind with proteins, nucleic acids and lipids, resulting in structural and functional changes of these targets and can form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Apr 17:1-7. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

1 Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki General Medical Center, 2-17-77, Higashinaniwa-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, 660-8550 Japan.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the Bayesian penalized likelihood (BPL) reconstruction algorithm in comparison with an ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction algorithm and to determine its optimal penalization factor (expressed as a beta value) for clinical use. FDG PET/CT scans of 46 patients with lung cancer were reconstructed using OSEM and BPL with beta values of 200, 300, 400, 500, and 1000. The liver signal-to-noise ratio, mean standardized uptake value (SUV) of the liver, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) and SUV of the cancers were measured. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Apr 17:1-6. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

1 Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

Parkinson disease is characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta resulting in presynaptic nigrostriatal dopamine dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to search for an optimal image biomarker to quantify the severity of Parkinson disease by comparing neuromelanin MRI and dopamine transporter SPECT. Forty patients with Parkinson disease (Hoehn and Yahr [HY] stage 1, four patients; stage 2, 18 patients; stage 3, eight patients; stage 4, six patients; stage 5, four patients) who underwent neuromelanin MRI and dopamine transporter SPECT were included. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Apr 17:1-10. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

1 Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 2201 Inwood Rd, Ste 210, Dallas, TX 75225.

Renal masses comprise a heterogeneous group of pathological conditions, including benign and indolent diseases and aggressive malignancies, complicating management. In this article, we explore the emerging role of imaging to provide a comprehensive noninvasive characterization of a renal mass-so-called "virtual biopsy"-and its potential use in the management of patients with renal tumors. Percutaneous renal mass biopsy (RMB) remains a valuable method to provide a presurgical histopathologic diagnosis of renal masses, but it is an invasive procedure and is not always feasible. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Apr 17:1-11. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India 110029.

Several clinical studies have shown the efficacy of Lu-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy (RLT) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The purpose of this article is to present results of a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at compiling and outlining efficacy and safety data on Lu-PSMA RLT for mCRPC across all studies published to date. The results of the systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that Lu-PSMA RLT is an effective treatment of advanced-stage mCRPC that is refractory to standard therapeutic options and that it has a low toxicity profile. Read More

FP Essent 2019 Apr;479:11-15

Womack Army Medical Center Department of the Army, WAMC Stop A 2817 Reilly Rd, Ft Bragg, NC 28310-7301.

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) refers to atherosclerotic disease that involves the iliac, femoral, or more distal arteries of the lower extremities. This condition affects 8 to 12 million Americans. Risk factors include advanced age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cigarette smoking. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Centre for Applied Chemistry, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

In the present contribution, multicomplex-based pharmacophore studies were carried out on the structural proteome of Plasmodium falciparum 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase. Among the constructed models, a representative model with complementary features, accountable for the inhibition was used as a primary filter for the screening of database molecules. Auxiliary evaluations of the screened molecules were performed via drug-likeness and molecular docking studies. Read More

J Comput Chem 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The growing interest in the complexity of biological interactions is continuously driving the need to increase system size in biophysical simulations, requiring not only powerful and advanced hardware but adaptable software that can accommodate a large number of atoms interacting through complex forcefields. To address this, we developed and implemented strategies in the GENESIS molecular dynamics package designed for large numbers of processors. Long-range electrostatic interactions were parallelized by minimizing the number of processes involved in communication. Read More

Bioinformatics 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Advanced Analytics Institute, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Motivation: Detection of maximal exact matches (MEMs) between two long sequences is a fundamental problem in pairwise reference-query genome comparisons. To efficiently compare larger and larger genomes, reducing the number of indexed k-mers as well as the number of query k-mers has been adopted as a mainstream approach which saves the computational resources by avoiding a significant number of unnecessary matches.

Results: Under this framework, we proposed a new method to detect all MEMs from a pair of genomes. Read More

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) 2019 Mar 11;65(3):410-418. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Doctorate in Social Sciences (specialized in Public Administration), Technical University of Lisbon (UTL), Lisbon, Portugal.

Introduction: There is a worldwide increase in the number of invasive aesthetic procedures, and there is a general apprehension in medical societies towards the assurance of patient safety, that is dependent on the quality and certification of providers, of the materials and substances used, and where they take place.It is the main objective of this study to determine the perception of the gravity of non-authorized substances for clinical use in invasive aesthetic procedures among Portuguese plastic surgeons and its variation by the clinical sector of practice.

Methods: We proceeded to an inquiry by using a questionnaire, measured in a Linkert scale, and the collected data were statistically treated with a non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Read More

Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2019 Apr 8;74:e477. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Laboratorio de Envelhecimento Humano - GeronLab, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR.

Objectives: Sarcopenia is a common treatable geriatric condition. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated factors in community-dwelling elderly living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to discuss the impact of different muscle mass, handgrip strength and gait speed cut-off values on the reported frequency of sarcopenia.

Methods: The health habits, functional capacity, and anthropometric measurements of 745 individuals aged ≥65 years from the Frailty in Brazilian Older People study were analyzed. Read More

Nanoscale 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute, Herzl Street 234, 76100, Rehovot, Israel.

Advanced nanomaterials play a prominent role in nanoscience and nanotechnology developments, opening new frontiers in these areas. Among these nanomaterials, due to their unique characteristics and enhanced chemical and physical properties, inorganic nanotubes have been considered one of the most interesting nanostructures. In recent years, important progress has been achieved in the production and study of these nanomaterials, including boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenide nanotubular structures, misfit-based nanotubes and other hybrid/doped nanotubular objects. Read More

Nanoscale 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, P. R. China. and Shenzhen STRONG Advanced Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518000, P. R. China.

Carbon nanotube yarn actuators are in great demand for flexible devices or intelligent applications. Artificial muscles based on carbon nanotube yarn have achieved great progress over past decades. However, uncontrollable, small deformations and relatively slow deformation recovery are still great challenges for carbon nanotube yarn artificial muscles. Read More

Nanoscale 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

School of Materials Science and Technology, Research Institute for Energy Equipment Materials, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Materials Laminating Fabrication and Interface Control Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, People's Republic of China. and National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, People's Republic of China.

High-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials possess features of light weight, flexibility and excellent EMI shielding effectiveness. However, continuous efforts are still needed to satisfy the urgent demand for electromagnetic pollution shielding. In this study, a lightweight and flexible hybrid film with a multi-scale double-continuous conductive network (TiO2/SiO2@PPy) and sandwich structure (TiO2/SiO2@PPy@rGO) was prepared via a delicate structure design of electrospun TiO2/SiO2 nanofibers. Read More

Chem Commun (Camb) 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.

Amorphous pure organic room-temperature phosphorescent small molecules without heavy atoms, based on the intermolecular hydrogen bonding network for the immobilization of luminophores, were designed and facilely prepared via modification of heavy-atom-free luminophores onto β-cyclodextrin. Read More

Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Institute for Technical and Environmental Chemistry (ITUC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7a, 07743 Jena, Germany. and Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena), Philosophenweg 7a, 07743 Jena, Germany.

Advanced electrolytes for supercapacitors with high electrochemical stability are necessary to improve the suitability of supercapacitors for many applications. In this work we investigated electrolytes based on the solvent propylene carbonate (PC) and butylene carbonate (BC). A comparison of different solvent-salt combinations shows that 1 M N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI) in BC is superior to conventionally used PC-based electrolytes examined in this work in terms of voltage window and capacitance. Read More

Chem Commun (Camb) 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China. and Key Laboratory of Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Organism (Food Safety), Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China, Beijing, 100083, China.

A rapid self-assembly strategy was developed for fabricating a novel soft-brush DNA hydrogel in one minute by introducing a pair of L-type probes into the RCA products. The L-type probes with universality achieved a controllable size and morphology of the DNA hydrogel, providing deeper insight into variability and probability in functional biomaterials. Read More

Otol Neurotol 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Department of Otolaryngology and Institute of Audioneurotechnology (VIANNA), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Introduction: The desired outcome of the implantation of active middle ear implants is maximum coupling efficiency and a minimum of conductive loss. It has not been investigated yet, which loading forces are applied during the process of coupling, which forces lead to an optimum actuator performance and which forces occur when manufacturer guidelines for coupling are followed.

Methods: Actuator output was measured by laser Doppler vibrometry of stapes motion while the actuator was advanced in 20 μm steps against the incus body while monitoring static contact force. Read More

J Glaucoma 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Division of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis has previously almost exclusively been reported in Asians and in dermatological journals. In this report, we present a case of a young black South African male referred to our eye clinic.

Case Presentation: A 15-year-old male patient presented with gradual, painless loss of vision in his right eye. Read More

Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The decision to undertake monitored anesthesia care (MAC) or general endotracheal anesthesia (GEA) for patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is influenced by many factors. These include locoregional practice preferences, procedure complexity, patient position, and comorbidities. We aim to review the data regarding anesthesia-administered sedation for ERCP and identify the impact of airway management on procedure success, adverse event rates and endoscopy unit efficiency. Read More

JMIR Cancer 2019 Apr 17;5(1):e9887. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Health Services Research and Health Economics, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands.

Background: Peer-to-peer online support groups and the discussion forums in these groups can help patients by providing opportunities for increasing their empowerment. Most previous research on online empowerment and online social support uses qualitative methods or questionnaires to gain insight into the dynamics of online empowerment processes.

Objective: The overall goal of this study was to analyze the presence of the empowerment processes in the online peer-to-peer communication of people affected by cancer, using text mining techniques. Read More

Am J Bioeth 2019 Apr;19(4):11-18

c University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

Classic statements of research ethics advise against permitting physician-investigators to obtain consent for research participation from patients with whom they have preexisting treatment relationships. Reluctance about "dual-role" consent reflects the view that distinct normative commitments govern physician-patient and investigator-participant relationships, and that blurring the research-care boundary could lead to ethical transgressions. However, several features of contemporary research demand reconsideration of the ethics of dual-role consent. Read More

Telemed J E Health 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Telehealth Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Read More

Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2019 Apr 17:1089253219842650. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

1 AORN Ospedali dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Naples, Italy.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system recently emerged as a viable and less invasive therapeutic option in patients with severe mitral regurgitation deemed to be high-risk surgical candidates. Mitral valve morphology and geometry features are key elements for MitraClip eligibility. In the setting of functional mitral regurgitation, the presence of a leaflet coaptation gap due to advanced left ventricle remodeling can be a potential exclusion criterion for MitraClip therapy. Read More

Dig Endosc 2019 Apr;31 Suppl 1:55-64

2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.

Early surgical treatment using the laparoscopic approach is generally accepted as the treatment of choice for acute cholecystitis (AC) according to Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG2018). If the patient is a poor candidate for surgery because of the presence of advanced malignancy or severe organ failure, this treatment may be too invasive. In such cases, gallbladder drainage is considered an alternative treatment method to surgery. Read More

Dig Endosc 2019 Apr;31 Suppl 1:50-54

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Excellence Center and Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.

Adequate biliary drainage (BD), defined as more than 50% of liver volume drained, is an ideal BD method in patients with advanced and unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with multi-segmental BD is technically challenging. ERCP with percutaneous biliary drainage (PTBD) or PTBD alone has cumbersome maintenance of PTBD line and external bag. Read More

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2 Supple 1):90-95

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

Different longstanding and emerging challenges for public health have been identified including population ageing, migration, infectious and non-communicable diseases, the environment and climatic changes, increasing risks of misinformation and chronic underinvestment. The multi- and inter-disciplinary public health approach - including biology, epidemiology, biostatistics, anthropology and public policy - raises the need to train experienced professionals in different fields. The education on these matters is fundamental to ensure the human well-being. Read More

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2 Supple 1):81-89

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia", University of Catania, Italy.

Background: During pregnancy, maternal dietary patterns play a critical role in determining maternal and new-born health. Recent evidence highlighted the influence of either social determinants and lifestyles on the adherence to different dietary patterns.

Study Design: In this cross-sectional analysis, we evaluated the association of social determinants and lifestyles with maternal dietary patterns in the "Mother & Child" cohort, a prospective study that enrols mother-child pairs from Catania, Italy. Read More

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2 Supple 1):72-80

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

Background: Academic success in adolescence is a strong predictor of future wealth, productivity and health. While unhealthy dietary habits might be detrimental for academic outcomes, a positive association between healthy diet and school performance was found in adolescents worldwide.

Study Design: A total of 213 adolescents (15 to 18 years old; 48% boys), attending three high schools in the urban area of Eastern Sicily, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Read More

Nanoscale 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, 4th Sec., Taipei 10617, Taiwan. and Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.

Four aggregation-induced emission (AIE)- and electro-active cyanostilbene-based triphenylamine-containing derivatives with different substituents were synthesized to investigate their effects on the photoluminescence properties and electrochromic (EC) and electrofluorochromic (EFC) behavior of gel-type electrochromic devices (ECDs). The optical and photoluminescence properties of the obtained materials were influenced by the substituents, and revealed AIE-active characteristics, exhibiting stronger fluorescence intensity in the aggregated state than in solution. Consequently, the EFC devices could be fabricated by combining these AIE- and electro-active materials with cathodic EC heptyl viologen HV into the gel-type electrolyte system to enhance the emission intensity, on/off contrast ratio, and response capability. Read More

Dalton Trans 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, PR China.

A facile three-step method is designed for large-scale preparation of a NiCo2O4@MnO2/nickel foam/MnO2 sandwich architecture with robust adhesion as an advanced electrode for high-performance supercapacitors. The synthesis contains the hydrothermal reaction of a cobalt-nickel hydroxide precursor on a nickel foam (NF) support and subsequent thermal conversion into spinel mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays, followed by a hydrothermal oxidation reaction to synthesize NiCo2O4@MnO2/nickel foam/MnO2 sandwiches. Moreover, the tactics reported in this study enable easy control of the growth of NiCo2O4 on one side of the NF and MnO2 nanosheets on both sides of the NF to obtain novel NiCo2O4@MnO2/nickel foam/MnO2 sandwiches. Read More