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Paediatr Anaesth 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Medical Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.

Background: Nasopharyngeal tubes (NPTs) are useful in paediatric anaesthesia for insufflating oxygen and anaesthetics. During NPT-anaesthesia, gas insufflation provides some positive oropharyngeal pressure that differs from the proximal airway pressure (Paw) owing to the flow-dependent pressure drop across the NPT (ΔP ).

Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether ΔP could be used for calculating oropharyngeal pressure during NPT-assisted anaesthesia. Read More

J Nurs Manag 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Stabile Piazzetta, Via Violino, CH-6928, Manno, Switzerland.

Aims: To explore the experiences of middle management nurses during COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland.

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has placed extraordinary demands upon healthcare systems worldwide, which were found mostly unprepared. In this situation, middle management nurses covered a strategic role because they acted as a link between organizational directives and the clinical practice. Read More

Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Ophthalmology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi, Istanbul, Turkey.

Purpose: To analyze the central macular thickness (CMT), retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), ganglion cell layer thickness (GCLT), and choroidal thickness (ChT) measurements in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: The study was conducted cross-sectionally 4 weeks after the completed treatment of COVID-19. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was based on the polymerase chain reaction test and/or clinical and radiological findings. Read More

J Knee Surg 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

The techniques available to locate the femoral tunnel during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have notable limitations. To evaluate whether the femoral tunnel center could be located intraoperatively with a ruler, using the posterior apex of the deep cartilage (ADC) as a landmark. This retrospective case series included consecutive patients with ACL rupture who underwent arthroscopic single-bundle ACL reconstruction at the Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Tongren Hospital between January 2014 and May 2018. Read More

Phys Med Biol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Departamento de Fisica de Particulas, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, 15782, SPAIN.

In this work we show the first microdosimetry measurements on a low energy proton beam with therapeutic-equivalent fluence rates by using the second generation of 3D-cylindrical microdetectors. The sensors belong to an improved version of a novel silicon-based 3D-microdetector design with electrodes etched inside silicon, which were manufactured at the National Microelectronics Centre (IMB-CNM, CSIC) in Spain. A new microtechnology has been employed using quasi-toroid electrodes of 25 μm diameter and a depth of 20 μm within the silicon bulk, resulting in a well-defined cylindrical radiation sensitive volume. Read More

Nanotechnology 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Solid-State Chemistry, V I Vernadsky Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, UKRAINE.

A set of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeONPs) was synthesized by the precipitation in the water-alcohol solutions under the conditions when the physical-chemical parameters of synthesized NPs were controlled by changing the ratio of the reaction components. The sizes of CeONPs are controlled largely by the dielectric constant of the reaction solution. Increase of the percentage of Ceions at the surface was observed with a concomitant reduction of the NPs sizes. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 Apr 5;782:146854. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.

Temperature and oxygen limit the distribution of marine ectotherms. Haematological traits underlying blood-oxygen carrying capacity are thought to be correlated with thermal tolerance in certain fishes, and this relationship is hypothesised to be explained by oxygen supply capacity. We tested this hypothesis using reef shark neonates as experimental models because they live near their upper thermal limits and are physiologically sensitive to low oxygen conditions. Read More

Biosens Bioelectron 2021 Apr 1;183:113210. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Tor Vergata University, Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy; SENSE4MED, Via Renato Rascel 30, 00133, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by soil bacterium Clostridium botulinum are cause of botulism and listed as biohazard agents, thus rapid screening assays are needed for taking the correct countermeasures in a timely fashion. The gold standard method relies on the mouse lethality assay with a lengthy analysis time, i.e. Read More

Eur J Med Chem 2021 Apr 3;219:113429. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Żeromskiego 116, 90-924, Łódź, Poland. Electronic address:

Herein we report an efficient synthesis of a series of regioisomeric N,O-syn and N,O-anti 3-diethoxyphosphorylfuroquinoline-4,9-diones combining furoquinoline-5,8-dione skeleton, present in several highly cytotoxic compounds, with diethoxyphosphoryl moiety. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained analogs was tested against two human cancer cell lines: promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 and breast cancer adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and for comparison on human umbilical vein endothelial cells HUVEC and mammary gland/breast MCF-10 A cells. Several diethoxyphosphorylfuroquinoline-4,9-diones proved to be highly cytotoxic for cancer cells with IC values even below 0. Read More

Eur J Pharm Sci 2021 Apr 11:105839. Epub 2021 Apr 11.

NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, 510515 Guangzhou, China; TCM-Integrated Hospital of Southern Medical University, 510315 Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Gastrodin is the main active constituent of Tianma, a famous traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Our previous research has found that gastrodin is absorbed rapidly in the intestine by the sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1). In the current report, gastrodin is the best glycoside compound absorbed via the glucose transport pathway. Read More

J Biomech 2021 Apr 2;121:110410. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Laboratório de Biomecânica e Morfologia Funcional, CIPER, Cruz Quebrada, Dafundo, Portugal.

The kinematic analysis in tennis forehand drive is crucial to understand the quality of this technique. The inertial measurement units (IMUs) due to its portability, occlusion free, larger capturing area and faster set up preparation, present an alternative to the optical motion capture systems (OS) considered a reference criterion system, however the degree of accuracy is task specific. This study aimed to compare the concurrent validity of a IMUs (Xsens MVN system) with an OS (Qualisys AB) for measuring upper and lower limb kinematics. Read More

Am J Ophthalmol 2021 Apr 11. Epub 2021 Apr 11.

Mayo Clinic Department of Ophthalmology, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Purpose: To investigate the outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with active diabetic macular edema (DME) who are receiving active treatment with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections in the perioperative period.

Design: Retrospective clinical cohort study.

Methods: All patients who underwent cataract surgery and were receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2017. Read More

Toxicon 2021 Apr 11. Epub 2021 Apr 11.

Durham University, Department of Biosciences, Stockton Rd, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.

The nemertide toxins from the phylum Nemertea are a little researched family of neurotoxins with potential for development as biopesticides. Here we report the recombinant production of nemertide α-1 (α-1), a 65-residue inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) peptide from Lineus longissimus, known to target insect voltage-gated sodium channels. The insecticidal activity of α-1 was assessed and compared with the well characterised ICK venom peptide, ω-atracotoxin/hexatoxin-Hv1a (Hv1a). Read More

Genome 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology FEB RAS, Lab of Molecular Systematics, Vladivostok, Russian Federation;

The seas of the North Pacific Ocean are characterized by a large variety of fish fauna, including endemic species. Molecular genetic methods, often based on DNA barcoding approaches, have been recently used to determine species boundaries and identify cryptic diversity within these species. This study complements the DNA barcode library of fish from the Northeast Pacific area. Read More

ACS Chem Neurosci 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.

Cholinesterases are significant biological targets for the regulation of cholinergic neurotransmission, and their inhibitors are being exploited for the management of cognitive decline in various neurological conditions. The 1,4-benzoquinone scaffold possesses antioxidant potential along with AChE inhibition activity in various neurological disorders. To design novel and potent selective 1,4-benzoquinone analogues as cholinesterase inhibitors, a ligand-based drug design strategy was followed to develop a 3D quantitative structure-selectivity relationship (QSSR) model. Read More

Microsc Res Tech 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of various remineralizing agents on the color stability and surface characteristics of the teeth after vital bleaching. The extracted 96 human incisors were used for the study. Initially, the samples were randomly divided into two groups and exposed to in-office and at-home bleaching agents. Read More

J Sci Food Agric 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Food Science & Biotechnology and Carbohydrate Bioproduct Research Center, Sejong University, Seoul, Korea.

Background: Negative impressions toward fried foods are prevalent due to their high oil absorption and caloric values. A great deal of effort has been thus made to reduce the oil uptake of fried foods. In this study, the effect of wheat and brown rice flour blends on the oil uptake of frying batters was elucidated in terms of rheology and surface roughness. Read More

J Food Prot 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

University of Arkansas Fayetteville Dept of Food Science UNITED STATES Fayetteville AR (479) 575-6919.

Intervention technologies for inactivating Salmonella in whole chia seeds are currently limited. The determination of the thermal inactivation kinetics of Salmonella o n chia seeds and selection of an appropriate nonpathogenic surrogate will provide a knowledge foundation for selecting and optimizing thermal pasteurization processes for chia seeds. In this study, chia seed samples from three separate production lots were inoculated with a five strain Salmonella cocktail or Enterococcus faecium NRRL-B2354 and equilibrated to 0. Read More

J Food Prot 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

University of Rome La Sapienza: Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza Professor Public Health and Infectious Diseases Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 ITALY Roma 00185.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of some classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in free-range hen eggs and to estimate the related human dietary exposure in a Site of National Interest (SNI), characterized by a serious state of environmental pollution (Bussi sul Tirino area, central Italy). For these purposes, 17 samples of free-range hen eggs collected in home-producing farms located in the SNI territory were analyzed for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) and 6 non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs). Dietary exposure was assessed assuming a standard consumption of eggs per week. Read More

An Acad Bras Cienc 2021 9;93(1):e20201257. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Universidade de São Paulo/ USP, Centro de Pesquisas de Águas Subterrâneas/CEPAS, Instituto de Geociências, Rua do Lago 562, Butantã, 05508-080 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

This study assessed the relationship between the recharge of the unconfined sedimentary Adamantina Aquifer and its discharge into the Batalha River in a small basin of 125 km2 that drains the municipalities of Bauru, Agudos and Piratininga (SP, Brazil). According to the Eckhardt Flow Separation Filters and Soil Moisture Accounting Procedure methods, the recharge was 312.6 mm/yr and 232. Read More

Cad Saude Publica 2021 7;37(4):e00240120. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise, disturbing the previous situation affecting countries and the situation of their respective States. "Reality" has been redefined by the pandemic's serious effects. Argentina is no exception, and the citizenry and the State itself have thus been challenged to take a unique position based on values and to conduct action to deal with the consequences in both the immediate and medium terms. Read More

Cad Saude Publica 2021 7;37(3):e00213519. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Instituto Nacional de Saúde da Mulher, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Technology is a central element for patients in intensive care. The article aimed to explore the interpretations of interactions between humans and non-humans in the production of care for children with complex chronic conditions in the intensive care unit (ICU). Secondarily, the study discussed the secret as one of the dimensions of interactions associated with the intensive care setting. Read More

Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2021 9;76:e2571. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Sergio Franco Medicina Diagnostica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR.

Objectives: To evaluate the mean concentration of 25-hydroxivitamin D [25(OH) D] and prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in individuals residing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods: The data of 80,000 consecutive individuals who had 25(OH) D measurements performed by electrochemiluminescence between 1/2/2018 and 2/5/2018 were selected. Patients who reported the use of therapies/supplements were excluded. Read More

PLoS One 2021 14;16(4):e0250083. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

National Cancer Center of Korea, Goyang, Republic of Korea.

Prior studies have demonstrated the utility of microRNA assays for predicting some cancer tissue origins, but these assays need to be further optimized for predicting the tissue origins of adenocarcinomas of the liver. We performed microRNA profiling on 195 frozen primary tumor samples using 14 types of tumors that were either adenocarcinomas or differentiated from adenocarcinomas. The 1-nearest neighbor method predicted tissue-of-origin in 33 samples of a test set, with an accuracy of 93. Read More

PLoS One 2021 14;16(4):e0250089. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan.

Background: Standard apical four-chamber and two-chamber views often maximize the long-axis of the left ventricle, resulting in artifactitious foreshortening of the left atrium (LA), which may overestimate LA longitudinal reservoir strain (LALS). We compared LALS values between 2D echocardiography (2DE) and 3D echocardiography (3DE) in healthy subjects to determine whether 2DE speckle tracking analysis overestimates the reference value of LALS.

Methods And Results: In this study, 4 types of cohorts were included: 1. Read More

PLoS One 2021 14;16(4):e0249910. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.

Random intercept models are linear mixed models (LMM) including error and intercept random effects. Sometimes heteroscedasticity is included and the response variable is transformed into a logarithmic scale, while inference is required in the original scale; thus, the response variable has a log-normal distribution. Hence, correction terms should be included to predict the response in the original scale. Read More

PLoS One 2021 14;16(4):e0250039. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Mittuniversitetet, Sundsvall, Sweden.

Background: Elder abuse is a growing public health question among policy makers and practitioners in many countries. Research findings usually indicate women as victims, whereas male elder abuse still remains under-detected and under-reported. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, severity and chronicity of abuse (psychological, physical, physical injury, sexual, and financial) against older men, and to scrutinize factors (e. Read More