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A 1-year-old castrated male Ragdoll who showed a series of vomiting and had reduced appetite presented to a local animal hospital. Hyperthermia and tachypnea were observed in physical examination, and leukocytosis was detected in hematological examination. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an intramural mass with irregular echogenicity extending from the pylorus to the duodenum and loss of intestinal wall layer with regional lymph node enlargement. After exploratory laparotomy for biopsy and symptomatic alleviation, histopathological evaluation revealed densely infiltrated eosinophils within the branching and anastomosing trabecular pattern of collagen by several spindle-shaped cells. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF). Since the pathogenesis of FGESF is known to be abnormal immune response, immune-modulatory treatment was recommended following surgical resection. According to previous studies, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is known to potentiate the efficacy of prednisolone (PDS) for treating other immune mediate disease. Therefore, combination therapy was conducted in this patient. There has been no evidence of recurrence since the initiation of immunotherapy. This case showed the importance of accurate diagnosis as well as suggested one of therapeutic options for veterinary clinicians in medical treatment following resection of FGESF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As far as we know, proposed the predictive performance of optic nerve sheath diameter measured (ONSD) from brain computed tomography to predict poor prognosis in drug intoxication patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the predictive performance of ONSD for predicting mortality and admission in patients with altered mental status among drug intoxication patients. Method: We retrospectively enrolled patients with drug intoxication patients who underwent brain computed tomography due to altered mental status between January 2018 and December 2019. Two emergency physicians independently measured ONSD at 3 mm behind the globe in each patients. Statistical analysis including multivariate logistic regression analysis were yielded to estimate predictive performance. Results: A total of 18 patients (8.7%) were death and 57 patients (24%) were admitted out of 206 patients. ONSD was independently predictive factors for predicting mortality and admission. ONSD (cut-off = 4.35) had 69.05% sensitivity and 53.33% specificity with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.824 (95% CI = 0.803-0.927) for predicting mortality among drug intoxication patients while the ONSD (cut-off = 3.96) had 100% sensitivity and 51.5% specificity with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.824 (95% CI, 0.722-0.927) for predicting admission among patients. There were excellent inter- and intra-observer agreements for measuring ONSD on brain CT. Conclusion: ONSD was demonstrated as feasible predictive marker for predicting admission and mortality among drug intoxication patients with altered mental status. This information can help decision making for emergency physicians to provide prompt treatment in drug intoxication patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrapleural solitary fibrous tumor, formerly referred to as "hemangiopericytoma" is a rare soft tissue vascular tumor which has elevated malignancy potential arising from the capillary pericytes. Extrapleural solitary fibrous tumors, originating from the spleen, are extremely rare. We rep ort on a rare case of a patient presenting with splenic extrapleural solitary fibrous tumors with intratumoral irregular calcification detected by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thermal convection-based sensor fabricated using simple microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based processes. This sensor can be applied to both acceleration and inclination measurements without modifying the structure. Because the operating mechanism of the accelerometer is the thermal convection of a gas medium, a simple model is proposed and developed in which the performance of the thermal convection-based accelerometer is closely associated with the Grashof number, Gr and the Prandtl number, Pr. This paper discusses the experiments that were performed by varying several parameters such as the heating power, cavity size, gas media, and air pressure. The experimental results demonstrate that an increase in the heating power, pressure, and cavity size leads to an increase in the accelerometer sensitivity. However, an increase in the pressure and/or cavity size results in a decrease in the frequency bandwidth. This paper also discusses the fact that a working-gas medium with a large thermal diffusivity and small kinematic viscosity can widen the frequency bandwidth and increase the sensitivity, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As extension of the previous two-surface model in plasticity, a two-surface model for viscoplasticity is presented herein. In order to validate and investigate the performance of the proposed model, several numerical simulations are undertaken especially for structural steel under monotonic and cyclic loading cases, where experimental results and numerical results from the rate dependent kinematic hardening model are also provided for the reference. For all the cases studied, the proposed model can appropriately account for the rate-effects in both maximum stress and hysteretic shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nickel oxide, the most widely used cathode material for the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), has several disadvantages including NiO dissolution, poor mechanical strength, and corrosion phenomena during MCFC operation. The surface modification of NiO with lanthanum maintains the advantages, such as performance and stability, and suppresses the disadvantages of NiO cathode because the modification results in the formation of LaNiO3 phase which has high conductivity, stability, and catalytic activity. As a result, La-modified NiO cathode shows low NiO dissolution, high degree of lithiation, and mechanical strength, and high cell performance and catalytic activity in comparison with the pristine NiO. These enhanced physico-chemical and electrochemical properties and the durability in marine environment allow MCFC to marine application as a auxiliary propulsion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypovolemia is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality among elderly older patients. The inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter is known to predict the fluid volume status in ill patients. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive performance of the IVC diameter ratio, as determined by computed tomography (CT), for poor outcomes among low risk patients 65 years of age and older. This single-center retrospective study was conducted on patients who taken CT during the clinical process between January 2019 and December 2020. IVC diameter ratio measurement was estimated by dividing the maximum value of the anteroposterior diameter from the maximum value of transverse diameter at the level right above the renal vein. The IVC diameter ratio's prognostic performance was evaluated by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. The mean IVC diameter ratio was 1.78. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed age, pulse rate, aspartate aminotransferase level, and IVC diameter ratio as significant risk factors for in-hospital death. The area under the receiver operating curve for predicting death using the IVC diameter ratio of patients with pulse rates under 95 was 0.701 and the cut-off value was 1.638, with an 88.9% sensitivity and 45.2% specificity. The odds ratio for higher IVC diameter ratio values was statistically significant (p = 0.031) for predicting in-hospital death. IVC measurement using abdomen& pelvic computed tomography (APCT) demonstrated capability for predicting poor outcomes, including all-cause mortality among older patients with low risk in the emergency department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new framework to monitor time-dependent sand particle size was developed. • Pattern of ultrasound echo signals was used to develop CNN model. • High accuracy of classifying sand with seven different particle size was obtained. • The propose framework enables using ultrasound signals to predict soil properties. Particle size of sand is one of the critical soil properties to estimate water flow-related phenomena (e.g., soil erodibility) and key soil properties such as hydraulic conductivity. This study proposed a new framework to classify particle size of sand using convolutional neural network (CNN) combined with ultrasound echo signals. The laboratory experiments were performed to construct the dataset of echo signals with different patterns as a function of median size of sand. The high accuracy of developed CNN model for classifying seven types of sand shown in this study implying the chance of using low-cost easy-to-measure ultrasound signals for monitoring median size of sand deposits. In addition, the accuracy of CNN models for the four scenarios shown in this study demonstrated the proposed framework in this study can be used to classify different sand type with low difference in median particle size. The developed CNN model in this study potentially can be used to monitor time-dependent soil properties from ultrasound signals such as monitoring hydraulic conductivity of sand deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia is a major physical factor of frailty and can be predicted by existing patient computed tomography (CT) scans. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between prognosis of elderly patients visiting the emergency department and psoas muscle size measurements from CT scans that were acquired in other purpose. This was a retrospective study in a single center. The psoas muscle size (cross-section) and attenuation at the L3 vertebra were measured on CT scans. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between mortality and muscle size and muscle attenuation after adjustment of basic characteristics. Also, we constructed receiver operating characteristic curves. A total of 279 patients were enrolled with diagnoses categorized from 13 chapters from on International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10). There were 56 patients (20.1%) admitted to the ICU, and 51 patients (18.3%) died in the hospital during the clinical process. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of muscle size for prediction of ICU admission was 0.706 (0.649-0.759), and the cut-off value was 390.18 with 51.8% sensitivity and 87.9% specificity. The AUROC of muscle size for prediction of death was 0.904 (0.864-0.936), and the cut-off value was 587.41 with 92.2% sensitivity and 78.5% specificity. Using existing CT can be an appropriate method for an early diagnosis of sarcopenia in older patients. In this study, measurement of muscle size using CT was shown to be a feasible modality for predicting poor prognoses for older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work developed Acer tegmentosum extract-mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded chitosan (CS)/alginic acid (AL) scaffolds (CS/AL-AgNPs) to enhance the healing of E. coli -infected wounds. The SEM-EDS and XRD results revealed the successful formation of the CS/AL-AgNPs. FTIR analysis evidenced that the anionic group of AL (-COO-) and cationic amine groups of CS (-NH 3 +) were ionically crosslinked to form scaffold (CS/AL). The CS/AL-AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive (G+) and Gram-negative (G-) bacterial pathogens, while being non-toxic to red blood cells (RBCs), the hen's egg chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM), and a non-cancerous cell line (NIH3T3). Treatment with CS/AL-AgNPs significantly accelerated the healing of E. coli -infected wounds by regulating the collagen deposition and blood parameters as evidenced by in vivo experiments. Overall, these findings suggest that CS/AL-AgNPs are promising for the treatment of infected wounds. This figure created with BioRender.com. [Display omitted] • Development of silver nanoparticles loaded chitosan/alginic acid scaffold (CS/AL-Ag NPs) • CS/AL-Ag NPs nontoxic to RBC and NIH3T3 cell line and promote cell migration • The CS/AL-Ag NPs treatment improved wound healing by inhibiting bacterial colonization. • CS/AL-Ag NPs rapidly healed wounds through collagen deposition and cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the most important and major causes of mortality worldwide. In AIS patients, the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (B/C ratio) was investigated as a dehydrated biomarker in previous studies. However, the B/C ratio can be affected by medications and past medical history. We hypothesized addition of serum albumin, which has been shown to have beneficial neuroprotective effects, could compensate for the disadvantages. In the present study, the BUN to serum albumin ratio (B/A ratio) was evaluated association with AIS patient's prognosis. Methods: This retrospective cohort study of AIS in our hospital was conducted from February 2018 through June 2020. First, demographic and clinical data were collected and compared with the prevalence of mortality and ICU admission. Then, the B/C ratio and the B/A ratio were calculated. Differences in the performance between the B/C ratio and the B/A ratio for outcome prediction were evaluated based on the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC). Results: Among the 1,164 patients enrolled in this study, 77 (6.6%) died during hospitalization and 467 (40.1%) were admitted to ICU. Multivariate logistic regression had shown that the B/A ratio was a significant predictor of mortality and admission to ICU. In addition, the B/A ratio was significantly higher in ICU-admitted patients and non-survivors. The AUROC of the B/A ratio was 0.687 and the B/C ratio was 0.533 for predicting mortality; the B/A ratio was statistically superior to the B/C ratio. For predicting ICU admission, the AUROC values of the B/A ratio and the B/C ratio were 0.567 and 0.556, respectively, and a statistically significant difference was not observed. Conclusion: The B/A ratio is a simple and useful tool for predicting the outcomes of ischemic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The colonization of pathogenic microbes poses a significant clinical barrier that hinders the physiological wound-healing process. Addressing this challenge, we developed a novel wound dressing using a modified cotton gauze dressing coated with fucoidan and functionalized with silver nanoparticles (LB-Ag NPs–FN–OCG) for the rapid treatment of infected wounds. Firstly, phytochemical-capped LB-Ag NPs were synthesized and characterized using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and zeta potential analysis. Secondly, different concentrations of LB-Ag NPs (0.1%–1%) were functionalized into FN-OCG to identify appropriate concentrations that were non-toxic with superior antibacterial activities. Screening assays, including antibacterial, hemolysis, chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, and cytotoxicity assay, revealed that LB-Ag NPs (0.5%)–FN–OCG were non-toxic and demonstrated greater efficiency in inhibiting bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) and promoting fibroblast cell (NIH3T3) migration. In vivo assays revealed that LB-Ag NPs (0.5%)–FN–OCG treatment exhibited excellent wound healing activity (99.73 ± 0.01%) compared to other treatments by inhibiting bacterial colonization, maintaining the blood parameters, developing granulation tissue, new blood vessels, and collagen deposition. Overall, this study highlights that LB-Ag NPs (0.5%)–FN–OCG serve as a antibacterial wound dressing for infected wound healing applications. [Display omitted] • Biogenic Ag NPs and fucoidan-loaded cotton dressings (LB-Ag NPs–FN–OCG) were developed. • The antibacterial and wound healing efficiency of LB-Ag NPs–FN–OCG was evaluated. • LB-Ag NPs–FN–OCG had significant antibacterial activity. • LB-Ag NPs–FN–OCG were nontoxic and promising in infectious wound healing therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Biliary tract infection (BTI) is a common cause of bacteremia and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, studies on screening tools to predict disease severity in BTI patients are lacking. This study aimed to comparatively validate CRB, CRB-65, quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) in predicting the clinical outcomes of BTI patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with BTI who visited the emergency department of a medical center between February 2018 and March 2020. Baseline patient data were compared to assess the prevalence of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality. The effectiveness of CRB, CRB-65, qSOFA, and SIRS scores as indicators of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Results: This study included 745 patients, of whom 111 (14.8%) were admitted to the ICU and 20 (2.7%) died in-hospital. AUROC values (95% CI) for predicting ICU admission and in-hospital mortality were as follows: CRB, 0.774 and 0.707 (0.742 - 0.803 and 0.673 - 0.739); CRB - 65, 0.816 and 0.735 (0.786 - 0.843 and 0.0.702 - 0.766); qSOFA, 0.779 and 0.724 (03747 - 0.808 and 0.690 - 0.755); and SIRS, 0.686 and 0.659 (0.651 - 0.719 and 0.623 - 0.693), respectively. Conclusions: CRB-65 can be used as useful screening tools to predict ICU admission in patients with BTI on presentation to the emergency department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasibility study on a new type of liquid scintillator based on water has been performed.Mainly due to the differences in polarities between water and oil, organic solvents are not mixed in water. In order to make a liquid scintillator based on water, a surfactant that contains hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups is used. The surfactant keeps water and organic solvents apart in solution. Good physical and optical parameters and long-term stability are required to use liquid scintillator based on water in massive detector for the next generation neutrino experiments. In this paper, we report the characteristics and the possibility of liquid scintillators using water with various new surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this study is to demonstrate that angled sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables the precise diagnosis of herniated disc and stenosis in the cervical foramen, which is not available with conventional MRI. Due to both the anatomic features of the cervical foramen and the limitations of conventional MR techniques, it has been difficult to identify disease in the lateral aspects of the spinal canal and foramen using only conventional MRI. Angled sagittal MRI oriented perpendicular to the true course of the foramina facilitates the identification of the lateral disease. A review of 43 patients, who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion, is presented with a herniated disc and/or stenosis in the cervical foramen. They all had undergone conventional MRI and angled sagittal MRI. Fifty levels were surgically explored for evidence of foraminal herniated disc and stenosis. The results of each test were correlated with what was found at each explored surgical level. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both examinations for making the diagnosis of foraminal herniated disc and stenosis were compared. During the diagnosis of foraminal herniated disc, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of angled sagittal MRI were 96.7, 95.0, and 96.0%, respectively, compared with 56.7, 85.0, and 68.0% for conventional MRI. In making the diagnosis of foraminal stenosis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of angled sagittal MRI were 96.3, 95.7, and 96.0%, respectively, compared with 40.7, 91.3, and 66.0% for conventional MRI. In the above groups, the difference between the tests for making the diagnosis of both foraminal herniated disc and stenosis was found to be statistically significant in sensitivity and accuracy. Angled sagittal MRI was a more accurate test compared to conventional MRI for making the diagnosis of herniated disc and stenosis in the cervical foramen. It can be utilized for the precise diagnosis of foraminal herniated disc and stenosis difficult or ambiguous in conventional MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) is known for high rate of associated malignancy. The purpose of this study was to identify 18F-FDG PET/CT findings of sinonasal IPs. We also tried to compare the PET/CT findings with the MR imaging findings. We retrospectively reviewed PET/CT and MR images of eight patients with sinonasal IP with ( n = 6) or without ( n = 2) coexistent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Particular attention was paid to correlate the PET/CT findings with the MR imaging findings in terms of area distribution of standard uptake values (SUVs) and a convoluted cerebriform pattern (CCP). In two benign IPs, the maximum SUVs measured 8.2 and 7.8, respectively (mean, 8.0). In both tumors, MR images demonstrated a diffuse CCP. In six IPs with coexistent SCC, the maximum SUVs ranged from 13.3 to 31.9 (mean ± SD, 20.2 ± 6.6). In these tumors, MR images demonstrated a diffuse CCP in two, a partial CCP in three, and no CCP in one. A wide discrepancy was noted between MR imaging and PET/CT in terms of area distribution of a CCP and SUVs. In sinonasal lesions with MR imaging features of IP, 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrating avid FDG uptake does not necessarily imply the presence of coexistent malignancy. In our small series, although IPs containing foci of SCC had consistently higher SUVs than IPs without SCC, the limited literature on this subject suggests that PET cannot be used reliably to make the distinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of Sr/(Ti+Nb) ratios on the electrical properties of Nb-doped SrTiO 3 ceramics have been investigated. Regardless of Sr/(Ti+Nb) ratios, the appearance of non-linearity in the current-voltage characteristics was observed. When Sr/(Ti+Nb) ratio is lower than 1.000, the results acquired from impedance analysis revealed that the activation energies for carrier conduction were determined to be 0.83 eV in grains and 1.67 eV in grain boundaries. Otherwise, the specimens with Sr/(Ti+Nb) ≥1.004 showed energies of 0.80 eV in grains and 1.27 eV in grain boundaries. From these measured results, it was suggested that the activation energies, about 0.80 eV, measured in grains were originated from oxygen vacancies and the activation energies, 1.27 and 1.67 eV, measured in grain boundaries were from titanium and strontium vacancies, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]