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This article, published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, presents a study conducted at BCNatal to evaluate a prediction model for neonatal valvuloplasty in cases of fetal pulmonary valve stenosis. The study used 2D echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiography to analyze echocardiographic parameters and identify predictors of early intervention. The results showed that a scoring system combining the ductus venosus pulsatility index centile, right ventricle global longitudinal strain, reversed flow in the ductus arteriosus, and significant tricuspid regurgitation could predict the need for neonatal valvuloplasty with a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 100%. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. [Extracted from the article]

We synthesized sub-10 nm carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) consistent with photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) from carbon fiber starting material. The production of different C-dots fractions was monitored over seven days. During the course of the reaction, one fraction of C-dots species with relatively high photoluminescence was short-lived, emerging during the first hour of reaction but disappearing after one day of reaction. Isolation of this species during the first hour of the reaction was crucial to obtaining higher-luminescent C-dots species. When the reaction proceeded for one week, the appearance of larger nanostructures was observed over time, with lateral dimensions approaching 200 nm. The experimental evidence suggests that these larger species are formed from small C-dot nanoparticles bridged together by sulfur-based moieties between the C-dot edge groups, as if the C-dots polymerized by cross-linking the edge groups through sulfur bridges. Their size can be tailored by controlling the reaction time. Our results highlight the variety of CNP products, from sub-10 nm C-dots to ~200 nm sulfur-containing carbon nanostructures, that can be produced over time during the oxidation reaction of the graphenic starting material. Our work provides a clear understanding of when to stop the oxidation reaction during the top-down production of C-dots to obtain highly photoluminescent species or a target average particle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective. No study in Spain has analyzed the difference in frequencies of the diagnoses made based on clinical evaluation and semistructured interview in borderline personality disorder diagnosis (BPD). This present study aims to analyze diagnostic concordance in BPD patients previous diagnosed based on clinical evaluations using clinical semistructured interviews for DSM-IV axis II (SCID-II), and to analyze if there are differences in the distribution of frequencies of the psychiatry disorders in the diagnostic concordance group and the non-diagnostic concordance one. Material and method. The study was carried out with 146 patients referred to the Borderline Personality Disorder Program of the Psychiatric Department at the Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron during its first year of service. A descriptive study was designed to analyze diagnostic concordance between previous BPD clinical evaluation and semistructured interview SCID-II administered by clinical experienced interviewers. Results. Diagnostic concordance was not observed in 30% of the final study patients. The results indicated that all the study patients presented a great number of psychiatry disorders. There were significant differences between the diagnostic concordance group and the non-diagnostic concordance one. A higher number of personality disorder (Z=3.36; p=0.01) and anxiety disorder (Z=3.04; p=0.002) was observed in the diagnostic concordance group. Conclusions. BPD was diagnosed 30% less when using semistructured interviews than with clinical evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts at understanding the behaviour of complex materials at the micro scale have led to the development of many microrheological techniques capable of probing viscoelastic behaviour. Among these, optical tweezers have been extensively developed for biophysical applications: they offer several advantages over traditional techniques, and can be employed in both passive and active microrheology. In this report, we outline several methods that can be used with optical tweezers to measure the microrheological behaviour of materials such as glycerol, methylcellulose solutions, actin matrices, and cellular membranes. In addition, we quantify the effect that the index of refraction of the solution has on the stiffness of the optical trap. Our results indicate that optical tweezers force microscopy is a versatile tool for the exploration of viscoelastic behaviour in a range of substrates at the micro scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essentially, the exposed crystal planes of a given material, which primarily determine their morphology, tremendously affect its behavior. First principle calculations, based on the Wulff construction model and broken bonding density index, have been performed to calculate the equilibrium and their transformations for different metal oxides: Co3O4, α-Fe2O3, and In2O3. Present results point out that starting by surface thermodynamics is a helpful approach to predict and assess the morphology transformations of these materials. These complete set of morphologies may serve as a guide for researchers, when analyzing the images from electron microscopies, to gain further understanding of how to control crystal shape synthetically by tuning the surface chemistry and by controlling the relative values of surface energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Background and Aims Selection may favour a partial or complete loss of self-incompatibility (SI) if it increases the reproductive output of individuals in the presence of low mate availability. The reproductive output of individuals varying in their strength of SI may also be affected by population density via its affect on the spatial structuring and number of S-alleles in populations. Modifiers increasing levels of self-compatibility can be selected when self-compatible individuals receive reproductive compensation by, for example, increasing seed set and/or when they become associated with high fitness genotypes. : Methods The effect of variation in the strength of SI and scrub density (low versus high) on seed set, seed germination and inbreeding depression in seed germination (δgerm) was investigated in the partially self-incompatible species Flourensia cernua by analysing data from self-, cross- and open-pollinated florets. : Key Results Examination of 100 plants in both high and low scrub densities revealed that 51% of plants were strongly self-incompatible and 49 % varied from being self-incompatible to self-compatible. Seed set after hand cross-pollination was higher than after open-pollination for self-incompatible, partially self-incompatible and self-compatible plants but was uniformly low for strongly self-incompatible plants. Strongly self-incompatible and self-incompatible plants exhibited lower seed set, seed germination and multiplicative female fitness (floral display × seed set × seed germination) in open-pollinated florets compared with partially self-incompatible and self-compatible plants. Scrub density also had an effect on seed set and inbreeding depression: in low-density scrubs seed set was higher after open-pollination and δgerm was lower. : Conclusions These data suggest that (a) plants suffered outcross pollen limitation, (b) female fitness in partially self-incompatible and self-compatible plants is enhanced by increased mate-compatibility and (c) plants in low-density scrubs received higher quality pollen via open-pollination than plants in high-density scrubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study that aimed to investigate the association between food cravings during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. The study involved 659 pregnant women who completed a Food Craving Questionnaire, with 53.4% of them experiencing cravings. The results showed that there were no significant associations between food cravings and gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, or fetal growth restriction. However, women who experienced food cravings had higher rates of labor induction for fetal criteria and intrapartum fetal distress. The study suggests a potential association between food cravings and these perinatal outcomes, but further research is needed to understand the underlying physiology. [Extracted from the article]

Highlights: [•] Large use of vegetable oils in food preparation leads to waste oil to be recovered. [•] Experiments carried out to evaluate recovery of waste oils for biodiesel production. [•] Lab scale transesterification tests carried out using methanol and basic catalysts. [•] The conversion rate of vegetable oils into biodiesel settled at between 81% and 85%. [•] The most suitable molar ratio of waste oils to alcohol was 1:6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a 71-year-old woman with dysphagia and recurrent abscess-forming pneumonias caused by a perforated esophageal diverticulum. The patient underwent laparoscopic diverticulectomy, but continued to experience symptoms. Further tests revealed esophageal motility disorders, including diffuse esophageal spasm and distal esophageal spasm with hypercontractile contractions. The patient then underwent endoscopic peroral myotomy (POEM), which successfully resolved her dysphagia and respiratory infections. The article highlights the link between epiphrenic diverticula and esophageal motility disorders and suggests that POEM is an effective and safe treatment option for these conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: drunkorexia is a new eating disorder characterized by a reduction in food consumption to offset the excess calories provided by the intensive consumption of alcohol (binge drinking). In particular sweets containing a high caloric density and having a low nutritional contribution are one of the main foods whose consumption is being restricted by the subjects who suffer from this disorder. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between binge drinking pattern and reducing the consumption of sweets in university students. Method: The sample consisted of 113 University students enrolled in Health Sciences from the University of Alicante. The students completed an online questionnaire about lifestyles and eating habits in the last 30 days. Results: The results of this study indicated that the proportion of students presented an intensive alcohol intake, understood as the intake of 5 or more glasses the same occasion, was significantly higher among those students with a lower consumption of commercial sweets (p< 0.005). Conclusions: these results could indicate that a change is occurring in the trends of eating habits and intake of alcohol among young people. Future studies should assess the magnitude of this phenomenon in order to develop prevention programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]