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Aim Background Methods Results Discussion Conclusion Implications for nursing Implications for Health Policy To explore the ethical considerations and challenges faced by nursing professionals in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into patient care.AI's integration into nursing practice enhances clinical decision‐making and operational efficiency but raises ethical concerns regarding privacy, accountability, informed consent, and the preservation of human‐centered care.A systematic review was conducted, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Thirteen studies were selected from databases including PubMed, Embase, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Thematic analysis identified key ethical themes related to AI use in nursing.The review highlighted critical ethical challenges, such as data privacy and security, accountability for AI‐driven decisions, transparency in AI decision‐making, and maintaining the human touch in care. The findings underscore the importance of stakeholder engagement, continuous education for nurses, and robust governance frameworks to guide ethical AI implementation in nursing.The results align with existing literature on AI's ethical complexities in healthcare. Addressing these challenges requires strengthening nursing competencies in AI, advocating for patient‐centered AI design, and ensuring that AI integration upholds ethical standards.Although AI offers significant benefits for nursing practice, it also introduces ethical challenges that must be carefully managed. Enhancing nursing education, promoting stakeholder engagement, and developing comprehensive policies are essential for ethically integrating AI into nursing.AI can improve clinical decision‐making and efficiency, but nurses must actively preserve humanistic care aspects through ongoing education and involvement in AI governance.Establish ethical frameworks and data protection policies tailored to AI in nursing. Support continuous professional development and allocate resources for the ethical integration of AI in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corneal blindness affects over 10 million patients worldwide. Due to the limited supply of donor corneas and frequent graft failure, bioengineered alternatives are crucial. To overcome drawbacks associated with corneal substitutes from synthetic biomaterials, fabrication from plant‐derived biomaterials is a potential alternative. Herein, soy protein and glutenin in combination with different crosslinkers were evaluated for fabrication of corneal substitutes. Optical, mechanical, and biochemical properties of fabricated constructs and control rabbit corneas were evaluated in vitro. Soy protein crosslinked with peroxidase/H202 possessed transparency and mechanical properties comparable to controls, although their water content and biocompatibility were inferior. In contrast, soy protein crosslinked with tannic acid showed similar water content, tensile strength, and biocompatibility as rabbit corneas; however, these constructs displayed significantly lower transparency and higher strain to failure. Finally, glutenin cross‐linked using formaldehyde showed excellent transparency, strain to failure, and biocompatibility, however; they exhibited significantly lower water content and tensile strength than controls. This study is the first to establish CIELAB color values for the rabbit cornea, allowing quantitative optical evaluation of tissue‐engineered substitutes. Thus, a crosslinking strategy utilizing plant‐derived proteins for fabrication of constructs with properties comparable to rabbit corneas is a promising direction for development of tissue‐engineered corneal substitutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the most common laparoscopic procedures performed by young surgeons nowadays. Sometimes, LC could be challenging, especially for junior surgeons leading to serious complications. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the preoperative ultrasonographic features that could predict difficult LC. Methods: In this prospective study, patients (n = 204) who underwent LC for symptomatic cholelithiasis from January 2020 to August 2022 were included. Preoperative parameters, including the ultrasonographic findings, were evaluated for their ability to predict difficult LC. Results: The difficulty of LC was evaluated using two intraoperative scores. Among the ultrasonic parameters that were assessed preoperatively, thickened gallbladder (GB) wall, contracted GB, and impacted stone in the GB neck were associated with difficult LC. However, an impacted stone in the GB neck was the only independent predictor of difficult LC according to both difficulty scores in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 7.56, p =.001; OR = 8.42, p =.001). Conclusions: The impacted stone in the GB neck is an ultrasonographic sign of difficult LC. It should alert the surgeon for a more appropriate preoperative preparation, and the patient should be informed about the increased risk of complications, including conversion to open cholecystectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to unravel the possible adverse effects of methomyl on the developing adrenal gland of rat fetuses and pups. Additionally, this study explored the potential improving effects of propolis against these possible hazards induced by methomyl exposure. To achieve that, pregnant rats were divided into four groups: control group, received 1 mL distilled water, propolis group, received 1 mL propolis at a dose of 300 mg/kg, methomyl group, received 1 mL methomyl at a dose of 2 mg/kg, and combined group, received 1 mL methomyl followed by 1 mL propolis, an hour later at the same previous doses. The results revealed that methomyl exposure, during pregnancy and lactation, induced many histological and ultrastructural changes, caused DNA damage and downregulated the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and CYP11B2 genes in the adrenal glands of both rat fetuses and pups. Interestingly, propolis supplementation demonstrated a remarkable ability to mitigate these deleterious effects and restored the histology and ultrastructure architecture of the adrenal glands of both fetuses and pups, as well as decreased DNA damage and upregulated the expression of StAR and CYP11B2 genes in the adrenal gland of rat fetuses and pups. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential hazardous impact of methomyl exposure during pregnancy and lactation on the development of the adrenal gland in rat fetuses and pups, moreover, the study presents a new approach to alleviate these effects through propolis administration which could be used as a dietary supplement to mitigate the adverse effects of methomyl exposure. Research Highlight: The methomyl and/or propolis were either orally administered to pregnant rats from 6th to 15th day of pregnancy or to lactating mothers from Day 1 to 14 postnatal. Methomyl altered the histological and ultrastructure of the adrenal glands of rat fetuses and pups. In addition, methomyl decreased the mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory and CYP11b2 genes and increased DNA damage. On the contrary, propolis ameliorated most of these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Three different organic sunflower seed cakes, produced from seeds differing in the content of their hulls, were extracted by two different extraction methods – conventional extraction (CE) and ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE). The total phenolic compound (TPC) content of the extracts was evaluated using Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent (FCR) and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant capacity of extracts was evaluated with the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. RESULTS: The results showed that both extracts displayed high TPC content and antioxidant capacity. The UAE method showed significantly higher TPC content and antioxidant capacity values than CE. Individual phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid (CGA) isomers (3‐, 4‐ and 5‐O‐caffeoylquinic acids), di‐CGA isomers, and feruloylquinic and coumaroylquinic acids were identified according to their exact masses by HPLC coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the UAE method could be used effectively to facilitate the extraction of phenolic compounds from sunflower seed cake. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Depressive symptoms are prevalent in individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) and may exacerbate pain. This study examines whether higher depressive symptoms are associated with pain outcomes, pain catastrophizing, interference and potential opioid misuse in a large cohort of adults with SCD. The study utilized baseline data from the 'CaRISMA' trial, which involved 357 SCD adults with chronic pain. Baseline assessments included pain intensity, daily mood, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), the Generalized Anxiety Disorders scale, PROMIS Pain Interference, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Adult Sickle Cell Quality of Life Measurement Information System and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure. Participants were categorized into 'high' or 'low' depression groups based on PHQ scores. Higher depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased daily pain intensity, negative daily mood, higher pain interference and catastrophizing, poorer quality of life and a higher likelihood of opioid misuse (all p < 0.01). SCD patients with more severe depressive symptoms experienced poorer pain outcomes, lower quality of life and increased risk of opioid misuse. Longitudinal data from this trial will determine whether addressing depressive symptoms may potentially reduce pain frequency and severity in SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is a patient‐reported outcome that assesses the impact of a disease or illness on different domains of a patient's life. Different general and disease‐specific measures can be used to evaluate HRQOL. This article aimed to summarize the evidence for HRQOL among patients with transfusion‐dependent (TDT) and non‐transfusion‐dependent thalassemia (NTDT). We included HRQOL data related to standard therapy with blood transfusions, iron chelation, and/or luspatercept in TDT and NTDT, as well as curative therapies for TDT, including hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and gene therapy. Patients with thalassemia had worse HRQOL scores compared to the general population, and chronic pain was seen to increase in frequency and severity over time with age. NTDT patients reported worse physical health and functioning, mental health, general health, and vitality than TDT patients. However, TDT patients reported worse pain, change in health, and social support than NTDT. Most therapies improved overall HRQOL among thalassemia patients. Deferasirox, an oral iron chelator, was associated with more HRQOL benefits compared to deferoxamine, an intravenous iron chelator. Luspatercept showed clinically meaningful improvement in physical functioning among TDT and NTDT. Furthermore, HSCT and gene therapy were associated with better physical, emotional, and mental domains scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) driven by renewable electricity provides a green synthesis route for ammonia (NH3) production under ambient conditions but suffers from a low conversion yield and poor Faradaic efficiency (F.E.) because of strong competition from hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the poor solubility of N2 in aqueous systems. Herein, an in situ proton filter covalent organic framework catalyst (Ru‐Tta‐Dfp) is reported with inherent Ruthenium (Ru) sites where the framework controls reactant diffusion by suppressing proton supply and enhancing N2 flux, causing highly selective and efficient catalysis. The smart catalyst design results in a remarkable ammonia production yield rate of 2.03 mg h−1 mgcat−1 with an excellent F.E. of ≈52.9%. The findings are further endorsed with the help of molecular dynamics simulations and control COF systems without in situ proton filter feasibility. The results point to a paradigm shift in engineering high‐performance NRR electrocatalysts for more feasible green NH3 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are attracting the interest of researchers due to their potential applications in cancer treatment. It was recently shown that ZnO NPs specifically destroy cancer cells. However, the underlying molecular processes that drive ZnO NPs' anticancer activity are unclear. Radical polymerization was used for synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles using gamma radiation. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was employed as a stabilizer in the production of zinc oxide nanoparticles using zinc nitrate. PVP@ZnO nanostructures were characterized using a number of techniques, including high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV–visible spectroscopy. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study the functional groups of the produced nanostructures. Moreover, the surface morphology of prepared zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and PVP@ZnO nanostructures was shown using SEM. In addition, the crystalline structure of the aforementioned samples was identified and investigated via XRD. The current work examined the anticancer effect of ZnO nanocomposite against rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The results demonstrated that ZnO nanocomposite exert distinct effects on apoptosis and PGC‐1α pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. mRNA levels of tumor suppressor gene p53 and antiapoptotic gene BCL‐2 were downregulated, while the apoptotic gene Bax was upregulated and Caspase‐3 activity increased in diethylnitrosamine (DEN) + ZnO nanocomposite‐treated rats in comparison with DEN‐treated rats. ZnO nanocomposite were also found to have an effect on liver function (ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Treatment with DEN manifested a significant decrease in the expression of mtTFA and PGC‐1α (mtTFA: 0.54 fold and PGC‐1α: 0.31 fold in respect to the normal control), while ZnO nanocomposite treatment induced a remarkable increase in their expression. In conclusion, the present data demonstrated that ZnO nanocomposite showed anticancer activity via induction of apoptosis and PGC‐1α pathways. In addition, improvements in liver function and antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant global health concern. The prevailing genotype of HCV in Egypt is 4a, commonly referred to as GT‐4a. A significant proportion exceeding 50% of patients infected with HCV experience extrahepatic manifestations (EHMs), encompassing a diverse range of clinical presentations. These manifestations, including essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), can serve as initial and solitary indicators of the disease. The complete understanding of the pathogenesis of EHM remains unclear, with autoimmune phenomena being recognized as the primary causative factor. In this study, we examined the predictive significance of T‐cell subpopulations in relation to the occurrence and prognosis of cryoglobulinemia in HCV patients. A total of 450 CHC genotype four treatment naïve patients were enrolled in this analytic cross‐sectional study after thorough clinical, laboratory, and radiological examinations. All patients underwent laboratory investigations, including testing for cryoglobulin antibodies and measurements of CD4 and CD8 levels; two groups were described according to their test results: Group 1 consists of patients who have tested positive for cryoglobulin antibodies and Group 2 consists of patients who have tested negative for cryoglobulin antibodies. The exclusion criteria encompassed individuals with HIV infection or chronic HBV infection. Additionally, pelvi‐abdominal ultrasonography was performed. Our study included 450 treatment naïve CHC patients (59% male, mean age 50.8 years). The patients were categorized according to their cryoglobulin antibodys test results into two groups: group A, CHC patients with cryoglobulin antibodies (Abs) negative (364 patients), and group B, CHC patients with cryoglobulin Ab positive (86 patients). Group B demonstrated a higher average age, elevated international normalized ratio, more prolonged duration of HCV infection, lower albumin, higher alanine aminotransferase, higher aspartate aminotransferase, higher bilirubin, lower CD8, lower CD4, and lower CD4:CD8 ratio. In contrast, 27 out of 86 (31.40%) patients in group B had symptoms; 85.8% had purpura and arthralgia, 74.3% had paresthesias, 86.7% had weakness, and 12.2% had non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. The levels of CD4 and CD8 were found to be decreased in chronic HCV patients with MC. T‐cell subpopulation serves as a reliable indicator for assessing the prevalence and prognosis of MC in individuals with genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C. However, additional research is needed to further understand the development and spread of various emerging infectious diseases. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that a critical threshold may exist beyond which EHM reaches a point of no return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disorder associated with frequent painful events and organ damage. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the recommended evidence‐based treatment of SCD. However, among patients eligible for HU, prescription rates are low. Utilizing a scoping review approach, we summarized and synthesized relevant findings regarding provider barriers and facilitators to the prescription of HU in youth and adults with SCD and provided suggestions for future implementation strategies to improve prescription rates. Relevant databases were searched using specified search terms. Articles reporting provider barriers and/or facilitators to prescribing HU were included. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Common barriers to the prescription of HU identified by providers included: doubts around patients' adherence to HU and their engaging in required testing, concerns about side effects, lack of knowledge, cost and patient concerns about side effects. Facilitators to the prescription of HU included beliefs in the effectiveness of HU, provider demographics and knowledge. Findings suggest significant provider biases exist, particularly in the form of negative perceptions towards patients' ability to adhere to taking HU and engaging in the required follow‐up. Improving provider knowledge and attitudes towards HU and SCD may help improve low prescription rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies revealed that Chlorella vulgaris and orange peels are potential sources for many valuable compounds such as flavonoids, which are natural polyphenols with antioxidant capacities that lessen oxidative stress via suppressing ROS levels. Thus, this study was designed to investigate their radioprotective efficiency either alone or in combination as natural food supplements. Sixty‐four male Albino rats were divided into eight groups (n = 8) as follows: control, orange peel (10% in diet), C. vulgaris (1% in diet), orange peel + C. vulgaris, gamma irradiated (2Gy twice per week up to 8Gy), orange peel + gamma irradiation, C. vulgaris + gamma irradiation, and orange peel + C. vulgaris + gamma irradiation. After the experiment, blood serums were collected for biochemical analysis, whole bloods were collected for blood picture, bone marrows were collected for GSH, MDA, TGF‐β, NOX2 and NOX4, and liver tissues were collected for histopathological evaluation. Current study revealed that exposure to gamma irradiation induced a significant disturbance in liver function markers (ALT and AST), kidney function markers (urea and creatinine), cholesterol and triglycerides levels in serum. In addition, a significant decrease in WBCs, RBCs, PLT, and Hb in blood of irradiated rats. Moreover, a significant elevation in TGF‐β, NOX2, NOX4 activities, and MDA level, while showed a marked decrease in GSH concentration. Furthermore, hepatic inflammation appeared in the histopathological examination. Orange peels or C. vulgaris treatments showed acceptable amelioration in all measured parameters, combination between orange peels and C. vulgaris showed statistically significant additive amelioration in radiation induced disturbance. Significance statement: This study showed that orange peels and Chlorella vulgaris either alone or in combination exhibited acceptable amelioration in all measured parameters revealing their radioprotective capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In recent years, there has been an increased awareness and understanding of the varying gender identities within our society. Consequently, there has also been a need for healthcare providers to be cognizant of the unique needs of a gender‐diverse population. Determining the pregnancy status of transgender, gender‐diverse and non‐binary patients in medical imaging settings has been poorly handled, and there is a lack of standardisation in the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand setting. The potential risk of exposing a gender‐diverse pregnant patient to ionising radiation increases the need for guidance to ensure potentially pregnant persons are not missed during screening questionnaires. This review article explores various approaches to pregnancy status determination for gender‐diverse patients, recognising the complexities involved and emphasising the need for future work to establish a widely accepted solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Specialist cardiology care is associated with a prognostic benefit in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) admitted with decompensated HF. However, up to one third of patients admitted with HF and normal ejection fraction (HFnEF) do not receive specialist cardiology input. Whether this has prognostic implications is unknown. Methods and results: Data on patients hospitalized with HFnEF from two tertiary centres were analysed. The primary outcome measure was all‐cause mortality during follow‐up. The secondary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. A total of 1413 patients were included in the study. Of these, 23% (n = 322) did not receive in‐hospital specialist cardiology input. Patients seen by a cardiologist were less likely to have hypertension (73% vs. 79%, P = 0.03) and respiratory co‐morbidities (25% vs. 31%, P = 0.02) compared with those who did not receive specialist input. Similarly, clinical presentation was more severe for those who received specialist input (New York Heart Association III/IV 83% vs. 75% respectively, P = 0.003; moderate‐to‐severe peripheral oedema 65% vs. 54%, P < 0.001). Medical management was similar, except for a higher use of diuretics (90% vs. 86%, P = 0.04) and a longer length of stay for patients who received specialist input (9 vs. 4 days, P < 0.001). Long‐term outcomes were comparable between patients who received specialist input and those who did not. However, specialist input was independently associated with lower in‐hospital mortality (hazard ratio 0.19, confidence interval 0.09–0.43, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In‐hospital cardiology specialist input has no long‐term prognostic advantage in patients with HFnEF but is independently associated with reduced in‐hospital mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor is a promising cardioprotective pharmacological agent. This study investigated the beneficial effects of thiorphan (TH)/irbesartan (IRB), in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury, compared to each of nitroglycerin and carvedilol. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (10 rats/group): Sham, untreated I/R, TH/IRB + IR (0.1/10 mg/kg), nitroglycerin + IR (0.2 mg/kg), and carvedilol + IR (10 mg/kg). Mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac functions and arrhythmia incidence, duration and score were assessed. Cardiac levels of creatine kinase‐MB (CK‐MB), oxidative stress, endothelin‐1, ATP, Na+/K+ ATPase pump activity and mitochondria complexes activities were measured. Histopathological examination, Bcl/Bax immunohistochemistry studies and electron microscopy examination of left ventricle were performed. TH/IRB preserved the cardiac functions and mitochondrial complexes activities, mitigated cardiac damage, reduced oxidative stress and arrhythmia severity, improved the histopathological changes and decreased cardiac apoptosis. TH/IRB showed a comparable effect to each of nitroglycerin and carvedilol in alleviating the IR injury consequences. TH/IRB showed significant preservation of mitochondrial complexes activity I and II compared to nitroglycerin. TH/IRB significantly increased LVdP/dtmax and decreased oxidative stress, cardiac damage and endothelin‐1 along with increasing the ATP content, Na+/K+ ATPase pump activity and mitochondrial complexes activity when compared to carvedilol. TH/IRB showed a cardioprotective effect in reducing IR injury that is comparable to each of nitroglycerin and carvedilol that could be explained in part by its ability to preserve mitochondrial function, increase ATP, decrease oxidative stress as well as endothelin 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study screen‐level analyses of air temperature and humidity are used to objectively evaluate the impact of a new land‐surface package being considered for implementation in Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)'s medium‐range global deterministic numerical weather prediction (NWP) system. Through its control of heat, moisture, and momentum fluxes to the atmosphere, the land surface has a substantial impact on near‐surface meteorology and on the atmospheric boundary layer. The approach examined in this study is based on the comparison between model forecasts and screen‐level analyses. It demonstrates the impact on medium‐range NWP of a new land‐surface package that includes (i) a new set of databases to specify soils and land‐cover characteristics, (ii) improved land‐surface initial conditions obtained by the assimilation of space‐based remote‐sensing observations, and (iii) a more sophisticated scheme for land‐surface modelling. The evaluation method is shown to provide useful information on the impact of the new land‐surface package, including lead‐time‐averaged difference maps as well as plots showing the evolution with lead time of the standard deviation of errors (STDE) and of the temporal correlation between forecasts and analyses. The new land‐surface package has a positive impact on near‐surface forecasts of air temperature and humidity for a summertime period, with smaller STDE and larger temporal correlation for both variables. The improvement is greater for humidity than for air temperature. The maximum impact is found around seven‐day lead time, with substantial gains in absolute and relative values for STDE and temporal correlation. The positive impact is also quantified in terms of prediction hours, with gains of about one day at the medium range. Details of the pros and cons for this objective evaluation approach are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A direct contact co‐culture of skin explants to SZ95 sebocytes (3D‐SeboSkin) has been shown to preserve the integrity of epidermal keratinocytes and dermis. In this study, the properties of epidermal melanocytes were evaluated in the same 3D SeboSkin ex vivo model. Skin explants (n = 6) were maintained in the 3D‐SeboSkin model, in direct contact to fibroblasts and alone in serum‐free medium (SFM). Histopathological, immunohistochemical, apoptosis and oil red staining evaluations were performed at Days 0 and 6 of incubation. Results revealed preservation and prominent proliferation of basal keratinocytes of the skin explants in addition to preservation of dermal collagen and vasculature at Day 6 in the 3D‐SeboSkin culture model and to a lesser extent in co‐culture with fibroblasts but not in SFM alone. Melan‐A+/Ki67‐ epidermal melanocytes remained attached to the dermis even at sites of epidermal detachment in the three skin explant models tested. However, the number of epidermal melanocytes was significantly conserved in 3D‐SeboSkin cultures in comparison with skin explants in SFM (p < 0.05), whereas no difference was found in comparison with the co‐culture with fibroblasts. Few DAPI/TUNEL+ apoptotic melanocytes could mostly be observed in SFM‐incubated skin explants. Furthermore, only SZ95 sebocytes in contact to skin explants in 3D‐SeboSkin exhibited increased lipogenesis with accumulation of abundant lipid droplets. These results denote that the 3D‐SeboSkin model yielded significant preservation of epidermal melanocytes and hence it is optimal for ex vivo studies of abnormalities of skin pigmentation, melanocyte neoplasms and effects of different hormones, cytokines, carcinogens and various therapeutics in a pattern that recapitulates the in vivo environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium Antimonide (InSb) is a semiconductor material with unique properties, that are suitable for studying new quantum phenomena in hybrid semiconductor‐superconductor devices. The realization of such devices with defect‐free InSb thin films is challenging, since InSb has a large lattice mismatch with most common insulating substrates. Here, the controlled synthesis of free‐standing 2D InSb nanostructures, termed as "nanoflakes", on a highly mismatched substrate is presented. The nanoflakes originate from the merging of pairs of InSb nanowires grown in V‐groove incisions, each from a slanted and opposing {111}B facet. The relative orientation of the two nanowires within a pair, governs the nanoflake morphologies, exhibiting three distinct ones related to different grain boundary arrangements: no boundary (type‐I), Σ3‐ (type‐II), and Σ9‐boundary (type‐III). Low‐temperature transport measurements indicate that type‐III nanoflakes are of a relatively lower quality compared to type‐I and type‐II, based on field‐effect mobility. Moreover, type‐III nanoflakes exhibit a conductance dip attributed to an energy barrier pertaining to the Σ9‐boundary. Type‐I and type‐II nanoflakes exhibit promising transport properties, suitable for quantum devices. This platform hosting nanoflakes next to nanowires and nanowire networks can be used to selectively deposit the superconductor by inter‐shadowing, yielding InSb‐superconductor hybrid devices with minimal post‐fabrication steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Iron overload in patients with thalassemia represents a serious complication by affecting numerous organ systems. This meta‐analysis aims to establish an evidence regarding the effect of amlodipine on cardiac iron overload in thalassemia patients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and EMBASE for all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcomes were cardiac T2* and myocardial iron concentration (MIC). Secondary outcomes were liver iron concentration (LIC), risk of Gastrointestinal (G.I.) upset and risk of lower limb edema. We used Hedges' g to pool continuous outcomes, while odds ratio was used for dichotomous outcomes. Results: Seven RCTs were eligible for this systematic review and meta‐analysis, comprising of 233 patients included in the analysis. Amlodipine had a statistically significant lower MIC (Hedges' g = −0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−1.40, −0.24], p <.001) and higher cardiac T2* (Hedges' g = 0.36, 95% CI [0.10, 0.62], p =.03). Amlodipine was comparable to standard chelation therapy in terms of the risk of lower limb edema and GI upset. Conclusion: Our meta‐analysis found that amlodipine significantly increases cardiac T2* and decreases MIC, hence decreasing the incidence of cardiomyopathy‐related iron overload in thalassemia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis plays a critical role in myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury and causes a negative impact on cardiac efficiency and function. The combined angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) is a promising cardioprotective pharmacological agent that could rescue the heart from IR injury. This study investigated the cardioprotective effect of thiorphan (TH) in combination with three different doses of irbesartan (IRB) on myocardial IR injury and detected the most effective dose combination. Male Wistar rats were used and divided into five groups (10 rats/group): (I) Sham, (II) ischemia–reperfusion I/R, (III) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/5 mg/kg), (IV) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/10 mg/kg), and (V) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/15 mg/kg) groups. Thiorphan and irbesartan were injected intraperitoneally 15 min before IR induction. Mean arterial blood pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular maximum rate of pressure (LVdp/dtmax), and cardiac levels of creatine kinase–MB, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and endothelin‐1 were measured. Cardiac mitochondria complexes activities, histopathological examination of myocardial tissues, immunohistochemistry studies for myocardial apoptosis (Bax and Bcl‐2), and electron microscopy examination of left ventricle were performed. TH/IRB combination preserved cardiac functions and mitochondria complex activities and mitigated cardiac damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis following IR. Also, there was an evident improvement in histopathological changes and electron microscopy examination of left ventricle compared with I/R group. TH/IRB in a dose of 0.1/10 mg/kg showed significant improvement compared with the other treated groups. Thiorphan/irbesartan improved cardiac functions following IR injury. This could be explained by the reported improvement of mitochondria complex activities and reduction of oxidative stress, endothelin‐1, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time in Russia, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and related analytical techniques were used to determine the distribution patterns of elemental composition in archeological pottery in terms of classification and provenance of medieval pottery. A total of 48 fragments have been discovered in three locations; Bolgar, the Moscow Kremlin (MosKremlin), and Selitrennoe settlement (Selitrennoe). The assemblages were subjected to INAA in order to determine the concentrations of 37 elements in mg/kg. The data were analyzed using geochemical, bivariate, and multivariate statistical techniques. To classify the fragments according to their origin hierarchical clustering (HCA), linear discriminant (LDA), and principal component analyses (PCA) were used. Based on the INAA results, the first attempt was made to apply machine learning methods to the study of artifacts in Russia. The results show that they are reliable and powerful in extracting information about critical elements for identifying ceramic fragments and using them as chemical fingerprints. Chromium was the most useful element and was used in conjunction with other elements as a fingerprint to distinguish sherds. Chemical and statistical analyses help to establish of reference groups for medieval archeological pottery, which will be used in the future to classify and identify various unknown sherds. These reference groups serve as baseline data for determining the fragment's place of manufacture and are considered a reasonable judgment based on experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation exposure concerns all individuals in radiology and nuclear medicine (NM), including comforters and carers (referred to as "carers" henceforth). Nuclear medicine exposure situations Diagnostic NM procedures can potentially produce higher radiation exposure than radiology. Carers play a critical role in the medical radiation exposure setting, providing essential support and comfort to patients undergoing radiological or NM procedures for medical diagnosis or treatment. [Extracted from the article]

Problem: It is unclear if attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of head trauma in children. Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective observational study of children with minor blunt head trauma. Guardians were queried, and medical records were reviewed as to whether the patient had previously been diagnosed with ADHD. Enrolled patients were categorized based on their mechanism of injury, with a comparison of those with motor vehicle collision (MVC) versus non‐MVC mechanisms. Findings: A total of 3410 (84%) enrolled children had ADHD status available, and 274 (8.0%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 7.1, 9.0%) had been diagnosed with ADHD. The mean age was 9.2 ± 3.5 years and 64% were males. Rates of ADHD for specific mechanisms of injury were: assaults: 23/131 (17.6%; 95% CI 11.5, 25.2%), automobile versus pedestrian 23/173 (13.3%; 95% CI: 8.6, 19.3%), bicycle crashes 26/148 (17.6%; 95% CI: 11.8, 24.7%), falls 107/1651 (6.5%; 95% 5.3, 7.8%), object struck head 31/421 (7.4%; 5.1, 10.3%), motorized vehicle crashes (e.g., motorcycle, motor scooter) 11/148 (7.4%; 3.8, 12.9%), and MVCs 46/704 (6.5%; 95% CI: 4.8, 8.6%). Conclusion: Children with ADHD appear to be at increased risk of head trauma from certain mechanisms of injury including assaults, auto versus pedestrian, and bicycle crashes but are not at an increased risk for falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Approximately half of the population in Egypt is under the age of 25. Globally, mental illness represents the highest burden of disease in this age group. Yet in Egypt, there is still no youth‐specific mental health system in place and the vast majority of young people do not have access to any professional mental health support. The objective of this study was to describe the mental health needs of Egyptian youth and the resources they use when seeking help. Methods: An online cross‐sectional survey was distributed among medical students at Tanta University in Egypt. Of the 707 individuals who completed the survey (90.9% response rate), 60.5% were female, 62.0% lived in urban and suburban areas, and the mean age of the sample was 20.5 (±1.8) years old. Results: More than half (54%) of the students reported that they had been affected by mental health problems at some point in their lives. Anxiety and depression were the most common problems. Regarding help‐seeking behaviours, participants mainly searched the web or spoke to peers and relatives; few reported approaching medical professionals. The majority of participants (59.7%) reported being disappointed with the current mental health care system in Egypt. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of mental challenges among Egyptian youth and the health care system is not adequately prepared to respond to their needs. E‐Mental Health and online interventions seem to be a promising solution that could increase access to mental health services for Egyptian youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart windows with long‐persistent phosphorescence, ultraviolet (UV) light protection, high transparency, and high rigidity were developed by easily immobilizing varying ratios of lanthanide‐activated aluminate phosphor nanoscale particles within a composite of recycled polyester/cellulose nanocrystals (RPET/CNC). Cellulose nanocrystals were prepared from rice straw waste. Cellulose nanocrystals were used at low concentration as both crosslinker and drier to improve both transparency and hardness. The phosphor nanoscale particles must be distributed into the recycled polyester/cellulose nanocrystals composite bulk without agglomeration to produce transparent RPET/CNC substrates. Photoluminescence characteristics were also studied using spectroscopic profiles of excitation/emission and decay/lifetime. The hardness efficiency was also examined. This transparent recycled polyester waste/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposite smart window has been shown to change colour under UV light to strong green and to greenish‐yellow when it is dark, as proved by Commission Internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) laboratory colour parameters. It was found that the afterglow RPET/CNC smart window had phosphorescence intensities of 428, 493, and 523 nm upon excitation at 368 nm. There was evidence of improved UV shielding, photostability, and hydrophobic activity. In the presence of a low phosphor ratio, the luminescent RPET/CNC substrates showed quick and reversible fluorescence photochromic activity when exposed to UV radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Portal vein complications (PVCs) after pediatric liver transplantation (LT) are sometimes asymptomatic, especially in the early phase, and can threaten both the graft and patient's survival. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the risk factors for portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and portal vein stenosis (PVS) after pediatric LT. Methods: All pediatric patients (n = 115) who underwent primary LT at Regensburg University Hospital between January 2010 and April 2017 were included in this study. The pre‐, intra‐, and postoperative parameters of all patients were retrospectively reviewed and risk factors for both PVT and PVS were analyzed. Results: Of the 115 patients, living donor LT was performed on 57 (49.5%) patients, and biliary atresia was the primary diagnosis in 65 patients (56%). After pediatric LT, 9% of patients developed PVT, and 16.5% developed PVS. Patient weight ≤7 kg [odds ratio (OR) 9.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–84.9, p =.04] and GRWR >3% (OR 15.4, 95% CI 1.98–129.5, p =.01) were the independent risk factors for the development of PVT and PVS, respectively upon multivariate analysis. The overall patient survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 91%, 90%, and 89%, respectively, and there was no difference in patient survival among those with and without PVCs. Conclusions: Pediatric patients with body weight <7 kg and/or receiving a graft with GRWR >3% may develop PVCs and so require certain surgical modifications, close follow‐up, and prophylactic anticoagulant therapy following transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, which mainly affects the optic nerves and the spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the diagnosis of NMOSD based on the 2015 consensus criteria. Methods: The objective of this study was to describe the MRI characteristics of NMOSD patients in Egypt. This were a prospective, observational study on patients fulfilling the 2015 diagnostic criteria of NMOSD. Patients were recruited consecutively from the Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery hospital, Assiut University Hospitals, Egypt from March 2019 until August 2020. Data on demographics, clinical and laboratory features were collected. MRI scan results were reviewed for each patient and compared according to Aquaporin4‐seropositivity. Results: Ninety patients fulfilled NMOSD diagnostic criteria. The mean age at onset was 30.7±11.8 with a female predominance of 3:1. AQP4 antibodies were positive in 77/90 patients (85.6%). Seventy‐two patients (80%) had acute myelitis, 44 cases (61.1%) had longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) and 61 cases (87.1%) had a central position in the cord. Bright spotty lesions (BSL) were found in 44 cases (61.1%). The most common site of cord involvement was the cervical region. Abnormal MRI brain scans were found in 81.1% of patients. No statistically significant differences could be found between the two groups. Conclusion: There was a high frequency of abnormal spine and brain MRI findings in the Egyptian population. Even though no specific patterns were typical for AQP4‐specific serostatus, certain findings may suggest NMOSD diagnosis and warrant AQP4‐IgGs testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propafenone is a well‐known Class 1C antiarrhythmic agent that has sodium channel blocking properties as well as the ability to block 13 other channels and a modest calcium antagonistic effect. Propafenone has a profound electrophysiologic effect on auxiliary atrioventricular circuits and in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia can obstruct conduction in the fast conducting pathway. Furthermore, propafenone is less likely than other Class 1C drugs to cause proarrhythmia. However, although this medicine can pass through the placenta, the effects during pregnancy remain unknown. Here, we investigated the potential teratogenic and genotoxic effects of Rythmol during rat development. Pregnant Wistar rats received 46.25 mg/kg body weight of propafenone daily by gavage from Gestation Day (GD) 5 to GD 19. At GD 20, the dams were dissected, and their fetuses were assessed via morphologic, skeletal, and histologic investigation. In addition, a comet assay was used to measure DNA impairment of fetal skull osteocytes and hepatic cells. The study showed that propafenone treatment of pregnant rats led to a marked decrease in gravid uterine weight, number of implants/litter, number of viable fetuses, and bodyweight of fetuses but a clear increase in placental weight and placental index in the treated group. Frequent morphologic abnormalities and severe ossification deficiency in the cranium bones were observed in the treatment group. Various histopathological changes were observed in the liver, kidney, and brain tissues of maternally treated fetuses. Similarly, propafenone induced DNA damage to examined samples. Thus, our study indicates that propafenone may be embryotoxic in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high gain vertically polarised travelling‐wave frequency scanning array antenna fed by a meander rectangular waveguide is presented for Ku‐band operation. The proposed antenna is used in a radar demonstrator setup to detect and monitor birds in direct proximity to the wind farms. The goal is to prevent collisions of birds with wind farms. The proposed antenna consists of 34 inclined dumbbell‐shaped radiating slots integrated with a parallel‐plate waveguide. The proposed meandered feeding structure is used to enlarge the beam scanning angle range over frequency. The dumbbell‐shaped radiating slots are employed in the narrow wall of the meandered waveguide due to the space restriction of the meandering. The parallel‐plate waveguide is used as a polarisation filter to reduce the cross‐polarisation level of the proposed antenna owing to the inclination of the radiating slots. An E‐plane horn is used to reduce the beamwidth in the elevation plane. The overall size of the antenna is 20.6λ in length and 15λ in width, where λ is the free space wavelength at 15.55 GHz. The antenna operates in the frequency range from 15.40 to 15.70 GHz. The half power beamwidth is about 4° in the azimuth plane and about 20° in the elevation plane at 15.55 GHz. The main beam of the antenna steers over frequency to cover 39° of angular range in the azimuth plane. A Taylor distribution is applied to achieve sidelobe level below −25 dB in the same plane and 26 dBi gain over the operating frequency range. The antenna array is fabricated and measured successfully to verify the proposed approach. The fabricated antenna shows an impedance matching significantly better than 10 dB in the operating frequency. The measured gain is higher than 25 dB throughout its frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3,5,6‐Trichloropyridin‐2‐yl derivatives were synthesized and tested for antimicrobial activity. The chemical structures were inferred from the correct accurate spectroscopic and analytical data of the 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and MS techniques. The compounds were examined and screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (G+), Staphylococcus aureus (G+), Escherichia coli (G−), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (G−). In addition, the compounds were evaluated as candidacidal agents against Candida albicans. Compounds 5, 7, and 8 were superior against bacteria to the standard. In both in vitro experiments and in silico studies, these compounds proved to be the most effective against bacteria and candida. A number of parameters relating to the physicochemical properties, drug‐likeness, and ADMET parameters have been simulated. Lipinski's parameter assessment showed that the synthesized compounds had good permeability in biological membranes and good gastrointestinal absorption (Log S of −4.06 to −5.77 and PSA <140). Molecular docking to the active sites of penicillin‐binding protein 2a (PDB: 1VQQ), and lanosterol 14‐alpha demethylase (PDB 1EA1), as target proteins, revealed that most compounds displayed minimal binding energy and have a good affinity toward the active pocket of each enzyme. This is the first article to describe the antimicrobial properties of 3,5,6‐trichloropyridin‐2‐yl‐based molecules derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of ionising radiation results in occupational exposure to medical imaging professionals, requiring routine monitoring. This study aims to assess the effect of increased utilisation of mobile X‐ray units, mobile imaging of non‐routine body regions and radiographer work practice changes for impact on staff radiation dose during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of general radiology departments across two metropolitan hospitals was performed. Personal radiation monitor exposure reports between January 2019 and December 2020 were analysed. Statistical analysis was conducted using a Mann–Whitney U test when comparing each quarter, from 2019 to 2020. Categorical data were compared using a Chi‐squared test. Results: Mobile X‐ray use during the pandemic increased approximately 1.7‐fold, with the peak usage observed in September 2020. The mobile imaging rate per month of non‐routine body regions increased from approximately 6.0–7.8%. Reported doses marginally increased during Q2, Q3 and Q4 of 2020 (in comparison to 2019 data), though was not statistically significant (Q2: P = 0.13; Q3: P = 0.31 and Q4 P = 0.32). In Q1, doses marginally decreased and were not statistically significant (P = 0.22). Conclusion: Increased utilisation and work practice changes had no significant effect on reported staff radiation dose. The average reported dose remained significantly lower than the occupational dose limits for radiation workers of 20 mSv. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Computational dosimetry software is routinely used to evaluate the organ and effective doses from computed tomography (CT) examinations. Studies have shown a significant variation in dose estimates between software in adult cohorts, and few studies have evaluated software for pediatric dose estimates. This study aims to compare the primary organ and effective doses estimated by four commercially available CT dosimetry software to thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements in a 1‐year‐old phantom. Methods: One hundred fifteen calibrated LiF (Mg, Cu, P)‐TLD 100‐H chips were embedded within an anthropomorphic phantom representing a 1‐year‐old child at positions that matched the approximate location of organs within an infant. The phantom was scanned under three protocols, each with whole‐body coverage. The mean absorbed doses from 25 radiosensitive organs and skeletal tissues were determined from the TLD readings. Effective doses for each of the protocols were subsequently calculated using ICRP 103 formalism. Dose estimates by the four Monte Carlo–based dose calculation systems were determined and compared to the directly measured doses. Results: Most organ doses determined by computation dosimetry software aligned to phantom measurements within 20%. Additionally, comparisons between effective doses are calculated using computational and direct measurement methods aligned within 20% across the three protocols. Significant variances were found in bone surface dose estimations among dosimetry methods, likely caused by differences in bone tissue modeling. Conclusion: All four‐dosimetry software evaluated in this study provide adequate primary organ and effective dose estimations. Users should be aware, however, of the possible estimated uncertainty associated with each of the programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It is not known whether obesity has a differential effect on allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation outcomes with alternative donor types. We report the results of a retrospective registry study examining the effect of obesity [body mass index (BMI) > 30] on outcomes with alternative donors (haploidentical related donor with two or more mismatches and receiving post‐transplant cyclophosphamide [haplo] and cord blood (CBU)] versus matched unrelated donor (MUD). Adult patients receiving haematopoietic cell transplantation for haematologic malignancy (2013–2017) (N = 16 182) using MUD (n = 11 801), haplo (n = 2894) and CBU (n = 1487) were included. The primary outcome was non‐relapse mortality (NRM). The analysis demonstrated a significant, non‐linear interaction between pretransplant BMI and the three donor groups for NRM: NRM risk was significantly higher with CBU compared to haplo at BMI 25–30 [hazard ratio (HR) 1.66–1.71, p < 0.05] and MUD transplants at a BMI of 25–45 (HR, 1.61–3.47, p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that NRM and survival outcomes are worse in overweight and obese transplant recipients (BMI ≥ 25) with one alternative donor type over MUD, although obesity does not appear to confer a uniform differential mortality risk with one donor type over the other. BMI may serve as a criterion for selecting a donor among the three (MUD, haplo and CBU) options, if matched sibling donor is not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires are used as building blocks for quantum devices because of their unique properties, that is, strong spin‐orbit interaction and large Landé g‐factor. Integrating InSb nanowires with other materials could potentially unfold novel devices with distinctive functionality. A prominent example is the combination of InSb nanowires with superconductors for the emerging topological particles research. Here, the combination of the II–VI cadmium telluride (CdTe) with the III–V InSb in the form of core–shell (InSb–CdTe) nanowires is investigated and potential applications based on the electronic structure of the InSb–CdTe interface and the epitaxy of CdTe on the InSb nanowires are explored. The electronic structure of the InSb–CdTe interface using density functional theory is determined and a type‐I band alignment is extracted with a small conduction band offset (⩽0.3 eV). These results indicate the potential application of these shells for surface passivation or as tunnel barriers in combination with superconductors. In terms of structural quality, it is demonstrated that the lattice‐matched CdTe can be grown epitaxially on the InSb nanowires without interfacial strain or defects. These shells do not introduce disorder to the InSb nanowires as indicated by the comparable field‐effect mobility measured for both uncapped and CdTe‐capped nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that appropriate long-term iron chelation is essential in the treatment of transfusion-dependent anaemias,14,15 deferiprone b.i.d. has the potential to improve treatment adherence and health outcomes in patients with transfusional iron overload. Twenty-seven patients had a primary diagnosis of thalassaemia major, one patient had -thalassaemia/haemoglobin H disease and one patient had sickle -thalassaemia. Fourteen patients reported mild AEs, 13 patients reported moderate AEs and one patient reported a severe AE. Lifelong iron chelation therapy is critical for patients with transfusion-dependent anaemias, and full adherence to therapy is essential to optimise long-term patient outcomes.1,2 Deferiprone is an oral iron chelator with high efficiency in binding and removing excess intracellular and extracellular iron.3,4 Owing to its elimination half-life of approximately 2 h, deferiprone is administered three times daily (t.i.d.) to promote longer extent of exposure and better control of labile iron.5-7 Clinical trial data show adherence rates with deferiprone t.i.d. from 79% to 98%8,9; however, real-world adherence is generally lower than in clinical trials, as the t.i.d. regimen may be inconvenient and the midday dose may often be missed.10-12 The United States Food and Drug Administration recently approved a twice-a-day modified-release formulation of deferiprone (Ferriprox TAD 1000 mg tablet; manufactured by Apotex Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada) for the treatment of patients with transfusional iron overload due to thalassaemia syndromes, sickle cell disease or other anaemias.13 In single-dose and multiple-dose pharmacokinetic studies of deferiprone in healthy volunteers (Tables S1 and S2), we found that the twice-daily (b.i.d.) formulation had equivalent 24-h drug exposure to the original immediate-release tablet administered t.i.d. (Figure S1), and exposure was not affected by administration with food (Table S3). [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This article examines whether perceptions of supportive work–life culture changed during the COVID‐19 pandemic—and if that depended on (1) working from home; (2) children in the household; and (3) professional status. We test for gender differences across the analyses. Background: During normal times, the "ideal worker" is expected to prioritize the demands of their job and is penalized for attending to family/personal needs while on company time. But the organization and expectations of roles might have changed due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Organizations could have become more empathic or reinforced norms about single‐minded devotion to work. Method: In September 2019, we collected data from a national sample of Canadian workers. Then, during a pivotal period of shocks to the economy and social life, we re‐interviewed these participants in June 2020. Results: We discovered that overall perceptions of work–life culture became more positive. However, subgroup differences revealed this positive change was muted among employees: (1) who worked from home; (2) with children under age 6 at home; and (3) in professional occupations. We found no subgroup differences by gender. Conclusion: Our findings address speculation about whether employees perceived their employers as becoming more supportive of work–life fit early in the pandemic. Future research should determine (a) longer‐term change in work–life culture during and after the pandemic; and (b) whether the actual benefits of supportive work–life culture also changed or if it was "window dressing." This direction suggests it should have more strongly reduced work–life conflict as the pandemic unfolded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Splenic autotransplantation is a promising method to recover splenic functions after traumatic splenectomy. However, it is associated with several postoperative complications, such as subphrenic abscess, intestinal obstruction and torsion of the omentum with necrosis of the implanted splenic tissues. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate a new splenic autotransplantation technique that could overcome those complications. Materials and methods: A single segment of the spleen was implanted inside a pedunculated omental pouch and fixed in the native site of the spleen in 15 patients who underwent splenectomy for abdominal trauma. This group of patients was compared with the next 17 patients who underwent splenectomy alone. Additionally, splenic functions of the patient and control groups were evaluated 3 months using peripheral blood smear [the presence of Howell–Jolly (HJ) bodies] and abdominal contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT). Results: All patients who underwent splenic autotransplantation showed evidence of a well‐vascularised splenic tissue on CECT and normal peripheral blood smear without HJ bodies 3 months postoperatively. No postoperative complications related to splenic autotransplantation were observed, and platelet count after 3 months was significantly higher in patients who underwent splenectomy only (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Splenic autotransplantation using the aforementioned technique could restore splenic functions with minimum postoperative complications related to the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of new‐onset type 1 diabetes in a girl presenting with severe diabetic ketoacidosis, complicated by profound hypokalemia and hypernatremia. We describe the clinical course, management challenges, and the potential role of the concomitant COVID‐19 infection in the complexity of this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]