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Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a circulating sign of systemic chronic inflammation that your liver produces if your body is inflamed. Stressful events over a long period of time are linked to inflammatory disorders. Stress pathways are triggered by noise and sleep deprivation, as well as unhealthy habits like fatty meals. Several studies have connected higher CRP levels with plasma levels. The current study aims to explore the potential association's relationship between chronic sleep deprivation, noise, high fat diet, and CRP disorders. Methods: Three studies were carried out in our study to evaluate C-reactive protein levels in male Swiss albino mice groups after exposure to three different physical stressors for four weeks. The first study mice group were exposed to chronic sleep deprivation; second group was exposed to electrostatic speaker noise stressors; and the third group was fed a high fat diet. Quantitative estimation of C - reactive protein level in plasma using an ELISA kit. Results: Significant changes in inflammatory CRP levels in the examined plasma were detected in the sleep deprivation group. CRP levels were found to be steadily increasing after two weeks, reaching a significant peak in the fourth week (p < 0.001). Moreover, in the fourth week, there were substantial increases in CRP plasma level with independent evidence, in the experimental noise group (p < 0.001). As well, the biomarker of inflammation level increased across the dietary high density fat diet, reaching the highest level at the end of the study (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings contribute to the body of evidence indicating a link between external stress and subclinical inflammatory markers. Furthermore, CRP concentrations are triggered by chronic sleep deprivation and noise exposure, and their concentrations rise with prolonged dietary fatty acid consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an innovative method for rapidly segmenting haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained tissue in whole-slide images (WSIs) that eliminates a wide range of undesirable artefacts such as pen marks and scanning artefacts. Our method involves taking a single-channel representation of a low-magnification RGB overview of the WSI in which the pixel values are bimodally distributed such that H&E-stained tissue is easily distinguished from both background and a wide variety of artefacts. We demonstrate our method on 30 WSIs prepared from a wide range of institutions and WSI digital scanners, each containing substantial artefacts, and compare it to segmentations provided by Otsu thresholding and Histolab tissue segmentation and pen filtering tools. We found that our method segmented the tissue and fully removed all artefacts in 29 out of 30 WSIs, whereas Otsu thresholding failed to remove any artefacts, and the Histolab pen filtering tools only partially removed the pen marks. The beauty of our approach lies in its simplicity: manipulating RGB colour space and using Otsu thresholding allows for the segmentation of H&E-stained tissue and the rapid removal of artefacts without the need for machine learning or parameter tuning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Each unit of red blood cells (RBCs) produced represents a significant cost to the healthcare system. Unnecessary blood wastage should be minimized. In clinical settings, alterations to blood component bags after issue from the protected setting of the blood bank include pen markings, and those that are exposed to an infectious environment require surface disinfecting. These units may be discarded due to unclear effects on RBC quality. In this study, we investigate whether pen markings or surface disinfection negatively affects the quality of packed RBCs and whether pen ink diffuses through the blood bag. Study Design and Methods: RBC bags were marked with pens (water, oil, or alcohol‐based) or subjected to surface disinfection (ethanol, hydrogen peroxide [Preempt wipes], or benzalkonium chloride‐based wipes [CaviWipes]) and sampled 24 h after applying the treatment and at day 42 post collection (n = 3 for each condition). The samples were analyzed for RBC in vitro quality markers. The presence of any ink in the RBC bags was investigated using mass spectrometry (n = 2). Results: Data from 24 h and day 42 time points indicated no differences in RBC count, mean corpuscular volume, morphology, deformability, potassium content, or hemolysis for either pen markings or disinfectants when compared with their untreated controls (p >.05). No trace of ink was detected inside the bag. Conclusion: RBC units marked with ballpoint, gel, or Sharpie pens do not suffer a loss of in vitro quality, nor do RBC units which have been surface disinfected with 70% ethanol, Preempt wipes or CaviWipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perforation of the pyriform sinus, included in hypopharyngeal injury, is a rare condition typically caused by iatrogenic factors. We present a case of an infant who developed deep cervical and mediastinal abscesses due to a traumatic pyriform sinus perforation caused by accidentally falling with a marker pen in the mouth. Case presentation: An 11-month-old healthy male infant fell on a trampoline with a marker pen in his mouth. The patient developed swelling in the neck 3 h after the incident and was taken to a regional general hospital. Although a laryngoscopy showed no perforation in the oral cavity or posterior pharynx, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed significant emphysema extending from the cervix to the mediastinum. The patient was transferred to our tertiary hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he was mechanically ventilated, and antibiotic therapy was initiated. On day 3 of admission, a CT scan revealed deep abscesses in the cervical and upper posterior mediastinum with pneumomediastinum. Although his respiratory status stabilized and he was temporarily weaned, the fever recurred. Pharyngoesopagography revealed significant leakage of contrast from the left pyriform sinus to the mediastinum. Consequently, surgical drainage of the abscess was performed on day 10. Two low-pressure continuous suction drains were placed, one in the posterior mediastinum and the other close to the pyriform sinus. Pharyngoesophagography on postoperative day (POD) 7 demonstrated decreased contrast leakage into the posterior mediastinum. The patient was initiated on enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube. The patient was discharged on POD 31 after the suction drains were replaced with open Penrose drains, and enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube was continued at home. The Penrose drains were removed on POD 54, and salivary leakage ceased on POD 111. Conclusions: Although injuries to the oral cavity and posterior pharynx are more easily recognized, the existence of injury in the pyriform sinus can be challenging to evaluate. However, prompt and appropriate management, including intubation, antibiotic therapy, surgical drainage, and nutritional support, is critical in preventing life-threatening complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of inexpensive benchtop plotters in combination with refillable writing pens and markers as a powerful route to print nanomaterial‐based inks on paper substrates is studied. It is proved that this approach is very robust, it can be used to print inks of many different solution‐processable nanomaterials, and is very precise, allowing pattern features with pitch separation as narrow as 80 μm. The general character of this printing platform by printing van der Waals materials, organic semiconductors, hybrid perovskites and colloidal nanoparticles with a broad range of properties (from insulators to superconductors) is illustrated. The system is used to easily create several example applications such as an all‐printed, paper‐supported photodetector. This printing platform can be very helpful for research groups with a wealth of expertise in synthesis of solution‐processable nanomaterials but that lack the infrastructure, resources, and expertise to perform traditional inkjet printing for fast device prototyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For tumours of the ear that are suspected to involve auricular cartilage, precise definition of the extent of involved deep margin can be difficult. As large resections of cartilage can be cosmetically disfiguring with limited repair options, we propose a simple and effective technique to facilitate a targeted deep margin resection using a curette and a surgical marking pen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poem "Spells and Counterspells" by Camille Carter is presented. First Line: A fistful of truffies; Last Line: For her life.s

Copyright of ECCOM: Educação, Cultura e Comunicação is the property of ECCOM: Educacao, Cultura e Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fabrication of fully ink-drawn fluidic electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs) is reported for the determination of trace Pb(II) and Cd(II) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The fluidic pattern was formed on the paper substrate using an inexpensive computer-controlled x–y plotter and a commercial hydrophobic marker pen. Then, electrodes were deposited on the devices using a second x–y plotting step with a commercial technical pen filled with a graphite-based conductive ink prepared in house. The fabrication parameters of the ePADs were studied by cyclic voltammetry using the ferro/ferri couple as a probe and by scanning electron microscopy. The ePADs, featuring a bismuth nanoparticle-modified working electrode, were applied to the determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by DPASV. The chemical and instrumental conditions were studied. The limits of detection were 3.1 μg L−1 for Cd(II) and 4.5 μg L−1 for Pb(II) whereas the between-device reproducibility (expressed as the % relative standard deviation of the response at 6 different ePADs) was < 14%. Each ePAD requires 120 s to fabricate and costs less than 0.15 € in terms of consumables. The ePADs are suitable for the on-site determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) in environmental and food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super anti-fouling coatings are of great interest because of their good liquid repellency and anti-fouling performance. However, it is challenging to prepare durable and transparent super anti-fouling coatings, especially via simple approaches. Here, we report on the preparation of durable and transparent super anti-wetting coatings with excellent liquid repellency and anti-fouling performance by hydrolytic condensation of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane followed by dip coating and heat treatment. The fluorinated polysiloxane (fluoroPOS) super anti-wetting coatings were characterized by various analytical techniques. The wettability, anti-fouling performance, stability and applicability of the coatings were systematically studied. These super anti-wetting coatings are very smooth with a high optical transmittance of 103% at 400 nm compared with the bare glass slide, showing anti-reflective performance. The fluoroPOS coatings feature (i) excellent repellency towards various liquids such as water, alkanes, daily encountered liquids and even hot liquids; (ii) excellent anti-fouling performance against marker pens, paints etc.; (iii) good mechanical, chemical and thermal stabilities; (iv) good applicability onto various substrates. Therefore, fluoroPOS super anti-wetting coatings may find applications in many fields (e.g., industrial facilities, architectures, and transportation), as the method is simple and the comprehensive properties are excellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forensic Science & Technology is the property of Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urethral sounding is the insertion of an object or liquid into the urethra for sexual gratification. It is associated with a substantial risk of loss of the foreign body in the bladder, urethral strictures or infection. Bladder perforation is a rare complication of urethral sounding which is usually associated with a sharp object. Here, we present the case of a young adult female presenting with abdominal pain after practicing urethral sounding with a blunt marking pen. She was found to have an intraperitoneal bladder perforation, requiring exploratory laparotomy and bladder repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The need of an adequate band of keratinized tissue (KT) to maintain periodontal health around teeth as well as around implants has been a debated topic over many years but still no conclusions have been drawn. Objectives: This prospective case series evaluates the changes undergone by the keratinized mucosa (KM) and the soft tissue volume around non‐submerged implants before the prosthetic rehabilitation. Material and Methods: A total of 40 patients were included. The primary outcome was to analyze the width of the KM at both buccal and lingual aspects compared to the pre‐existing KT in the edentulous ridge only in mandibular (pre)molar area. The mucogingival line was marked with a surgical pen and an intra‐oral scanner was used to take the impression of the implant area the day of the surgery (T0, baseline) and before the crown placement (T1, 3 months). Buccal soft tissue volume was measured at 1, 3, and 5 mm apical to the healing abutment position and a comparison between T0 and T1 was performed. Student t‐test was used according to the distribution of the data (Shapiro–Wilk). Results: The mean KT width at baseline was 4.54 ± 1.31 mm at buccal side and 5.04 ± 1.88 mm at lingual side. After 3 months, the mean KM values were 3.15 ± 1.03 mm and 3.72 ± 1.56 mm at the buccal and lingual aspects, respectively. The differences, 30.6% of KM reduction buccally and 26.1% of reduction lingually, were statistically significant for both sides. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this investigation, it was observed that the KM width from the baseline to the 3 months follow up presented a significant dimensional change in both the buccal and lingual aspects, whereas buccal soft tissue volume showed an increase between baseline and follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of artificial intelligence (AI) in pathology frequently relies on digitally annotated whole slide images (WSI). The creation of these annotations - manually drawn by pathologists in digital slide viewers - is time consuming and expensive. At the same time, pathologists routinely annotate glass slides with a pen to outline cancerous regions, for example, for molecular assessment of the tissue. These pen annotations are currently considered artifacts and excluded from computational modeling. Methods: We propose a novel method to segment and fill hand-drawn pen annotations and convert them into a digital format to make them accessible for computational models. Our method is implemented in Python as an open source, publicly available software tool. Results: Our method is able to extract pen annotations from WSI and save them as annotation masks. On a data set of 319 WSI with pen markers, we validate our algorithm segmenting the annotations with an overall Dice metric of 0.942, Precision of 0.955, and Recall of 0.943. Processing all images takes 15 min in contrast to 5 h manual digital annotation time. Further, the approach is robust against text annotations. Conclusions: We envision that our method can take advantage of already pen-annotated slides in scenarios in which the annotations would be helpful for training computational models. We conclude that, considering the large archives of many pathology departments that are currently being digitized, our method will help to collect large numbers of training samples from those data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background  End-to-side (ETS) anastomoses are necessary for many procedures in microvascular surgery, such as free flap transfers. In training courses that use the rat model, the arterial end to venous side (AEVS) anastomosis is a common training exercise for ETS anastomoses. Surgeons-in-training often inadvertently twist the artery when completing the AEVS anastomosis; however, in the clinical setting, torsion is a reported risk factor for ETS anastomosis failure. The purpose of this study was to determine if torsion in an AEVS anastomosis would have a negative effect on patency in the rat model, accurately simulating the clinical scenario. Methods  All AEVS anastomoses were completed in 15 Sprague–Dawley rats divided into three torsion cohorts: 0, 90, and 180 degrees. Torsion was created in the AEVS anastomosis by mismatching the first two sutures placed between the free femoral artery end and the venotomy. Patency was verified at 0, 2, and 4 hours postoperation via the oxygenated–deoxygenated test and transit-time ultrasound blood flow measurements. Results  All AEVS anastomoses were patent 0, 2, and 4 hours postoperation according to both the oxygenated–deoxygenated test and transit-time ultrasound blood flow measurements. For the average blood flow measurements at 4 hours postoperation, the proximal measurements for 0, 90, and 180 degrees were −34.3, −18.7, and −13.8 mL/min respectively, and the distal measurements were 4.48, 3.46, and 2.90 mL/min, respectively. Conclusion  Torsion of 180 degrees does not affect early AEVS anastomosis patency in the rat model. This contrasts with the clinical setting, where torsion is reported to cause ETS anastomosis failure. Since AEVS anastomosis torsion is often difficult to appreciate visually, we suggested that microvascular surgery training instructors include a method to both detect and prevent AEVS anastomosis torsion, such as by marking the free femoral artery end with a marking pen or suture before beginning the anastomosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Phlebotomy is a central task for blood donation; however, not all blood donors have veins that are easy to see or feel. This study aimed to determine whether use of a surgical skin marker to highlight the donors' vein location and direction prior to venepuncture increased blood donation success. Methods: All blood donors who participated in this study were eligible to donate according to Australian guidelines. Ten donor centres with phlebotomy success rates <95% were selected. A randomized cluster trial design assigned five sites to test the skin marking device and five sites as controls. Single‐use sterile Gentian violet skin marker pens were used to mark donors' veins. Phlebotomy site skin bacterial load after using the skin marking device was tested on a subset of 100 donors. Phlebotomy success rates and donor adverse events were recorded. Results: Of the control donors, 6993 had successful phlebotomies and 225 failed. Of the skin marker donors, 6998 had successful phlebotomies and 248 failed. No statistically significant differences in phlebotomy success were found between the two groups (OR: 0·91, 96·4% CI [96·0, 96·8], P‐value 0·348). Conclusion: The use of skin marker pens did not increase overall phlebotomy success rate. There was no increase in phlebotomy site skin bacterial load, and amendments to standard skin disinfection techniques were not required. Blood donors were not concerned about the pen mark on their arms. Generally, staff indicated that the markers may be valuable to assist with phlebotomies for donors with difficult or deep veins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine whether gendered symbols on patient call bells are restricted to our hospital or are examples of an international practice that perpetuates gender stereotypes and occupational segregation.Setting: Multicentre, international study of hospital equipment, 2018.Main Outcome Measure: Types of symbols on patient call bells.Results: We received 56 responses from 43 hospitals in eight countries across five continents: 37 devices included female-specific images, nine included gender-neutral images, and ten did not use imagery (for example, button-only devices). No call bells included male-specific images.Conclusion: Female symbols on patient call bells are an international phenomenon. Only female or gender-neutral images are used, indicating bias in their design, manufacture, and selection. Female symbols may reinforce gender stereotypes and contribute to occupational segregation and reduced equity of opportunity. We suggest alternative symbols. Individual action with coloured marker pens may provide a pragmatic short term, albeit provocative, solution. While call bell design has only a minor impact on patients, everyday bias affects all staff and society in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical site marking is an important safety procedure prior to surgery. Visibility of pen marks is affected by surgical wash which increases the risk of wrong‐site surgery. Additionally, multiple patient contact with a single pen is a potential source of bacterial transmission. In this study we compare pens commonly used for surgical marking in Australia. Methods: We conducted an unblinded, prospective cohort study comparing 12 marking pens. Six volunteers' thighs were marked with each pen. Standardized photographs were taken before and after wash with four prep solutions. Ink visibility was analysed using grayscale images, comparing the pen mark tone before and after wash. The pen tips were swabbed for culture. Results: Red tinted 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (w/v) with 70% isopropyl alcohol (v/v) was shown to reduce pen mark visibility significantly more than the other solutions used. The Pentel N50 permanent marker and Aspen WriteSite Plus were least affected by wash. No pen tip cultured any bacteria. Conclusions: When marking the correct site for surgery, we recommend the use of either the Pentel N50 permanent marker or Aspen Writesite Plus pen. A 2‐min interval between patient contact limits bacterial transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Analytical discrimination in the formulation of 20 early commercial Johann Faber felt-tip pens. • Vibrational spectroscopy and chromatography to elucidate felt-tip pen dyes, binder and additives. • Comparative timeline of early and current commercial felt-tip pen formulations. Abstract In this work the formulation of 20 Johann Faber felt-tip pens commercialized in the 1960s and belonging to and used by the architect and designer Lina Bo Bardi have been investigated by an integrated analytical methodology. Minimally destructive vibrational spectroscopic methods permitted a qualitative interpretation of constituents which could be corroborated and ulteriorly supplemented by more destructive chromatographic techniques. This combined approach constitutes an effective collaboration for an in-depth study chronicling the chemical characterization of the first era of commercially viable felt-tip pen inks by providing for the identification of dyes and separation of their mixtures (triarylmethanes, xanthenes, indigoids, azo dyes, azines), binders (plant gums) and additives (diethylene glycol, phenols/antioxidant, diisoctyl phthalate/plasticizer). The comparison between the early and more recent commercial felt-tip pens has allowed to differentiate dyes, pigments and binders, which may provide a useful reference for future studies on the chemical characterization of historical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A learning platform for kindergarten pupils using augmented reality (AR). • Marker movement tracking using a web camera. • A Deep learning framework for marker detection, marker identification and pose estimation. • Seamless integration of virtual objects over the live video feed. Abstract This paper focuses on using the augmented reality (AR) technology to create visual-aids through display for early childhood learning. The proposed methodology works on the principle of augmenting 3D virtual objects over the English alphabets that are used as printed markers. The important steps of a typical marker-based AR application are, (i) detection of markers in the field of view (FOV) of the camera, (ii) identification of the marker, (iii) estimating the pose of the marker, and (iv) rendering 3D virtual content over the marker in a live video stream. We have formulated the marker identification process as a classification problem which has been accomplished with the help of convolutional neural networks (CNN). The effectiveness of the marker identification process using CNN is validated by comparing its identification accuracy with support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The marker identification by the CNN model shows better accuracy than SVM. After successful marker identification and pose estimation, virtual objects are rendered over the 2D projection of the alphabets. The seamless augmentation of the virtual objects over the markers are rendered on display. The setup has been tested on a large dataset and it is believed to create engaging experience for the kids, especially the kindergarten age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape-from-focus depth measurement is widely used in equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, heritage conservation, engineering measurement, etc. However, the acquisition of multi-focus image sequence is not very flexible and time-consuming in conventional shape from focus. Here, a novel depth measurement from shape from focus method based on ultrafast optical axial scanning was proposed. An electronically tunable lens was used to achieve high-speed focus shift, by synchronizing a CCD with the electronically tunable lens, multi-focus image sequence can be acquired at high speed (up to 2.5 ms). The focusing area of each multi-focus image was extracted by the energy of image gradient operator. Finally, the motionless depth measurement can be achieved. A tilted marker pen was used to test the performance of the depth measurement, the results show that the depth resolution of the proposed method is measured to be ∼ 3.2 cm in a depth range of ∼ 24 cm. The feasibility of the proposed method was verified using misplaced portrait sculptures. This method will further expand the application of depth measurement from shape from focus in human–computer interaction, 3D shape measurement, and augmented reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of this paper: Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: How do you start innovating? This is actually a very difficult question to answer because, despite the fact most forms have departments or people dedicated to innovation, engaging in research and seeking to develop new and existing products, all these activities are ongoing. It is hard to think of what a research and development (R&D) department looks like at 9am on Day One. Maybe there are lots of brand new marker pens in their boxes and colored sticky notes piled neatly on people's desks, or it could be an empty lab with clear benches and as-yet-unused equipment. It sounds an exciting place, but also quite a lonely place. Practical implications: Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. What is original/value of paper?: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]