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Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) affects West Highland white terriers (WHWTs). Osteopontin (SPP1) and fibronectin (FN1) are associated with human IPF and are overexpressed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) macrophages in dogs with IPF. Objective To investigate the value of these proteins as biomarkers of IPF. Animals West Highland white terriers (WHWTs) with IPF, control WHWTs, and terriers. Methods Cross‐sectional observational study. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize SPP1 and FN1 in lung tissue. Serum and BALF SPP1 and FN1 concentrations were measured using canine ELISA kits and compared between groups. Results Osteopontin stained ciliated epithelial cells, smooth muscular cells, and macrophages of all included dogs, and type‐II pneumocytes and extracellular matrix of all 12 diseased WHWTs, 4/6 control WHWTs, and none of the 3 terriers. Osteopontin serum concentration was higher in diseased WHWTs (n = 22; 2.15 ng/mL [0.74‐5.30]) compared with control WHWTs (n = 13; 0.63 ng/mL [0.41‐1.63]; P = .005) and terriers (n = 15; 0.31 ng/mL [0.19‐0.51]; P

Background and Objectives: The rate of head and neck cancer (HNC) is expected to increase by 30% by 2030. However, there are many similarities between the symptomatology of a benign and a malign diagnosis; thus, a protocol for conducting a full head and neck examination is of high importance since the absence of adenopathy does not exclude a malignant diagnosis and also a favorable prognosis. Material and methods: The current study presents a retrospective study on 515 adult patients who underwent a biopsy for possible head and neck tumor pathology. Results: The patients identified with cancer were older than the rest of the group, with a higher developing trend in men than in women. However, the top 10 symptomatology patterns were identical in the malign and benign groups, meaning that new HNC may be missed due to the common symptomatology between benign and malign outcomes. Conclusions: The importance of a full ear, nose, and throat (ENT) examination may be of significant relevance for a proper diagnosis that can improve the overall prognosis of a patient with cancer. The absence of routine screening tests and screening guidelines for oral and pharyngeal cancers represents a significant barrier to secondary HNC prevention.

The wound-healing process is a physiological response that begins after a disruption to the integrity of tissues present in the skin. To understand the intricacies involved in this process, many groups have tried to develop different in vitro models; however, the lack of a systemic response has, until this day, been the major barrier to the establishment of these models as the main study platform. Therefore, in vivo models are still the most common system for studying healing responses following different treatments, especially porcine models, which share several morphological similarities to the human skin. In this work, we developed a porcine excisional wound model and used semi-automated software as a strategy to generate quantitative morphometric results of healing responses by specific tissues and compartments. Our aim was to extract the most information from the model while producing reliable, reproducible, and standardized results. In order to achieve this, we established a 7-day treatment using a bacterial cellulose dressing as our standard for all the analyzed wounds. The thickness of the residual dermis under the wound (DUtW) bed was shown to influence the healing outcome, especially for the regeneration of epidermal tissue, including the wound closure rate. The analysis of the DUtW throughout the entire dorsal region of the animals opened up the possibility of establishing a map that will facilitate the experimental design of future works, increasing their standardization and reproducibility and ultimately reducing the number of animals needed. Thus, the developed model, together with the automated morphometric analysis approach used, offers the possibility to generate robust quantitative results with a rapid turnaround time while allowing the study of multiple extra morphometric parameters, creating a more holistic analysis.

This review focuses on obtaining embedded azulene polycyclic molecules treated according to their particular structure. The division of material into the azulene unit grafted only on one or two bonds and poly-fused azulene compounds was suggested with the intention of facilitating the presentation and assimilation of information. The similarity of some structural features in the compounds included in different analyzed classes results in the presence of the same synthesis protocol in several places. Obtaining benz[a]azulenes, azulene-fused acenes, and helicenes or azulene-embedded nanographene, along with other compounds, is presented.

Community psychiatry has its origins in the West, in the 1950s, when many institutions for the mentally ill were closed down in an effort to shift the focus from hospital-based care to community-based. The aim of the current paper is to review the available literature on the community-based psychiatric treatment in Romania. The Romanian Ministry of Health is dedicated to promoting mental health education and to creating a mental health system that ensures that every patient has access to care and treatments designed for their own particular needs. Today, in Romania, as across the entirety of Central and Eastern Europe, mental health systems are transitioning from hospital-based care to community-based services. The RECOVER-E project, the SEE Mental Health Project, the Horizons project, among others, showcase Romanias mental healthcare system in terms of improving the chances of mental health patients recovery. Community Psychiatry in Romania is a budding field that can greatly aid in the management and treatment of patients with mental disorders from both urban and rural areas. By applying the principles of deinstitutionalization and community health care at a systemic level, resources may be invested in the creation of a strong network of specialists that treat patients in their own living spaces.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis remains poor, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. The present review explores the potential of targeted epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) nanotherapy as an alternative treatment for NSCLC, showing that EGFR-targeted nanoparticles are efficiently taken up by NSCLC cells, leading to a significant reduction in tumor growth in mouse models. Consequently, we suggest that targeted EGFR nanotherapy could be an innovative treatment strategy for NSCLC; however, further studies are needed to optimize the nanoparticles and evaluate their safety and efficacy in clinical settings and human trials.

The second part of the article Azulene, Reactivity, and Scientific Interest Inversely Proportional to Ring Size deals with the chemical behavior of the seven-atom azulenic ring. As the title states, the ability of this system to react is lesser compared to that of the five-atom ring; despite this, a large number of syntheses contain it as a participant in the molecules of starting compounds. This review is focused on certain more frequent syntheses such as nucleophilic substitution of the seven-atom ring or its substituents, vicarious nucleophilic substitutions, substitutions of azulene metallic compounds, or reactions catalyzed by complexes of certain transition metals. The syntheses of tricyclic compounds, porphyrinogenic systems, or azulenocyanines containing an azulenyl moiety are also presented. The adopted presentation is mainly based on reaction schemes that include the reaction conditions, as well as the yields of the products formed.

Rhodanine (R) is a heterocycle having complexing properties for heavy metal (HM) ions. Considering the similar electron-donating character of diethylaminobenzene and azulene, electrochemical characterization of (Z)-5-(azulen-1-ylmethylene)-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one (R1) and 5-(4 diethylamino-benzylidene)-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one (R2) was performed to establish their common features. Chemically modified electrodes based on R1 and R2 were compared for HM recognition. Evidence for the formation of films was provided by scanning and controlled potential electrolysis, and HM recognition experiments were performed using their films. Parallel studies for analysis of HMs by complexation in solution were performed by UV-Vis. The analogy between R1 and R2 created the premise for easier selection of compounds for certain applications. The performance of the chemically modified electrodes was evaluated as detection limits for HMs. The azulene monomer (R1) proved to be the best candidate for Pb(II) detection, being about eight times more sensitive than R2. However, in solution, R2 proved to be a good choice for optical measurements, having a higher absorption coefficient. These results support the two ligands having different behaviors in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.

The lack of azulene symmetry with respect to the axis perpendicular to a molecule creates an asymmetry of the electronic system, increasing the charge density of the five-atom ring and favoring its electrophilic substitutions. The increased reactivity of this ring has contributed to ongoing interest about the syntheses in which it is involved. The aim of this review is to present briefly and mainly in the form of reaction schemes the behavior of this system. After a short chapter that includes the research until 1984, subsequent research is presented as generally accepted chapters and subchapters to describe the behavior of the azulene system: metal free catalyst reactions; reactions catalyzed by metals; various azulene five-ring substitutions. The author insists on reaction yields, and in some cases considers it useful to present the proposed reaction mechanisms.

Introduction. Mesh reinforcement is generally considered the standard of care in hernia repair. Infection is a common complication following hernia repair. Infection of the mesh is a complex problem. Knowledge of new treatment strategies is necessary for surgeons performing abdominal wall reconstruction. Case presentation. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman, who presented with a non-traumatic entero-atmospheric fistula at the site of the hernia repair, which had been done 2 years previously through the implantation of a dual mesh. The fistula has appeared one year previously. The treatment consisted in a complete removal of the infected mesh and segmentary enterectomy. The abdominal wall was repaired through a tissular procedure and the skin was left to close per secundam. The postoperative outcome was favorable. Conclusions. Following excision of infected mesh, multi-staged abdominal wall reconstruction can be considered. Biologic or biosynthetic mesh is recommended when repairing incisional hernias following excision of infected mesh and likely represent the patient’s best chance for a definitive hernia repair. Negative pressure wound therapy closure should be considered in higher-risk patients. Mesh infection is a complex complication that is commonly encountered by surgeons performing hernia repair. Prevention through patient optimization should be performed whenever appropriate. However, when patients develop a mesh infection, most of them will require a complete mesh excision and recurrent hernia repair.

In this work we present some of the data about the nesting ecology of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) collected during 2009-2018 in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings. A total of 144 different nests (occupied, unoccupied and destroyed) were recorded in this period. We also recorded 7 breeding pairs (territories) whose nests could not be identified. The preferred tree species for nesting were Salix alba with 63% of all identified nests, 17% were in Populus alba, Populus x canadensis hibrid 15%, 3% in Alnus glutinosa, 1% in Tilia tomentosa and 1% in Quercus robur. The nests were located in the tallest trees available on the site and were placed at heights between 5 and 24 meters. 67% of these were above 13 m of the ground, while 33 % below. The White-tailed Eagle nest site selection may be a response both to tree availability in the foraging habitat as well as food supply.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is an inherited abnormality of the red blood cell, caused by defects in structural membrane proteins. The condition is dominantly inherited in 75% of people. The severity of the disorder is related to the type and amount of membrane disruption, which is genetically determined. A patient who suffers from this disorder is commonly found in a surgical ward when the disease becomes unmanageable by a hematologist. Surgeons encounter complications such as: jaundice, splenomegaly, gallstone sand severe anemia. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with a history of hereditary spherocytosis who presented at the emergency room for pain in the right upper quadrant, jaundice and anemia and was diagnosed with gallbladder stones and common bile duct obstruction.

Colonoscopy is a common diagnostic procedure for colon. Colonic perforation is a well-known iatrogenic complication of diagnostic colonoscopy. However, appendiceal involvement with inflammation or perforation is extremely rare and only a few cases of post-colonoscopy appendicitis have been reported so far. We describe a series of four cases operated in our clinic for acute appendicitis that developed in young age, shortly after colonoscopic examination for another pathology (irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular colonic disease, left iliac fossa and left flank pain).

Sigmoid volvulus happens when the sigmoid wraps around itself and its mesentery. Sigmoid volvulus accounts for 2% to 50% of all colonic obstructions. This pathology generally affects adults, and it is more common in males. The etiology is multifactorial and controversial; the main symptoms are diffuse abdominal pain, distention and constipation, while the pregnant signs are abdominal distention and tenderness. Laboratory findings are not pathognomonic: abdominal X-ray radiographs show a dilated sigmoid colon and multiple intestinal air-fluid levels, abdominal CT and MRI demonstrate a whirled sigmoid mesentery. Flexible endoscopy reveals a spiral sphincter-like twist of the mucosa. The diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus is established by clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and sometimes operative findings. Although flexible endoscopic detorsion is advocated as the primary treatment choice, emergency surgery is required for patients who present with peritonitis, bowel gangrene, or perforation, or for patients whose non-operative treatment is unsuccessful. Although emergency surgery includes various non-definitive or definitive procedures, resection with primary anastomosis is the most commonly recommended procedure. After a successful non-operative detorsion, elective sigmoid resection and anastomosis is recommended. The overall mortality is 10% to 50%, while the overall morbidity is 6% to 24%.

Colonic intussusception in adults is extremely rare, accounting for about 5% of all cases of intussusception. The telescoping of a proximal segment in the lumen of the adjacent segment has a classic classical triad in the symptomatology of children: abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and palpable abdominal mass. In the adult patient, the symptoms are almost absent, and rarely they consist of constipation, bloody stool, or a malignant pathology that accompanies intussusception, weight loss, and anemia. We present the case of a 86-year-old patient who underwent a surgical procedure for repairing a rectal prolapse; intraoperatively, we discovered a sigmoid intussusception for which we performed a segmentary sigmoidectomy, repairing the rectal prolapse by rectosacropexy with alloplastic mesh.

It seems interesting to adopt the idea of dance in the context of the arrangement of molecular blocks in the building of molecular systems. Just as various dances can create various feelings, the nature and arrangement of molecular blocks in the generated molecular system can induce different properties. We consider obtaining such “dancing” systems in which the still little-known azulene moieties are involved. The dark blue nonbenzenoid aromatic azulene has one less axis of symmetry relative to the two axes of its isomer, i.e., the fully benzenoid naphthalene, acquiring valuable properties as a result that can be used successfully in technical applications. In a dancing system, the azulene moieties can be connected directly, or a more or less complex spacer can be inserted between them. Several azulene moieties can form a linear oligomer or a polymer and the involvement of azulene moieties in nonlinear molecules, such as crown ethers, calixarenes, azuliporphyrins, or azulenophane, is a relatively new and intensely studied topic. Some aspects are covered in this review, which are mainly related to obtaining the mentioned azulene compounds and less to their characterization or physico-chemical properties.

Introduction. In the last five years (from 1st of January 2013 to 31st of December 2017), we noticed 6 cases of rectal cancer, developed in patients who underwent stoma reversal more than two years before, for different pathologies. The objective of the study. That was a starting point to analyze whether the restoration of a total digestive diversion, well known to improve life quality, also increases the risk of malignancy. Material and methods. We studied all the patients with colostomy reversal hospitalized in the General Surgery Clinic of the Emergency Clinical Hospital “Sfântul Pantelimon“, Bucharest, Romania, in a ten years interval (1st of January 2008 – 31st of December 2017), no matter the primary cause of colostomy was. Results. Our study showed that stoma reversal increase the risk of developing a rectal malignancy two years from restoration. Conclusions. We recommend annual control by recto‑sigmoidoscopy both in patients with terminal permanent colostomy and in those with stoma reversal, in order to early discover a subsequent rectal cancer.

Introduction. Takayasu’s arteritis or pulseless disease is a systemic inflammatory disease of an unknown etiology, affecting medium and large arteries and their branches, leading to stenosis, occlusions, or aneurysmal degeneration. It is more frequent in young Asian women. Case presentation. We present a rare case of Takayasu’s disease in a young woman, who initially developed an acute ischemic cholecystitis. Ischemia is one of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of acute acalculous cholecystitis. As this mechanism is most often involved in elderly people, such an uncommon finding at young age should be a reason to suspect a vasculitis with small vessel occlusion. Conclusions. Acute cholecystitis in this patient was the first onset sign of Takayasu’s arteritis. An acute acalculous cholecystitis at young age could be of ischemic origin and should also be considered as a possible epiphenomenon of a generalized vasculitis disease.

he Spieghelian hernia or ventro-lateral hernia is produced through the effect of rupture of the abdominal wall fibers, near the semi lunar line. The hernia sac is usually accompanied by extra peritoneal fatty tissue and is intra parietal, it passes through the aponeurosis of the transverse muscle and internal oblique muscle, and it grows under the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle. The Spiegel hernia is rare and is difficult to diagnose clinically. In this article we present the case of a 43-year-old patient who presented at the emergency department for a pseudo-tumor mass in the left flank and was diagnosed with Spiegel hernia.

As a continuation of research on 1-vinylazulenes synthesis, on their physico–chemical properties as well as on their use as colorimetric and electrochemical materials for the detection of heavy metals ions, new compounds, 4-(azulen-1-ylmethylene)-2-phenyloxazol-5(4H)-ones, are reported. The exceptional structure of azulene moiety with symmetrical electron distribution only with respect to the x-axis gives some special chemical and physical properties to compounds in which it is inserted. Various azulene-1-carbaldehydes and hippuric acids are condensed with good yields in Erlenmeyer—Plöchl reaction conditions. The obtained 1-vinylzulenes were characterized and their UV-Vis and NMR spectra were briefly discussed.

Cecum diverticulosis is a benign, rare and generally asymptomatic disease that can manifest with acute diverticulitis or bleeding, thus complicating the differential diagnosis of the right iliac fossa pathology. The optimal management of this disease does not have a well-established treatment plan, as it may vary in some centers from conservative treatment, consisting of only antibiotics, to segmental colectomy or even right hemicolectomy. We present the case of a 45-year-old patient, prior diagnosed with chronic pain in the right iliac fossa after appendectomy, who was diagnosed with a single cecum diverticulum.

Phytobezoar is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. This pathology represents 0.4%-4% of all mechanical bowel obstructions. Symptoms are similar to other small bowel obstructions. The most common localisation of the obstruction is represented by the terminal ileum. Phytobezoars are to be considered in patients who have had gastric surgery, a high fiber intake or psychiatric disorders. Also, multiple sclerosis has shown to affect bowel motility, which is important to our case. Surgery is always indicated. A low fiber diet and prokinetics are indicated for the prevention of this pathology. We present the case of a 43-year-old female who was admitted to the ICU following a car accident. The patient presented bowel obstruction symptoms (nausea and vomiting, bloating, not passing gas and severe abdominal pain) the 5th day after admission and was transferred to the operating room for exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperatively, we discovered a phytobezoar which was confirmed by the histopathological exam.

Introduction: Many colon neoplastic tumors come from the malignancy of adenomatous polyps (70%-90%) that were not timely diagnosed in order to be resected. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study regarding the incidence of adenomatous polyps during 1.000 consecutive colonoscopies performed in our Upper and Lower Digestive Endoscopy Laboratory during a three-year period. Results: During these colonoscopies, some targeted polyps were biopsied or completely removed and the samples had been sent to a complete anatomopathological examination. Taking into consideration the results, the polyps were classified after the histological type and the form of dysplasia, in order to determine the polyp forms that present a high risk of malignancy. Conclusion: Given the rather high frequency of malignant polyps discovered during our study, we highly recommend colonoscopy as a method of choice for routine monitoring of selected cases.

New solutions in operational environments are often, among objective measurements, evaluated by using subjective assessment and judgment from experts. Anyhow, it has been demonstrated that subjective measures suffer from poor resolution due to a high intra and inter-operator variability. Also, performance measures, if available, could provide just partial information, since an operator could achieve the same performance but experiencing a different workload. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate: (i) the higher resolution of neurophysiological measures in comparison to subjective ones; and (ii) how the simultaneous employment of neurophysiological measures and behavioral ones could allow a holistic assessment of operational tools. In this regard, we tested the effectiveness of an electroencephalography (EEG)-based neurophysiological index (WEEG index) in comparing two different solutions (i.e., Normal and Augmented) in terms of experienced workload. In this regard, 16 professional air traffic controllers (ATCOs) have been asked to perform two operational scenarios. Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) has also been recorded to evaluate the level of arousal (i.e., operator involvement) during the two scenarios execution. NASA-TLX questionnaire has been used to evaluate the perceived workload, and an expert was asked to assess performance achieved by the ATCOs. Finally, reaction times on specific operational events relevant for the assessment of the two solutions, have also been collected. Results highlighted that the Augmented solution induced a local increase in subjects performance (Reaction times). At the same time, this solution induced an increase in the workload experienced by the participants (WEEG). Anyhow, this increase is still acceptable, since it did not negatively impact the performance and has to be intended only as a consequence of the higher engagement of the ATCOs. This behavioral effect is totally in line with physiological results obtained in terms of arousal (GSR), that increased during the scenario with augmentation. Subjective measures (NASA-TLX) did not highlight any significant variation in perceived workload. These results suggest that neurophysiological measure provide additional information than behavioral and subjective ones, even at a level of few seconds, and its employment during the pre-operational activities (e.g., design process) could allow a more holistic and accurate evaluation of new solutions.

The non-alternant aromatic azulene, an isomer of alternant naphthalene, differs from the latter in peculiar properties. The large polarization of the π-electron system over the seven and five rings gives to azulene electrophile property a pronounced tendency to donate electrons to an acceptor, substituted at azulene 1 position. This paper presents cases in which azulene transfers electrons to a suitable acceptor as methylium ions, positive charged heteroaromatics and examples of neutral molecules that can accept electrons. The proposed product synthesis was outlined and the expected electron transfer was highlighted by analyzing the NMR, UV-Vis spectra and the pKR+ values.

Visualizing decision boundaries of machine learning classifiers can help in classifier design, testing and fine-tuning. Decision maps are visualization techniques that overcome the key sparsity-related limitation of scatterplots for this task. To increase the trustworthiness of decision map use, we perform an extensive evaluation considering the dimensionality-reduction (DR) projection techniques underlying decision map construction. We extend the visual accuracy of decision maps by proposing additional techniques to suppress errors caused by projection distortions. Additionally, we propose ways to estimate and visually encode the distance-to-decision-boundary in decision maps, thereby enriching the conveyed information. We demonstrate our improvements and the insights that decision maps convey on several real-world datasets.

RadViz is one of the few methods in Visual Analytics able to project high-dimensional data and explain formed structures in terms of data variables. However, RadViz methods have several limitations in terms of scalability in the number of variables, ambiguities created in the projection by the placement of variables along the circular design space, and ability to segregate similar instances into visual clusters. To address these limitations, we propose RadViz++, a set of techniques for interactive exploration of high-dimensional data using a RadViz-type metaphor. We demonstrate the added value of our method by comparing it with existing high-dimensional visualization methods, and also by analyzing a complex real-world dataset having over a hundred variables.

This research presents the consolidation, stabilization and fixing system of anchors with protected long strands joined together in soil, by injecting grout with special additives. Dynamic response to earthquakes, in case of anchoring system with strands must be able to reach high allowable values of total displacement (elongation of strands) in order to achieve an adequate degree of stability of ground massive.