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We aim to study organ penetrability and anti-inflammatory effect of Hydrocortisone-loaded nanoparticles (HC-nano) after inducing hypertrophy with previous very-high dose medium-term Nifedipine administration. Materials and methods: Experiment was conducted in two phases on 60 adult, healthy Wistar rats, randomly divided initially in two groups (Phase 1), respecting 1:1 ratio between males and non-pregnant females, within each group. Group A1 (control) included 20 rats (10M/10F) and received no medication. Group B1 included 40 rats (20M/20F) and received oral Nifedipine 100 mg/kg body weight daily (approximately 100x therapeutic human dose), for 4 weeks. When Phase 1 ended, 8 rats did not survive in Group B1, and 40% (approximated to nearest integer) of rats of each sex, within each group were sacrificed, organs were harvested and analyzed microscopically. The rest of living rats entered Phase 2: Group A2 (control) remained with 12 rats (6M/6F) continuing with no medication; Group B2 counted 18 rats (10M/8F) that were given oral HC-nano 2 mg/kg body weight daily (therapeutic dose), for another 4 weeks. After Phase 2 completion, all animals were sacrificed, and tissues were microscopically analyzed. Results: Nifedipine induced statistically significant hypertrophy in the studied organs, with impressive results in gingiva (capillaries, p0.05). Recorded hypergrowth did not differ significantly between sexes in Group B1, regardless of the organ (p>0.05), but 3 times more females died within Phase 1, due to very-high dose Nifedipine toxicity. After Phase 2, hypertrophy reduction was statistically significant in Group B2 (Hydrocortisone) compared with Group B1 (Nifedipine), in gums, heart (muscle fiber diameter) and kidneys (p0.05). Conclusions: Very-high dose medium-term Nifedipine induces similar hypertrophic effects like chronic administration. Hydrocortisone-loaded nanoparticles have potent effects on several tissues in rats.

(1) Background: The aortic arch (AA) branching model is challenging, considering the multiple anatomical variations documented in existing research. The bovine aortic arch (BAA) is the most prevalent anatomical variation among these. This variant of AA branching has long been considered a nonsymptomatic malformation, having been discovered incidentally during imaging investigations for other causes. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that BAA shows a frequent association with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), thoracic aortic disease (TAD), and stroke. At the same time, given the current context of increasing activity in the fields of interventional and surgical procedures in the aorta and its branches, it is very important to know the medical–surgical implications of this anatomical variant. (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review using PubMed and Embase, focusing specifically on randomized trials and cohort analyses that examined the medical–surgical implications of BAA. We assessed information related to studied groups, medical procedures, and study outcomes. Initially, we identified 8454 studies, and after rigorous evaluation, we narrowed down our review to 25 articles. (3) Discussions: The intervention consisted of assessing the risks associated with BAA through different imaging investigation methods such as computer tomographic angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasonography (US). The following results were evaluated: the prevalence of the BAA, the importance of imaging investigations in establishing the diagnosis and the therapeutic management and monitoring the evolution of patients with the BAA, the association of the BAA with CoA, TAD, and stroke, and the potential risks of interventional treatment in patients with the BAA. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of the BAA differs both between different ethnic groups and between genders. Advanced imaging methods such as CTA and 4D flow MRI allow detailed descriptions of supra-aortic vascular anatomy and information about blood flow velocities, direction, and turbulence in the AA. US remains an easy and valuable imaging investigation, with the potential to detect and correctly diagnose the BAA and its hemodynamic implications. Anatomical variations in the AA are associated with increased rates of TAD, CoA, and stroke, necessitating early diagnosis and increased supervision of patients with such incidentally observed abnormalities. In addition, there is a need to further develop and refine the surgical techniques used and personalize them to the individual characteristics of patients with the BAA.

PurposeThe primary objective of this study was to develop and validate an AI algorithm as a screening tool for the detection of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).ParticipantsImages were collected from infants enrolled in the KIDROP tele-ROP screening program.MethodsWe developed a deep learning (DL) algorithm with 227,326 wide-field images from multiple camera systems obtained from the KIDROP tele-ROP screening program in India over an 11-year period. 37,477 temporal retina images were utilized with the dataset split into train (n = 25,982, 69.33%), validation (n = 4,006, 10.69%), and an independent test set (n = 7,489, 19.98%). The algorithm consists of a binary classifier that distinguishes between the presence of ROP (Stages 1–3) and the absence of ROP. The image labels were retrieved from the daily registers of the tele-ROP program. They consist of per-eye diagnoses provided by trained ROP graders based on all images captured during the screening session. Infants requiring treatment and a proportion of those not requiring urgent referral had an additional confirmatory diagnosis from an ROP specialist.ResultsOf the 7,489 temporal images analyzed in the test set, 2,249 (30.0%) images showed the presence of ROP. The sensitivity and specificity to detect ROP was 91.46% (95% CI: 90.23%–92.59%) and 91.22% (95% CI: 90.42%–91.97%), respectively, while the positive predictive value (PPV) was 81.72% (95% CI: 80.37%–83.00%), negative predictive value (NPV) was 96.14% (95% CI: 95.60%–96.61%) and the AUROC was 0.970.ConclusionThe novel ROP screening algorithm demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in detecting the presence of ROP. A prospective clinical validation in a real-world tele-ROP platform is under consideration. It has the potential to lower the number of screening sessions required to be conducted by a specialist for a high-risk preterm infant thus significantly improving workflow efficiency.

This study aimed to provide environmental surveillance data for evaluating the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 in public areas with high foot traffic in a university. Air and surface samples were collected at a university that had the second highest number of COVID-19 cases among public higher education institutions in the U.S. during Fall 2020. A total of 60 samples were collected in 16 sampling events performed during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Nearly 9800 students traversed the sites during the study period. SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in any air or surface samples. The university followed CDC guidance, including COVID-19 testing, case investigations, and contact tracing. Students, faculty, and staff were asked to maintain physical distancing and wear face coverings. Although COVID-19 cases were relatively high at the university, the possibility of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infections at the sites tested was low.

(1) Background: The aortic arch (AA) branching model is challenging, considering the multiple anatomical variations documented in existing research. The bovine aortic arch (BAA) is the most prevalent anatomical variation among these. This variant of AA branching has long been considered a nonsymptomatic malformation, having been discovered incidentally during imaging investigations for other causes. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that BAA shows a frequent association with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), thoracic aortic disease (TAD), and stroke. At the same time, given the current context of increasing activity in the fields of interventional and surgical procedures in the aorta and its branches, it is very important to know the medical–surgical implications of this anatomical variant. (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review using PubMed and Embase, focusing specifically on randomized trials and cohort analyses that examined the medical–surgical implications of BAA. We assessed information related to studied groups, medical procedures, and study outcomes. Initially, we identified 8454 studies, and after rigorous evaluation, we narrowed down our review to 25 articles. (3) Discussions: The intervention consisted of assessing the risks associated with BAA through different imaging investigation methods such as computer tomographic angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasonography (US). The following results were evaluated: the prevalence of the BAA, the importance of imaging investigations in establishing the diagnosis and the therapeutic management and monitoring the evolution of patients with the BAA, the association of the BAA with CoA, TAD, and stroke, and the potential risks of interventional treatment in patients with the BAA. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of the BAA differs both between different ethnic groups and between genders. Advanced imaging methods such as CTA and 4D flow MRI allow detailed descriptions of supra-aortic vascular anatomy and information about blood flow velocities, direction, and turbulence in the AA. US remains an easy and valuable imaging investigation, with the potential to detect and correctly diagnose the BAA and its hemodynamic implications. Anatomical variations in the AA are associated with increased rates of TAD, CoA, and stroke, necessitating early diagnosis and increased supervision of patients with such incidentally observed abnormalities. In addition, there is a need to further develop and refine the surgical techniques used and personalize them to the individual characteristics of patients with the BAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Wastewater surveillance (WS), when coupled with advanced molecular techniques, offers near real-time monitoring of community-wide transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and allows assessing and mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks, by evaluating the total microbial assemblage in a community. Composite wastewater samples (24 h) were collected weekly from a manhole between December 2020 and November 2021 in Maryland, USA. RT-qPCR results showed concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA recovered from wastewater samples reflected incidence of COVID-19 cases. When a drastic increase in COVID-19 was detected in February 2021, samples were selected for microbiome analysis (DNA metagenomics, RNA metatranscriptomics, and targeted SARS-CoV-2 sequencing). Targeted SARS-CoV-2 sequencing allowed for detection of important genetic mutations, such as spike: K417N, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A, and D1118H, commonly associated with increased cell entry and reinfection. Microbiome analysis (DNA and RNA) provided important insight with respect to human health-related factors, including detection of pathogens and their virulence/antibiotic resistance genes. Specific microbial species comprising the wastewater microbiome correlated with incidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, suggesting potential association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Climatic conditions, namely, temperature, were related to incidence of COVID-19 and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, having been monitored as part of an environmental risk score assessment carried out in this study. In summary, the wastewater microbiome provides useful public health information, and hence, a valuable tool to proactively detect and characterize pathogenic agents circulating in a community. In effect, metagenomics of wastewater can serve as an early warning system for communicable diseases, by providing a larger source of information for health departments and public officials. IMPORTANCE Traditionally, testing for COVID-19 is done by detecting SARS-CoV-2 in samples collected from nasal swabs and/or saliva. However, SARS-CoV-2 can also be detected in feces of infected individuals. Therefore, wastewater samples can be used to test all individuals of a community contributing to the sewage collection system, i.e., the infrastructure, such as gravity pipes, manholes, tanks, lift stations, control structures, and force mains, that collects used water from residential and commercial sources and conveys the flow to a wastewater treatment plant. Here, we profile community wastewater collected from a manhole, detect presence of SARS-CoV-2, identify genetic mutations of SARS-CoV-2, and perform COVID-19 risk score assessment of the study area. Using metagenomics analysis, we also detect other microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses) present in the samples. Results show that by analyzing all microorganisms present in wastewater, pathogens circulating in a community can provide an early warning for contagious diseases.

Invasive forms of aspergillosis of the nervous system are relatively rare and are usually diagnosed in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a young female patient, treated in the last two months with corticosteroids and antifungal drug for pulmonary aspergillosis, who developed progressive paraparesis. An intramedullary abscess at the C7–D1 level was identified and the lesion was treated with a combination of surgery and antifungal therapy. Histopathologic findings of surgical specimens showed myelomalacia with Aspergillus hyphae and a peripheral rim of neutrophils. We consider that the use of multiple drugs and corticosteroids for our patient’s initial community pneumonia could be the factor that transformed her into a mildly immunocompromised individual and permitted the Aspergillus spp. to disseminate through the blood and into the spinal cord. Moreover, we highlight the fact that more attention should be paid to living and working conditions of the patients, as a simple colonization of the lung with Aspergillus spp. could develop, in a short time, into an invasive disease with a high risk of mortality.

Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto del nivel de oferta de ensilaje de Avena sativa L., variedad Altoandina, en el consumo de materia seca total de la dieta y la productividad de las vacas lactantes en pastoreo en el municipio de Pasto, Colombia. Materiales y Métodos: Se utilizaron 12 vacas F1 (Kiwi cross x Holstein), de 450 kg de peso vivo promedio, en un diseño de sobre cambio. Se establecieron dos tratamientos, que correspondieron a dos niveles de inclusión de ensilaje: 20 (T1) y 35 % (T2) del consumo de materia seca total. Se evaluaron períodos de 12 días, siete de adaptación y cinco de medición. Se estimó el consumo de materia seca, la calidad y la producción de leche, así como los indicadores del perfil metabólico (glucosa, colesterol y nitrógeno ureico en sangre). La información se procesó mediante un análisis de varianza y la prueba de comparación de medias Tukey. Resultados: Hubo efecto significativo (p < 0,05) para las variables consumo de materia seca total del ensilaje (2,8 vs 1,4 kg/MS/vaca/día para 35 y 20 % de inclusión de ensilaje de avena, respectivamente). La producción de leche fue de 14,9 vs 14,3 kg/vaca/día, para 35 y 20 % de inclusión de ensilaje de avena, respectivamente. El nitrógeno ureico en leche y el nitrógeno ureico en sangre resultaron superiores en T1 con respecto a T2 (15,8 y 3,1 vs 14,5 y 2,8, respectivamente). Conclusiones: La introducción en la dieta de ensilaje de A. sativa, variedad Altoandina (20 y 35 %), afectó el consumo de materia seca total. Además, la inclusión de 35 % del ensilaje influyó positivamente en la producción de leche, al aumentar en 4 %.

The Romanian fruit market has a high growth potential but, to a great degree, after 1989 it has registered a reverse phenomenon. The fruit estate, consisting of orchards and nurseries, totaled in the 80s around 290.000 ha, representing 2% of the agricultural area of the country. Nowadays, the fruit heritage is a lot diminished. In 2010, Romania had 196,000 hectares of orchards, these surfaces decreasing by 2016 when they totaled 138,000 hectares, representing 1% of the agricultural area of the country. For the recovery of this sector, it is necessary to renew the fruit plantations. Also, the range of fruit products needs to be diversified so that Romania can enter the European markets. In addition, Romanian producers should be encouraged by introducing tax exemptions and by granting new types of subsidies. In this way, Romania will be able to become competitive on the European and global market. The studies carried out on Research and Development Station for Fruit Growing (RDSFG) Iasi show how using high performance hybrids, as well as widening the range of products and maintaining a distribution process with no intermediaries have helped the company preserving a significant market share and increasing its turnover in the last years.

Alternaria blight in mustard cause heavy damage to the foliar parts resulting into poor growth and development of plants and thereby reduces seed yield. Inorder to manage Alternaria infestation in mustard seed for yield maximization, an experiment was conducted in the plant protection laboratory in Nepal Polytechnic Institute, Bharatpur, Chitwan in 2018, using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. Five treatments i.e.Uthane M-45 (2g/kg), Neem powder (3 g/kg), Bojho powder (4g/kg), Trichoderma harzianum, (107 Conidia/mL) and control (without treatment) were used for seed treatment of local variety of Mustard. Four hundred seeds for each treatment (25 seeds in each petriplate) were plated using triple layers of moistened blotter paper in petriplate and incubated at (27±20C) for 2 days and followed deep freezing for 24 hrs. Data of disease incidence and seed germination were recorded in 3, 7 and 10 days after incubation (DAI). Seedling vigor and seedling weight were also recorded at 5 DAI. The percentage of Alternaria spp incidence on seeds at different DAI showed highly significant with respect to different treatments. Application of Uthane M-45 and T. harzianum significantly reduced the seed-borne infection of Alternaria spp. as compared to control. At 3 DAI Uthane M-45 completely checked the pathogen however, only 4% and 5% disease incidence was observed in 7 DAI and 10 DAI respectively. Bio control agent Trichoderma harzianum was found next best alternative after Uthane M-45 to control disease. Plant extract Bojho powder and Neem powder were found better than control to check the disease. Furthermore, highest germination (76%) was observed in Trichoderma treatment whereas, lowest germination was found in control.

Celiac disease (CD) comprises over 1% of the world’s population and is a chronic multisystem immune-mediated condition manifested by digestive and/or extradigestive symptoms caused by food intake of gluten. This review looked at the risk of children diagnosed with CD developing SARS-CoV-2 infection and possible severe forms of COVID-19. A better understanding of the interaction and effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CD is very important, as is the role of environmental and genetic factors, but especially the molecular mechanisms involved in modulating intestinal permeability with impact on autoimmunity. CD inspired the testing of a zonulin antagonist for the fulminant form of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and paved the way for the discovery of new molecules to regulate the small intestine barrier function and immune responses. Original published works on COVID-19 and CD, new data and points of view have been analyzed because this dangerous virus SARS-CoV-2 is still here and yet influencing our lives. Medical science continues to focus on all uncertainties triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection and its consequences, including in CD. Although the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be gradually extinguishing, there is a wealth of information and knowledge gained over the last two years and important life lessons to analyze, as well as relevant conclusions to be drawn to deal with future pandemics. Zonulin is being studied extensively in immunoengineering as an adjuvant to improving the absorption of new drugs and oral vaccines.

A tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a communication between the trachea and esophagus that is acquired or congenital. Congenital TEF, without other conditions like esophageal atresia, is usually diagnosed after birth or during infancy, as the baby will develop respiratory symptomatology, mostly severe, due to fluid/food aspiration in the trachea. In adults, TEFs can be caused by malignant conditions, blunt trauma, iatrogenic injury, prolonged mechanical ventilation and excessive inflation pressure of the endotracheal tube. We report a male patient of 86 years of age who presented at the "St. Spiridon" Emergency County Hospital in January 2022, accusing breathing difficulty, productive cough and occasional stabbing pain in the posterior thorax, within the previous week. Clinical exam was typical for pneumonia, but since the patient mentioned coughing episodes during eating/drinking since December 2021, together with a history of general anesthesia for abdominal surgery in mid-November 2021, a CT scan was performed. It confirmed a TEF of 7/16 mm (transverse/cranio-caudal) in size, located at the level of T2 vertebral body. The particularity of the case resides in the uncertain etiology of the fistula. If this patient had a clear iatrogenic injury, aspiration pneumonia should have occurred within days after the intubation event. However, after the surgery the patient was fine and discharged home without any symptomatology relevant for TEF. Only after one month, he started experiencing coughing during eating, that leads us to the assumption that he might have been born with a very small and asymptomatic tracheoesophageal defect, and the intubation for general anesthesia, even if done in a correct manner, represented a trigger event which led to development of a TEF. There are very few cases reported in literature with adult patients presenting a minor structural defect that remained unnoticed for a very long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The celiac trunk represents an unpaired visceral branch of the abdominal aorta, which detaches at the level of the 12th cervical vertebra. It has a trajectory of 1-2 cm and a caliber of 5-8 mm, having relations with the parietal peritoneum, the vestibule of the omental bursa, the diaphragmatic lymph nodes and the diaphragmatic pillar muscles, the caudate lobe of the liver, the vertical portion of the small gastric curvature and the median arcuate ligament. The celiac trunk trifurcates into three terminal branches: the left gastric artery, the common hepatic artery and the splenic artery. Each of these branches has a specific trajectory and relations, vascularizing the corresponding organs. Given its importance as a source of vascularization, any anatomical variation is eloquent and necessary to be known for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions at this level. Methods: The selection of articles that were included in this paper was made using the PubMed database, where the following keywords were used: variation of celiac trunk, celiac trunk and laparoscopic surgery, clinical implications of celiac trunk, celiac trunk and oncologic extensive surgery. Entering the mentioned keywords generated an initial number of 5428 references. They were subjected to a filtering process: duplicates were removed, only free full-text articles were selected, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Subsequently, the most appropriate articles for the topic of the paper were chosen, according to the Web of Science Impact Factor and suitability criteria, resulting in a final number of 28 articles. Literature review: These 28 articles were reviewed based on the criteria: anatomical variants in the branching of the celiac trunk, implications of anatomical variations of the celiac trunk in: laparoscopic surgery - treatment of median arcuate ligament syndrome, abdominal oncological surgery, liver transplant and interventional radiology. Conclusions: The anatomical variations of the celiac trunk have a significant impact on abdominal surgery, whether oncological or not, liver transplant, as well as minimally invasive radiological procedures. A correct knowledge of the up-mentioned variations significantly decreases the rate of intra- and post-interventional complications, accompanied by a smaller recovery time in the possible event of a complication, and also the general healing time following surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of our article is to emphasize a potential evolution of the Romanian literary language across the one hundred and twenty-five years of confrontation with Jules Verne’s novels. The successive translations of the French author’s works reflect passing from the fixation of the Romanian supradialectal literary language, to its use and emphasis in diachronic and diastratic versions corresponding to the evolution of the Romanian society. We proceed from the idea that the solutions found by the Romanian translators in the lexical-semantic field, that of morpho-syntactic structures, of the transmitted pragmatic-stylistic values, have constituted true contributions to enriching, emphasising and plasticizing the Romanian literary language. Upon carrying out this analysis, we have, of course, called upon the work principles, methods and instruments of the two sciences of the word - valorised in any such undertaking - traductology on the one hand, and diachronic linguistics, on the other hand. Obviously, in both cases, we will be starting from the contrastive-typological grammar data, with frequent references to descriptive, normative grammar, to elements of pragmatics and stylistics, to the particularities of dialectology, in certain situations.

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar tres cultivares de ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) con vacas lecheras, en el trópico alto de Nariño-Colombia, en dos localidades: Pasto (PAS) y Cumbal (CUM). En cada localidad se utilizaron nueve vacas, en un diseño cuadrado latino (3 x 3) con tres tratamientos (T), correspondientes a cada cultivar a evaluar: T1: ryegrass Columbia, T2: ryegrass Samson, T3: ryegrass Ohau. Se estimó el consumo de materia seca (CMS) y la producción de leche (PL), y se recolectaron muestras para analizar: grasa, proteína, sólidos totales y nitrógeno ureico en leche (MUN). No hubo diferencia estadística en el CMS entre los ryegrass en las localidades. En PAS se hallaron diferencias significativas entre cultivares en la variable producción de leche (p < 0,05); con Samson y Ohau se obtuvo mayor producción (17,5 y 17,1 kg/vaca/día) respecto al Columbia (15,5 kg/vaca/día). En el contenido de grasa y sólidos no grasos en leche, no hubo diferencias entre los tratamientos en ninguna de las dos localidades. En cambio, se encontró diferencia significativa (p < 0,05) en la proteína en leche en PAS (3,48; 3,61 y 3,47 % para Columbia, Samson y Ohau, respectivamente). Para la variable MUN (mg/dL), se observó diferencia significativa (p < 0,05) en la localidad de PAS. Se concluye que los cultivares de L. perenne presentaron características nutricionales similares en las dos localidades donde se establecieron. La respuesta en producción y calidad composicional láctea se consideró buena, teniendo en cuenta que los animales no recibieron suplementación y el experimento se realizó en la época de seca, en la cual los rendimientos de las pasturas disminuyen.

The post-synthesis modification is a highly efficient method for the modification of Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, which has been used to synthesize MOF materials purposefully that cannot be prepared by direct synthesis and impregnation method. In this work, amino modified ZIF8 with 5-aminotetrazole was prepared by the post synthesis modification method and was employed to reversibly remove SO2 from flue gas. Based on the characterization and analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Brunner Emmet Teller (BET), it was found that the functionalized ZIF8 (Zn(5-ATZ)1.5) was a microporous material with a two-dimensional nano-layered structure. According to the SO2 adsorption experiments, the adsorption capacity of SO2 at the concentration of 1.6% vol can reach to 122 mg/g under the optimal conditions (25 °C, 2865 h−1). Five successive adsorption-desorption experiments exhibited that Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 had excellent regeneration performance. The characterization results of Raman Spectra (Raman) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as the DFT simulation calculations revealed that SO2 mainly interacted with Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 by hydrogen bonds between O of SO2 and amino H in the Zn(5-ATZ)1.5, and the interaction of SO2 with amino N and 5-aminotetrazole N by forming a non-covalent charge transfer complex. This work suggested that Zn(5-ATZ)1.5 is an excellent potential sorbent for SO2 removal.

Background: The influence of the early COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID-19 emergencies is uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation, management, and prognosis of patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases from January to August 2020. A meta-analysis of studies comparing the profile, STEMI severity at presentation, reperfusion delay, and in-hospital mortality for patients presenting before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Fifteen cross-sectional observational studies including 20,528 STEMI patients from the pre-COVID period and 2190 patients diagnosed and treated during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic met the inclusion criteria. Results: Patients presenting with STEMI during the pandemic were younger and had a higher comorbidity burden. The time interval between symptoms and first medical contact increased from 93.22 ± 137.37 min to 142 ± 281.60 min (p < 0.001). Door-to-balloon time did not differ significantly between the two periods (p = 0.293). The pooled odds ratio (OR) for low left ventricular ejection fraction at presentation during the pandemic was 2.24 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54–3.26) and for a presentation delay >24 h was 2.9 (95% CI 1.54–5.45) relative to before the pandemic. In-hospital mortality did not increase significantly during the outbreak (p = 0.97). Conclusion: During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients presenting with STEMI were addressed later in the course of the disease with more severe left ventricular impairment. In-hospital emergency circuits and care functioned properly with no increase in door-to-balloon time and early mortality.

RESUMEN El experimento se realizó en el centro de investigación Obonuco de Agrosavia (2 réplicas), Pasto (Nariño-Colombia), donde se evaluó la respuesta productiva y perfil metabólico de vacas lactantes, de acuerdo al suministro de ensilaje de avena (AvenaSativa-L). Se utilizaron seis vacas primer parto F1 kiwi-cross x Holstein, durante el primer tercio de lactancia, en pastoreo, en un cuadrado latino replicado 3x3, el ensilaje se suministró en tres tratamientos TTOS: T1=0;T2=0,8 y T3=1,4% según peso vivo (PV) del animal. Cada periodo evaluado comprendió 12 días (d), 5 fueron de acostumbramiento y 7 de medición; la leche se midió durante los 12 d y los últimos 3 d se recolectaron en ordeño muestras de leche/animal, se evaluó: producción de leche litros (L)/día (d) (PL); %proteína (P), %grasa (G), %solidos totales (ST) y nitrógeno ureico en leche (MUN miligramos (mg) / decilitro (dL)). El d 12 se tomó muestra de sangre, vía punción coccígea determinando en suero indicadores de perfil metabólico (GlucosaColesterol-BUM-milimol -mmol/L), La información se procesó en el software R-Project, con análisis de varianza y pruebas de comparación de medias (Tukey0,05) entre TTOS. Se concluye que la suplementación con ensilaje de Avena sativa en vacas lecheras Kiwi cross x Holstein puede ser una estrategia nutricional para aumentar la producción de leche en épocas de escases de pasturas, en el trópico alto andino de Nariño, Colombia. ABSTRACT This experiment was carried out in the Obonuco Research Center of Agrosavia (2 replication), Pasto (Nariño-Colombia). The productive response and metabolic profile of lactating cows were evaluated according to the supply of oat silage (Avena-Sativa-L). Six first calving cows F1 kiwi-cross x Holstein, during the third lactation period, were used; in grazing, in a 3x3 replicated Latin square, silage was supplied in three treatments TTOS: T1=0,T2=0.8 and T3=1,4% according to live weight (LW) of the animal. Each period consisted of 12 days (d), 5 d for rest and 7 d for measurement, milk was measured during the 12 d and the last 3 d were collected in milking milk/animal samples, it was evaluated: milk production liters (L)/day (d) (PL); %protein (P), %fat (G), %total solids (ST) and urea nitrogen in milk (MUN milligrams (mg) / deliciters (dL)). On d 12, blood samples were taken from coccygeal puncture, determining in serum indicators of metabolic profile (Glucose-Cholesterol-BUM-millimol (mmol)/L)). The information was processed with the R-Project software, with variance analysis and mean comparison tests (Tukey0,05) between TTOS. It is concluded that supplementation with Sativa oats silage in Kiwi cross x Holstein dairy cows may be a nutritional strategy to increase milk production during pastures shortage in the high Andean tropics of Nariño, Colombia.

Background. Patients with cervical spinal injury with quadriplegia are at an increased risk of developing serious gastrointestinal complications. We report an unusual case of spontaneous rectosigmoid perforation in a quadriplegic patient. Case Presentation. A 58-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented to the emergency department following a fall from 25 feet of height. He sustained a fifth cervical vertebral fracture with quadriplegia and neurogenic shock. One week later, he developed progressive abdominal distension with tachycardia, low blood pressure, and respiratory distress. His abdomen was soft but had impaired liver dullness. Imaging showed evidence of visceral perforation. He underwent an emergency laparotomy and was found to have a perforation of the antemesenteric border of the rectosigmoid junction with fecal contamination. The perforation was repaired primarily, and a temporary loop ileostomy was created. The patient received intensive care for 4 days, and thereafter, the recovery was uneventful. He was later transferred to the spinal unit for further management. The intraoperative findings, histology, and subsequent colonoscopy did not reveal any underlying cause for the perforation. Conclusions. Clinical signs and symptoms are generally absent in patients following spinal cord injury, and the diagnosis of serious gastrointestinal pathology can be difficult and challenging. We believe that ischemia at the rectosigmoid junction precipitated by multiple factors was the possible reason for the spontaneous perforation.

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeumvulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A–E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley.

The paper investigates the main changes that have taken place in the Romanian fruits and vegetables supply chain over the past twenty years. Its sustainability is assessed using time-series data from different official and private data-bases applying statistic research methods. Results showed that the Romanian supply chain is dominated in terms of both inputs used and offer, by imports originating from different EU countries. The local subsistence and semi-subsistence farms cannot provide enough qualitative and quantitative products such as to penetrate the supermarkets, the main players from the market. Agritourism, a potential niche market, was investigated using sampling techniques. The guesthouses from one of the most important ecotourism destinations where assessed by face-to-face interviews. Results showed that even such short-marketing chains are unsustainable tools for the fresh fruits and vegetables products sectors. The lack of governance for the local producers does not allow them to enter on such niche market. All this findings can provide important incentives for better future targeted sectorial agricultural policies.

The aim of this study is to design a new dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurement system that can operate for shear tests at frequencies as high as 10 kHz with strain amplitudes sufficient for viscoelastic materials operating in high-frequency deformation applications, such as tire rubbers. The available DMA systems in market cannot effectively operate for accurate and direct measurement of viscoelastic material properties for applications dealing with high-frequency deformation of materials. Due to this, the available DMA systems are used for indirect measurements at low frequencies and low temperatures, followed by using time-temperature superposition principle to predict the properties at high frequencies. The goal of this study is to make the range of the test broad enough to eliminate the use of the time-temperature superposition principle in the determination of properties of viscoelastic materials. Direct measurement of viscoelastic material properties and increasing the accuracy of results are the main motivations to design a new DMA system. For this purpose, the state-of-the-art technologies to achieve high frequencies and strain amplitudes as well as instrumentation and control of the system are studied. The design process is presented in this paper.

We report a randomized controlled clinical trial of 2 dressing materials, viz., Vaseline gauze and collagen sheet, after split thickness skin graft in donor site for wound comfort and pain, surgical site infection, and epithelialization. It is a randomized control study registered with CTRI registration number of CTRI/2 020/02/023207. Enrolled patients were randomized with block randomization method with 50 patients in each group. Following STSG procedure, pain score was documented using numerical pain rating score. Surgical site infection and number of days required for complete epithelialization were also documented and analyzed. The results showed that distribution of mean pain score (NPR) for Vaseline gauze group was significantly higher than collagen sheet group. Similarly, number of days required for complete epithelialization was found to be more for Vaseline gauze group than collagen sheet group and there was no significant difference in surgical site infection between the two groups. The study concluded that collagen sheet dressing is better than Vaseline gauze dressing in reducing pain in STSG donor site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-crystal iron oxide nanorings have been proposed as a promising candidate for magnetic hyperthermia application because of their unique shape-induced vortex-domain structure, which supports good colloidal stability and enhanced magnetic properties. However, the synthesis of single crystalline iron oxide has proven to be challenging. In this article, we showed that chemically synthesized multigrain magnetite nanorings disfavor a shape-induced magnetic vortex-domain structure. Our results indicate that the multigrain Fe3O4 nanorings with an average outer diameter of ~110 nm and an inner to outer diameter ratio of ~0.5 do not show a shape-induced vortex-domain structure, which was observed in the single-crystal Fe3O4 nanorings of similar dimensions. At 300 Ks, multigrain magnetite nanorings showed an effective anisotropy field of 440 Oe, which can be attributed to its high surface area and intraparticle interaction. Both calorimetric and AC loop measurements showed a moderate inductive heating efficiency of multigrain magnetite nanorings of ~300 W/g at 800 Oe. Our results shed light on the magnetic ground states of chemically synthesized multigrain Fe3O4 nanorings.