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Objective: To evaluate patient preferences when utilizing telemedicine. Methods: A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was completed by 153 patients at a rural clinic via a convenience sampling method. The survey contained 21 statements encompassing provider confidence, patient-physician rapport, and accessibility variables. Patient responses for those who attended (n = 120) or canceled/rescheduled (n = 33) telemedicine encounters were analyzed using paired difference t-tests and t-tests of correlations between different groups of variables. An ad-hoc method patterned after the least significant differences was applied to the analysis of variance results to evaluate patient-valued variables. Results: Patients surveyed included 82.4% female (n = 127) and 17.6% male (n = 26); 69.3% of them were Hispanic/Latino (n = 106). When reviewing the patient opinion statements, our data suggested a belief that telemedicine encounters were as good as in-person visits (n = 118, x̄ = 4.932) and that such encounters provided them with the confidence to proceed with future, in-person vein treatments (n = 117, x̄ = 4.744). Additionally, patients expressed feeling as though their personal information was safe (n = 117, x̄ = 4.897). Conclusion: Rural patients indicated a preference for flexible encounters and for providers who strive to build trust and rapport when utilizing telemedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ni/N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst couples diynes to the C(α)-C(β) double bond of tropone, a type of reaction that is unprecedented for metal-catalyzed cycloadditions with aromatic tropone. Many different diynes were efficiently coupled to afford [5-6-7] fused tricyclic products, while [5-7-6] fused tricyclic compounds were obtained as minor byproducts in a few cases. The reaction has broad substrate scope and tolerates a wide range of functional groups, and excellent regioselectivity is found with unsymmetrical diynes. Theoretical calculations show that the apparent enone cycloaddition occurs through a distinctive 8π insertion of tropone. The initial intramolecular oxidative cyclization of diyne produces the nickelacyclopentadiene intermediate. This intermediate undergoes an 8π insertion of tropone, and subsequent reductive elimination generates the [5-6-7] fused tricyclic product. This initial product undergoes two competing isomerizations, leading to the observed [5-6-7] and [5-7-6] fused tricyclic products.

In the present study, to achieve grain refinement and enhance the mechanical properties of Al-2Mg alloy, ultrasonic treatment (UT) has been applied to the melt. The effects of this treatment on the microstructure, porosity alleviation, and mechanical properties of Al-2Mg have been thoroughly investigated. A microstructure study of the Al-2Mg UT alloy has revealed a noteworthy enhancement in grain refinement, resulting in a 3-to-4-fold reduction in grain size as compared to a non-UT Al-2Mg alloy. After UT, the yield tensile strength, the ultimate tensile strength, and the microhardness of Al-2Mg alloy are increased by 21%, 34%, and 36% respectively, with a large improvement of 143% in the ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstomia is a clinical condition of reduced mouth opening that can be acquired or congenital in origin. Problems associated with microstomia can be related to function, esthetics, or both. Management of microstomia due to facial burns is complex due to the presence of hypertrophic and contracture scars. Available treatment options can be broadly classified as surgical, nonsurgical, or both. Splints can be used to prevent the contraction of perioral musculature or to recuperate lost mouth opening. Various intraoral or extraoral, tooth-borne or tissue-borne, and static or dynamic appliances are in clinical use, but their designs are case specific. This case report explains the management of microstomia secondary to facial burns by using a dynamic splint in combination with intralesional injections of triamcinolone acetonide and hyaluronidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple studies have shown that the progression of breast cancer depends on multiple signaling pathways, suggesting that therapies with multitargeted anticancer agents will offer improved therapeutic benefits through synergistic effects in inhibiting cancer growth. Dual‐targeted inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3‐K) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) have emerged as promising cancer therapy candidates. However, poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability limited their efficacy in cancer. The present study investigates the encapsulation of a PI3‐Kδ/HDAC6 dual inhibitor into hybrid block copolymers (polylactic acid‐methoxy polyethylene glycol; polylactic acid‐polyethylene glycol‐polypropylene glycol‐polyethylene glycol‐polylactic acid) (HSB‐510) as a delivery system to target PI3‐Kδ and HDAC6 pathways in breast cancer cells. The prepared HSB‐510 showed an average diameter of 96 ± 3 nm, a zeta potential of −17 ± 2 mV, and PDI of ˂0.1 with a slow and sustained release profile of PI3‐Kδ/HDAC6 inhibitors in a nonphysiological buffer. In vitro studies with HSB‐510 have demonstrated substantial growth inhibition of breast cancer cell lines, MDA‐MB‐468, SUM‐149, MCF‐7, and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) as well as downregulation of phospho‐AKT, phospho‐ERK, and c‐Myc levels. Importantly, bi‐weekly treatment of Balb/c wild‐type mice harboring EAC cells with HSB‐510 at a dose of 25 mg/kg resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition. The treatment with HSB‐510 was without any significant effect on the body weights of the mice. These results demonstrate that a novel Quatramer encapsulation of a PI3‐Kδ/HDAC6 dual inhibitor (HSB‐510) represents an approach for the successful targeting of breast cancer and potentially other cancer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of wave propagation in nonhomogeneous elastic solid whose elastic parameters depend on one space coordinate only is considered. The stress and displacement components are assumed to depend on this same space coordinate and time alone. Taking Young’s modulus E=E0 cos αx and density ρ=ρ0 cos αx, we obtain the general solution for the problem of wave propagation in nonhomogeneous elastic rod. Particular cases in which a modified sawtooth, square, and half sine wave rectifier output as input wave, fed through one end of the rod, are studied, and the displacement u(x,t) is obtained. Graphs are drawn to study the behaviour of the input waves at time t=2 s, α=0.01, and =3.5.