Conservative treatment had previously been used in our institution to treat the painful stiff knee joint following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the result was not satisfactory. ...Arthroscopic surgery was then performed in 11 patients with painful knee joints with limited motion who had previously undergone TKA. Good results were achieved in eight patients. An average improvement of 56.3 degrees was achieved for knee range of motion. Flexion improved up to 90 degrees in all patients in the early postoperative period following arthroscopy. However, the benefits declined with time. To avoid the potential complications of manipulation and open arthrotomy, arthroscopic surgery is an option for treating the painful stiff knee joint.
The widespread use of disposable plastic straws cause serious environmental problems and poses potential threats to human health, while paper straws, their most used alternatives, are not so ...satisfactory due to poor mechanical performance and unpleasant user experience. Here, a new kind of edible and microplastic‐free straw made from bacterial cellulose (BC) by biosynthesis is reported. Through the alginate coating, this BC‐based straw achieves better mechanical performance than paper straws and avoids additional adhesives. Owing to the 3D nanofiber network and strong interlayer connection, the comprehensive performance of this BC‐based straw surpasses that of commercially available counterparts, satisfying the requirements for practical use. Of particular note, the edible character provides a better user experience and a new end‐of‐life option for the straws, making the BC‐based straw a healthier and more eco‐friendly substitute for plastic straws.
A sustainable, microplastic‐free, ultrastrong, and edible straw is fabricated through biosynthesis. This bacterial cellulose‐based straw demonstrates great sustainability and excellent mechanical performance, representing an ideal substitute for plastic straws and a powerful competitor for paper straws. The 3D network of bacterial cellulose endows the straw with the ability to carry functional substances like flavor molecules, providing a better user experience.
A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for determining ketoprofen in dosage forms and plasma is developed. The drug was chromatographed in a C18 column, using a mobile phase ...consisting of acetonitrile and 1 % acetic acid aqueous solution with ratio 40 : 60, and detected at 254 nm. The linear detector response to the concentration was confirmed. Recoveries from standard addition to tablets and nonaqueous solution were 100.43 and 100.15, for humans and for rabbit plasmas 82.4 and 82.7, respectively. The procedure showed excellent reproduction inside of two days.
It is suggested that this HPLC method could be used for routine assay of ketoprofen in pharmaceutic dosage forms and plasma.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an important health crisis worldwide. Several strategies were implemented to combat COVID-19, including wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social ...distancing. The impact of these strategies on COVID-19 and other viral infections remains largely unclear.
We aim to investigate the impact of implemented infectious control strategies on the incidences of influenza, enterovirus infection, and all-cause pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We utilized the electronic database of the Taiwan National Infectious Disease Statistics System and extracted incidences of COVID-19, influenza virus, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia. We compared the incidences of these diseases from week 45 of 2016 to week 21 of 2020 and performed linear regression analyses.
The first case of COVID-19 in Taiwan was reported in late January 2020 (week 4). Infectious control strategies have been promoted since late January. The influenza virus usually peaks in winter and decreases around week 14. However, a significant decrease in influenza was observed after week 6 of 2020. Regression analyses produced the following results: 2017, R
=0.037; 2018, R
=0.021; 2019, R
=0.046; and 2020, R
=0.599. A dramatic decrease in all-cause pneumonia was also reported (R
values for 2017-2020 were 0.435, 0.098, 0.352, and 0.82, respectively). Enterovirus had increased by week 18 in 2017-2019, but this was not observed in 2020.
Using this national epidemiological database, we found a significant decrease in cases of influenza, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing may contribute not only to the prevention of COVID-19 but also to the decline of other respiratory infectious diseases. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationship.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
An All‐Natural Wood‐Inspired Aerogel Han, Zi‐Meng; Sun, Wen‐Bin; Yang, Kun‐Peng ...
Angewandte Chemie International Edition,
February 1, 2023, 2023-Feb-01, 2023-02-00, 20230201, Letnik:
62, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The oriented pore structure of wood endows it with a variety of outstanding properties, among which the low thermal conductivity has attracted researchers to develop wood‐like aerogels as excellent ...thermal insulation materials. However, the increasing demands of environmental protection have put forward new and strict requirements for the sustainability of aerogels. Here, we report an all‐natural wood‐inspired aerogel consisting of all‐natural ingredients and develop a method to activate the surface‐inert wood particles to construct the aerogel. The obtained wood‐inspired aerogel has channel structure similar to that of natural wood, endowing it with superior thermal insulation properties to most existing commercial sponges. In addition, remarkable fire retardancy and complete biodegradability are integrated. With the above outstanding performances, this sustainable wood‐inspired aerogel will be an ideal substitute for the existing commercial thermal insulation materials.
An interesting surface nanocrystallization method was developed to make the surface‐inert and weakly interacting wood particles better assemble to construct the aerogel. This bottom‐up method allows the preparation of large‐size composite aerogels. The wood‐inspired oriented channel structure endows the obtained aerogel with superior thermal insulation properties to natural wood and most existing commercial sponges.
Flexible supercapacitors represent an attractive technology for the next generation of wearable consumer electronics as power sources but usually suffer from relatively low energy density. It is ...highly desired to construct high‐performance electrodes for the practical applications of supercapacitors. Here, inspired by the natural structure of the spider web, an elaborate design of binder is reported through a biosynthesis process to construct flexible electrodes with both excellent mechanical properties and electrochemical performance. Through this strategy, a spider‐web‐inspired 3D structural binder enables large ion‐accessible surface area and high packing density of active electrode material as well as efficient ion transport pathways. As a result, a high areal capacitance of 4.62 F cm‐2 and a high areal energy density of 0.18 mW h cm‐2 is achieved in the composite electrodes and symmetric supercapacitors, respectively, demonstrating a promising potential to construct flexible energy storage devices for diverse practical applications.
A spider‐web‐inspired composite electrode is developed by biosynthesis process. With the 3D structural binder, electrode material particles are tightly entangled in the bacterial cellulose 3D framework, endowing electrodes with excellent mechanical performance and facilitated ion diffusion. Thereby, spider‐web‐inspired composite electrodes exhibit high areal capacitance and demonstrate excellent rate capability, making them promising wearable and portable electronic applications.
Molecular methods for predicting prognosis in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are urgently needed, considering its high recurrence rate and tendency for metastasis. The ...present study investigated the genetic basis of variations in gene expression associated with poor prognosis in OSCC using Affymetrix SNP 6.0 and Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays. We identified recurrent DNA amplifications scattered from 8q22.2 to 8q24.3 in 112 OSCC specimens. These amplicons demonstrated significant associations with increased incidence of extracapsular spread, development of second primary malignancies, and poor survival. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, in a validation panel consisting of 295 cases, confirmed these associations. Assessment of the effects of copy number variations (CNVs) on genome-wide variations in gene expression identified a total of 85 CNV-associated transcripts enriched in the MYC-centered regulatory network. Twenty-four transcripts associated with increased risk of second primary malignancies, tumor relapse, and poor survival. Besides MYC itself, a novel dysregulated MYC module plays a key role in OSCC carcinogenesis. This study identified a candidate molecular signature associated with poor prognosis in OSCC patients, which may ultimately facilitate patient-tailored selection of therapeutic strategies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Introduction. Postoperative delayed hyponatremia is a complication associated with transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Due to a wide spectrum of symptoms, the reported incidence and predictors of ...postoperative delayed hyponatremia vary among studies, and this deserves to be reviewed systematically. Methods. PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched until September 1, 2020. Studies were included when (1) the event number of delayed hyponatremia after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery was reported, or (2) the associated factors of such complication were evaluated. Results. A total of 27 studies were included for meta-analysis. The pooled incidence of overall and symptomatic delayed hyponatremia was 10.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.4–14.7%) and 5.0% (95% CI = 3.6–6.9%), respectively. No overt variations of the pooled estimates were observed upon subgroups stratified by endoscopic and microscopic procedure, publication year, and patients’ age. In addition, 44.3% (95% CI = 29.6–60.2%) of unplanned hospital readmissions within 30 days were caused by delayed hyponatremia. Among the predictors evaluated, older age was the only significant factor associated with increased delayed hyponatremia (odds ratio = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04–1.29, P = 0.006). Conclusion. This meta-analysis and systematic review evaluated the incidence of postoperative delayed hyponatremia and found it as a major cause of unplanned readmissions after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Older patients are more prone to such complications and should be carefully followed. The retrospective nature and heterogeneity among the included studies and the small number of studies used for risk factor evaluation might weaken the corresponding results. Future prospective clinical studies are required to compensate for these limitations.
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