A framework for rationing ventilators and critical care beds during the COVID-19 pandemic is proposed, in the event that ICUs find themselves with more patients than they can care for. The framework ...uses a score-based system that incorporates patients' likelihood of surviving to hospital discharge and beyond. It also takes into account their role in the public health response to the outbreak.
Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions have been the focus of industrial application and extensive research efforts for nearly 60 years. A significant transition occurred in this field ...approximately 20 years ago, with the introduction of catalysts supported by ancillary ligands. The ligands play crucial roles in the reactions, including promotion of direct oxidation of palladium(0) by O2, bypassing the typical requirement for Cu salts or related redox cocatalysts to facilitate oxidation of the reduced Pd catalyst; facilitation of key bond-breaking and bond-forming steps during substrate oxidation; and modulation of chemo-, regio-, or stereoselectivity of a reaction. The use of ligands has contributed to significant expansion of the scope of accessible aerobic oxidation reactions. Increased understanding of the role of ancillary ligands should promote the development of new synthetic transformations, enable improved control over the reaction selectivity, and improve catalyst activity and stability. This review surveys the different ligands that have been used to support palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions and, where possible, describes mechanistic insights into the role played by the ancillary ligand.
In a cluster-randomized trial conducted in five ICUs, a nurse-led family-support intervention did not affect surrogates’ scores for anxiety and depression 6 months after the patients’ ...hospitalization, but it improved surrogates’ ratings of the patient-centeredness of care.
The accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is essential for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. This article provides an updated American Heart Association scientific statement on BP ...measurement in humans. In the office setting, many oscillometric devices have been validated that allow accurate BP measurement while reducing human errors associated with the auscultatory approach. Fully automated oscillometric devices capable of taking multiple readings even without an observer being present may provide a more accurate measurement of BP than auscultation. Studies have shown substantial differences in BP when measured outside versus in the office setting. Ambulatory BP monitoring is considered the reference standard for out-of-office BP assessment, with home BP monitoring being an alternative when ambulatory BP monitoring is not available or tolerated. Compared with their counterparts with sustained normotension (ie, nonhypertensive BP levels in and outside the office setting), it is unclear whether adults with white-coat hypertension (ie, hypertensive BP levels in the office but not outside the office) have increased cardiovascular disease risk, whereas those with masked hypertension (ie, hypertensive BP levels outside the office but not in the office) are at substantially increased risk. In addition, high nighttime BP on ambulatory BP monitoring is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Both oscillometric and auscultatory methods are considered acceptable for measuring BP in children and adolescents. Regardless of the method used to measure BP, initial and ongoing training of technicians and healthcare providers and the use of validated and calibrated devices are critical for obtaining accurate BP measurements.
Turkey has leapt to international prominence as an economic and political powerhouse under its elected Muslim government, and is looked on by many as a model for other Muslim countries in the wake of ...the Arab Spring. This book reveals how Turkish national identity and the meanings of Islam and secularism have undergone radical changes in today's Turkey, and asks whether the Turkish model should be viewed as a success story or cautionary tale.
Jenny White shows how Turkey's Muslim elites have mounted a powerful political and economic challenge to the country's secularists, developing an alternative definition of the nation based on a nostalgic revival of Turkey's Ottoman past. These Muslim nationalists have pushed aside the Republican ideal of a nation defined by purity of blood, language, and culture. They see no contradiction in pious Muslims running a secular state, and increasingly express their Muslim identity through participation in economic networks and a lifestyle of Islamic fashion and leisure. For many younger Turks, religious and national identities, like commodities, have become objects of choice and forms of personal expression.
This provocative book traces how Muslim nationalists blur the line between the secular and the Islamic, supporting globalization and political liberalism, yet remaining mired in authoritarianism, intolerance, and cultural norms hostile to minorities and women.
Electroactive polymers (EAP) provide lightweight and cost‐effective materials that enable the next generation of electromechanical devices. Commercial polymers have historically dominated research in ...EAP devices due to their availability. However, several drawbacks of these materials have limited their commercial applications, necessitating new materials for the commercial success of future EAP devices. This review highlights recent advances in novel EAPs for ionic polymer‐metal composites (IPMC) and dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). Ion‐containing block copolymers and charged segmented condensation polymers demonstrate suitable electromechanical properties competitive with Nafion‐based IPMCs. In addition, swelling ionic polymer membranes with free ionic liquid enhances ionic conductivity and promotes electromechanical actuation. Synthetic approaches to increasing permittivity in dielectric elastomers are also explored as a method of producing more efficient DEAs. Incorporating polar functional groups into siloxane and acrylic elastomers through grafting or blending provides high‐dielectric elastomers for use in DEAs with low driving voltages.
Electroactive polymers show promise for use in lightweight, flexible devices such as sensors, artificial muscles, and soft robotics. This review summarizes recent synthetic polymers used in electromechanical transducers with an emphasis on the synthetic design and physical properties required for high performance.
The development of artificial nanomotor systems that are stimuli‐responsive is still posing many challenges. Herein, we demonstrate the self‐assembly of a redox‐responsive stomatocyte nanomotor ...system, which can be used for triggered drug release under biological reducing conditions. The redox sensitivity was introduced by incorporating a disulfide bridge between the hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) block and the hydrophobic polystyrene block. When incubated with the endogenous reducing agent glutathione at a concentration comparable to that within cells, the external PEG shells of these stimuli‐responsive nanomotors are cleaved. The specific bowl‐shaped stomatocytes aggregate after the treatment with glutathione, leading to the loss of motion and triggered drug release. These novel redox‐responsive nanomotors can not only be used for remote transport but also for drug delivery, which is promising for future biomedical applications.
Destruction on demand: A redox‐responsive stomatocyte nanomotor was developed by incorporating disulfide bridges between the hydrophilic PEG and hydrophobic PS moieties of the copolymer. When incubated in vitro with the endogenous reducing agent glutathione, the external PEG shells of the nanomotors are cleaved, which results in the loss of motion and can be used for drug release.
In this letter, the investigators report that saliva specimens and nasopharyngeal swab specimens had similar sensitivity in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in both symptomatic and asymptomatic ...persons.
Patients with gout and cardiovascular disease were assigned to receive febuxostat or allopurinol. At 32 months, there was no significant between-group difference in a composite cardiovascular end ...point, but all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were higher with febuxostat.
PDF
