This study tested the usability of a home-based self-administration transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device designed specifically for women's health needs. This is a single center ...triple blinded clinical usability study for a new wireless, Bluetooth-controlled wearable tDCS device for women's health. The study aims to evaluate the usability and effective blinding of a home-based tDCS system. A total of forty-nine women of reproductive age were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive one session of active tDCS (n = 24) or sham tDCS (n = 25) over the motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Each participant self-administered one 20-minute session without supervision following guidance on a software application alone. The System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) were used to evaluate the usability of the system. Regardless of sham or active conditions, all users found the system easy to use without the support of researchers. Usability scores were considered to be "excellent" in both groups and no significant difference was found between sham and active groups showing effective blinding of the device (Active group: 93.7 (83.1-97.5); Sham group 90 (86.2-95) p = 0.79) and PGIC (Active group: 2 (1-2.75); Sham group 2 (1-2) p = 0.99) using an unpaired t-test or non-parametric statistical tests accordingly. The new Bluetooth-controlled wearable tDCS device is easy, safe to use and completely controlled by a smartphone app. This device is focused on women's health and will be tested as an alternative treatment for chronic pelvic pain and mood disturbance associated with menstrual cycles in further research.
The objective was to evaluate the effects of growth hormone (GH) on the survival, growth, maturation, and fertilization of oocytes derived from caprine preantral ovarian follicles cultured
in vitro. ...Preantral follicles were isolated from the cortex of caprine ovaries and individually cultured for 18 d in the absence (control) or presence of bovine GH at concentrations of 10 or 50 ng/mL (GH10 and GH50, respectively). Follicle development was evaluated on the basis of survival, antral cavity formation, diameter increase, and the presence of healthy cumulus-oocyte complexes and mature oocytes. After culture, oocytes were subjected to
in vitro maturation (IVM) and
in vitro fertilization (IVF). The rate of antrum formation after Day 6 of culture was higher in both GH10 and GH50 than in the control (81.0, 92.7, and 47.6%, respectively, P < 0.05). Percentages of grown oocytes that were acceptable for IVM were also higher (P < 0.05) in GH-treated groups than in the control (54.8, 48.8, and 11.9% for GH10, GH50, and Control). A higher percentage of oocytes in the GH50 treatment underwent meiotic resumption (50.0%), produced mature oocytes, and enabled production of an embryo after IVF than in the control group (0.0%; P < 0.05). In conclusion, GH promoted
in vitro growth and maturation of goat preantral follicle oocytes and enabled production of an embryo. Furthermore, this study was apparently the first to produce a caprine embryo by
in vitro fertilization of oocytes derived from preantral follicles grown
in vitro.
The objective was to evaluate the available published data on sinonasal melanoma and analyse its clinical features, treatment modalities, and prognostic factors. An electronic search was undertaken ...in March 2018 in multiple databases. Eligibility criteria included publications with sufficient clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical information to confirm the diagnosis. Seventy-three publications (439 cases) were included. The lesion was more prevalent in females than in males. There was a higher prevalence in the seventh and eighth decades of life. The lesions mainly presented as epistaxis and commonly involved the nasal cavity. Age (>67.6 years; P=0.0012), primary location (middle turbinate; P=0.0112), disease stage (advanced disease stage; P=0.0026), treatment (radiotherapy; P=0.0111), recurrence (recurrence presented; P=0.0137), and distant metastasis (distant metastasis presented; P=0.0011) were independently associated with a lower survival rate. Recurrence was significantly correlated with age (>67.6 years; P=0.0021), sex (males tended to present a higher recurrence rate than females; P=0.0051), disease stage (stages III and IV presented a higher recurrence rate than stages I and II; P=0.0331), and histological type (amelanotic lesions presented a higher index of recurrence than melanotic lesions; P=0.0095). In conclusion, sinonasal melanoma is a neoplasm with a poor prognosis, presenting a 30.69% possibility of survival after 5 years.
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters perform multiple functions in reproductive tissues. During ovarian tissue vitrification, the plasma membrane has important functions in the influx or efflux of ...water, and substances such as cryoprotectants and channel proteins that are required in this process. Thus, the present study aimed to verify the relative abundance of mRNA transcript of ABC transporters ABCB1, ABCG2, and MRP2 after vitrification and in vitro culture (IVC) of ovine ovarian tissue. For this study, the ovarian cortex fragments were proportioned into four groups as fresh control, vitrified control, fresh culture, and vitrified culture groups. After vitrification and in vitro culture, the ovarian tissue was evaluated using morphological procedures. Further, relative abundance of ABCB1, ABCG2, and MRP2 transporter mRNA transcripts in the ovarian cortex subjected to aforementioned treatment conditions were evaluated using qPCR. Our results showed a negative association between degenerated follicles and mRNA transcript abundances of ABCB1 and ABCG2. In addition, the percentage of growing follicles in the ovine ovarian cortex after vitrification was similar to that of the fresh control tissue without in vitro culture. The in vitro culture of fresh and vitrified tissue however, showed a significant decrease in the percentage of growing follicles. To the best of our knowledge, we believe that our data for the first time has studied the relative abundances of ABCB1 and ABCG2 mRNA transcripts in the ovine ovarian cortex. In addition, alterations of these protein channels may be indicative of a deleterious effect of osmotic stress on follicular survival during vitrification. Furthermore, these effects were detectable only after the IVC of the ovarian tissues. Nonetheless, further studies are required to investigate the functions of ABC transporters in ovine folliculogenesis, especially after in vitro culture of ovarian tissue.
•There was a negative association of degenerated follicles with ABCB1 and ABCG2 relative abundances.•A relationship of degenerated follicles with mRNA expression levels.•The addition percentage of growing follicles after vitrification was similar to fresh control.•After in vitro culture of fresh and vitrified tissue, a significant increase in percentage of growing follicles.
Fluorescent ionic liquids (FILs) incorporating the fluorescein anion have been prepared by anion exchange of the parent quaternary ammonium chloride (Quat+Cl–) ionic liquid. By controlling the molar ...ratio of fluorescein to Quat+Cl–, ionic liquids incorporating different prototropic forms of fluorescein were prepared. The 1:1 molar ratio ionic liquid (FIL1) is essentially composed of monoanionic fluorescein, while dianionic fluorecein is predominant in the FIL with a 1:2 molar ratio (FIL2). The fluorescence excitation spectrum of FIL2 is markedly different from its absorption spectrum. Absorption features the fluorescein dianion, while the excitation spectrum is exclusively due to the monoanion. In FIL1, the absorption and excitation spectra are both characteristic of the monoanion. In both FILs, emission of the dianion is observed upon excitation of the monoanion. This unusual behavior is interpreted in the context of a fast deprotonation of the monoanion in the excited state. The presence of residual water in the ionic liquid is important for the proton transfer process. By lowering the pH of FIL1, the transient proton transfer is inhibited, and the emission of the monoanion could be observed. The FILs have completely different spectroscopic properties from solvated fluorescein in Quat+Cl–, where the prototropic equilibrium is shifted toward the neutral forms.
The influence of two oxygen tensions (5 and 20%) on fertilization, cleavage, development, and morphological quality of canine embryos produced in vitro was investigated. To assess embryo production, ...canine oocytes (N = 608) were matured in vitro at 20% oxygen tension in TCM 199 supplemented with glucose (11 mM) and 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol. Oocytes and sperm were coincubated at 37 °C for 24 hours in serum-free medium. Subsequently, presumptive zygotes were cultured in vitro in synthetic oviductal fluid in either 5% CO2 in air (20% oxygen; N = 298) or 5% O2, 5% CO2 and 90% N2 (5% oxygen; N = 310) for 7 days. Regardless of the oxygen concentration (5 vs. 20%), rates of pronucleus formation, cleavage, and embryo development up to the eight-cell stage did not differ (46/310 14.8% vs. 35/298 11.7%, respectively; P > 0.05). Moreover, similar proportions of embryos developed in 20 and 5% oxygen tensions (18/298 vs. 27/310). The oocyte nuclear maturation (metaphase II), in terms of decondensed sperm heads, pronucleus formation, cleavage, and embryo development, was similar (P = 0.299) between the atmospheric (20% O2; 12.4% 37/298) and reduced oxygen tensions (5% O2; 15.8% 49/310) at all steps of the in vitro culture (IVC) after in vitro fertilization (IVF). To our knowledge, this was the first study that demonstrated that canine embryos can be produced using a low-oxygen in vitro culture system. Both oxygen tensions (5 and 20%) resulted in similar embryonic development and therefore were feasible for IVC of canine oocytes.
Objective
To evaluate whether colchicine treatment was associated with the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in patients with COVID-19.
Methods
We present a post hoc analysis from a ...double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT) on the effect of colchicine for the treatment of COVID-19. Serum levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome products—active caspase-1 (Casp1p20), IL-1β, and IL-18—were assessed at enrollment and after 48–72 h of treatment in patients receiving standard-of-care (SOC) plus placebo vs. those receiving SOC plus colchicine. The colchicine regimen was 0.5 mg tid for 5 days, followed by 0.5 mg bid for another 5 days.
Results
Thirty-six patients received SOC plus colchicine, and thirty-six received SOC plus placebo. Colchicine reduced the need for supplemental oxygen and the length of hospitalization. On Days 2–3, colchicine lowered the serum levels of Casp1p20 and IL-18, but not IL-1β.
Conclusion
Treatment with colchicine inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, an event triggering the ‘cytokine storm’ in COVID-19.
Trial registration numbers
RBR-8jyhxh
The objective of this paper is to assess the chronological variations in the available transfer capability (ATC) caused by uncertainties associated with hourly load fluctuations and equipment ...unavailabilities. The system states resulting from these uncertainties are generated using the Monte Carlo method with sequential simulation (MCMSS). The ATC for each generated state is evaluated through a linear dc optimal power flow (OPF). The test results, with a modified version of the IEEE Reliability Test System, demonstrate that the time-dependent uncertainties have a significant impact on the ATC. These effects have been assessed through statistical indexes such as expected values, box plot, and percentiles
Different biomaterials have been used as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Here we characterize a biomaterial composed of sintered (1100°C) and powdered hydroxyapatite (HA) and type I collagen ...(Coll), both of bovine origin, designed for osteoconductive and osteoinductive scaffolds. Coll/HA proportions were 1/2.6 and 1/1 (wet weight), and particles sizes varied from 200 to 400
μm.
V
v
(volume density) and
S
v
(surface to volume density) for the HA particles in the composite ranged from 0.48±0.06 to 0.55±0.02 and 5.090±0.545 to 6.366±0.289
μm
−1, respectively. Due to the relatively small changes in
V
v
and
S
v
, a macroporosity could be characterized for the biocomposite. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy showed that the sintered bone was composed essentially of HA with minimum additional groups such as surface calcium hydroxide, surface and crystal water, free carbon dioxide and possibly brushite. Mass spectrometry detected carbonates at A and B sites of HA, and weakly bound to the structure. Human osteoblasts adhered and spread on both the HA particle surface and the collagen fibers, which seemed to guide cells between adjacent particles. The biocomposite studied has several characteristics considered as ideal for its use as a scaffold for osteoconduction and osteoinduction.
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