Chlorophyll and pheophytin protonated and deprotonated ions: Observation and theory.

Pheophytin a and chlorophyll a have been investigated by electrospray mass spectrometry in the positive and negative modes, in view of the importance of the knowledge of their properties in photosynthesis. Pheophytin and chlorophyll are both observed intensely in the protonated mode, and their main fragmentation route is the loss of their phytyl chain. Pheophytin is observed intact in the negative mode, while under collisions, it is primarily cleaved beyond the phytyl chain and loses the attaching propionate group.

Oncological outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in octogenarians: case-control study.

Background: By the end of this decade, 70 per cent of all diagnosed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas will be in the elderly. Surgical resection is the only curative option. In the elderly perioperative mortality is higher, while controversy still exists as to whether aggressive treatment offers any survival benefit.

Enantioselective Access to Tetrahydroxanthones via Copper-(oxazoline)-Catalyzed [4 + 2] Cycloaddition.

Highly enantioselective access to tetrahydroxanthone compounds was achieved through copper-(oxazoline)-catalyzed [4 + 2] cycloaddition of chrom-4-one dienophiles and Danishefsky's diene. Oxo-dihydroxanthone (enone) adducts, containing a quaternary stereocenter, are generated in up to 98% yield and 89% ee. Cycloadducts are utilized in the synthesis of tetrahydroxanthones, featuring a novel organotin-mediated quasi-Krapcho decarboxylation of β-keto esters, with retention of stereochemistry.

The role of temperature and carbon dioxide climatic stress factors on the growth kinetics of Escherichia coli.

Aims: The global level of carbon dioxide and temperature in the atmosphere is expected to increase, which may affect the survival of the stress-adapted bacteria. In this study, the effect of temperature and dissolved carbon dioxide on the growth rate of Escherichia coli-eGFP tagged strain was studied, thus assessing its response to induced environmental stress factors.

Methods And Results: A kinetic assay has been performed using a microplate reader with a spectrofluorometer to determine the specific growth rates.

Digitalizing and Upgrading Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance in Malta: System Development.

Background: In late 2020, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Epiconcept started implementing a surveillance system for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) across Europe.

Objective: We sought to describe the process of digitizing and upgrading SARI surveillance in Malta, an island country with a centralized health system, during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to November 2021. We described the characteristics of people included in the surveillance system and compared different SARI case definitions, including their advantages and disadvantages.

Development of a spiritual care education matrix: Factors facilitating/hindering improvement of spiritual care competency in student nurses and midwives.

Spiritual care is a fundamental aspect of caring and compassionate nursing/midwifery practice. However, nurses/midwives consistently report feeling unprepared to provide spiritual care for various reasons. A key reason appears to be the lack of structured spiritual care education in undergraduate nursing/midwifery curricula.

Postcholecystectomy diarrhoea rate and predictive factors: a systematic review of the literature.

Objectives: Cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide to treat gallstone-related disease. Postcholecystectomy diarrhoea (PCD) is a well-reported phenomenon, however, the actual rate, predictive factors and mechanism of action have not been well determined. A systematic review was undertaken to determine the rate and predictive factors associated with diarrhoea in the postcholecystectomy setting.

Vulnerable vegetables and efficient fishers: A study of primary production food losses and waste in Ireland.

From 2022, the European Union Waste Framework Directive (WFD) requires member states to report annual food waste from each food supply chain stage. Comprehensive food losses and waste (FLW) data can be challenging to obtain for the primary production stage, i.e.

The effect of end-ischaemic normothermic machine perfusion on donor hepatic artery endothelial integrity.

Background: Ex vivo normothermic machine liver perfusion (NMLP) involves artificial cannulation of vessels and generation of flow pressures. This could lead to shear stress-induced endothelial damage, predisposing to vascular complications, or improved preservation of donor artery quality. This study aims to assess the spatial donor hepatic artery (HA) endothelial quality downstream of the cannulation site after end-ischaemic NMLP.

Isometric and Anisometric Contraction Relationships with Surface Electromyography.

The isometric contraction is the most investigated muscle contraction, however most tasks in daily life involve anisometric contractions. Most hand prostheses studies [1] use sEMG features to directly relate the exerted force as a means of intuitive control. It may thus be expected that similar sEMG-velocity relationships characterizing anisometric contractions may also contribute towards intuitive prosthetic hand control.

Sensitivity analysis in a radiological impact assessment of a nuclear power plant discharge. A comparison of the Morris, Spearman and Sobol' approaches.

This paper compares the Morris, Spearman and Sobol' methods of sensitivity analysis in radiological risk assessment. The determination of the most influential parameters on model with regards to the propagation of their uncertainties to output variables, is of greatest interest. This study aims to determine the relative importance of parameters uncertainties on the dose calculation uncertainty in the framework of a scenario of routine discharges discussed in the context of an IAEA working group.

Short-term outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy in octogenarians: multicentre case-control study.

Background: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is frequently the surgical treatment indicated for a number of pathologies. Elderly patients may be denied surgery because of concerns over poor perioperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative clinical outcomes and provide evidence on current UK practice in the elderly population after PD.

Introduction of the Concept of Diagnostic Sensitivity and Specificity of Normothermic Perfusion Protocols to Assess High-Risk Donor Livers.

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) allows objective assessment of donor liver transplantability. Several viability evaluation protocols have been established, consisting of parameters such as perfusate lactate clearance, pH, transaminase levels, and the production and composition of bile. The aims of this study were to assess 3 such protocols, namely, those introduced by the teams from Birmingham (BP), Cambridge (CP), and Groningen (GP), using a cohort of high-risk marginal livers that had initially been deemed unsuitable for transplantation and to introduce the concept of the viability assessment sensitivity and specificity.

Robust, Enantioselective Construction of Challenging, Biologically Relevant Tertiary Ether Stereocenters.

A robust, catalytic enantioselective method to construct challenging, biologically relevant, tertiary ether stereocenters has been developed. The process capitalizes on readily accessible bis(oxazoline) ligands to control the facial selectivity of the addition of copper acetylides to benzopyrylium triflates, reactive species generated in situ. Up to 99% enantiomeric excesses are achieved with a broad substrate scope.

Rates of Bile Acid Diarrhoea After Cholecystectomy: A Multicentre Audit.

Introduction: Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) can occur due to disruption to the enterohepatic circulation, e.g. following cholecystectomy.

Normothermic Split Liver Machine Perfusion: Protocol for Robust Comparative Controls in Liver Function Assessment Suitable for Evaluation of Novel Therapeutic Interventions in the Pre-clinical Setting.

donor liver machine perfusion is a promising tool to assess organ viability prior to transplantation and platform to investigate novel therapeutic interventions. However, the wide variability in donor and graft characteristics between individual donor livers limits the comparability of results. We investigated the hypothesis that the development of a split liver machine perfusion protocol provides the ideal comparative controls in the investigation of machine perfusion techniques and therapeutic interventions, thus leading to more comparable results.

The development of a consensus-based spiritual care education standard for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students: An educational mixed methods study.

Aims: The aim of this study was to develop a consensus-based Spiritual Care Education Standard for undergraduate N/M students to use in undergraduate programmes.

Design: Mixed methods were used consisting of qualitative and quantitative methods based on the principles of Delphi research.

Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 58 (N = 58) participants from 21 European countries.

Treatment Strategies for the Optimal Management of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma With Curative Intent: A Systematic Review.

Historically, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPDAC) was considered a palliative condition. Advances in treatment have resulted in studies reporting survival after neoadjuvant treatment and surgery similar to earlier disease stages. However, there is no consensus on optimal LAPDAC management.

Transplantation of discarded livers following viability testing with normothermic machine perfusion.

There is a limited access to liver transplantation, however, many organs are discarded based on subjective assessment only. Here we report the VITTAL clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02740608) outcomes, using normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) to objectively assess livers discarded by all UK centres meeting specific high-risk criteria.

Correction: The impact on the bioenergetic status and oxidative-mediated tissue injury of a combined protocol of hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion using an acellular haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier: The cold-to-warm machine perfusion of the liver.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.