Tapping the Full Potential of Infrared Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Technical Lignins.

We present an approach to overcome the challenges associated with the increasing demand of high-throughput characterization of technical lignins, a key resource in emerging bioeconomies. Our approach offers a resort from the lack of direct, simple, and low-cost analytical techniques for lignin characterization by employing multivariate calibration models based on infrared (IR) spectroscopy to predict structural properties of lignins (i. e.

A multi-site, nurse-coordinated hepatitis C model of care in primary care and community services in Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment through primary care and community-based services will be a critical component of HCV elimination. We evaluated a nurse-coordinated programme providing care across eight sites and analysed progression through the HCV care cascade.

Methods: People-accessing services from six primary care clinics, a homeless crisis accommodation provider and a mental health service were directly referred to nurses or engaged by nurses during regular clinic visits.

Further heterogeneity in Silver-Russell syndrome: PLAG1 deletion in association with a complex chromosomal rearrangement.

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a rare genetic condition primarily characterized by growth restriction and facial dysmorphisms. While hypomethylation of H19/IGF2:IG-DMR (imprinting control region 1 [IC1]) located at 11p15.5 and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (upd[7]mat) are the most common genetic mechanisms responsible for SRS, the expanding body of literature describing alternative causative variants suggests SRS is a highly heterogeneous condition, also involving variation in the HMGA2-PLAG1-IGF2 pathway.

Hepatitis C treatment in a co-located mental health and alcohol and drug service using a nurse-led model of care.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is more prevalent among people with experience of severe mental illness compared to the general population, due in part to higher levels of injecting drug use. Delivering HCV care through mental health services may reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes. A nurse-led HCV program was established in a co-located mental health and addiction service in Melbourne, Australia.

Post-Dissection Single-Stage Arch and Descending Aorta Replacement via Clamshell Incision.

Residual dissections after type A repairs are common and can result in aneurysm formation. Surgery is complex and considered high risk, particularly if there is arch involvement. A single-stage "arch-first" technique via clamshell incision is an excellent option in certain circumstances and herein we detail a variation of this approach using a trifurcated graft.

Toward stroke-free coronary surgery: The role of the anaortic off-pump bypass technique.

Surgical coronary revascularization remains the preferred strategy in a significant portion of patients with coronary artery disease due to superior long-term outcomes. However, there is a significant risk of perioperative neurologic injury that has influenced guideline recommendations. These complications occur in 1%-5% of patients, ranging from overt neurologic deficits with permanent disability, to subtle cerebral defects noted on neuroimaging that may result in slow cognitive and functional decline.

Current challenges in three-dimensional bioprinting heart tissues for cardiac surgery.

Previous attempts in cardiac bioengineering have failed to provide tissues for cardiac regeneration. Recent advances in 3-dimensional bioprinting technology using prevascularized myocardial microtissues as 'bioink' have provided a promising way forward. This review guides the reader to understand why myocardial tissue engineering is difficult to achieve and how revascularization and contractile function could be restored in 3-dimensional bioprinted heart tissue using patient-derived stem cells.

Dual inflow, total-arterial, anaortic, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: how to do it.

Coronary surgery performed on an arrested heart, using one internal mammary artery and a saphenous vein carries two main potential drawbacks: the known failure rate of vein grafts and the relatively high rate of neurologic injury. To address these concerns, we describe a technique that achieves complete revascularization without manipulating the ascending aorta (anaortic, off-pump) and utilizing total arterial grafts. All patients undergo thorough preoperative investigation, including bilateral carotid, vertebral and subclavian artery Duplex ultrasounds.

Chemometrics in analytical chemistry-part II: modeling, validation, and applications.

The contribution of chemometrics to important stages throughout the entire analytical process such as experimental design, sampling, and explorative data analysis, including data pretreatment and fusion, was described in the first part of the tutorial "Chemometrics in analytical chemistry." This is the second part of a tutorial article on chemometrics which is devoted to the supervised modeling of multivariate chemical data, i.e.

Spondylodiscitis in a 54-year-old female scuba diver.

A 54-year-old woman presented to a Sports Physician with a 4-year history of haemochromatosis, and she had a medical history that included a congenital spondylolisthesis resulting in a fusion of L4-S1 at age 16 years, episodic mechanical low back pain and an absence of other significant musculoskeletal symptoms. On presentation, she reported 18 months of severe low back pain that started after a scuba diving trip. After the onset of this low back pain, she developed gastrointestinal symptoms from The gastrointestinal symptoms improved with a course of antibiotics, but the back pain persisted in spite of analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and several attempts at different conservative management.

Chemometrics in analytical chemistry-part I: history, experimental design and data analysis tools.

Chemometrics has achieved major recognition and progress in the analytical chemistry field. In the first part of this tutorial, major achievements and contributions of chemometrics to some of the more important stages of the analytical process, like experimental design, sampling, and data analysis (including data pretreatment and fusion), are summarised. The tutorial is intended to give a general updated overview of the chemometrics field to further contribute to its dissemination and promotion in analytical chemistry.

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Education for Hospital Staff: An Integrative Literature Review.

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) education amongst hospital staff is often inadequate. This leads to suboptimal care of patients and is a missed opportunity for early identification and treatment. This integrative review evaluates the core features of current education for hospital-based doctors and nurses in AOD, including country of origin, content, duration, and pedagogy.

Long Term Outcomes Following Freestyle Stentless Aortic Bioprosthesis Implantation: An Australian Experience.

Background: The Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis (FSB) has been demonstrated to be a durable prosthesis in the aortic position. We present data following Freestyle implantation for up to 10 years post-operatively and compare this with previously published results.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 237 patients following FSB implantation occurred at five Australian hospitals.

Surgical aortic valve replacement in very elderly patients aged 80 years and over: evaluation of early clinical outcomes.

Background: An increasing number of very elderly patients aged ≥80 years will require aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS). Many are classified as high-risk surgical candidates. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been proposed as an alternative to surgical AVR (SAVR) for high-risk patients.

Anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in the elderly and very elderly.

Background: Elderly patients undergoing surgical revascularisation may disproportionately benefit from avoiding manipulation of the ascending aorta and cardiopulmonary bypass. In this multi-centre observational study, we sought to determine the 30-day outcomes of anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) in an elderly and very-elderly population.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected for all patients aged >70 years old (y) undergoing anaortic OPCAB at three hospitals between January 2002 and October 2011.

Prediction of liquid chromatographic retention behavior based on quantum chemical parameters using supervised self organizing maps.

Self organizing maps (SOMs) in a supervised mode were applied for prediction of liquid chromatographic retention behavior of chemical compounds based on their quantum chemical information. The proposed algorithm was simple and required only a small alteration of the standard SOM algorithm. The application was illustrated by the prediction of the retention indices of bifunctionally substituted N-benzylideneanilines (NBA) and the prediction of the retention factors of some pesticides.

Anaortic, total-arterial, off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: why bother?

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the standard of care for multi-vessel coronary disease. However, the increased rate of peri-operative stroke reported after surgery compared to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains of concern. Anaortic, total-arterial, off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting is a technique that offers the main advantages of surgical revascularisation with a rate of stroke that is equivalent to that of PCI.

PIXE analysis of PM2.5 and PM(2.5-10) for air quality assessment of Islamabad, Pakistan: application of chemometrics for source identification.

A Gent sampler was used to collect 379 pairs of filters from Nilore, a suburban area of Islamabad city. The study was designed to assess the concentration variations of trace elements in fine and coarse particulate matter due to anthropogenic activities and naturally occurring events. Source identification was performed by applying MATLAB software for principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA).

Self organising maps for visualising and modelling.

The paper describes the motivation of SOMs (Self Organising Maps) and how they are generally more accessible due to the wider available modern, more powerful, cost-effective computers. Their advantages compared to Principal Components Analysis and Partial Least Squares are discussed. These allow application to non-linear data, are not so dependent on least squares solutions, normality of errors and less influenced by outliers.

Vitamin D deficiency is common and associated with metabolic risk factors in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Both vitamin D deficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with aspects of metabolic syndrome, but it is unclear whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to the metabolic disturbances commonly found in women with PCOS. This study sought to investigate (1) the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in PCOS women in Scotland and (2) the relationship between vitamin D status and metabolic risk factors. This was an observational study on 52 women (25 in PCOS group and 27 in control group).