Publications by authors named "Chen Levi"

Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a chronic widespread pain disorder, has been associated with various models of stress, including those that are workplace-related. In a previous study, we have documented the significantly increased prevalence of FMS among schoolteachers, as well as correlating symptoms with stressful workplace-related factors. In the current study, we have focused on the specific population of kindergarten teachers and attempted to document both the prevalence of FMS symptoms among this group and the association with stress and symptoms of posttrauma.

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The probability of hydrogen atom release, following photoexcitation of methylamine, CH(3)NH(2), is found to increase extensively as higher vibrational states on the first excited electronic state are accessed. This behavior is consistent with theoretical calculations, based on the probability of H atom tunneling through an energy barrier on the excited potential energy surface, implying that N-H bond breaking is dominated by quantum tunneling.

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The degree to which tunneling through a barrier in the N-H and N-D photodissociation channels of methylamine (CH3NH2) and its deuterated variant (CH3ND2), respectively, plays a role was investigated by time-dependent quantum wave-packet dynamics calculations. Two dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) of methylamine, presenting the N-H stretch and the HNC bend, were constructed employing multireference ab initio electronic-structure methods, allowing full description of the H motion on the HC-NH2 plane. The time-dependent Schrödinger equation was solved employing the Fourier method for calculating the Hamiltonian operation together with the Chebychev polynomial expansion of the evolution operator.

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The first overtone region of the C-H stretching vibration of 1,2-trans-d(2)-ethene (HDC=CDH) was monitored via jet-cooled action spectroscopy and room temperature photoacoustic spectroscopy. The spectra include a strong band, which we assigned as the nu(1)+nu(9) C-H stretch vibration, and five additional bands related to transitions to coupled states. The spectral features were modeled in terms of a six-state deperturbation analysis, revealing the energies of the zero-order states and the relatively strong couplings between the initially excited nu(1)+nu(9) state and the doorway states.

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Ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for obtaining fundamental vibrational frequencies of methylamine, CH3NH2, and its deuterated variants CH3ND2, CD3NH2, and CD3ND2. The calculations were carried out using the CCSD(T) coupled cluster approximation with cc-pVTZ and cc-pVQZ basis sets, and by the DFT method with the semiempirical hybrid functional B97-1 with polarization consistent pc-2 and pc-3 basis sets. Reasonable performance of the DFT harmonic and ab initio harmonic calculations was found, which improved considerably upon combination of the harmonic fundamental frequencies with anharmonic corrections from the smaller, pc-2, basis.

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Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children, but remarkable progress in methods of chemotherapy has increased the cure rate to 80%. The leukemic cells called blasts are eliminated within 7 days of chemotherapy. Clinically, the blast count is monitored directly with the use of blood smears on the basis of specific genetic markers and immunophenotyping methods such as flow cytometry.

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Aim: To investigate glutathione and antioxidant status changes in erythrocytes from febrile children receiving repeated supratherapeutic paracetamol doses.

Methods: Fifty-one children aged 2 months to 10 years participated in the study. Three groups were studied: group 1 (n = 24) included afebrile children who did not receive paracetamol; and groups 2 (n = 13) and 3 (n = 14) included children who had fever above 38.

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Background: Cholelithiasis is the gallstone disease (GSD) where stones are formed in the gallbladder. The main function of the gallbladder is to concentrate bile by the absorption of water and sodium. GSD has high prevalence among elderly adults.

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Unlabelled: Gentamicin is widely used in paediatric medicine and therapeutic monitoring is mandatory due to the narrow margin of safety. Saliva sampling may be of potential interest, especially in children in whom blood sampling is often difficult. Experience with once daily intravenous administration of aminoglycosides has grown in recent years.

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Digoxin and gentamicin are widely used in pediatric medicine, and therapeutic monitoring is mandatory because of their narrow margin of safety and wide interpatient and intrapatient pharmacokinetic variabilities. Saliva sampling may be of potential interest, especially in children, in whom blood sampling is often difficult. In 11 children treated with digoxin for various cardiac conditions, and in 24 children treated with gentamicin (14 patients were administered gentamicin three times a day, and 10 once-daily), drugs levels were measured in plasma and saliva.

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