Silica Bottle Resonator Sensor for Refractive Index and Temperature Measurements.

We propose and theoretically demonstrate a bottle resonator sensor with a nanoscale altitude and with alength several of hundreds of microns made on the top of the fiber with a radius of tens microns for refractive index and temperature sensor applications. The whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in the resonators can be excited with a taper fiber placed on the top of the resonator. These sensors can be considered as an alternative to fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors.

Ulcerative sialadenitis of minor salivary gland: A short case report.

Minor salivary glands have an important role in the physiology and pathology of the oral cavity though they have been neglected at times. Smoking has a direct effect on the palatal minor salivary glands, and their most common presentation is stomatitis nicotina. We report a case of ulceration in the palatal salivary gland presented with intermittent heavy bleeding from the lesion.

Comparison of outcomes between SBRT, yttrium-90 radioembolization, transarterial chemoembolization, and radiofrequency ablation as bridge to transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare outcome of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), yttrium-90 radioembolization, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as bridge to liver transplant (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively reviewed patients treated at our institution with SBRT, TACE, RFA, or yttrium-90 as bridge to LT between 2006 and 2013. We analyzed radiologic and pathologic response and rate of failure after bridge therapy.

Risk Factors for Dexmedetomidine-Associated Hemodynamic Instability in Noncardiac Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Background: The reported incidence of hypotension and bradycardia in patients receiving dexmedetomidine for sedation commonly exceeds 50%. In this study, we describe the incidence of, patient- and treatment-specific risk factors for, and clinical significance of dexmedetomidine-associated hemodynamic instability.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in critically ill adults receiving dexmedetomidine for sedation at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN, during a 1-year period.

Nuclear cardiology practice and associated radiation doses in Europe: results of the IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS) for the 27 European countries.

Purpose: Nuclear cardiology is widely used to diagnose coronary artery disease and to guide patient management, but data on current practices, radiation dose-related best practices, and radiation doses are scarce. To address these issues, the IAEA conducted a worldwide study of nuclear cardiology practice. We present the European subanalysis.

Neuroanatomic localization of priming effects for famous faces with latency-corrected event-related potentials.

The late components of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) pose a difficult problem in source localization. One of the reasons is the smearing of these components in conventional averaging because of trial-to-trial latency-variability. The smearing problem may be addressed by reconstructing the ERPs after latency synchronization with the Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE) method.

Nested PCR Assay for Eight Pathogens: A Rapid Tool for Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis.

Purpose: Bacterial meningitis is a dreadful infectious disease with a high mortality and morbidity if remained undiagnosed. Traditional diagnostic methods for bacterial meningitis pose a challenge in accurate identification of pathogen, making prognosis difficult. The present study is therefore aimed to design and evaluate a specific and sensitive nested 16S rDNA genus-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for rapid diagnosis of eight pathogens causing the disease.

Oral health knowledge deficit: A barrier for seeking periodontal therapy? A pilot study.

Context: In developing countries many chronic conditions including periodontitis are on the rise. Oral health attitudes and beliefs are important factors affecting oral health behavior.

Aims: The aim of this pilot study was to assess the existing knowledge about periodontal disease and its impact on treatment seeking behavior in a group of population visiting the out-patient Department of Periodontics, Yenepoya Dental College, India.

Evaluation of host Hsp(s) as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.

Objectives: Diagnosis of tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) remains challenging in tuberculosis (TB) endemic countries. The need for TB biomarkers arises, in part, from the difficulty of accurately diagnosing TBM with the available methods.

Patients And Methods: To explore the potential of host Hsps (Hsp 25, Hsp 60, Hsp 70 and Hsp 90) as an alternative marker in TBM diagnosis, we evaluated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample of TBM (n=49), Pyogenic Meningitis (PM) (n=20), Viral Meningitis (VM) (n=09), Fungal Meningitis (FM) (n=04) and non infectious control (n=79) patients using indirect ELISA.

Oral Allergy Syndrome: An Update for Stomatologists.

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is an allergic reaction in the oral cavity subsequent to the consumption of food such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It occurs mainly due to homology of proteins of pollen to the proteins of fruits and vegetables. In OAS, the immune system produces antibodies that are directed against the proteins of pollen and structurally similar proteins in food, hence, resulting in allergic symptoms limited mainly to the oral cavity.

A Study of Correlation of Various Growth Indicators with Chronological Age.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of chronological age with cervical vertebrae skeletal maturation, frontal sinus width and antegonial notch depth and a correlation, if any, among the three variables.

Materials And Methods: The samples were derived from lateral cephalometric radiographs of 80 subjects (40 males, 40 females; age range: 10 to 19 years). Cervical vertebral development was evaluated by the method of Hassel and Farman, frontal sinus width was measured by the method described by Ertürk and antegonial notch depth as described by Singer et al.

Toward the integration of optical sensors in smartphone screens using femtosecond laser writing.

We demonstrate a new type of sensor incorporated directly into Corning Gorilla glass, an ultraresistant glass widely used in the screen of popular devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watches. Although physical space is limited in portable devices, the screens have been so far neglected in regard to functionalization. Our proof-of-concept shows a new niche for photonics device development, in which the screen becomes an active component integrated into the device.

Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis by ELISA Using Antipeptide Antibodies Against Type-Common Epitopes of Glycoprotein B of Herpes Simplex Viruses.

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) represents one of the most severe infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). As effective antiviral drugs are available, an early, rapid, and reliable diagnosis has become important. The objective of this article was to develop a sensitive ELISA protocol for herpes simplex viruses (HSV) antigen detection and quantitation by assessing the usefulness of antipeptide antibodies against potential peptides of HSV glycoprotein B (gB).

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance of an inflammatory biomarker panel for sepsis in adult critically ill patients.

The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and cellular immune markers levels in sepsis. This was a prospective observational study in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients, between 2012 and 2014. The 8-color flow cytometric biomarker panel included CD64, CD163, and HLA-DR.

A Critical Analysis of Claims and Their Authenticity in Indian Drug Promotional Advertisements.

Introduction. Drug promotional advertisements (DPAs) form a major marketing technique of pharmaceutical companies for promoting their products and disseminating ambiguous drug information which can affect prescribing pattern of physicians. Drug information includes product characteristics, various marketing claims with references in support to increase its credibility and authenticity.

Etomidate: to use or not to use for endotracheal intubation in the critically ill?

Endotracheal intubation is frequently performed in the intensive care unit (ICU). It can be life-saving for many patients who present with acute respiratory distress. However, it is equally associated with complications that may lead to unwanted effects in this patient population.

Syntenin controls migration, growth, proliferation, and cell cycle progression in cancer cells.

The scaffold protein syntenin abounds during fetal life where it is important for developmental movements. In human adulthood, syntenin gain-of-function is increasingly associated with various cancers and poor prognosis. Depending on the cancer model analyzed, syntenin affects various signaling pathways.

A survey on the resources and practices in pediatric critical care of resource-rich and resource-limited countries.

Background: Contemporary critical care research necessitates involvement of multiple centers, preferably from many countries. Adult and pediatric research networks have produced outstanding data; however, their involvement is restricted to a small percentage of the industrialized nations. Implementation of their findings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is fraught with challenges.

Retrospective Derivation and Validation of an Automated Electronic Search Algorithm to Identify Post Operative Cardiovascular and Thromboembolic Complications.

Background: With increasing numbers of hospitals adopting electronic medical records, electronic search algorithms for identifying postoperative complications can be invaluable tools to expedite data abstraction and clinical research to improve patient outcomes.

Objectives: To derive and validate an electronic search algorithm to identify postoperative thromboembolic and cardiovascular complications such as deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or myocardial infarction within 30 days of total hip or knee arthroplasty.

Methods: A total of 34 517 patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2013 were identified.

Kinetics and model development for enzymatic synthesis of fructo-oligosaccharides using fructosyltransferase.

Experimental investigations were made to synthesize fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) from sucrose using fructosyltransferase. The influence of various parameters such as temperature (45-55 °C), pH (4-5), initial sucrose concentration (ISC: 300-500 g/L) and enzyme concentration (4-32 U/mL) were varied. A maximum FOS yield of 60% was observed at ISC 500 g/L, pH 4.

Sodium Correction Practice and Clinical Outcomes in Profound Hyponatremia.

Objectives: To assess the epidemiology of nonoptimal hyponatremia correction and to identify associated morbidity and in-hospital mortality.

Patients And Methods: An electronic medical record search identified all patients admitted with profound hyponatremia (sodium <120 mmol/L) from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2012. Patients were classified as having optimally or nonoptimally corrected hyponatremia at 24 hours after admission.

Six-month quality-of-life and functional status of acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors compared to patients at risk: a population-based study.

Introduction: The long-term attributable burden related to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is not fully investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and functional status at 6 months after hospitalization in patients at risk for ARDS who did and did not develop the syndrome.

Method: This is a population-based prospective cohort study of adult patients from Olmsted County, Minnesota, with or at risk for ARDS hospitalized from October 2008 to July 2011.

Prevalence of hyperdontia in nonsyndromic South Indian population: An institutional analysis.

Context: Supernumerary teeth or hyperdontia is an additional tooth, teeth or tooth like structures that either have erupted or remain unerupted in addition to the 20 deciduous and 32 permanent teeth. Supernumerary teeth may occur in isolation or as part of a syndrome or developmental abnormality.

Aims: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the prevalence of supernumerary teeth in a group of South Indian nonsyndromic population.

Vasopressor use as a surrogate for post-intubation hemodynamic instability is associated with in-hospital and 90-day mortality: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Evidence is lacking for what defines post-intubation hypotension in the intensive care unit (ICU). If a valid definition could be used, the potential exists to evaluate possible risk factors and thereby improve post-intubation. Thus, our objectives were to arrive at the best surrogate for post-intubation hypotension that accurately predicts both in-hospital and 90-day mortality in a population of ICU patients and to report mortality rates between the exposed and unexposed cohorts.

Evaluation of heat shock proteins for discriminating between latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis: A preliminary report.

The diagnosis of a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is of the utmost concern. The available tests, the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the Quantiferon-TB Gold test (QFT-G) cannot discriminate between active TB and LTBI. Therefore, the aim of the study is to identify new biomarkers that can discriminate between active TB and LTBI and can also assess the risk of the individual developing active TB.