Plasma Surface Modification of the Inner Wall of Montgomery's Tracheal Implant (T-Tube).

Tracheal stenosis (i.e., the abnormal narrowing of the trachea) can occur due to a variety of inflammatory and infectious processes as well as due to therapeutic procedures undertaken by the patient.

Bio-Inspired Magnetically Responsive Silicone Cilia: Fabrication Strategy and Interaction with Biological Mucus.

Cilia are biological structures essential to drive the mobility of secretions and maintain the proper function of the respiratory airways. However, this motile self-cleaning process is significantly compromised in the presence of silicone tracheal prosthesis, leading to biofilm growth and impeding effective treatment. To address this challenge and enhance the performance of these devices, we propose the fabrication of magnetic silicone cilia, with the prospect of their integration onto silicone prostheses.

Towards Tomography-Based Real-Time Control of Multiphase Flows: A Proof of Concept in Inline Fluid Separation.

The performance of multiphase flow processes is often determined by the distribution of phases inside the equipment. However, controllers in the field are typically implemented based on flow variables, which are simpler to measure, but indirectly connected to performance (e.g.

Secnidazole: a treatment for trichomoniasis in adolescents and adults.

Introduction: Single-dose 2-g oral secnidazole (SEC), newly approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) for treatment of trichomoniasis, is a potent 5-nitroimidazole with selective toxicity against various micro-organisms.

Diagnosis and Management of Trichomonas vaginalis: Summary of Evidence Reviewed for the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines.

Trichomonas vaginalis is likely the most prevalent nonviral sexually transmitted infection, affecting an estimated 3.7 million women and men in the United States. Health disparities are prominent in the epidemiology of trichomoniasis, as African Americans are >4 times more likely to be infected than persons of other races.

Air humidity effects on water-drop icing.

The canonical problem of the icing of a water drop lying on a cold substrate is revisited to take into account the effects of atmospheric conditions on the icing front kinetics and on the tip formation. Here, we demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically that the air humidity induces liquid-vapor phase change at the icing droplet interface and that the associated heat transfer has a strong influence on both the icing front kinetics and the iced drop shape. The experimental results obtained in this study, as well as results from literature, compare well to a modified Stefan model accounting for the effects of humidity, showing a good agreement with the experimental data of both the front kinetics and tip angle.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol With Ultrasound-Guided Regional Blocks in Outpatient Plastic Surgery Patients Leads to Decreased Opioid Prescriptions and Consumption.

Background: Opioids are a mainstay of pain management. To limit the use of opioids, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols implement multimodal approaches to treat postoperative pain.

Objectives: The aim of this paper was to be the first to assess the efficacy of an ERAS protocol for plastic surgery outpatients that includes ultrasound-guided, surgeon-led regional blocks.

Management of Trichomoniasis in the Setting of 5-Nitroimidazole Hypersensitivity.

Metronidazole and other 5-nitroimidazoles are the mainstay of Trichomonas vaginalis treatment, with few efficacious and safe treatment options available outside of this class. Patients with trichomoniasis and a history of a clinically confirmed hypersensitivity reaction to 5-nitroimidazoles present a management challenge for clinicians. The first step in managing such patients is metronidazole desensitization.

Deformation of a Liquid Near an AFM Tip: Molecular Dynamics Approach.

The interaction between an atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and a thin film of water deposited over a flat substrate is studied using molecular dynamics (MD). The effects of the film thickness and the probe radius on both the deformation height of the liquid interface and the distance of the jump to contact at which the liquid comes in direct contact with the probe are investigated. The dynamics of the surface deformation and the role of interface fluctuations are studied in detail.

Bubbles determine the amount of alcohol in Mezcal.

Mezcal is a traditional Mexican spirit, obtained from the distillation of fermented agave juices. Its preparation has been conducted for centuries in an artisanal manner. The method used to determine the correct alcohol content is of particular interest: a stream of the liquor is poured into a small vessel to induce surface bubbles.

Lifetime of Surface Bubbles in Surfactant Solutions.

Despite the prevalence of surface bubbles in many natural phenomena and engineering applications, the effect of surfactants on their surface residence time is not clear. Numerous experimental studies and theoretical models exist but a clear understanding of the film drainage phenomena is still lacking. In particular, theoretical work predicting the drainage rate of the thin film between a bubble and the free surface in the presence and absence of surfactants usually makes use of the lubrication theory.

Influence of Soluble Surfactants and Deformation on the Dynamics of Centered Bubbles in Cylindrical Microchannels.

In this study, we investigate, using direct numerical simulation, the motion of a small bubble in a horizontal microchannel filled with a liquid containing surfactants. In particular, we study the combined effect of surfactants and bubble deformability on the bubble shape, bubble-liquid relative velocity, velocity field in the liquid, liquid velocity on the gas-liquid interface, and surfactant distribution on the interface. The level-set method is used to capture the gas-liquid interface.

Near-field deformation of a liquid interface by atomic force microscopy.

We experiment the interaction between a liquid puddle and a spherical probe by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for a probe radius R ranging from 10 nm to 30 μm. We have developed a new experimental setup by coupling an AFM with a high-speed camera and an inverted optical microscope. Interaction force-distance curves (in contact mode) and frequency shift-distance curves (in frequency modulation mode) are measured for different bulk model liquids for which the probe-liquid Hamaker constant H_{pl} is known.

van der Waals interaction between a moving nano-cylinder and a liquid thin film.

We study the static and dynamic interaction between a horizontal cylindrical nano-probe and a thin liquid film. The effects of the physical and geometrical parameters, with a special focus on the film thickness, the probe speed, and the distance between the probe and the free surface are analyzed. Deformation profiles have been computed numerically from a Reynolds lubrication equation, coupled to a modified Young-Laplace equation, which takes into account the probe/liquid and the liquid/substrate non-retarded van der Waals interactions.

Breaking the Mold: A Review of Mucormycosis and Current Pharmacological Treatment Options.

Objective: To review the current literature for the pathogenesis of mucormycosis, discuss diagnostic strategies, and evaluate the efficacy of polyenes, triazoles, and echinocandins as pharmacological treatment options.

Data Sources: An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed using the MESH terms Rhizopus, zygomycetes, zygomycosis, Mucorales and mucormycosis, with search terms amphotericin B, micafungin, anidulafungin, caspofungin, extended infusion amphotericin B, liposomal amphotericin B, combination therapy, triazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, diagnosis, and clinical manifestations.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Studies written in the English language from January 1960 to March 2016 were considered for this review article.

Dynamics of a thin liquid film interacting with an oscillating nano-probe.

The dynamic interaction between a local probe and a viscous liquid film, which provokes the deformation of the latter, has been studied. The pressure difference across the air-liquid interface is calculated with a modified Young-Laplace equation, which takes into account the effects of gravity, surface tension, and liquid film-substrate and probe-liquid attractive interaction potentials. This pressure difference is injected into the lubrication approximation equation, in order to depict the evolution of a viscous thin-film.

Antibiotic hypersensitivity reactions and approaches to desensitization.

Before initiating antibiotic therapy, drug hypersensitivity is an important consideration, and a common strategy is to avoid giving patients medications when a high likelihood of severe reactions exists. With an increase in antibiotic resistance and a decrease in novel antibiotics, there is greater pressure to consider antibiotics in patients with a history of adverse reactions. The major concerns include IgE-mediated, or type I, reactions, anaphylaxis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

AFM tip effect on a thin liquid film.

We study the interaction between an AFM probe and a liquid film deposited over a flat substrate. We investigate the effects of the physical and geometrical parameters, with a special focus on the film thickness E, the probe radius R, and the distance D between the probe and the free surface. Deformation profiles have been calculated from the numerical simulations of the Young-Laplace equation by taking into account the probe/liquid and the liquid/substrate interactions, characterized by the Hamaker constants, Hpl and Hls.

Multiscale deformation of a liquid surface in interaction with a nanoprobe.

The interaction between a nanoprobe and a liquid surface is studied. The surface deformation depends on physical and geometric parameters, which are depicted by employing three dimensionless parameters: Bond number B_{o}, modified Hamaker number H_{a}, and dimensionless separation distance D. The evolution of the deformation is described by a strongly nonlinear partial differential equation, which is solved by means of numerical methods.

Nanoscale deformation of a liquid surface.

We study the interaction between a solid particle and a liquid interface. A semianalytical solution of the nonlinear equation that describes the interface deformation points out the existence of a bifurcation behavior for the apex deformation as a function of the distance. We show that the apex curvature obeys a simple power-law dependency on the deformation.

Hansen's disease (Leprosy): current and future pharmacotherapy and treatment of disease-related immunologic reactions.

Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy, remains an important public health problem throughout the world, including North America. The causative microbe in Hansen's disease is Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast organism that is difficult to grow in vitro. The nine-banded armadillo is the major animal reservoir in the United States.

Cardiovascular simulator improvement: pressure versus volume loop assessment.

This article presents improvement on a physical cardiovascular simulator (PCS) system. Intraventricular pressure versus intraventricular volume (PxV) loop was obtained to evaluate performance of a pulsatile chamber mimicking the human left ventricle. PxV loop shows heart contractility and is normally used to evaluate heart performance.

Effect of influenza vaccination on oxidative stress products in breath.

Viral infections cause increased oxidative stress, so a breath test for oxidative stress biomarkers (alkanes and alkane derivatives) might provide a new tool for early diagnosis. We studied 33 normal healthy human subjects receiving scheduled treatment with live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). Each subject was his or her own control, since they were studied on day 0 prior to vaccination, and then on days 2, 7 and 14 following vaccination.