Importance of the creation of a short musculofascial tunnel in peritoneal dialysis catheter placement.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter migration impedes the efficacy of dialysis. Therefore, several techniques involving additional sutures or incisions have been proposed to maintain catheter position in the pelvis.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of creating a short musculofascial tunnel beneath the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis during PD catheter implantation.

Effects of situational simulation and online first-aid training programs for nurses in general medical wards: A prospective study.

Background: To maintain patient safety, effective first-aid skills are necessary during emergencies. It is important to develop in-service education programs to equip clinical nurses with first-aid skills.

Objectives: This study explored the effects of first-aid skills and knowledge between situational simulation training and online teaching.

Using Methacryl-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane as the Thermal Stabilizer and Plasticizer in Poly(vinyl chloride) Nanocomposites.

In this study, we investigated the influence of methacryl-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MA-POSS) nanoparticles as a plasticizer and thermal stabilizer for a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) homopolymer and for a poly(vinyl chloride)/dissononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (PVC/DINCH) binary blend system. The PVC and the PVC/DINCH blend both became flexible, with decreases in their glass transition temperatures and increases in their thermal decomposition temperatures, upon an increase in MA-POSS content, the result of hydrogen bonding between the C=O groups of MA-POSS and the H-CCl units of the PVC, as determined using infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the first thermal decomposition temperature of the pure PVC, due to the emission of HCl, increased from 290 to 306 °C, that is, the MA-POSS nanoparticles had a retarding effect on the decomposition of the PVC matrix.

Detection of autoantibodies and increased concentrations of interleukins in plasma from patients with Tourette's syndrome.

The aim of this study was to assess levels of autoantibodies and cytokines in patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS, n = 40) and healthy control individuals (n = 40). Plasma interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and soluble gp130 concentrations were significantly higher in the TS group compared with the control group (P < 0.001); whereas the soluble IL-6 receptor concentration was significantly decreased in the TS group compared with the control group (P < 0.