Flexible Bronchoscopy Under Bronchoscopist-Administered Moderate Sedation Versus General Anesthesia: A Comparative Study in Children.

Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) can be performed under bronchoscopist administered moderate sedation (BAMS) with a midazolam/fentanyl combination or general anesthesia (GA). However, the outcome of BAMS has not been well established in children. Currently, most of the centers prefer FB under GA.

Family-based genome-wide association of inflammation biomarkers and fenofibrate treatment response in the GOLDN study.

In this paper we analyzed whole-genome genetic information provided by GAW20 from the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study for family data. Lipid levels such as triglycerides (TGs) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are measured at different time points before and after administration of an anti-inflammatory drug fenofibrate. Apart from that, the data contain some covariates and whole-genome genotype information.

Sensitization to Common Aeroallergens in the Atopic Population of West Bengal, India: An Investigation by Skin Prick Test.

Background: Aeroallergen sensitization is increasing worldwide. The optimal management of allergic disease requires the identification of the allergic sensitivities of the patient. Complete data of offending aeroallergens are scant from West Bengal, India.

Isolation and characterization of two lytic bacteriophages against Staphylococcus aureus from India: newer therapeutic agents against Bovine mastitis.

Bovine mastitis causes severe economic losses to dairy farmers. Staphylococcus aureus, is one of the most important pathogen implicated in etiology of clinical and subclinical mastitis in bovines. In view of increasing antimicrobial resistance alternatives to antibiotic therapy are much needed.

Perioperative care of congenital adrenal hyperplasia - a disparity of physician practices in Canada.

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency in children. Current guidelines recommend the use of perioperative stress dose (supraphysiologic) glucocorticoids for children with CAH undergoing anesthesia, although a perceived difference in practice patterns among Canadian pediatric subspecialists prompted an assessment of perioperative glucocorticoid administration.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey of Canadian Pediatric Anesthesia Society (CPAS) and Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group (CPEG) members via membership email lists to assess reported practice patterns to select clinical scenarios.

Depression with or without comorbid social anxiety: Is attachment the culprit?

Major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occurs with social anxiety disorder (SAD), and their comorbidity (MDD-SAD) increases clinical severity and functional impairment. Still, the specific psychological vulnerabilities of individuals with MDD-SAD are poorly understood. Individual attachment characteristics develop early in life through interactions with primary caregivers, and tend to persist throughout life.

The association of nocturnal hypoxia and an echocardiographic measure of pulmonary hypertension in children with sickle cell disease.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is multifactorial in origin and may develop early in children with sickle cell disease (C-SCD). Potential etiologies are hemolysis-induced endothelial dysfunction, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and chronic hypoxia. Nocturnal hypoxia (NH) in C-SCD is known to be a sequela of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Matrix metalloproteinase targeted peptide vesicles for delivering anticancer drugs.

A matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) targeted tetrapeptide vesicle has been designed and developed, which strongly binds at a MMP9 enzymatic site. Interestingly, it has a propensity to encapsulate and deliver the doxorubicin drug specifically to the cancer cell, induces superior apoptotic death, and inhibits the metastatic cancer cell migration and growth of multicellular 3D spheroids.

Genesis of Neuroprotective Peptoid from Aβ30-34 Inhibits Aβ Aggregation and AChE Activity.

Aβ peptide and hyper-phosphorylated microtubule associated protein (Tau) aggregation causes severe damage to both the neuron membrane and key signal processing microfilament (microtubule) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. To date, the key challenge is to develop nontoxic, proteolytically stable amyloid inhibitors, which can simultaneously target multiple pathways involved in AD. Various attempts have been made in this direction; however, clinical outcomes of those attempts have been reported to be poor.

Metal-free Annulation at the Ortho- and Bay-Positions of Perylene Bisimide Leading to Lateral π-Extension with Strong NIR Absorption.

A novel ortho/ bay annulation reaction of perylene bisimide (PBI) has been explored in a single step synthetic procedure using perylene bisimide 1 and 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in the absence of any metal catalyst.

Peptide-Based Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier and Promotes Neuroprotection.

Design and development of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor has tremendous implications in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we have adopted a computational approach for the design of a peptide based AChE inhibitor from its active site. We identified an octapeptide, which interacts with the catalytic anionic site (CAS) of AChE enzyme and inhibits its activity.

A Potent Conformation-Constrained Synthetic Peptide Mimic of a Homeodomain Selectively Regulates Target Genes in Cells.

DNA, as a target for therapeutic intervention, remains largely unexplored. DLX-4, a homeodomain containing transcription factor, and its spliced isoforms play crucial roles in many aspects of cellular biochemistry and important roles in many diseases. A smaller peptide mimicking the homeodomain of the transcription factor DLX-4 was designed and synthesized by suitable conjoining of its modified DNA-binding elements.

Note: Multi-sheet light enables optical interference lithography.

We propose and demonstrate a modified spatial filter-based single-shot lithography technique for fabricating an array of microfluidic channels. This is achieved by illuminating the photopolymer specimen with a multiple light sheet (MLS) pattern. Modified spatial filtering is employed in a cylindrical lens system to generate the MLS pattern.

Role of offending out-door aero-allergen and CD14 C(-159)T polymorphism in development and severity of asthma in a Kolkata patient population.

Objective: Present study involved identification of offending out-door aero-allergens and associated genetic pathway in nasso-bronchial asthma among Kolkata population.

Methods: Skin-prick test was done among 950 asthmatic patients against 11 common aero-allergens and total serum IgE concentration was measured. PCR-RFLP was done in patients and non-asthmatic control (n=220 in each) to characterize functional polymorphism, C(-159)T, of CD14, a positional candidate gene for allergy.

Larvicidal study of tetrahydropyrimidine scaffolds against Anopheles arabiensis and structural insight by single crystal X-ray studies.

A series of methyl or ethyl 4-(substitutedphenyl/pyridyl)-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (HPM) analogues 4a-g were synthesized and evaluated for larvicidal activity against Anopheles arabiensis. These newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral studies such as FT-IR, NMR ( H and C), LC-MS, and elemental analysis. The conformational features and supramolecular assembly of molecules 4a, 4b, and 4e were further analyzed from single crystal X-ray study.

Azobenzene as a photoregulator covalently attached to RNA: a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-surface hopping dynamics study.

The photoregulation of nucleic acids by azobenzene photoswitches has recently attracted considerable interest in the context of emerging biotechnological applications. To understand the mechanism of photoinduced isomerisation and conformational control in these complex biological environments, we employ a Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) approach in conjunction with nonadiabatic Surface Hopping (SH) dynamics. Two representative RNA-azobenzene complexes are investigated, both of which contain the azobenzene chromophore covalently attached to an RNA double strand a β-deoxyribose linker.

Socioeconomic and Environmental Predictors of Asthma-Related Mortality.

The prevalence of asthma-related mortality (ARM) varies significantly among different countries, possibly influenced by various socioeconomic and environmental conditions (SEC). In-depth epidemiological research is necessary to understand the causal relationship between different SECs and ARM and to develop public health strategies to reduce the global burden of asthma. Our research aimed to identify the key SECs which may be attributed to ARM worldwide and to study the relationship between ARM and asthma prevalence.

Advanced catalytic performance of amorphous MoS for degradation/reduction of organic pollutants in both individual and simultaneous fashion.

A cluster [(S)Mo(S)Mo(S)], has been used to synthesise molybdenum sulfide microparticles (MPs) by solvothermal treatments under inert environment. During synthesis, surfactants i.e.

Softness Induced Enhancement in Net Throughput of Non-Linear Bio-Fluids in Nanofluidic Channel under EDL Phenomenon.

In this article, we describe the electro-hydrodynamics of non-Newtonian fluid in narrow fluidic channel with solvent permeable and ion-penetrable polyelectrolyte layer (PEL) grafted on channel surface with an interaction of non-overlapping electric double layer (EDL) phenomenon. In this analysis, we integrate power-law model in the momentum equation for describing the non-Newtonian rheology. The complex interplay between the non-Newtonian rheology and interfacial electrochemistry in presence of PEL on the walls leads to non-intuitive variations in the underlying flow dynamics in the channels.

Marangoni instability in a thin film heated from below: Effect of nonmonotonic dependence of surface tension on temperature.

We investigate Marangoni instability in a thin liquid film resting on a substrate of low thermal conductivity and separated from the surrounding gas phase by a deformable free surface. Considering a nonmonotonic variation of surface tension with temperature, here we analytically derive the neutral stability curve for the monotonic and oscillatory modes of instability (for both the long-wave and short-wave perturbations) under the framework of linear stability analysis. For the long-wave instability, we derive a set of amplitude equations using the scaling k∼(Bi)^{1/2}, where k is the wave number and Bi is the Biot number.

Evaluation of temperature history of a spherical nanosystem irradiated with various short-pulse laser sources.

Spatiotemporal thermal response and characteristics of net entropy production rate of a gold nanosphere (radius: 50-200 nm), subjected to a short-pulse, femtosecond laser is reported. In order to correctly illustrate the temperature history of laser-metal interaction(s) at picoseconds transient with a comprehensive single temperature definition in macroscale and to further understand how the thermophysical response of the single-phase lag (SPL) and dual-phase lag (DPL) frameworks (with various lag-ratios') differs, governing energy equations derived from these benchmark non-Fourier frameworks are numerically solved and thermodynamic assessment under both the classical irreversible thermodynamics (CIT) as well as extended irreversible thermodynamics (EIT) frameworks is subsequently carried out. Under the frameworks of SPL and DPL with small lag ratio, thermophysical anomalies such as temperature overshooting characterized by adverse temperature gradient is observed to violate the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) hypothesis.

The gamma ray detection threshold temperature of different superheated droplet detectors.

The response of superheated droplet detectors (SDD) loaded with four different active liquids, R-12 (CClF), R-114 (CClF), R-134a (CHF) and R-610 (CF) have been studied to obtain the gamma ray detection threshold temperature (T) of the respective detectors. A Cs gamma ray source is used for this study. To obtain T from the experimental data a phenomenological model has been used.

National Landscape of Unplanned 30-Day Readmissions in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

The number of patients with advanced heart failure receiving left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation has increased dramatically over the last decade. There are limited data available about the nationwide trends of complications leading to readmissions after implantation of contemporary devices. Patients who underwent LVAD implantation from January 2013 to December 2013 were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 37.