Anesthetic and obstetric predictors of general anesthesia in urgent or emergent Cesarean delivery: a retrospective case-control study.

Purpose: While regional anesthesia (RA) is considered preferable to general anesthesia (GA) for Cesarean delivery (CD), certain situations necessitate GA. This study reviewed the practice patterns around the use of GA for CD to identify modifiable predictors of GA with the goal of reducing GA rates.

Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study.

Effect of Sugar Replacement with Stevia-Based Tabletop Sweetener on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health among Indian Adults.

Unlabelled: Added sugars contribute to caloric intake in the diet, which may lead to conditions like obesity. Replacing added sugar with a natural sugar substitute like zero-calorie stevia may help in reducing sugar and caloric intake.

Methods: An open-label, single-arm pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a stevia-based tabletop sweetener among overweight subjects with normal blood sugar levels ( = 24) and overweight prediabetic subjects ( = 21).

Online Machine Vision-Based Modeling during Cantaloupe Microwave Drying Utilizing Extreme Learning Machine and Artificial Neural Network.

Online microwave drying process monitoring has been challenging due to the incompatibility of metal components with microwaves. This paper developed a microwave drying system based on online machine vision, which realized real-time extraction and measurement of images, weight, and temperature. An image-processing algorithm was developed to capture material shrinkage characteristics in real time.

Estimating the Moisture Ratio Model of Cantaloupe Slices by Maximum Likelihood Principle-Based Algorithms.

As an agricultural plant, the cantaloupe contains rich nutrition and high moisture content. In this paper, the estimation problem of the moisture ratio model during a cantaloupe microwave drying process was considered. First of all, an image processing-based cantaloupe drying system was designed and the expression of the moisture ratio with regard to the shrinkage was built.

Predicting the Moisture Ratio of a Hami Melon Drying Process Using Image Processing Technology.

For food drying, moisture content and shrinkage are vital in the drying process. This paper is concerned with the moisture ratio modeling and prediction issues of the Hami melon drying process. First, an experimental system was developed; it included an adjustable-power microwave drying unit and an image-processing unit.

Effect of a Novel Sugar Blend on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health among Healthy Indian Adults: A Randomized, Open-Label Study.

Obesity is one of the major factors contributing to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which is associated with a high intake of a sugar-rich diet. Sugar blend (a novel combination of sugar and stevia) has half the calories of sugar with the same sweetness at recommended use and offers better compliance. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this sugar blend in normal to mildly overweight subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of 23−26 kg/m.

Polarimetric method of generating full Poincaré beams within a finite extent.

A novel polarimetric method of generating a variety of Poincaré beams such as half Poincaré beams and full Poincaré beams using doubly inhomogeneous wave plates (-plates) is proposed. In this method, every input state of polarization (SoP) through such a -plate generates a unique Poincaré beam, thereby giving access to a potentially infinite number of them. Furthermore, the generation of full Poincaré beams is presented here as an instance of the geometrical problem of mapping the surface of a sphere onto a plane, and this insight allows one to design -plates that convert the input SoP to every possible SoP, within a finite region of the beam.

Obstetric Emergencies Requiring Rapid Response Team Activation: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a High-Risk Tertiary Care Centre.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to better understand obstetric codes requiring rapid response team activation by examining their incidence, indications, team response, and patient outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective study in peripartum women who required activation of the following codes during hospitalization between January 2014 and May 2018: "Code 77 (C77)" (obstetric emergency), "Code Blue (CB)" (cardiopulmonary compromise) or "Code Omega (CO)" (massive transfusion). Hospital database and health records were searched to identify and review cases.

Anesthetic management of women with heart failure during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The incidence of heart failure among pregnant women with pre-existing cardiac disease is quoted as 13%, with 10% requiring hospitalization. There is limited literature on heart failure in the pregnant population. The study objective was to describe the etiology and management of women hospitalized in our institution for heart failure during pregnancy.

Color and molecular structure alterations of brazilein extracted from Caesalpinia sappan L. under different pH and heating conditions.

Brazilein extract from sappan wood (Caesalpinia sappan L.) has potential for use as natural food colorant since it has no unique flavor and taste. Although brazilein has long been applied in several traditional foods and beverages, information on its stability, which is of importance for practical application, is still limited.

Effect of Radiation Doses to the Heart on Survival for Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Early-stage Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer: An Artificial Neural Network Approach.

Introduction: The cardiac radiation dose is an important predictor of cardiac toxicity and overall survival (OS) for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, radiation-induced cardiac toxicity among patients with early-stage NSCLC who have undergone stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has been less well-characterized. Our objective was to assess the associations between cardiac radiation dosimetry and OS in patients with early-stage NSCLC undergoing SABR.

Mass transfer during osmotic dehydration and its effect on anthocyanin retention of microwave vacuum-dried blackberries.

Background: The combination of sugar osmotic dehydration and microwave vacuum drying is an effective method for the dehydration of blackberries, the retention of their antioxidant properties, and the extension of their shelf life. Mass transfer during the osmotic dehydration of blackberries in sugar solution was investigated together with its influence on microwave vacuum drying characteristics, and the retention rate of anthocyanins in dried frozen blackberries.

Results: The concentrations of the osmotic solutions that were tested contained 40%, 50%, and 60% sugar, and the osmotic solution temperatures were 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C.

Wavelength-adaptable effective q-plates with passively tunable retardance.

Wave retarders having spatially varying optical axes orientations, called q-plates are extremely efficient devices for converting spin to orbital angular momentum of light and for the generation of optical vortices. Most often, these plates are designed for a specific wavelength and have a homogeneous constant retardance. The present work provides a polarimetric approach for overcoming both these limitations.

Direct Observation and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Photoresponsive Transcription Factor GAL4.

Herein, the direct visualization of the dynamic interaction between a photoresponsive transcription factor fusion, GAL4-VVD, and DNA using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is reported. A series of different GAL4-VVD movements, such as binding, sliding, stalling, and dissociation, was observed. Inter-strand jumping on two double-stranded (ds) DNAs was also observed.

Optimization of the proportions of four wastewaters in a blend for the cultivation of microalgae using a mixture design.

A 2nd degree mixture design was used to determine the optimal blend prepared from four wastewater streams to produce microalgae-based biomass. The streams consisted of a liquid digestate from an anaerobic digestion process, a landfill leachate, a septic-system sludge treatment plant liquid, and a wastewater treatment plant effluent. The mixture regression analysis indicated that blends with higher proportions of treated effluent and digestate improved cells growth, while the use of leachate was detrimental to the growth.

The impact of treatment package time on survival in surgically managed head and neck cancer in the United States.

Objectives: Delays in the initiation of postoperative radiation have been associated with worse outcomes; however, the effect of the overall treatment package time (interval from surgery through the completion of radiation) remains undefined. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of package time on survival and to evaluate this effect among different subgroups of head and neck cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: In this observational cohort study, the National Cancer Database was used to identify 35,167 patients with resected nonmetastatic head and neck cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2004 to 2014.

Survival impact of treatment delays in surgically managed oropharyngeal cancer and the role of human papillomavirus status.

Background: The impact of treatment delays on survival in oropharyngeal cancer and whether the effect varies by human papillomavirus (HPV) status have yet to be defined.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the survival impact of time from diagnosis to surgery (DTS), surgery to radiation (SRT), and duration of radiation (RTD) for patients in the National Cancer Database with resected oropharyngeal cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2010 to 2014.

Results: We identified optimal thresholds of 30, 40, and 51 days for DTS, SRT, and RTD, respectively, with treatment times exceeding these thresholds associated with significantly worse overall survival.

A survey of anesthetic preference and preoperative anxiety in hip and knee arthroplasty patients: the utility of the outpatient preoperative anesthesia appointment.

Purpose: The general public's perceptions of anesthesia and the risks associated with it may be skewed. The outpatient preoperative appointment with an anesthesiologist allows for patient education regarding different anesthetic options and counseling regarding anxiety related to anesthesia and surgery. This study investigates whether the preoperative appointment for hip and knee arthroplasty alters patient preference for general or spinal anesthesia and reduces patient anxiety.

Fano resonance between coherent acoustic phonon oscillations and electronic states near the bandgap of photoexcited GaAs.

Impulsive photo-excitation of solids results in a travelling strain pulse which manifests itself as coherent acoustic phonon oscillations. These oscillations have been extensively studied using time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy. In the present work, we report the generation of extremely long-lived, coherent longitudinal acoustic phonon oscillations in intrinsic GaAs (100), with clear and unambiguous evidence of Fano interference between these oscillations and the continuum of electronic states close to the bandgap.

Risk Factors, Causes, and Costs of Hospital Readmission After Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Reconstruction.

Importance: Thirty-day hospital readmissions have substantial direct costs and are increasingly used as a measure of quality care. However, data regarding the risk factors and reasons for readmissions in head and neck cancer surgery reconstruction are lacking.

Objective: To describe the rate, risk factors, and causes of 30-day readmission in patients with head and neck cancer following free or pedicled flap reconstruction.

Comparing Outcomes of Patients With Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Based on Frailty Status.

Introduction: Frailty of surgical patients has been associated with worse outcomes. There is limited literature discussing frailty in patients with lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This study assesses the relationship between frailty and overall survival (OS), tumor control, and toxicity in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with SBRT.

Whole-Cell Scale Dynamic Organization of Lysosomes Revealed by Spatial Statistical Analysis.

In eukaryotic cells, lysosomes are distributed in the cytoplasm as individual membrane-bound compartments to degrade macromolecules and to control cellular metabolism. A fundamental yet unanswered question is whether and, if so, how individual lysosomes are organized spatially to coordinate and integrate their functions. To address this question, we analyzed their collective behavior in cultured cells using spatial statistical techniques.

High-humidity hot air impingement blanching alters texture, cell-wall polysaccharides, water status and distribution of seedless grape.

Blanching pretreatment plays an essential role in fruits and vegetables processing to obtain excellent final products. The purpose of current work was to characterise the texture, cell-wall polysaccharides and water distribution of grapes pre- and post- high-humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB). The cell-wall pectins nanostructure, water status and distribution of samples were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance image (MRI), respectively.

Graphene Microelectrode Arrays for Electrical and Optical Measurements of Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Introduction: Cell-cell communication plays a pivotal role in biological systems' coordination and function. Electrical properties have been linked to specification and differentiation of stem cells into targeted progeny, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes. Currently, there is a critical need in developing new ways to complement fluorescent indicators, such as Ca-sensitive dyes, for direct electrophysiological measurements of cells and tissue.

Feasibility of spatial frequency-domain imaging for monitoring palpable breast lesions.

In breast cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring, there is a need for frequent, noninvasive disease progression evaluation. Breast tumors differ from healthy tissue in mechanical stiffness as well as optical properties, which allows optical methods to detect and monitor breast lesions noninvasively. Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) is a reflectance-based diffuse optical method that can yield two-dimensional images of absolute optical properties of tissue with an inexpensive and portable system, although depth penetration is limited.