Multi-Path Model and Sensitivity Analysis for Galvanic Coupled Intra-Body Communication Through Layered Tissue.

New medical procedures promise continuous patient monitoring and drug delivery through implanted sensors and actuators. When over the air wireless radio frequency (OTA-RF) links are used for intra-body implant communication, the network incurs heavy energy costs owing to absorption within the human tissue. With this motivation, we explore an alternate form of intra-body communication that relies on weak electrical signals, instead of OTA-RF.

Preparation and characterization of host-guest system between inosine and β-cyclodextrin through inclusion mode.

Inosine is a nucleoside that is formed when hypoxanthine is attached to a ribose ring (also known as a ribofuranose) via a β-N₉-glycosidic bond. Inosine is commonly found in tRNAs. Inosine (INS) has been used widely as an antiviral drug.

Acute kidney injury after ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP).

Background: Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) identifies viability for marginal organs but complicates and lengthens lung transplantation surgery. Preliminary evidence supports equivalency for EVLP-assisted versus traditional (non-EVLP) procedures regarding graft function, postoperative course, mortality, and survival. However, acute kidney injury (AKI), a common serious complication of lung transplantation, has not been assessed.

Diastolic dysfunction, diagnostic and perioperative management in cardiac surgery.

Purpose Of Review: The review focuses on recent findings on the role of diastolic dysfunction in the perioperative period and on recent advances in the diagnosis and perioperative management of diastolic function.

Recent Findings: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is an underestimated disease with a high risk for acute decompensation in the perioperative period. It has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac or noncardiac procedures.

Pulmonary dysfunction after lung transplantation: the dilemma of coexisting mitral regurgitation.

A case of MR progression after single-lung transplant as a significant contributor to postoperative respiratory failure is reported. Pre-existing MR may progress due to the decompressive effects of lung transplantation on RV dimension and consequent alteration of MV geometry. This case highlights the importance of intraoperative TEE findings, especially pertaining to valvulopathies in the setting of lung transplantation.

Photocatalytic detoxification of Acid Red 18 by modified ZnO catalyst under sunlight irradiation.

In this work, hybrid structured Bi-Au-ZnO composite was prepared by precipitation-decomposition method. This method is mild, economical and efficient. Bi-Au-ZnO was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and BET surface area measurements.

Prevalence of rape and client-initiated gender-based violence among female sex workers: Kampala, Uganda, 2012.

We utilized data from the 2012 Crane Survey in Kampala, Uganda to estimate prevalence of rape among female sex workers (FSWs) and to identify risk factors for and prevalence of client-initiated gender-based violence (GBV) among FSWs. Participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling. Analyses were weighted using RDSAT-generated individualized weights for each of the five dependent GBV outcomes.

Antiretroviral therapy enrollment characteristics and outcomes among HIV-infected adolescents and young adults compared with older adults--seven African countries, 2004-2013.

Although scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2005 has contributed to declines of about 30% in the global annual number of human immunodeficiency (HIV)-related deaths and declines in global HIV incidence, estimated annual HIV-related deaths among adolescents have increased by about 50% and estimated adolescent HIV incidence has been relatively stable. In 2012, an estimated 2,500 (40%) of all 6,300 daily new HIV infections occurred among persons aged 15-24 years. Difficulty enrolling adolescents and young adults in ART and high rates of loss to follow-up (LTFU) after ART initiation might be contributing to mortality and HIV incidence in this age group, but data are limited.

Use of mobile tablet devices and reduction in time to perioperative transesophageal echocardiography reporting: a historical cohort study.

Purpose: Timely communication of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) findings to the postoperative care team is critical to optimizing patient care. We compared the use of a personal computer (PC) system with the use of a mobile tablet device (MTD) system for point-of-care TEE data entry and hypothesized that the MTD-based system would reduce the time to preliminary TEE reporting and decrease the incidence of delinquent reporting by 50%.

Methods: In this historical cohort study, we reviewed 508 perioperative TEE reports entered by cardiothoracic anesthesia fellows.

Global epidemiology of HIV.

The number of persons living with HIV worldwide reached approximately 35.3 million in 2012. Meanwhile, AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections have declined.

Therapeutic efficacy of vitamin E δ-tocotrienol in collagen-induced rat model of arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease primarily involving inflammation of the joints. Although the management of the disease has advanced significantly in the past three decades, there is still no cure for RA. The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of δ-tocotrienol, in the rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Flavonoids with M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding activity.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-active compounds have potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, a series of natural and synthetic flavones and flavonols was assayed in vitro for their ability to inhibit radioligand binding at human cloned M1 muscarinic receptors. Several compounds were found to possess competitive binding affinity (Ki=40-110 µM), comparable to that of acetylcholine (Ki=59 µM).

Blood transfusions are associated with urinary biomarkers of kidney injury in cardiac surgery.

Objective: Cardiac surgery is a major cause of acute kidney injury. In this setting, receipt of blood transfusions seems to be associated with a higher risk of acute kidney injury, as measured using serum creatinine values. We examined this association further by using urinary biomarkers of kidney injury.

Results of bilateral medial rectus recession for comitant esotropia in patients with developmental delay.

Purpose: There is paucity of literature on surgical outcomes after strabismus surgery in patients with developmental delay. There is no consensus regarding whether standard surgical tables are applicable to these children. The goal of our study was to determine results of strabismus surgery for esotropia among these children.

Recent developments in heterogeneous catalyzed environmental remediation processes.

This article reports on recent developments in heterogeneous AOP processes such as photocatalysis, Fenton-like process and catalytic ozonation. The principle, mechanism, and influence of experimental conditions on the degradation of pollutants in heterogeneous catalytic ozonation and the photocatalytic process were discussed. Introducing solid catalysts substantially increased the efficiency of the ozonation process by producing hydroxyl radicals in the degradation process.

Diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: the role of gender and age-gender interaction.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that females presenting for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are at a higher risk of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and that age and gender interact to influence this risk.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Setting: Tertiary university hospital.

Quantitative assessment of mitral valve coaptation using three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Background: Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) occurs as a consequence of left ventricular remodeling and is an independent predictor of adverse outcome. FMR is assessed qualitatively with two-dimensional echocardiography, but accurate quantitation of the actual degree of mitral valve (MV) coaptation is not possible with this method. We evaluated a novel three-dimensional (3D) approach to quantify the MV coaptation zone in patients with FMR.

Multinational institutional survey on patterns of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography use in adult cardiac surgery.

Objectives: To assess institutional patterns of perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) usage.

Design: The authors hypothesized that TEE is performed more frequently and comprehensively in academic centers, mainly by anesthesiologists, and barriers to performing TEE are due to inadequate resources. A survey was deployed to selected participants.