Influence of Internal Architecture and Ink Formulation on the Thermal Behavior of 3D-Printed Cementitious Materials.

Cement-based 3D printing provides an opportunity to create cement-based elements with a hierarchy of structures and patterns that are not easily achievable using traditional casting techniques, thereby providing new possibilities for improving thermal control and energy storage in cement-based materials. In this study, the influence of internal architecture and ink formulation on the thermal behavior of 3D-printed cement composite beams was investigated using infrared thermal imaging and a conceptual one-dimensional heat transfer model based on cooling fins in convective media. Three-dimensional printed beams with rectilinear, three-dimensional honeycomb, and Archimedean chord infill patterns and cement ink formulations with and without 5% halloysite nanoclay were exposed to a heating source at one end.

Performance of the Nottingham Hip Fracture Score and Clinical Frailty Scale as predictors of short and long-term outcomes: a dual-centre 3-year observational study of hip fracture patients.

Introduction: Hip fractures account for a growing number of hospital admissions worldwide and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS) was developed to help risk-stratify these patients. Frailty is increasingly recognised to be a predictor of adverse outcomes.

Creation of an anthropomorphic CT head phantom for verification of image segmentation.

Purpose: Many methods are available to segment structural magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain into different tissue types. These have generally been developed for research purposes but there is some clinical use in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. The potential exists for computed tomography (CT) segmentation to be used in place of MRI segmentation, but this will require a method to verify the accuracy of CT processing, particularly if algorithms developed for MR are used, as MR has notably greater tissue contrast.

Putative tumor suppressor cytoglobin promotes aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand-mediated triple negative breast cancer cell death.

Nearly 40 000 women die annually from breast cancer in the United States. Clinically available targeted breast cancer therapy is largely ineffective in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by tumors that lack expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2). TNBC is associated with a poor prognosis.

The Effects of Synthesized Rhenium Acetylsalicylate Compounds on Human Astrocytoma Cell Lines.

Purpose: Because of the scarcity of suitable brain cancer drugs, researchers are frantically trying to discover novel and highly potent drugs free of side effects and drug-resistance. Rhenium compounds are known to be nontoxic and exhibit no drug resistance. For that reason, we have developed a series of novel rhenium acetylsalicylato (RAC or ASP) complexes to test their cytotoxicity on brain cancer cells.

Core Canonical Pathways Involved in Developing Human Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of the primary brain tumors with pathologic hallmarks of necrosis and vascular proliferation. The diagnosis of GBM is currently mostly based on histological examination of brain tumor tissues, after radiological characterization and surgical biopsy. The ability to characterize tumors comprehensively at the molecular level raises the possibility that diagnosis can be made based on molecular profiling with or without histological examination, rather than solely on histological phenotype.

Technical Note: Development of a 3D printed subresolution sandwich phantom for validation of brain SPECT analysis.

Purpose: To make an adaptable, head shaped radionuclide phantom to simulate molecular imaging of the brain using clinical acquisition and reconstruction protocols. This will allow the characterization and correction of scanner characteristics, and improve the accuracy of clinical image analysis, including the application of databases of normal subjects.

Methods: A fused deposition modeling 3D printer was used to create a head shaped phantom made up of transaxial slabs, derived from a simulated MRI dataset.

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of a Series of Semisynthetic Lipopeptides Leading to the Discovery of Surotomycin, a Novel Cyclic Lipopeptide Being Developed for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea.

Novel cyclic lipopeptides with different acyl tails were synthesized via a semisynthetic approach. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that lipophilicity, chain length, and the location of key aromatic functionalities of the tail modulated activity. The lead compound surotomycin exhibited significantly improved in vitro activity compared with daptomycin (MIC90 0.

Activation of NRF2 Signaling in HEK293 Cells by a First-in-Class Direct KEAP1-NRF2 Inhibitor.

Under basal conditions, the antioxidant transcription factor nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is bound to the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) protein and targeted for proteasomal degradation in the cytoplasm. In response to cellular injury or chemical treatment, NRF2 dissociates from KEAP1 and activates the transcription of protective genes and defends against injury. LH601A is a first-in-class direct inhibitor of the KEAP1-NRF2 protein-protein interaction.

Use of linezolid susceptibility test results as a surrogate for the susceptibility of Gram-positive pathogens to tedizolid, a novel oxazolidinone.

Background: Tedizolid is a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial with potent activity against a wide range of Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Although tedizolid is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection, commercial susceptibility testing products for tedizolid are not currently available. This study evaluated the usefulness of applying linezolid susceptibility test results as a surrogate for predicting susceptibility to tedizolid in clinically significant Gram-positive pathogens.

Surotomycin demonstrates low in vitro frequency of resistance and rapid bactericidal activity in Clostridium difficile, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium.

Surotomycin (CB-183,315) is an orally administered, minimally absorbed, selective bactericidal cyclic lipopeptide in phase 3 development for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the emergence of resistance in C. difficile (ATCC 700057 and three recent clinical isolates from the restriction endonuclease analysis groups BI, BK, and K), vancomycin-susceptible (VS) Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 49452), vancomycin-resistant (VR) E.

Topical paromomycin with or without gentamicin for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: There is a need for a simple and efficacious treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis with an acceptable side-effect profile.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, vehicle-controlled phase 3 trial of topical treatments containing 15% paromomycin, with and without 0.5% gentamicin, for cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in Tunisia.

Classic debates in selective attention: early vs late, perceptual load vs dilution, mean RT vs measures of capacity.

We briefly summarize two important debates regarding selective attention (early vs late selection; perceptual load vs distractor dilution). Also, we report the results of an attempt to replicate Lavie (1995, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 21 451-468). We suggest that measures capable of characterizing the capacity of information processing systems (compared to reporting only mean reaction time) could add great clarity to this literature.

Effects of daptomycin in combination with other antimicrobial agents: a review of in vitro and animal model studies.

This review summarizes the in vitro and animal model data available on antibiotic combinations with daptomycin. The majority of studies focus on the clinically relevant combinations of daptomycin with rifampicin or with gentamicin. These studies demonstrate that daptomycin does not adversely affect the activity of other antimicrobial agents that may be administered concomitantly.

Evidence for daptomycin Etest lot-related MIC elevations for Staphylococcus aureus.

MIC testing was performed simultaneously by Etest and broth microdilution (BMD) on 587 Staphylococcus aureus isolates submitted by local laboratories to a reference laboratory for confirmatory testing (May 2005 to July 2008). Testing bias was assessed for Etest to BMD MIC ratios. Categoric and essential agreement, very major (BMD nonsusceptible, Etest susceptible), and major (BMD susceptible, Etest nonsusceptible) errors were evaluated.

Effects of prior effective therapy on the efficacy of daptomycin and ceftriaxone for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.

Objective: We sought to compare daptomycin with ceftriaxone for the treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: Two phase-3 randomized, double-blind trials that enrolled adult patients hospitalized with CAP were conducted. Patients received intravenous daptomycin (4 mg/kg) or ceftriaxone (2 g) once daily for 5-14 days.

Detection of daptomycin-nonsusceptible strains using the Neo-Sensitab prediffusion method.

Two prediffusion methods with daptomycin (DAP) Neo-Sensitabs were evaluated against a challenge set of 30 Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 30 enterococci. DAP Neo-Sensitabs were prediffused for either 8 or 20 h on Mueller-Hinton agar. Inhibition zones were plotted versus Etest MIC values determined on the same prediffused agar.

In vitro activity of daptomycin against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and S. aureus with known virulence factors, including community-acquired methicillin-resistant isolates.

The in vitro activity of daptomycin was evaluated against 360 multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates (including hospital-acquired isolates) and multidrug-susceptible community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus with known virulence genes. All isolates were inhibited at View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Remifentanil-midazolam sedation for paediatric patients receiving mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery.

Background: Sedation of critically ill children requiring artificial ventilation remains a therapeutic challenge due to large individual variation in drug effects and a paucity of knowledge of pharmacokinetics in this population. This study aimed to determine the pharmacokinetics of remifentanil in children requiring ventilation after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Twenty-six ventilated children aged 1 month to 9.

In vitro activity of daptomycin against clinical isolates with reduced susceptibilities to linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin.

An initiative was taken to determine the in vitro activity of daptomycin against 85 Gram-positive isolates with reduced susceptibilities to linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Daptomycin had potent activity against all strains, with a Staphylococcus spp. minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) < or =2 microg/mL and an Enterococcus spp.

Effects of perceptual load on startle reflex modification at a long lead interval.

Inhibition of the startle eyeblink response at long lead intervals has been hypothesized to occur when attention is directed away from the modality of the startle stimulus, particularly if attention is directed to a stimulus of high perceptual load. In a test of this hypothesis, participants performed a delayed-matching-to-sample task. On each trial a pattern of dots (the sample) was followed by a second pattern of dots (the target).

Multicenter evaluation of the Etest and disk diffusion methods for differentiating daptomycin-susceptible from non-daptomycin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates.

Daptomycin is a novel cyclic lipopeptide that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections associated with Staphylococcus aureus and other gram-positive pathogens and also staphylococcal bacteremia, including right-sided endocarditis.

Evidence for cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in neonates with coarctation of the aorta.

Background: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with hypertension and abnormalities of blood pressure control, which persist after late repair. Assumptions that neonatal repair would prevent development of blood pressure abnormalities have not been supported by recent data. We hypothesized that early pathological adjustment of autonomic cardiovascular function may already be established in the neonate with coarctation.

Attention and prepulse inhibition: the effects of task-relevant, irrelevant, and no-task conditions.

We investigated whether attentional modulation of prepulse inhibition (PPI) is due to increased protection of processing of attended lead stimuli, decreased protection of processing of ignored lead stimuli, or a combination of both processes. Task and no-task trials, pre-cued by red and blue dots on a computer screen, were randomly intermixed. College student participants were instructed to do a tone duration judgment task on trials preceded by one color (task condition) and to do nothing on trials preceded by the other color (no-task condition).

Daptomycin tested against 915 bloodstream isolates of viridans group streptococci (eight species) and Streptococcus bovis.

Objectives: To evaluate the activity of daptomycin tested against numerous species of viridans group streptococci and Streptococcus bovis, which are associated with wound infections, sepsis, cellulitis, endocarditis, abscesses and dental caries. The incidence of penicillin-resistant (non-susceptible) and MLS(B)-resistant strains among viridans group streptococci often varies by species.

Methods: The activity of daptomycin was compared with seven other antimicrobial classes using reference broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods tested against 915 bacteraemic isolates of streptococci (815 viridans group strains; 100 S.