Application of Sound Waves During the Curing of an Acrylic Resin and Its Composites Based on Short Carbon Fibers and Carbon Nanofibers.

Research into particulate polymer composites is of significant interest due to their potential for enhancing material properties, such as strength, thermal stability, and conductivity while maintaining low weight and cost. Among the various techniques for preparing particle-based composites, ultrasonic wave stimulation is one of the principal laboratory-scale methods for enhancing the dispersion of the discontinuous phase. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of empirical evidence to substantiate the impact of stimulating materials with natural sound frequencies within the acoustic spectrum, ranging from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, during their formation process.

Impaired Quality of Life in Patients with Post-Surgical Hypoparathyroidism.

Background: Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by chronic hypocalcemia with low or abnormal parathyroid hormone levels. Thyroid surgery remains a predominant cause of hypoparathyroidism, often preventable by partial thyroidectomy. Although hypoparathyroidism can impair quality of life (QOL), data remain limited for Latin America.

An algorithmic approach to convex fair partitions of convex polygons.

A convex fair partition of a convex polygonal region is defined as a partition on which all regions are convex and have equal area and equal perimeter. In this article we describe an algorithm that finds such fair partition. •The Fair Partitions method finds a fair partition for any given convex polygon and any given number of regions.

Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide as a Marker of Mucosal Inflammation in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a cost-effective, noninvasive point-of-care test that has proven valuable in identifying patients with lower airway inflammation and predicting the likelihood of responsiveness to inhaled corticosteroid therapy in asthma. The utility of FeNO in upper airway disease, specifically in CRS, remains to be determined.

Objective: The goal of this study was to test whether FeNO could serve as a noninvasive marker of sinonasal mucosal inflammation in CRS patients.

Study of antifungal agent caspofungin adsorption to laboratory materials.

Treatment of invasive fungal infections with Caspofungin is used as the first-line antifungal agents. The minimum inhibitory concentration value is a test which indicates the degree of sensitivity of a strain regarding a drug. However, no value of minimum inhibitory concentration for caspofungin is available because very variable value is obtained.

Estimation of the post-mortem interval of human skeletal remains using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics.

An important demand exists in the field of forensic analysis to objectively determine the post-mortem interval (PMI) when human skeletal remains are discovered. It is widely known that bones undergo different chemical and physical processes after death, mainly due to their interaction with the environment in which they are found, although it is not known exactly what these processes consist of. Multiple techniques have been used so far to follow up these and other post-mortem changes and thus establish the time elapsed since the individual's death, but they present important drawbacks in terms of reliability and accuracy.

Determination of antifungal caspofungin in RPMI-1640 cell culture medium by column-switching HPLC-FLD.

The actual scenario in the fight against fungal infections forces researchers to carry through with resistance studies to improve the therapies. These studies, which are performed in cell culture media, need accurate and sensitive analytical methodologies. That is why, in this work, an analytical method for caspofungin (CSF) concentration determination in RPMI-1640 cell culture medium with on-line sample treatment was developed and validated.

Successful Outcome Following Intravenous Lipid Emulsion Rescue Therapy in a Patient with Cardiac Arrest Due to Amitriptyline Overdose.

BACKGROUND The management of patients with tricyclic antidepressant drug overdose can be a challenge for the emergency department physician. Tricyclic antidepressants block alpha-adrenergic receptors and the anticholinergic effects may lead to cardiotoxicity, resulting in arrhythmias and hypotension that can lead to patient mortality. This report is of a case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with cardiac arrest due to amitriptyline overdose and who responded to intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy.

Analysis of the Heterogeneous Distribution of Amiloride and Propranolol in Dried Blood Spot by UHPLC-FLD and MALDI-IMS.

Dried blood spot (DBS) has lately experienced an increase in its use in bioanalysis due to its several advantages compared with traditional blood sampling methods. Nevertheless, the use of DBS with quantitative purposes is hindered by the heterogeneous distribution of some compounds in the supporting matrix and the dependence of the response on different factors, such as the hematocrit, blood volume, and sampling position. In this study the effect of those factors in the analytical response was investigated by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection, using amiloride and propranolol as model compounds.

Chromatographic methods for echinocandin antifungal drugs determination in bioanalysis.

The increase of fungal resistance to drugs, such as azole family, gave rise to the development of new antifungals. In this context, echinocandins emerged as a promising alternative for antifungal therapies. Following the commercialization of caspofungin in 2001, echinocandins became the first-line therapy for invasive candidiasis in different patient populations.

Traumatic Atlantoaxial Lateral Subluxation With Chronic Type II Odontoid Fracture: A Case Report.

Background: We report a case of an elderly patient who was diagnosed with lateral atlantoaxial subluxation with type II odontoid fracture, an extremely uncommon upper cervical spine injury that has not been previously reported in the literature to the knowledge of the authors.

Methods: An 87-year-old male reported to the emergency room following a syncopal episode after sustaining a fall. He complained of dizziness, fatigue, disruption of vision and audition, and worsening neck pain.

Shoulder Instability: Interobserver and Intraobserver Agreement in the Assessment of Labral Tears.

Background: The glenohumeral joint combines large range of motion and insufficient bony stabilization, making it susceptible to instability and dislocations. Arthroscopic surgery is routinely used as a diagnostic tool and has been considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of shoulder lesions. However, several studies have demonstrated variability in intraobserver and interobserver agreement.

Prevalence of Protective Shielding Utilization for Radiation Dose Reduction in Adult Patients Undergoing Body Scanning Using Computed Tomography.

Purpose: Ionizing radiation is implicated in nearly 2% of malignancies in the United States; radiation shields prevent unnecessary radiation exposure during medical imaging. Contemporary radiation shield utilization for adult patients in the United States is poorly defined. Therefore, we evaluated the prevalence of protective shielding utilization in adult patients undergoing CT scans in United States' hospitals.

Open Versus Arthroscopic Biceps Tenodesis: A Comparison of Functional Outcomes.

Background: The proximal aspect of the long head of the biceps brachii (LHB) is a frequent source of anterior shoulder pain. Multiple techniques for LHB tenodesis have been described. However, comparative outcomes are lacking.

Comparative analysis of techniques to prevent laparoscopic fogging.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of two common and commercially available methods to resolve lens fogging: a Fluid Warming System (O.R. Solutions, Chantilly, VA) and the Clearify Visualization System (Covidien, Mansfield, MA).

Variable Volumes of Resected Bone Resulting From Different Total Ankle Arthroplasty Systems.

Background: The increased popularity and success of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has resulted in the development of varying TAA hardware designs, many of which include specific bone-sparing or bone-sacrificing features. The goal of this work was to determine differences in the volume of bone removed for implantation of different total ankle arthroplasty hardware systems.

Methods: Sixteen cadaveric specimens were computed tomography-scanned preoperatively and after total ankle arthroplasty using either an INBONE II, Salto Talaris, STAR, or Zimmer TMTA implant.

Agreement between patient self-assessment and physician assessment of shoulder range of motion.

Background: Shoulder outcome scores that include range of motion (ROM) and apprehension signs are limited by the need for direct involvement of the physician. Patient-reported outcome measures are patient centered and self-administered, and they can help physicians track the patient's progress between office visits and for long-term follow-up once the patient has been discharged.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients completed a form before their 6-month follow-up after surgery on the labrum or capsule as a result of instability or pain related to instability.

Delayed administration of recombinant human parathyroid hormone improves early biomechanical strength in a rat rotator cuff repair model.

Background: Despite advances in intraoperative techniques, rotator cuff repairs frequently do not heal. Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH) has been shown to improve healing at the tendon-to-bone interface in an established acute rat rotator cuff repair model. We hypothesized that administration of rhPTH beginning on postoperative day 7 would result in improved early load to failure after acute rotator cuff repair in an established rat model.

Evaluation of Ignition and Burn Risk Associated with Contemporary Fiberoptic and Distal Sensor Endoscopic Technology.

Purpose: To evaluate the ignition and burn risk associated with contemporary fiberoptic and distal sensor endoscopic technologies.

Materials And Methods: We used new and used SCB Xenon 300 light sources to illuminate a 4.8 mm fiberoptic cable, 10 mm laparoscope, 5 mm laparoscope, rigid cystoscope, semirigid ureteroscope, flexible cystoscope, flexible fiberoptic ureteroscope, distal sensor cystoscope, and a distal sensor ureteroscope (Karl Storz, Inc.

Effects of different elastic cord assistance levels on vertical jump.

Tran, TT, Brown, LE, Coburn, JW, Lynn, SK, Dabbs, NC, Schick, MK, Schick, EE, Khamoui, AV, Uribe, BP, and Noffal, GJ. Effects of different elastic cord assistance levels on vertical jump. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3472-3478, 2011-Currently, little research has been conducted using body weight reduction (BWR) as a means to enhance vertical jump.

Acute effects of passive stretching and vibration on the electromechanical delay and musculotendinous stiffness of the plantar flexors.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effects of passives stretching versus prolonged vibration on the active and passive properties of voluntary and evoked muscle actions of the plantar flexors. Eleven healthy men performed the isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) and passive range of motion (PROM) assessments before and after 20 min of passive stretching (PS), vibration (VIB), and control (CON) conditions. In addition, percent voluntary activation was calculated from superimposed and potentiated doublets during the MVCs.

Effect of four different starting stances on sprint time in collegiate volleyball players.

Starting stance plays an important role in influencing short-distance sprint speed and, therefore, the ability to reach a ball during sport play. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 4 different starting stances on sprint time. Twenty-six male and female collegiate volleyball players volunteered to participate in 1 testing session.

Performance differences between sexes in the pop-up phase of surfing.

Surfing is a dynamic sport that is multidirectional in nature and requires peak performance in variable ocean conditions. Its growing popularity among the female population has stirred curiosity as to whether women can and will 1 day face their male counterparts in head-to-head competition at the top levels. The purpose of this study was to examine male and female differences in performance of a simulated surfing pop-up movement.