Radiation Protection of a 3D Computer Tomography Scanning Workplace for Logs-A Case Study.

Despite its undeniable advantages, the operation of a CT scanner also carries risks to human health. The CT scanner is a source of ionizing radiation, which also affects people in its surroundings. The aim of this paper is to quantify the radiation exposure of workers at a 3D CT wood scanning workplace and to determine a monitoring program based on measurements of ionizing radiation levels during the operation of a CT log scanner.

Miscanthus x giganteus stress tolerance and phytoremediation capacities in highly diesel contaminated soils.

Second generation biofuel crop Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) was studied as a candidate for petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) contaminated soil phytomanagement. The soil was polluted by diesel in wide concentration gradient up to 50 g⋅kg in an ex-situ pot experiment. The contaminated soil/plant interactions were investigated using plant biometric and physiological parameters, soil physico-chemical and microbial community's characteristics.

SARS-CoV-2 control on a large urban college campus without mass testing.

Objective: A small percentage of universities and colleges conducted mass SARS-CoV-2 testing. However, universal testing is resource-intensive, strains national testing capacity, and false negative tests can encourage unsafe behaviors.

Participants: A large urban university campus.

A biodiversity monitoring program for macroinvertebrates inhabiting streams and rivers of South Tyrol (Italy): aims, methodologies, and publicly accessible dataset.

Despite very limited in their extension - about 1% of the total surface of our planet - freshwater habitats greatly contribute to the biodiversity of Earth, since 10% of the known species and 33% of the vertebrates inhabit freshwaters. However, continuous monitoring of habitats and biodiversity - not only aquatic - is considered as a complex task due to the long-term perspective these monitoring programs should have, and the connected required financial needs. Here, within the framework of a regional-scale program of biodiversity monitoring started in the mountainous region of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen (Italy) - including terrestrial and aquatic habitats - we present a dataset covering the first year of the fieldwork campaign aiming at sampling and identifying the benthic macroinvertebrates inhabiting the running-waters of the region.

A Case of Chronic Aortic Dissection With Hemopericardium and Tamponade.

Type A aortic dissection involves the separation of the wall of the ascending aorta into a true lumen and a false lumen. The finding of an aortic dissection in a patient experiencing mild to moderate symptoms for several weeks may be surprising for clinicians, given the severity of the underlying process. Here, we present an 88-year-old patient who was admitted to our hospital due to orthopnea and leg swelling for the past two to three weeks and was found to have a chronic dissection of the ascending aorta, complicated by hemopericardium and tamponade.

Calcium-Responsive Diguanylate Cyclase CasA Drives Cellulose-Dependent Biofilm Formation and Inhibits Motility in Vibrio fischeri.

The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri colonizes its host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid, in a manner requiring both bacterial biofilm formation and motility. The decision to switch between sessile and motile states is often triggered by environmental signals and regulated by the widespread signaling molecule c-di-GMP. Calcium is an environmental signal previously shown to affect both biofilm formation and motility by V.

In vitro model systems for exploring oral biofilms: From single-species populations to complex multi-species communities.

Numerous in vitro biofilm model systems are available to study oral biofilms. Over the past several decades, increased understanding of oral biology and advances in technology have facilitated more accurate simulation of intraoral conditions and have allowed for the increased generalizability of in vitro oral biofilm studies. The integration of contemporary systems with confocal microscopy and 16S rRNA community profiling has enhanced the capabilities of in vitro biofilm model systems to quantify biofilm architecture and analyse microbial community composition.

The Influence of Local Habitat and Microclimate on the Levels of Secondary Metabolites in Slovak Bilberry ( L.) Fruits.

The berries of Vaccinium myrtillus L. are usually collected in the wild for the purpose of being a food source. They are naturally high in phenolic compounds, which possess antioxidative properties, so the berries are therefore often labeled as "functional foods".

Safety of Human Adipose Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells Isolated with a Closed System Device in an Immunocompetent Murine Pressure Ulcer Model.

Pressure ulcers (PUs) result in part due to ischemia-reperfusion injury to the skin and present frequently in elderly or quadriplegic patients with reduced mobility. Despite the high economic and societal cost of this condition, PU therapy relies primarily on preventive strategies and invasive surgical intervention. A growing body of clinical literature suggests that localized injection of adipose-derived cells can accelerate and enhance the closure of PUs.

Safety and Efficacy of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal/Stem Cell Therapy in an Immunocompetent Murine Pressure Ulcer Model.

Pressure injuries/ulcers are frequent complications in elderly, paraplegic, and quadriplegic patients, which account for considerable cost to the international health care economy and remain refractory to current treatment options. Autologous or allogeneic adult stromal/stem cells represent an alternative therapeutic approach. The current study extends prior findings by exploring the safety and efficacy of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cell (ASC) therapy in an established immunocompetent murine skin pressure ulcer model where dermal fibroblast cells (DFCs) served as a control.

Feasibility and acceptability of using a web-based contraceptive support tool in a university health clinic.

To evaluate feasibility of integrating Bedsider.org, a web-based contraceptive decision support tool, at a university health clinic (UHC). Female students (ages 18-29) seeking contraceptive care at the UHC were enrolled in September 2015 ( = 46).

High-power fiber laser with a polarizing diffraction grating milled on the facet of an optical fiber.

We milled a sub-wavelength diffraction grating on the facet of a large mode area fiber. The diffraction grating had different reflectivities for TE and TM polarized light. It was tested in a thulium-doped fiber laser where it functioned as a low reflectivity output mirror integrated with an intracavity polarizer.

A text message program as a booster to in-person brief interventions for mandated college students to prevent weekend binge drinking.

Objective: To evaluate a text message (SMS) program as a booster to an in-person alcohol intervention with mandated college students.

Participants: Undergraduates (N = 224; 46% female) who violated an on-campus alcohol policy over a 2-semester period in 2014.

Methods: The SMS program sent drinking-related queries each Thursday and Sunday and provided tailored feedback for 6 weeks.

Expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in HEp-2 cells for immunodetection of autoantibody specificities in sera from Myasthenia gravis patients.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of pathogenic autoantibodies mostly targeting the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The AChR is composed of two alpha subunits and one subunit of each beta, delta and gamma (fetal AChR), or epsilon (adult AChR), respectively. Serological diagnostics is commonly done by radioimmunoassay (RIA).

Surveillance of surgical site infection after cholecystectomy using the hospital in Europe link for infection control through surveillance protocol.

Background: The third most common healthcare-associated infection is surgical site infection (SSI), accounting for 14%-16% of infections. These SSIs are associated with high morbidity, numerous deaths, and greater cost.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted to assess the incidence of SSI in a single university hospital in Croatia.

Perforated ascending colon cancer presenting as colocutaneous fistula with abscess to the anterior abdominal wall at the site of a cholecystectomy scar treated with biologic mesh.

Ascending colon cancer as a colocutaneous fistula to the abdominal wall at the site of a previous postoperative scar is extremely rare. A 69 year old male presented with five day history of pain and foul smelling discharge from right subcostal scar from elective cholecystectomy performed 8 years ago. Last three days, he had fever up to 39 degrees C, with mild pain in right upper abdominal quadrant without vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools or weight loss.

Oxysterols direct immune cell migration via EBI2.

Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2, also known as GPR183) is a G-protein-coupled receptor that is required for humoral immune responses; polymorphisms in the receptor have been associated with inflammatory autoimmune diseases. The natural ligand for EBI2 has been unknown. Here we describe the identification of 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (also called 7α,25-OHC or 5-cholesten-3β,7α,25-triol) as a potent and selective agonist of EBI2.

Far-infrared sensor for cirrus (FIRSC): an aircraft-based Fourier-transform spectrometer to measure cloud radiance.

We describe an aircraft-based Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) designed to measure the Earth outgoing radiance spectrum in the far-infrared-submillimeter spectral range. The instrument features include a rapid-scan FTS to obtain high spatial resolution from a moving aircraft platform, a sensitive two-channel detector, and a CCD camera for recording the nadir cloud scene with each scan record. Such measurements demonstrate the sensitivity of Earth radiance to high clouds and provide spectral data for improving techniques for remote sensing and retrieval of atmospheric and cloud properties.

A tool box for operational mosquito larval control: preliminary results and early lessons from the Urban Malaria Control Programme in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: As the population of Africa rapidly urbanizes, large populations could be protected from malaria by controlling aquatic stages of mosquitoes if cost-effective and scalable implementation systems can be designed.

Methods: A recently initiated Urban Malaria Control Programme in Dar es Salaam delegates responsibility for routine mosquito control and surveillance to modestly-paid community members, known as Community-Owned Resource Persons (CORPs). New vector surveillance, larviciding and management systems were designed and evaluated in 15 city wards to allow timely collection, interpretation and reaction to entomologic monitoring data using practical procedures that rely on minimal technology.

Community-based surveillance of malaria vector larval habitats: a baseline study in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: As the population of Africa rapidly urbanizes it may be possible to protect large populations from malaria by controlling aquatic stages of mosquitoes. Here we present a baseline evaluation of the ability of community members to detect mosquito larval habitats with minimal training and supervision in the first weeks of an operational urban malaria control program.

Methods: The Urban Malaria Control Programme of Dar es Salaam recruited and provided preliminary training to teams of Community-Owned Resource Persons (CORPs) who performed weekly surveys of mosquito breeding sites.

On-line estimation of biomass concentration using a neural network and information about metabolic state.

This paper deals with the design of a neural network-based biomass concentration estimation system. This system is enhanced by the incorporation of information about the actual metabolism of the microorganism cultivated, which is taken from an on-line knowledge-based system. Two different design approaches have been investigated using the fed-batch cultivation of baker's yeast as the model process.

Chronic hypertension and the risk for adverse pregnancy outcome after superimposed pre-eclampsia.

Objective: To determine the risk factors and pregnancy outcome of patients with chronic hypertension during pregnancy after controlling for superimposed preeclampsia.

Method: A comparison of all singleton term (>36 weeks) deliveries occurring between 1988 and 1999, with and without chronic hypertension, was performed. Stratified analyses, using the Mantel-Haenszel technique, and a multiple logistic regression model were performed to control for confounders.

Proton-sensing G-protein-coupled receptors.

Blood pH is maintained in a narrow range around pH 7.4 mainly through regulation of respiration and renal acid extrusion. The molecular mechanisms involved in pH homeostasis are not completely understood.