A xenogenic-free culture medium for cell micro-patterning systems as cell-instructive biomaterials for potential clinical applications.

Cell micro-patterning controls cell fate and function and has potential for generating therapeutically usable mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) populations with precise functions. However, to date, the micro-patterning of human cells in a translational context has been impossible because only ruminant media supplements, e.g.

Allied Dental Students' Perceived Knowledge, Confidence, and Attitudes Regarding Disaster Victim Identification Topics.

Disaster victim identification (DVI) service requires knowledge, confidence, and an attitude (KCA) of readiness. The purpose of this study was to assess allied dental students' perceived KCA regarding DVI skills and topics. A convenience sample of senior dental hygiene students (n=27) and senior dental assistant students (n=14) were recruited by email then presented mismatched simulated antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) bitewing radiographs and asked to indicate correct matches.

Articular Cartilage-From Basic Science Structural Imaging to Non-Invasive Clinical Quantitative Molecular Functional Information for AI Classification and Prediction.

This review presents the changes that the imaging of articular cartilage has undergone throughout the last decades. It highlights that the expectation is no longer to image the structure and associated functions of articular cartilage but, instead, to devise methods for generating non-invasive, function-depicting images with quantitative information that is useful for detecting the early, pre-clinical stage of diseases such as primary or post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA/PTOA). In this context, this review summarizes (a) the structure and function of articular cartilage as a molecular imaging target, (b) quantitative MRI for non-invasive assessment of articular cartilage composition, microstructure, and function with the current state of medical diagnostic imaging, (c), non-destructive imaging methods, (c) non-destructive quantitative articular cartilage live-imaging methods, (d) artificial intelligence (AI) classification of degeneration and prediction of OA progression, and (e) our contribution to this field, which is an AI-supported, non-destructive quantitative optical biopsy for early disease detection that operates on a digital tissue architectural fingerprint.

Dental Hygiene and Dental Assistant Students' Simulated DVI Radiographic Match Accuracy: A pilot study.

Allied dental health care professionals have served on disaster victim identification (DVI) teams; however, the literature is void of statistical measures regarding transferable skills and disaster preparedness. The purpose of this study was to assess second year dental hygiene and dental assistant students' match accuracy for simulated DVI radiographs and compare the match accuracy between the student groups. Five patient cases were chosen at random to retrospectively collect sets of digital bitewing radiographs from two time periods.

Non-thyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) is no independent predictor for mortality in ICU patients.

Background: Low T3-(/T4-) syndrome, also known as non-thyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) describes a decrease in free serum thyroid hormones without a concomitant increase in TSH, frequently observed in critically ill patients. However, whether NTIS is only a metabolic adaption to stress in critically ill or plays a crucial role as an independent risk factor for ICU mortality, remains unknown. Our study aimed to evaluate NTIS as an independent risk factor for increased ICU mortality.

Association between Intraoperative Blood Transfusion, Regional Anesthesia and Outcome after Pediatric Tumor Surgery for Nephroblastoma.

Background: Recent data suggest that anesthesiologic interventions-e.g., the choice of the anesthetic regimen or the administration of blood products-might play a major role in determining outcome after tumor surgery.

Articular Cartilage Imaging in the Context of the Superficial Chondrocyte Spatial Organization (SCSO) as a Surrogate Marker for Functional Pathology.

Articular cartilage imaging has undergone tremendous changes and nowadays enables functionally relevant quantitative information useful for detecting the early, preclinical state of articular cartilage degeneration as seen in primary or post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA/PTOA) to be obtained. In this context, we describe the necessary steps for articular cartilage imaging with the goal to utilize the superficial chondrocyte spatial organization (SCSO) as a score that is responsive to its environment and dynamically changes during the lifetime of an individual and that can be used as a surrogate marker for loss of articular cartilage surface stiffness on the nanoscale.

The Role of Innate Immune Cells in the Prediction of Early Renal Allograft Injury Following Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Despite recent advances and refinements in perioperative management of kidney transplantation (KT), early renal graft injury (eRGI) remains a critical problem with serious impairment of graft function as well as short- and long-term outcome. Serial monitoring of peripheral blood innate immune cells might be a useful tool in predicting post-transplant eRGI and graft outcome after KT. Methods: In this prospective study, medical data of 50 consecutive patients undergoing KT at the University Hospital of Leipzig were analyzed starting at the day of KT until day 10 after the transplantation.

Role of the lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin in septic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Septic cardiomyopathy is a severe complication of sepsis and septic shock. This study aimed to evaluate the role of thrombomodulin and its lectin-like domain (LLD-TM) in the development of septic cardiomyopathy and the link between LLD-TM, HMGB-1, and toll-like receptors 2/4 (TLR 2/4) to intracellular mechanisms resulting in reduced cardiac function.

Materials And Methods: Sepsis was induced using a polymicrobial peritoneal infection model in wildtype and mice lacking the lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin (TM), and severity of disease and cardiac function was compared.

Parenteral nutrition in palliative care: single-centre observational study.

Objective: Cachexia and nutritional problems play a major role in palliative care. Artificial nutrition such as parenteral nutrition is common but its role and indications in terminal patients remain controversial due to lack of data. Therefore, recommendations are vague.

Correlation of Different Serum Biomarkers with Prediction of Early Pancreatic Graft Dysfunction Following Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Despite recent advances and refinements in perioperative management of simultaneous pancreas−kidney transplantation (SPKT) early pancreatic graft dysfunction (ePGD) remains a critical problem with serious impairment of early and long-term graft function and outcome. Hence, we evaluated a panel of classical blood serum markers for their value in predicting early graft dysfunction in patients undergoing SPKT. Methods: From a prospectively collected database medical data of 105 patients undergoing SPKT between 1998 and 2018 at our center were retrospectively analyzed.

ECMO use in Germany: An analysis of 29,929 ECMO runs.

Background: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) use is increasing despite limited evidence. The aim of this study was to demonstrate heterogeneity of ECMO use and its association with hospital size and annual frequency in Germany.

Methods: This is a database analysis of all ECMO cases in Germany from 2010 to 2016 using the German Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) coding system for ECMO.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Perfluorocarbon in a Therapy Refractory Case of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Perfluorocarbons are oxygen-carrying, dense liquids initially intended for the use in partial or total liquid ventilation of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome but which did not show beneficial effects in clinical studies. However, perfluorocarbons may be used for lung lavage in severe alveolar proteinosis. In acute respiratory distress syndrome, oxygenation may be so severely compromised that the use of nonoxygenated perfluorocarbons may not be possible.

Laminar fMRI using T-prepared multi-echo FLASH.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast at a sub-millimeter scale is a promising technique to probe neural activity at the level of cortical layers. While gradient echo (GRE) BOLD sequences exhibit the highest sensitivity, their signal is confounded by unspecific extravascular (EV) and intravascular (IV) effects of large intracortical ascending veins and pial veins leading to a downstream blurring effect of local signal changes. In contrast, spin echo (SE) fMRI promises higher specificity towards signal changes near the microvascular compartment.

The traveling heads 2.0: Multicenter reproducibility of quantitative imaging methods at 7 Tesla.

Object: This study evaluates inter-site and intra-site reproducibility at ten different 7 T sites for quantitative brain imaging.

Material And Methods: Two subjects - termed the "traveling heads" - were imaged at ten different 7 T sites with a harmonized quantitative brain MR imaging protocol. In conjunction with the system calibration, MP2RAGE, QSM, CEST and multi-parametric mapping/relaxometry were examined.

Large-scale molecular barcoding of prey DNA reveals predictors of intrapopulation feeding diversity in a marine predator.

Predator-prey interactions are critical in understanding how communities function. However, we need to describe intraspecific variation in diet to accurately depict those interactions. Harbor seals () are an abundant marine predator that prey on species of conservation concern.

Social violence among Thai gender role conforming and non-conforming secondary school students: Types, prevalence and correlates.

Background: Gender role non-conforming behaviors are a significant risk factor for school-related violence. The objective of this study is to describe the types, prevalence and correlates of social violence among Thai secondary school students, with a focus on gender role non-conformity.

Methods: This article uses secondary data from a national study of 2070 secondary school students aged 13-20 years representing Bangkok and all four regions of Thailand.

An apple a day won't keep the doctor away: presentation, treatment, and outcome in pediatric apple aspirations.

Introduction: Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a frequent and preventable source of morbidity and mortality, especially in children under 4 years of age. Few comprehensive studies exist on presentation and outcome of apple aspirations in children.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of bronchoscopy records of a tertiary medical care center from January 2007 to August 2019, we identified pediatric cases of suspected apple aspirations.

Application of the GastroDuo to study the interplay of drug release and gastric emptying in case of immediate release Aspirin formulations.

The process of gastric emptying is of major importance for the in vivo performance of immediate release dosage forms. In the fed state, this process consists of two phases: the rapid emptying of water along the "Magenstrasse" and the continuous emptying of the chyme. The relevance of these phases for the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of a drug depends on the release behavior from its dosage form.

Blood transfusion associated lung injury.

Transfusions of blood and blood products are live-saving, but complications may be fatal. Transfusion related lung injury (TRALI) is rare and pathophysiology not yet entirely understood. Diagnosis is difficult due to the usually life-threatening circumstances associated with transfusions and underlying diseases.

A 32-channel parallel transmit system add-on for 7T MRI.

Purpose: A 32-channel parallel transmit (pTx) add-on for 7 Tesla whole-body imaging is presented. First results are shown for phantom and in-vivo imaging.

Methods: The add-on system consists of a large number of hardware components, including modulators, amplifiers, SAR supervision, peripheral devices, a control computer, and an integrated 32-channel transmit/receive body array.

Development and evaluation of a 16-channel receive-only RF coil to improve 7T ultra-high field body MRI with focus on the spine.

Purpose: A 16-channel receive (16Rx) radiofrequency (RF) array for 7T ultra-high field body MR imaging is presented. The coil is evaluated in conjunction with a 16-channel transmit/receive (16TxRx) coil and additionally with a 32-channel transmit/receive (32TxRx) remote body coil for RF transmit and serving as receive references.

Methods: The 16Rx array consists of 16 octagonal overlapping loops connected to custom-built detuning boards with preamplifiers.

Relationships Between Course Capture Systems and Student Performance in Dental Hygiene Education.

The aim of this mixed-methods longitudinal study was to assess student perceptions of technology use, and to examine the relationship between technology use and performance as reflected by self-reported student grade point averages. Students (n=351) enrolled in a dental hygiene program within a dental school located in the mid-western United States were surveyed in three courses from 2008 through 2012 to gather their perceptions regarding usage of a lecture recording system (LRS). Additionally, self-reported grade point averages were collected over the same period of time.

Effectiveness of an Antigen-Specific Chairside Test as Compared to a Culture-Based Test.

To compare the effectiveness of an antigen-specific chairside test to a culture based test. Fifty-three patients receiving dental hygiene care at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Dentistry were enrolled in the study. Stimulated saliva was collected from the patients and utilized for both bacteria tests.

The effects of hemoglobin glutamer-200 and iNO on pulmonary vascular tone and arterial oxygenation in an experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Introduction: Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) have been developed as an alternative to blood transfusions. Their nitric-oxide-scavenging properties HBOC also induce vasoconstriction. In acute lung injury, an excess of nitric oxide results in a general vasodilation, reducing oxygenation by impairing the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.