Effects of Acupoint Application on Postoperative Sore Throat in Adults Following General Endotracheal Anesthesia: A Randomized Placebo-controlled Study.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effect of acupoint application on the prevention of postoperative sore throat (POST), cough, expectoration, hoarseness, and patient satisfaction after general anesthesia.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Methods: A randomized double-blind clinical trial was designed.

Safe Pediatric Surgery: Turkish Adaptation of the Road to My Surgery Preoperative Checklist.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the Turkish adaptation of the Road to My Surgery Preoperative Checklist.

Design: A methodological, correlational, and comparative study.

Methods: This study was conducted with 125 children between July 2022 and December 2023.

Beyond hearing: the impact of Cochlear implantation on the quality of life of users and their communication partners after 1 year.

Objective: To assess the impact of cochlear implantation (CI) and speech perception outcomes on the quality of life (QoL) of adult CI users and their communication partners (CP) one-year post-implantation.

Design: This research is part of a prospective multicenter study in The Netherlands, called SMILE (Societal Merit of Intervention for hearing Loss Evaluation).

Study Sample: Eighty adult CI users completed speech perception testing and the Nijmegen Cochear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ).

Development of PFAS-Free Locally Concentrated Ionic Liquid Electrolytes for High-Energy Lithium and Aluminum Metal Batteries.

ConspectusLithium-ion batteries (LIBs) based on graphite anodes are a widely used state-of-the-art battery technology, but their energy density is approaching theoretical limits, prompting interest in lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) that can achieve higher energy density. In addition, the limited availability of lithium reserves raises supply concerns; therefore, research on postlithium metal batteries is underway. A major issue with these metal anodes, including lithium, is dendritic formation and insufficient reversibility, which leads to safety risks due to short circuits and the use of flammable electrolytes.

Spin-Orbit Coupling and Admixture Coefficients in SA-CASSCF and MS-CASPT2, and Triplet Excitation Yield Simulated via Trajectory Surface Hopping and Calibrated SA-CASSCF in 1,2-Dioxetane Derivatives.

The energy gaps, spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and admixture coefficients over a series of the configurations are evaluated by the SA-CASSCF/6-31G, SA-CASSCF/6-31G*, SA-CASSCF/ANO-RCC-VDZP, and MS-CASPT2/ANO-RCC-VDZP to reveal the extent of the inaccuracy of the SA-CASSCF. By comparing the mean absolute errors for the energy gaps and the admixture coefficient magnitudes (ACMs) measured between the SA-CASSCF/6-31G, SA-CASSCF/6-31G*, or SA-CASSCF/ANO-RCC-VDZP and the MS-CASPT2/ANO-RCC-VDZP, the SA-CASSCF/6-31G is selected as the electronic structure method in the nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulation. The major components of the ACMs of the SA-CASSCF/6-31G and MS-CASPT2/ANO-RCC-VDZP are identified and compared; we find that the ACMs are underestimated by the SA-CASSCF/6-31G, which is verified by the reasonable triplet quantum yield simulated by the trajectory surface hopping and the calibrated SA-CASSCF/6-31G.

Sigma1 inhibitor suppression of adaptive immune resistance mechanisms mediated by cancer cell derived extracellular vesicles.

Adaptive immune resistance in cancer describes the various mechanisms by which tumors adapt to evade anti-tumor immune responses. IFN-γ induction of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was the first defined and validated adaptive immune resistance mechanism. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is central to adaptive immune resistance as immune modulatory secreted and integral membrane proteins are dependent on ER.

Toward Product Safety and Circularity: Understanding the Information Structure of Global Databases on Chemicals in Products and Articles.

Access to information about chemicals in products and articles is critical for supporting enforcement of chemical regulations, assessing risks from chemicals, allowing informed consumer choices, and enabling product circularity. In this work, we identified and evaluated available databases (DBs) on chemicals in products and articles from the literature using a defined protocol and from European national market surveillance authorities, nongovernmental agencies, and industrial sector groups using questionnaires. This is the first comprehensive review of DBs that provide information about chemicals in products and articles.

Stress, resilience and sense of self-efficacy among Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, and Slovak women during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to determine the levels of stress, resilience and the sense of self-efficacy, as well as the influence of resilience and the sense of self-efficacy in shaping stress levels, in a sample of women from various countries of origin.

Methods: The study was carried out on a sample of Ukrainian (N = 82), Polish (N = 102), Slovak (N = 79), and Romanian (N = 42) women using the Sense of Stress Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Brief Resilience Scale.

Results: Highest total stress levels were found among Ukrainian women, while the lowest were found among Polish women.

Radiographic Diagnosis of Anomalous Root Canal Morphology in Patients with Pulpal Diseases at a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria: A Case Series.

Negotiation of the intricate pulp canal space may pose a challenge in endodontic treatment. Consequently, appropriate diagnosis and thorough knowledge of the pattern and distribution of root canal systems are imperative for a more predictable outcome in the treatment of pulp diseases. Accordingly, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is deemed appropriate as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in endodontics.

Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment and Prognostic in Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease - A Narrative Review.

Background: Aortoiliac disease (AID) is a variant of peripheral artery disease involving the infrarenal aorta and iliac arteries. Similar to other arterial diseases, aortoiliac disease obstructs blood flow through narrowed lumens or by embolization of plaques. AID, when symptomatic, may present with a triad of claudication, impotence, and absence of femoral pulses, a triad also referred as Leriche Syndrome (LS).

Catheter-Based Aspiration of A Large Superior Vena Cava Mass In A Patient With Endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality with recurrent infections and non-compliance. In the case of right-sided endocarditis, the indications for intervention are less clear. The Angiovac procedure provides a treatment for right-sided endocarditis that is a less-invasive and ideal for a complicated patient population.

Relationship Between Pre- and Post-Orchidectomy Serum Dihydrotestosterone and Prostate Cancer Severity in a Cohort of Nigerian Patients.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest urologic cancer worldwide and the leading cause of male cancer deaths in Nigeria. In Nigeria, orchidectomy remains the primary androgen deprivation therapy. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the active prostatic androgen, but its relationship with PCa severity has not been extensively studied in Africa.

Epidemiology and Management of Actinic Keratosis in France: A General Population Survey (REAKT).

The objective of this retrospective observational study was to estimate the prevalence of actinic keratosis (AK) in individuals aged ≥ 40 years in France, to describe the characteristics of affected patients, and to describe treatments. A representative panel of 20,000 households with ≥ 1 member aged ≥ 40 years were invited to participate. Participants who reported AK lesions diagnosed by a physician were eligible.

Scratch Scoring by a Sheet-shaped Body Vibrometer in Nocturnal Sleep: A Pilot Study Compared with Infrared Video Recording.

Itching tends to worsen at night in patients with itchy skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. Unconscious scratching during sleep can exacerbate symptoms, cause sleep disturbances, or reduce quality of life. Therefore, evaluating nocturnal scratching behaviour is important for better patient care.

What Does it Cost to Provide Free Maternal and Child Health Services in Primary Health Centres? A Case Study of Imo State, Southeast Nigeria.

Background: This study estimated the cost of providing free maternal and child health (MCH) services at the primary health centre (PHC) level in southeast Nigeria. The costs of providing an essential benefit package of maternal and child health (MCH) services are unknown. Such information is required for optimal resource allocation decisions and for replicating similar programmes in different settings.

Immunonutrition to improve the quality of life of upper gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery (NEOIMMUNE): double-blind randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial.

Background: Malnutrition is common with esophagogastric cancers and is associated with negative outcomes. We aimed to evaluate if immunonutrition during neoadjuvant treatment improves patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reduces postoperative morbidity and toxicities during neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: A multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was undertaken.

Evaluating convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is a form of passive immunization which has been used as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CP therapy in patients with severe COVID-19.

Methodology: In this retrospective cohort study, 50 patients with severe COVID-19 treated with CP at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, in 2019 were evaluated.

Epidemiologic threats and outcome of evolving COVID-19-associated mucormycosis from a referral hospital in Egypt.

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the epidemiologic threats and factors associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) epidemic that emerged in Egypt during the second COVID-19 wave. The study also aimed to explore the diagnostic features and the role of surgical interventions of CAM on the outcome of the disease in a central referral hospital.

Methodology: The study included 64 CAM patients from a referral hospital for CAM and a similar number of matched controls from COVID-19 patients who did not develop CAM.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and refugee influx on scabies presentations to dermatology outpatient clinics in Turkey.

Introduction: The frequency of scabies and its relationship with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a current scientific curiosity in Turkey and worldwide. The data presented in this article will help raise awareness of dermatologists in situations such as pandemic-induced quarantines where scabies can spread rapidly.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study to compare patients who presented with scabies and were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those who presented before and after the pandemic, in terms of the diagnosis ratios.

Role of serum fibroblast growth factor-23 and Klotho level in COVID-19 infection-related mortality: a prospective study.

Introduction: This study investigated the role of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)/Klotho in the mortality of patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), excluding those with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2021 to May 2022. Patients who tested positive for COVID-19 via polymerase chain reaction and were hospitalized, were classified into two groups (survivors and non-survivors) at the end of their hospital follow-up.

Persistent COVID-19 symptoms and associated factors in a tertiary hospital in Thailand.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with long-term symptoms, but the spectrum of these symptoms remains unclear. We aimed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with persistent symptoms in patients at the post-COVID-19 outpatient clinic.

Methodology: This cross-sectional, observational study included hospitalized severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected patients followed-up at a post-COVID-19 clinic between September 2021 and January 2022.