Repeatability of Pentacam HR in Keratoconus According to Two Different Scan Protocols: 25-3D Scan and 50-Cornea Fine.

This study aims to evaluate the repeatability of the Pentacam HR, comparing two different measurement modes (50-cornea fine and 25-3D scan) in patients affected by keratoconus. Multicenter retrospective study, conducted at Eye Clinic of the ASST-Spedali Civili-University of Brescia, Italy, and St. Paul's Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, United Kingdom.

An Update on Deaths in the United Kingdom from 'Poppers' (Alkyl Nitrites), with a Particular Focus on 'Swallowing' Fatalities.

Alkyl nitrites are a class of inhalant, commonly known as 'poppers'. Although having medical uses, some other effects include a 'rush', 'high', 'euphoria', or feeling of excitement. This has led to their recreational use, in different scenarios, since the mid-1960s.

Video Head Impulse Test in Children-A Systematic Review of Literature.

: The video head impulse test is a landmark in vestibular diagnostic methods to assess the high-frequency semicircular canal system. This test is well established in the adult population with immense research since its discovery. The usefulness and feasibility of the test in children is not very well defined, as research has been limited.

Exercise Training in Heart Failure: Current Evidence and Future Directions.

Heart Failure (HF) is a prevalent condition which places a substantial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Medical management implemented with exercise training (ET) plays a role in prognostic and functional capacity improvement. The aim of this review is to determine the effect of exercise training (ET) on HFpEF and HFrEF patients as well as exercise modality recommendations in frail and sarcopenic subpopulations.

The Evaluation and Modification of Standard Airway Assessment Tests for Virtual Anaesthetic Assessments: A Pilot Study.

Virtual preoperative anaesthetic assessments can significantly reduce healthcare costs and improve patient convenience. The challenge with virtual consults is often the airway assessments, which screen for potentially difficult airways (PDAs). The objective of this pilot study was to determine the reliability of standard airway screening tests for detecting PDAs when conducted virtually.

Efficacy and Safety of Roxadustat in Patients with CKD: Pooled Analysis by Baseline Inflammation Status.

: Inflammation may contribute to hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and is often present in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Roxadustat is approved in multiple countries for the treatment of anemia of CKD. This pooled analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of roxadustat in patients with dialysis-dependent (DD) or non-dialysis-dependent (NDD) CKD by inflammation status.

A TriNetX Analysis of Hypertrophic Scarring Disorders, Genitourinary Strictures, and Urethroplasty Failure.

Urethral strictures and bladder neck contractures (BNCs) can be significantly morbid for patients and may require intervention for effective urinary drainage. We hypothesized patients with abnormal scarring disorders, such as keloids or hypertrophic scars, are at elevated risks of urethroplasty failure as well as postprocedural urethral strictures and BNCs. We queried the TriNetX database to determine the risk of urethroplasty failure for patients with abnormal scarring disorders compared to controls.

Retrospective Comparison of Stiff Wire-Based 2D3D, Traditional 3D3D Image Fusion, and Non-Image Fusion Techniques and Their Role in Thoracic Aortic Endovascular Repair.

: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of stiff wire-based 2D3D, 3D3D image fusion (IF), and non-image fusion techniques for simple zone 2 and zone 3 TEVAR cases in terms of radiation exposure, contrast dose, and fusion and projection accuracy. : A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted based on data gathered from patients who underwent TEVAR between 2016 and 2023 at our tertiary aortic referral center. Those who underwent Z2 and Z3 TEVAR during the indicated period were included.

Data Checking of Asymmetric Catalysis Literature Using a Graph Neural Network Approach.

The range of chemical databases available has dramatically increased in recent years, but the reliability and quality of their data are often negatively affected by human-error fidelity. The size of chemical databases can make manual data curation/checking of such sets time consuming; thus, automated tools to help this process are highly desirable. Herein, we propose the use of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to identifying potential stereochemical misassignments in the primary asymmetric catalysis literature.

Absorption Spectrum of Hydroperoxymethyl Thioformate: A Computational Chemistry Study.

Hydroperoxymethyl thioformate (or HPMTF) is a compound relevant to the chemistry of sulfur in the marine atmosphere. The chemical cycling of this molecule in the atmosphere is still uncertain due in part to the lack of accurate knowledge of its photolytic behavior. Only approximations based on the properties of its chromophores are used in previous studies.

Photokinetics of Photothermal Reactions.

Photothermal reactions, involving both photochemical and thermal reaction steps, are the most abundant sequences in photochemistry. The derivation of their rate laws is standardized, but the integration of these rate laws has not yet been achieved. Indeed, the field still lacks integrated rate laws for the description of these reactions' behavior and/or identification of their reaction order.

Characteristics of Hydrogels as a Coating for Microneedle Transdermal Delivery Systems with Agomelatine.

Agomelatine (AGM) is an effective antidepressant with low oral bioavailability due to intensive hepatic metabolism. Transdermal administration of agomelatine may increase its bioavailability and reduce the doses necessary for therapeutic effects. However, transdermal delivery requires crossing the barrier.

Isolation and Bioactivity of Natural Products from sp. MA37.

The isolation and characterization of bioactive metabolites from species continue to represent a vital area of research, given their potential in natural product drug discovery. In this study, we characterize a new siderophore called legonoxamine I, together with a known compound, streptimidone, from the talented soil bacterium sp. MA37, using chromatographic techniques and spectroscopic analysis.

Parametric Studies of Polyacrylamide Adsorption on Calcite Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

This study investigates the efficacy of polyacrylamide-based polymers, specifically hydrolysed polyacrylamide (HPAM), in reducing solids production within carbonate reservoirs. Building on our earlier simulation approach, molecular simulations were conducted to examine how these polymers adsorb onto calcite, the main mineral found in carbonate formations. The adsorption process was affected by several factors, including polymer molecular weight, charge density, temperature, and salinity.

Structural, Morphological, and Antibacterial Attributes of Graphene Oxide Prepared by Hummers' and Brodie's Methods.

Graphite oxidation to graphene oxide (GO) is carried out using methods developed by Brodie (GO-B) and Hummers (GO-H). However, a comparison of the antibacterial properties based on the physicochemical properties has not been performed. Therefore, this paper outlines a comparative analysis of GO-H and GO-B on antibacterial efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cultures and biofilms in an aqueous environment and discusses which of the properties of these GO nanomaterials have the most significant impact on the antibacterial activity of these materials.

How to Reliably Measure Stroke Volume Index in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Comparison of Thermodilution, Direct and Indirect Fick, and Cardiac MRI.

Background: Stroke volume index (SVI) is an important prognostic parameter in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The direct Fick (DF) method represents the gold standard for measuring it. Indirect Fick (IF) and thermodilution (TD) are simpler and widely used alternatives.

Unlocking Female Fertility with a Specific Reproductive Exercise Program: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trail.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 16% of people are affected by infertility across the globe. One underlying factor is the age-related decline of ovarian reserve (DOR), which can lead to a higher chance of infertility and has no widely accepted treatment currently. Specific supplements and moderate exercise have been shown to improve fertility; however, there is no consensus to date on the type of exercise providing the best results.

Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Performance of ZnO Nanowires for Green Hydrogen Production and Organic Pollutant Degradation.

With growing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable energy, multifunctional materials that can simultaneously address water treatment and clean energy production are in high demand. In this study, we developed a cost-effective method to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires via the anodic oxidation of zinc foil. By carefully controlling the anodization time, we optimized the Zn/ZnO-5 min electrode to achieve impressive dual-function performance in terms of effective photoelectrocatalysis for water splitting and waste water treatment.

A Critical Review of the Decarbonisation Potential in the U.K. Cement Industry.

As urbanisation and infrastructure development continue to drive rising cement demand, the imperative to significantly reduce emissions from this emissions-intensive sector has become increasingly urgent, especially in the context of global climate goals such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This review examines the status, challenges and prospects of low-carbon cement technologies and mitigation strategies through the lens of the U.K.

Effect of Temperature on Magnetoimpedance Effect and Magnetic Properties of Fe- and Co-Rich Glass-Coated Microwires.

We provide new experimental studies of the temperature dependence of the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect and hysteresis loops of Fe-rich and Co-rich amorphous microwires with rather different room temperature magnetic properties and GMI effect features. We observed a remarkable modification of hysteresis loops and magnetic field dependence of the GMI ratio upon heating in both of the studied samples. We observed a noticeable improvement in the GMI ratio and a change in hysteresis loops from rectangular to inclined upon heating in Fe-rich microwire.

Plastic Creep Constraint in Nylon Instrument Strings.

A number of rectified nylon harp strings, having the same nominal diameter, were subjected to different sequences of applied stress steps. Each string was tested continuously for several weeks to allow sufficient time for the stretching responses to be clearly observed. Qualitatively, much of the observed behaviour was in accordance with established expectations.

A Comparative Study of Two WAAM Patterns for Structures with Grid Fin Characteristics.

As a critical component of rocket systems, the grid fin is widely applied in the aerospace industry. Compared to traditional manufacturing methods and other additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is more advantageous in its time and cost efficiency, especially when it is utilized in the large-scale production of components. Given the significant effect of the welding strategies on the quality of manufactured parts, we investigated two distinct WAAM printing orientations, horizontal, or lie (L), and perpendicular, or stand (S), using a small-scale model.

Assessment of Different Conventional and Biofortified Wheat Genotypes Based on Biology and Damage Pattern of and .

The lesser grain borer, (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and khapra beetle, E. (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) are primary stored-grain insect pests.

Microbiome of (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Ticks: Variation in Community Structure with Regard to Sex and Host Habitat.

ticks are the main hematophagous ectoparasites of camels, harboring a variety of microbes that can affect tick vector competence and pathogen transmission. To better understand the tick microbiome influenced by sex and host habitat, we analyzed the bacterial community of male and female ticks collected from camel farms, livestock markets, and slaughterhouses, representing the range of major habitats in the UAE, by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Tick samples were collected during 2022 and 2023.

Differential Cytotoxicity and Inflammatory Responses to Particulate Matter Components in Airway Structural Cells.

Particulate matter (PM) is a major component of ambient air pollution. PM exposure is linked to numerous adverse health effects, including chronic lung diseases. Air quality guidelines designed to regulate levels of ambient PM are currently based on the mass concentration of different particle sizes, independent of their origin and chemical composition.