Estimating atmospheric radon deviation using statistical coefficients: Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq, as a case of study.

The authors studied the atmospheric radon concentration with associated meteorological parameters variation during the dust events from July to November 2017. We obtained the meteorological parameters data in weather station of Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. In the environmental monitoring plan, the atmospheric radon fluctuated from 15 to 48 Bq m-3 around the mean value of 31.5 ± 7 Bq m-3 within the summer. In autumn, varied from 22 to 46 Bq m-3 with a mean value of 34 ± 12 Bq m-3. We employed this to determine the radon level anomalously. Using the modified statistical coefficients, such as the residual deviation (RD), residual fluctuation ratio (RFR), F-test, and p-value coefficients. Among the atmospheric radon fluctuation values, particularly one anomalous (42 Bq m-3) on 25 July was determined because the excessive value of the RD was 1.9 σ, and the RFR value was 66 %. Corresponding to our coefficients criteria, the minimum level of atmospheric radon (22 Bq m-3) does not consider anomalous because of increasing wind speed. Based on this, our method for determining the atmospheric radon anomalies that are influenced by the missed factors beyond the mentioned meteorological parameters is accurate.

Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and in silico NADPH Oxidase Inhibition Studies of Essential Oils of Lavandula dentata against Foodborne Pathogens.

Food is always subjected to microbial infection and lipid peroxidation, which frequently leads to serious food intoxications. In the present study, essential oils (EOs) extracted from Lavandula dentata Moroccan species and its major component (linalool) were chemically characterized and their antioxidant potential and antibacterial properties against foodborne pathogenic bacteria were examined. EOs phytochemical profile was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). The antioxidant potential was evaluated, in vitro, by use of the ß-carotene discoloration assay and in silico vs. NADPH oxidase enzymatic complex as an antioxidant marker. The antibacterial proprieties were assessed by use of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc diffusion methods, against Gram (-) bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli) and Gram (+) bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus). Linalool (49.71%) was the major component among the eighteen components identified in Lavandula dentate EO, followed by camphor (14.36%) and borneol (8.21%). The studied EO and linalool compounds showed important antioxidant activity through the ß-carotene discoloration test with IC50 values of 35.72 ± 1.21 mg/mL and 30.32 ± 1.23 mg/mL, respectively. Among all the analyzed compounds of lavender EOs, thymol, carvacrol, and α-terpineol were the most active compounds against NADPH oxidase with a glide score of -6.483, -6.17, and -4.728 kcal/mol, respectively. 2D and 3D views showed the formation of hydrogen bonds between the most active compounds and the active site of NADPH oxidase. The antibacterial data showed a significant activity of Lavandula dentata essences against tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria, especially against S. aureus and B. subtilis. Linalool proved active toward the same bacteria and had closer activity to that of lavender essential oil. In light of the obtained findings, the essential oil of Lavandula dentata Moroccan species can be used in the packaging sector as a promising natural food conservative to limit lipid oxidation and treat foodborne infections.

Cytotoxic, Phytotoxic and Insecticidal Potential of Achillea millefolium L. and Chaerophyllum villosum wall. ex dc.

The methanolic, chloroformic and aqueous extract of Achillea millefolium and Chaerophyllum villosum were investigated for cytotoxicity, phytotoxic and insecticidal activities. Cytotoxicity was investigated by brine shrimp lethality assay indicating that the crude methanolic extract of A.millefolium and chloroformic extract of C.villosum revealed highest mortality of brine shrimps with (LD50 of 52.60 µg/ml) and (14.81 µg/ml). Phytotoxicity was evaluated using the Lemna minor bioassay which revealed that the crude methanolic extract of A.millefolium and C.villosum extract has maximum inhibition of Lemna minor with (Fl50 6.60 µg/ml) and (0.67 µg/ml).The insecticidal activity showed that among all the insects studied it was observed that methanolic extract of A. millefoliumand C. villosum was highly toxic to Sphenoptera dadkhani with (LD50=4.17 µg/ml) and (0.34 µg/ml). From the present study it can be concluded that different extracts from A. millefolium and C. villosum showed good cytotoxic, phytotoxic and insecticidal activity in a dose dependent manner.

Reassessing the utility of access recirculation and Kt/V for the prediction of arteriovenous fistula failure using online clearance monitoring: the SHUNT STUDY.

BACKGROUND: The arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is prone to thrombosis which can be avoided by use of monitoring and surveillance programmes. Although surveillance imaging techniques have been shown to be more sensitive and specific than clinical monitoring during dialysis, monitoring may have significant advantages in terms of cost and time saving. In this study we evaluate the yield of two monitoring techniques [blood temperature monitoring (BTM) access recirculation (AR) and Kt/V via online-clearance-monitoring (OCM)]. METHODS: In this single-centre prospective observational study, 101 patients were followed-up for one year. The primary outcome measure was a composite of AVF failure. OCM-Kt/V and BTM-AR were recorded at every dialysis session. RESULTS: Of all baseline characteristics only a prior history of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) to the AVF conferred a significant change in AVF survival (failure events/100 pt years with prior PTA vs. without = 64.0 vs. 17.3, log-rank p = 0.0014; unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) 3.74 (95% CI 1.56-8.94) p = 0.003). Participants with baseline AR < 10% vs. > 15% had poorer AVF survival (p = 0.0002) and HR for baseline AR 10-15% group vs. AR > 15% group = 4.5 (95% CI 1.55-13.05). There was no combination of change in (Δ) AR, ΔKt/V or its presence over any number of dialysis sessions that provided an acceptable combination of sensitivity and specificity or discrimination for AVF failure. CONCLUSIONS: BTM-AR and OCM-Kt/V are specific but insufficiently sensitive tools for the prediction of AVF failure. BTM-AR and OCM-Kt/V use at every dialysis session appears to add little to the traditional, infrequent use of these evaluations.

Wettability-based ultrasensitive detection of amphiphiles through directed concentration at disordered regions in self-assembled monolayers.

Various forms of ecological monitoring and disease diagnosis rely upon the detection of amphiphiles, including lipids, lipopolysaccharides, and lipoproteins, at ultralow concentrations in small droplets. Although assays based on droplets' wettability provide promising options in some cases, their reliance on the measurements of surface and bulk properties of whole droplets (e.g., contact angles, surface tensions) makes it difficult to monitor trace amounts of these amphiphiles within small-volume samples. Here, we report a design principle in which self-assembled monolayer-functionalized microstructured surfaces coated with silicone oil create locally disordered regions within a droplet's contact lines to effectively concentrate amphiphiles within the areas that dominate the droplet static friction. Remarkably, such surfaces enable the ultrasensitive, naked-eye detection of amphiphiles through changes in the droplets' sliding angles, even when the concentration is four to five orders of magnitude below their critical micelle concentration. We develop a thermodynamic model to explain the partitioning of amphiphiles at the contact line by their cooperative association within the disordered, loosely packed regions of the self-assembled monolayer. Based on this local analyte concentrating effect, we showcase laboratory-on-a-chip surfaces with positionally dependent pinning forces capable of both detecting industrially and biologically relevant amphiphiles (e.g., bacterial endotoxins), as well as sorting aqueous droplets into discrete groups based on their amphiphile concentrations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the sliding behavior of amphiphile-laden aqueous droplets provides insight into the amphiphile's effective length, thereby allowing these surfaces to discriminate between analytes with highly disparate molecular sizes.

Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion and Death Secondary to Bilateral Vertebral Artery Dissection.

Vertebral artery dissection as a cause of basilar artery thrombosis is an exceedingly rare event that is associated with significant morbidity and poor outcomes. We present an unusual case of bilateral vertebral artery dissection and spinal cord compression in a 21-year-old male involved in a diving accident. The patient received limited antithrombotic therapy in pursuit of surgical spinal decompression, ultimately contributing to thrombosis of the basilar artery in the post-operative period and death following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Our goal is to highlight the severity of vertebral artery injury and the critical importance of treatment in the prevention of associated sequelae.

Gastrocnemius release is an effective management option for Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to summarise the outcomes of gastrocnemius release in the management of Achilles Tendinopathy. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A computer-based search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl, Scopus and ISI Web of Science. Two independent reviewers performed both title/abstract and full-text screening according to a-priori selection criteria. English-language original research studies reporting outcomes for gastrocnemius recession in patients with Achilles tendinopathy were included. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the MINORS criteria. RESULTS: Of the 229 articles identified following database searching, nine studies describing 145 cases of gastrocnemius recession were included in the review. Clinically important differences were reported across a range of validated patient reported outcome scores including VISA-A, FFI, FAAM and VAS pain score. Outcomes appear to be superior in patients with noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy, however further research is required to confirm this. Studies also reported an increase in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and a good rate of return to sport/work. The overall complication rate was 10/123 (8.1%), with sural nerve injury being the most common complication, occurring in 5/123 (4.1%) of cases. CONCLUSION: The results of this review suggest gastrocnemius release to be an effective treatment option in the management of patients with Achilles tendinopathy, who have gastrocnemius contracture and have previously failed to respond adequately to non-operative treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

GC-MS analysis of organic fractions of Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A.Juss. and their prokinetic propensity in animal models.

Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A.Juss. is herbaceous, monecious annual plant used traditionally to cure gastrointestinal disorders. The present study was carried out to find the bioactive compounds by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential acute toxicity, and emetic activity present in the ethyl acetate fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (EAFCT) and dichloromethane fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (DCMFCT). The compounds detected in both fractions were mostly fatty acids, with about seven compounds in EAFCT and 10 in DCMFCT. These included pharmacologically active compounds such as imipramine, used to treat depression, or hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, an antioxidant, nematicide, pesticide, hypocholesterolemic, 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)- is used as a cancer preventive, antiarthritic, antihistaminic, hepatoprotective, insectifuge, nematicide, Pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester have antifungal, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, 10-Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester have the property to decrease blood cholesterol, Antioxidant and antimicrobial, 1-Eicosanol is used as an antibacterial, 1-Hexadecene has antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activities. Both DCMFCT and EAFCT fractions inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity with IC50 values of 10 µg and 130 µg, respectively. Both the fractions were found to be toxic in a dose-dependent manner, inducing emesis at 0.5g onward and lethargy and mortality from 3-5 g upwards. Both the fractions combined with distilled water showed highly emetic activity. The significant increase in the number of vomits was shown by EAFCT plus distilled water which are 7.50±1.29, 7.25±3.10, and 11.75±2.22 number of vomits at 1g, 2g, and 3g/kg concentration respectively, while DCMFCT plus distilled water showed 5.25±2.22, 7.50±2.52 and 10.25±2.22 number of vomits at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg correspondingly. The antiemetic standard drug metoclopramide has a higher impact against the emesis induced by both the fractions than dimenhydrinate. Metoclopramide decreases the number of vomits caused by EAFCT to 1.00±0.00, 2.00±0.00, 4.00±1.00 at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg sequentially, while dimenhydrinate decreases the number of vomits to 1.33±0.58, 2.33±1.15, 4.33±0.58 at 1g, 2, and 3g respectively. In the same way, Metochloprimide decreases the number of emesis caused by DcmCt from 5.25±2.22, 7.50±2.52, 10.25±2.22 to 1.33±0.58, 2.33±1.1, 4.33±0.58 at 1g, 2, and 3g/kg concentrations. The present study is the first documented report that scientifically validates the folkloric use of Chrozophora tinctoria as an emetic agent.

Modularizable Liquid-Crystal-Based Open Surfaces Enable Programmable Chemical Transport and Feeding using Liquid Droplets.

Droplet-based miniature reactors have attracted interest in both fundamental studies, for the unique reaction kinetics they enable, and applications in bio-diagnosis and material synthesis. However, the precise and automatic feeding of chemicals, important for the delicate reactions in these miniaturized chemical reactors, either requires complex, high-cost microfluidic devices or lacks the capability to maintain a pinning-free droplet movement. Here, the design and synthesis of a new class of liquid crystal (LC)-based open surfaces, which enable a controlled chemical release via a programmable LC phase transition without sacrificing the free transport of the droplets, are reported. It is demonstrated that their intrinsic slipperiness and self-healing properties enable a modularizable assembly of LC surfaces that can be loaded with different chemicals to achieve a wide range of chemical reactions carried out within the droplets, including sequential and parallel chemical reactions, crystal growth, and polymer synthesis. Finally, an LC-based chemical feeding device is developed that can automatically control the release of chemicals to direct the simultaneous differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into endothelial progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes. Overall, these LC surfaces exhibit desirable levels of automation, responsiveness, and controllability for use in miniature droplet carriers and reactors.

The management of foot and ankle ganglia: A scoping review.

PURPOSE: A ganglion cyst is a benign soft tissue swelling filled with hyaluronic acid and other mucopolysaccharides. Whilst they most commonly present in the wrist region, their occurrence in the foot and ankle is not rare. This scoping review aims to systematically map and summarise current evidence regarding the management of ganglia of the foot and ankle, whilst identifying areas for further research. METHODS: This scoping review follows the frameworks of Arksey and O'Malley, Levac and Peters. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify relevant articles, before a two-stage screening process was performed independently by two reviewers. RESULTS: A total of 2286 unique articles were identified, of which 12 were included in the review. A variety of conservative and surgical treatment strategies are reported, showing good outcomes. An overall pooled recurrence rate of 29.5% was seen across 8 studies. Aspiration alone showed the highest recurrence rate (78.1%), followed by aspiration and steroid injection (62%), steroid injection alone (37.5%) and surgical excision (17.6%). The pooled complication rate across six studies was 21/261 (8.0%), with the most common complication being paraesthesia, reported in 14/261 (5.4%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of high-quality research currently regarding the treatment of foot and ankle ganglia. Limited evidence suggests that there could potentially be associations between time to treatment, ganglion location and extent of surgical resection and recurrence rate. However, further research is required before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.

The prevalence and potential aetiological factors associated with restless legs syndrome in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding of aetiological factors of and treatment options for restless leg syndrome (RLS) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of RLS in CKD patients and identify factors that may contribute to RLS. METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of patients with CKD stage 4 (CKD 4), pre-dialysis stage 5 (CKD-5ND) and haemodialysis-dependent stage 5 (CKD-5D) was conducted. Eligible patients were enrolled from the local dialysis units and renal clinics. The International RLS Study Group rating scale was used to establish the diagnosis of RLS and quantify its severity. RESULTS: 212 patients with CKD 4 (n = 92), CKD-5ND (n = 14) and CKD-5D (n = 106) were included. The overall prevalence of RLS was 32.1%. Women had a significantly higher odds of having RLS despite adjustment for age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and whether patients were on dialysis (odds ratio 2.8 [95% confidence intervals 1.5-5.2]). In pre-dialysis groups, patients with RLS had significantly higher serum ferritin (323.9 [SD 338.1] vs 177.5 [SD 178.5] µg/L, p = 0.020) compared to non-RLS patients. In dialysis patients (CKD-5D), those with RLS had significantly higher total white cell (8.0 [SD 3.5] vs 6.8 [SD 1.9] × 109/L, p = 0.026) and neutrophil (6.4 [SD 3.9] vs 4.6 [SD1.7] × 109/L, p = 0.002) counts compared to patients without RLS. CONCLUSION: RLS remains a significant problem in patients with CKD and may be related to underlying inflammation. Targeting this pathway may be useful. Prevalence of RLS, diagnosed using validated measures, is higher than previous reports. TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A (the current study is not a trial).

Should Arthroscopic Bone Marrow Stimulation Be Used in the Management of Secondary Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus? A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions of the talus are common, particularly after trauma. Arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation has emerged as the first-choice surgical treatment for small primary lesions less than 100 mm2. Individual studies on the topic are small and heterogeneous, and they have differed in their main findings; for this reason, systematically reviewing the available evidence seems important. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: In this systematic review, we asked: (1) What patient-reported outcomes and pain scores have been observed after arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation for secondary osteochondral lesions of the talus? (2) What complications were reported? (3) What demographic and clinical factors were reported to be associated with better patient-reported outcome scores? METHODS: We performed a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using Embase, EmCare, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus (databases last searched June 23, 2021). A two-stage title/abstract and full-text screening process was performed independently by two reviewers. Randomized control trials, cohort studies, and observational studies published in English that evaluated the outcome of arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation for secondary osteochondral lesions of the talus were included. Case reports, review articles, commentaries, abstracts, and letters to the editor were excluded. A total of 12 articles (10 case series and two retrospective comparative studies) involving 446 patients were included. Of these, 111 patients with a mean age of 33 years (range 20 to 49) received arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation for a secondary osteochondral lesion of the talus. The Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria were used to assess the methodologic quality of included studies. The MINORS is a numerical score ranging from 0 to 16 for studies with no comparison group and 0 to 24 for comparative studies, with higher quality studies receiving higher scores. Of the 10 noncomparative case series, the highest score was 10 of 16, with a median (range) score of 7.5 (4 to 10), while the two comparative studies scored 22 of 24 and 19 of 24, respectively. RESULTS: Studies varied widely in terms of patient-reported outcome measures such as the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score (AOFAS), with inconsistent reporting across studies regarding whether or how much patients improved; there was variation in some effect sizes with regard to improvement seeming close to or below the minimum clinically important difference (MCID). Although no perioperative complications were reported in any included studies, 34% (26 of 77, in seven studies that reported on this endpoint) of patients who underwent a revision procedure. One study found a negative association between lesion size and AOFAS and VAS score. No other studies reported on factors associated with patient-reported outcome scores, and most studies were far too small to explore relationships of this sort. CONCLUSION: We found that arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation for secondary osteochondral lesions of the talus yielded inconsistent and often small improvements in patient-reported outcomes, with approximately one in three patients undergoing a revision procedure. Reported outcomes likely represent a best-case scenario, inflated by low-level study designs and major sources of bias that are known to make treatment effects seem larger than they are. Therefore, the use of arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation in such patients cannot be recommended, unless we are able to refine selection criteria to effectively identify patients who show a substantial clinical benefit. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Light Driven Ultrafast Bioinspired Molecular Motors: Steering and Accelerating Photoisomerization Dynamics of Retinal.

Photoisomerization of retinal protonated Schiff base in microbial and animal rhodopsins are strikingly ultrafast and highly specific. Both protein environments provide conditions for fine-tuning the photochemistry of their chromophores. Here, by combining time-resolved action absorption spectroscopy and high-level electronic structure theory, we show that similar control can be gained in a synthetically engineered retinal chromophore. By locking the dimethylated retinal Schiff base at the C11═C12 double bond in its trans configuration (L-RSB), the excited-state decay is rendered from a slow picosecond to an ultrafast subpicosecond regime in the gas phase. Steric hindrance and pretwisting of L-RSB are found to be important for a significant reduction in the excited-state energy barriers, where isomerization of the locked chromophore proceeds along C9═C10 rather than the preferred C11═C12 isomerization path. Remarkably, the accelerated excited-state dynamics also becomes steered. We show that L-RSB is capable of unidirectional 360° rotation from all-trans to 9-cis and from 9-cis to all-trans in only two distinct steps induced by consecutive absorption of two 600 nm photons. This opens a way for the rational design of red-light-driven ultrafast molecular rotary motors based on locked retinal chromophores.

Attractivity criterion on a delayed tick population dynamics equation with a reproductive function $ f(u) = ru

The aim of this article is to analyze the delay influence on the attraction for a scalar tick population dynamics equation accompanying two disparate delays. Taking advantage of the fluctuation lemma and some dynamic inequalities, we derive a criterion to assure the persistence and positiveness on the considered model. Furthermore, a time-lag-dependent condition is proposed to insure the global attractivity for the addressed model. Besides, we give some simulation diagrams to substantiate the validity of the theoretical outcomes.

Nonsmooth Optimization-Based Model and Algorithm for Semisupervised Clustering.

Using a nonconvex nonsmooth optimization approach, we introduce a model for semisupervised clustering (SSC) with pairwise constraints. In this model, the objective function is represented as a sum of three terms: the first term reflects the clustering error for unlabeled data points, the second term expresses the error for data points with must-link (ML) constraints, and the third term represents the error for data points with cannot-link (CL) constraints. This function is nonconvex and nonsmooth. To find its optimal solutions, we introduce an adaptive SSC (A-SSC) algorithm. This algorithm is based on the combination of the nonsmooth optimization method and an incremental approach, which involves the auxiliary SSC problem. The algorithm constructs clusters incrementally starting from one cluster and gradually adding one cluster center at each iteration. The solutions to the auxiliary SSC problem are utilized as starting points for solving the nonconvex SSC problem. The discrete gradient method (DGM) of nonsmooth optimization is applied to solve the underlying nonsmooth optimization problems. This method does not require subgradient evaluations and uses only function values. The performance of the A-SSC algorithm is evaluated and compared with four benchmarking SSC algorithms on one synthetic and 12 real-world datasets. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the other four algorithms in identifying compact and well-separated clusters while satisfying most constraints.

Bed-days and costs associated with the inpatient burden of healthcare-associated infection in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality resulting in excess costs. AIM: To investigate the impact of all types of HAI on the inpatient cost of HAI using different approaches. METHODS: The incidence, types of HAI, and excess length of stay were estimated using data collected as part of the Evaluation of Cost of Nosocomial Infection (ECONI) study. Scottish NHS reference costs were used to estimate unit costs for bed-days. Variable (cash) costs associated with infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and treatment were calculated for each HAI type and overall. The inpatient cost of HAI is presented in terms of bed-days lost, bed-day costs, and cash costs. FINDINGS: In Scotland 58,010 (95% confidence interval: 41,730-74,840) bed-days were estimated to be lost to HAI during 2018/19, costing £46.4 million (19m-129m). The total annual cost in the UK is estimated to be £774 million (328m-2,192m). Bloodstream infection and pneumonia were the most costly HAI types per case. Cash costs are a small proportion of the total cost of HAI, contributing 2.4% of total costs. CONCLUSION: Reliable estimates of the cost burden of HAI management are important for assessing the cost-effectiveness of IPC programmes. This unique study presents robust economic data, demonstrating that HAI remains a burden to the UK NHS and bed-days capture the majority of inpatient costs. These findings can be used to inform the economic evaluation and decision analytic modelling of competing IPC programmes at local and national level.