Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomization controlled and nonrandomized controlled studies on nurse-led nonpharmacological interventions to improve cognition in people with dementia.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate nurse-led nonpharmacological interventions for improving cognition in people with dementia. BACKGROUND: Starting in 2006, donepezil was administered worldwide to improve cognition; however, its side effects limited its therapeutic value for long-term use, prompting a need for nonpharmacological interventions to improve cognition. Nurse-led nonpharmacological interventions are especially important because they are effective in terms of resources and costs, reduce patient latency and improve patient safety and satisfaction. METHODS: A systematic review was identified by searching 10 electronic databases. The search period was between 1 January 2007, and 30 September 2021. Languages were limited to English and Korean. The inclusion criteria were studies of nurse-led interventions that evaluated cognition using validated instruments. The exclusion criteria were qualitative research, scale development studies, abstracts and grey literature. Quality appraisal of research was conducted using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions for quasi-experimental studies and the Risk of Bias 2.0 for randomised controlled studies. This study was conducted in accordance with PRISMA reporting guideline (Appendix S1). The search protocol was registered in the PROSPERO (CRD 42021229358). RESULTS: A total of 24 studies were included in the systematic review, and 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis included 8 RCT and 7 quasi-experimental studies. The studies (11 quasi-experimental studies and 9 randomised controlled studies) demonstrated low to moderate quality of evidence for improving the cognition of people with dementia. The meta-analysis showed that nurse-led single nonpharmacological interventions more effectively improved cognition than complex interventions in people with dementia. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led nonpharmacological interventions were effective for improving cognition in people with dementia. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses are qualified professionals with expertise in providing nonpharmacological interventions to improve cognition in people with dementia. Nurse-led nonpharmacological interventions for this purpose should be developed in future research.

Sex-specific effects of bisphenol S with tissue-specific responsiveness in adult zebrafish: The antiandrogenic and antiestrogenic effects.

This study investigates the adverse effects and the associated underlying mechanism of bisphenol S (BPS) exposure on reproductive endocrine activity in adult zebrafish. Fish were exposed for 21 days to different BPS concentrations (0, 8, 40, and 200 µg/mL) determined via the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL, i.e., < EC15 = 250 µg/mL) for zebrafish embryos. Exposure to 200 µg/mL BPS in female zebrafish in the absence of vitellogenic oocytes or the presence of degenerated oocytes in the ovary significantly decreased the biosynthesis of hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) mRNA, while hepatic VTG mRNA in male fish abundance was significantly elevated (P < 0.05). The levels of gonadal steroids were significantly increased in female zebrafish, while in male zebrafish, the levels of endogenous androgens were reduced (P < 0.05). However, the activities of 17ß-estradiol and aromatase in male zebrafish were significantly elevated in all BPS exposure groups in male zebrafish (P < 0.05). Interestingly, thyroid hormone levels and residual whole-body BPS levels increased in female and male zebrafish with increasing exposure concentrations. A novel finding is that the response to BPS depends on zebrafish sex and tissue-specific responsiveness to the accumulation of BPS, suggesting that BPS may cause long-term environmental problems in adult zebrafish through tissue-specific suppression and hormonal imbalance.

An educational design and development project for pediatric heart transplant recipients and their families.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to systematically derive and develop educational content for children who have undergone heart transplants and their families to improve the families' and caregivers' ability to manage child health in South Korea. DESIGN AND METHODS: This project developed educational content through the first three steps: "Analysis," "Design," and "Development" of the five steps outlined in the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. The educational contents were derived from an analysis of six literature reviews and six studies, seven websites, and interviews with six caregivers of children who have undergone a heart transplant. Based on these analyses, educational items were designed. When a draft of the education contents was developed, the content validity was validated by ten experts. RESULTS: Educational items were designed in nine major categories and 40 sub-categories. All contents were validated with a content validity index of at least 0.8 or higher and included in the education content for pediatric heart transplant families, with recommendations for further modification based on expert advice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This project is meaningful in that it has developed health management education contents suitable for the situation in South Korea through analyzing previous studies and educational contents of domestic and international medical centers as well as an in-depth interview with caregivers.

Retrospective lumbosacral CT analysis and prospective observational study of the ipsilateral tunnel view technique for fluoroscopy-guided selective S1 transforaminal epidural injection.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively observe the anatomic relationship between dorsal S1 foramen (DS1F) and ventral S1 foramen (VS1F) through computed tomography (CT) analysis and to prospectively determine the optimal angle of ipsilateral tunnel view technique for performing S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injection (S1-TFESI). METHODS: The axial lumbosacral CTs taken between in 208 consecutive patients and the following measurements were obtained on both sides: (1) the α-angle was defined as an angle between a sagittal line passing through the center of the sacrum and an imaginary line passing through the center of DS1F, (2) the largest diameter of DS1F and VS1F. The fluoroscopy was adjusted to show the largest L5/S1 intervertebral disc space, which was defined as the cephalad angle, and tilted to the ipsilateral oblique side until the entrance of DS1F had a well-defined, round shape, which defined as the ß-angle in 40 humans. RESULTS: CT measurements showed that the α-angle was 26.3 ± 3.3 degrees (15-38 degrees) and the diameter of DS1F was 7.1 ± 0.7 mm (4-10.9 mm), which was significantly smaller than the diameter of VS1F, 10.1 ± 1.0 mm (7.2-13.8 mm). The ß-angle was 24 ± 4.6 degrees, which was not much different from the α-angle and the cephalad angle was 23 ± 4.6 degrees. The success rate of S1-TFESI was 100% and there were no procedure-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: The entrance of DS1F is easily identified with an ipsilateral 25 degrees-tunnel view technique while performing S1-TFESI, and it is a clinically applicable approach.

Biomonitoring the effects of urban-stream waters on the health status of pale chub (Zacco platypus): A comparative analysis of biological indexes and biomarker levels.

The objective of this study was to biomonitor the effects of potential environmental pollutants in urban-stream waters, on fish health. Pale chub (Zacco platypus), a dominant species in the Korea urban stream waters, was chosen and biomonitoring indicators for the different spatial characteristics were tailored in an urban watershed. Biological responses including biotic-somatic index as well as gonadal development phase and plasma steroids levels, and the biochemical responses, ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, were measured. No significant difference was observed in the length-weight relationship between the up-stream waters and the down-stream waters. However, changes in the gonad-somatic index (GSI) levels, plasma 17ß-estradiol (E2) levels, and mature oocyte frequencies in the female fish collected during the spawning season were observed in the down-stream waters at each monitoring site. Moreover, intersex condition (testis-ova) in the male fish in down-stream waters was recorded, even if it was just one fish. Although no significant difference was observed in the EROD and AChE activities between the up-stream waters and the down-stream waters, changes in the reproductive biomarker levels, including the GSI levels, plasma E2 levels, and gonadal maturation, lead to variable biomonitoring endpoints between the spatial different sites. These results imply that exposure to the down-stream waters can cause reproductive impairment in wild Z. platypus, individual variability in the biological responses further indicate the reproductive health was affected more by the down-stream waters than the up-stream waters. The finding from this study can provide the biomonitoring endpoint on the wild fish health in urban watershed that is crucial to the early risk assessment of its biological impacts. More multi-biomarkers studies reflecting the variation in the biological organization of wild fish and, therefore, the effects of urban-stream waters in the fish health are warranted.

The effect of fluvastatin on cardiac fibrosis and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 expression in glucose-controlled diabetic rat hearts.

Independently of the lipid-lowering effects, statin has been reported to attenuate the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the effect of statin in glucose-controlled diabetic condition has not been demonstrated. We evaluated the effect of fluvastatin on cardiac function, fibrosis, and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) expression in glucose-controlled diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (Group C), diabetes (Group D), diabetes with insulin (Group I), and diabetes with insulin and fluvastatin (Group I+F). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg). After 8 weeks, the hearts were extracted following echocardiographic evaluation. Cardiac fibrosis was analyzed using Masson's trichrome stain. Collagens I and III and ACE2 expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Group D showed reduced cardiac systolic function compared to the other groups (all P < 0.05). However, diastolic function estimated by E/A ratio was significantly decreased in groups D and I (median: 0.88 and 1.45, respectively) compared to groups C and I+F (2.97 and 2.15) (all P < 0.05). Cardiac fibrosis was more severe in groups D and I than in groups C and I+F (all P < 0.05) on Masson's trichrome stain. On immunohistochemistry, ACE2 expression was significantly decreased only in group D (all P < 0.05). However, collagen I and III showed higher expressions in group D compared to groups C and I+F while no significant difference was observed compared with group I (all P < 0.05). On western blot, collagen I and ACE2 expressions in group D (median: 1.78 and 0.35, respectively) were significantly different from groups C (references: 1) and I+F (0.76 and 1.21) (all P < 0.05), but not from group I (1.19 and 0.92). Our study suggested a combination of fluvastatin and insulin would be more effective than insulin alone in diabetic hearts. However, the exact mechanism remains to be elucidated.

Co-exposure to microplastic and plastic additives causes development impairment in zebrafish embryos.

Since the run off of microplastic and plastic additives into the aquatic environment through the disposal of plastic products, we investigated the adverse effects of co-exposure to microplastics and plastic additives on zebrafish embryonic development. To elucidate the combined effects between microplastic mixtures composed of microplastics and plastic additives in zebrafish embryonic development, polystyrene (PS), bisphenol S (BPS), and mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) were chosen as a target contaminant. Based on non-toxic concentration of each contaminant in zebrafish embryos, microplastic mixtures which is consisted of binary and ternary mixed forms were prepared. A strong phenotypic toxicity to zebrafish embryos was observed in the mixtures composed with non-toxic concentration of each contaminant. In particular, the mixture combination with ≤ EC10 values for BPS and MEHP showed a with a strong synergistic effect. Based on phenotypic toxicity to zebrafish embryos, change of transcription levels for target genes related to cell damage and thyroid hormone synthesis were analyzed in the ternary mixtures with low concentrations that were observed non-toxicity. Compared with the control group, cell damage genes linked to the oxidative stress response and thyroid hormone transcription factors were remarkably down-regulated in the ternary mixture-exposed groups, whereas the transcriptional levels of cyp1a1 and p53 were significantly up-regulated in the ternary mixture-exposed groups (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that even at low concentrations, exposure to microplastic mixtures can cause embryonic damage and developmental malformations in zebrafish, depending on the mixed concentration-combination. Consequently, our findings will provide data to examine the action mode of zebrafish developmental toxicity caused by microplastic mixtures exposure composed with microplastics and plastic additives.

Proteomic analysis of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos exposed to benzyl benzoate.

Benzyl benzoate (BB) is widely used in the food, cosmetics, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries and is discharged into the aquatic environment via various water sources, including wastewater. Research on the bioaccumulation and possible toxicity of BB has been conducted, but the biochemical responses to BB toxicity are not fully understood, and the specific molecular pathways by which BB causes toxicity remain unknown. In this study, label-free quantitative proteomics based on mass spectrometry was applied to investigate protein profiles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos exposed to BB (1 µg/mL) for 7 days. A total of 83 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 49 up-regulated and 34 down-regulated proteins. The biological functions of proteins regulated by BB were grouped into functional categories and subcategories, including the biosynthesis of organonitrogen compound biosynthetic process, translation, amide biosynthetic process, lipid transport, stress response, and cytoskeletal activity. The results provide novel insight into the molecular basis of the ecotoxicity of BB in aquatic ecosystems.

Chemical and isotopic compositions of bottled waters sold in Korea: chemical enrichment and isotopic fractionation by desalination.

A total of 54 Korean bottled waters were investigated to characterize their origins and types using elemental and isotopic composition, as well as to identify elemental and isotopic changes in desalinated marine water that arise due to desalination. The different types of bottled water displayed a wide pH range (3.42 to 7.21). The elemental compositions of still and sparkling waters were quite similar, whereas desalinated marine water was clearly distinguished by its high concentrations of Ca, Mg, B, and Cl. In addition, desalinated marine water had much higher isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen (-0.5 and -2‰, respectively) than still and sparkling waters (-8.4 and -57‰). The elemental composition of desalinated marine water was adjusted through post-treatment procedures; in particular, boron was greatly enriched during desalination processes. The carbon isotope compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ(13)C(DIC) values) varied widely according to the origins of the bottled waters (-25.6 to -13.6‰ for still water, -31.2 to -26.7‰ for sparkling water, and -24.1 to -6.3‰ for desalinated marine water). This indicates that carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon are significantly fractionated by desalination processes and re-modified through post-treatment procedures. The results suggest that combined elemental and stable isotopic tracers are useful for identifying the origin of bottled water, verifying elemental and isotopic modifications during desalination processes, and characterizing various water types of bottled waters.

d-Allulose Ameliorates Hyperglycemia Through IRE1α Sulfonation-RIDD-Sirt1 Decay Axis in the Skeletal Muscle.

Aims: The skeletal muscle maintains glucose disposal via insulin signaling and glucose transport. The progression of diabetes and insulin resistance is critically influenced by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. d-Allulose, a low-calorie sugar substitute, has shown crucial physiological activities under conditions involving hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. However, the molecular mechanisms of d-allulose in the progression of diabetes have not been fully elucidated. Here, we evaluated the effect of d-allulose on hyperglycemia-associated ER stress responses in human skeletal myoblasts (HSkM) and db/db diabetic and high-fat diet-fed mice. Results: d-allulose effectively controlled glycemic markers such as insulin and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), showing anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting the disruption of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression, in which the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway is involved. The levels of glucose dysmetabolism-based NADPH oxidase, such as NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase (Nox) 4, were highly increased, and their interaction with IRE1α and the resultant sulfonation-regulated IRE1-dependent decay (RIDD)-Sirt1 decay were also highly increased under diabetic conditions, which were controlled with d-allulose treatment. Skeletal muscle cells grown with a high glucose medium supplemented with d-allulose showed controlled IRE1α sulfonation-RIDD-Sirt1 decay, in which Nox4 was involved. Innovation and Conclusion: The study observations indicate that d-allulose contributes to the muscular glucose disposal in the diabetic state where ER-localized Nox4-induced IRE1α sulfonation results in the decay of Sirt1, a core factor for controlling glucose metabolism. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 37, 229-245.

Calculation of the solvation free energy of neutral and ionic molecules in diverse solvents.

The solvation free energy density (SFED) model was modified to extend its applicability and predictability. The parametrization process was performed with a large, diverse set of solvation free energies that included highly polar and ionic molecules. The mean absolute error for 1200 solvation free energies of the 379 neutral molecules in 9 organic solvents and water was 0.40 kcal/mol, and for 90 hydration free energies of ions was 1.7 kcal/mol. Overall, the calculated solvation free energies of a wide range of solute functional groups in diverse solvents were consistent with experimental data.

Epidural hematoma treated by aspiration after transforaminal epidural steroid injection - A case report.

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural hematoma is rare condition that can rapidly develop into severe neurologic deficits. The pathophysiology of this development remains unclear. There are several case reports of emergency hematoma evacuations after epidural steroid injection. CASE: We report on two patients who developed acute, large amounts of epidural hematoma without neurological deficits after transforaminal epidural steroid injection. After fluoroscopy guided aspiration for epidural hematoma was performed, neurological defects did not progress and the hematoma was shown to be absorbed on magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSIONS: These reports are believed to be the first of treating epidural hematoma occurring after transforaminal epidural steroid injection through non-surgical hematoma aspiration. If large amounts of epidural hematoma are not causing neurological issues, it can be aspirated until it is absorbed.

Treatment of phenol wastewater using nitrogen-doped magnetic mesoporous hollow carbon.

Nitrogen-doped magnetic mesoporous hollow carbon (NMMHC) was prepared to realize effective adsorption of phenol from wastewater. The chemical and physical properties of NMMHC were analyzed, and the effects of adsorption time, initial pH, and phenol concentration on the adsorption capacity of NMMHC were studied. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm models were used to explain the adsorption properties. The results showed that the specific surface area, type of nitrogen group, and nitrogen content of NMMHC are related to the carbonization temperature. Chemical interaction was demonstrated to be present in the process of adsorption, which was characterized as monolayer adsorption. In addition, the adsorption mechanism was studied by attenuated total internal reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and analysis of non-covalent interactions. This study found that non-covalent interactions between NMMHC and phenol molecules are van der Waals interactions, and nitrogen-containing groups increase the phenol adsorption capacity by enhancing such interactions. The π-π interactions between the nitrogen groups and phenol molecules also enhanced the adsorption energy.

D-allulose ameliorates adiposity through the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway in HFD-induced SD rats.

BACKGROUND: Adiposity is a major health-risk factor, and D-allulose has beneficial effects on adiposity-related metabolic disturbances. However, the modes of action underlying anti-hyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activity are partly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the in vivo and in vitro effects of D-allulose involved in adipogenesis and activation of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. DESIGN: In this study, 8-week-old male SD (Sprague Dawley) rats were divided into five groups (n = 8/group), (1) Control (chow diet, 3.5%); (2) 60% HFD; (3) 60% HFD supplemented with allulose powder (AP) at 0.4 g/kg; (4) 60% HFD supplemented with allulose liquid (AL) at 0.4 g/kg; (5) 60% HFD supplemented with glucose (AL) at 0.4 g/kg. All the group received the product through oral gavage for 6 weeks. Control and HFD groups were gavaged with double-distilled water. RESULTS: Rats receiving AP and AL showed reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation in HFD-fed rats. Also, supplementation of AL/AP regulated the cytokine secretion and recovered biochemical parameters to alleviate metabolic dysfunction and hepatic injury. Additionally, AL/AP administration improved adipocyte differentiation via regulation of the PPARγ and C/EBPα signaling pathway and adipogenesis-related genes owing to the combined effect of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway. Furthermore, AL/AP treatment mediated PGC-1α expression triggering mitochondrial genesis via activating the AMPK phosphorylation and SIRT1 deacetylation activity in adipose tissue. CONCLUSION: The anti-adiposity activity of D-allulose is observed on a marked alleviation in adipogenesis and AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α deacetylation in the adipose tissue of HFD-fed rat.

[Calcium polystyrene sulfonate induced colonic necrosis in patient with chronic kidney disease].

A 63-year-old woman was admitted due to right upper quadrant abdominal pain. She was going through hemodialysis due to end stage renal disease and taking calcium polystyrene sulfonate orally and rectally due to hyperkalemia. Colonoscopy showed a circular ulcerative mass on the proximal ascending colon. Biopsy specimen from the mass showed inflammation and necrotic debris. It also revealed basophilic angulated crystals which were adherent to the ulcer bed and normal mucosa. These crystals were morphologically consistent with calcium polystyrene sulfonate. She was diagnosed with calcium polystyrene phosphate induced colonic necrosis and improved with conservative treatment.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Novel Triple-Cuffed Double-Lumen Endobronchial Tubes with Conventional Double-Lumen Endobronchial Tubes for Lung Isolation.

Placing a double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) in an appropriate position to facilitate lung isolation is essential for thoracic procedures. The novel ANKOR DLT is a DLT developed with three cuffs with a newly added carinal cuff designed to prevent further advancement by being blocked by the carina when the cuff is inflated. In this prospective study, the direction and depth of initial placement of ANKOR DLT were compared with those of conventional DLT. Patients undergoing thoracic surgery (n = 190) with one-lung ventilation (OLV) were randomly allocated into either left-sided conventional DLT group (n = 95) or left-sided ANKOR DLT group (n = 95). The direction and depth of DLT position were compared via fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) after endobronchial intubation between the groups. There was no significant difference in the number of right mainstem endobronchial intubations between the two groups (p = 0.468). The difference between the initial depth of DLT placement and the target depth confirmed by FOB was significantly lower in the ANKOR DLT group than in the conventional DLT group (1.8 ± 1.8 vs. 12.9 ± 9.7 mm; p < 0.001). In conclusion, the ANKOR DLT facilitated its initial positioning at the optimal depth compared to the conventional DLT.

Reproductive dysfunction linked to alteration of endocrine activities in zebrafish exposed to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP).

This study aimed to investigate the effect of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), one of the major phthalate metabolites that are widespread in aquatic environments, on reproductive dysfunction, particularly on endocrine activity in adult male and female zebrafish. For 21 days, the zebrafish were exposed to test concentrations of MEHP (0, 2, 10, and 50 µg/mL) that were determined based on the effective concentrations (ECx) for zebrafish embryos. Exposure to 50 µg/mL MEHP in female zebrafish significantly decreased the number of ovulated eggs as well as the hepatic VTG mRNA abundance when those of the control group. Meanwhile, in female zebrafish, the biosynthetic concentrations of 17ß-estradiol (E2) and the metabolic ratio of androgen to estrogen were remarkably increased in all MEHP exposed group compared with those in the control group, along with the elevated levels of cortisol. However, no significant difference was observed between these parameters in male zebrafishes. Therefore, exposure to MEHP causes reproductive dysfunction in female zebrafishes and this phenomenon can be attributed to the alteration in endocrine activities. Moreover, the reproductive dysfunction in MEHP-exposed female zebrafishes may be closely associated with stress responses, such as elevated cortisol levels. To further understand the effect of MEHP on the reproductive activities of fish, follow-up studies are required to determine the interactions between endocrine activities and stress responses. Overall, this study provides a response biomarker for assessing reproductive toxicity of endocrine disruptors that can serve as a methodological approach for an alternative to chronic toxicity testing.

Analgesic effect of ropivacaine with fentanyl in comparison with ropivacaine alone for continuous femoral nerve block after knee replacement arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.

BACKGROUND: The analgesic effect of perineural opioid in clinical practice are still controversial. This randomized controlled trial compared analgesic effect of ropivacaine with fentanyl or ropivacaine alone for continuous femoral nerve block following unilateral total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Fourty patients of ASA PS Ⅰ or Ⅱ receiving total knee arthroplasty with spinal anesthesia were enlisted and randomly allocated into two groups. Group R; bolus injection of 0.375% ropivacaine, 30 ml and an infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine at 8 ml/h (n = 20). Group RF; 0.375% ropivacaine, 29 ml added with 50 µg of fentanyl as a bolus and an infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine mixed with 1 µg/ml of fentanyl at 8 ml/h (n = 20). Local anesthetic infusion via a femoral nerve catheter was started at the end of operation and continued for 48 h. Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with hydromorphone (0.15 mg/ml, 0-1-10) were used for adjuvant analgesics. Position of catheter tip and contrast distribution, visual analogue scale of pain, hydromorphone consumption, side effects were recorded for 48 h after operation. Patient satisfaction for the pain control received were noted. RESULTS: The pain visual analogue scale, incidences of side effects and satisfaction were not different between the two groups (P > 0.05), but the hydromorphone usage at 48 h after operation were lower in the Group RF than in the Group R (P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The analgesic effect of ropivacaine with fentanyl for continuous femoral nerve block after knee replacement arthroplasty was not superior to that of the ropivacaine alone.

Author Correction: Solvent-free bulk polymerization of lignin-polycaprolactone (PCL) copolymer and its thermoplastic characteristics.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Enzymatic synthesis of alkyl glucosides using Leuconostoc mesenteroides dextransucrase.

Alkyl glucosides were synthesized by the reaction of Leuconostoc mesenteroides dextransucrase with sucrose and various alcohols. Alkyl alpha-D-glucosides were obtained with a yield of 30% (mol/mol) with primary alcohols, but secondary alcohols or tertiary alcohols gave yields below 5%. The optimal yield was 50% using 1-butyl alpha-D-glucoside with 0.9 M 1-butanol. The acceptor products of methanol or ethanol were confirmed as methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside and ethyl alpha-D: -glucopyranoside via MALDI-TOF MS and NMR analysis. Thus, methyl or ethyl alpha-D-glucoside constituted half the emulsification activities of Triton X-100 as commercially available surfactants.