Background: Metabolites of ethylene glycol (EG) can cross-react in L-lactate assays, leading to falsely elevated serum lactate levels in case of EG intoxication. In this study, we evaluated the effects of EG and its metabolites on routinely used lactate measuring methods. Methods: Serum aliquots were spiked with either L-lactate, EG or one of its metabolites (all 12.5 mmol/L): glyoxal, glycolat…
Background: There is a negative glucose gradient between the capillary and venous systems, produced by glucose uptake into peripheral tissues. This gradient is augmented by oral glucose ingestion in healthy volunteers; thus prandial status may impact on capillary glucose meter performance. Our primary aim was to investigate whether the (capillary–venous plasma) glucose difference changed in r…
Commonly used methods for assay of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are susceptible to interference from the presence of haemoglobin variants. In many systems, the common variants can be identified but scientists and pathologists must remain vigilant for more subtle variants that may result in spuriously high or low HbA1c values. It is clearly important to recognize these events whether HbA1c is being u…
Intentional iron overdose appears to be an increasingly common form of attempted suicide. We present a case of iron overdose in a 16-year-old girl who was found unconscious in her bed and brought to our emergency department. The most remarkable diagnostic findings were the patient’s comatose condition, divergent eye position and positive Babinski foot pad reflexes. Laboratory tests showed hyp…
Background: Measurement of fractionated plasma or urine metadrenalines is the recommended screening test in the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma, with clinical cut-offs geared towards diagnostic sensitivity. Current practice at Salford Royal Hospital is to add urine catecholamines onto samples with raised urine metadrenalines, with the aim of adding specificity to a diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma…
Background: The worldwide epidemic of obesity is a major public health concern and is persuasively linked to the rising prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is often associated with an abnormal lipoprotein profile, which may be partly negated by pioglitazone intervention, as this can influence the composition and oxidation characteristics of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). …
We report two patients with markedly elevated 24-h urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) excretion due to over-thecounter (OTC) self-medication with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). It is important to recognize that OTC medication may cause increased ‘false-positive’ 5-HIAA excretion to prevent undue patient anxiety and unnecessary further investigation for carcinoid disease. Discordance be…
Entrenched in current laboratory protocols for the measurement of plasma glucose is the false belief that sodium fluoride (NaF) is an effective inhibitor of glycolysis. The failure of NaF to properly control glycolysis decreases plasma glucose concentrations. The amount of the decrease can be clinically significant. The most recent (2011) laboratory guidelines for diagnosis and management of di…
Background: High-dose vitamin A influences glucose and lipid profile; however, the possible effects of moderate doses (25,000 IU/d) are conflicting. We aimed to compare the effect of vitamin A pplementation on several anthropometric and biochemical variables between obese and non-obese women. Methods: This study was performed on 84 women among whom 56 were obese (body mass index [BMI] 30–35 …
Background: Measurements of plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine provide a useful diagnostic test for phaeochromocytoma,but this depends on appropriate reference intervals. Upper cut-offs set too high compromise diagnostic sensitivity,whereas set too low, false-positives are a problem. This study aimed to establish optimal reference intervals forplasma normetanephrine and metanephrine. Metho…
Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) is the major measured parameter for cardiovascular risk assessment. The generally accepted formula (LDL-F) for estimating LDL-c developed by Friedewald and colleagues in 1972 using data from 448 individuals suffers from known inaccuracies at extremes of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) values. Methods: We generated new formulas…
Background: It is well known that plasma creatinine concentration is affected by muscle mass, while some studies have suggested cystatin C is affected by body mass index (BMI). Our aim was to assess the effects of lean versus fat mass on cystatin C and creatinine derivative equations in estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in healthy young men. Methods: Three groups of participants were …
Availability of whole blood creatinine estimation for patients scheduled to undergo radiological contrast investigations can provide information to aid patient care by reducing adverse effects and improving departmental efficiencies. Methods: We performed imprecision studies, different patient sample type comparison in 40 participants, and a limited interference study with dopamine and dobutami…
A characteristic feature of plants is their capacity to synthesize and store a wide variety of low molecular weight compounds, the so-called secondary metabolites (SMs) or natural products. The number of described structures exceeds 100 000; the real number in nature is certainly much higher because only 20–30% of plants have been investigated in phytochemistry so far. In contrast to pri…
Scalable expansion of cells for regenerative cell therapy or to produce large quantities for high-throughput screening remains a challenge for bioprocess engineers. Laboratory scale cell expansion using t-flasks requires frequent passaging that exposes cells to many poorly defined bioprocess forces that can cause damage or alter their phenotype. Microcarriers offer a potential solution to scala…
Novel amphiphilic block copolymers consisting of hydrophobic poly(d,l-lactide) segments and hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N, N-dimethylacrylamide) blocks were designed and synthesized through a simple free radical copolymerization route based on a bifunctional initiator, followed by the ring-opening polymerization of d,l-lactide. The copolymers self-assembled into thermosensitiv…
A new cyanate ester functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-Cy) monomer was prepared by reacting hydroxyl functionalized POSS-OH with cyanogen bromide (CNBr) in the presence of triethylamine (Et3N). The precursor POSS-OH and the corresponding cyanate ester POSS-Cy were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) spectral …
The aim of this research is to evaluate the effect of silica nanoparticles (SNs) modification on the physicochemical properties of some hybrid nanocomposites. SNs with high specific surface area were silanized by two complementary mechanisms using organosilanes with different functionalities, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS),octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) or a mixture of them in order t…
Background. To evaluate the influence of lightweight and heavyweight mesh on postoperative recovery in Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair. Methods. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library were used to search for published clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which compared lightweight meshes with heavyweight meshes in Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair. Two independent reviewers ass…
Open splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (OSED) is a typical surgery for portal hypertension. Because of the high morbidity associated with it, it is desirable to develop a minimally invasive alternative. To investigate the safety and effect of laparoscopic splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (LSED), we performed LSED for 24 patients suffering from portal hypertensio…
Objective. This study aimed to compare postoperative pain and surgical outcomes after transumbilical single-port access (SPA) and conventional multiport laparoscopic surgery for adnexal lesions. Methods. A retrospective case–control study was conducted matched by age, body mass index, and frequency of previous abdominal surgery. A total of 110 SPA laparoscopy patients (cases) were matched wit…
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 85% to 90% of all primary kidney malignancies, with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) constituting approximately 70% to 85% of all RCCs. This study describes an innovative multimodal imaging and detection strategy that uses 124I-labeled chimeric monoclonal antibody G250 (124I-cG250) for accurate preoperative and intraoperative localization and onfirmat…
Objective. To compare multimedia and standard consent, in respect to patient comprehension, anxiety, and satisfaction, for various surgical/interventional procedures. Data sources. Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase, and Google Scholar were performed. Relevant articles were assessed by 2 independent reviewers. Study selection. Comparative (randomized and nonrandomized control …
Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate how simple it is to build a homemade low-cost simulator using a simple 5-step scheme. Methods. A scheme explaining how to build an endoscopic surgery simulator in 5 easy steps was presented to 26 surgeons. The simulator required a pair of scissors and easy-to-find materials. Its total cost was less than €35. The participants assessed the simulator us…
Background. The authors report their experience with single-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (SLS) and compare postoperative outcomes of conventional multiport laparoscopic splenectomy (MLS) with SLS in patients with spleen sizes ≤15cm. Methods. Demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data were analyzed retrospectively and compared between patients who underwent MLS from June 20, 2006…
Metanephric adenoma (MA) is a rare benign tumor, diagnosis of which is often carried out after surgical treatment. In case of peripheral lesions, a partial nephrectomy (PN)—either open or laparoscopic may be preferred—and, furthermore, a radiofrequency (RF)-assisted procedure may facilitate adequate hemostasis. In November 2010, the authors performed a RF-assisted PN, according to Habib’s…
Surgery to the trunk often results in a change of gait, most pronounced during walking. This change is usually transient, often as a result of wound pain, and returns to normal as the patient recovers. Quantifying and monitoring gait impairment therefore represents a novel means of functional postoperative home recovery follow-up. Until now, this type of assessment could only be made in a gait …
Background. There are increasing reports of serious complications and deaths associated with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). Bleeding may occur when NPWT is applied to a wound with exposed blood vessels. Inserting a rigid disc in the wound may protect these structures. The authors examined the effects of rigid discs on wound bed tissue pressure and blood flow through a large blood vesse…
Background. Although the utility of the harmonic scalpel (HS) in thyroidectomy has been extensively demonstrated,there is little experience regarding its use for neck dissections. Methods. Within 10 years, 119 patients underwent modified radical neck dissection (MRND) for thyroid cancer. In 51 patients, MRND was performed using conventional knot tying and in 68 using the HS. The number of lymph…
In order to discover how the grafted side chains affect the crystallization of the graft copolymers, the ternary-monomer solid-phase graft copolymers of polypropylene (PP; PPSM) were synthesized by solid-phase grafting of maleic anhydride, styrene and butyl acrylate onto PP. The Jeziorny and Mo methods were used to investigate the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics and polarizing microscop…
Azobenzene polymers have been the subject of intensive research due to their unique and unexpected properties that allow various applications triggered by light. One of their attractive features is the possibility of changing the orientation of azobenzene chain through trans-cis-trans photoisomerization cycles to photoinduce birefringerence and linear dichroism in thin polymer films. The photoc…
Bacterial cellulose was functionalized with a chimeric protein containing a cellulose-binding module and the adhesion peptide Arg-Gly-Asp. Small-diameter bacterial cellulose membranes were produced and subcutaneously implanted in sheep for 1–32 weeks. The implants triggered a biological response similar to other high surface-to-volume implants. There were no significant differences in the in…
The distribution of state of cure in a molded rubber component is usually nonuniform due to slow heat transfer processes involved in the molding/cooling cycle. In certain molding processes, the cure accumulated during the cooling process that occurs after a molding cycle can be a significant part of the total. In this work, prior simulation of the state of cure profile developed in a one-di…
Because of the negative environmental impact of volatile hydrocarbon-based blowing agents used in expandable polymers, water has been considered a suitable candidate. Water expandable polystyrene is a polystyrene containing water cells, which may be used as blowing agent. Because of different physical properties of water and volatile hydrocarbons, production conditions and physical properti…
Two new N-halamine polyelectrolytes were synthesized, characterized, and deposited onto cotton fabric from a water solution using a layer-by-layer assembly technique. The fabrics were rendered biocidal by a dilute household bleach solution and challenged with Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria. The chlorinated swatches (five bilayer coated) inactivated ~106 Staphylococcus aureus and Es…
Titanium- and silicon-modified novolac (TSN) resins were prepared by the reaction of novolac resin with the organotitanium polysiloxane. TSN resins with a series of inorganic element contents were prepared, and the corresponding silicon fiber reinforced TSN composites (TSN/silica fiber) were fabricated by the compression molding procedure. The results of thermogravimetric analysis show that the…
This article reports an attempt to improve polypropylene fine-celled foaming with the incorporation of short carbon fibers. The carbon fibers with uniform dispersion in polypropylene matrix were obtained in reference to the way of papermaking. The composites were prepared via melt compounding in a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. Three concentrations of carbon fibers, 5, 15 an…
A series of porous polyimide (PI) films were prepared by decomposing PI/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-blended films at appropriate high temperature for a certain period of time in air. The pore-forming agent, PMMA, was blended with poly(amic acid) (PAA) by in situ blending method. As a thermally labile polymer, PMMA was decomposed first to generate substances with low molecular weight, leavi…
Films of poly(vinyl chloride)/copper (Cu) nanocomposites exhibiting reduced bacterial adhesion were prepared by film-casting method. Cu nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized using polyol method and stabilized with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) at different Cu/PVP molar ratio were previously characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet–visib…
In this study, the nanocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3,4)HB) and three kinds of aluminum-containing layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were prepared via melting intercalation. The thermal stability,thermal combustion and thermomechanical properties for these systems were systematically investigated. Both x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microsco…
Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposites were prepared by solvent casting using dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent via sonication process. Effect of addition of MWNTs on the properties of nanocomposites was investigated at different nanofiller contents. Uniform dispersion and distrubution of nanotubes in PHEMA matrix is obtained within the studi…
Nanocomposites were prepared with segmented polyurethanes and Cloisite 30B by either solution mixing or in situ polymerization and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. Cytotoxicity and enotoxicity were assessed with lymphocytes while cell viability was measured by the methyl tetrazolium ass…
Purpose: To demonstrate intraocular drug delivery using a novel device fabricated by embedding hollow glass microneedles within a soft and flexible poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrate for ease of device insertion into the eye. Methods: Hollow glass microneedles (5 mm ID tips), fabricated using standard glass drawing techniques, were assembled into a photolithographically micropatterned PDM…
In this study, the biocompatibility and bone regeneration performance of nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/poly(L-lactide)(nHAC/PLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/calcium sulfate hemihydrate (nHAC/CSH) as bone-filling materials were evaluated and compared in a critical box-shaped defect model in the mandible of the rabbits. In vivo results indicated that there was significant difference in early …
In this endeavor, a new type of nanocomposites has been developed from conducting organic polymers (layer-by-layer in situ polymerization of various monomers) and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Initially, functionalization of MWCNTs was achieved by sulfuric acid H2SO4):nitric acid (HNO3) and HNO3:hydrogen peroxide treatment. A comparative study regarding the synthetic, mo…
A coupled pyrolysis/computational fluid dynamics model is used to investigate the fire contribution of glass fibre–reinforced polyester/balsa-cored sandwich composite structure in case of fire on board a ship. Prior to simulating real-scale scenarios, numerical simulations of experiments were performed on samples of the tested material of increasing size, for validation and evaluation pur…
One strategy for improving gene vector properties of polyethylenimine is to facilitate individual transfection mechanism steps. This study investigates (i) improving transfection efficiency by attaching peptide nuclear localization signals (nuclear localization signals: SV40 large T antigen nuclear localization signal or C-terminus of histone H1) to polyethylenimine (10 kDa) and (ii) using disu…
Novel copoly(imide butadiene)s and copoly(imide butadiene acrylonitrile)s were synthesized from amine-terminated butadiene oligomers, amine-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile oligomers, and aromatic dianhydrides and diamines. The copoly(amide acid)s were synthesized in a mixture of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and toluene and were subsequently cast into thin films. The films were cyclodehydrated un…
Patients with a femoral fracture due to osteoporosis are at high risk of sustaining a secondary fracture on the contralateral side. A prophylactic mechanical reinforcement of the contralateral side during operation of the initial fracture could be of interest for such patients. This biomechanical in vitro study investigates the potential of a limited V-shaped bone cement augmentation to prevent…
Coronary venous leads are the leads of choice in cardiac resynchronisation therapy. They can be placed with excellent electrical thresholds in previously cardiotomised patients. Due to the enormous morphologic variability of the coronary venous anatomy, the leads have to be selected with respect to each individual case. The use of different leads make a coronary venous approach possible in 95%…