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International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2021: Hallux valgus (HV) deformity is a common, potentially debilitating deformity. And evidence with high-quality for the conservative treatments of HV deformity is still... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
: Hallux valgus (HV) deformity is a common, potentially debilitating deformity. And evidence with high-quality for the conservative treatments of HV deformity is still required.; AIMS: To compare the effects of different conservative treatments for hallux valgus deformity by using the method of network meta-analysis.; : A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, OVID, and CINAHL. The included studies should have the characteristics that: (1) participants with hallux valgus deformity of any age (2) conservative treatments (3) Reported the hallux valgus (HVA), the intermetatarsal angle (IMA), the score of the Visual Analog Scale, and the score of Foot Function Index.; : 11 studies were included in this review. The agreement between reviewers reached a kappa value of 0.75. The results of the network meta-analysis showed that a combination of exercise and toe separator, night splints, and dry needling are most likely to be the best choice for reducing the hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle, and toe separators (with or without exercise), dry needling, and manipulation (with or without ice treatment) have advantages in improving the subjective feeling of patients.; : Multi-disciplinary conservative treatments have a great potential for hallux valgus deformity. More research with high-quality is needed to give a comprehensive and reasonable scheme of a holistic and long-term treatment protocol.
Topics: Conservative Treatment; Hallux Valgus; Humans; Network Meta-Analysis; Pain Measurement; Radiography; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33917568
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073841 -
Intensive Care Medicine Sep 2014To test an intervention bundle for thirst intensity, thirst distress, and dry mouth, which are among the most pervasive, intense, distressful, unrecognized, and... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
PURPOSE
To test an intervention bundle for thirst intensity, thirst distress, and dry mouth, which are among the most pervasive, intense, distressful, unrecognized, and undertreated symptoms in ICU patients, but for which data-based interventions are lacking.
METHODS
This was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial in three ICUs in a tertiary medical center in urban California. A total of 252 cognitively intact patients reporting thirst intensity (TI) and/or thirst distress (TD) scores ≥3 on 0-10 numeric rating scales (NRS) were randomized to intervention or usual care groups. A research team nurse (RTN#1) obtained patients' pre-procedure TI and TD scores and reports of dry mouth. She then administered a thirst bundle to the intervention group: oral swab wipes, sterile ice-cold water sprays, and a lip moisturizer, or observed patients in the usual care group. RTN#2, blinded to group assignment, obtained post-procedure TI and TD scores. Up to six sessions per patient were conducted across 2 days.
RESULTS
Multilevel linear regression determined that the average decreases in TI and TD scores from pre-procedure to post-procedure were significantly greater in the intervention group (2.3 and 1.8 NRS points, respectively) versus the usual care group (0.6 and 0.4 points, respectively) (p < 0.05). The usual care group was 1.9 times more likely than the intervention group to report dry mouth for each additional session on day 1.
CONCLUSION
This simple, inexpensive thirst bundle significantly decreased ICU patients' thirst and dry mouth and can be considered a practice intervention for patients experiencing thirst.
Topics: Critical Care; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Single-Blind Method; Thirst; Xerostomia
PubMed: 24894026
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-014-3339-z -
Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in... Mar 2019Ms. X is a 23-year-old female who presented to clinic with stage 2A endometrial cancer of the ovary. At her first visit, Ms. X was prescribed paclitaxel and carboplatin... (Review)
Review
Ms. X is a 23-year-old female who presented to clinic with stage 2A endometrial cancer of the ovary. At her first visit, Ms. X was prescribed paclitaxel and carboplatin on day 1 for 6 cycles. During the visit, the nurse noted Ms. X could not keep her hands out of her hair; she continually played with it. The nurse, judging by Ms. X's body language, suspected she valued her hair. Ms. X revealed she had been doing some research and wanted to use a cold cap to try and prevent alopecia during her treatment. On the first day of chemotherapy, Ms. X came to the clinic with her mother. They brought a manual cap for scalp cooling and a cooler of dry ice. Her mother was to serve as a "capper" and change the cap at 20- to 30-minute intervals during treatment to keep her scalp cool. Ms. X was made comfortable in an infusion bed, and the cap was applied 30 minutes prior to the start of therapy. Ms. X's mother changed the dry ice caps every 20 minutes throughout the infusion. Ms. X then left it on for 90 minutes following her chemotherapy. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, Ms. X still had all her hair. She appeared to have retained 100% of her hair, although she estimates that she lost about 5% of her hair. During therapy, she followed the instructions outlined in Table 1. Ms. X reported that she rented the cap for $500 per month and paid $45 per week for the dry ice. Her mother also had to miss work to be the "capper," and this added to the out-of-pocket costs of scalp cooling.
PubMed: 31538026
DOI: No ID Found -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2019The packaging and shipment of biospecimens is a multistep process for which a distinct set of regulations needs to be followed, depending on whether a biospecimen is... (Review)
Review
The packaging and shipment of biospecimens is a multistep process for which a distinct set of regulations needs to be followed, depending on whether a biospecimen is shipped domestically or internationally and whether the shipment contains hazardous materials. Shipments may be delayed if these regulations are not followed. Once learned, the process is straightforward. Major principles include double or triple packaging, adequate absorbent material, appropriate coolant, accurate labeling, and complete documentation. Training in packaging and shipping is often offered at major biomedical institutions and is a requirement to avoid shipping biohazards.
Topics: Biological Specimen Banks; Humans; Specimen Handling; Transportation
PubMed: 30539463
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8935-5_35 -
Microorganisms Sep 2020The Antarctic continent is widely considered to be one of the most hostile biological habitats on Earth. Despite extreme environmental conditions, the ice-free areas of... (Review)
Review
The Antarctic continent is widely considered to be one of the most hostile biological habitats on Earth. Despite extreme environmental conditions, the ice-free areas of the continent, which constitute some 0.44% of the total continental land area, harbour substantial and diverse communities of macro-organisms and especially microorganisms, particularly in the more "hospitable" maritime regions. In the more extreme non-maritime regions, exemplified by the McMurdo Dry Valleys of South Victoria Land, nutrient cycling and ecosystem servicing processes in soils are largely driven by microbial communities. Nitrogen turnover is a cornerstone of ecosystem servicing. In Antarctic continental soils, specifically those lacking macrophytes, cold-active free-living diazotrophic microorganisms, particularly Cyanobacteria, are keystone taxa. The diazotrophs are complemented by heterotrophic bacterial and archaeal taxa which show the genetic capacity to perform elements of the entire N cycle, including nitrification processes such as the anammox reaction. Here, we review the current literature on nitrogen cycling genes, taxa, processes and rates from studies of Antarctic soils. In particular, we highlight the current gaps in our knowledge of the scale and contribution of these processes in south polar soils as critical data to underpin viable predictions of how such processes may alter under the impacts of future climate change.
PubMed: 32967081
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091442 -
Microorganisms Oct 2020The microbial deterioration of cultural heritage includes physical and chemical damage as well as aesthetic alteration. With the technological advancement, a plethora of... (Review)
Review
The microbial deterioration of cultural heritage includes physical and chemical damage as well as aesthetic alteration. With the technological advancement, a plethora of techniques for removing unwanted microorganisms have opened up new opportunities for microbiologists and conservators. This article reviews the most applied, up-to-date, and sustainable techniques developed for the control of cultural heritage microbial deterioration presenting noteworthy case studies. These techniques include chemical methods, i.e., traditional biocides and nanoparticles; physical methods, such as mechanical removal, UV irradiation, gamma radiation, laser cleaning, heat shocking, microwaves, and dry ice treatment; and biological methods, such as natural molecules with biocidal activity, enzymes, and microorganisms. The application of control systems requires the comprehension of their behavior toward the unwanted microorganisms and possible interactions with the heritage materials. This overview shows also the control methods drawbacks for the purpose of creating awareness in selecting the most suitable technique or combination of techniques.
PubMed: 33036341
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101542 -
Philosophical Transactions. Series A,... Oct 2015Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a well-pronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic...
Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a well-pronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic and anticyclonic alternating at 5 to 7 year intervals. During cyclonic regimes, low sea-level atmospheric pressure (SLP) dominated over the Arctic Ocean driving sea ice and the upper ocean counterclockwise; the Arctic atmosphere was relatively warm and humid, and freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean towards the subarctic seas was intensified. By contrast, during anticylonic circulation regimes, high SLP dominated driving sea ice and the upper ocean clockwise. Meanwhile, the atmosphere was cold and dry and the freshwater flux from the Arctic to the subarctic seas was reduced. Since 1997, however, the Arctic system has been under the influence of an anticyclonic circulation regime (17 years) with a set of environmental parameters that are atypical for this regime. We discuss a hypothesis explaining the causes and mechanisms regulating the intensity and duration of Arctic circulation regimes, and speculate how changes in freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland impact environmental conditions and interrupt their decadal variability.
PubMed: 26347536
DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0160 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jan 2023Did Beringian environments represent an to humans until less than 15 000 years ago or was access to the Americas controlled by the spatial-temporal distribution of... (Review)
Review
Did Beringian environments represent an to humans until less than 15 000 years ago or was access to the Americas controlled by the spatial-temporal distribution of North American ice sheets? Beringian environments varied with respect to climate and biota, especially in the two major areas of exposed continental shelf. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf ('Great Arctic Plain' (GAP)) supported a dry steppe-tundra biome inhabited by a diverse large-mammal community, while the southern Bering-Chukchi Platform ('Bering Land Bridge' (BLB)) supported mesic tundra and probably a lower large-mammal biomass. A human population with west Eurasian roots occupied the GAP before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and may have accessed mid-latitude North America via an interior ice-free corridor. Re-opening of the corridor less than 14 000 years ago indicates that the primary ancestors of living First Peoples, who already had spread widely in the Americas at this time, probably dispersed from the NW Pacific coast. A genetic 'arctic signal' in non-arctic First Peoples suggests that their parent population inhabited the GAP during the LGM, before their split from the former. We infer a shift from GAP terrestrial to a subarctic maritime economy on the southern BLB coast before dispersal in the Americas from the NW Pacific coast.
Topics: Animals; Humans; North America; Americas; Arctic Regions; Mammals
PubMed: 36629115
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2246 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2021The triple oxygen isotopes (O, O, and O) are very useful in hydrological and climatological studies because of their sensitivity to environmental conditions. This review... (Review)
Review
The triple oxygen isotopes (O, O, and O) are very useful in hydrological and climatological studies because of their sensitivity to environmental conditions. This review presents an overview of the published literature on the potential applications of O in hydrological studies. Dual-inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry and laser absorption spectroscopy have been used to measure O, which provides information on atmospheric conditions at the moisture source and isotopic fractionations during transport and deposition processes. The variations of δO from the developed global meteoric water line, with a slope of 0.528, indicate the importance of regional or local effects on the O distribution. In polar regions, factors such as the supersaturation effect, intrusion of stratospheric vapor, post-depositional processes (local moisture recycling through sublimation), regional circulation patterns, sea ice concentration and local meteorological conditions determine the distribution of O-excess. Numerous studies have used these isotopes to detect the changes in the moisture source, mixing of different water vapor, evaporative loss in dry regions, re-evaporation of rain drops during warm precipitation and convective storms in low and mid-latitude waters. Owing to the large variation of the spatial scale of hydrological processes with their extent (i.e., whether the processes are local or regional), more studies based on isotopic composition of surface and subsurface water, convective precipitation, and water vapor, are required. In particular, in situ measurements are important for accurate simulations of atmospheric hydrological cycles by isotope-enabled general circulation models.
PubMed: 34361621
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154468 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2023In Antarctica, ice-free areas can be found along the coast, on mountain peaks, and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, where microorganisms well-adapted to harsh conditions can...
In Antarctica, ice-free areas can be found along the coast, on mountain peaks, and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, where microorganisms well-adapted to harsh conditions can survive and reproduce. Metabolic analyses can shed light on the survival mechanisms of Antarctic soil communities from both coastal sites, under different plant coverage stages, and inner sites where slow-growing or dormant microorganisms, low water availability, salt accumulation, and a limited number of primary producers make metabolomic profiling difficult. Here, we report, for the first time, an efficient protocol for the extraction and the metabolic profiling of Antarctic soils based on the combination of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). This approach was set up on samples harvested along different localities of Victoria Land, in continental Antarctica, devoid of or covered by differently developed biological crusts. NMR allowed for the identification of thirty metabolites (mainly sugars, amino acids, and organic acids) and the quantification of just over twenty of them. UPLC-MS analysis identified more than twenty other metabolites, in particular flavonoids, medium- and long-chain fatty acids, benzoic acid derivatives, anthracenes, and quinones. Our results highlighted the complementarity of the two analytical techniques. Moreover, we demonstrated that their combined use represents the "gold standard" for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of little-explored samples, such as those collected from Antarctic soils.
Topics: Soil; Antarctic Regions; Pilot Projects; Chromatography, Liquid; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics
PubMed: 37569716
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512340