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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 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Blooms of microalgae on glaciers and ice sheets are amplifying surface ice melting rates, which are already affected by climate change. Most studies on glacial...
Blooms of microalgae on glaciers and ice sheets are amplifying surface ice melting rates, which are already affected by climate change. Most studies on glacial microorganisms (including snow and glacier ice algae) have so far focused on the spring and summer melt season, leading to a temporal bias, and a knowledge gap in our understanding of the variations in microbial diversity, productivity, and physiology on glacier surfaces year-round. Here, we investigated the microbial communities from Icelandic glacier surface snow and bare ice habitats, with sampling spanning two consecutive years and carried out in both winter and two summer seasons. We evaluated the seasonal differences in microbial community composition using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS marker genes and correlating them with geochemical signals in the snow and ice. During summer, , , , and dominated surface snow algal communities, while and dominated the surface bare ice habitats. In winter, algae could not be detected, and the community composition was dominated by bacteria and fungi. The dominant bacterial taxa found in both winter and summer samples were , , , and . The winter bacterial communities showed high similarities to airborne and fresh snow bacteria reported in other studies. This points toward the importance of dry and wet deposition as a wintertime source of microorganisms to the glacier surface. Winter samples were also richer in nutrients than summer samples, except for dissolved organic carbon-which was highest in summer snow and ice samples with blooming microalgae, suggesting that nutrients are accumulated during winter but primarily used by the microbial communities in the summer. Overall, our study shows that glacial snow and ice microbial communities are highly variable on a seasonal basis.
PubMed: 35651494
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.876848 -
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 -
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 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Apr 1990The diagnosis of viral infections by culture relies on the collection of proper specimens, proper care to protect the virus in the specimens from environmental damage,... (Review)
Review
The diagnosis of viral infections by culture relies on the collection of proper specimens, proper care to protect the virus in the specimens from environmental damage, and use of an adequate transport system to maintain virus activity. Collection of specimens with swabs that are toxic to either virus or cell culture should be avoided. A variety of transport media have been formulated, beginning with early bacteriological transport media. Certain swab-tube combinations have proven to be both effective and convenient. Of the liquid transport media, sucrose-based and broth-based media appear to be the most widely accepted and used. Studies on virus stability show that most viruses tested are sufficiently stable in transport media to withstand a transport time of 1 to 3 days. Some viruses may withstand longer transport times. In many cases, it is not necessary to store virus specimens in a refrigerator or send them to the laboratory on wet ice or frozen on dry ice. However, the specimen should not be exposed to environmental extremes. Modern viral transport media allow for more effective use of viral culture and culture enhancement techniques for the diagnosis of human viral infections.
Topics: Culture Media; Humans; Preservation, Biological; Specimen Handling; Transportation; Viruses
PubMed: 2187591
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.3.2.120 -
Asian Journal of Andrology 2022In the 1960s, sperm cryopreservation was developed as a method to preserve fertility. Currently, techniques for the cryopreservation of human spermatozoa have been... (Review)
Review
In the 1960s, sperm cryopreservation was developed as a method to preserve fertility. Currently, techniques for the cryopreservation of human spermatozoa have been widely used in assisted reproduction. However, although sperm cryobiology has made notable achievements, the optimal method for the recovery of viable spermatozoa after cryopreservation remains elusive. Postthawing sperm quality can be affected by cryoprotectants, ice formation, storage conditions, and osmotic stress during the freezing process. This review discusses recent advances in different cryopreservation techniques, cryoprotectants, and freezing and thawing methods during cryopreservation and new indications for the use of cryopreserved spermatozoa.
Topics: Humans; Male; Semen Preservation; Sperm Motility; Semen; Cryopreservation; Spermatozoa; Cryoprotective Agents
PubMed: 35381695
DOI: 10.4103/aja20229 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 2022What was the nature of the Late Hesperian climate, warm and wet or cold and dry? Formulated this way the question leads to an apparent paradox since both options seem...
What was the nature of the Late Hesperian climate, warm and wet or cold and dry? Formulated this way the question leads to an apparent paradox since both options seem implausible. A warm and wet climate would have produced extensive fluvial erosion but few valley networks have been observed at the age of the Late Hesperian. A too cold climate would have kept any northern ocean frozen most of the time. A moderate cold climate would have transferred the water from the ocean to the land in the form of snow and ice. But this would prevent tsunami formation, for which there is some evidence. Here, we provide insights from numerical climate simulations in agreement with surface geological features to demonstrate that the Martian climate could have been both cold and wet. Using an advanced general circulation model (GCM), we demonstrate that an ocean can be stable, even if the Martian mean surface temperature is lower than 0 °C. Rainfall is moderate near the shorelines and in the ocean. The southern plateau is mostly covered by ice with a mean temperature below 0 °C and a glacier return flow back to the ocean. This climate is achieved with a 1-bar CO-dominated atmosphere with 10% H Under this scenario of 3 Ga, the geologic evidence of a shoreline and tsunami deposits along the ocean/land dichotomy are compatible with ice sheets and glacial valleys in the southern highlands.
PubMed: 35042794
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112930118 -
Journal of Dental Research Jul 2021It is important for dental care professionals to reliably assess carbon dioxide (CO) levels and ventilation rates in their offices in the era of frequent infectious...
It is important for dental care professionals to reliably assess carbon dioxide (CO) levels and ventilation rates in their offices in the era of frequent infectious disease pandemics. This study was to evaluate CO levels in dental operatories and determine the accuracy of using CO levels to assess ventilation rate in dental clinics. Mechanical ventilation rate in air change per hour (ACH) was measured with an air velocity sensor and airflow balancing hood. CO levels were measured in these rooms to analyze factors that contributed to CO accumulation. Ventilation rates were estimated using natural steady-state CO levels during dental treatments and experimental CO concentration decays by dry ice or mixing baking soda and vinegar. We compared the differences and assessed the correlations between ACH and ventilation rates estimated by the steady-state CO model with low (0.3 L/min, ACH) or high (0.46 L/min, ACH) CO generation rates, by CO decay constants using dry ice (ACH) or baking soda (ACH), and by time needed to remove 63% of excess CO generated by dry ice (ACH) or baking soda (ACH). We found that ACH varied from 3.9 to 35.0 in dental operatories. CO accumulation occurred in rooms with low ventilation (ACH ≤6) and overcrowding but not in those with higher ventilation. ACH and ACH correlated well with ACH ( = 0.83, = 0.003), but ACH was more accurate for rooms with low ACH. Ventilation rates could be reliably estimated using CO released from dry ice or baking soda. ACH was highly correlated with ACH ( = 0.99), ACH ( = 0.98), ACH ( = 0.98), and ACH ( = 0.98). There were no statistically significant differences between ACH and ACH or ACH. We conclude that ventilation rates could be conveniently and accurately assessed by observing the changes in CO levels after a simple mixing of household baking soda and vinegar in dental settings.
Topics: Carbon Dioxide; Dental Care; Humans; Ventilation
PubMed: 33973494
DOI: 10.1177/00220345211014441 -
Plant Cell Reports Feb 2022Fast-drying and cooling induce fast intracellular water loss and reduced ice-crystal formation, which may promote the formation of intracellular glasses that might...
Fast-drying and cooling induce fast intracellular water loss and reduced ice-crystal formation, which may promote the formation of intracellular glasses that might improve the likelihood of wheat pollen survival. Long-term storage of pollen is important for the fertilization of spatially or temporally isolated female parents, especially in hybrid breeding. Wheat pollen is dehydration-sensitive and rapidly loses viability after shedding. To preserve wheat pollen, we hypothesized that fast-drying and cooling rates would increase the rate of intracellular water content (WC) removal, decrease intracellular ice-crystal formation, and increase viability after exposure to ultra-low temperatures. Therefore, we compared slow air-drying with fast-drying (dry air flow) and found significant correlations between pollen WC and viability (r = 0.92, P < 0.001); significant differences in WCs after specific drying times; and comparable viabilities after drying to specific WCs. Fast-drying to WCs at which ice melting events were not detected (ΔH = 0 J mg DW, < 0.28 mg HO mg DW) reduced pollen viability to 1.2 ± 1.0%, but when drying to 0.39 mg HO mg DW, some viable pollen was detected (39.4 ± 17.9%). Fast cooling (150 °C min) of fast-dried pollen to 0.91 ± 0.11 mg HO mg DW induced less and a delay of ice-crystal formation during cryomicroscopic-video-recordings compared to slow cooling (1 °C min), but viability was low (4.5-6.1%) and comparable between cooling rates. Our data support that the combination of fast-drying and cooling rates may enable the survival of wheat pollen likely due to (1) a reduction of the time pollen would be exposed to drying-related deleterious biochemical changes and (2) an inhibition of intracellular ice-crystal formation, but additional research is needed to obtain higher pollen survival after cooling.
Topics: Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Cold Temperature; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Cryopreservation; Crystallization; Desiccation; Freeze Drying; Freezing; Ice; Pollen; Triticum
PubMed: 35099612
DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02819-w -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2016The phenolic and chromatic characteristics of a special red ice wine made from a Vitis amurensis × V. vinifera hybrid cultivar Beibinghong were studied. Results from...
The phenolic and chromatic characteristics of a special red ice wine made from a Vitis amurensis × V. vinifera hybrid cultivar Beibinghong were studied. Results from two different vintages (2013 and 2014) showed that during vinification, the phenolic acid content increased, while the level of flavonoids (flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) reduced by a variable extent. The color intensity and red % decreased together with a decrease in anthocyanin content. This was accompanied by an increase in hue as well as yellow %. The final phenolic content was found to be between 119.54 and 180.93 mg/L, with anthocyanins as the predominant phenolic group (92.06%-93.03%), of which 3,5-O-diglucosidic anthocyanins made up 53.55%-79.04%. Phenolic acids were the primary non-anthocyanin phenolics at about 6.64%-7.5%. The phenolic contents and color parameters of Beibinghong dry red wine and several V. vinifera dry red wines of superior color quality were also used in an attempt to clarify the relationship between phenolics and color in the Beibinghong red ice wine. By using Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA), it was found that 3,5-O-diglucosidic anthocyanins and protocatechuic acid were the only characteristic phenolics that differentiated Beibinghong wines from the other selected red wines from more traditional varieties. They were also the main phenolics to be positively correlated with the hue and yellow % of the wine at the early stages leading into maturation. Their presence might, therefore, explain the relatively high hue and yellow % of Beibinghong ice wine.
Topics: Chimera; Flavonoids; Phenols; Principal Component Analysis; Vitis; Wine
PubMed: 27104511
DOI: 10.3390/molecules21040431