Shock index and its variants as predictors of mortality in severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND The increase in severe traumatic brain injury(sTBI)incidence is a worldwide phenomenon,resulting in a heavy disease burden in the public health systems,specifically in emerging countries.The shock index(SI)is a physiological parameter that indicates cardiovascular status and has been used as a tool to assess the presence and severity of shock,which is increased in sTBI.Considering the high mortality of sTBI,scrutinizing the predictive potential of SI and its variants is vital.AIM To describe the predictive potential of SI and its variants in sTBI.METHODS This study included 71 patients(61 men and 10 women)divided into two groups:Survival(S;n=49)and Non-survival(NS;n=22).The responses of blood pressure and heart rate(HR)were collected at admission and 48 h after admission.The SI,reverse SI(rSI),rSI multiplied by the Glasgow Coma Score(rSIG),and Age multiplied SI(AgeSI)were calculated.Group comparisons included Shapiro-Wilk tests,and independent samples t-tests.For predictive analysis,logistic regression,receiver operator curves(ROC)curves,and area under the curve(AUC)measurements were performed.RESULTS No significant differences between groups were identified for SI,rSI,or rSIG.The AgeSI was significantly higher in NS patients at 48 h following admission(S:26.32±14.2,and NS:37.27±17.8;P=0.016).Both the logistic regression and the AUC following ROC curve analysis showed that only AgeSI at 48 h was capable of predicting sTBI outcomes.CONCLUSION Although an altered balance between HR and blood pressure can provide insights into the adequacy of oxygen delivery to tissues and the overall cardiac function,only the AgeSI was a viable outcome-predictive tool in sTBI,warranting future research in different cohorts.

Software That Assists the Analysis of the Economic Viability of the Installation of Biodigesters in Rural Properties Destined for Milking

The economic development and disorderly population growth,coupled with the modern society’s lifestyle,are complex processes that share a common denominator:the availability of an adequate and reliable supply of energy.An alternative is sustainable development through alternative sources of energy,such as solar energy,wind energy and biomass.In both the international and domestic markets,biomass is considered one of the main alternatives for the diversification of the energy matrix and the consequent reduction of dependence on fossil fuels.The objective of this work is to develop a linear programming model that helps in the decision making as to the feasibility of the implantation of biodigesters for the production of biogas in rural properties destined for milking.In order to solve the proposed model,the classic simplex method was implemented,in the Java programming language with the aim of obtaining results that can be used to support decision making.

THE ENERGY FUNCTION WITH RESPECT TO THE ZEROS OF THE EXCEPTIONAL HERMITE POLYNOMIALS

We examine the energy function with respect to the zeros of exceptional Hermite polynomials. The localization of the eigenvalues of the Hessian is given in the general case.In some special arrangements we have a more precise result on the behavior of the energy function. Finally we investigate the energy function with respect to the regular zeros of the exceptional Hermite polynomials.

Enhancement of CH_(3)CO^(*) adsorption by editing d-orbital states of Pd to boost C–C bond cleavage of ethanol eletrooxidation

Improving the complete ethanol electrooxidation on Pd-based catalysts in alkaline media has drawn widely attention due to the high mass energy density.However,the weak adsorption energy of CH_(3)CO^(*) on Pd restricts the C–C bond cleavage.Inspired by the molecular orbital theory,we proposed the d-state-editing strategy to construct more unoccupied d-states of Pd for the enhanced interaction with CH_(3)CO^(*) to break C–C bonds.As expected,the reduced number of e_g electrons and more unoccupied d-states of Pd successfully formed on as-prepared porous Rh Au–Pd Cu nanosheets(PNSs).Theoretical calculations show that the optimized d-states of Rh Au–Pd Cu PNS can effectively improve the adsorption of CH_(3)CO^(*) and drastically reduce the energy barrier of C–C bond cleavage,thus boosting the complete oxidation of ethanol.The charge ratio of C_1 pathway on Rh Au–Pd Cu PNSs is 51.5%,more than 2 times higher than that of Pd NSs.Our finding provides an innovative perspective for the design of highly-efficient noble-based electrocatalysts.

Mycogenic Silver Nanoparticles From Endophytic Trichoderma atroviride with Antimicrobial Activity

There is an increasing interest in developing nanoparticles with diverse biologic activities.To this end,we prepared 10 to 15 nm silver nanoparticles(AgNP)from native isolates of Trichoderma atroviride.Within this study,endophytic fungi hosted four medicinal plants in Saint Katherine Protectorate,South Sinai,Egypt have been isolated by surface sterilization technique on four isolation media.Ten species,based on their frequency of occurrence,out of twenty recovered taxa were tested for their capability to synthesize extracellular AgNPs.Trichoderma atroviride hosted Chiliadenus montanus was found to be the best candidate for the production of mycogenic AgNPs among all examined species.The mycosynthesized AgNPs were compared with chemically synthesized and characterized using Ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis)spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)techniques.The HRTEM result showed the distribution of spherical AgNPs ranging from 10 to 15 nm.Trichoderma atroviride isolate was subjected to sequencing for confirmation of phenotypic identification.The internal transcribed spacer(ITS)1-5.8 s-ITS2 rDNA sequences obtained were compared with those deposited in the GenBank Database and registered with accession number MH283876 in the NCBI Database.Antibacterial,anticandidal and antifungal effects of chemically and mycosynthesized AgNPs were examined at various concentrations in vitro against six pathogenic bacteria and 4 pathogenic fungi by agar well diffusion technique.Standard antibiotics;Gentamicin,Amoxicillin,Clotrimazole,and Nystatin at 5μg/disk were taken as positive controls,while 5%DMSO was used as the negative control.Our data revealed that the application of mycogenic AgNPs at a concentration of 100 ppm resulted in maximum inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.These data suggest that AgNPs from native isolates of Trichoderma atroviride(MH283876)offer a source of rapid synthesis of eco-friendly,economical biomaterials that show antimicrobial activities.

Ginkgo biloba extract improved cognitive and neurological functions of acute ischaemic stroke:a randomised controlled trial

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE)in acute ischaemic stroke and its impact on the recurrence of vascular events.Methods We conducted a multicentre,prospective,randomised,open label,blinded,controlled clinical trial enrollingpatients with an onset of acute stroke within 7 days from five hospitals in China Jiangsu Province.Participants were assigned to the GBE group(450 mg GBE with 100 mg aspirin daily)or the control group(100 mg aspirin daily)for 6 months.The primary outcome was the decline in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score at 6 months.Secondary outcomes were other neuropsychological tests of cognitive and neurological function,the the incidence of adverse events and vascular events.results 348 patients were enrolled:179 in the GBE group and 169 in the control group.With 18 patients lost to follow-up,the dropout rate was 5.17%.Admission data between two groups were similar,but in the GBE group there was a marked slow down in the decline in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores(−2.77±0.21 vs−1.99±0.23,P=0.0116(30 days);−3.34±0.24 vs−2.48±0.26,P=0.0165(90 days);−4.00±0.26 vs−2.71±0.26,P=0.0004(180 days))compared with controls.The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at 12 and 30 days,the modified Rankin Scale scores for independent rate at 30,90 and 180 days,and the Barthel Index scores at 30,90 and 180 days in the GBE group were significantly improved compared with controls.Improvements were also observedin GBE groups for Mini-Metal State Examination scores of 30,90 and 180 days,Webster's digit symbol test scores at 30 days and Executive Dysfunction Index scores at 30 and 180 days.No significant differences were seen in the incidence of adverse events or vascular events.conclusions We conclude that GBE in combination with aspirin treatment alleviated cognitive and neurological deficits after acute ischaemic stroke without increasing the incidence of vascular events.

Environmental levels and toxicological potencies of a novel mixed halogenated carbazole

The present work involves an extensive analytical and toxicological description of a recently identified mixed halogenated carbazole found in sediment samples,1,8-dibromo-3,6-dichloro-9H-carbazole(BCCZ).Concentrations and the relative effect potency(REP)were calculated for the target BCCZ in a set of stream sediments collected in 2008 in Ontario,Canada.The levels calculated for BCCZ as compared to those previously assessed for legacy persistent organic pollutants(POPs)in the same samples revealed a significant contribution of BCCZ to the total organic chemical contamination(<1%e95%;average 37%).The corresponding dioxin toxic equivalencies(TEQs)of BCCZ in the sediment extracts were estimated from experimental REP data.The experimental data presented supports the classification of this emerging halogenated chemical as a contaminant of emerging environmental concern.Although potential emission sources could not be identified,this study highlights the importance of on-going research for complete characterization of halogenated carbazoles and related compounds.

Detection of complement C4 with a piezoelectric immunosensor

A piezoelectric immunosensor has been developed for the detection of complement C4. Anti-C4 antibody was immobilized onto the gold electrodes of a 9 MHz AT-cut piezoelectric crystal. The coated crystal with the physical adsorption method to immobilize antibody showed the better results than the polyethyleneimine adhesion, glutaraldehyde cross-linking method with respect to sensitivity and reproducibility. The antibody-bound crystal with the physical adsorption method was successfully used for the detection of human complement C4 in the concentration range of 0.1—10 μg/mL for 40 min incubation time. The immunosensor system had good selectivity, and other materials in human Serum did not interfere the detection remarkably. The crystal could be regenerated nearly 15 times when the bound materials on the crystal surface were eluted by strong acid and strong alkali solutions and subsequently cleaned in a ultrasonic cleaner.

Regulating closed pore structure enables significantly improved sodium storage for hard carbon pyrolyzing at relatively low temperature

The closed pore has been considered as the key structure for Na ion storage in hard carbon.However,the traditional view is that closed pores can only be formed by the curling of graphite-like crystallites in the case of high temperature carbonization.Ingenious designing of closed pore structures at lower temperature is still blank.Herein,for the first time,engineering the wall thickness and number of closed pores in waste rosewood-derived hard carbon was successfully achieved at a low temperature of 1100℃ by removing the lignin and hemicellulose components in wood precursor.When applied as an anode material,the optimum sample exhibits a high capacity of 326 mAh/g at 20 mA/g and a remarkable rate capability of 230mAh/g at 5000 mA/g,significantly higher than those of the untreated sample(only 33 mAh/g at 5000 mA/g).The significantly improved Na storage performance should be attributed to abundant closed pores that provide sufficient spaces forNa storage and thin porewall structure that is beneficial to the diffusion of Na^(+)in the bulk phase.This work provides a new idea for the future application of biomass-based hard carbon for advanced Na ion batteries.