he effect of post-transplant time on clearance and the sedation status may be considered in routine dosing management.Sediments to be dredged as part of the installation of a harbor crossing in Sydney, Australia, contained measurable concentrations of dioxin-like compounds. To assess the suitability of these sediments for ocean disposal, a defensible sediment quality guideline value (SQGV) for dioxin-like compounds, expressed as pg toxic equivalent (TEQ)fish /g dry weight, was required. There were deemed to be too many uncertainties associated with a value derived using effects data from field studies. A similar issue was associated with values based on equilibrium partitioning from sediment to pore water, largely associated with the wide range of reported sedimentwater partition coefficients. Greater certainty was associated with the use of a tissue residue approach based on equilibrium partitioning between sediment and organisms determined using tissue concentrations in fish, the most sensitive aquatic biota, and biotasediment accumulation factors. The calculation of an appropriate SQGV used data for dioxin-like compounds in both fish and sediments from Sydney Harbor. A conservative SQGV for dioxin-like compounds of 70 pg TEQ/g dry weight was deemed to be adequately protective of biota that might be exposed to these contaminants in sediments at the ocean spoil ground. The approach is transferable to similar situations internationally. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42257-271. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.Indwelling needles are widely used in the clinic for their advantages of reducing the pain and discomfort caused by repeated venipuncture. Achieving anticoagulation and hemostasis with one single indwelling needle is highly desired from perspective of implantation patency and the prevention of needle-withdrawal-induced uncontrolled bleeding. Herein, we develop a sophisticated indwelling needle with an anticoagulant/hemostatic dual function by anchoring an anticoagulant heparin coating and a hemostatic hydrogel coating on the inner surface and the outer surface of the indwelling needle, respectively. The results of in vitro tests and continuous blood collections from the rabbit ear vein indicate that the anticoagulant coating can resist the adhesion of proteins and blood cells, and its anticoagulant effect can maintain the patency of the indwelling needle for 3 hours after implantation. Meanwhile, the xerogel-hydrogel transition of the hemostatic coating upon contacting blood promotes the aggregation of blood cells, thus sealing the puncture site to achieve complete hemostasis after needle removal. Importantly, this anticoagulant/hemostatic indwelling needle can replace traditional repeated puncture, and can be used to monitor blood glucose concentration changes in diabetic rats through continuous blood collection, portending its promising application in the oral glucose tolerance test.

Our aim was to investigate the predictive factors for Hartmann’s reversal and to describe the differences in the rates and timings of Hartmann’s reversal for various causative diseases.

In this multicentre retrospective cohort study patients who underwent Hartmann’s procedure (HP) between 2006 and 2018 were enrolled. To describe the demographic patterns of Hartmann’s reversal through to 2021, we analysed the cumulative incidence rate of Hartmann’s reversal over time based on the Kaplan-Meier failure estimate. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed with cluster-adjusted robust standard errors to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the assessment of variables associated with colostomy reversal.

Of 250 patients who underwent the index HP and survived to discharge, 112 (45%) underwent subsequent Hartmann’s reversal (36% for malignant and 51% for benign disease). The causative diseases with the highest probability of colostomy reversal were trauma (85%) and diverticular disease (73%). Conversely, colostomy reversal was performed in only 16% for colonic volvulus and 17% for bowel ischaemia. Home discharge after index HP (HR 5.22, 95% CI 3.31-8.23) and a higher body mass index (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.04) were associated with a higher probability of Hartmann’s reversal, whereas older age, malignant disease and a history of cardiovascular and psychoneurological diseases were independently associated with a lower probability of colostomy reversal.

The probability and timing of Hartmann’s reversal varied considerably with the surgical indications for colostomy creation. Our results could help surgeons counsel patients and their families regarding stoma closure surgery to set realistic expectations.

The probability and timing of Hartmann’s reversal varied considerably with the surgical indications for colostomy creation. Our results could help surgeons counsel patients and their families regarding stoma closure surgery to set realistic expectations.Predicting the mixing free energy of mixing for binary mixtures using simulations is challenging. We present a novel molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method to extract the chemical potential μ(X) for mixtures of species A and B. Each molecule of species A and B is placed in equal and opposite harmonic potentials ±(1/2)Uex(x) centered at the middle of the simulation box, resulting in a nonuniform mole fraction profile X(z) in which A is concentrated at the center, and B at the periphery. Combining these, we obtain Uex(X), the exchange chemical potential required to induce a given deviation of the mole fraction from its average. Simulation results for Uex(X) can be fitted to simple free energy models to extract the interaction parameter χ for binary mixtures. To illustrate our method, we investigate benzene-pyridine mixtures, which provide a good example of regular solution behavior, using both TraPPE united-atom and OPLS all-atom potentials, both of which have been validated for pure fluid properties. χ values obtained with the new method are consistent with values from other recent simulation methods. However, the TraPPE-UA results differ substantially from the χ obtained from VLE experimental data, while the OPLS-AA results are in reasonable agreement with experiment, highlighting the importance of accurate potentials in correctly representing mixture behavior.A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the circulation and risk factors associated with West Nile virus (WNV) exposure in equine and wild bird populations following the largest epidemic outbreak ever reported in Spain. A total of 305 equids and 171 wild birds were sampled between November 2020 and June 2021. IgG antibodies against flaviviruses were detected by blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) in 44.9% (109/243) and 87.1% (54/62) of unvaccinated and vaccinated equids, respectively. The individual seroprevalence in unvaccinated individuals (calculated on animals seropositive by both bELISA and virus microneutralization test [VNT]) was 38.3% (95%CI 33.1-43.4). No IgM antibodies were detected in animals tested (0/243; 0.0%; 95%CI 0.0-1.5) by capture-ELISA. The main risk factors associated with WNV exposure in equids were age (adult and geriatric), breed (crossbred) and the absence of a disinsection programme on the facilities. In wild birds, IgG antibodies against flaviviruses were found in 32.7% (56/171; 95%CI 26.8-38.6) using bELISA, giving an individual WNV seroprevalence of 19.3% (95%CI 14.3-24.3) after VNT. Seropositivity was found in 37.8% of the 37 species analysed. Species group (raptors), age (>1-year old) and size (large) were the main risk factors related to WNV seropositivity in wild birds. Our results indicate high exposure and widespread distribution of WNV in equid and wild bird populations in Spain after the epidemic outbreak in 2020. The present study highlights the need to continue and improve active surveillance programmes for the detection of WNV in Spain, particularly in those areas at greatest risk of virus circulation.Catalytic activity and toxicity of mixed-metal nanoparticles have been shown to correlate and are known to be dependent on surface composition. The surface chemistry of the fully inorganic, ligand-free silver-gold alloy nanoparticle molar fraction series, is highly interesting for applications in heterogeneous catalysis, which is determined by active surface sites which are also relevant for understanding their dissolution behavior in biomedically-relevant ion-release scenarios. However, such information has never been systematically obtained for colloidal nanoparticles without organic surface ligands and has to date, not been analyzed in a surface-normalized manner to exclude density effects. For this, we used detailed electrochemical measurements based on cyclic voltammetry to systematically analyze the redox chemistry of particle-surface-normalized gold-silver alloy nanoparticles with varying gold molar fractions. The study addressed a broad range of gold molar fractions (Ag90Au10, Ag80Au20, Ag70Au30, Ag50bilization arising at this composition.The development of Schiff base-centered medical chemistry in conjunction with the use of less-expensive transition metals with high pharmacological activity has currently triggered enormous interest in the development of novel Schiff base ligands. In this context, four different metal complexes comprising Mn(II), Ni(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) (labeled as complexes 1-4) were synthesized using a novel tetra-dentate ligand (L) obtained by condensation of 3,5-dichlorosalicylaldehyde and trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, as demonstrated herein. The physico-chemical properties of the complexes were evaluated through UV-Vis, FT-IR, NMR, TGA, powder XRD and ESI-MS analyses. The crystalline states of the metal complexes were analysed by powder XRD. The existence of the lattice as well as coordinated water molecules in the complexes were demonstrated by the thermal characteristics of the complexes. The thermal stability of all the compounds is due to their high melting points. Studies on the free radical scavenging and antibacterial properties performed with the ligand L and the synthesized metal complexes 1-4 revealed that the Ni(II) complex had higher efficiency. Also, their bactericidal properties were tested with gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. Using Ni(II) as a model, anticancer studies for MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were performed. By using molecular docking studies, the interactions between drugs and biomolecules were identified. The Ni(II) complex showed synergistic activity, exemplifying its stronger anticancer action, establishing its higher inhibiting efficiency of 68.26% at 320 g/mL. The present investigation, therefore, acknowledges the viability of these newly synthesized Schiff base-derived complexes as clinical-trial prodrugs.Fascinating patterns are displayed in nature due to the collective coherent motion of many living organisms. The origin of collective behaviours is diverse as the group members benefit in various ways large resources of food, mating choices, nesting, and protection from predators, to name a few. It is still not well understood how complex behaviours emerge from a collective group that are otherwise not displayed at the level of solitary individuals. In recent years, along with field studies, numerous theoretical approaches have been developed to obtain insights into the mechanisms of aggregations and the collective decision-making processes. This brief review focuses on the self-propelled particle models, which have played a significant role in deciphering the underlying dynamics of collective motion in various organisms. Here, we discuss how local behavioural interactions and coordinations among the individual members give rise to complex collective behaviours. We consider the examples of collective motion in the schooling of fishes, flocking of birds, and swarming of prey, and address the emergence of a variety of patterns, a transition from disorder to ordered motion, and survival chances of prey group when under predator attacks.