Based on the theoretical knowledge of elasticity, this paper introduces elasticity (i.e. elastic transformation) as a tool to solve differential equations for the first time, and takes a class of third-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations as an example. First, elastic transformation is used to reduce the order to second-order solvable differential equation. Second, by using the elastic inverse transformation, the analytical solutions of the original equation are obtained. Finally, the steps of the elastic reduction transformation method are summarized. The examples show that some nonlinear equations can be transferred into linear equations, and this method has theoretical and applied value which is extensive and in-depth.

Background: A limited number of studies have exclusively assessed fatigue among post-COVID patients. Our study aimed to assess the persistence and associations of fatigue among COVID-19 survivors after two months of recovery from their primary illness. Method: During hospital admission from August to September, 2020, a total of 373 patients were diagnosed to be suffering from fatigue using Chalder fatigue scale. After obtaining informed written consent, patients were followed up two months later over telephone. A total of 332 participants participated in the interview (36 patients could not be traced and another 5 patient died within two months). Patients were asked to categorize their present fatigue condition based on a simplified questionnaire developed for telephone interview. Result: Among study participants, 62.9% (n=207) were found to be still suffering from fatigue two months after their hospital discharge. A significant association of fatigue was found with age (p=0.000), hypertension (RR: 1.51; CI: 1.15-1.99; p=0.002), diabetes mellitus (RR: 1.45; CI: 1.08-1.95; p=0.010), ischemic heart disease (RR: 2.04; CI: 1.15-3.64; p=0.011), on admission SpO2 (p=0.000), on admission serum ferritin (p=0.000), d-dimer (p=0.000), CRP (p=0.000), and Hb% (p=0.019). Binary logistic regression model revealed significant association of age and on-admission SpO2 with persistence of fatigue. Conclusion: Fatigue is a highly prevalent symptom among the COVID-19 survivors with significant association between fatigue and patients clinical and laboratory markers.

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a non-infectious chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa, which is mainly mediated by IgE after the body is exposed to allergens. It has been shown that transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into AR animal models can improve the AR behavioral phenotype. Furthermore, there are recent studies that states exosomes are the main mediators of MSC therapy. However, the effect of exosomes on AR has not been investigated. Methods In the established AR mouse model, different concentrations of MSC-derived exosomes (MSCs-Exo) were applied via intranasal delivery. The AR symptom scores, the eosinophils in the nasal mucosal section, the inflammation infiltration in the spleen section, and IgE, ovalbumin-specific IgE (OVA-sIgE), histamine, IgG1, IgG2a and other Th1/Th2 related inflammatory factors were evaluated by Hematoxylin–eosin staining, Elisa, real-time PCR. Results We found that intranasal administration of MSCs-Exo could not only reduce the behavior of nasal scratching and sneezing in mice, but also cause a decline in related immune indicators via the MAPK pathway, including the spleen index, tissue staining, and the expression of inflammation-related cytokines. Moreover, we found that the optimal concentration of MSCs-Exo was 4×10 8/mL. Conclusion The significant beneficial effects of exosomes may be exploited to develop a new, non-invasive treatment strategy for AR.

Objective: To evaluate if elective single-blastocyst transfer (eSBT) could be adopted in women aged 36 or older? Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Reproductive medicine center at a tertiary hospital. Population: Women aged ≥36 years received IVF ovarian stimulation cycles and had ≥ two blastocysts. Out of 429 women, 240 underwent eSBT and 189 double-blastocyst transfer (DBT) in the first transfer cycle. The subsequent frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles were a combination of single- and double- blastocyst transfers. Methods: Analysis was stratified for patients in age groups 36-37, 38-39 and ≥40, taking into account the quality of the blastocyst transferred, as graded by morphological examination. Main outcomes measures: Cumulative livebirth rate (cLBR) from all transfers (fresh and frozen) accruing from a single oocyte retrieval. Results: The cLBR was 74.2% (178/240) versus 63.0% (119/189) after eSBT versus DBT, respectively (aOR: 1.09 (0.68, 1.75)). Time to live birth did not vary significantly between the two groups (HR: 0.85 (0.68,1.08)). The total number of children born was 194 after eSBT (162 singletons and 16 pairs of twins) versus 154 (84 singletons and 35 twins) pairs of after DBT. The odds ratios for preterm birth (<37 weeks’ gestation) (0.37 (0.21-0.64)), and low birthweight (<2.5 kg) (0.31 (0.16, 0.60)) were all lower in eSBT group than in DBT group. Conclusions: In women aged ≥36 years old with at least two blastocysts, cLBR following single- versus double- blastocyst transfer was comparable while the odds of multiple livebirths and adverse perinatal outcomes were reduced.

The global consensus of carbon neutralization calls for new ideas of CO2 capture, conversion and utilization, especially CO2-negative technologies. In this work, a CO2-negative process was developed to convert three different types of biomass species into valuable products, green hydrogen and activated carbon (AC). Four reaction modules including pyrolysis, activation, gasification, and chemical looping were integrated and balanced in terms of mass and energy. After optimization, green H2 with up to 95.54% purity can be produced with price as low as $3.10/kg. The solid AC product can fix 10-20 wt% of carbon element from biomass to achieve a similar proportion of reduced CO2 emission. Part of the separated CO2 can be reused in the activation process and converted to CO product for internal use. Overall, this process demonstrates an economic route for biomass conversion with the co-production of green hydrogen and value-added AC products. Moreover, CO2-negative emission is also realized.

Background Allergic diseases represent a major global health issue with more than one third of the global population affected with at least one allergic condition. Allergic conditions can not only cause life threatening anaphylactic reactions but also impact on daily life with significant influence on mental health and quality of life (QoL) Objectives This study aims to evaluate the health related QoL and depression severity among patients presenting in a tertiary care allergy center. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 628 patients presenting with allergic symptoms or previously diagnosed allergies between October 2018 and April 2019 and screened for depression and QoL impairment. Results 73.3% (n=437/596) of the patients suffered from at least one previously diagnosed allergic disease, most frequently to pollen (36.2%, n=220/607) or food (26.7%, n=162/607), and 19.6 % (n=119/607) suffered from urticaria. 16.6% of the total study population suffered from depression. Urticaria as well as insect venom, food/food additive allergies and drug allergies significantly affected the quality of life and depression severity (p<.001), reflected by higher DLQI and BDI scores and lower scores in the EQ5D-3L index. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for a possible association of allergies (e.g. against insect venom, food/food additives and drugs) and/or urticaria with a reduced life quality and a higher depression rate. Patients particularly indicated restrictions in the dimensions pain/discomfort as well as anxiety/depression. A standardized questionnaire for evaluating the mental health status of patients with allergies and/or urticaria might be beneficial to be implemented as a regular screening method.

Objective: Monocyte to HDL cholesterol ratio (MHR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been proposed as novel systemic inflammatory markers. The aim of this study was to explore the association between MHR, LMR, NLR and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods: The study is a single-centre, retrospective observational study. The study group consisted of 73 patients with PAH and the control group consisted of 77 participants without cardiac pathology as determined by echocardiography. On admission, blood sampling to calculate MHR, LMR, NLR and detailed clinical data were obtained. Results: According to the Pearson test, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) value positively correlated with the MHR and NLR (r: .35, p<0.001 and r: .33, p<0.001, respectively), but negatively correlated with LMR (r: -.26, p=0.001). After multivariate logistic regression analysis, MHR, LMR and NLR remained a significant predictor of PAH (OR: 2.972, 95% CI: 1.541-5.731, p=0.001; OR: 0.515, 95% CI: 0.385-0.687, p<0.001; OR: 1.390, 95% CI: 1.083- 1.784 p=0.010, respectively). Conclusion: Higher MHR, NLR and lower LMR that indicates an enhanced inflammation were significantly increased in patients with PAH compared with controls. Compared to many other inflammatory markers, these markers are cost effective, widely available and does not bring additional costs. Keywords: Pulmonary arterial hypertension, Monocyte to HDL cholesterol ratio, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio What’s already known about this topic? MHR, LMR and NLR have been proposed as novel systemic inflammatory markers in clinical studies. What does this article add? The association between MHR, NLR and LMR with PAH is unknown. In this study these parameters were significantly associated with PAH. Compared to many other inflammatory markers, these markers are cost effective and widely available.

The processes governing soil bacteria biogeography are still not fully understood. It remains unknown how the importance of environmental filtering and dispersal differs between bacterial taxonomic and functional biogeography, and whether their importance is scale-dependent. We sampled soils at 195 plots across the Tibet plateau, with distances among plots ranging from 20 m to 1,550 km. Taxonomic composition of bacterial community was characterized by 16S amplicon sequencing, and functional community composition by qPCR targeting 9 functional groups involved in N dynamics. Twelve climatic and soil characteristics were also measured. Both taxonomic and functional dissimilarities were more related to environmental dissimilarity than geographic distance. Taxonomic dissimilarity was mostly explained by soil pH and organic matter, while functional dissimilarity was mostly linked to moisture, temperature and N, P and C availabilities. The roles of environmental filtering and dispersal were, however, scale-dependent and varied between taxonomic and functional dissimilarities, with distance affecting taxonomic dissimilarity over short distances (<~300 km) and functional dissimilarity over long distances (>~600 km). The importance of different environmental predictors varied across scales more for functional than taxonomic dissimilarity. Our results demonstrate how biodiversity dimension (taxonomic versus functional) and spatial scale strongly influence the conclusions derived of bacterial biogeography.

Remote sensing is a powerful tool for characterizing ecosystems at large scales. However, the relative importance of leaf traits and canopy structure in characterizing the spatial distribution of functionally distinct tropical forests – the most diverse, structurally complex, and heterogeneous ecosystems on Earth – remains under-explored. Using satellite-resolution LiDAR and imaging spectroscopy metrics, we map spatial turnover in tropical forest function, examine the relative importance of leaf traits and canopy structure, and analyze differences in aboveground carbon and demography. We find that leaf phosphorus, LMA, and canopy height are key distinguishing properties of forest types, achieving accuracies of 85-96% and correspond to differences in community growth and mortality rates. Our remotely sensed forest types align with ground-based forest definitions but enable mapping of their entire extent. At 30 m resolution, our method can be used at large scales with spaceborne data to reveal important differences in structure and function across tropical forests.

Background: Measuring the nurses’ perception of justice in the performance appraisal system is important in achieving effective performance appraisal results. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the psychometrics of the Persian version of the Justice Perception of Performance Appraisal (JPPA)instrument. Methods: In this methodological study, 301 clinical nurses working in the hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were selected based on purposive sampling. The translation and validation of the justice perception of the performance appraisal framework were sought according to the instructions proposed by the University of Incarnate Word in the United States. The psychometric characteristics of the instrument including construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) and reliability were evaluated using internal consistency based on Cronbach’s alpha index and intra-class correlation (ICC). In the present study, SPSS version 17 and LISREL software version 8.8 were used for confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated the establishment of these four factors: procedural justice, distributive justice, interpersonal justice and informational justice which covered 57.71% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the appropriateness of the four-factor construct of the justice perception of performance appraisal (p = 0.000, X2 = 4184.26, df = 1478, GFI = 0.67 & AGFI = 0.64, RMR = 0.11, SRMR = 0.078, &RMSEA = 0.078, NFI = 0.95& NNFI = 0.97, and CFI = 0.97). The internal consistency of the instrument was also confirmed according to the Cronbach’s alpha index of 0.97 and the intra-class correlation index of 0.95. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Justice Perception of Performance Appraisal can be used as a valid and reliable instrument to measure the level of nurses ‘perception of justice in the performance appraisal.

Rationale, Aims and Objectives There is an increasing awareness of the impact functional conditions have on patients, staff and healthcare providers. Less is known about the resources currently used to manage these conditions. This retrospective quantitative audit aims to determine the demographic and healthcare utilisation of patients with functional abdominal pain presenting to hospital in a single centre. Methods The most frequent hospital attenders (three or more hospital presentations) with non-specific abdominal pain in NHS Grampian, 2018-2019 were assessed for inclusion. Patients with a functional abdominal pain diagnosis were suitable for inclusion (n=33). Data were retrospectively collected using electronic medical records. Results Of 33 patients, 93.9% of patients were female with a mean age 31.2 years. Each accessed an average of 12 specialist services (between 2011-2019). 70% were referred to mental health services but only 9% completed treatment. There was an average of 5 emergency presentations including 3 admissions to hospital for abdominal pain (total hospital nights = 247) and 19 outpatient appointments in two years. The estimated total cost was £593,786.00. In total 803 imaging investigations were conducted in the timeframe. Conclusion Extensive diagnostic investigations are being carried out for patients with functional abdominal pain at a significant cost to the health service. Patients are re-presenting to hospital frequently which suggests that the current management or treatment of these patients is not effective.

Objective To gain an understanding of how nurses, midwives and women who have experienced pregnancy loss perceive their interactions during pregnancy termination. Design Qualitative interview study. Setting A delivery room and six maternity wards of a tertiary hospital in China. Population A purposive sample of six nurses, thirteen midwives and seven women who experienced pregnancy loss. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews. Main Outcome Measures Themes derived from interview transcripts. Results Five themes were identified: (1) interaction quality and characteristics, (2) interactive contradiction, (3) influencing factors of the interaction, (4) training needs and (5) suggestions for benign interactions. Conclusions Healthcare providers should be instructed in adopting a respectful and sympathetic attitude in communication, strengthening information support and offering patient-centred care for effective interactions. Ignoring women’s needs and using disrespectful words should be avoided. Perinatal bereavement training for preparing nurses and midwives in perinatal bereavement care and addressing heavy emotional burden is necessary. Additional efforts are needed to improve medical services and to facilitate benign interactions in induced abortion care. Funding This study was funded by the Zhejiang Medical and Health Research Project (Foundation Number: 2020KY173). Keywords Bereavement care, qualitative, pregnancy loss, abortion, interaction, communication

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the laboratory markers used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and to present the parameters that can be used to predict mortality. Material and method: The cases followed in the intensive care unit due to COVID-19 in our clinic between March 2020 and December 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 374 patients who met the study criteria were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as the patients who were discharged from the intensive care unit with no mortality and patients with a mortal course. Patients with no mortality constituted Group-1, and patients with a mortal course constituted Group-2. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the patients were compared. Results: The number of patients in group-1 consisting of patients with no mortality was 148 (39.5%), and the number of patients in group-2 consisting of patients with mortality was 226 (60.4%). In the group of patients without mortality, 84 (56.8%) of the patients were male, while in the mortality group, 127 (56.2%) were male. In the mortality group, procalcitonin, CRP, BUN, D-dimer, troponin, LDH, lactate, and INR values were higher, albumin value was lower, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, PLT and D-dimer were found as the independent variables of mortality. Conclusion: We think that the high procalcitonin and D-dimer values obtained with routinely examined rapid and easily accessible blood tests of Covid-19 patients may contribute to mortality prediction.

Background:Mean platelet volum to platelet count (MPV/Plt) ratio (MPR) is a new predictor of mortality in critical patients with COVID-19 infection in intensive care unit (ICU). Objective:To retrospectively examine the laboratory predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods:A total of 106 patients with COVID-19 in ICU were enrolled in the study.The medical records of the patients and the electronic patient monitoring system were retrospectively analyzed. Results:The Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, leukocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil %, neutrophil count/lymphocyte count (NLR) and neutrophil count/albumin (NAR) ratio was significantly higher among nonsurvivors (p=0.0001, p=0.004, p=0.003, p=0.049, p=0.007, p=0.009, p=0.007 and p=0.0001; respectively).While the survivors had lower platelet distribution width, red blood cell distribution width, MPV and MPR (p=0.016, p=0.03, p=0.005 and p=0.049; respectively), hemoglobin, Plt, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, lymphocyte % ve monocyte % were higher (p=0.022, p=0.033, p=0.042, p=0.008 and p=0.04; respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, five features, including high levels of CRP, procalsitonin, pro-BNP, MPR, and low level of plt were shown as mortality predictors for COVID-19 patients in ICU (p=0.045, p=0.025, p=0.017, p=0.027 and p=0.041; respectively). Conclusion:Mean platelet volum to platelet count ratio, NLR, NAR predict mortality in critical cases of COVID-19 which will contribute to early prediction, accurate diagnosis, and treatment to improve the prognosis of patients. Keywords: COVID-19, mortality, MPV, MPV/platelet ratio, NLR, platelet

with high penetration of distributed generation integrated with distribution networks, the reliability of the network becoming increasingly common. To address the reliability, this paper propose a new approach based on the dynamic reconfiguration to improve the reliability of the distribution network in presence of distributed generation by Reinforcement Learning algorithm. In this research, the deep reinforcement learning approach find the optimal switches to change the power flow when the network reliability is reduced. The objective function as a reward in reinforcement learning algorithm included active power loss, voltage deviation, and reliability. Furthermore, the failure-rate reduction strategy was computed as a reliability indices of the load points in the distribution network. To calculate the probabilistic load flow, the 2m Point Estimate Method (PEM) has been proposed. The proposed approach is evaluated using the IEEE 33-bus and the IEEE118-bus. The suggested structure has been implemented by deep Q-learning method. The Guaranteed Convergence Particle Swarm Optimization (GCPSO) and Honeybee-Graph (HG) algorithms has been implemented to comparison with presented approach. The results illustrate the usefulness of the methodology. In the IEEE – 33 bus test network, by considering DQL method there was near to 7% improvement in the voltage profile and 50 % reducing in active power loss for the bus number 2 and 5. Also, computing time in this method lower than the other algorithms.

Mega universities; those with over a hundred thousand students; are amongst the highly significant beneficiaries of distance education worldwide and are progressively using the information and communication technologies. The major goal of Total Quality Management (TQM) is to create within the university an environment that are used productively and successfully to give the staff self-reliance in administration. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are an effective part of benchmarking for measuring the performance of universities aiming to raise the university quality services level. The problem is that there is no general standard evaluation model for assessing KPIs criteria in higher education institutes for evaluating mega universities and there are inadequacies in the treatment of specific current educational quality standards. In this paper, a hybrid model for TQM self-assessment to enhance KPIs in mega universities is proposed. The proposed model produces important weights for TQM-KPIs that are recommended for helping higher authorities at any university for enhancing demanded total quality services and aids a university to reach its strategic objectives and be one of the highly ranked universities. It uses the enabler criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model and proposed two additional criteria which represent the mega university and world ranking. It is based on integrating three fuzzy MCDM methods including Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process (FAHP), Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATEL), and (FVIKOR). Finally, these methods are studied analytically which is proofed that a proposed model is found as the most effective model of organizational assessment.

In view of the environmental hazards caused by SO2, the development of efficient SO2 capture technology has important practical significance. In this work, a low viscosity protic ionic liquids containing imidazole, ether linkage, and tertiary amine structure, was synthesized by acid-base neutralization of tris(3,6-dioxaheptyl)amine (TMEA) and imidazole (Im) for SO2 absorption. The results showed that the solubility of SO2 in [TMEA][Im] reached 12.754 mol·kg-1 at 298.2 K and 100 kPa and the ideal selectivity of SO2/CO2(1/1) and SO2/H2S(1/1) are 141.6 and 11.8 at 100 kPa, respectively. Furthermore, [TMEA][Im] can be reused and the SO2 absorption performance was not significantly reduced after five cycles. In addition, the absorption of low-concentration SO2 (2000 ppm) in [TMEA][Im] was also tested. Further spectroscopic research and thermodynamic analysis suggested that the high SO2 uptake by [TMEA][Im] was caused by the synergistic effect of physical and chemical absorption.

Poly(vinyl butyral) is selected as a promising ethanol-permselective membrane based the solubility parameter theory, however it exhibits anomalous water perm-selectivity in practical pervaporation process. Comprehensive analysis based on experimental and theoretical methods were carried out to explore the inherent mechanism of the anomalous performance. Firstly, sum frequency generation vibrational spectra and contact angle were developed to quantify the surface reconstruction of membrane in air and ethanol, which indicated that hydrophilic hydroxyl tended to expose on membrane surface with ethanol thus improved the membrane affinity to water. Meanwhile, swelling behaviors proved more water would accumulate in the ethanol swollen membrane. Furthermore, theoretical analysis in terms of sorption and diffusion process, based on the UNIFAC-FV model and Fujita free volume theory, confirmed the mechanism of anomalous phenomenon of poly(vinyl butyral) membrane. The comprehensive investigation was expected to provide insights into the basic separation mechanism of pervaporation process.

Objectives 1) To assess the theatre team’s performance through invited participation in an audit cycle. 2) To develop a resource that would outlast the audit and be applied universally to multiple departments. 3) To evaluate the novel resource and audit cycle. Design A closed audit cycle involving the ENT theatre team at a University teaching hospital were invited to take part in assessment tasks involving the paediatric bronchoscope. A 2 minute instructional video was developed.. Cycle 2 repeated naming, function and assembly tasks and scores were recorded and compared to cycle 1 for improvement. Setting Operating theatre of a combined adult and paediatric ENT service in a University teaching hospital. Participants Medical and nursing staff who formed part of the ENT theatre team in a University teaching hospital. Main Outcome Measures Naming and function scores of the paediatric bronchoscope as well as time to accurate assembly. Participant satisfaction and feedback on the process was used to evaluate the resource. Results There were 15 participants. Average experience was 10.4 years. Average improvements in naming and function scores were 29% and 15% respectively. The average improvement in assembly time was 49 seconds. Participants rated the resource highly, learned new skills and increased confidence. Conclusion This paper presents a novel resource for maintaining theatre team’s state of readiness for emergency paediatric bronchoscopy. Through application of techniques from educational psychology the theatre team maintained improvements following the exercise. This resource is freely available and can be used by theatre teams to assess and maintain important skills.

To summarize and describe the clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, and airway management techniques in children with laryngotracheal (LT) trauma. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data related to LT trauma diagnosed and treated at XXX Children’s Hospital between January 2013 and July 2018. Disease diagnosis, treatment, management, and outcomes were detailed. Results: A total of 13 cases were enrolled, with an average age 6 years, 9 months. There were seven cases of penetrating LT trauma, of which four cases were injured by knife stabbings and three by dog bites. Tracheostomy was performed for two of these patients, and one with persistent left vocal cord paralysis. The six cases of blunt LT trauma were caused by knocking on hard objects. Two of these six patients underwent tracheostomy. One case had a dislocation of the cricoarytenoid joint and underwent a closed reduction surgery. In all cases, voice, airway, and swallowing outcomes were graded as good, except for one patient who had residual paralysis of the vocal cords. Conclusion: We have summarized a large series of pediatric LT trauma cases. In our experience, examinations by flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and computed tomography imaging can play important roles in the diagnostic approach to LT trauma. In addition, the airway should be kept safe and, if necessary, opened by tracheal intubation or tracheotomy. We have proposed our own recommendations for managing pediatric LT trauma cases in order to inform the development of standardized clinical guidelines.

Objectives: To preserve olfactory function in each nostril following pituitary surgery is important in the long term. However, no reports evaluating olfactory outcomes in individual nasal cavities following endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETSA) for pituitary surgery have been published. Here, we used an endoscopic modified transseptal bi-nostril approach for pituitary surgery, with possible olfaction preservation without turbinate resection, and evaluated olfactory outcomes in both left and right nostrils. Design: A single-centre, retrospective study Setting and participants: Overall, 41 patients who underwent endoscopic modified transseptal pituitary surgery with an olfactory and turbinate preservation approach at our hospital between April 2018 and December 2019 were included in this study. Main outcome measures: To completely protect the bilateral turbinates and olfactory epithelium, this procedure provides access to the sphenoid sinus by a transseptal approach via the left nasal cavity and by the olfactory cleft approach via the right nasal cavity without resecting any turbinate. A jet stream olfactometer (JSO) was used to assess the mean recognitive threshold of the left, right, and bilateral nasal passages before and after surgery. Results: The postoperative JSO test values of the right, left, and bilateral nasal cavities were markedly improved (p<0.01 for all) compared with the preoperative values, but there was no difference in the values between the right and left nasal cavities (p=0.85). No recurrence or olfactory dysfunction was observed in any patient during the study period. Conclusion: Our modified EETSA may be one method to approach preserving every turbinate and olfaction.

Abstract Background: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strongly affected the young population, with a significant impact on their mental health, lifestyle, and sleep. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of COVID-19 on oral health and general hygiene habits in an undergraduate medical school population. Methods: A total of 500 participants, including pre-graduate students from the School of Medicine with a mean age of 22.84 ± 2.68 years completed an anonymous web survey. Of these, 200 belonged to the schools of dental hygiene and dentistry and 300 belonged to the medical school. Results: Students suffered from increased stress and emotional distress, which led to an increase in weight in 48.6% of the subjects. A reduction in personal and dental hygiene (8% and 4%, respectively) was observed. Students in dentistry and dental hygiene courses were more careful about their dental hygiene. Students from the dentistry and dental hygiene courses reported an increase in the use of chlorhexidine mouthwash during quarantine (+ 15%). Conclusion: Pandemic-related stress has affected the youth, with an increase in unhealthy lifestyle and changes in dental hygiene habits. Strong action must be taken to promote good oral hygiene habits and a healthy lifestyle among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mad7 is a CRISPR enzyme, similar to Cas9 and Cas12a, which is of great interest to industry and academia due to its permissive licensing agreement, which states that everyone is free to use it but not distribute it commercially. This paper demonstrates that Mad7 genome editing works in CHO cells and provides the CHO engineering community with the computational tools needed to generate Mad7 compatible gRNAs against the CHO genome.

SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses produces a wide range of clinical disease severity, which varies from asymptomatic infection to death. In this study, we evaluated prevalence of influenza compared to COVID-19 in years of 2019-2021 before and after COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study showed that the outbreak of influenza decreased by starting the restrictions and health protocols and suggesting that the measures taken for COVID-19 were effective in reducing spread viral respiratory diseases such as influenza.