Investigation of the effect of Ni and Cu variant MOF-74 in the Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs) for efficient gas separation applications.

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) containing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been an emerging and promising membrane technology to contribute to different gas separation applications including carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) separation, because of their large surface areas and distinctive gas adsorption features. In this work, the fabrication process of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based MMMs was reported, in which 0.5 to 2 wt.% of each type of (Cu, Ni)-based MOF-74 variants were incorporated into a PDMS matrix in order to achieve high CO2/N2, O2/N2, and CO2/O2 separation efficiency. These MMMs and their nanofillers (MOF-74) were extensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) mapping, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), a single gas permeation testing system, and an ultimate tensile strength testing (UTS) unit in order to gain insight into their properties in relation to their gas separation performance. The 1 wt.% of both (Cu and Ni)-MOF-74@PDMS were selected as the most optimum MMMs due to their uniform morphology and enhanced tensile strength, which exhibited high CO2 permeabilities of 4432 Barrer (37.9% increase) and 4288 Barrer (33.5% increase), respectively. Furthermore, in the case of 1 wt.% Ni-MOF-74@PDMS, the CO2/N2, O2/N2, and CO2/O2 selectivities were also enhanced to 36.2 (141.6% increase), 3.2 (21.9% increase), and 11.25 (98.1% increase), respectively. While, in the case of 1 wt.% Cu-MOF-74@PDMS the CO2/N2 and O2/N2 selectivities showed an increment up-to 94.7 (531.5% increase) and 6.47 (145% increase), respectively, Whereas, at 0.5 wt.%, Cu-MOF-74@PDMS showed the best CO2/O2 selectivity of 25.26 (344.7% increase).

Multimodal Treatment of Robin Sequence Utilizing Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may each have a role in effectively treating tongue-based airway obstruction (TBAO) in Robin sequence (RS). This study describes longitudinal outcomes after treatment of TBAO with CPAP and/or MDO.Retrospective cohort study.Tertiary Pediatric Hospital.A total of 129 patients with RS treated with CPAP and/or MDO from 2009 to 2019 were reviewed. Subjects receiving baseline and at least one follow-up polysomnogram were included. 55 who underwent MDO ± CPAP and 9 who received CPAP-only treatment were included.Patient characteristics, feeding, and polysomnographic data were compared and generalized linear mixed modeling performed.Baseline obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) was greater in the MDO-treated group (median x˜ = 33.7 [interquartile range: 26.5-54.5] than the CPAP-treated group (x˜ = 20.3[13.3-36.7], P ≤ .033). There was significant reduction in OAHI following treatment with CPAP and MDO modalities, P ≤ .001. SpO2 nadir after MDO was lower in syndromic (x˜ = 85.0[81.0-87.9] compared to nonsyndromic patients (x˜ = 88.4[86.8-90.5], P ≤ .005.) CPAP was utilized following MDO in 2/24 (8.3%) of nonsyndromic and 16/31 (51.6%) of syndromic subjects (P ≤ .001,) for a median duration of 414 days. Three patients (5%) underwent tracheostomy, all had MDO. Nasogastric tube feeding at hospital discharge was more common following MDO (44, 80%) than CPAP-only (4, 44.4%, P ≤ .036), but did not differ at 6-month follow-up (P ≥ .376).CPAP appears to effectively reduce obstructive apnea in patients with RS and moderate TBAO and be a useful adjunct in syndromic patients following MDO with improved but persistent obstruction.

Patient-specific risk factors contributing to blood culture contamination.

Objective: Contaminated blood cultures result in extended hospital stays and unnecessary antibiotic therapy. Patient-specific factors associated with blood culture contamination remain largely unexplored. Identifying patients at higher risk of blood culture contamination could alert healthcare providers to take extra precautionary measures to limit contamination in these patients, and thereby prevent associated adverse outcomes. We sought to identify patient-related factors that contribute to blood culture contamination in hospitalized patients. Design and setting: We conducted a secondary data analysis of a retrospective cohort study at an academic medical center. Patients: Study participants included 19,255 adult patients who had blood culture(s) performed during a hospital admission between June 2014 and December 2016. Methods: Data were analyzed to evaluate risk factors for blood culture contamination using logistic regression. Results: Among adult patients, we identified 464 contaminated episodes and 11,010 negative blood-culture episodes. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.34) and stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) during an admission (AOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.14-1.74) were associated with blood culture contamination. Other risk factors included race, body mass index, and admission from the emergency department. Subgroup analyses of patients admitted from the emergency department showed similar results. Conclusions: We identified patient-specific factors that increase the odds of false-positive blood cultures. By introducing mitigation strategies to limit contamination in patients with these risk factors, it may be possible to reduce the adverse clinical impact of blood culture contamination.

Clinical consequences of contaminated blood cultures in adult hospitalized patients at an institution utilizing a rapid blood-culture identification system.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical impact of contaminated blood cultures in hospitalized patients during a period when rapid diagnostic testing using a FilmArray Blood Culture Identification (BCID) panel was in use. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who had blood culture(s) performed during an admission between June 2014 and December 2016. METHODS: Length of hospital stay and days of antibiotic therapy were assessed in relation to blood-culture contamination using generalized linear models with univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Among 11,474 patients who had blood cultures performed, the adjusted mean length of hospital stay for patients with contaminated blood-culture episodes (N = 464) was 12.3 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.4-13.2) compared to 11.5 days (95% CI, 11.0-11.9) for patients (N = 11,010) with negative blood-culture episodes (P = .032). The adjusted mean durations of antibiotic therapy for patients with contaminated and negative blood-culture episodes were 6.0 days (95% CI, 5.3-6.7) and 5.2 days (95% CI, 4.9-5.4), respectively (P = .011). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the use of molecular-based, rapid blood-culture identification, contamination of blood cultures continues to result in prolonged hospital stay and unnecessary antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients.

Using Watershed Boundaries to Map Adverse Health Outcomes: Examples From Nebraska, USA.

In 2009, a paper was published suggesting that watersheds provide a geospatial platform for establishing linkages between aquatic contaminants, the health of the environment, and human health. This article is a follow-up to that original article. From an environmental perspective, watersheds segregate landscapes into geospatial units that may be relevant to human health outcomes. From an epidemiologic perspective, the watershed concept places anthropogenic health data into a geospatial framework that has environmental relevance. Research discussed in this article includes information gathered from the literature, as well as recent data collected and analyzed by this research group. It is our contention that the use of watersheds to stratify geospatial information may be both environmentally and epidemiologically valuable.

Chronic pelvic pain: a dilemma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of gynaecological factors leading to chronic pelvic pain via diagnostic laparoscopy. To see the association of these factors with demographic variables of the patients. METHODS: Fifty patients underwent the study over a period of 1.5 years from 1st January 2007 to 30th June 2008 at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. All patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were admitted via Out Patient Department, underwent initial investigations and later Diagnostic Laparoscopy. RESULTS: Twenty nine patients were in 25-34 years age group and had parity between 1 to 5, and 56% of the patients belonged to poor socioeconomic and educational status. Pelvic Inflammatory disease was the most frequently found gynaecological etiology of Chronic Pelvic Pain (20% of patients) followed by endometriosis (14%) and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (12%). CONCLUSION: Chronic Pelvic Pain is a common problem of women with multifactorial etiology. Laparoscopy was found be very effective in diagnosing the various gynaecological causes of the disorder.