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Objective: To evaluate fasting for 12 hours compared with expedited oral feeding in hospitalised women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).Design: Randomised trial.Setting: University Hospital, Malaysia: April 2016-April 2017.Population: One hundred and sixty women hospitalised for HG.Method: Women were randomised upon admission to fasting for 12 hours or expedited oral feeding. Standard HG care was instituted.Main Outcome Measure: Primary outcome was satisfaction score with overall treatment at 24 hours (0-10 Visual Numerical Rating Scale VNRS), vomiting episodes within 24 hours and nausea VNRS score at enrolment, and at 8, 16 and 24 hours.Results: Satisfaction score, median (interquartile range) 8 (5-9) versus 8 (7-9) (P = 0.08) and 24-hour vomiting episodes were 1 (0-4) versus 1 (0-5) (P = 0.24) for 12-hour fasting versus expedited feeding, respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance of nausea scores over 24 hours showed no difference (P = 0.11) between trial arms. Participants randomised to 12-hour fasting compared with expedited feeding were less likely to prefer their feeding regimen in future hospitalisation (41% versus 65%, P = 0.001), to recommend to a friend (65% versus 84%, P = 0.01; RR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) and to adhere to protocol (85% versus 95%, P = 0.04; RR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-1.0). Symptoms profile, ketonuria status at 24 hours and length of hospital stay were not different.Conclusion: Advisory of 12-hour fasting compared with immediate oral feeding resulted in a non-significant difference in satisfaction score but adherence to protocol and fidelity to and recommendation of immediate oral feeding to a friend were lower. The 24-hour nausea scores and vomiting episodes were similar.Tweetable Abstract: Women hospitalised for hyperemesis gravidarum could feed as soon, as much and as often as can be tolerated compared with initial fasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We compared the effectiveness of different types of non-commercial neutral oral contrast agents for bowel distension and mural visualisation in computed tomographic (CT) enterography. Methods: 90 consecutive patients from a group of 108 were randomly assigned to receive water (n = 30), 3.8% milk (n = 30) or 0.1% gastrografin (n = 30) as oral contrast agent. The results were independently reviewed by two radiologists who were blinded to the contrast agents used. The degree of bowel distension was qualitatively scored on a four-point scale. The discrimination of bowel loops, mural visualisation and visualisation of mucosal folds were evaluated on a 'yes' or 'no' basis. Side effects of the various agents were also recorded. Results: 3.8% milk was significantly superior to water for bowel distension (jejunum, ileum and terminal ileum), discrimination of bowel loops (jejunum and ileum), mural visualisation and visualisation of mucosal folds (ileum and terminal ileum). It was also significantly superior to 0.1% gastrografin for bowel distension, discrimination of bowel loops, mural visualisation and visualisation of mucosal folds (jejunum, ileum and terminal ileum). However, 10% of patients who received 3.8% milk reported immediate post-test diarrhoea. No side effects were documented for patients who received water and 0.1% gastrografin. Conclusion: 3.8% milk is an effective and superior neutral oral contrast agent for the assessment of the jejunum, ileum and terminal ileum in CT enterography. However, further studies are needed to explore other suitable oral contrast agents for CT enterography in lactose- or cow's milk-intolerant patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructures and properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal nanocomposites, which are fabricated by the molecular level mixing process, have been investigated for multifunctional applications as structural and functional materials. The molecular level mixing process provides a homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes in metal matrices by inducing the ionic bonding between functionalized carbon nanotubes and metal ions. For the structural applications, CNT/Cu nanocomposites showed an outstanding enhancement in mechanical properties such as strength, modulus, and wear resistance. For the functional applications, CNT/Co nanocomposites showed excellent field emission behavior for possible applications on next generation field emission displays. SiC/W nanocomposites, fabricated by using CNT/W nanocomposite powders, showed good ablation properties for the applications as rocket propulsion materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background. We investigated the efficacy of a 3C protease inhibitor (3CPI) in a murine coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) myocarditis model. CVB3 is a primary cause of viral myocarditis. The CVB3 genome encodes a single polyprotein that undergoes a series of proteolytic events to produce several viral proteins. Most of this proteolysis is catalyzed by the 3C protease (3CP). Methods and Results. By way of a micro-osmotic pump, each mouse received 50 mM 3CPI in 100 [mu]L of 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) during a 72-hour period. On the day of pump implantation, mice (n = 40) were infected intraperitoneally with 10(6) plaque-forming units of CVB3. For the infected controls (n = 50), the pump was filled with 100% DMSO without 3CPI. The 3-week survival rate of 3CPI-treated mice was significantly higher than that of controls (90% vs 22%; P < .01). Myocardial inflammation, viral titers, and viral RNA levels were also reduced significantly in the 3CPI-treated group compared with these measures in the controls. Conclusions. The protein-based drug 3CPI inhibited the activity of 3CP of CVB3, significantly inhibited viral proliferation, and attenuated myocardial inflammations, subsequent fibrosis, and CVB3-induced mortality in vivo. Thus, this CVB3 3CPI has the potential to be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of acute viral myocarditis during the viremic phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the impact strengths of E-glass, coir, oil palm as well as E-glass/coir and E-glass/oil palm hybrid polyester composites were studied. All types of composites were reinforced with fiber volume fractions of 30%, 40%, and 50% and fiber lengths 3, 7, and 10 mm. Composite laminates reinforced with longitudinal and transverse coir fiber mats were also studied. The number of fiber mats varied from 1, 2, 3, and 4 layers for non-spaced fiber mats and 2, 3, and 4 layers for 1.5 mm spaced fiber mats. Besides, coir—polyester composite with addition of sand filler was studied as well, with 40%, 50%, and 60% of volume fractions and fiber lengths of 3, 7, and 10 mm. Results show that impact strength improves with fiber content and fiber length. In addition, longitudinal fiber mats always exhibit better impact toughness compared to transverse fiber mats. Impact strength is improved with the number of fiber layers but worsened by the fiber spacing. As for coir/polyester concrete, low fiber content and fiber length improve the impact strength. The fractured surfaces were inspected under scanning electron microscope to investigate the fracture mechanisms in each type of composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Cardiac toxicity is the most important complications associated with doxorubicin (DOX)-based chemotherapy. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) have been reported to have organ-protective effects in heart failure and may be also effective in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX-CMP). We performed a preclinical experiment to evaluate the preventive effect of a novel ARB, Fimasartan (Fima), in DOX-CMP.Methods and Results: All animals underwent baseline echocardiography and were then randomly assigned into three groups: treated daily with vehicle (DOX-only group, n=22), 5 mg/kg of Fima (Low- Fima group, n=22), and 10 mg/kg of Fima (High-Fima group, n=19). DOX was injected intravenously once a week for six weeks. Echocardiography was serially performed after treatment. Survival rate of the High- Fima group at 8th week was greater(100%) than that of the Low-Fima (75%) and DOX-only groups (50%). Echocardiography showed preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction in the High-Fima group, but not in the DOX-only group (P = 0.002). LV dimensions increased progressively in the DOX-only group; however, remodeling was attenuated in the Low- and High-Fima groups. In vivo heart, Fima activated ERK and AKT signal from 1 week through 6 weeks, and also up-regulated transcriptional factor c-Myc and Elk-1at 1 week after DOX+Fima. Fima also activated ERK signal in neonatal rat cardiomyocyte. Moreover, high dose of fima induced cell death; in contrast, it did not altered anticancer effect of DOX in S180 sarcoma cell line.Conclusion: These results suggest that a novel ARB, Fimasartan, could be used for the prevention of DOX induced cardiac toxicity without altering its anticancer effects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To assess the presence of malignancy in patients with AGUS on cervical smears. Methods A prospective descriptive study of patients with AGUS between January 2000 till August 2002. Results 77/10835 (0.7%) of cervical smears performed showed AGUS. 22/77 (28.6%) were postmenopausal. Accompanying statements with cytological diagnosis of AGUS were reactive (20), neoplastic (5) and with HGSIL (3); non specific features were noted in the remaining 49. Five main presentations were routine smear (35), menorrhagia (17), postmenopausal bleeding (8), post-coital bleeding (5) and vaginal discharge (3). Six patients were lost to follow-up. Benign disease was found in 48/71 patients (67.6%). In the remaining 23, the diagnoses were endometrial cancer (5), cervical cancer (5), ovarian cancer (2), primary peritoneal tumour (2), adenocarcinoma in situ (1), glandular atypia with a possibility of glandular intraepithelial neoplasia (1), invasive urethral adenocarcinoma (1), CIN 1 (2), focal CIN 2 (1) and CIN 3 (3). Upon review, 12/71 (16.9%) have had previous malignancy; 8 with previous nongynaecological malignancy. Six patients had persistent AGUS on repeat follow-up cervical smears. 3 patients were pregnant at the presenting cervical smear. 3 patients had AGUS diagnosed from vault smears. 2 patients succumbed (1 to advanced cervical adenoma malignum; 1 to cerebral metastases from advanced cervical cancer). Conclusion The presence of AGUS on cervical smear was associated with 22/71 (31.0%) of patients with gynaecological premalignant (8) and malignant lesions (14); Thus this cytological feature should not be ignored and needs appropriate further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]