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Super-resolution imaging techniques enable nanoscale microscopy in fields such as physics, biology, and chemistry. However, many super-resolution techniques require specialized optical components, such as a helical-phase mask. We present a novel technique, Super-resolution Airy disk Microscopy (SAM) that can be used in a standard confocal microscope without any specialized optics. We demonstrate this technique, in combination with ground state depletion, to image and control nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in bulk diamond below the diffraction limit. A greater than 14-fold improvement in resolution compared to the diffraction limit is achieved, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 16.9(8) nm for a 1.3 NA microscope with 589 nm light. We make use of our enhanced spatial resolution to control the spins states of individual NV centers separated from each other by less than the diffraction limit, including pairs sharing the same orientation that are indistinguishable with a conventional electron spin resonance measurement., Comment: Main text: 6 pages, 4 figures, 31 references. Supplement: 14 pages, 10 figures, 15 references. Version 2 contains updated figures and modified text to improve clarity and readability

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a very common and distressing problem that affects women’s quality of life. This systematic review aimed to investigate the association of the dimensions of the genital hiatus and levator hiatus at rest and Valsalva with POP. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science were searched on 25 April 2020. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Of the 1288 papers reviewed, 21 (n = 5145: 2909 women with POP and 2236 controls) were considered for meta-analysis. Compared with the normal pelvic floor group, the urogenital hiatus size in the POP group was significantly higher at rest (mean difference: 0.49; 95% CI: [0.43, 0.55], P

In nanoparticle-assisted photothermal microscopy, absorption of radiation by a nanoparticle is followed by non-radiative relaxation which leads to changes in the surrounding medium temperature, pre...

Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most serious problems during pregnancy and after delivery. It can influence the quality of life and cause psychological problems that lead to depression and decreased self-esteem. We aimed to investigate the maternal, obstetrical and neonatal risk factors of urinary incontinence 3 to 12 months after childbirth.The Cochrane Library, Medline, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched for studies published from the inception of the databases up to December 2019, including any observational full-text papers. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Of 338 articles reviewed, 20 studies were considered for meta-analysis.The results of our study showed that vaginal delivery in contrast to cesarean section (OR = 3.74, 95% CI: [2.71, 5.15], P 0.00001), UI in pregnancy (OR = 5.27, 95% CI: [3.40, 8.17], P 0.00001), episiotomy (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: [1.05, 1.45], P 0.01), perineal teargrade 2, instrumental delivery in contrast to cesarean section, epidural or spinal anesthesia, maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI and neonatal birthweight have a direct relationship with UI.This study confirmed that urinary incontinence during pregnancy and vaginal births had the strongest relationship with postpartum urinary incontinence. Also, the maternal upright positions during labor did not reduce the likelihood of urinary incontinence. The awareness of this issue helps find effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of female urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common medical complications in pregnancy. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin E and GDM. METHODS: Relevant articles from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases up to December 2019 were searched. The inclusion criteria were observational full-text articles. The fixed and random effect models were used to analyze the pooled data using Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Thirteen studies, including 596 participants, of whom 285 were diagnosed with GDM were included in the meta-analysis. The vitamin E level was significantly lower in women with GDM (MD: - 0.10; 95% CI: [−0.15, − 0.05]). The level of vitamin E was not different between overweight women with GDM and healthy pregnant women (MD: 0.03; 95% CI: [−0.08, 0.013]). The level of vitamin E was significantly lower in the third trimester of pregnancy in GDM women in comparison to the healthy pregnant women(MD: -0.09; 95% CI: [−0.12, −0.06]). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the level of vitamin E is significantly lower in GDM women compared to healthy pregnant women. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40200-020-00582-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Optically active defects in diamond are widely used as bright single-photon sources for quantum sensing, computing, and communication. For many applications, it is useful to place the emitter close to the diamond surface, where the radiative properties of the emitter are strongly modified by its dielectric environment. It is well-known that the radiative power from an electric dipole decreases as the emitter approaches an interface with a lower-index dielectric, leading to an increase in the radiative lifetime. For emitters in crystalline solids, modeling of this effect needs to take into account the crystal orientation and direction of the surface cut, which can greatly impact the emission characteristics. In this paper, we provide a framework for analyzing the emission rates of shallow (

Innate immune cells detect pathogens through simultaneous stimulation of multiple receptors, but how cells use the receptor crosstalk to elicit context-appropriate responses is unclear. Here, we reveal that the inflammatory response of macrophages from FcγR-TLR2/1 crosstalk inversely depends on the ligand mobility within a model pathogen membrane. The mechanism is that FcγR and TLR2/1 form separate nanoclusters that interact at their interfaces during crosstalk. Less mobile ligands induce stronger interactions and more overlap between the receptor nanoclusters, leading to enhanced signaling. Different from the prevailing view that immune receptors colocalize to synergize their signaling, our results show that FcγR-TLR2/1 crosstalk occurs through interface interactions between non-colocalizing receptor nanoclusters, which are modulated by ligand mobility. This suggests a mechanism by which innate immune cells could use physical properties of ligands to fine-tune host responses.

Background To evaluate the effect of dexamethasone administration on the interval between initiation of labor induction and active phase of labor. Methods The databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for studies published up to June 27, 2021. Two types of articles were included: a) full-text articles published in English or any other languages, and b) Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Participants were primi- or multigravida women with term or post-term pregnancy. The intervention group received parenteral or extra-amniotic dexamethasone whereas the control group received normal saline or no treatment before initiation of labor induction. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Results Seventeen studies involving 1879 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Administration of dexamethasone reduced the interval between the initiation of labor induction and the beginning of active phase by about 70 min [MD: - 1.17 (− 1.37, − 1.00); P Conclusions Dexamethasone could significantly reduce the length of induction-active phase interval, and length of the first stage of labor, with no difference in maternal or fetal adverse effects.

Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most common and costly occupational injuries. Nursing profession, considering the nature of the work, is one of the occupations in hospital in which work-related musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent. This review study was conducted to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian nurses. Materials and methods The present study was conducted on the basis of the PRISMA checklist for systematic review and meta-analysis. To access eligible articles, domestic and foreign databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, PUBMED, Magiran, SID, Medlib Irandoc, and the Google scholar search engine and keywords of musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomics, nurses, and Iran were used. In this review, two researchers reviewed the relevant articles published from 2000 to 2017. At first, 1349 papers were entered but finally, 33 eligible articles were analyzed. Data analysis was carried out using STATA software (ver. 11.5). Findings The results of the review of 33 eligible articles showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and low back pain in nurses were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.83–0.95) and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.60–0.61) respectively. Conclusion The results of the previous studies revealed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain in nurses, is high. Therefore, planning and intervention should be performed to prevent and reduce musculoskeletal disorders in nurses.

Nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond are used to image electron pathways in corroded zirconium alloys, with preliminary data showing unexpected luminescence from the oxidized zirconium. Our ongoing work includes identifying the origin of this luminescence.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of vaginal urea and creatinine levels in the detection of premature rupture of membrane (PROM). The Cochrane (central), EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published from the inception of the databases up to January 2020. We included published observational full-text articles. The mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. The significance level was set as 0.05. Eleven studies (n = 1324) were considered for meta-analysis. Using the bivariate model, the summary estimate of sensitivity and specificity for urea was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.86, 0.98) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.97), respectively. The summary estimate of sensitivity and specificity for creatinine was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.92, 0.99) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.99), respectively. The overall mean of urea and creatinine in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (MD = 12.63, 95%, CI [12.01, 13.25]) and (MD = 0.31, 95%, CI [0.29, 0.32]), respectively. The results of this systematic review showed that the mean of urea and creatinine in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the sensitivity and specificity of creatinine is higher than urea in the diagnosis of PROM.

Here, we investigate scanning photothermal microspectroscopic imaging of metal nanoparticles with reflective objectives. We show that correction-less collection of spectra from single spherical nanoparticles embedded in a polymer is possible over a wide spectral band, with large depth of focus, long working distance, and high lateral spatial resolution. We posit that these beneficial characteristics are inherent of the Bessel-Gauss character of the focused beam. When compared with other types of optical microscopy, the combination of these characteristics give photothermal imaging with reflective objectives unique appeal for material characterization applications.

Background The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of hyoscine n-butylbromide in labor progress. Methods The databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Science-Direct, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for studies published up to December 2019. Articles that published as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and full-text articles published in English or other languages were included and participants were primi or multigravida women who were in active phase of labor. The intervention included HBB compared to placebo (normal saline) that was used during active phase of labor. Pooled estimates were measured using the fixed or random effect model, while the overall effect was reported in a mean difference (MD). All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Results Twenty studies involving 3108 women were included in meta-analysis. Based on subgroup analysis by parity, use of HBB significantly reduced the duration of the first stage of labor in primigravida women (MD = − 57.73; 95% CI: [− 61.48, − 53.60]) and in multigravida women (MD = − 90.74; 95% CI: [− 97.24, − 84.24]). Administering HBB could reduce the second stages of labor in primigravidas and multigravidas about 6 min and 4 min respectively. Also, HBB reduced the duration of the third stage of labor in multigravidas about 3 min. APGAR score at one and 5 min after birth was not affected. The main maternal adverse effect was tachycardia and dry mouth. Labor duration in studies in which the participants were primi-and multigravida was not presented based on separate parities except for four papers, and the route of HBB administration was not the same across all studies. Conclusions Although, the effect of HBB was minimal when multigravidas and primigravidas women were considered together, the HBB was clinically effective in primigravida and multigravida women for shortening the first and the second stages of labor. Also, HBB could reduce the length of the third stage of labor in multigravidas.

Aim The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods The Cochrane Library, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched for studies published from the inception of the databases up to February 2019. Our inclusion criteria were published observational full-text articles. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Of 208 papers reviewed, 26 studies (n = 6668) were considered for meta-analysis. Results The SHBG level was significantly lower in women with GDM compared to healthy women (MD = −11.86; 95% CI: [−13.02, −10.71]). Also, SHBG in women with PCOS and GDM and obesity was significantly lower than women with PCOS without GDM (MD = −38.14; 95% CI: [−56.79, −19.48]) and normal weight women (MD: −58.96; 95% CI: [−79.32, −38.59]). SHBG in the second trimester was lower than that in the first trimester and pre-conception. Conclusions This systematic review showed that the level of SHBG is significantly lower in GDM pregnant women than that in healthy women. The results of this systematic review about the relationship of GDM and SHBG and suggestion to assess this marker in early pregnancy should be considered with caution.

The strong configuration dependence of collective surface plasmon resonances in an array of metal nanoparticles provides an opportunity to develop a bioinspired tool for sensing mechanical deformations in soft matter at the nanoscale. We study the feasibility of a strain sensor based on an icosahedral array of nanoparticles encapsulated by a virus capsid. When the system undergoes deformation, the optical scattering cross-section spectra as well as the induced electric field profile change. By numerical simulations, we examine how these changes depend on the symmetry and extent of the deformation and on both the propagation direction and polarization of the incident radiation. Such a sensor could prove useful in studies of the mechanisms of nanoparticle or virus translocation in the confines of a host cell.

Introduction Some studies have investigated the effect of Lavender on pain and the healing of wounds. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of Lavender on pain and wound healing of episiotomy. Methods The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science (all databases from inception until February 2020) were searched. Data were extracted from eligible studies by two review authors individually. Our inclusion criteria were full-text interventional studies published in English or any other languages. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. The protocol of this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO with the reference number CRD42020140623. Results Our search found six trials involving 415 participants. The use of Lavender could significantly reduce pain in women with episiotomy (95 % CI: -1.06 – -0.32). The use of Lavender has significantly improved the healing of episiotomy compared to the placebo (95 % CI: -2.13 – -1.34). In all studies, pain and healing of episiotomy were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, Approximation (REEDA) scale respectively. Conclusion This review showed that the use of Lavender (in any form) in postpartum has a significant effect on pain relief and healing of episiotomy wound. All six studies that were included in this systematic review were from developing countries. A high level of heterogeneity was observed in the effect of Lavender on pain but not the healing of the episiotomy. Therefore, the results should be considered with caution. Using Lavender may be considered for wound healing of episiotomy.

In this study, we explore the optical properties of Janus Au-SiO2 Nanoparticles that consist of silica deposited on a partial surface of Au nanospheres with the aid of photothermal microscopy.

A nonlinear and non-averaged model of a two-beam free-electron laser (FEL) wiggler that is tapered nonlinearly in the absence of slippage is presented. The two beams are assumed to have different energies, and the fundamental resonance of the higher energy beam is at the third harmonic of the lower energy beam. By using Maxwell's equations and the full Lorentz force equation of motion for the electron beams, coupled differential equations are derived and solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge—Kutta method. The amplitude of the wiggler field is assumed to decrease nonlinearly when the saturation of the third harmonic occurs. By simulation, the optimum starting point of the tapering and the slopes for reducing the wiggler amplitude are found. This technique can be applied to substantially improve the efficiency of the two-beam FEL in the XUV and X-ray regions. The effect of tapering on the dynamical stability of the fast electron beam is also studied.