Activity

aureus infections by reducing the virulence associated with this bacterium.

The small molecule ZY-214-4 has potential for the prevention of S. aureus infections by reducing the virulence associated with this bacterium.

Inpatient colonoscopy bowel preparation (ICBP) is frequently inadequate and can lead to adverse events, delayed or repeated procedures, and negative patient outcomes. Guidelines to overcome the complex factors in this setting are not well established. Our aims were to use health systems engineering principles to comprehensively evaluate the ICBP process, create an ICBP protocol, increase adequate ICBP, and decrease length of stay. Our goal was to provide adaptable tools for other institutions and procedural specialties.

Patients admitted to our tertiary care academic hospital that underwent inpatient colonoscopy between July 3, 2017 to June 8, 2018 were included. Our multi-disciplinary team created a protocol employing health systems engineering techniques (i.e., process mapping, cause-effect diagrams, and plan-do-study-act cycles). Quarfloxin clinical trial We collected demographic and colonoscopy data. Our outcome measures were adequate preparation and length of stay. We compared pre-intervention (120 ICBP) vs. post-intervention (129 ICBP) outcomes using generalized linear regression models. Our new ICBP protocol included split-dose 6-L polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution, a gastroenterology electronic note template, and an education plan for patients, nurses, and physicians.

The percent of adequate ICBPs significantly increased with the intervention from 61% pre-intervention to 74% post-intervention (adjusted odds ratio of 1.87, p value = 0.023). The median length of stay decreased by approximately 25%, from 4days pre-intervention to 3days post-intervention (p value  = 0.11).

By addressing issues at patient, provider, and system levels with health systems engineering principles, we addressed patient safety and quality of care provided by improving rates of adequate ICBP.

By addressing issues at patient, provider, and system levels with health systems engineering principles, we addressed patient safety and quality of care provided by improving rates of adequate ICBP.

The case-crossover design is suited to medication safety studies but is vulnerable to exposure misclassification. Using the example of tricyclic antidepressants and the risk of hip fracture, we present a data visualisation tool for observing exposure misclassification in case-crossover studies.

A case-crossover study was conducted using Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs claims data. Beneficiaries aged over 65 years who were hospitalised for hip fracture between 2009 and 2012 were included. The case window was defined as 1-50 days pre fracture. Control window one and control window two were defined as 101-150 and 151-200 days pre fracture, respectively. Patients were stratified by whether exposure status changed when control window two was specified instead of control window one. To visualise potential misclassification, each subject’s tricyclic antidepressant dispensings were plotted over the 200 days pre fracture.

The study population comprised 8828 patients with a median age of 88 ferent control windows in a case-crossover study, data visualisation can help to assess the extent to which exposure misclassification may contribute to variable results.

Salinity is an important global problem with destructive impacts on plants leading to different biochemical and metabolic changes in plants through induced oxidative stress that disturbs metabolism, growth, performance and productivity of plants. Given that putrescine (Put) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), individually, have promising effects in different plant processes, the idea of their combination in a nano-structure “Put-CQD” lead to its synthesis to evaluate the potential exertion of synergistic effects. The current study aimed to investigate the application of newly-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of CQDs and Put in grapevine (Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Sultana’) under salinity stress conditions. For this purpose, Put, CQDs and Put-CQD NPs at 5 and 10 mg L

concentrations were applied as chemical priming agents in ‘Sultana’ grapevine 48 h prior salinity stress imposition (0 and 100 mM NaCl).

Salinity significantly decreased (P ≤ 0.05) morphological parameters, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and membrane stability index. In addition, salinity enhanced MDA, H

O

, proline content and antioxidant enzyme activity. Results revealed that Put-CQD NPs, particularly at 10 mg L

concentration, alleviated the destructive impacts of salinity stress by improving leaf fresh and dry weights, K

content, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence and SPAD parameters, proline content, total phenolics and antioxidant enzymatic activities (CAT, APX, GP and SOD), while decreasing Na

content, EL, MDA and H

O

levels.

To conclude, Put-CQD NPs represent an innovative priming treatment that could be effectively applied on grapevine to improve plant performance under salinity stress conditions.

To conclude, Put-CQD NPs represent an innovative priming treatment that could be effectively applied on grapevine to improve plant performance under salinity stress conditions.

Routine colonoscopy is recommended to determine the coexistence of colon cancer after medical treatment for colon diverticulitis. However, in the case of uncomplicated diverticulitis diagnosed by computed tomography, the clinical relevance of routine follow-up colonoscopy has recently been debated. Yet, the role of follow-up colonoscopy for right colon diverticulitis, which tends to develop at a younger age than left colon diverticulitis, has not been specifically evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of right colon cancer or colonic adenomatous polyps, detected by routine colonoscopy, after conservative management of acute uncomplicated right colon diverticulitis.

Patients with uncomplicated right colon diverticulitis (modified Hinchey stage Ia) diagnosed by computed tomography imaging, between 2011 and 2017, and who underwent follow-up colonoscopy surveillance after treatment were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of colon cancer, with the detection rate of adenoma being the secondary outcome.