How to Tailor Structural Colors for Extended Visibility and White Light Generation Employing Direct Laser Interference Patterning

The appearance of a surface can be controlled by creating periodic microstructures designed to diffract light and produce structural colors. Nevertheless, since structural coloration is based on diffraction, the produced colors have a strong dependence on the viewing angle and absence of coloration takes place while tilting the samples. In this work direct laser interference patterning is used to firstly provide transparent polymer sheets a structural coloration with a high‐range observation angle, and secondly to demonstrate the combination of structural colors, producing a white coloring effect. The employed approaches are based on the fabrication of micro‐gratings with multiple periods in the same structured area and on the engineering of the diffraction orders of the diffraction spectrum. The patterned surfaces are characterized by confocal microscopy and angular spectrometry in reflection mode. The morphological characterization shows homogeneous surface patterns, while the spectral results demonstrate that combining four spatial periods on a single patterned surface, a white appearance is obtained over an angular observation range higher than 30°. The experimental results are supported by theoretical predictions by means of generalized formulas based on the diffraction of light.     

Kidney Transplantation and COVID-19: Two Case Reports

Immunocompromised populations are at great risk of the current 2020 global emergency of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and treatment of kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 is currently not declared. Hence, the purpose of the study is to set a clear treatment regimen. We report here a therapeutic course of 2 patients who underwent transplant surgery in March 2020 and got infected soon after. Since the transplant, these 2 patients have received triple maintenance immunosuppressive therapy with oral tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone, and they have been regularly followed up at our hospital. The tacrolimus trough level was between 10 and 12 ng/mL. After the diagnosis of COVID-19, MMF was stopped and the tacrolimus dose was reduced so that blood level was between 4 and 6 ng/mL. The first patient was a 30-year-old man who, despite being treated with hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, oseltamivir, and azithromycin therapy, died because of the presence of other comorbidities. The second case was a 58-year-old man who fully recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia with treatment with methylprednisolone, MMF, azithromycin, favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, and reduction in immunosuppression dosage. This reflects the importance of using glucocorticoids in the treatment of COVID-19 along with other medications and the decreased mortality rate associated with their use.     

2D:4D Digit Ratios in Adults with Gender Dysphoria: A Comparison to Their Unaffected Same-Sex Heterosexual Siblings,Cisgender Heterosexual Men,and Cisgender Heterosexual Women

Archives of Sexual Behavior - We compared gender dysphoria (GD) patients and their same-sex siblings in terms of their 2D:4D ratios, which may reflect prenatal exposure to androgen, one of the...     

The effect of electromagnetic radiation in the mobile phone range on the behaviour of the rat

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is emitted from electromagnetic fields that surround power lines, household appliances and mobile phones. Research has shown that there are connections between EMR exposure and cancer and also that exposure to EMR may result in structural damage to neurons. In a study by Salford et al. (Environ Health Perspect 111:881–883, 2003) the authors demonstrated the presence of strongly stained areas in the brains of rats that were exposed to mobile phone EMR. These darker neurons were particularly prevalent in the hippocampal area of the brain. The aim of our study was to further investigate the effects of EMR. Since the hippocampus is involved in learning and memory and emotional states, we hypothesised that EMR will have a negative impact on the subject’s mood and ability to learn. We subsequently performed behavioural, histological and biochemical tests on exposed and unexposed male and female rats to determine the effects of EMR on learning and memory, emotional states and corticosterone levels. We found no significant differences in the spatial memory test, and morphological assessment of the brain also yielded non-significant differences between the groups. However, in some exposed animals there were decreased locomotor activity, increased grooming and a tendency of increased basal corticosterone levels. These findings suggested that EMR exposure may lead to abnormal brain functioning.     

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis

Background and Aim:  Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) involves both the vascular and biliary structures of the liver. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is said to be an alternative for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary complications of HAE. We present here our experience with ERCP in HAE.
Methods:  We followed 13 patients who underwent ERCP for the treatment of biliary complications of HAE in the endoscopy unit of our clinic at Ataturk University School of Medicine, Erzurum between January 2002 and June 2008.
Results:  Eight men and five women were followed up. Mean age was 43.2 (24–64 years). All patients had non-resectable HAE. Indications for ERCP were biliary fistula in seven patients, obstructive jaundice in five patients and cholangitis in one patient. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was carried out in 12 patients, and in one patient with biliary leakage, a stent was inserted into the right hepatic branch. ERCP findings were dilated common bile duct, irregular narrowing and distortion of the common bile duct and common hepatic duct, communication with the cystic cavity or biliocutaneous fistula and complete disappearance of the biliary tree above the level of the common hepatic duct or hepatic bifurcation. In patients with biliary leakage, biliary drainage decreased only in two patients after ERCP and in patients with obstructive jaundice, the high bilirubin levels decreased in only one patient.
Conclusion:  ERCP showed structural changes of the external biliary tract and ES has a limited effect on these changes and stents can be used in selected cases.     

Dental caries experience and related factors among a clustered random sample of students in occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional study

Background

Dental caries is still the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide. In the occupied Palestinian territory, data about oral health status and its determinants are scarce. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among schoolchildren in a random sample of marginalised schools in the West Bank.