Plos One
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Airway obstruction due to decreased airway diameter and increased incidence of mucus plugs has not been directly observed in asthma exacerbation. We studied the changes in the inner diameter of the airway (Din) and the frequency of mucus plugs by airway generation in patients with asthma exacerbation. We compared these patients to those in a stable phase using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). ⋯ Among the bronchi examined, the fourth- and fifth-generation bronchi were significantly obstructed during asthma exacerbation compared with the stable phase in terms of a decreased airway diameter and mucus plugs.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 is a respiratory illness spread between people. A primary weapon for reducing or eliminating this disease involves physical distancing to thwart transmission. ⋯ Devising a configuration of desks and/or workspaces that are physically distant is a type of dispersion problem that can be formalized mathematically and solved. Planning efforts for a university campus serve to illustrate how spatial optimization can support safety enhancements.
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Fecal colonization by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) can be the main reservoir for transmission of these resistant organisms especially in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs). ⋯ The prevalence of CRE colonization in the 2 hospital ICUs was relatively high and the emergence of blaOXA-181-mediated CRE is a cause for concern as there is the possibility of rapid horizontal spread among hospital patients in Kuwait. Active surveillance of CRE in the ICUs is highly recommended to stem its spread.
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Historical Article
Novel track morphotypes from new tracksites indicate increased Middle Jurassic dinosaur diversity on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Dinosaur fossils from the Middle Jurassic are rare globally, but the Isle of Skye (Scotland, UK) preserves a varied dinosaur record of abundant trace fossils and rare body fossils from this time. Here we describe two new tracksites from Rubha nam Brathairean (Brothers' Point) near where the first dinosaur footprint in Scotland was found in the 1980s. ⋯ Additionally, a wide variety of tridactyl tracks shows evidence of multiple theropods of different sizes and possibly hints at the presence of large-bodied ornithopods. Overall, the new tracksites show the dinosaur fauna of Skye is more diverse than previously recognized and give insight into the early evolution of major dinosaur groups whose Middle Jurassic body fossil records are currently sparse.
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The role of systemic corticosteroid as a therapeutic agent for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia is controversial. ⋯ Among non-ICU patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by AHRF, treatment with corticosteroid was associated with a significantly lower risk of the primary composite outcome of ICU transfer, intubation, or in-hospital death, composite of intubation or death and individual components of the primary outcome.